A Goodly Heritage

The Last Sabbath in Strathnaver Before the Burnings. Twas not the beacon light of war , nor yet the "slogan" cry That chilled each heart and blanched each cheek in the country of Mackay, And made them march with weary feet , as men condemned to die. Ah! had it been their country's foe that they were called to brave How loudly would the piobrachd sound , how proud their "bratach" wave; How joyfully each man would march , tho' marching to the grave. No! twas a cruel ,sad behest , an alien chief's command Depriving them of house and home , their country and their land ; Dealing a death blow at their hearts , binding the "strong right hand." Slowly and sadly down the glen they took their weary way , The sun was shining overhead upon that sweet spring day. And earth was throbbing with the life of the great glad month of May. The deer were browsing on the hills , and looked with wondering eye ;                                       

Self, bewitched with self, and self performances, fondles the conceit, that man's meritoriousness, decked with Christ's merits , is the key of heaven . What is this , but to build an altar of human rubbish, with human tools and then add Christ thereto? This is the delusion , which , with christ on its front , stalks through the earth, and murders thjousands!This is the poison tree, beneath the shade of which,many lie down and dream that they make Christ their only hope , while the main weight of trust is hung on self!This is the fiend , which mocks the lost , by showing them too late that Christ extolled in name , is not Christ reigning in the heart. This is the foe , which often makes the faithful ministry a fruitless field.      Law

The richness and value of the 'crown of life' is so great , that God , the most wise and just esteemer of things , gave the precious blood of his Son to purchase it for us .It is a felicity so transcendent in its quality , and stable in its duration , that the blessed God cannot give us a greater, for what greater good is conceivable than himself ? And what more stale enjoyment of it than in eternity?The hope of this makes the Christian blessed in the midst of the greatest miseries ."Our light afflictions which are for but a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory."2 Corinthians 4.   

As inward acts have a more immediate influence on the soul,to mould it into a right temper and frame, so ought we to be most frequent and sedulous in the exercise of them . Let us often be lifting up our hearts to God , and if we do not say that we love Him above all things, let us at least acknowledge , that it is our duty, and would be our happiness, so to do ;let us lament the dishonour done to him by foolish and sinful men , and applaud the praises and adorations that are given Him by that blessed and glorious company above ; let us resign and yield ourselves up unto Him a thousand times, to be governed by His laws and disposed of at his pleasure.