Saturday, January 9.-I was led last night in prayer to see something of the amazing love manifested in the sufferings of Christ, and of our astonishing ingratitude in our forgetting it. I bewailed my own sin and that of others in this respect, and found much comfort in drawing near to God. This morning I have found liberty in prayer for more of the image of God, and conformity to his will. I desired nothing but him, and wished to be nothing in myself, that Christ might be all in all. But how soon did this frame vanish! About mid-day I was seized with an old temptation, and have ever since been disturbed with it, and praying and fighting against it, yet without success. again and again assaults me. O that the Lord would rebuke the enemy! then he would have no power Lord, do thou speak the word, and it shall be done. Thou hast formerly delivered me from this; thy hand is not shortened, thy power is the same; deliver me, I beseech thee, from the hand of the enemy, and the glory shall be thine for ever. Amen!

over me.

In different forms it

Monday, January 18.-Last night I had liberty to pour out my soul before God, and to plead his promises, and seek with earnestness the full assurance of faith. My soul was greatly refreshed, my hope strengthened; and, blessed be his name, I this day feel more power to believe, and more inclination and relish for spiritual things. Yet, alas! my wicked heart is still prone to start aside like a broken bow, and leads me away before I am aware, on the mountains of vanity.

Tuesday, January 19.-This morning I asked counsel of God concerning visiting unconverted people, and read 1 Tim. chap. v. in order to see if I could find

any directions there on this head. I found on examination, that my intention in keeping up this sort of intercourse with them was not to please myself, but to endeavour to draw them out from the world, and to prevent them saying that religion shut me up altogether from their society, and made me neglect social duties. As I did not see my way clear to give it up, after prayer I went out to return some visits, and endeavoured to introduce profitable conversation; but I am sensible I did not speak as I ought.

Wednesday, February 3.-I was very ill last night. I found much sweetness and peace of mind in committing my soul, and all my concerns, into the Lord's hands, that my life and all might be disposed of as was most for his glory. This day I feel power to trust the Lord, that all shall be well with me, whatever the event may be; I can say, thy will be done in me and by me: Let me glorify thee, and be found in thee, and it sufficeth!

Sunday, February 7.-Last night as I was pouring out my heart before the Lord in prayer, for a blessing upon the ordinances this day, the case of a young gentleman was deeply impressed upon my mind, who was ill of a fever. I had no acquaintance with him; I only knew that he was reckoned a serious young man. I was led to cry importunately to the Lord for his recovery. This morning I was informed that last night the fever abated, and it is thought he will recover. From this may I not infer, that the Lord sometimes lays the cases of his children on the hearts of his people, that they may ask the blessings he intends to bestow.

Sunday, February 14.-This morning these words

came forcibly upon my mind: "If the Lord be God, serve him; but if Baal, then serve him." I was alarmed at this, and immediately sat down examining my heart, to see if I was halting between two opinions; but was not able to discover the least desire in my heart towards any service but that of the living God. Perhaps this scripture may have been suggested by the enemy, to perplex my mind on this morning of a communion Sabbath, as he is generally busy at such times, and I have been variously tempted this day, but in some measure got the victory by casting my soul upon Jesus, and resolvedly choosing him as my Lord and Master. I endeavoured to lay claim to him as such in defiance of Satan, and took all to witness that I this day gave up my soul to him, to be saved by him in his own way and time. At church I felt some exercises of faith on the sacrifice I saw represented before me as a sweet smelling savour unto God, and felt these words comfortable, "Be not afraid." The minister who preached said many things very opposite to my views of the gospel of peace. I felt my heart more inclined to fretfulness, than compassion for him, and I got into a careless spirit. At length Mr Walker rose to serve a table, and spoke to my heart. How glorious did the gospel appear, after what had gone before. Like the sun breaking out after a cold, dark, frosty day, so did it enlighten, thaw, and warm my frozen heart, and melted me into tears of love and contrition. This frame continued some time, till another minister succeeded, who spoke in a manner which much distressed O for the meek and compassionate mind that was in Christ, who wept over those who resisted his love and rejected his gospel.

me.

About this time the Rev. James Stuart, minister of

Killin, at the head of Loch Tay, represented to Lady Glenorchy the great need which the district of Strathfillan in his parish, had of additional means of propagating religious instruction.*

"Strathfillan, originally a distinct parish, was united to Killin about the time of the Reformation from Popery, and together with Ardeanaig became one charge with it. It consists of Strathfillan properly so called, and Glenfalloch; the first of these, viz. Strathfillan, is a flat or bottom, of six miles in length, four of which miles are situated by the east, and two by the west of the chapel or place of worship, in that part of this country. Glenfalloch strikes out towards the south from that flat or bottom, and is five computed miles in length; the most distant farm town thereof is fifteen computed miles from the parish church of Killin, and seven from the place of worship in Strathfillan. There are in these two places, Glenfalloch and Strathfillan, about two hundred and fifty examinable persons, exclusive of the workmen at Coninsh and Clifton mines, who with their followers, are rarely below a hundred and fifty persons, and sometimes they amount to the double of that number. Few of the common people in Strathfillan and Glenfalloch, who are past thirty years of age, can either read or write; nor can they hear sermon or receive public instruction from any other minister but their own, and from him rarely too, for as he has two other places of worship to preach in regularly, the nearest of which to Strathfillan is twelve computed miles distant from it, he cannot be oftener in these parts than one Lord's day in five all the year round, and sometimes he is obliged to be seven weeks absent from them without being able to give them one sermon; nor can they, like most people in the low country, supply this defect by repairing to neighbouring churches to worship, for these on all hands lie at a greater distance from them than their own parish church. Certain then it is, that a people who enjoy so scanty a measure of the ordinary means of grace, must, in the nature of things, labour under very great ignorance of the principal points of our holy religion, having little or no acquaintance with those great gospel truths which are calculated to inform the judgment, refine the passions, quicken the affections, and regulate the conversation.

"It is therefore evident from the foregoing particulars, that a minister of the gospel would not only be very useful, but is greatly needed in these bounds. Accordingly, the reverend ministers who lately visited the Highlands, by appointment of the General Assembly of the Church, gave it as their opinion, that Strathfillan is one of those places in the Highlands which stands much in need of a new erection of

Some time after this, Lady Glenorchy built or repaired a chapel at Strathfillan, and endowed it, and placed it under the direction and patronage of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. This chapel still remains, and continues to be useful. She also procured two missionary preachers of the established church, under the sanction of the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, to go through the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, and at her own expense provided them with all things neces

sary for their mission and comfort. Of this we have an account in a minute of the Directors of the Society.*

a parish church. It is to be further remarked, that to Coninsh and Clifton mines, which are within the bounds of Strathfillan, there is a great resort of persons from all the corners of the land, who are various in their principles and manner of life. It must therefore be of great consequence to religion, and the peace of the country, that a proper person should be constantly near them to guide their understandings and inspect their morals. Besides, if Strathfillan was erected into a parish, the Braes of Glenorchy would reap equal benefit from it with that part of the parish of Killin, for there are in these Braes nine or ten farms, some of them considerably large and populous, all of them at a great distance from Clachandysart, their own parish church; and these, as they lie contiguous to Strathfillan, may be joined to it, and the two become an united parish, which would consist, in whole, of between six and seven hundred constant hearers."

* "Minute of a General Meeting of the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge, held within their Hall, upon the 4th day of March 1773.

"The Committee of Directors reported, that a proposal had been made to them by Mr Scott Moncrieff, in name of the Right Honourable the Lady Glenorchy, setting forth that her Ladyship proposed to employ, at her own expense, two licensed preachers of the gospel, to travel among the natives in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, in the capacity of missionaries, to preach the gospel, and instruct the ignorant `in the principles of the Christian reformed religion; and that her Ladyship was desirous to have the countenance of this Society in that undertaking, by their giving these missionaries a commission from the Society.