shall listen to what he said at the very time. It will be observed that, beholding everything coloured with the solemnity of his position, he notes the very hour when the act of license took place.

To a friend," BLAIRLOGIE, 3d Feb., 1853. . . You know, and I doubt not had special remembrance of it, that the Stirling Presbytery met on Tuesday. I was present. My trials were all sustained, and about three o'clock I was licensed to preach the everlasting Gospel. This is very amazing! The long-suffering and tender mercy and forbearance of God toward me have been quite surprising. I feel myself very powerless-like a withered leaf that whirls about by every breath of wind. Oh, remember me before the Strong One, who giveth strength to them that have no might! It seems as if I had been dreaming all my life past. How unfit for labour for that labour! I may mention that I was in extraordinary darkness during part of the three weeks after I saw you. I was strongly tempted, and at times was overcome, 'to compass myself with sparks of my own kindling, and walk in them.' Yet, in general, I had grace to wait on the Lord, and stay myself on him.' And he wonderfully delivered me; and the effect has been, I trust, sincere humbling, although I feel that the moment light comes it is hard to give God the glory, and not be exalted in one's self. My way through the Presbytery was broad and plain. Yesterday I was in deep stupor of body and mind and soul, and am partially so to-day still. My head is confused and heavy and painful. I was afraid it had arisen from want of sleep, and might be serious, but I think now it has been a cold in the head, and trust to be delivered from it soon wholly. I have much work. My discourses are almost all but fragments yet. Remember me in this matter. now, 'the grace of the Lord Jesus, the love of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you.' . . Iam yours in the Lord Jesus."

And

Here we get some further notice of his ways. When he had "much work" on hand, "want of sleep" was often the consequence, for he had a singular disregard

of his health, and would work on night and day as if his body were no matter of consideration at all. It was not that he could not sleep, but that he did not take the needed sleep. His disregard of the necessary means of preserving health was something quite peculiar. It seemed like the want of a sense. When he did even take some care, it was just as likely to be of the stupidest kind as otherwise. When he was licensed, he had no large stock of sermons ready for use. He had very few indeed. He was never ready before the time with preparation of this sort; yet was he, as we shall see, always thoroughly ready at the time.

To his youngest brother,-"BLAIRLOGIE, 8th Feb., 1853. Perhaps you will have heard through Mr. that, on Tuesday last week, I was licensed to preach the Gospel of the Blessed God and of his Son. I think I feel in some slight measure that this is of the surprising grace of God; and I have some faint hope that the Lord will yet open my eyes more, and more subdue and melt my heart. It is a great work, exceedingly honourable, to be licensed by God to proclaim, in a world of sin and perishing men, the news of the Divine Righteousness and the Divine Saviour! But in like proportion as it is great is it responsible. I desire to feel both. I desire to feel and realize its dignity; I desire also to feel its weight; yea, so to feel it as to feel how utterly unfit I am to bear it, to have recourse [to] and to lay the whole on that Arm that is full of power. Seek, dear James, to realize both also on my behalf... Do not forget that, as a preacher, or rather a probationer, I am set on slippery places, and that I need constantly the strong Arm round me, and ask that. My dear brother, how prospers it with your own soul? is needful.""

. 'One thing

81

CHAPTER V.

WORK IN GLASGOW.

THIS formed, of course, one of the most important chapters of his life, and there have been few chapters of human life of greater Christian heroism, labour, and self-sacrifice. This statement is made deliberately; and if the facts be given with some measure of success, the reader will see the truth of it. The motives from which he undertook this work, the faith with which he entered on it, the labour he bestowed upon it, the devotion of the whole abundance of his being to it, the thoroughness with which every capacity of his rich and vigorous intellect was wrought out for it and wrought into it, and every fibre of his noble heart, to the very finest, was drawn out and woven through it, and every physical energy was strained on its behalf; the pure, the tender, the intense, and persevering love which made him fall a martyr to it, all this, and much more than this, lift up his few years' work to the heroic and the sublime. All who knew him saw and felt that here was a great workman; but only some knew how great. And, by the blessing of the God he looked to and trusted, great was his success.

THE FIELD OF LABOUR.

It was just the field for Christian heroism. About ten or eleven years ago the churches in Glasgow, after having long felt the necessity of something being done, began to do something for the enormous and growing heathenism at their own doors. Among others the United Presbyterian Church bestirred itself. For many years, indeed, the "City Mission" had been in operation; but it was felt that something more was needed. is not, and there cannot be, any such thing as a church organization connected with the City Mission. The

G

There

excellent men who are its agents go out as individuals: they state Christ's truth, but they cannot organize a Christian congregation. Christ's truth is very much; but Christ's house and home in his Church, with all the agencies and order, the care and discipline, the affections and mutual help of that home, is something more. Many persons, impressed in some measure by the statements of the agents of the City Mission, remain unsheltered and adrift. Others join this congregation or that as they may. These agents are shepherds without a fold. Not only, however, must it be said that the City Mission was better than nothing, but it must be added, that, at extremely little expense of money and care to the Church, it has done and is doing a great work. Meanwhile it cannot be dispensed with. It must be upheld and strengthened till the time come, whenever that may be, when mission churches shall have taken up all the outlying ground, and opened a Christian shelter to all the heathenism of the city, offering saving mercy to its sins and heavenly balm to its sorrows. Now, at the time referred to, the Christians of Glasgow began to turn their attention to the scheme of mission churches. plan was to appoint a regularly qualified Christian preacher to a district, that, with the assistance of Christian visitors and all the aids that could be brought into operation, a Christian congregation might, with God's blessing, be formed, and the whole organization of a church be brought to bear on the particular field of labour. The scheme was not only to take Christ's truth into the district, but Christ's home,-not only to call the wandering sheep, but shepherd them and give them a fold.

The

The mode of operation adopted by the United Presbyterians of Glasgow seems at once orderly, comprehensive, and simple. It is under the superintendence and control of the presbytery. A large committee of management is formed by the presbytery, and is divided into sub-committees charged severally with the special care of a particular district. The scheme is supported by subscriptions and congregational collections. It is some

what startling to discover, from the last annual report, that a scheme like this is already beclouded and discountenanced with nearly £3,000 of debt.

Two mission churches were begun before that of Cowcaddens. This station was at first managed by a private committee, and supported by a few congregations which took a special interest in it. The place of worship was the Mechanics' Hall, in Stewart Street. The Rev. Timothy East, formerly of Birmingham, laboured in this district for more than a year, when declining health compelled him to desist. A savings' bank, a small library, and a Sabbath school were all that was left. Yet one cannot read the "minutes" of the few Sabbath school teachers without being struck with the Christian perseverance, one might say pertinacity, with which they stuck to their post, and held it for the better time they counted on. At length, in May, 1853, the station was taken under the care of the presbyterial committee, who immediately and unanimously cast their eyes on John Maclaren, now one of the preachers and probationers of the Church.

THE INVITATION TO, AND ENTRANCE ON, THE FIELD.

Public worship was resumed in the Mechanics' Hall, and probationers were appointed to preach in it. No sooner had the teachers heard and met with Mr. Maclaren than, as one says, "We all had the conviction in our hearts that he was the future minister, and we felt his visit to be an answer to our prayers." This met the unanimous desire of the committee, and he was formally invited by the presbytery to labour in Cowcaddens. He received besides calls from "no fewer than three congregations of old standing and great respectability." tween these four calls he had to decide.

There were reasons very obvious for deciding against Cowcaddens. Not only did no organized congregation exist there, but its very elements did not as yet exist. There was even almost no audience. He began by preaching to, I believe, about twelve adult persons, be