3
teach. Get worldliness from the B.'s if you can.
Mrs. G. awake, or keep awake. Speak faithfully
to the B.'s. Tell me of M. C., if she is really a
believer, and grows? A. K. has the light visited
her? M. T. I have had some doubts of. M. G.
lies sore upon my conscience; I did no good to that
woman; she always managed to speak of things about
the truth. Speak boldly. What matter in eternity
the slight awkwardness of time ?" In these notanda
what a beautiful practical illustration we have of that
chapter in the work of Herbert on clerical duties,
which he has entitled The Parson Visiting!
While Mr. M 'Cheyne was thus occupied in the
united parishes of Dunipace and Larbert, he was
only in training for the full work of the ministry,
which he was now about to enter. This event
occurred in November, 1836, when, after having
been invited by the managers and congregation of
the new church, St. Peter's, Dundee, to become a
candidate for that charge, he preached on trial two
several Sundays before them, and was accepted as
their minister. The duties into which he now en-
tered were of the most arduous description. His
parish of St. Peter's, detached from that of St.
John's as a quoad sacra parish, contained a popula-
tion of 4000 souls; and the church itself, built in
connection with the Church Extension Scheme, con-
tained a congregation of 1100 hearers. His health,
lately subject to severe trials, was in very indifferent
condition, while the religious apathy of the towns-
folks of Dundee was such as to strike him at first
with anxiety. Here he commenced the same minis-
terial labours to which he had been accustomed as a
preacher, but with a sense of still deeper responsibi-
lity—not only preaching faithfully on the Sabbath
after careful preparation and prayer, but visiting
from house to house during the week-days, and often
extending these evangelistic visits of examination and
instruction, not only over the families of his own
parish, but those of Dundee at large. Such super-
abundant labour was perhaps an error—but an error
upon the safe side. In addition to these tasks he
superintended the labours of his elders over the
several districts into which his parish was divided,
held weekly evening classes for the young of his
congregation, and trained the more advanced of
their number for becoming Christian communicants.
He also held prayer-meetings on the Thursday even-
ings. These manifestations of earnest, tender, in-
defatigable solicitude for the spiritual interests of the
community among which he was placed, could not
but be felt and appreciated, and the multitudes that
repaired to his ministrations on the Sabbath soon
became permanent members of his flock, arrested as
they were by the unction of his preaching, so corres-
pondent to his whole character and actions; by the
distinct arrangement of his ideas, and the clear as
well as eloquent language in which they were ex-
pressed—even by the tones of his expressive voice,
and unstudied yet graceful and appropriate action of
his limbs, that had excelled in dancing and gymnas-
tics before he became a student in theology. In the
pulpit itself such natural and personal advantages are
no trivialities—and but for them, perhaps, even Whit-
field himself, that prince of pulpit orators, would
have lived and died an undistinguished Methodist
preacher. As the fame of his popularity and useful-
ness extended over the country at large, other parishes
wished to have Mr. M'Cheyne for their minister; but
tempting though such offers were, on account of
higher emolument and lighter labour, he respectfully
declined them. His motives for this were well ex-
plained in his remarks on an application of this kind
from the parish of Skirling. Writing to his father,
he says:—"I am set down among nearly 4000 people;
1100 people have taken seats in my church. I bring
my message, such as it is, within the reach of that
great company every Sabbath-day. I dare not leave
this people. I dare not leave 3000 or 4000 for 300
people. Had this been offered me before, I would
have seen it a direct intimation from God, and would
heartily have embraced it. How I should have de-
lighted to feed so precious a little flock—to watch
over every family—to know every heart—to 'allure
to brighter worlds, and lead the way!' But God
has not so ordered it. He has set me down among
the noisy mechanics and political weavers of this
godless town. He will make the money sufficient.
He that paid his taxes from a fish's mouth will supply
all my need."
From Scotland to Palestine, from Dundee to Jeru-
salem, is a strange transition—but this Mr. M 'Cheyne
was now called to undergo. The incessant action of
mind and body during his ministerial course upon a
constitution naturally delicate, had, towards the close
of 1838, completely impaired his strength, and occa-
sioned such a violent palpitation of the heart, that
he was imperatively ordered by his medical advisers
to discontinue his public labours, and seek a cure in
change of place and occupation. He reluctantly
complied, and passed over to Edinburgh, where he
had not been long domiciled, when a proposal was
made to him to join a deputation about to be sent
by the Church of Scotland into the East, for the
purpose of making personal inquiries into the con-
dition of the Jews. Nothing could have been more
opportune than such an offer. It gratified the long-
ing for missionary enterprise that had stirred up his
spirit from an early period, but hitherto without
scope; it promised to restore that health of which he
was now in quest without dreary useless inaction as
its price; and it would lead him through those hal-
lowed scenes and localities, the memory of which is
so dear to every Christian heart, and which it re-
cognizes to the very end as its native birthplace and
home. As one of the four ministers who composed
the mission, he commenced that interesting journey,
of which a full account has been given to the public
in the Narrative of a Mission of Inquiry to the Fews
from the Church of Scotland in 1839. After a six
months' tour, in which every day brought a change
of scene and incident, he returned home in Novem-
ber, 1839, renewed in health, and impatient to re-
sume his wonted duties. It was time that he should
return, for one of these mysterious religious epochs,
called a "revival," had occurred within his own
parish, as well as the town of Dundee at large, It
was similar to the event which, under the same title,
had occurred nearly a century earlier at Cambuslang.
On departing upon his mission to the East the assis-
tant whom Mr. M'Cheyne left in his place had
preached in Kilsyth, and there such a revival of re-
ligious feeling had occurred as seemed to recall the
days of Pentecost. From Kilsyth the impulse
reached Dundee, where its original agent was now
stationed, and afterwards went with an electric sym-
pathy through other parishes of Scotland. This
religious popular movement so peculiar to Scotland,
and yet so alien to the national character—as if that
were the fittest place where such a doubtful impulse
could be best tried and tested—was in full operation
among his people when Mr. M'Cheyne returned,
and in its working he recognized the finger of God.
On this account he threw himself without hesitation
into it, and was now more employed than ever in
speaking comfort to the afflicted, and giving instruc-
tion to the doubtful and inquiring. The immediate
fruits of this revival also were such as to fill him with