“July 7, Saturday.—­After finishing my usual studies, tried to fast a little, with much prayer and earnest seeking of God’s face, remembering what occurred this night last year.” (Alluding to his brother’s death.)

“July 22.—­Had this evening a more complete understanding of that self-emptying and abasement with which it is necessary to come to Christ,—­a denying of self, trampling it under foot,—­a recognizing of the complete righteousness and justice of God, that could do nothing else with us but condemn us utterly, and thrust us down to lowest hell,—­a feeling that, even in hell, we should rejoice in his sovereignty, and say that all was rightly done.”

“Aug. 15.—­Little done, and as little suffered.  Awfully important question, Am I redeeming the time?”

“Aug. 18.—­Heard of the death of James Somerville[2] by fever, induced by cholera.  O God, thy ways and thoughts are not as ours!  He had preached his first sermon.  I saw him last on Friday, 27th July, at the College gate; shook hands, and little thought I was to see him no more on earth.”

     [2] Son of the minister of Drumelzier,—­very promising and very
     amiable.

“Sept. 2, Sabbath evening.—­Reading.  Too much engrossed, and too little devotional.  Preparation for a fall.  Warning.  We may be too engrossed with the shell even of heavenly things.”

“Sept. 9.—­Oh for true, unfeigned humility!  I know I have cause to be humble; and yet I do not know one-half of that cause.  I know I am proud; and yet I do not know the half of that pride.”

“Sept. 30.—­Somewhat straitened by loose Sabbath observance.  Best way is to be explicit and manly.”

“Nov. 1.—­More abundant longings for the work of the ministry.  Oh that Christ would but count me faithful, that a dispensation of the gospel might be committed to me!” And then he adds, “Much peace. Peaceful, because believing.”

Dec. 2.—­Hitherto he used to spend much of the Sabbath evening in extending his notes of Mr. Bruce’s sermons, but now, “Determined to be brief with these, for the sake of a more practical, meditative, resting, sabbatical evening.”

“Dec. 11.—­Mind quite unfitted for devotion.  Prayerless prayer.”

“Dec. 31.—­God has in this past year introduced me to the preparation of the ministry,—­I bless Him for that.  He has helped me to give up much of my shame to name his name, and be on his side, especially before particular friends,—­I bless Him for that.  He has taken conclusively away friends that might have been a snare,—­must have been a stumbling-block,—­I bless Him for that.  He has introduced me to one Christian friend, and sealed more and more my amity with another,—­I bless Him for that.”

Jan. 27, 1833.—­On this day it had been the custom of his brother David to write a “Carmen Natale” on their father’s birth-day.  Robert took up the domestic song this year; and in doing so, makes some beautiful and tender allusions.