CHAPTER III.

FIRST YEARS OF LABOR IN DUNDEE.

“Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations”—­Acts 20:18, 19.

The day on which he was ordained pastor of a flock, was a day of much anxiety to his soul.  He had journeyed by Perth to spend the night preceding under the roof of his kind friend Mr. Grierson, in the manse of Errol.  Next morning, ere he left the manse, three passages of Scripture occupied his mind. 1. “Thou shall keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee; because he trusteth in Thee.”—­Isaiah 26:3.  This verse was seasonable; for, as he sat meditating on the solemn duties of the day, his heart trembled. 2. “Give thyself wholly to these things"—­I Tim. 4:15.  May that word (he prayed) sink deep into my heart. 3. “Here am I, send me”—­Isaiah 6:8.  “To go, or to stay,—­to be here till death, or to visit foreign shores, whatsoever, wheresoever, whensoever Thou pleasest.”  He rose from his knees with the prayer, “Lord, may thy grace come with the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.”

He was ordained on November 24, 1836.  The service was conducted by Mr. Roxburgh of St. John’s, through whose exertions the new church had been erected, and who ever afterwards cherished the most cordial friendship towards him.  On the Sabbath following he was introduced to his flock by Mr. John Bonar of Larbert, with whom he had labored as a son in the gospel.  Himself preached in the afternoon upon Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” etc.; of which he writes, “May it be prophetic of the object of my coming here!” And truly it was so.  That very sermon—­the first preached by him as a pastor—­was the means of awakening souls, as he afterwards learned; and ever onward the impressions left by his words seemed to spread and deepen among his people.  To keep up the remembrance of this solemn day, he used in all the subsequent years of his ministry to preach from this same text on the anniversary of his ordination.[7] In the evening of that day, Mr. Bonar again preached on “These times of refreshing.” “A noble sermon, showing the marks of such times.  Ah! when shall we have them here?  Lord bless this word, to help their coming!  Put thy blessing upon this day!  Felt given over to God, as one bought with a price.”

     [7] The Acceptable Year of the Lord was one of these
     Anniversary Sermons, preached November 1840.

There was a rapid growth in his soul, perceptible to all who knew him well, from this time.  Even his pulpit preparations, he used to say, became easier from this date.  He had earnestly sought that the day of his ordination might be a time of new grace; he expected it would be so; and there was a peculiar work to be done by his hands, for which the Holy Spirit did speedily prepare him.