The day we spent at the lake—­at the very water-side—­was ever memorable, it was so peculiarly sweet!  We left an indescribable interest even in lifting a shell from the shore of a sea where Jesus had so often walked.  It was here that two of the beautiful hymns in The Songs of Zion were suggested to him.  The one was, How pleasant to me, etc.; the other, To yonder side; but the latter lay beside him unfinished till a later period.

His complaint was now considerably abated; his strength seemed returning:  and often did he long to be among his people again, though quieting his soul upon the Lord.  Not a few pastors of another church have from time to time come forth to this land, compelled by disease to seek for health in foreign regions; but how rarely do we find the pastor’s heart retained,—­how rarely do we discover that the shepherd yearns still over the flock he left!  But so deep was Mr. M’Cheyne’s feelings toward the flock over which the Holy Ghost had made him overseer, that his concern for them became a temptation to his soul.  It was not in the mere desire to preach again that he manifested this concern; for this desire might have been selfish, as he said:  “No doubt there is pride in this anxiety to preach; a submissive soul would rejoice only in doing the present will of God.”  But his prayers for them went up daily to the throne.  We had precious seasons of united prayer also for that same end,—­especially one morning at sunrise in Gethsemane, and another morning at Carmel, where we joined in supplication on the silent shore at the foot of the hill as soon as day dawned, and then again, at evening, on the top, where Elijah prayed.

Distance of place of peculiarities of circumstance never altered his views of duty, nor changed his feelings as a minister of Christ.  In Galilee he meditated upon the aspect of ecclesiastical affairs in our beloved Scotland; and the principles he had maintained appeared to him as plainly accordant with the word of God when tried there, apart from excitement, as they did when he reviewed them in connection with their effects at home.  “I hope,” were his words to a brother in the ministry, “I hope the church has been well guided and blessed; and if times of difficulty are to come, I do believe there is no position so proper for her to be in as the attitude of a missionary church, giving freely to Jew and Gentile, as she has freely received,—­so may she be found when the Lord comes.”

At the foot of Lebanon, in the town of Beyrout, he was able to expound a chapter (Acts 10.) at a prayer-meeting of the American brethren.  This quite rejoiced his heart; for it seemed as if the Lord were restoring him, and meant again to use him in preaching the glad tidings.  But shortly after, during the oppressive heat of the afternoon, he felt himself unwell.  He had paid a visit to a young man from Glasgow in the town, who was ill of fever; and it is not unlikely