The duty, therefore, that lay
upon every member, next to the cleanness of his own garments-???that of
keeping the church pure and unspotted???-was hard to fulfil, and no one
was ready to undertake it but Thomas Crann. For what a spot was here!
And Thomas knew his Lord's will.
Neither was the duty so unpleasant to Thomas's oppositive nature, as it
would have been to a man of easier temperament.
"Jeames Johnstone," he said, "the kirk maks nae progress. It's no as i'
the time o' the apostles whan the saved war added till't daily."
"Weel, ye see," returned James, "that wasna _oor_ kirk exacly; and it
wasna Mr Turnbull that was the heid o' 't."
"It's a' the same. The prenciple's the same. An' Mr Turnbull preaches
the same gospel Peter and Paul praiched, and wi' unction too. And yet
here's the congregation dwin'lin' awa', and the church itsel' like
naething but bees efter the brunstane. _I_ say there's an Ahchan i' the
camp???-a Jonah i' the vessel???-a son o' Saul i' the kingdom o' Dawvid???-a
Judas amo' the twal'???-a???-"
"Hoots! Thomas Crann; ye're no pittin' a' thae gran' names upo' that
puir feckless body, Rob Bruce, are ye?"
"He's nane feckless for the deevil's wark or for his ain, which is ae
thing and the same.
Pages:
722
723
724
725
726
727
728
729
730
731
732
733
734
735
736
737
738
739
740
741
742
743
744
745
746