Ardeonaig - Burns (1840)



“ Breadalbane, Ardeonaig, Sabbath, August 23nd. — This morn- ing I crossed the loch at a quarter past eleven, along with hundreds of the people, to preach at the missionary station of Ardeonaig, under the charge of a most primitive Christian minister, Mr M‘Kenzie, a nephew of Lachlan M‘Kenzie, late minister of Loch Carron, a very remarkable and eminently honoured minister of Jesus. The tent was placed on the hillside behind the manse, very nearly on the spot where it stood in the days of the former revival under Mr M ‘Donald of Urquhart, and the minister who then was placed here, the eminently godly Mr Findlater, whose memory is sweet in this neighbourhood. There was an immense assembly, collected from a circuit of from twelve to twenty miles, which could not amount to less than 3000. Mr McKenzie began in Gaelic at eleven. I succeeded him in English at one, preaching from 132 Life of Rev, Willia?n C. Burns. Ezekiel xxxiii. 11. I felt a great uplifting of the heart in pride before God, and though I was enabled so far to get over this as to be able to speak boldly and strongly upon the ‘evil ways 7 of men from which they are called to turn, yet I could make nothing of the display of Jehovah’s love which is made in the words, ‘As I live, I have no pleasure, 7 &c.; and though I stopped and prayed with the people for assistance, yet I had to conclude abruptly, having nothing to say but what would profane and degrade in the eyes of the hearers these marvellous words. I came into the house at four o’clock, much cast down on account of the reigning vanity and pride, and self-seeking of my desperately wicked heart, and was driven to my knees, when I found the Lord very gracious, and had a sweet anticipation given me of the Lord’s presence in the evening, when we were to meet in. the church. Accordingly, we met at six o’clock. I did not discourse on any set subject, but was led to speak upon the Psalm which we were to sing (Psalm cii. 11-14), and in this I felt so much enlarged, that both people and preacher were tenderly - moved with a view of Emmanuel’s love. After we had prayed I made a few additional remarks of a miscellaneous kind, which seemed also to come home to the heart. When we were separating, some individuals began to cry aloud. I tried to quiet them, as I am always afraid that they are in danger of drawing the attention of many who are less affected away from considering the state of their own souls. However, they could not be com- posed, and when I went up to the gallery, where the most of them were, I found to my joy that they were persons from Fortingall, who. had I suppose been impressed on Friday. We took them along with a number of other persons in the same state into the manse, and after prayer sent them away, though not in the best state for going to so great a distance. Praise! I saw a number of men in the church much affected, but they did not come so prominently forward, being better able to restrain their feelings. . . .

'Memoir of the Rev W C Burns' by Islay Burns, pages 131-2.


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