Series 6 > McCulloch examinations of the Cambuslang revival (1742) > Volume 6

152
EXAMINATIONS OF PERSONS UNDER SPIRITUAL CONCERN II
at that time: but I which gave me some little ease & encouragement. But I
could not go to the Holy Ordinance, having made no preparation for it.
But some time shortly after this I fell into as bad a condition as ever I had
been in. I thought the Righteousness of Christ could never be imputed to so
great a Sinner as I had been, who had so long slighted and despisd him in his
Gospel offers. But hearing a Preacher ()14 in the Gorbal Kirk on these words,
Which hope we have as a sure & stedfast anchor of the Soul entring into that
within the [339/-] vail,151 was then made to see, that Christ by his Obedience
& Death had brought in a perfect sufficient and everlasting Righteousness:
able to justify & Save even the greatest of all Sinners that came to him to for
it, and laid hold of it by faith. And was made to praise him in my heart for
making a Revelation & discovery of this Righteousness to me. And I became
consciously concern’d & impatient, to get be found in Christ not having my
righteousness but his, even the righteousness that is of God by faith.
On the Thursday thereafter when I was at my Work, these words in Hos.
14.1. O Israel return unto the Lord for thou hast fallen by thy iniquity: and so
on to the 7th verse: all these words came into my mind, & were so powerfully
& sweetly impressd on my heart, that & filled me with such love to Christ
and joy in him, that I scarce knew whether I was in Heaven or on Earth, and
so ravish’d my heart, that for some time I could do nothing but praise the
Lord Jesus my gracious Deliverer.
[340/—] In my younger years, I had got not only the Shorter Catechism,16
but a good part also of the Larger by heart: and many of these Questions in
the Larger Catechism17 were now made very useful to me, When they came
into my thoughts as they did often, particularly the answer to that Question
25 Wherein consists the sinfulness of that Estate whereinto man fell? The
Sinfulness of that Estate whereinto man fell, consists in the guilt of Adams first
Sin, the want of that Righteousness wherein he was created, & the corruption
of his nature, whereby he is wholly disabled & made opposite to all that is
Spiritually good, and wholly inclined to all Evil and that continually. This
account of Original Sin I felt in sad Experience, to agree exactly to what I
was by nature, when I lookt back on my former temper and way, & what I
was still in my Self. I was therefore now made the more concernd, to look
after a real change of heart by grace, & to take heed that I did not rest in any
thing short of a saving Interest in Christ & a Saving work of grace in my
Soul, and Several Questions with their Answers in the Larger Catechism,
ran often in my thoughts & were matter of serious Meditation to me []18 &
14 According to Scott, Fasti Ecclesiae Scoticanae, the preacher mentioned is most likely John
Corse (1715-82).
15 Heb6:i9.
16 Shorter Catechism of the Westminster Assembly (1647).
17 Larger Catechism of the Westminster Assembly (1647).
18 Insertion [‘on that subject’]: McCulloch.