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

EXAMINATIONS OF PERSONS UNDER SPIRITUAL CONCERN II
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One night The first Relief that came to me was one night after I had been
thinking on that passage [ ]10 in Isaiah, i. 19,20. If ye be willing and obedient
ye shall eat the good of the Land: but if ye refuse & rebel, ye shall be devoured
[539/-] with the Sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. While I
thought on my many Rebellions against God, & my d was wondring at Gods
pa my danger by them, that word Lam. came into my mind with light shining
into my heart, It is of the Lords mercies that we are not consum’d; which gave
me some ease & comfort at the thought of Gods wonderful patience toward
me, that he had not consum’d & cut me off long ’ere now.
About a Week after this, one morning when I was at home reading a
Chapter, at the fire side, which happened to be the third Chapter of Jeremiah,
when I came to these words, vs 14 Return, O backsliding Children, saith the
Lord, for I am married unto you; & I will take you one of a city, & two of
a family, & I will bring you to Zion:11 these words came to me with great
comfort; & I was persuaded that it was the Lord who was thereby speaking
to me: and I now found the great heat that was within me that had been so
long like to burn me up, taken away: but yet the great & heavy burden I had
long felt upon me, & that was like to crush me, was not yet taken away. But
a little after this again I fell into doubts & fears.
About eight days after this. While I sate on a Seat, with my wheel before
me, but was unable to work, & felt such a Load on my Spirit, & such a weight
on my heart, that I was not able to stir, that word of Ps. 143.7
Haste Lord to help my Spirit fails,
Hide not thy face from me12
came into my mind, expressing the frame []13 of my heart [540/-] at the
time, after which that word came into my heart immediatly with great Light,
Whatsoever thou shall ask the Father in my name he will give it thee. This
came with such Power, as instantly took away that great Load I had so long
been groaning & sinking under; & lifted up my hands as high as they could
reach; & made me to bless & adore him for his wonderful goodness to my
Soul, & fill’d me with great Love to Christ &joy in him. And tho I have often
been much troubled with doubts & fears & other Exercises since that time;
yet that insupportable Load that had been lying long on my Spirit before
this, never return’d again.
As thisjoy & Love abated, my fears that all I had met with was but a delusion
increased: & I was thereupon much vexed and grieved in spirit. But sometime
after I had been greatly cast down under such apprehensions, I was awaked out
10 Insertion [‘which I read’]: McCulloch.
" Jer 3:14-
12 Scottish Psalter (metrical).
15 Insertion [‘and desires’]: McCulloch.