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

EXAMINATIONS OF PERSONS UNDER SPIRITUAL CONCERN II
265
[595/—] b.u. A woman about 26 years.1
Before I was awakned in the year 1742, tho’ I was kept outwardly moral &
civil in a good measure, & free of the more gross sort of Outbreakings, &
had some kind of form of Religion; yet I knew no more of the power of
godliness, than things that have no life. I would have sometimes gone about
Secret Prayer, tho but very seldom, if it had not been for a week or two
before a Sacrament-Occasion or so, & a little after it was over, and then would
have in a great measure laid it aside again, or when at any time I would have
set about it, I perform’d it but in a very cold rife and careless manner. I usd
however to go to Church on Sabbath-days, but I know not for what end, if
it was not to see and be seen & to comply with the Custom of the Place. I
also sometimes communicated but in a very formal manner.
Hearing of the Awakning at Camb. in February 1742, I came out of
curiosity to that Place in March 1742, but nothing touchd me the first
Sabbath I came: next Sabbath, while I was hearing a Preacher (35)2 there,
the Lord was pleased to give me a Sight & Sense [596/-] of my Sins, tho,
for any thing that ever I could remember, it was not by means of any thing
uttered but the Speaker: I then particularly got an affecting sense of my
Sin and Unworthy Communicating, neglect & careless performance of the
duty of Prayer, slighting Gospel Ordinances, & many heart sins; I saw I
had a heart as black as Hell, & was made to cry out that it was so after I was
gone home. I was also made to cry out when among the People when first
struck with a Sense of Sin, & was then made to tremble to a great degree,
so that my flesh seem’d all to be loose, as if it had been all coming off from
the Bones. I continued in distress under Convictions for about five weeks
after this, before I got any Comfort or relief; only one day when I was at
Cambuslang, as I opened my Bible & read that word, The law of the Spirit
of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death,3 I
felt a Sweet and Secret Power applying these words to me. I was all that
time when I was awake, almost constantly Praying in my heart: I essayd
also to follow my [597/-] Work on week days, tho’ I could do little at it: &
long’d much fop thro’ the day, for night, that I might get my heart pour’d
out before God, after the rest were gone to bed, & was often helped to do
so.
1 Agnes Young — the shorthand text in McCulloch’s ‘Index of persons’ names who gave
the foregoing accounts to Mr. McC’ states: daughter of John Young, a smith in Campsy.
Taught to read the Bible when a child, got the Catechism to heart, and retained it.
2 James Young - probationer minister, Gorbals and Falkirk (Robe, Short Narrative, 8, 142,
163-8).
3 Ro 8:2.