even now your own words too plainly show. Let me say that once for all my idea of the church is the same as yours. I am as desirous to maintain its purity as you can be, but I do question, and the conversation has done much to confirm me in the doubt, whether the means we take in order to secure it are always the wisest and the best." "My opinion is" (said Mr. Richardson) "that instead of giving more liberty we should be more strict. We live in an ungodly age. Much of the right spirit of former times has died out, and if we do not take some strong measures in order to arrest the growth of the evils that are abroad, I tremble to think what the results may be. I fear that there is great neglect in some of our colleges, and that many of our young men are tainted with heresy. Our good minister will quite understand that I do not mean anything personal.” "If you did" (said Mr. Lassell) "I should feel bound to insist that proper apology should be made. I certainly would not sit here to hear Mr. Selwyn insulted. Such remarks, indeed, appear to me altogether out of place." "Mr. Lassell must have forgotten" (replied Mr. Richardson) "the exposure which Dr. Cameron has given in his admirable Watchword of the dangerous tendencies that are abroad." "Happily for myself I never read that wonderful publication, which is itself, in my judgment, one of the worst signs of the times." At this poor Crabtree and Richardson, both of whom are implicit believers in the redoubtable Doctor, and hold his Watchword to be a new revelation intended for the special benefit of this degenerate age, looked such unutterable looks of pious horror that I thought it best to interpose and lead the discussion back to its proper point. "Well, gentlemen" (I said), "this is not the case of Mr. Farrar, who has not, so far as I am aware, been charged with any false doctrine, and who, so far as I can judge, is a sincere and humble believer in the Saviour." "The things hang together" (said Mr. Crabtree); "lax discipline prepares the way for false doctrine, and latitudinarian doctrine prompts the desire for loose practice." "I hope, however, that we are not going to have either the one or the other here, simply because I propose in this case to modify a practice which presses unduly on the conscience of one whom I believe to be in every way a fit subject for communion." "I cannot and will not agree to it" (said Mr. Crabtree). "The church has placed me here as a guardian of its purity, and I won't betray my trust. I will resign my office first." "So will I" (chimed in Mr. Richardson). "That" (said Mr. Lassell) "is the last kind of argument which would move me. Such menaces ought never to be heard in a body like ours, but if they are made I for one am prepared to receive them with the silence and indifference which they deserve." "I hope" (said Mr. Sykes, speaking for the first time) "our brethren will reconsider their decision. For myself I must say that at first I was disposed to agree with them, but the subsequent conversation has greatly shaken my opinion. After all, our practices are means to an end, and if the end is not secured it may be wise to inquire whether the means we employ are the best that could be adopted. I suggest, however, that we adjourn the question to our next meeting." To this I thought it best to agree, and we separated, leaving the matter undecided. The two dissentients went away evidently very angry. Mr. Lassell had stung them to the quick, and they were too vexed even to bid him good-night. I foresee that I am in for a regular struggle, for they will spare no pains to carry their point. I will let you hear again as the matter progresses. * * Yours affectionately, * * * HENRY SELWYN. REMINISCENCES OF THE LATE SIR JAMES SIMPSON. "THE BELOVED PHYSICIAN." THE decease of Sir James Young Simpson in the midst of his days, and of his almost marvellous usefulness, will be felt to be a personal loss by all who came into contact with him, and who were favoured with his genial acquaintance. It is with such feelings that the writer proceeds to gather up a few reminiscences of such an acquaintance, and to record them as a grateful and loving memorial. In the summer of 1864, when on a visit to Edinburgh, I determined to consult Dr. Simpson in respect to my wife's health, and to seek for her the benefit of his skilful treatment. I wrote to him accordingly, and signified that we should call at his house in Queen Street on a fixed day. On approaching the door we were struck by the number of persons who seemed bent on the same errand as ourselves. Broughams and flies were driving up to it incessantly, a cab stand, as we afterwards learned, being fixed on the opposite side of the way for the express purpose of accommodating his numerous patients. Immediately on giving our name we were shown into the dining-room, where we found a few others, equally privileged with ourselves, awaiting the doctor's arrival. In the course of a little time we were surprised to find luncheon spread, and still more surprised when on the doctor's coming in we were received with smiles, friends at once, and invited to take our seat at the board. The Evangelical Alliance was holding its annual conference in Edinburgh at the time, and we soon found that our worthy host took the liveliest interest in its proceedings. The doings of the conference became at once the subject of questioning and conversation, and the matter ended in a cordial invitation to come to breakfast the following morning to meet a few friends of the Alliance, who like ourselves were visitors in Edinburgh. At this breakfast it was our privilege to meet amongst others with the esteemed Christian lady whose earnest prayers and Christian influence had been among the foremost means in bringing this eminent physician to the knowledge of " the truth as it is in Jesus;" and now we were struck with her earnestly expressed desire that his influence in its turn might be brought to bear on the multitudes who were daily placing themselves in his hands. That breakfast meeting in Dr. Simpson's house is never to be forgotten. The combined goodness and greatness of the man struck us most forcibly. We had never met with one so beautifully natural, so delightfully childlike in the expression of his religious feeling. On every subject, and many were introduced incidentally, he was great, but it was the greatness of simplicity; while the broadly genial countenance of the man seemed scarcely to conceal the soul that was behind it. It was the finest opportunity for high-toned Christian intercourse with which we were ever favoured. We felt ourselves in the very atmosphere of holy greatness. God was there, and His presence was recognised by the great and good man. Nor shall we soon lose the impression made on our hearts when, as time hastened on, and duty called to other occupations, the professor proposed prayer, and suggested that a young Swiss pasteur, who was one of the company, should offer supplications in the French language, and that the writer should follow in the English. Our visits at luncheon were continued for some days, and on taking leave we were requested to return again in a few weeks, for medical purposes, when, if we pleased, we might make that house our home. We did not avail ourselves of such excessive kindness, but we renewed our visits at luncheon time, and had many an opportunity for Christian intercourse and lively conversation, till the physician's skill rendered our visits no longer necessary. And then what generosity! Not a farthing could by any means be taken in the way of compensation. On the contrary, we were assured there was nothing he had done for which he required payment, although we felt such services as his demanded more than all we had in our purses. I understand this to have been his generous habit in the case of all Christian ministers. One evening, a few months afterwards, there came a ring at our street-door bell, a hundred miles from Edinburgh, and there was Dr. Simpson, who, being in the town, had called to see how his patient was going on, and to cast on her and her husband a shower of the sunshine that fell from the light of his countenance. Returning to the intercourse of Professor Simpson's luncheontable, it is pleasant to recall the numerous persons and the numerous characters we met with there. The door was continually opening to some fresh arrival. There were some there, mostly ladies, who came "from the uttermost parts of the earth" to avail themselves of the eminent physician's skill. Besides these, representatives of the Church, of the army, and of medical and other fields of scientific investigation were continually dropping in and mixing with Professor Simpson's privileged patients. One day it would be some Scotch bishop; another some author of mark; yet another an eminent surgeon, like Sir W. Fergusson. All were welcome; and the coming in of each generally started some fresh topic of conversation, and elicited some valuable information. In particular, the religious questions suggested by geological and antiquarian researches were frequently coming up. Professor Simpson was President of the Antiquarian Society of Scotland, and it was most interesting to hear him read off the story, as he could read it, from some old relic. On the Biblical points arising out of modern geological investigations Professor Simpson was in no haste to come to a decision. He had the intellectual calmness and patience of all really great minds, and so he was willing to wait for the explanation of difficulties which he readily saw, but which he believed had their solution without impugning one iota of the veracity of the written Word of God. He believed, and therefore he did not "make haste '—a lesson which some men of less ability in dealing with such questions would do well to learn. Schemes of Christian usefulness were not unfrequently discussed around the doctor's social board, and pleasing instances of the success of Christian effort related. The Edinburgh Medical Mission, instituted for the benefit of the poor in the "closes" and "wynds' of the city, and which was a distinctively Christian agency, was a matter of great interest at that time, as was also the Cowgate Mission, which aimed at the spiritual welfare of the same class of persons. In connection with these agencies the Special Sunday Evening Services, held in the Free Church Assembly Hall, were often spoken of. These were noble gatherings, in which some of the foremost laymen of the city, and Dr. Simpson amongst them, took part with the ministers in seeking to save the lost. I have also a distinct remembrance of the delighted interest with which Professor Simpson related to me the case of Catherine McDougall, a young girl who had been found living a homeless and wandering life in the country, and subsisting upon trifling charities, but who had been taken up by some kind ladies and assisted to emigrate, and to take an honourable position in life. This young girl had discovered unusual talent, which had become baptised with true piety. I call to mind the joyous beam which played upon his face as he handed me the following lines of her composing, and requested me to read them aloud to the company : "GOD IS LOVE. "How beautiful our God hath made What golden grains He sifteth "The great sea welleth from His love, From it the fountain springeth, By hall and cottage door. "It smileth in the flowers bright That cluster round our feet; They're laden more than they can bear, In fragrance passing sweet. "It thrilleth in the woodbird's song It laugheth o'er the sunny glade, And quivers midst the leaves. "It burns and glows in sunset sky, And whispereth in the evening air; It gleameth from the orbs of night, And soothes us in the moonbeams white, And lurketh everywhere. ""Tis painted on the thunder cloud, And droppeth down in rain; From the green earth it breaketh, Oh! shall it speak in vain? "He hath such store He giveth much To human hearts to keep: We love to see its radiance glow In a dear friend's eyes-'tis sweet to know That heart to ours doth leap. "But, oh! what gushing floods of love Burst forth midst bitterest woe and pain, On the dear cross of Calvary, To cleanse our sin's dark stain. "O Father God! O Saviour Lord! What have we, Lord? what can we give ? The corridors and waiting-rooms of the house in Queen Street were like the porches of the Pool of Bethesda, and some of the sufferers had to wait a long time before the favourable tide "moved" for them. It was surprising to see the perfect self |