[MR. WILLIAM DALGLEISH was minister of the conjunct parishes of
_Anwoth_, _Kirkdale_, and _Kirkmabreck_. He preached at Anwoth
only every alternate week; but so abundantly blessed were his
labours to the people, that when he surrendered (_quoad sacra_)
the charge of Anwoth to Rutherford, upon its being formed into a
distinct parochial charge, not only many of the humbler class of
the parishioners, but the proprietors too, had embraced the
doctrines of the Gospel. Dalgleish strictly adhered to
Presbyterian principles, and on that account was subjected to
trouble.
In 1635 he was deprived of his charge as minister of the united
parishes of Kirkdale and Kirkmabreck. In 1637, when Episcopacy
began to be the losing cause, he returned to his flock. His name
appears on the roll of the members of the famous Assembly which
met at Glasgow in 1638; and in 1639 he was translated to Cramond,
as successor to Mr. William Colville, afterwards Principal of the
University of Edinburgh; to whom he appears to have been related,
as the name of his wife was Elizabeth Colville. He was the
intimate friend of the well-known Alexander Henderson, who by his
latter will ordained his executor "to deliver to my dear
acquaintance Mr. John Duncan, at Culross, and Mr. William
Dalgleish, minister at Cramond, all my manuscripts and papers
which are in my study, and that belong to me any where else; and
after they have received them, to destroy or preserve and keep
them, as they shall judge convenient for their own private or the
public good." In 1662 Dalgleish was ejected for nonconformity,
and died before the Revolution.
_Kirkmabreck_ was a pendicle of the Abbey of Dundrennan, which is
seven miles from Kirkcudbright. The farms and cottages that bear
this name are about two miles from the shore, a little way up on
the high ground, but the church and churchyard lie in a hollow,
between the Larg and the Cairnharrow hills. Part of the old
ivy-covered walls, and the gable of the church, still remain. One
modern tomb in the churchyard is marked by a granite pillar, 20
feet high. It is the grave of Dr. Thomas Brown. The inscription
on the west side reads thus:--"Thomas, M.D., Professor of Moral
Philosophy in the University of Edinburgh, who died 2nd August
1820, aged 43 years. Janet, who died 5th August 1824, aged 51."
The Statistical Account speaks of Old Mortality having renovated
some of the grave-stones, but all traces of his work have
disappeared. In that old church Samuel Rutherford preached his
sermons on Zech. xiii. 7, 9, at a Communion in 1630. In 1634 he
preached on Luke xiv. 16, at the preparation before the
Communion; and on another occasion, on Isaiah xlix. 1-4.
The parish extends along the shore, to the village of Creetown in
one direction, and in the other, to the old castle and farm of
_Carsluth_. The old tower and ruined walls of this castle, built
of granite from the neighbouring quarries, stand embosomed in
trees, on a spot commanding a fine view of the bay. _Barholm
Castle_ also is in this parish, and was the spot where John Knox
was secreted previous to his escape to the Continent. His
signature was long shown on the wall of one of the rooms. The old
towers, overgrown with ivy, peep out from the thick woods on the
right of the road from Kirkdale to Creetown. The modern mansion
stands on a wooded eminence, on the other side of Creetown. Not
more than a mile from this old castle, is the ruined church of
_Kirkdale_, on the edge of a wood, and considerably above the
house. It resembles the churches of Kirkmabreck and Anwoth in
shape, having been long and narrow. The inscriptions on the old
tombstones are so worn as to be illegible. The churchyard has
been enclosed, and at the gate the eye is sure to rest on a small
tablet in the side wall, with these words:--
"But go thou thy way till the end be: for thou shalt rest, and
stand in thy lot at the end of the days" (Dan. xii. 13.)]
(_CHRIST'S KINDNESS--DEPENDENCE ON PROVIDENCE--CONTROVERSIES._)
REVEREND AND DEAR BROTHER,--Grace, mercy, and peace be to you.--I am
well. My Lord Jesus is kinder to me than ever He was. It pleaseth Him
to dine and sup with His afflicted prisoner. A King feasteth me, and
His spikenard casteth a sweet smell. Put Christ's love to the trial,
and put upon it our burdens, and then it will appear love indeed. We
employ not His love, and therefore we know it not. I verily count the
sufferings of my Lord more than this world's lustred and over-gilded
glory. I dare not say but my Lord Jesus hath fully recompensed my
sadness with His joys, my losses with His own presence. I find it a
sweet and rich thing to exchange my sorrows with Christ's joys, my
afflictions with that sweet peace I have with Himself.
Brother, this is His own truth I now suffer for. He hath sealed my
sufferings with His own comforts, and I know that He will not put His
seal upon blank paper. His seals are not dumb nor delusive, to confirm
imaginations and lies. Go on, my dear brother, in the strength of the
Lord, not fearing man who is a worm, nor the son of man that shall
die. Providence hath a thousand keys, to open a thousand sundry doors
for the deliverance of His own, when it is even come to a _conclamatum
est_.[214] Let us be faithful, and care for our own part, which is to
do and suffer for Him, and lay Christ's part on Himself, and leave it
there. Duties are ours, events are the Lord's. When our faith goeth to
meddle with events, and to hold a court (if I may so speak) upon God's
providence, and beginneth to say, "How wilt Thou do this and that?" we
lose ground. We have nothing to do there. It is our part to let the
Almighty exercise His own office, and steer His own helm. There is
nothing left to us, but to see how we may be approved of Him, and how
we may roll the weight of our weak souls in well-doing upon Him who is
God Omnipotent: and when that we thus essay miscarrieth, it will be
neither our sin nor cross.
[214] "All is over."
Brother, remember the Lord's word to Peter; "Simon, lovest thou
me?--Feed my sheep." No greater testimony of our love to Christ can
be, than to feed carefully and faithfully His lambs.
I am in no better neighbourhood with the ministers here than before:
they cannot endure that any speak of me, or to me. Thus I am, in the
mean time, silent, which is my greatest grief. Dr. Barron[215] hath
often disputed with me, especially about Arminian controversies, and
for the ceremonies. Three yokings laid him by; and I have not been
troubled with him since. Now he hath appointed a dispute before
witnesses; I trust that Christ and truth will do for themselves.
[215] Barron was of the family of Kinnaird in Fifeshire. He became
minister of the parish of Keith; in 1624 was appointed to a charge in
Aberdeen. In 1625 he was nominated Professor of Divinity in Marischal
College there. He was a determined opponent of such men as Rutherford
and Dickson, and at length resigned his chair and retired to Berwick,
where he died in 1639.
I hope, brother, that ye will help my people; and write to me what ye
hear the Bishop is to do with them. Grace be with you.
Your brother in bonds,