THE GREAT CONVENTICLE BY THE DEE WATER.
_A Note to the Reader._
_I am warned that there are many folk who care not to hear what
things were truly said and done at a conventicle of the hill-folk.
I have told the tale so that such may omit the reading of these two
chapters. Nevertheless, if they will take a friend's word, it might
be for their advantage to read the whole._
_W. G._
On our way to the conventicle we came to the place that is called the
Moat of the Duchrae Bank, and found much people already gathered there.
It is a very lonely place on the edge of a beautiful and still water,
called the Lane of Grenoch. In the midst of the water, and immediately
opposite to the moat, there is an island, called the Hollan Isle, full
of coverts and hiding-places among hazel bushes, which grow there in
thick matted copses. Beyond that again there are only the moors and the
mountains for thirty miles. The country all about is lairy and boggy,
impossible for horses to ride; while over to the eastward a little, the
main road passes to Kells and Carsphairn, but out of sight behind the
shoulder of the hill.
There was a preaching-tent erected on a little eminence in the middle of
the round bare top of the moat. The people sat all about, and those who
arrived late clustered on the farther bank, across the ditch.
I observed that every man came fully armed. For the oppressions of
Lauderdale in Scotland, and especially the severities of John Graham and
Robert Grier in Galloway, were bearing their own proper fruit. The three
maids sat together, and Wat Gordon and I sat down near them--I as close
to Maisie Lennox as I dared, because, for old acquaintance' sake, my
liking was chiefly towards her. Also, I perceived that Kate McGhie was
more interested to talk to me of my cousin than to hear concerning
myself, a thing I never could abide in talking to a woman.
But Maisie kept her head bent, and her face hidden by the fold of her
shawl. For she had, even at that time, what I so sadly lacked, a living
interest in religion.
From where I sat I could see the watchers on the craigs above the Hollan
Isle, and those also over on the hill by the Folds. So many were they,
that I felt that not a muir-fowl would cry, nor a crow carry a stick to
its nest, without a true man taking note of it. I heard afterwards, that
over by the Fords of Crae they had come on a certain informer lying
couched in the heather to watch what should happen. Him they chased for
three miles over the heather by Slogarie, clodding him with divots of
peat and sod, yet not so as to do the ill-set rascal overmuch harm. But
a sound clouring does such-like good.
Then there arose the pleasant sound of singing. For Mr. Cameron had gone
up into the preaching-tent and given out the psalm. We all stood up to
sing, and as I noted my cousin standing apart, looking uncertainly
about, I went over to him and brought him to my side, where one gave us
a book to look upon together. As they sang, I watched to see the
sentinel on the craigs turn him about to listen to us, and noted the
light glance on his sword, and on the barrel of the musket on which he
leaned. For these little tricks of observation were ever much to me,
though the true Whig folk minded them not a hair, but stuck to their
singing, as indeed it was their duty to do.
But even to me, the sound of the psalm was unspeakably solemn and
touching out there in the open fields. It seemed, as we sang of the God
who was our refuge and our strength, that as we looked on Grenoch, we
were indeed in a defenced city, in a prophesied place of broad rivers
and streams, wherein should go no galley with oars, neither should
gallant ship pass thereby.
I had never before felt so near God, nor had so sweet an income of
gladness upon my spirit; though I had often wondered what it all meant
when I heard my father and mother speak together. There seemed, indeed,
a gale of the Spirit upon the meeting, and I think that from that moment
I understood more of the mind of them that suffered for their faith;
which, indeed, I think a man cannot do, till he himself is ready to
undergo his share of the suffering.
But when Richard Cameron began to speak, I easily forgat everything
else. He had a dominating voice, the voice of a strong man crying in the
wilderness. "We are here in a kenned place," he said, "and there be many
witnesses about us. To-day the bitter is taken out of our cup, if it be
only for a moment. Yea, and a sweet cup we have of it now. We who have
been much on the wild mountains, know what it is to be made glad by Thy
works--the works of the Lord's hands. When we look up to the moon or
stars, lo! the hand of the Lord is in them, and we are glad. See ye the
corn-rigs up ayont us there, on the Duchrae Hill--the hand of God is in
the sweet springing of them, when the sun shines upon them after rain.
And it is He who sendeth forth every pile of the grass that springs so
sweetly in the meadows by the water-side."
I own it was very pleasant to me to listen to him, for I had not thought
there was such tenderness in the man. He went on:
"We are hirsled over moss and moor, over crags and rocks, and headlong
after us the devil drives. Be not crabbit with us, O Lord! It is true we
have gotten many calls, and have not answered. We in the West and South
have been like David, cockered and pampered overmuch. Not even the wild
Highlands have sitten through so many calls as we have done here in
Galloway and the South.
"For I bear testimony that it is not easy to bring folk to Christ. I,
that am a man weak as other men, bear testimony that it is not easy--not
easy even to come to Him for oneself!"
And here I saw the people begin to yearn towards the preacher, and in
the grey light I saw the tears running silently down his cheeks. And it
seemed as if both the minister and also the most part of the people fell
into a rapture of calm weeping, which, strangely enough, forced Mr.
Cameron often to break off short. Folks' hearts were easily touched in
those days of peril.
"Are there none such here?" he asked. And I confess my heart went out to
him and all my sins stood black and threatening before me as I listened.
I vow that at the time I feared his words far more than ever I did Lag
and his riders--this being my first living experience of religion, and
the day from which I and many another ground our hope.
Then ere he sufficiently commanded himself to speak again, I took a
glance at the maid Maisie Lennox beside me, and the look on her face was
that on the face of a martyr who has come through the torture and won
the victory. But the little lass that was called Margaret of Glen
Vernock clung to her hand and wept as she listened. As for Kate McGhie,
she only looked away over the water of the Hollan Isle to the blue barn
rigging of the Orchar Hill and seemed neither to see nor to hear
anything. Or at least, I was not the man to whom was given the art to
see what were her inner thoughts.
Richard Cameron went on.
"Are there any here that find a difficulty to close with Christ? But
before we speak to that, I think we shall pray a short word."
So all the people stood up on the hillside and the sough of their
uprising was like the wind among the cedar trees. And even as he prayed
for the Spirit to come on these poor folk, that were soon to be
scattered again over the moors and hags as sheep that wanted a shepherd,
the Wind of the Lord (for so I think it was) came breathing upon us. The
grey of the clouds broke up, and for an hour the sun shone through so
kindly and warm that many let their plaids fall to the ground. But the
mists still clung about the mountain tops of the Bennan and Cairn
Edward.
Then after he had prayed not long but fervently, he went on again to
speak to us of the love and sufferings of Christ, for the sake of whose
cause and kingdom we were that day in this wild place. Much he pleaded
with us to make sure of our interest, and not think that because we were
here in some danger at a field preaching, therefore all was well. O but
he was faithful with us that day, and there were many who felt that the
gate of heaven was very near to them at the great conventicle by the
Water of Dee.
And even after many years, I that have been weak and niddering, and that
have taken so many sins on my soul, since I sat there on the bank by
Maisie Lennox, and trembled under Mr. Cameron's words, give God thank
and service that I was present to hear the Lion of the Covenant roar
that day upon the mountains of Scotland.
Yet when he spoke thus to us at this part of his pleading, it was most
like the voice of a tender nursing mother that would wile her wayward
bairns home. But when he had done with offering to us the cross, and
commending Him that erewhile hung thereon, I saw him pause and look
about him. He was silent for a space, his eyes gleamed with an inner
fire, and the wind that had arisen drave among his black locks. I could
see, as it had been, the storm gather to break.
"There ayont us are the Bennan and Cairn Edward, and the Muckle Craig o'
Dee--look over at them--I take them to witness this day that I have
preached to you the whole counsel of God. There be some great professors
among you this day who have no living grace--of whom I only name Black
MacMichael and Muckle John, for their sins are open and patent, going
before them into judgment. There are also some here that will betray our
plans to the enemy, and carry their report of this meeting to the
Malignants. To them I say: 'Carry this word to your masters, the word of
a wiser than I, "Ye may blaw your bag-pipes till you burst, we will not
bow down and worship your glaiks--no, not though ye gar every heid here
weigh its tail, and the wind whistle through our bones as we hang on the
gallows-tree."'"
Here he held up his hand and there was a great silence.
"Hush! I hear the sound of a great host--I see the gate of heaven beset.
The throng of them that are to be saved through suffering, are about it.
And One like unto the Son of Man stands there to welcome them. What
though they set your heads, as they shall mine, high on the Netherbow
Port; or cast your body on the Gallows' dunghill as they will Sandy's
here? Know ye that there waiteth for you at the door One with face more
marred than that of any man--One with His garments red coming up from
Bozrah, One that hath trodden the winepress alone. And He shall say, as
He sees you come through the swellings of Jordan, 'These are they that
have come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.' 'Lift up your heads, O ye
gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, for the redeemed of the
Lord shall also enter in!'"
So he made an end, and all the people were astonished at him, because
they looked even then for the chariot which it had been foretold should
come and snatch him out of mortal sight.