CHAPTER XXI.
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 theMoat 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 immediatelyopposite to the moat, there is an island, called the Hollan Isle, fullof coverts and hiding-places among hazel bushes, which grow there inthick matted copses. Beyond that again there are only the moors and themountains for thirty miles. The country all about is lairy and boggy,impossible for horses to ride; while over to the eastward a little, themain road passes to Kells and Carsphairn, but out of sight behind theshoulder of the hill.
There was a preaching-tent erected on a little eminence in the middle ofthe round bare top of the moat. The people sat all about, and those whoarrived late clustered on the farther bank, across the ditch.
I observed that every man came fully armed. For the oppressions ofLauderdale in Scotland, and especially the severities of John Graham andRobert Grier in Galloway, were bearing their own proper fruit. The threemaids sat together, and Wat Gordon and I sat down near them--I as closeto Maisie Lennox as I dared, because, for old acquaintance' sake, myliking was chiefly towards her. Also, I perceived that Kate McGhie wasmore interested to talk to me of my cousin than to hear concerningmyself, 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 hershawl. For she had, even at that time, what I so sadly lacked, a livinginterest in religion.
From where I sat I could see the watchers on the craigs above the HollanIsle, 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 toits nest, without a true man taking note of it. I heard afterwards, thatover by the Fords of Crae they had come on a certain informer lyingcouched in the heather to watch what should happen. Him they chased forthree miles over the heather by Slogarie, clodding him with divots ofpeat and sod, yet not so as to do the ill-set rascal overmuch harm. Buta sound clouring does such-like good.
Then there arose the pleasant sound of singing. For Mr. Cameron had goneup into the preaching-tent and given out the psalm. We all stood up tosing, and as I noted my cousin standing apart, looking uncertainlyabout, I went over to him and brought him to my side, where one gave usa book to look upon together. As they sang, I watched to see thesentinel on the craigs turn him about to listen to us, and noted thelight glance on his sword, and on the barrel of the musket on which heleaned. For these little tricks of observation were ever much to me,though the true Whig folk minded them not a hair, but stuck to theirsinging, as indeed it was their duty to do.
But even to me, the sound of the psalm was unspeakably solemn andtouching out there in the open fields. It seemed, as we sang of the Godwho was our refuge and our strength, that as we looked on Grenoch, wewere indeed in a defenced city, in a prophesied place of broad riversand streams, wherein should go no galley with oars, neither shouldgallant ship pass thereby.
I had never before felt so near God, nor had so sweet an income ofgladness upon my spirit; though I had often wondered what it all meantwhen 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 momentI 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 toundergo his share of the suffering.
But when Richard Cameron began to speak, I easily forgat everythingelse. He had a dominating voice, the voice of a strong man crying in thewilderness. "We are here in a kenned place," he said, "and there be manywitnesses about us. To-day the bitter is taken out of our cup, if it beonly for a moment. Yea, and a sweet cup we have of it now. We who havebeen much on the wild mountains, know what it is to be made glad by Thyworks--the works of the Lord's hands. When we look up to the moon orstars, lo! the hand of the Lord is in them, and we are glad. See ye thecorn-rigs up ayont us there, on the Duchrae Hill--the hand of God is inthe 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 sosweetly in the meadows by the water-side."
I own it was very pleasant to me to listen to him, for I had not thoughtthere was such tenderness in the man. He went on:
"We are hirsled over moss and moor, over crags and rocks, and headlongafter us the devil drives. Be not crabbit with us, O Lord! It is true wehave gotten many calls, and have not answered. We in the West and Southhave been like David, cockered and pampered overmuch. Not even the wildHighlands have sitten through so many calls as we have done here inGalloway 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--noteasy even to come to Him for oneself!"
And here I saw the people begin to yearn towards the preacher, and inthe grey light I saw the tears running silently down his cheeks. And itseemed as if both the minister and also the most part of the people fellinto a rapture of calm weeping, which, strangely enough, forced Mr.Cameron often to break off short. Folks' hearts were easily touched inthose days of peril.
"Are there none such here?" he asked. And I confess my heart went out tohim 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 Lagand his riders--this being my first living experience of religion, andthe day from which I and many another ground our hope.
Then ere he sufficiently commanded himself to speak again, I took aglance at the maid Maisie Lennox beside me, and the look on her face wasthat on the face of a martyr who has come through the torture and wonthe victory. But the little lass that was called Margaret of GlenVernock 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 barnrigging of the Orchar Hill and seemed neither to see nor to hearanything. Or at least, I was not the man to whom was given the art tosee what were her inner thoughts.
Richard Cameron went on.
"Are there any here that find a difficulty to close with Christ? Butbefore 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 theiruprising was like the wind among the cedar trees. And even as he prayedfor the Spirit to come on these poor folk, that were soon to bescattered 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. Thegrey of the clouds broke up, and for an hour the sun shone through sokindly and warm that many let their plaids fall to the ground. But themists still clung about the mountain tops of the Bennan and CairnEdward.
Then after he had prayed not long but fervently, he went on again tospeak to us of the love and sufferings of Christ, for the sake of whosecause and kingdom we were that day in this wild place. Much he pleadedwith us to make sure of our interest, and not think that because we werehere in some danger at a field preaching, therefore all was well. O buthe was faithful with us that day, and there were many who felt that thegate of heaven was very near to them at the great conventicle by theWater of Dee.
And even after many years, I that have been weak and niddering, and thathave taken so many sins on my soul, since I sat there on the bank byMaisie Lennox, and trembled under Mr. Cameron's words, give God thankand service that I was present to hear the Lion of the Covenant roarthat day upon the mountains of Scotland.
Yet when he spoke thus to us at this part of his plea
ding, it was mostlike the voice of a tender nursing mother that would wile her waywardbairns home. But when he had done with offering to us the cross, andcommending Him that erewhile hung thereon, I saw him pause and lookabout him. He was silent for a space, his eyes gleamed with an innerfire, and the wind that had arisen drave among his black locks. I couldsee, 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 havepreached to you the whole counsel of God. There be some great professorsamong you this day who have no living grace--of whom I only name BlackMacMichael and Muckle John, for their sins are open and patent, goingbefore them into judgment. There are also some here that will betray ourplans to the enemy, and carry their report of this meeting to theMalignants. To them I say: 'Carry this word to your masters, the word ofa wiser than I, "Ye may blaw your bag-pipes till you burst, we will notbow down and worship your glaiks--no, not though ye gar every heid hereweigh its tail, and the wind whistle through our bones as we hang on thegallows-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. Whatthough they set your heads, as they shall mine, high on the NetherbowPort; or cast your body on the Gallows' dunghill as they will Sandy'shere? Know ye that there waiteth for you at the door One with face moremarred than that of any man--One with His garments red coming up fromBozrah, One that hath trodden the winepress alone. And He shall say, asHe sees you come through the swellings of Jordan, 'These are they thathave come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, andmade them white in the blood of the Lamb.' 'Lift up your heads, O yegates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors, for the redeemed of theLord shall also enter in!'"
So he made an end, and all the people were astonished at him, becausethey looked even then for the chariot which it had been foretold shouldcome and snatch him out of mortal sight.