all was rightly done."

"_Aug. 15._--Little done, and as little suffered. Awfully important
question, Am I redeeming the time?"

"_Aug. 18._--Heard of the death of James Somerville[2] by fever,
induced by cholera. O God, thy ways and thoughts are not as ours! He
had preached his first sermon. I saw him last on Friday, 27th July, at
the College gate; shook hands, and little thought I was to see him no
more on earth."

[2] Son of the minister of Drumelzier,--very promising and very
amiable.

"_Sept. 2_, Sabbath evening.--Reading. Too much engrossed, and too
little devotional. Preparation for a fall. Warning. We may be too
engrossed with the shell even of heavenly things."

"_Sept. 9._--Oh for true, unfeigned humility! I know I have cause to
be humble; and yet I do not know one-half of that cause. I know I am
proud; and yet I do not know the half of that pride."

"_Sept. 30._--Somewhat straitened by loose Sabbath observance. Best
way is to be explicit and manly."

"_Nov. 1._--More abundant longings for the work of the ministry. Oh
that Christ would but count me faithful, that a dispensation of the
gospel might be committed to me!" And then he adds, "Much peace.
_Peaceful, because believing_."

_Dec. 2._--Hitherto he used to spend much of the Sabbath evening in
extending his notes of Mr. Bruce's sermons, but now, "Determined to be
brief with these, for the sake of a more practical, meditative,
resting, sabbatical evening."

"_Dec. 11._--Mind quite unfitted for devotion. Prayerless prayer."

"_Dec. 31._--God has in this past year introduced me to the
preparation of the ministry,--I bless Him for that. He has helped me
to give up much of my shame to name his name, and be on his side,
especially before particular friends,--I bless Him for that. He has
taken conclusively away friends that might have been a snare,--must
have been a stumbling-block,--I bless Him for that. He has introduced
me to one Christian friend, and sealed more and more my amity with
another,--I bless Him for that."

_Jan. 27_, 1833.--On this day it had been the custom of his brother
David to write a "Carmen Natale" on their father's birth-day. Robert
took up the domestic song this year; and in doing so, makes some
beautiful and tender allusions.

Ah! where is the harp that was strung to thy praise,
So oft and so sweetly in happier days?
When the tears that we shed were the tears of our joy,
And the pleasure