^ The Rev. Eobert Paterson, who knew Mr. Morison as intimately as most of his friends, often observed a wonderful light in his face when he spoke of Jesus and His saving power. He says : " Speaking of light reminds me that the light, which never was on sea or land, in Morison's face at times, was to me the grandest revelation of the invisible glory I have ever had. I have seen it more or less in the faces of all spiritually minded men and women, especially the intellectually great as well, but never in any face (except at the dying bed of a young man) at all approach- ing the appearance of it in that of Morison." *
^ Behind the message, there was the man, so cleansed from self and sin, so enamoured of Christ. "He was the meekest, calmest, and holiest believer that ever I saw," one who knew him wrote to his mother. From Morar, a Highland laird, who was Eoman Catholic in faith, Aeneas Ronald Macdonell, bore the same testimony in an ingenious accent of his own. " I only once, and that but for a very short time, enjoyed the company of your dear departed Robert, yet I can honestly declare that I never was so much prepossessed in favour of any one. And when I heard his fervent eloquence in the pulpit, the candour and sincerity of his discourses so plainly spoke of the piety of his heart that I could not help saying to myself, ' That man is booked for Heaven ! ' " " Assuredly " — it is Dr. Candlish's tribute — " he had more of the mind of his Master than almost any one I ever knew, and realized to me more of the likeness of the beloved disciple."
^ G. B. F, Hallock. ' W. Adamson, Lift of Principal James Mmiaon.
2 COR. in. 1 8 89
Dr. MacDonald of Leith bears similar testimony. "Mr. M'Cheyne's holiness," he says, "was noticeable even before he spoke a word ; his appearance spoke for him. There was a minister in the north of Scotland with whom he spent a night. He was so marvellously struck by this about him that, when Mr. M'Cheyne left the room he burst into tears, and said, '0, that is the most Jesus-like man I ever saw.' Eobert M'Cheyne would sometimes say but one word, or quote a text ; but it was blessed. I never got even a note from him that I could burn. There was always something in it worth keeping ; God seemed to bless all he wrote." ^
4 Now in order to behold in a mirror we have to observe two simple conditions.
(1) We must stand squarely in front of it. — We know that if a man looks into a mirror obliquely, if a mirror is not set square with him he does not see himself, but what is at the opposite angle, something that is pleasant or something that is disagreeable to us ; it matters not — he does not see himself. And unless we as mirrors set ourselves perfectly square with Christ, we do not reflect Him, but perhaps things that are in His sight monstrous. And, in point of fact, that is what happens with most of us, because it is here that we are chiefly tried. All persons brought up within the Christian Church pay some attention to Christ. We understand too well His excellence and we understand too well the advantages of being Christian men not to pay some attention to Christ. But that will not make us conform to His image. In order to be conformed to the image of Christ we must be wholly His.
^ The most important part of the training of the Twelve was one which was perhaps at the time little noticed, though it was producing splendid results — the silent and constant influence of His character on them. It was this that made them the men they became. For this, more than all else, the generations of those who love Him look back to them with envy. We admire and adore at a distance the qualities of His character ; but what must it have been to see them in the unity of life, and for years to feel their moulding pressure ? God was about Him like the atmosphere He breathed, or the sunlight in which He walked.^
^ It is not worth while being religious unless we are altogether
* Alexander Smellie, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, 221. * James Stalker.
90 TRANSFORMED BY BEHOLDING
religious. It won't do to be merely playing at religion, or having religion on us as a bit of veneer. It must saturate us. Some seek first the Kingdom of God, and second the Kingdom of God, and third the Kingdom of God. I don't think a man makes any- thing of it if he seeks the second time. For then prayer-meetings are dull, and fellowship gatherings are uninteresting. But the moment a man begins to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, all things are right.^
(2) We must stand steadily and long. — What does a photo- grapher say ? " Quite still, please." Some of us are half losing our souls because we are not taking time enough alone with God. " The secret of religion is religion in secret." In this hurrying, restless age, there is no message, however simple it be, that needs to be reiterated more constantly and pressed more frequently upon every Christian conscience than this — we must, if we want to live a Christian life, be alone with God.