continue to plead the cause of t In the private station of a country veryma " which occupies the ne greater part of "Solas formerly published; Teed," which may hereranscribed "The Christhe 119th Psalm," a Traveller Entertained; " and "The Sacramenedeeming Love ;" cach t additions, would make hin the same space, he rt of "The Christian; Subjects, relating to the Cases of the Soul, in erwards made many ad. ous designs of publish- · he first took a voyage to it to the booksellers, rint it by subscription at Although Mr. Meikle did not immediately aleseen the great object which he had so long at heart, was pushed into business as a sergeon be the his friends soon after he arrived at Carnwath, m When he afterwards found that this was to be the ployment of his life, he regreted, that, owing to car preponderance of a different subject of study, he had devoted less of his attention to the study of surgery and medicine than he ought, and resolved to do what in him lay to repair his error. With this view, he not only gave attention to reading in the kne of bus profession, but arranged matters no 1996, WEDNE terial injury to tus benances. be spest amet of the summer of Tin Limarg. of midwifery, and some ate sta Wet wont aulitre fiy station de mer kovicle. It ma instances misgave, for hat he resolutely deter1 appear without a name. etical writings must be rning," which has been halamium, or Song of e formerly mentioned; idegroom and Bride;" es; or, Mercies Acen;" each considerable aller pieces. t' ese manuscripts is suc ceeded, had it been st volumes, as former. ight volumes similar to ion of them, however, kle's papers, that the tongue of slander, in several cases, reproached him for the manner in which he had treated patients;* and in particular, that he had suffered exquisite distress from the malevolent insinuations of a person from whom he had reason to expect different treatment, respecting his conduct to his only and much-beloved sister, the last but himself of his father's family, who had kept house with him since his return to his native place, and who was cut off by a fever in the month of March, 1770. One thing, however, is certain, that if some have practised with greater skill, none ever did so with greater uprightness of intention, and few, very few indeed, with as religious a dependance on God for his blessing on the means which he used for the health and cure of his fellow-creatures,and with as conscientious and lively a concern for both their temporal and spiritual welfare. "I desire," says he, "to bear my patients on my mind; they are my charge; and I always implore a blessing on the means: for the apparently dying, I make supplications in secret." From his memorandums it appears, that before he undertook any operation which he deemed difficult, he applied to God in secret for direction and aid; and many a prayer stands recorded in his papers for the souls of those whom he has considered as dangerously ill. What religious family would not prefer such assistance in distress, to that of irreligious persons of greater celebrity in the medical world! Mr. Meikle devoted many of his leisure hours, during the first ten or twelve years after his settlement in Carnwath, to the revision of the papers which he had written at sea, or at an earlier period. He Solitude Sweetened, Med. XVIII. refers to one of these cases. transcribed "The Traveller," which occupies the greater part of this volume; the greater part of "Solitude Sweetened," which was formerly published; and "A Word in Time of Need," which may hereafter appear. He likewise transcribed "The Christian's Compass; Poems on the 119th Psalm," a volume of 340 pages; "The Traveller Entertained; or, Poems by Sea and Land;" and "The Sacramental Table; or, Poems on Redeeming Love ;" each of which, with the subsequent additions, would make a volume equally large. Within the same space, he transcribed a considerable part of "The Christian; Spiritual. Poems on several Subjects, relating to the Conduct of Providence, and Cases of the Soul, in Four Parts." To this he afterwards made many ad. ditions, and, entertaining serious designs of publishing it in four small volumes, he first took a voyage to London, June, 1790, to offer it to the booksellers, and afterwards proposed to print it by subscription at home; but his design in both instances misgave, for this reason, among others, that he resolutely determined that the volumes should appear without a name. To this collection of his poetical writings must be added, "The House of Mourning," which has been printed; "The Divine Epithalamium, or Song of Songs, Paraphrased," a volume formerly mentioned; "A Poetical Present for a bridegroom and Bride ;” "Emmanuel ;"" Amœnitates; or, Mercies Acknowledged;" and, "Heaven;" each considerable pamphlets, besides some smaller pieces. The number and bulk of these manuscripts is such, that the truth would not be exceeded, had it been said that, instead of six or seven volumes, as formerly mentioned, they would fill eight volumes similar to the present. Of the publication of them, however, there is little prospect. The public taste for poetry is nice. It will not endure mediocrity; and Mr. Meikle's verse, though always pious, has seldom those flights of fancy which are often conspicuous even in his prose writings, or that smoothness of versification which is now, by the greater part, deemed an essential qualification of poetical compositions. It is indeed to be regretted, that Mr. Meikle appears to have been fonder of his poetical than of his prose compositions, and devoted so much of that time which he so highly valued, to a species of writing in which he less excelled. If, instead of this, he had cultivated his talents for writing in prose, the Christian world, indebted as they are to him, would have been laid under still deeper obligations by perhaps several volumes, equal or superior to those which he has left for their edification. It has already been noticed, that in the year 1770, he lost his only sister, and that his grief for her loss. was embittered by the tongue of malice, which ascribed it to his want of skill or of care. In what manner this mournful event affected him, may be seen by consulting "The Monthly Memorial," and "Secret Survey," at the proper dates. When he afterwards sat down, and surveyed the dreary solitude in which he was left, his grief flowed anew, and he cried out, "O eternity! all my near relatives are swallowed up in thee, and in a little I myself also shall be no more." It was assuaged, however, by the consideration of the divine wisdom, and of his interest in the divine love and care. "O happy, not they who are not afflicted, but they who have such a friend in their afflictions as I." His afflictions do not appear, either on this or on any other occasion, to have slackened, but rather to have quickened his progress in the divine life. He continued strict in the observance of religious duties, and in watchfulness over his own heart. He persevered in an accurate and even minute observation of the conduct of divine providence, as "The Monthly Memorial," every where shews with regard to others, and the "Secret Survey," with regard to himself. He frequently, as in the earlier period of his life, devoted a day or a portion of a day to solemn humiliation, self-examination, and prayer; and occasionally, when he had a family, kept family-fasts, the reasons of seve ral of which, have been found among his papers, and might have been inserted, were not this account extending to too great a length. The Sabbath, in particular, was the joy of his heart. He made it his study to visit his patients, except in cases of emergency, either before or after the hours of public worship; and rather than be detained from church when he did not apprehend inconvenience or danger by delaying his visit, risked incurring the displeasure of his employers, and the consequent loss of employment. Distinct notices are found among his papers of almost every Sabbath, from the year 1762, to the day of his death, and of the manner in which it was employed, whether at Church, in visiting the sick, or at home; besides lists of all the texts which he heard discoursed on during that period, often with the principal heads of discourse, and occasionally with brief hints of the frame of his soul while hearing them. Mr. Meikle had a heart too warmly interested in the cause of Christ, to be able to look with indiffer-ence on what was passing around him in the Christian world. His private papers record almost every occurrence in his neighbourhood which was calculated. |