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ANOTHER LILY GATHERED
CONVERSION OF JAMES LAING.

"My beloved is gone down into his garden to gather lilies."—Song vi. 2.

GOD loves his mighty works to be remembered. We easily forget the most amazing displays of his love and power, and therefore it is right often to set up a stone of remembrance. When Israel passed over Jordan on dry land, God commanded Joshua to take twelve stones out of the dry bed of the river, and to set them up at Gilgal for a memorial, "That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord that it is mighty;" Joshua iv. 24. Whenever the children of Israel looked upon these massy stones, they would remember how God brought their fathers through the swellings of Jordan.

God has done great things for us in this corner of his vineyard, whereof we are glad. The word has often grown mightily and prevailed. Many old sinners and many young ones have given clear evidence of a saving change. And though we cannot say that "the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved," yet we can say that from the first day until now he has never left himself without a witness.

We have done little in the way of making known the doings of the Lord. The record of many a saved soul is on high, and many in their heavenly walk amid a polluted world are living monuments of what a God of grace can do. In this little narrative we would raise up an humble stone to the memory of a dear boy who now sleeps in Jesus, and to the praise of that God and Saviour who planted, watered, and gathered his own lily.

JAMES LAING was born on 28th July 1828, and lost his mother before he was eight years old. Of the living members of the family I do not mean to speak; they have not yet finished their course, but are still in the valley of tears, and trials, and temptations. This only must be noticed, that not long after God took away the mother, he dealt so graciously with the elder sister [Margaret] that she was henceforth fitted to watch over the other children with a mother's tenderness.

James was seized with the same fever as that of which his mother died, and he never enjoyed good health afterwards...

Margaret asked him, "What will I do?  I will miss your company in the house." James answered, "You maun just go the mair to Jesus. Do not be ill about me now, when I am dead, Margaret. If I thought that, I would be sorry, and more than that, God would be angry at you; for I would be far happier. It is better to depart and be with Christ. Ask grace to keep you from it."

All that day he spoke very little. In the evening he grew much worse. His sister wished to sit up with him that night, but he would not allow her. She said, " These eyes will soon see him whom your soul loves." James said, "Aye." After midnight Margaret, seeing him worse, arose and woke her father. She tried to conceal her tears; but James saw them, and said, with a look of solemn earnestness, "O woman, I wonder to see you do the like of that." He spoke little after this, and about one o'clock on the Saturday morning, 11th June 1842, fell asleep in Jesus.

God has sovereignly ordained every heartache and heartbreak we experience.

God has sovereignly ordained every heartache and heartbreak we experience for our good (Romans 8:28).

God has sovereignly ordained every heartache and heartbreak we experience for His glory (Romans 11:33-36).

God has sovereignly ordained every heartache and heartbreak we experience so Christ might be preeminent (Colossians 1:16-18).

while walking through this dry, dusty land
though your feet may scorch on desert sand
reach for Christ's garment and clasp His hand
take up God's whole armor, firmly stand

while walking through fields fruitless and barren
though all forsake, on Christ you can depend
cry out, brother and sister, for heav'ns to rend
trust God's spring rain to fall and refresh again

while walking below as pilgrims here
in all tribulation, be of good cheer
our God guards us, both in front and rear
He counts our tossings, stores all our tears

while walking on this earth here below
while in the tempest, tossed to and fro
do not waver, be assured, o sparrows
God is always for us, this we know

while walking here in this lonely place
expectantly plead to see His face
in days of famine, feast on His abundance
Christ shining brighter, from grace to grace

Psalm 56
1  Be gracious to me, O God, for man tramples on me;
all day long an attacker oppresses me;
2  my enemies trample on me all day long,
for many attack me proudly.
3  When I am afraid,
I put my trust in you.
4  In God, whose word I praise,
in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can flesh do to me?
5  All day long they injure my cause;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6  They stir up strife, they lurk;
they watch my steps,
as they have waited for my life.
7  For their crime will they escape?
In wrath cast down the peoples, O God!
8  You have kept count of my tossings;
put my tears in your bottle.
Are they not in your book?
9  Then my enemies will turn back
in the day when I call.
This I know, that God is for me.
10  In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise,
11  in God I trust; I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
12  I must perform my vows to you, O God;
I will render thank offerings to you.
13  For you have delivered my soul from death,
yes, my feet from falling,
that I may walk before God
in the light of life.

John 16:33
I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation.
But take heart; I have overcome the world.

II Timothy 4:16-18
At my first defense no one came to stand by me,
but all deserted me.
May it not be charged against them!
But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me,
so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed
and all the Gentiles might hear it.
So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed
and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.
To him be the glory forever and ever.
Amen.

for @dustysojourner and his wife, and all those saints who are God's fellow workers for the sake of the Gospel...

And of Christ's fullness may we continue to receive, grace upon grace.
~ see John 1:16 ~

Be not a wayfaring man!
Pour down on this barren land!

Is this not Emmanuel's land?
King of Zion! come with strong hand!

Though in trouble, gloom and anguish
Regard Your Church, we are in great distress

Reaching for Your hem and Your sure promise
Eagerly inquiring, "O! descend, revive and refresh!"

Have mercy on us!
For Your name be zealous!

Ride again, Lord Jesus!
For Your people be jealous!

O, bright, celestial beam!
Clear, quickening stream!

O, hasten, heavenly Dove!
Fly! Descend from above!

Precious covenant blood flow
Hear us, lift us from this pit below

Shield us from Sheol's gale
Against the gates of hell prevail!

Adorned by grace in garments white
Perfect and finish our heav'nly flight

Burn within our hearts always
Purify us from bewitching malaise

Keep our hearts on Thee fixed
Turn us from all joys counterfeit

Adopted in, brought to the feast
Redeemed from the snare of the beast

Cleansed from sin and every wrong
Place in our mouths a fervent song

Upon Your jealous heart seal us
Spirit, bear witness through our suff'ring

Come, O come! Leave us not as orphans!
Descend, manifest Your presence!

O Glory! O Dayspring! Rise!
That the nations might come to our light

Breathe and stir the dry bones, O stir!
Make our lukewarm souls to burn!

New wine filling, our cups we raise
Now Your people, roaring with praise:

"Worthy the Lamb! Hosanna! Our God saves!
Spreading o'er the earth like ocean waves!

"Good news of great joy to all nations!
His dominion flowing from sea to sea!"

In midst of winter's longest night
Glory's descent, gloom takes flight

The desolate valleys to be tilled
Waste places comforted and rebuilt

Awake, arise from Your holy habitation!
For Your glory and the nations' elation!

Zechariah 9:9a
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem!
behold, your king is coming to you...

Acts 1:8
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem and
in all Judea
and Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.

Acts 13:47
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying,
“‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles,
that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”

Isaiah 60
1  Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2  For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
and thick darkness the peoples;
but the LORD will arise upon you,
and his glory will be seen upon you.
3  And nations shall come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 62:
1  For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth as brightness,
and her salvation as a burning torch.
2  The nations shall see your righteousness,
and all the kings your glory,
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3  You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4  You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5  For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your sons marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
6  On your walls, O Jerusalem,
I have set watchmen;
all the day and all the night
they shall never be silent.
You who put the LORD in remembrance,
take no rest,
7  and give him no rest
until he establishes Jerusalem
and makes it a praise in the earth.

Psalm 67
1  May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2  that your way may be known on earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
4  Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5  Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
6  The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, shall bless us.
7  God shall bless us;
let all the ends of the earth fear him!

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