g a note, however
short, he sought to season it with salt. If he passed a night in a
strange place, he tried to bear the place specially on his soul at the
mercy-seat; and if compelled to take some rest from his too exhausting
toils, his recreations were little else than a change of occupation,
from one mode of glorifying God to another.[12] His beautiful hymn, _I
am a debtor_, was written in May 1837, at a leisure hour.

[12] Baxter's words are not less than the truth: "Recreation to a
minister must be as whetting is with the mower, that is, only to
be used so far as is necessary for his work. May a physician in
the plague-time take any more relaxation or recreation than is
necessary for his life, when so many are expecting his help in a
case of life and death?" "Will you stand by and see sinners
grasping under the pangs of death, and say, God doth not require
me to make myself a drudge to save them? Is this the voice of
ministerial or Christian compassion, or rather of _sensual
laziness and diabolical cruelty_?"--_Ref. Past_. 6:6

Whatever be said in the pulpit, men will not much regard, though they
may feel it at the time, if the minister does not say the same in
private with equal earnestness, in speaking with his people face to
face; and it must be in our moments of most familiar intercourse with
them, that we are thus to put the seal to all we say in public.
Familiar moments are the times when the things that are most closely
twined round the heart are brought out to view; and shall we forbear,
by tacit consent, to introduce the Lord that bought us into such happy
hours? We must not only speak faithfully to our people in our sermons,
but live faithfully for them too. Perhaps it may be found, that the
reason why many who preach the gospel fully and in all earnestness are
not owned of God in the conversion of souls, is to be found in their
defective exhibition of grace in these easy moments of life. "Them
that honor me, I will honor," I Samuel 2:30. It was noticed long ago
that men will give you leave to _preach against_ their sins as much as
you will, if so be you will but be easy with them when you have done,
and talk as they do, and live as they live. How much otherwise it was
with Mr. M'Cheyne, all who knew him are witnesses.

His visits to friends were times when he sought to do good to their
souls; and never was he satisfied unless he could guide the
convers