Rabbi Saunderson | Page 3

answer that, and the captious
objector never quite recovered his position in the parish; while it is not
the least of Kilbogie's boasting, in which the Auld Kirk will even join
against Drumtochty, that they have a minister who not only does not
read his sermons and does not need to quote his texts, but carries the
whole Bible in at least three languages in his head, and once, as a proof
thereof, preached with it below his feet.
Much was to be looked for from such a man; but even Mains, whetted
by intercourse with Saunderson, was astonished at the sermon. It was a
happy beginning to draw a parallel between the locusts of Joel and the
mice of Kilbogie, and gave the preacher an opportunity of describing
the appearance, habits, and destruction of the locusts, which he did
solely from Holy Scripture, translating various passages afresh, and
combining lights with marvellous ingenuity. This brief preface of half
an hour, which was merely a stimulant for the Kilbogie appetite, led up
to a thorough examination of physical judgments, during which both
Bible and Church history were laid under liberal contribution. At this
point the minister halted, and complimented the congregation on the
attention they had given to the facts of the case, which were his first
head, and suggested that before approaching the doctrine of visitations
they might refresh themselves with a Psalm. The congregation were
visibly impressed, and many made up their minds while singing
"That man hath perfect blessedness";
and while others thought it due to themselves to suspend judgment till
they had tasted the doctrine, they afterwards confessed their full
confidence. It goes without saying that he was immediately beyond the
reach of the ordinary people on the second head, and even veterans in
theology panted after him in vain, so that one of the elders, nodding
assent to an exposure of the Manichaean heresy, suddenly blushed as
one who had played the hypocrite. Some professed to have noticed a
doctrine that had not been touched upon, but they never could give it a

name, and it excited just admiration that a preacher, starting from a
plague of mice, should have made a way by strictly scientific methods
into the secret places of theology. Saunderson allowed his hearers a
brief rest after the second head, and cheered them with the assurance
that what was still before them would be easy to follow. It was the
application of all that had gone before to the life of Kilbogie, and the
preacher proceeded to convict the parish under each of the ten
commandments--with the plague of mice ever in reserve to silence
excuses--till the delighted congregation could have risen in a body and
taken Saunderson by the hand for his fearlessness and faithfulness.
Perhaps the extent and thoroughness of this monumental sermon can be
best estimated by the fact that Claypots, father of the present tenant,
who always timed his rest to fifty minutes exactly, thus overseeing both
the introduction and application of the sermon, had a double portion,
and even a series of supplementary dozes, till at last he sat upright
through sheer satiety. It may also be offered as evidence that the
reserve of peppermint held by mothers for their bairns was pooled,
doles being furtively passed across pews to conspicuously needy
families, and yet the last had gone before Saunderson finished.
Mains reported to the congregational meeting that the minister had
been quiet for the rest of the day, but had offered to say something
about Habakkuk to any evening gathering, and had cleared up at family
worship some obscure points in the morning discourse. He also
informed the neighbours that he had driven his guest all the way to
Muirtown, and put him in an Edinburgh carriage with his own hands,
since it had emerged that Saunderson, through absence of mind, had
made his down journey by the triangular route of Dundee. It was quite
impossible for Kilbogie to conceal their pride in electing such a miracle
of learning, and their bearing in Muirtown was distinctly changed; but
indeed they did not boast vainly about Jeremiah Saunderson, for his
career was throughout on the level of that monumental sermon. When
the Presbytery in the gaiety of their heart examined Saunderson to
ascertain whether he was fully equipped for the work of the ministry,
he professed the whole Old Testament in Hebrew, and MacWheep of
Pitscowrie, who always asked the candidate to read the twenty-third
Psalm, was beguiled by Jeremiah into the Book of Job, and reduced to

the necessity of asking questions by indicating verbs with his finger.
His Greek examination led to an argument between Jeremiah and Dr.
Dowbiggin on the use of the aorist, from which the minister-elect of
Kilbogie came out an easy