My dear Mrs. McQuesten,

Your letter was indeed a very great pleasure to me, bringing as it did the very news of my old friend that I was longing to hear! I have long known his love of right and hatred of all that is untrue; and his acceptance of the truths of Christianity, and I am glad now to know that out of his time of trial he was enabled to enter into the "peace," wherein they are "kept" who not only gave Himself for us but gives Himself to us and "with Him, freely, all things." It cannot fail to be a comforting thought to you now that the presence of the Master and His Word were so dear to Isaac during his last days here, and that he could thankfully attest the truth of the ancient testimony, "Great peace have all they that love His law, nothing shall offend them." Our very troubles are glorified in the enjoyment of His presence--Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows, and He will not allow Him weight to rest on us while we walk with Him. I do most sincerely hope and pray, dear friend, that the King Himself will give you the comfort of His presence and the strength and wisdom to well perform the work He has given you.

I was reading in the book of Ruth recently of Naomi's "kinsman (redeemer) the mighty man of wealth," and in the tender loyal Boaz it seemed to me we have trust in God and the fellowship to which He who is faithful has called us. How very small the merely earthly things must seem to him, now in the enjoyment of that fellowship freed from the trammels of this moral condition, and the things that are not of earth, but heavenly visitants to beautify our pilgrimage must appear to him now in a truer, clearer light in their heavenly character than was possible here.

Oh! What a Saviour is our Lord! He, the Heir of all things. A very beautiful picture of our Kinsman Redeemer who has redeemed us from the curse of the law, who sees our needs only to supply them, who turns our poverty into true riches, and who never takes from us anything we value but to restore to us if we be faithful an hundred fold in this present time and in the world to come life everlasting.

I hope to have a chance of seeing you some time before very long but I cannot now tell [?] [?] much like to hear from your own lips of my friend in his later life of which I know so little & to see your little ones. I trust they are all well.

Mrs. MacKenzie joins me in love for you and them & wishes for your welfare.

Always your sincere friend.

J. Alex. MacKenzie ²

¹ It is possible and likely that the address of "Eglinton" refers to Eglinton Ave., in Toronto, Ont., since MacKenzie attended University College, Toronto, with Isaac in 1869.

² J. Alexander MacKenzie is a friend from Isaac's School days at University College in Toronto. See, MacKenzie's humorous letter W-MCP5-6.244, of March 11, 1869.