The conversion story of Scots Physician, Dr William P. Mackay (1839—1885), author of Revive Us Again, is one of the most poignant examples of God’s providence or divine intervention in the day-to-day events of life.
Mackay can remember his godly mother praying and crying out loud for his salvation, but as the years went by, he only became more and more wicked, even becoming President of the Edinburgh Atheists Society. A very clever man, Mackay qualified as a doctor and became head of the hospital in Edinburgh where one day a seriously injured man was brought in. Mackay had the task of informing the man that he only had a few hours left on Earth. The man had no relatives to inform but requested to see his landlady so that he could settle his outstanding rent, and asked if she could bring to him "The Book" (his Bible). During those last hours of his life, Mackay was much with the man and was struck by his serene peace and contentment. After the man died, a nurse came to Mackay to seek assistance in the deceased’s affair. She pulled out the one and only possession of the poor man—his Bible. On handing it to Mackay, he opened it to see to his utter shock that it had once been his very own Bible which his mother had in-scribed and given to him when he had left his parents home at age 17, but hich he had sold for tuppence when needing more money to fund the pleasures of sin.
Mackay wrote, "I took the Bible and — could I trust my own eyes? It was my own Bible!...I had sold it for a ridiculous price…With a deep sense of shame I looked upon the precious Book…Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion." Mackay ran to the privacy of his office, fell to his knees and prayed that very same day, as a verse his mother had taught him came back to his memory. It was John 3:16. Mackay be-came one of Scotland’s great Presbyterian preachers for the remainder of his relatively short life. He died at age 46—God having redeemed the time.
Mackay can remember his godly mother praying and crying out loud for his salvation, but as the years went by, he only became more and more wicked, even becoming President of the Edinburgh Atheists Society. A very clever man, Mackay qualified as a doctor and became head of the hospital in Edinburgh where one day a seriously injured man was brought in. Mackay had the task of informing the man that he only had a few hours left on Earth. The man had no relatives to inform but requested to see his landlady so that he could settle his outstanding rent, and asked if she could bring to him "The Book" (his Bible). During those last hours of his life, Mackay was much with the man and was struck by his serene peace and contentment. After the man died, a nurse came to Mackay to seek assistance in the deceased’s affair. She pulled out the one and only possession of the poor man—his Bible. On handing it to Mackay, he opened it to see to his utter shock that it had once been his very own Bible which his mother had in-scribed and given to him when he had left his parents home at age 17, but hich he had sold for tuppence when needing more money to fund the pleasures of sin.
Mackay wrote, "I took the Bible and — could I trust my own eyes? It was my own Bible!...I had sold it for a ridiculous price…With a deep sense of shame I looked upon the precious Book…Be it sufficient to say that the regained possession of my Bible was the cause of my conversion." Mackay ran to the privacy of his office, fell to his knees and prayed that very same day, as a verse his mother had taught him came back to his memory. It was John 3:16. Mackay be-came one of Scotland’s great Presbyterian preachers for the remainder of his relatively short life. He died at age 46—God having redeemed the time.
REVIVE US AGAIN
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Saviour,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
We praise Thee, O God!
For the Son of Thy love,
For Jesus Who died,
And is now gone above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
We praise Thee, O God!
For Thy Spirit of light,
Who hath shown us our Saviour,
And scattered our night.
All glory and praise
To the Lamb that was slain,
Who hath borne all our sins,
And hath cleansed every stain.
All glory and praise
To the God of all grace,
Who hast brought us, and sought us,
And guided our ways.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
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