30 EARLY LIFE. 



3 I go your entrance to secure, 



And your abode prepare; 

 Eegions unknown are safe to you, 

 When I, your Friend, am there. 



4 Thence shall I come, when ages close, 



To take you home with me; 

 There we shall meet to part no more, 

 And still together be. 



5 I am the Way, the Truth, the Life: 



No son of human race, 

 But such as I conduct and guide, 

 Shall see my Father's face." 



When I went to Glasgow in 1860 to preside at 

 the Social Science Congress, and when, as usual 

 on these occasions, I attended divine service in 

 the Cathedral Church, I recollect being much struck 

 with the accident of this hymn being sung, when, 

 very certainly, I alone of all the congregation knew 

 who was the author, for the hymn-book gives it 

 without any name.* 



Both sermon and poetry plainly show good taste, 

 as well as strong but sober reason, came to the great 

 historian by descent as well as by study ; but that his 

 father held opinions more strict on some subjects than 

 the relaxed rigour of Presbyterian rule prescribed, 

 half a century later, is proved by his requiring his 

 son's promise never to enter a playhouse. This was 

 stated by him in reference to hii-i father when de- 

 bating the question of John Home's having written 

 the play of ' Douglas/ It is needless to add that, 

 however much he differed with his father on this 



* See Appendix V. 



