the plainest food hospitably provided by the industrious poor. Missionary tours in 
     
     summer he ventured upon as much as he could, making long journeys by boat, on 
     
     foot, and sometimes on horse back. In the winter he clung to his own special field, 
     
     but often resorted to snow shoes and travelled many a league when the snow lay 
     
    
   
   
    
     four or six feet deep in the woods. He accustomed himself to the snow-shoe and used 
     
     it in the days of his prime, with complete mastery. 
     
    
   
   
    
     As he visited so extensively and travel was so slow and so arduous, his stay in 
     
     each settlement was necessarily short — from a week to a fortnight, and his toil was 
     
     incessant. He travelled and preached almost every day, leaving himself but little time 
     
     for sleep. From the religious conditions of the people, the subjects on which he ad- 
     
     dressed them were the very essentials of the Gospel. 
     
    
   
   
    
     He dwelt on man’s sinfulness and the evils of sin and the penalties of sin, only 
     
     to show forth more brightly the love of Christ our Saviour. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Rev. Dr. MacGregor used the plainest language in addressing the people, and 
     
     he spoke with equal fluency in Gaelic and English. He was ever active and alert as 
     
     long as strength endured. He travelled while he could the pathless solitudes of the 
     
     Maritime Provinces. 
     
    
   
   
    
     The pioneer home missionary a hundred years ago had to face dangers as well 
     
     as difficulties. Sometimes while toiling wearily through deep snows in the lonely 
     
     forest, night would close down upon him. The blaze could not be discerned in the 
     
     darkness and in those days there were no matches my means of which the belated 
     
     traveller could start a fire. There would be the long cold vigil, the weary waiting for 
     
    
   
   
    
     the dawn. Sometimes peril was encountered in crossing flooded mountain streams 
     
     and rivers. Sometimes voyages along the coast had to be undertaken in open boats 
     
     ill-fitted to withstand rough seas. 
     
    
   
   
    
     Dr. MacGregor met in many districts men and women who were faithful 
     
     witnesses for Christ, who had, in fact, brought with them from across the Atlantic 
     
     the practical and saving knowledge of the truth and who were pining for the commu- 
     
     nion of saints and the ordinances of religion. These men and women, confirmed 
     
     disciples, eagerly welcomed Dr. MacGregor’s visits. They rejoiced to have him 
     
     baptize their children and to dispense within their reach the Lord’s Supper. Commu- 
     
     nions in the more destitute regions had been practically unknown, but where due 
     
     preparation could now be made, and a church organized, the Communion was from 
     
     time to time celebrated. On such occasions it was usual to conduct services on the 
     
     Thursday, Friday and Saturday preceding the Sacrament Sabbath, and on the 
     
     Monday after that day. Communicants were at first very few, but religious revivals 
     
     marked such occasions and many of the faithful were greatly refreshed. Though by 
     
     no means a Sacramentarian, he did not neglect either baptism or the Lord’s Supper. 
     
     He has been known to baptize husband, wife and seven children at the same time. 
     
     He tells that on a missionary excursion, he had agreed to baptize several children at 
     
     public worship, but no one thought of providing a vessel for water. The preaching 
     
     was in the open air beside a brook. When the parents presented their children, there 
     
     was no vessel. The brook was near by, not deep enough to immerse the candidates 
     
     but not to shallow for sprinkling them. They were sprinkled. 
     
    
   
   
    
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