ALEXANDER GRAY was born at Culmaily, Laig, Sutherlandshire, on the 27th September, 1843. The writer did not know his mother. His father, Angus Gray, was a man of no ordinary intelligence and of integrity in things pertaining to God and men. This being so, we may safely conclude that he did his duty faithfully in his own family, and that the subject of this short obituary was brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.
Alexander Gray, like some of the sons of Adam, lived for many years carelessly without God and without hope in the world. The first thing that awakened him out of his spiritual stupor as to the realities of his danger in prospect of death, judgment, and an endless eternity, was a railway accident, in which several of
his fellow-travellers were killed. His conscience challenged him with the fact that if he had been killed he would be immediately in everlasting torment and despair. He was not without true Scripture knowledge of the fact that all who die without repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ are irreparably lost. The writer took notice of his earnest and serious attention to the Word of God in the public services held on a hillside at Laing shortly after the separation of 1893. On a certain evening, during sermon on that hillside, he noticed now and again a spark of dazzling light below Alexander’s face, which resembled the light reflected from a diamond by a ray of the sun striking upon it. What this could be he was anxious to ascertain. After the sermon was finished, and during the singing of the concluding psalm, he noticed this spark again. He watched intently so as if possible to solve the problem. It became evident that this was caused by a ray of the sun striking Alexander’s tears falling from his eyes profusely. The writer came to the conclusion that this was a pouring of the Spirit of grace and supplication upon Alexander, which turned out to be very true in all his after life.
Not many years after the above, on the Saturday of the Communion at Laing, and while the members were receiving tokens at the tent, the writer noticed that Angus Gray had his right hand on Alexander’s shoulder standing some distance from the tent. He heard Angus say to him: “You come before the Session, and they will deal faithfully with you. If they will conclude, after examining you, that you should not go to the Lord’s table, they will tell you so.” So he persuaded him to come. After examination (during which the railway accident was made known) the Moderator asked the elders whether they were satisfied that Alexander should be received as a member in full communion with the Church, they all answered that they were fully satisfied. Angus said with emphasis: “I am fully satisfied also.” On the following Sabbath Alexander was tempted that he should not go to the Lord’s table. When the minister was inviting the members to come to the table he quoted the Scripture: “Let all thy wants lie upon Me,” and this encouraged him to go to the Lord’s table, and to obey the Lord’s command—”This do ye in remembrance of Me.” After he went home from the service he was much tempted by Satan that the words, “Let all thy wants lie upon Me,” were not in the Bible at all. This caused him to be greatly cast
down in his mind. In this state of mind, when dinner was finished, he was asked to return thanks. This he could not take upon himself to do. As they were urging him to do it, his father came to his rescue by saying: “You better leave him alone just now.” Angus Murray also repeated the words: “They that are broken in their hearts and grieved in their minds He healeth, and their painful wounds He tenderly upbinds.” This gave him great relief. These fathers were not ignorant of Satan’s devices, and they well knew that Satan would do all in his power to tempt and harass poor Alexander. In the year 1907 Alexander Gray was elected and ordained an elder in the Free Presbyterian congregation of Laig. To all the duties of his office he attended with diligence, faithfulness, and Christian discretion. He was held in high esteem by all the Lord’s people who had the privilege of knowing him as a man who could be implicitly relied upon in everything. He was a true, steadfast, and an unswerving Free Presbyterian elder, who acted from first to last in strict adherence to the position taken in 1893, and to which position he bound himself at his ordination. The brotherly love which characterised him and his fellow-elders, in which they did abound towards one another, was really exemplary; and none of them exceeded Alexander Gray in this precious grace. But, on the other hand, no one known to the writer had a lower opinion of himself as a sinner than he had. This appeared in many ways, especially when he approached the Lord in prayer. It then became very evident that it was the prayer of the Publican that suited him and not that of the Pharisee—that all his hope was in the mercy of God through the blood of Christ. The same sense of sin and unworthiness appeared when he was called to speak to “the question” on Communion Fridays. Christ and Him crucified was manifestly his sheet anchor within the veil, and “all his hope and confidence were placed in Him alone.”
The following letter which the writer received from him in March, 1925, will show better his spiritual exercises than anything that can be written by another:—”The least I ought to do is to endeavour to acknowledge receipt of your most kind and sympathetic letter. Its first effect on me was to take tears from my eyes. I have to say that I am still where the Son of Man has power to forgive sins. Although I have been finding myself beyond this, I am not like Job on the whole, but I am like him in some things. He said, “if I
say that my bed will comfort me and my couch will ease my smart, then Thou scaarest me with dreams, and terrifiest me with visions.” I am even finding myself so much resembling, in my heart and mind, those who will be lost for eternity. Everyone now expects to go to heaven at death, but I realise that heaven for me, and me being unholy, would be to me a more terrible hell than the hell of the lost; for there is nothing my corrupt and sinful nature hates like God and holiness . . . The Most High only knows if I will ever be able to go out again to the means of grace. Oh! how low His cause is in this place—almost out of sight—but what was it the better of myself; with a name to live but being dead. But He will arise and will have mercy yet upon Sion, when the time to favour her is come, the time that He has set.” No one should conclude from the low tone of the above that Alexander Gray’s experience was always at so low an ebb as this. He had rejoicing of heart in his hope of being saved by the Lord Jesus Christ from all the inward corruption of which he so bitterly complains. Like the Apostle Paul, he was wretched on account of sin warring against grace in his members, and like him he could thank God through the Lord Jesus Christ for the hope of eternal salvation—”As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.” These experiences are unknown to formal professors of religion, and, therefore, they cannot understand them; but all who are born of water and of the Spirit both know and understand them by their own experience.
It could truly be said of him that he walked in all the commandments of the Lord blamelessly. In words and in all his actions seriousness and watchfulness became manifest to all who knew him. He did truly adorn the Gospel of our Lord in the midst of a perverse and crooked generation. There could not be a more constant and faithful friend than he, and the writer is very conscious of having lost one of his truest friends on earth the day that Alexander entered into the joy of his Lord.
His minister sent us the following appropriate summary of his usefulness in the congregation and to the public concerns of the people in general:—”Very many thanks for your sincere sympathy with my congregation, and with myself, in the great loss we have recently sustained by the removal of Alexander Gray to the rest that remaineth to the people of God. Truly his removal is a real loss, for though he was unable for a year or
more to attend the public services regularly, he was earnestly pleading in private for the advancement of Christ’s cause in these parts and throughout the earth. Though his prayers are now at an end, we believe they will yet be answered. Mr Gray took an active part in public affairs. He was a member of the School Board and of the Parish Council, and an Inspector of Poor for a considerable number of years. He was also Clerk of our Kirk-Session and treasurer of our congregation until two years ago when he resigned. He was a man of a very strong personality—most upright in his dealings with all men—of a very keen intellect and discernment. As a public man he was highly respected by all who came in contact with him, and as a Christian he adorned the doctrine of the Lord Jesus Christ his Saviour.” All who knew Mr Gray will accept this summary as being a true statement of what he was as regards temporal and spiritual matters.
Mr Gray’s health was not in a robust condition for a considerable number of years before the end came, but he was able to attend the public means of grace with some regularity till within a year of his departure. The health of Mrs Gray became seriously impaired about three years ago. This affected him very much, especially as he was unable, through old age and infirmities, to assist her as he would wish. At the same time he uttered not a murmur concerning the Lord’s dealings in providence towards them; but on the contrary praised Him for His long suffering, goodness, and mercy with which he followed them all their days. Their family attended most dutifully, especially their daughter, on them both. Mr Gray passed away to his everlasting rest on the 12th day of February, 1929. His remains were laid to rest in Laig burying-ground to await the blast of the trumpet on the last day which will awaken all the dead that are in their graves. He will then in his resurrected body and soul enter into the joy of his Lord.
The writer desires to convey his sincere sympathy to Mrs Gray in her loneliness and physical weakness, and to each member of their family. May the Lord enable them by His grace to make choice of the God of their fathers and grandfather as their God and portion.
—N. C.
When one eye is fixed upon our graces, let the other be always fixed upon the God of Grace.—Brooks.