THIS worthy and gracious Christian was permitted in the providence of God to attain to a ripe old age—she was 84 years when she passed away. Miss Munro was well known to many in our Church. For many years she was in the service of Sir Kenneth Mackenzie, Flowerdale, Gairloch, and her sojourn in that part of Ross-shire is still remembered by many with pleasant memories. Afterwards she acted as housekeeper to Rev. (now Professor) John R. Mackay, and was well known to the ministers of our Church. On the death of her brother she inherited a house in Tain and came to live there. Her kindly and cheery disposition made it a pleasant home and a warm welcome was always accorded to the Lord’s people.
The great change that turned Jane Munro from darkness to light was experienced before she was twenty-one. She was down at the coast with the family she served and it was while sitting in church that the words of John iii., 14-15 came with power: “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.” On her return to the city (Edinburgh) when asked by her friends how she enjoyed her holiday she replied: “I never enjoyed a holiday like it.” The work begun then bore fruit in after years in a life of consecration to her Lord and in a consistent and careful walk. She used to speak with delight of Mr. Finlayson, Coigach (who afterwards went to Australia) and Mr. Baillie, Gairloch, ministers whose ministrations were evidently blessed to her.
One would not need to be long in Miss Munro’s company without discovering how her heart was taken up with the things of heaven. She was a very spiritually minded woman and was much given to secret prayer. Miss Munro lived a beautiful Christian life and fed upon the Word of God as manna from heaven. How often she would say in conversation with her friends when she quoted a passage of Scripture or referred to some gracious leading of the Lord to His people: “Oh, my! isn’t it wonderful.” The sense of wonder in divine truth and providence seemed to grow instead of lessen during the closing years of her pilgrimage. She passed through trying affliction at times but came out of the furnace as gold and silver are refined.
She kept an open door for the Lord’s people and many a happy gathering met in her house at Tain. She delighted in the public means of grace and would make it a point of going out when she was very infirm and feeble. She prayed for the prosperity of the Lord’s cause in the world in general and in Tain in particular. Her removal was a distinct loss to the cause in Tain. The warm welcome she used to give to the Lord’s servants will be to many of them a treasured memory.
When a young girl, as she used to tell, a worthy man in Tain said to her: “Oh! Jeanie, may it be said of you—’Who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning on her beloved?'” Those who knew Miss Munro will be the first to admit that this was true of her.
One of the texts she often quoted near the end, and which was evidently a great favourite of hers, was: “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while make you perfect, establish, strengthen, settle you” (I. Pet. v. 10). We fully believe that Miss Munro has entered into that glory which gave her so much delight to meditate on while on earth. All that was mortal of Miss Munro was laid to rest in Nigg burying ground on the 29th of April, 1930, to await the resurrection morn.
We extend our sympathy to her surviving sister and other relatives.