THIS worthy woman passed away, we believe to her everlasting rest, over a year ago. She was born at Inshegra, Kinlochbervie, on the 8th day of October, 1851. Like the rest of our race, she was born in sin, and under the wrath of a holy and just God. We are not able to say how long she continued in this state without being convinced by the Holy Spirit of her sin and misery. It was, however, very evident in her case that she was brought to know the evil of her sin, and the preciousness of the gospel of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The marks of His sheep, recorded in the 10th chapter of the Gospel according to John—”My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me”—were very markedly seen in the subject of this brief memoir, for the last fifty years. The experience through which she had passed in being brought from death to life, and from the power of darkness to light was similar to what the Church of God knew in every age, as expressed in the language of the 40th Psalm: “He took me from a fearful pit and from the miry clay, and on a rock He set my feet establishing my way. He put a new song in my mouth our God to magnify.” She knew well the meaning of the words in the 43rd Psalm, for her cry often was: “Oh! send thy light forth and thy truth, let them be guides to me and bring me to thine holy hill ev’n where thy dwellings be.”
The means of grace were often refreshing to her. With her like-minded husband, of whom an obituary appeared in the pages of this Magazine some twelve years ago, she walked long distances to hear the gospel preached. To the testimony raised on behalf of the truth in 1893, she continued steadfast to the end. Some weeks before her death she said that she had a desire to attend the weekly prayer meeting, and a car was secured to take her to the church. After returning home she said that she believed that was the last time she would be in a church in this world. This proved true, although at the time she was in her usual good health. The day she died she seemed in good health, and visited a neighbour’s house. In answer to a remark made about her health, she replied: “I think I can say what I got long ago—’And as thy days, so shall thy strength be.’ He has hitherto fulfilled this promise in my case, and I believe He will continue to fulfil it to the end.” In about an hour or two after returning home, sitting in her house with her daughter, she gave a moan or two, and without speaking a word, passed into the presence of Him in whom she was enabled to believe and to follow in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation. As I was visiting in the vicinity that day, I felt in my mind that I should hurry to her house. When I had almost reached it, one of her grand-children met me and asked me to hurry as his grandmother was dying. As I reached the house, the sorrowful daughter was doing all that human aid could do in that solemn hour. How solemn the words of the Lord Jesus: “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark viii. 36, 37).
In bringing this short account to a close, we need only say that Mrs. Hugh Mackay was taught that her soul’s salvation was the most precious thing to be obtained in this world, and she might say with another: “I came into this world a child of wrath, and I leave it with a good hope through grace.” To her daughter and two sons left to mourn her loss we extend our sympathy. It is our prayer that they and their children would know the God of their parents. To the rest of the relations we also desire to extend our sympathy.
May the Lord in His rich mercy pour upon us the Spirit of grace and supplications that our families and congregations may be brought to repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.—F. M.