THE Lord said that “they shall come from the east and from the west and from the north and from the south and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God.” John’s experience in vision on Patmos is in agreement, when he says, “I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb.” The Apostle refers to sinners saved by grace, through the finished work of Christ, people cognisant of their indebtedness to the Saviour and their utter inability to redeem their own soul. The subject of this brief sketch can, we believe, be placed among the latter class.
Mrs. Ruth Kitchen was born in Quadring, in the County of Lincolnshire, on August 9th, 1864. During the period in which I was privileged with Mrs. Kitchen’s friendship she often referred to Quadring. That village was dear to her, not only because of its leafy lanes, and typically English character, but also, and especially, I believe, because there the springing of spiritual life was first felt by her. Her early years were spent amongst strict Baptists, and she sometimes spoke to me of a minister of that persuasion whose name was Mr. Tryon, and whose Christian life and doctrine had left a deep impression on her mind and memory. She was married when still under twenty years of age, and it was in Winnipeg, to which they emigrated in 1903, that her husband died. In Winnipeg, Mrs. Kitchen could not really associate herself with any religious denomination until she became acquainted with the Free Presbyterian Church there. She fully concurred with the preaching of “ruin by the Fall, regeneration by the Spirit, and redemption by the Blood,” the Word of God being her criterion, and, about fifteen years ago, was admitted into membership.
Now, perfection could never be ascribed to any believer while in this tabernacle, and Mrs. Kitchen would be the last to claim any good thing as belonging to her fallen nature. On the contrary, she felt in herself such uprisings of the carnal mind that she knew if the Lord did not save her she would perish. In her straits, the doctrine of election was much loved by her, and she desired to read and hear much about it. She often expressed to me her appreciation of election, and even said to me—”I do not know what I would do without it.” Yes, she found the Lord’s electing love a sweet solace, and especially so seeing it is emphatically a doctrine of Scripture; and, because Christ was precious to her, her conversation often reflected the question of her soul—”Am I His, or am I no?” I repeatedly saw proofs of Mrs. Kitchen’s having profited by experience.
The longer she lived, the more apparent to her became the exceeding sinfulness of sin and the folly of trusting in the filthy rags of one’s own righteousness. Although she quickly discerned that which was insincere and spurious, she showed a quick sympathy towards any indication of that good part which, by the Lord’s grace, is the choice of His people. She could never be accused of being bitter and sanctimonious, for her personality was buoyant and lively; so much so that she had to keep herself in check, and felt the need of the Lord influencing her with His grace. Not a few times, when I was in the company of Mrs. Kitchen and her son Hedley and his wife, did she suggest that the four of us should sing together one of the Psalms, or a spiritual song such as the “The sands of time are sinking”; and we would all go at it with a will. Anything that concerned the cause of Christ was of special interest to her, and, among other things, I remember a poem that attracted her attention, entitled, “The girl and the infidel.” It was about a girl, called by God in early youth, whom a profound atheist tried, in a subtle way, to seduce to his own way of thought. But the girl pinned her faith in God’s Word, and used it as a sword, to the discomfiture of the infidel. Here is one verse:—
“The haughty follower of Voltaire
Looked grave and no more smiled;
This two-edged sword he could not bear,
Though wielded by a child.”
And she had no more trouble from this man, for he ceased to pester her with his infidelity. And the poem ends with an exhortation to revere the sacred page of Scripture, although infidels scoff and jeer.
Now, although the Lord’s people shall meet on happier shores, there is a blank left when each of them is taken away from time. One wrote—”Time! what an empty vapour ’tis! And days, how swift they are; swift as an Indian arrow.” Mrs. Kitchen’s time on earth came to an end when with her son and daughter-in-law (Mr. and Mrs. Hedley Kitchen), at Kenora in Ontario, after a very brief illness. The date of her death was the 2nd of September, 1939—the eve of the declaration of war (the second World War).
After that it was a sad home-coming for Mr. and Mrs. Hedley Kitchen, although they had reason for thankfulness that their loss was her gain. To them and to the other members of the family we would offer our sincere sympathy, and our prayer is that they may know her God and Saviour as their own. And may the Lord raise up in our Winnipeg congregation many followers of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises.—Donald Urquhart.