THE above was over eighty years of age, when she passed away from this earthly scene, to be for ever with Christ, “which is far better.” She had her share of the troubles of life, having lost her husband, and a daughter, who was nursing her, but she was not given to complaining, and bore the chastening of the Lord with Christian fortitude and patience.
When remonstrated with for going to the means of grace in inclement weather, she exclaimed that she never got harm by listening to the Word of God. Her eyesight was failing latterly, and she had to be assisted to get home from the prayer meeting.
However weak the cause would be, she would not despise the means of grace, unlike some who will only come out when there is a minister present, and sometimes not even then. It was not only the public means of grace that she was exemplary in attending, however. A workman, who happened to be repairing the house, was struck by the frequency of her visits to her private chamber for secret prayer. It is to be feared that private prayer is more neglected in our generation than it was by our fathers. The subject of this memoir was not a great talker about religion like Talkative in the Pilgrim’s Progress, who could dilate on things earthly as well as heavenly, but who was not very heavenly in his actions.
She had actions to her credit more than words, for instance, she walked to Tarbert communion, a distance of 20 miles, when she was no longer young, being 60 years of age. There were no cars in those days. When she was prevented by old age, with its infirmities from attending communions, she was sure to visit those who had been at the commemoration of Christ’s death, to glean like Ruth as much as possible in the fields of Boaz. The verse of Truth that made clear to her that she had been at her last communion was, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
D. J. Macaskill.