Like many other places throughout the Highlands, Raasay was greatly favoured with a rich crop of God-fearing people who took delight in walking in the narrow way that leadeth to the Celestial City. That the subject of this obituary was one of those we have no doubt.
We failed to find out how or when she was brought to a true sense of her lost, helpless, and undone state as one of the fallen race of Adam. However, it became obvious from her diligent attendance upon the means of grace that a desire to meet with Jesus, the alone Saviour of sinners, had been begotten in her soul through the Holy Spirit. Her cry now was, “Saw ye Him whom my soul loveth.” In this portion we notice that the Lord did not leave His spouse long bemoaning His absence; when the joy of the Gospel broke in as a morning without clouds upon the Church’s soul, so that she could now say: “It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found Him whom my soul loveth.” Obviously this was our friend’s sweet experience, too; because very often when visiting she greeted us with the words which we have already quoted. It was, nevertheless, while reading the Bible alone at her own fireside that her distressed soul found comfort and enlightenment in the words of the Prophet Isaiah (lx. i): “Arise, shine: for thy light is come, and the glory of God is risen upon thee.”
She had sweet recollections of communion seasons at Holman in the days of the venerable servants of the Lord, Revs. D. Macfarlane, D. Macdonald, Neil Cameron, etc., when the dew of Hermon descended upon both preachers and hearers in the open field. Her hospitable home, then at Balachurn, would be filled to capacity with people from far and near gathered upon the Mount of Ordinance to hear the blessed Gospel. The vast majority of these gracious men and women, too numerous to mention, much as we would like to, who sat at the Lord’s Table in that blessed spot, are now where the inhabitants will not say, “I am sick,” and where their sun shall no more go down.
As one who loved the Church to which we belong she hoped and prayed that a minister be settled over the congregation before she would be taken away. To her great joy this took place a few weeks before the Call of the Bridegroom came, on the 25th of September, 1954. The writer was called to her death-bed. She longed to be home with Christ which is far better. She would often repeat: “Oh, Lord, prepare me and take me home.” Having said farewell to us all she closed her eyes in death, never to open them again until the resurrection morning.
We take this opportunity of extending our sincere sympathy to every member of her family, but especially her daughters, who nursed her lovingly and tenderly during the years she was bedridden. They also nursed their Uncle Hugh, who passed away a few months later. To him the discerning people gave a place as one who feared the Lord, although strength was not vouchsafed to him to profess His name publicly. How greatly one enjoyed having worship with him. May the Lord raise up the sons and daughters as living witnesses on His side in a dark and cloudy day; and at death we may be all called to the Supper of the Lamb in glory, and not be cast eternally from His presence, for, “as the tree falleth, so it lieth.”—J. A. Macdonald.
Searmonan.
LEIS AN URR. TEARLACH C. MAC AN TOISICH, D.D.
SEARMON III.
(Air a leantuinn bho t.d. 188.)
-
Shuineadh dhuinn an cothrom a ghabhail gu bhi feorach an aithne dhuinn an Dia so. Agus a chùm gu’n deanadh-mid so, bheir-cadhmid air adhart na ceisdean a leanas:—Am faca sinn Dia mar eò glòrmhor ann an naomhachd, agus eò uamhasach ann am peanasachadh peacaidh, agus gu’n do chrithnich sinn ‘n a lathair, agus gu’n d’ fhaireich sinn sinn fein fosgailte da fheirg, agus gu’n ni chùm ar còmhdaich? Na’m bheil sinn a smuainteachadh gu h-aotrom mu pheacadh, agus am bheil sinn a labhairt gu h-aotrom mu pheacadh? Am bheil sinn, mar a tha e air a ràdh ann an leabhar Iob, a folach peacaidh fodh ar teangaidh mar ghreim milis? Ma tha, cha’n aithne dhuinne fathasd Dia an t-soiseil. Am bheil sinn a faicinn Dhé mar an Tì a tha ceart beannaichte, eadhon ‘n uair a tha a lagh ga’r diteadh? Na’m bheil sinn ga chunntas na mhaighatir cruaidh agus geur-theann do-bhrigh nach tig E nuas bho righ-chathair a dh’ionnsuidh an àite far nach cuireadh as dhuinn an lasair shoillseach leis am bheil E air a chuartachadh? Am bheil sinn ga fhaotainn duilich a chreidisinn gur e’n aon Dia E a tha peanasachadh a pheacaidh gu siorruidh, a tha mar an ceudna neo-chriochnach ann an trócair? Gach aon dha’n aithne Dia gu slàinteil is aithne dhoibh E mar so. Ma tha sinn a smuainteachadh gu’n do chreid sinn, am bheil ‘ur creidimh dhe leithid de ghné agus gu’n toir e òirne amharc le ni’s lugha de urram air Dia? Am bheil e toirt oirne ni’s lugha de eagal a bhi againn roimh’n pheacadh, agus ni’s lugha de fhaiceal roimhe a theachd dlùth? Am bheil E ga’r treorachadh gu bhi di-chuimhneachadh na h-àithne, “Lan-oibrichibh ‘ur slàinte fein le eagal agus ball-chrith?” Ma ta, tha againn-ne fathasd ri eolas a ghabhail air Dia an t-soiseil.
-
Tha so a labhairt comhflurtachd ris na h-uile a tha ga’m fair-eachadh fein nam peacaidh bhoedh agus chiontach. Theireadh-mid ri leithid sin de neach—Ged a blitheadh do pheacaidhean-sa co-ionnan ris na peacaidhean a bhàth an seann saoghal, ged a blitheadh iad co-ionnan riuth-san a thug teine agus pronnasg bho neamh air Sodom, gidheadh, pill ris an Tighearna agus ni E trócair ort. Am bheil an lagh naomh a bha air a bhriseadh ga’d chur fodh eagal? Teich a chum fasgadh fuil Chriosd, agus an sin faic an lagh air àrdachadh agus urram air a chur air; agus ni an lagh gairdeachas gu’n deach thu as bho a pheanas. Am bheil do choguis luchdach-te le cionta nach urrainn aon chuid t-osnuidhean na t-ùrnuighean na do dhleasdanas-an a ghlhanadh air falbh? Teich gu fuil Chriosd agus bithidh i air a ghlhanadh cho glan agus ged nach bitheadh peacaidh riamh air a agriobhadh oirre. An robh thu ciontach de gach seorsa peacaidh? de eas-creidimh, de thoibheum, de mhi-naomhaechd, de aingidhcachd ri do choimhearsnaich; agus le aithne bhi agad air toillteanas aon pheacadh; am bheil peacaidhean gun aireamh ga do leagadh sios? Faic Criosd a giùlain peacaidhean an t-saoghail, agus nach eil E comasach air do pheacaidhean-sa a ghiùlain? Am bheil eagal ort nach eil Dia toil-each gabhail riut; agus am bheil thu faireachadh mar gu’m bitheadh a ghloir ag agradh do pheanas? Faic E a lot a Mhic Fein, agus a leantuinn air a bhualadh gus am bheil Esan a tha fulung ag ràdh, “Tha e croichnach-te,” agus air dhà a ghiùlain an fhaide sin, am fàilnich a thròcair, am fàilnich a ghras a nis?
-
Ciod e’n solus soillseach agus géur a tha so a tilgeadh air ceartas Dhé ann a bhi peanasachadh na bhuannaicheas neo-aithreachail a dh’ionnsuidh na crìche? Air dhoibh a thròcair a dhìùltadh, am feadh ‘s is beo E giùlainidh iad a chorruich. Giùlainibh leam, a chairdean, am feadh ‘s a labhras mi beagan fhoical ribh gu sòlaimte. Tha sinn a labhairt ris gach uile nach neo-iompaichte. Tha sibh fosgailte do theirg Dhé—fearg, nach aithne do neach air bith a h-uamhas ach iadsan air an do leagadh i; agus cha’n eil dearbhadh agaibh-se nach brùchd i mach oirbh an ath mhoinnt’. Tha e air a ràdh, “Ma ni iad na nithean so ris a’ chrann ùr, ciod a ni iad ris a chrìonaich.” Agus mar do chaomhainn ceartas Dhe a Mhac Fein ‘n uair a sheas E air son peacaidhean nach buin leis Fein, an caomhain e sibhe ‘n uair a tha sibh a giùlain ciont’ pheacaidhean gu’n àireamh a ghnìomhaich sibh fein? Ach tha dòchus air bhur son. Pillibh ris an Tighearn, agus nochdaidh E tròcair; agus bithidh an tròcair so cho saor dhuibhse ri aran làitheil a fhreasaidh, na ris an amail a tha sibh a tarruig. O na’m faircieadhd sibh salaich peacaidh gu’n a bhi air a mhaitheadh, agus gu’n cluinneadh sibh an t-eureadh mar a tighinn bho Dhia fein, bheireadh e air bhur cridhe leum le aoibhneas. Tha’n gairm gu aithreachas a gabhail a steach ann, gealladh gu fireanachadh, agus naomhachadh, agus gach bean-nachd air am bheil sibh a cur feum. Ach ma dh’fhagas sibh an tigh so gu’n suim agus gu’n chùram, an déigh do’n rabhadh so a bhi air a thoirt dhuibh, bithidh sibh a gabhail an rathaid dìreach gu bhi sgrios bhur ‘n anamaibh fein. Tha sinn a cur impidh oirbh, uime sin—anmhuinn da-rìreadh air son ni cho mòr—ach gu dìreachdach agus gu truasachd tha sinn a cur impidh oirbh, ann an solus luachmhorachd bhur ‘n anamaibh neo-bhàsmhor—oir tha iad ro-luachmhor—ann an solus neo-nibhidheachd an t-saoghail so a tha gabhail seachad, ann an solus fulungais Chriosd air a Chrann, ann an solus mìlseachd co-chomunn ri Dia, ann an solus meallaidhean agus neo-dhilseachd saoghail a tha na laighe anns an olc, agus a cabhaigachadh a chùm a bhi air a sgrios; ann an solus dlùthachadh an làithe sin ‘n uair a mhallaicheas mòran làithe am breith do bhrigh gu’m do dhìùlt iad an aon Slanuighear, bhur clusan agus bhur cridheachan fhosgladh do ghairm tròcair.