Mrs. Henderson was born in Sanna, Ardnamurchan, Argyllshire, in the year 1869, and lived for 86 years in the world, having passed away to her everlasting rest, we believe, on the 20th March last year. The village of Sanna is now practically deserted, though in her childhood days there were quite a few families, perhaps as many as 20, in that township. When a young woman she came to Glasgow, and she attended the means of grace regularly whenever she was free to do so. Attendance at the means of grace with the desire in the soul to see Jesus will not be in vain. He never said to any of the seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain. It was very apparent that the word read and preached was greatly valued by her, and early in life she received saving knowledge of Him who declares, “I love them that love me and those that seek me early shall find me.”
Before the Free Presbyterian Church was formed she was a member in full communion in the Free Church, but being a woman of spiritual discernment she had no hesitation, when the testimony was raised in Scotland for the truth of God in 1893, to cast in her lot with those who thought that they could not be true to the Word of God or to their own conscience if they remained any longer in the Declaratory Act Free Church.
Mrs. Henderson remained a loyal follower of Christ for well over 60 years, and no one could be very long in her company without knowing that it was the things that pertained to God and to the soul’s eternal welfare which were her chief delight. She was not without her own share of sorrows and trials. None of God’s people can be exempt from tribulation. “In this world ye shall have tribulation but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
In 1910 a young daughter was removed by death just after a few days’ illness. This was a very heavy trial but the Lord who rules and overrules used this sore dispensation as the means whereby her husband, who had formerly lived a good moral life, got soul acquaintance with Him who does all things well. That he had undergone a saving change at that time he proved by his love for the things of God, and by his consistent walk and conversation for over 20 years thereafter, when he was taken home, we believe, to be for ever with the Lord. He was a deacon of St. Jude’s congregation for some years, and an obituary written by the Rev. N. Cameron appeared in the Free Presbyterian Magazine of February, 1931.
No doubt her husband’s conversion gave her such joy at this time that her grief in losing a loving daughter was, to some extent at least, alleviated.
Mrs. Henderson was one of “the excellent of the earth,” and we feel much the poorer by her removal to the eternal world where she is free from sin and suffering—”there the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest.”
To the sons—one of whom is an office-bearer in St. Jude’s—to the daughter and to the relations we extend our heartfelt sympathy. May they know the blessedness of those who are enabled by grace “to follow Christ through good report and evil report.”—D. J. Matheson.