Miss Mary Urquhart, Inverness
A practice which finds little favour today was observed by this worthy woman, the keeping of a diary, in which she noted down some of the Lord’s dealings with her soul which she found a great help to herself as preserving the memory of the Lord’s goodness and proving a source of comfort in times of distress when she could turn to the record of happier days. Job in the midst of his trials longed for the days of the past: “Oh that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me; when his candle shined upon my head and when by his light I walked through darkness” — chapter 29, verses 2, 3. Though meant for her own use, we may draw upon her own words in giving a short account of this gracious woman’s life.
The early years of her life were spent in Glasgow where about the beginning of this century the family settled down. Here she lost her father, and the family of boys and girls were cast on their godly mother’s care who took great pains to teach them the Word of God and their need of salvation. The First World War, as was true of many families throughout the land, brought sorrow to the mother and family when they learned from the War Office that John Duncan had been killed in action in May 1917. The remark of his godly sister is: “Be still and know that I am God; His doings are absolutely perfect”. Donald, another brother, survived the war and on his return went as the Church’s missionary to the Jews in Palestine where the prayers of his sister followed him amidst the dangers and the rioting which broke out at that time in the Holy Land.
When the family was preparing in May 1929 to remove from Glasgow to Dingwall, she gives a brief review of her past life. “We are now preparing to leave dear Glasgow. Born in Inverasdale, Gairloch the 6th day of January 1893, living there 8 years of my life, we removed to Fearn, then to Inverness and as a family came to Glasgow in 1905, where I lived carelessly until my fifteenth year, when the Spirit began to strive with me — was afraid and began to pray and learn psalms and chapters of the Bible by heart, trying to reform myself and thought I was much better than others when I began this outward reformation, but alas it was as the early dew. Try as hard as I could to do good or be good, the evil of my desperately wicked heart would break out. Continued in this condition until my 17th year, thought I was doing alright and still felt no satisfaction or comfort in all this outward reformation — others thought the real change had taken place, but I was ‘dead and without God in the world’. One night after being in bed and slept a while, I suddenly wakened with awful terror and fear thinking I was going straight to hell without a doubt and imagined I was being dragged to the bottomless pit. I cannot forget that night. All my goodness was gone, having nothing but ‘the soul that sinneth, it shall die’, and continued in that distressed condition for a year without telling anyone what was going on in my mind. But dear beloved Mr Cameron was led to speak of my case over and over again and he, knowing nothing of what I was going through, yet he described my case as though he knew all about me, the Spirit directing him what to say. Oh, how miserable I was until I got a glimpse by faith of the precious blood — Oh, that precious truth, ‘The blood of Jesus Christ, his Son, cleanseth us from all sin’ — the anchor of my soul and hope for eternity. Everything seemed so new! I thought everyone would believe me and enjoy what I was enjoying, but how mistaken I was! I began to feel the bitter enmity of the world and sin stirring up within which made me think it was only a delusion I had. Oh, his great goodness towards me in holding my head above the waters of sorrow and tribulation going through this vale of weeping! . . . I feel keenly leaving Glasgow where I met the Beloved of my soul and where I listened in comfort to my father in spiritual matters. May his presence go with us all to Dingwall!”
As already noted by Mary, Rev. N. Cameron’s ministry was highly prized by one who owed to his faithful labours her own soul, who had often proved to be a minister of peace. On one occasion Mary came under such a severe temptation from the evil one that she had to take to her bed. She decided to see Mr Cameron to whom she unfolded her trouble and after some conversation Mr Cameron engaged in prayer. His first words were: “Oh Lord, is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?”, and continued for some time in prayer. When they rose from their knees, he enquired if she felt better, expecting that the passage of God’s Word already quoted might have brought deliverance, but she replied that she felt no relief. The following Sabbath, Mr Cameron took this same passage in Zechariah as the text for the evening sermon, but Mary, once more overcome by the assaults of the great enemy, had taken again to her bed and was not present. The sermon, however, was meant for someone else for some time later a woman came before the Kirk Session and confessed that the sermon which she had heard that night had been blessed in awakening her to a sense of her lost condition and she was received into membership by the session. At last on the following Wednesday, Mary obtained deliverance from the words: “And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; and they shall call on my name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is my people; and they shall say, The Lord is my God” — Zech. 13:9. She immediately arose and went to see Mr Cameron who greeted her with the question, “Did you receive my letter?”. She had not received the letter before she left the house, and Mr Cameron explained that he had obtained the very words of scripture for her case which gave her relief and had sent it to her by letter. Here we can see the true union and communion of saints which was enjoyed by pastor and member of his flock.
While living in the North, a further bereavement befell the family. In October 1936, her sister, Katie, Mrs Kenneth MacAskill, then living at Failie Farm, Daviot, died as the result of a heavy fall when cycling to Church. She was taken to Inverness Infirmary where she expressed to her sister the desire to be with Christ and his people through eternity. Mary again resumes the diary: “What a monument of mercy I am! . . . I was afraid to tell mother who was ill in bed. Mr MacFarlane, Dingwall went upstairs with me and she was sitting up in bed her face so calm and solemn. She said: “What I had on Saturday was, ‘Be not far off for grief is near, and none to help is found’, but what I have today is: ‘Then are they glad because at rest and quiet now they be, so to the haven he them brings which they desired to see. Katie is no more, but I will see her yet’. We had to say nothing — it was wonderful to see her and it strengthened me”. The effects of this tragic death were felt elsewhere. One of the Stratherrick elders, Alex. MacPherson, accustomed to conduct Sabbath services when called to do so by reading a printed sermon, now abandoned this bondage to the written word, and laid aside the practice from that time on and spoke out as the Lord gave him utterance. Mary’s remark is: “Prayer has been answered by fearful things. He told me Katie’s end made him speak out. Oh, that he would be made a blessing!”
Their stay in the North came to an end in 1941. The two sisters and Donald prepared to return to Glasgow, mainly because Donald’s health which, since his return from Palestine had been giving cause for concern, was again creating anxiety. Their mother and aunt had by this time passed away and about a year after their return to Glasgow, Rev. Donald Urquhart was called to his reward. Mary again sets down her thoughts on this turn in the Lord’s providence: “Mysterious providences have led to my coming to the place of my first love — the place where I hope I was born again and where my weary soul has often been refreshed. Several things have taken place since I wrote last — dear aunty and mother are now home having a long sleep. . . . What happy refreshing awakening they will have, soul and body united, ‘perfect’ — Oh, what blessedness is in that word! How I envy them and all those who have ended their days in this world without bringing a reproach on Christ’s precious Cause”.
They arrived in Glasgow in the midst of the troubles which were then agitating the congregation, which drew from her the comment: “What have points of law or technical phrases to do with preaching the Gospel? Oh, the shortness of time! It is only while in this world we can commend precious Jesus to sinners and only in the one to come can all see eye to eye regarding matters which perplex us here” — a useful comment which might go a great way to induce a more reasonable spirit in approaching Church disputes. Eventually, Rev. D.J. Matheson was called from Lairg to St Jude’s and for the next 10 years she enjoyed the ministry of Mr Matheson for whom she formed a strong attachment. On leaving for the North once more in 1956 she says: “Thanks for a faithful ministry. I believe Mr Matheson to be one of the most faithful, straight, and just amongst our ministers. The Lord is blessing his labours here, and Oh, may He continue to bless and keep him even to the end. I am truly sorry having to leave St Jude’s where I got many a crumb for my poor soul and where I met with my precious Saviour first”. The last years of this God-fearing woman’s life were spent in Inverness where in 1975 she finished her earthly course. Her sister, Annie, survived her by 2 years but she too has passed, we believe, to her eternal rest. Among those who value vital godliness, the memory of this gracious woman still lingers on. “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance” — Psalm 112:6.
A.F.M.