A PIOUS young man, who was desirous of devoting himself to the work of the ministry among the heathen, and had been recommended with that view to the Committee of the London Missionary Society, on undergoing the usual exami- nation, stated that he had one difficulty: he had an aged mother entirely dependent upon an elder brother and himself for maintenance ; and, in case of that bro- ther's death, he should wish to be at liberty to return to this country, if his mother were still living, to contribute to her support. Scarcely had he made this ingenuous statement, when a harsh voice exclaimed, " If you love your mother more than the Lord Jesus Christ, you will not do for us." Abashed and con- founded, the young man was silent. Some murmurs escaped the committee ; and he was directed to retire while his proposal was taken into consideration. On his being again sent for, the venera- ble chairman, (Dr. Waugh,) in tones of unaffected kindness, and with a patri- archal benignity of mien, acquainted him that the committee did not feel them- selves authorized to accept of his ser- vices on a condition involving uncertainty as to the term; but immediately added, " We think none the worse of you, my good lad, for your dutiful regard to your aged parent. You are but acting in con- formity to the example of Him whose gospel you wish to proclaim among the heathen ; who, as he hung upon the cross in dying agonies, beholding his mother and the beloved disciple standing by, said to the one, ' Woman, behold thy son ;' and to John, ' Behold thy mother.' My good lad, we think none the worse of you."
Muckle Kate Not a very ordinary name! But then, Muckle Kate, or Big Kate, or Kate-Mhor, or Kate of Lochcarron was not a very ordinary woman! The actual day of her salvation is difficult to trace to its sunrising, but being such a glorious day as it was, we simply wish to relate something of what shone forth in the redeemed life of that "ill-looking woman without any beauty in the sight of God or man." Muckle Kate was born and lived in Lochcarron in the county of Ross-shire. By the time she had lived her life to its eighty-fifth year she had well-earned the reputation of having committed every known sin against the Law of God with the exception murder. Speaking after the manner of men, if it took "Grace Abounding" to save a hardened sinner like John Bunyan, it was going to take "Grace Much More Abounding" to save Muckle Kate. However, Grace is Sovereign and cannot be thwarted when God sends it on the errand of salvation, and even the method used in bri...
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