Ontario Community Newspapers

MacAulay, Andrew James, Rev. (Died)

appeared in Canadian Champion (Milton, ON), 13 Oct 1864, p. 4, column 1
Description
Full Text
Obituary.
THE REV. A. J. MACAULAY.
The Rev. Andrew James MacAulay was bown in Ballybrick, Rathfriland, county Down, Ireland, Jan. ll, 1817. His education for the Gospel ministry, excepting one session in Edinburgh, was obtained in Belfast. He was ordained a missionary to British North America, Oct. 12, 1852; and was inducted pastor of the congregation in Nassagaweya, in connexion then with the "Presbyterian Church of Canada," March 15, 1854. Mr. MacAuley married, March 8, 1859, Diana Ann, only surviving daughter of the late Rev. James Strang, first pastor of the Associate Presbyterian Congregation in Galt, Canada West.
His lamented death took place at his late residence in Nassagaweya, at three o'clock P.M., on Sabbath, April 10, 1864.
He leaves his widow with three sons of tender age to mourn their irreparable loss.
An attached, sorrowing congregation mourn for him; many of them will bless his memory, as a faithful and laborious, honest and out-spoken pastor. The Presbyteries to which he had belonged record in their minutes of sympathy with the stricken widow and congregation, the mournful emotions with which a large circle of friends heard of his departure. His sun went down at noon. He came young and strong to Canada, a model of manly health, but thhe anxieties of his charge, and too sedulous student habits, and the great change of climate from that of his fatherland, laid him often low with dyspepsia, whose mastering burdens he bore through the remaining years of his life.
This much clouded the buoyance of of his temper and hopes, and somewhat tinged his experiences and expressions. He was intensely in earnest in every thing he believed or undertook, and he grasped what he held to be right with the grip of an old Reformer. He was too honest and out-spoken to escape opposition. He was too conscientious to covet comfort to himself through policy and caution. He was unsparingly in earnest to advance the good cause of the Gospel, in the advancement of education and temperance around him.
Notwithstanding his long illness which laid him aside from his cherished work, Mr. MacAulay's death, was, at last, sudden and unexpected. He seemed recovering, was able to be about the house, and hope of recovery had filled many a mind, when, on Friday afternoon before his departure, acute inflammation seized him, and about the usual time of closing his Sabbath service, he fell asleep in Jesus.
"Blessed sleep from which none ever wake to weep." We do not need to gather our encouragements from the good words of good cheer in dying, however sweet these may be to the sorrowing survivers of 'good men,' to lead us to have hope in their death, for the past life of faith, and the jewels they got for the Master's crown, are testimonies which praise the grace of God in them.
Though often in a wandering state of mind in his long sickness, his ruling passion was strong even then, for with wonderful force he taught, and warned, and rebuked, and entreated those around him, whom he fancied, to be his congregation, and that they were assembled to hear the word from him.
When visited many weeks before his death by a brother in the ministry, who had known him intimately, as soon as he saw him, while holding out his hand to him, he broke out with,
"I am a dying man; nothing of all that I have done avails for me now; not all my labor for Jesus; there is nothing between me and everlasting perdition but the Lord Jesus Christ." His friend said, 'so he is your Rock, is he bare rock to you? or is he fruitful soil also?" He lowly murmured slowly out, as if gliding into a slumber, 'bare Rock, but safe." May the sown seed of life have fruit manifold in the hearts of the many congregations around, with whom the Lord is seeming to hold a controversy by the removal of the candlestick out of their place; and may those who have pastors make a profiting use of them, lest the Lord leave them to learn their value through losing them. -
RECORD

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Media Type
Genealogical Resource
Newspaper
Item Types
Obituaries
Clippings
Date of Publication
13 Oct 1864
Last Name(s)
MacAulay
Local identifier
Halton.BMD.94028
Language of Item
English
Copyright Statement
Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
Contact
Milton Public Library
Email:local.history@beinspired.ca
Website:
Agency street/mail address:

1010 Main Street East,

Milton, ON L9T 6H7

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