porter of general missionary enterprise, he took a special interest in the New Guinea mission, and maintained intimate intercourse for a number of years with the Rev. Mr Macfarlane of that mission. He resigned the deaconship of the church in 1869, but continued to take an active interest in congregational aifairs, and was a member of the first building committee. With the exception of a short interval he maintained his connection with Knox Church, and was a regular attendant with his family at its public services as long as the state of his health permitted.
The writer of this History spent fully an hour with Mr Gillies on the last evening of his life, when neither of them had any idea that the end was so very near. His conversation was particularly interesting and instructive. He spoke as one who was prepared for death. He said, among other things, that he had in former times been much troubled with doubts and perplexities, but now these had all been removed, and he was able to rest with implicit confidence upon Christ and His salvation as revealed iii the Bible. He spoke with a degree of sadness and pathos of the pitiable condition in which large numbers of the human family were sunk, both in our own colony and in other lands, and gave expression to some thoughts he had been revolving in his own mind as to the agencies by which something might be done for their moral, social, and physical elevation. He also made suggestions regarding some improvements that he considered necessary in the management of our educational institutions. He spent the remainder of the evening with his family, and retired to rest much the same as usual. Next morning he expired without the slightest appearance of a struggle. Like other people, Mr Gillies was not without his failings, but these were very largely redeemed by noble and estimable qualities. Those who knew him best loved and esteemed him most.[1]
- ↑ I received many kindnesses from Mr R. Gillies—among others the following:—On the sixteenth anniversary of his marriage he was deeply impressed with the unbroken peace of his wedded life. He resolved, Mrs Gillies concurring, to ask me to take at their hands £100, to be used for any object I liked, but with a clear indication that they would be gratified if I used it for personal objects. I was specially charged not to give publicity to the matter. I obtained their sanction to devote the handsome gift to benevolent objects, congregational and general.—D.M.S.
