JOHN MACKAY was born at Tormsdale in the parish of Halkirk, Caithness. His parents removed to the village of Halkirk when he was a boy. They were both pious, and consequently John would have had both sound religious training and a good example set before him in his early years. But we read that piety comes “not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” This was quite evident in John Mackay during his early years. On one occasion as he was herding cows his sinful language caused a friend who heard him to administer a faithful rebuke. This remonstrance had a restraining effect on him ever after. There are many instances on record of such rebukes having had beneficial effects on the young, so this should encourage men or women to administer admonitions to the young as to sinful expressions or conduct.
Before John reached the age of twenty a real change became manifest in his conduct. How this happened we are not in a position to relate; it is enough to say that the result in his life thereafter gave ample proof of it. The Bible became then his daily companion, and such was his thirst for the Word that he could be seen reading it even on his way to his work. He was truly searching the Scriptures, realising that in them eternal life is held forth to perishing sinners. His knowledge of the Scriptures consequently became extensive and accurate, so that in his ordinary conversation he made apt use of them as circumstances required.
He broke away from his former ungodly associates, and sought the fellowship of the Lord’s people, of whom there were a goodly number in Halkirk in those days. His seat in God’s house was never empty now as far as it was possible for him to attend. This is invariably the case with every truly converted sinner. In his first love “the Sabbath becomes a delight; the holy of the Lord honourable,” and that love encompasses all the Lord’s people, the preaching of His word by His faithful ministers, and the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ in all the different nations of the world, especially in the nation to which this person may belong. Godliness, like charity, always begins at home. He was at this period of his life frequently under the preaching of the late Dr Taylor, Thurso, and was received into church membership in Halkirk by the late Rev. H. Fraser, then Free Church minister there.
In the year 1893, when it became evident that such as would continue their adherence to the Free Church under the new creed and constitution called the Declaratory Act would have to abandon not only the creed and constitution of the Church of the Reformation in Scotland, but the inspiration, infallibility, and absolute inerrancy of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as well as the original position of the Free Church of 1843, a minority refused to accept of these heretical and rationalistic changes, and separated from the party who introduced them in order to maintain the continuity of the Free Church. This was to John, and to many others north and south, a real deliverance from church fellowship with that rationalistic party, and from all the innovations they introduced into the Church. The experience related in the psalm was expressly felt again at that time on a small scale: “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing.” This was specially the case at the several Communion seasons, and nowhere was it more so than in Caithness. Some became lukewarm afterwards, as might be expected, and turned back to Egypt again; but many continued true to the end of their days and many are steadfast still.
Some years after the separation John was elected and ordained an elder in our congregation at Halkirk, of which he had been a member from the beginning. There were several eminent men in the Halkirk Kirk-Session then who have gone to their everlasting rest since. John visited the late worthy Mr George Sinclair when he was on his death-bed, who said to him: “John, tell everyone that has a soul that there is a Christ.” This was his parting words to John, which were a prediction of John’s future labours as a Missionary of our Church. He was at a later date appointed Missionary at Helmsdale, and afterwards transferred to Tain. He did not remain very long in the north when he came to act as Missionary under the Southern Presbytery. He and the Rev. J. S. Sinclair were intimate friends in the north, which friendship continued to the end. He was deeply affected by the removal of Mr Sinclair to his everlasting rest, as were many others in the Free Presbyterian Church.
During the many years he acted as Missionary under the Southern Presbytery he was employed in many of our preaching stations and congregations. He was twice employed in our London Mission, where his ability as a lay preacher was considered very satisfactory. During a vacancy in the Kames congregation he supplied frequently with much acceptance. He acted for most of the time he was in the south as a week-end supply in different stations. His home was in Greenock. He was married to a daughter of the late Mr Archibald Brown, who was a worthy member of our congregation there, and who continued a steadfast and faithful adherent and supporter of our Church to the end. He passed away to his rest several years ago. To the widow we offer our own sympathy and also the sympathy of all who knew them.
John was in the habit of paying an annual visit to Caithness every summer since he came south. His godly mother died in a good old age in 1914; his father died thirty years earlier. But he continued to go to visit his two sisters who were alive. The last time he went was to attend the funeral of his sister, Betsy, who was a member of the Halkirk congregation. Not long after her death his other sister, Mrs Murray, came south. The last time John went out to preach beyond Greenock was to Oban, where he brought Mrs Murray, who is seriously ill there.
During the last two years of John’s life it became evident that he was suffering from a serious illness of the stomach. He was examined in the Glasgow Western Infirmary, where it was ascertained that there was a tumour in his stomach, and that an operation was not desirable. He bore up under his trouble with real Christian patience and resignation, and having all possible attention and care taken for his comfort by his devoted wife up to the last.
The writer called to see him the evening before he passed away to his everlasting rest. At first he did not know him, but when he understood who he was he asked that he should come back to his bedside. When we asked him was he comfortable in his mind, he said he had peace through the blood of Christ. Before the writer left he said to him: “It is written, ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.'” He said three times: “Oh, how precious!” We parted to meet no more till the heavens pass away.
The writer desires to offer again his deepest sympathy to the widow, to his afflicted sister, and to all who mourn our loss, which was his everlasting gain.—N. C.