THE subject of this biographical sketch was an evangelist somewhat similar to Brownlow North. He was, and is still, greatly respected as a powerful preacher of the gospel, whose labours were greatly blessed. He being dead yet speaketh. He was born at Luskenytre on the west side of Harris. His forebears were large sheep farmers. I understand that at the time of the Highland Clearances those proprietors of the soil called in the military to eject the peasantry from their small holdings by force. To-day by a strange providence, one hundred years after, the peasants are back on the land that was tilled by their forefathers and of which they were unjustly deprived. Settlements have been made at Luskenytre and are in the process of being made at Borve Farm. I have been told by a lifelong servant of the family that our evangelist was, in boyhood, different from his brothers. He kept the Sabbath, refusing to play with the rest, and was always neat and clean. It is also said that he prayed every morning in a certain dell.
It was, however, in Australia that he underwent a saving change. He was in extreme bondage of soul and was almost bereft of his reason, as several men had to hold him down in bed. When comfort was offered him by his friends, he refused all consolation until he would get Christ. At the time he was mercifully delivered from darkness and misery, the room in which he was had been filled with people. He went on his knees and there God and he met together, and he was so filled with heavenly light and comfort that he was quite oblivious of those in the room. It was often said by him that he would never forget that hill in the wilderness in Australia, on which God met his soul, and that he would like to visit it again. He was not subjected to doubts and fears after that, like ordinary Christians, but confidently affirmed that he had no more doubt that he would be with the Lord than that the sun was shining in the heavens. His faith was very strong like Abraham’s and he had hope for anyone that was out of hell. To illustrate this point I may tell an anecdote that is related about him. A man had stolen a lamb and hid its head under his child in the cradle. The local policeman and shepherd visited the house and found the head of the stolen lamb under the child; while the mother was crooning a lullaby that it was good to be honest. The culprit husband endeavoured to destroy himself, either from fear of punishment or from a guilty conscience. The doctor was summoned and the self-inflicted wounds were healed. A man remarked to Mr. Stewart, that they should have let him go the way he was going before he committed any more crimes. The evangelist turned on him with the question, “Is that what you think? It shows you don’t care much for the Cause of Christ, when you would wish any man to go that way. How do you know but that he is among the elect, and that Christ will accept him even yet?”
While in Australia he lost all he had on two occasions, but the Lord prospered him and took him out of his difficulties. All his sheep, while he was travelling to market, died of drought. The Most High also saved his life from a large snake. He happened to be with a black servant in a boat fishing on a loch, when the venomous reptile appeared. The black man advised him to feign that he was dead and that it would pass by. He looked out of the corner of his eye and saw the snake moving off. It seems he was a remarkable man in more ways than one. He was of a tall, portly build and had a stentorian voice, which could be heard for a mile around while he was preaching.
He made himself a eunuch for the Kingdom of Heaven’s sake, and his great love to Christ. His zeal for perishing men was equally as great and his labours were apostolic in extent. He would help with the hay when his family were short of hands, but he cared very little for the concerns of time, and all his energies were directed to plucking souls as brands from the burning.
He did not receive the privilege of a University training, and was despised by some ministers because he had not been licensed to preach as they had been. He was also depriving them of their flocks, which aroused their jealousy, although at first they were disposed in his favour. The Tarbert minister granted him the use of a schoolhouse, but this was withdrawn later. His congregation were obliged to seat themselves on rocky boulders on the shore at Kyle of Stockernish, while he, like his divine Master, preached from a boat.
Multitudes followed him from widely separated districts by boats, as there were no roads at that time. People came from Strond regularly. He also preached in Skye. There were manifest signs of the work of the Holy Spirit in awakening the careless, many crying out as on the Day of Pentecost in concern for their salvation, and others swooning with weakness and perspiration. Some of those awakened went back to their former practices and belied their profession, but others, a goodly number, remained as witnesses of God’s redeeming grace to the end of their career. A minister once referred to the revivals, of which Mr. Stewart was an honoured instrument, as the work of Satan, as the Erskines called the Cambuslang revival a fearful delusion of the devil. The evangelist got up and said to the minister, that the Communion tables would not be so full but for the revival. There were many young converts both men and women. Their spiritual father used to admonish them not to marry the unconverted, as it was this that had filled the antediluvian world with wickedness (Gen. vi. 2), and led to its destruction by the waters. Noah did as God commanded and it would be well with us if we did likewise.
Eventually a place of worship was built at Kyle of Stockernish, free labour being given by the women who are still with us, in carrying materials as a labour of love, while Mr. Stewart paid towards the cost from his private means. He had no salary from the Church, but was a man of independent means. He had been left £3,000 by an uncle who had a sheep farm in Park, Lewis. In 1893 the Declaratory Act Church tried to deprive Free Presbyterians of this place of worship, but failed to do so, as Mr. Stewart had built it for the people, not for the Church. Services were kept by him every night for the servants, to which one of the family objected strongly, making the remark that, “By M— it is no wonder my servants are lazy in the morning.” One part of his relations were Protestants, the others were Roman Catholics. Psalm exx was his solace. To show the power of prayer he said he prayed for his mother, and had the satisfaction that she communicated six times in Fort William before she died. One relation, a Roman Catholic, burnt the Bible, and said she would prefer the mountains of Harris to fall on her and to be turned into ashes to denying her faith. Whether she was converted I am not sure.
The worthy subject of this memoir, exhorting one of his servants, said, “Donald, you seek the Lord and He will take two steps for every one that you take towards Him.” He used to say to another friend, “How is the spiritual war going on for you in this world?” Although he had such a high standing socially and was a man of wealth, he didn’t disdain to visit the humblest cabin and go on his knees to pray for the inhabitants, as he had the eternal welfare of all men at heart, as well as their temporal prosperity. He evidenced the latter by leaving a considerable sum to be disbursed to those whom the Session thought were in necessitous circumstances in the congregation. The Free Church was the main body in Harris. There were few Moderates. Mr. Stewart had no dealings with Moderates or Roman Catholics. They were anathema to him. A priest visited Ense and he avoided that agent of Satan by walking in a different direction.
His life was an example of primitive, apostolic Christianity, which is of divine origin, unlike the types of religion that are so prevalent to-day. In no company would he deny his master. He would prefer, he said, to give his body to be torn in pieces.
One favourite topic of discourse that he had was the 116th Psalm, “I love the Lord because my voice and prayers he did hear. I while I live will call on him who bowed to me His ear.” He used to say, “There are not many who can say this to-day.” Then he would exclaim, “Are you preaching for your soul or for your livelihood?” In defence of the revivals he used the argument that if some backslid again and again, something had made them move, whereas, others have never moved one step, although God had been feeding them and showering on them His goodness. If ships turned back sometimes to port, still they were better than those which had never put out to sea, although paid by the owner for doing so. Men weren’t using the divinely appointed means as they should to save their souls. “You that take your master’s pay won’t move with laziness or attempt to move.” These were some of his blasts against the fortifications of carnal reasoning, and carnal self-sufficiency. He compared his unconverted hearers to a boulder rolling down the mountain-side to the place of woe. The zeal of God’s house had eaten him up assuredly.
He had his critics and persecutors, as everyone will have who lives godly in Christ Jesus. Men said he always had the same story. They wanted to hear something “fresh” and “interesting.” His sermon on avoiding the beautiful daughters of men was classed as unedifying. He was looked on as peculiar for watching sternly and rebuking the conduct of young couples in Church. He felt that God had more work in store for him than looking after sheep, of which he had many on a large farm. He had a clear call to declare God’s Word, and his work was abundantly blessed. One of his sayings was that the Christian would need to have his armour buckled on. “The words of the wise are as goads.” Another saying was that men would excuse themselves by saying that they were unable, but inability would be no excuse at the great Day of Judgment. He was often in MacColl’s Church in the summer when the minister was away at Communions. At the time of General Gordon’s death he referred to the Egyptian servant of Chinese Gordon, in whom he had full confidence, and who betrayed him. He would exclaim, “See that you will not have an Egyptian in your soul.”
He used to visit Pabbay often as it belonged to the family, together with Ense and Luskentyre. He remarked once on the beauty of the island and said there was many a hill and dale there convenient for praying purposes. In his prayer he would use petitions like, “O, Lord bless them in Strond. Bless them in Tiree, where there is a revival at present. Bless them in Bernera, bless them in Stockernish.” He said his own people of Harris were the ones he would like to be saved best in all the world. There are many still living, who have fond memories of him and his fiery preaching, including some of his converts. “Who flaming fire His ministers, His angels spirits doth make.” “The righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.” His remains lie in Ense till the blast of the last trumpet. They shall not awake nor arise out of their sleep till the heavens be no more. The family burial place is at Lusken tyre. He did not wish to be buried there. He wanted a sister whom he dearly loved to be buried with him in his own burial place at Ense, but this was prevented in the providence of God. “The small and great are there and the servant is free from his master” (Job. iii. 13-19).—D. J. Macaskill.