NOTICE of the death of this worthy man appeared in a recent issue of the Free Presbyterian Magazine, and attached to that notice was a promise that an obituary would appear in due course. The following is an attempt at fulfilling that promise.
Neil Nicolson was born in the town of Stornoway in 1868. The parents were Murdo Nicolson and Matilda Macleod. His father was a native of Lewis and a tailor to trade. His mother, according to references made to her by the son, was a God-fearing woman. When their son Neil was nine years of age they moved to Sandwick, a village near Stornoway. Even before Neil attained to that early age, there was an incident in his life which made a lasting impression on his mind, for in it he saw the Divine preservation.
One day when he was playing along the side of the harbour, somehow he fell into the sea. There was no one near at the time, but fortunately for him (and for others also) a man on the other side of the bay saw him falling into the sea, and though the man himself could not reach him in time he gave men on the side Neil was on the alarm, and the boy was rescued in time. It was after he was taken home that he regained consciousness, and the first question he asked was, “Am I drowned?” When relating his experience on that occasion, he would say, “Mysterious preservation” (Gleidheadh Diomhair). Soon after the family moved to Sandwick, Neil had another narrow escape from death. When out in the field, he was chased by a bull and only saved his life by running to a place under a cliff where the bull could neither reach nor see him.
As a young man he joined the Royal Navy, but finding life there everything but congenial, he decided to leave the service as soon as possible. This he did after a very short period, and chose to be a blacksmith to trade. Soon after finishing his trade, he opened a blacksmith’s business in Stornoway. The Holy Spirit had strivings with him when he was quite young, but the passage of scripture that was used in his conversion from the world and sin was Ecclesiastes xii. 1: “Remember thy Creator,” etc. How long he was under conviction of sin before the liberty of the gospel came to him we cannot say, but at the age of twenty years he was a member in full communion.
Shortly after his conversion he was bereaved of a sister, who herself also feared the Lord greatly, but whose misfortune was that she was joined to a husband who could not see eye to eye with her regarding the one thing needful. She continued to pray for him, however, and although she did not live to see her prayers answered, they were answered after her death, for a saving change came over the man before he left this world. The death of the sister, who left a young family behind her, made a very deep impression on the brother. In her he felt bereaved of a sister in a double sense. Shortly after he made a public profession, he had occasion to rebuke a man for using profane language, and the man, instead of taking the rebuke, responded by ridiculing religion to our friend, selecting the resurrection of the dead as proof of the fallacy of religion generally. Somehow Neil Nicolson yielded ground to the enemy in his attack on this particular doctrine of the Christian faith, and he was subjected to the most terrible temptations, that there was no resurrection of the dead and no God. In great bondage he laboured under these temptations for some considerable time, and deeming it deceitful on his part to continue his association with the Lord’s people, he resolved to take a lonely road to the Church instead of the normal route in order to avoid the company of those he loved, for his affection for the Lord’s people continued unabated; neither could he stop attending the public means of grace. One Sabbath morning while in that dejected state of mind on his arrival at the Church, he discovered that the service was to be conducted by a visiting minister. The minister was the saintly Mr. Macbeath, Ness. The preacher gave for his text, “Come, see the place where the Lord lay,” and before proceeding far he said, “You are here, young man, and the black crews of hell are robbing you of the doctrine concerning the existence of God and the resurrection, but my soul for your soul that not a hair of your head will be lost.” With these words, coming from an utter stranger, the bands with which the enemy had bound Neil Nicolson were broken asunder and he was so overcome that in a very short time there was a pool of tears at his feet. The love engendered that day in his soul to Mr. MacBeath continued unabated to the end of his life. Wherever he saw his photograph he would look at it with tears in his eyes and say, “That was a wonderful man.” Whatever temptations he had before or after that, we are safe in saying that the foresaid temptations were the sorest of his life. The enemy pursued him from the beginning of his pilgrimage, but to no purpose, because Neil was too well established now in the first article of pure religion, namely, to believe that there is a God.
Another incident which casts light on the close communion he had with God deserves to be related. On one occasion when he was collecting the sustentation fund in his district, he saw a dog approaching him showing every intention of attacking him. Being immediately seized with a sense of horror that he would be torn to pieces by the dog, he prayed to God for protection, and the words flashed into his soul, “… against Israel shall not a dog move his tongue” (Exod. xi. 7). When the dog was about two yards from him, it was seized by a fit of coughing which rendered it helpless, so Neil Nicolson once more escaped unscathed. There was an old woman in Sandwich in Neil’s young days, and she was notoriously wicked, but in her old age a saving change came over her. Neil, when telling about her, used to compare her to Kate Mhòr, Lochearron, such was her grief for her sins. She had a habit of listening at Neil’s window while he was conducting family worship. When invited to come in to the worship, she declined, maintaining that she was too unworthy of such an honour. At the window she shed many tears.
Neil Nicolson was among the band of godly men and women who formed the Free Presbyterian congregation in Stornoway. Being a wise man he did not take such a step without first counting the cost. For faithfulness to his Church he was second to none. No one could say he was an enthusiast who took pleasure in divisions for their own sakes, but the division of 1893, when the Free Presbyterian Church was formed, he was convinced was necessary to the preservation of the testimony for truth in Scotland. Therefore he withdrew his allegiance from the Free Church because it had betrayed its trust, and pledged it to a Church, though small and despised, yet had the honour of being instrumental in defending the truth in our land. He was an elder for forty-five years, and during these years he discharged the duties of his office honourably. He was deservedly treated with high respect by his brethren in the Session, and the congregation regarded him as a counsellor and prince. His gentle disposition endeared him to all the Lord’s people who knew him. He was for many years a missionary, and supplied as the need arose the different congregations of the Church in Lewis. In the minister’s absence he conducted the services in Stornoway Church, and many of his discourses on his favourite theme, the love of Christ, will always be remembered by those who were privileged to hear him. He read much, but the Bible was the book he read most. We understand that he was in the habit of rising regularly during the night to conduct worship.
In April, 1912, he married an Anabella Macleod, who was like-minded with himself concerning spiritual things. They had three daughters, who are still spared to mourn after them. His wife was an invalid for several years. Years before she took ill Neil saw a dream which led him to conclude that his wife and one of the daughters (who is now an invalid) would have to pass through a severe illness, and he foretold it to his daughter Joey, but at the same time assured her that they would be blessed in their trouble. The death of his wife, who predeceased him by a short time, was a great blow to him and he really never got over it. For eighteen months before the end he was most of the time confined to the house, except that he was able during the summer months to attend the prayer meetings. This itself he could not do, however, were it not that the late John Mackenzie took him there with his car. We desire to pay tribute to the latter for his kindness to Neil and others, including the writer.
Some time before the August communion season, which was the last Neil saw on earth, his daughter wanted him to go to the tailor for a new suit, and after some hesitation he consented to go on the understanding that if it would be ready for the forthcoming communion he would take it, but if not, he would not take it, as he did not expect to see another communion. It turned out that the suit would not be ready at the time required, so he did not give the order, expecting to be clothed with immortality before the February communion, and he was not disappointed. He was able only to attend one service of the August communion, and from that time the earthly tabernacle was rapidly dissolving. He was able to conduct worship until Thursday before the end. On that day he called on Joey about three o’clock in the morning, and he said to her that the evil one was tempting him saying that he was coming for him, “but the rascal,” he said. We believe that our friend in that word expressed his contempt for the devil’s alleged propriety in him. He told the girls to sing the 45th Psalm to the end. In the morning he told them that he was near the end, and asked them to sing the 23rd Psalm. After that he was unable to speak, and passed away to be with the Lord, whom he loved and served most of his life, on Sabbath, 7th January, 1951. By his removal the cause of Christ in the world has been bereaved of a shining light. The loss to the town of Stornoway, and particularly to our congregation there, is great. The loss sustained by his daughters and other relatives is truly heavy. May the Lord Himself be their upmaking portion. We offer our sympathy to them all in their bereavement and pray that they may be enabled to make choice of Christ as he was enabled to do.—D. C.