BY THE LATE REV. ROBERT MACDOUGALL, RESOLIS.
(Concluded from page 382.)
IN many modern sermons there is no adequate expression of the evil of sin, and no suitable acknowledgment of the believer’s indebtedness to free sovereign grace. The old Highland divines resembled the English Puritans in their increasing acquaintance with the plague of their own hearts. They would readily echo the words of the prince of American theologians, Jonathan Edwards:—”I have had a vastly greater sense of my own wickedness and the badness of my heart, since my conversion, than ever I had before. It has often appeared to me that if God should mark iniquity against me I should appear the very worst of all mankind; of all that have been since the beginning of the world to this time, and that I should have by far the lowest place in hell.” From such exercises of soul arose the ever-deepening humility of Mr. M’Phail. As he lay in weakness and suffering upon his death-bed, he dreamed that he stood lonely and miserable outside the New Jerusalem, gazing wistfully at the closed gateway. Suddenly a cloud of witnesses appeared, among whom he recognized Noah, Abraham, and the patriarchs. For them the shining gate opened widely, and they had an abundant entrance into the joy of their Lord. Forthwith the gate is closed, and he is left out, forlorn and wretched. Then he hears another procession. There they are before him, Moses, Samuel, David, and the prophets. For them the gate swings open—amid rapturous melody they enter their Father’s house. Again the gate is closed, to open presently for the apostles and early Christians, and at their welcome the bells of the city ring for joy. But still the despairing dreamer is left without. Next pass on triumphantly the Reformation heroes, martyrs, and confessors, but he shares not in their triumph. A fifth company presses forward. He sees friends and acquaintances who slept in Jesus. But though they seem to touch him with their shining garments as they pass, he cannot venture to join them. The gate again is shut, leaving the trembling gazer sinking into utter despair. But hark, the footsteps of a solitary pilgrim behind him! He looks up. It is Manasseh. Hope revives. He has barely strength enough to creep behind him. He knows that the gate has again opened, and as the glory of heaven flashes in his face, and he hears the gate closing behind him, he awakes to find it a dream. It is the life-long sense of his utter unworthiness asserting itself strongly in this vision of the night. A like humility clothed the late eminent Dr. Ronald Bayne, of Kiltarlity, near Inverness, whose successful ministry closed on 31st January, 1821. “In his
latter days,” writes Dr. Kennedy, “Dr. Bayne was in the habit of speaking his thoughts, so that one who was unawares beside him, heard what was intended for no ears but his own. Standing at the window of his room one day, and thinking he was quite alone, one who happened to be present heard him repeating the words, ‘This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.’ After a pause he said, ‘Paul, what do you mean by saying you are the chief of sinners? Do you mean that you are of all sinners, in all ages, chief? If so, I cannot agree with you, for Ronald Bayne is a greater sinner than you were. But, do you mean that you are chief of all the sinners who shall be saved? If so, then there is no hope for Ronald Bayne, for he is a greater sinner still. But if you mean, as I think you do, that each saved sinner regards himself as chief, then there is hope for Ronald Bayne, and you and he can both agree.”
During the earlier part of January, 1774, Mr. M’Phail continued in extreme weakness of body, but strong in the faith giving glory to God. On the 23rd day of that month he entered into the joy of his Lord. Devout men carried his remains to the churchyard of Cullicudden in the upper end of Resolis, “and made great lamentation over him.” It was felt all over the North of Scotland that a prince and a great man had fallen in Israel. On the free-stone flag that covers his grave there is still legible the inscription: “Here lies the body of the holy man of God, and faithful servant of Jesus Christ, Mr. Hector M’Phail, minister of the Gospel in this parish, who died 23rd January, 1774, aged 58 years.”
Reference has been made in a former paper to Mr. James Calder, so often and so honourably associated with Mr. M’Phail. Mr. Calder was the grandson of Mrs. Lilias Campbell, an eminent lady of the Covenant, who with her husband suffered sore persecution for the cause of Christ. His father, John Calder of Cawdor, was eminently blessed in his brief ministry in the beginning of last century. James was every way worthy of his distinguished ancestors. In early life he became the subject of a remarkable work of divine grace. A very notable revival of religion took place during his earnest ministry at Croy, and his Diary, published from the original M.S. in 1875, gives evidence of the deepest and richest Christian experience, humility, prayerfulness, and unwearied devotion to the cause of Christ. In the said Diary there are frequent references to the high esteem in which he held Mr. M’Phail, who was in the habit of assisting him at Communion seasons at Croy, and of receiving similar help at Resolis in return. Thus on Saturday, 6th July, 1765, there is the entry: “This being the (Communion) preparation day, worthy Mr. M’Phail preached a most suitable seasonable sermon on John iii. 16, ‘God so loved the world.’ The Lord helped Him greatly. It fell to poor me to preach immediately after Him; but I had so little to say after the great things that were declared, that I was really ashamed to step
up to His place; and yet the Lord was pleased to give some countenance to the most unworthy of all His servants and afforded some new things that I know were from Himself, and such things have been blessed by Him.”
Assisting at the Communion in Resolis, Calder records of the Monday or Thanksgiving Service, “Mr. M’Phail preached one of the best sermons my ears ever heard from Titus ii. 13, ‘Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearance,’ etc. Thus the solemn work was brought to a happy and comfortable conclusion, through the good hand of the Lord on us and with us.”
“7th January, 1774.—Heard to-day with sorrow that my very dear and worthy brother Mr. Hector M’Phail was extremely low and weak in body, and not likely to live any time. Happy, inconceivable happy, will that change be to him, whatever time it comes. But oh! what a loss to his flock, his family, the Church, and to me! Help, Lord, for Jesus’ sake! Amen.”
“Sabbath evening, 23rd (Jan.)—When I began family worship this forenoon, with singing at the beginning of Psalm ciii., in our ordinary course, I was very much impressed with it that my dear and heavenly brother Mr. M’Phail had begun his everlasting song with Christ in Paradise. The impression became stronger in time of prayer, and upon retiring after worship I could not help breaking out into a flood of tears, and sighs, and plaints, and sorrows, for my sweetest, dearest, and most precious friend; not for himself, but for my own great and in appearance irreparable loss, and for the loss of his family, flock, and the Church of Christ; yet could not conclude absolutely that he was gone.”
“Tuesday, 25th.—Received the mournful news of what was so strongly impressed on my anxious mind Sabbath morning, viz., the much to be lamented death of the most eminently pious, zealous, active, laborious minister of Christ I ever saw, and the most lovely image of his adorable Lord and Master that ever I was acquainted with. Alas! a brave standard-bearer, a great prince is fallen in Israel, a blank, a breach made on this declining Church, and in this poor corner in particular; the sorest, the most affecting I ever saw of the kind. ‘Help, Lord! for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.’ Lord, sanctify this mournful breach to his family and flock, to me, to mine, to all; and Lord, repair it in due time of Thy rich grace and infinite mercy. Amen. . . . O that the Lord would give me power and ability, as indeed He has given me will and inclination, to be a father to the children of the best of brothers, the best of friends, the best of men! He was exceeding high in the sphere of grace below, and now he is exceeding high in the regions of glory. He will have many a jewel to adorn his pastoral crown, and to rejoice his honest heart.”
In less than two years Mr. James Calder followed his like-minded brother to the Saints’ rest, joining sweetly a little before his
departure in singing the 138th Psalm. His last words were, “He’s coming, He’s coming;” and when one asked, “Who is coming?” he answered—”Precious Christ.”
In full confirmation of Mr. Calder’s high estimate of Mr. M’Phail’s apostolic character is the valuable contemporary testimony of Mr. Lachlan M’Lauchlan, teacher and catechist at Lochness-side. M’Lauchlan was born in 1729, was in early life brought to a saving knowledge of Christ, and was widely known as an eminent instructor of high mental endowments and great Christian experience. For Mr. M’Phail, whom he frequently heard, he entertained profound veneration, and at his lamented death poured out the pent-up grief of his bereaved heart in a Gaelic Elegy of 228 lines. The poem begins with the utterance of the deep and wide-spread sorrow that pervaded the Church in the North. It then gives a high-toned eulogy on Mr. M’Phail’s Christian and ministerial nobility of character. It tells of the fiery furnace of soul-anguish in which the evangelist was prepared to be the means of comforting the broken-hearted, and dealing with distressed consciences. It declares that the brightest light of the North will no more shine in their Communion gatherings, and asks if one knew any other minister whose labours were so abundantly blessed? “Of unsurpassed pulpit power, he was instant in season, out of season, seeking to benefit every soul that came within his reach. Distinguished by uncommon faithfulness in every department of his office, he was valiant for truth in Presbytery, Synod, and General Assembly. How bright his crown!”
Mr. M’Phail was twice married. His first wife—the pious Elizabeth Balfour—died soon after the birth of her only child, Isabel, in 1757. In October, 1759, he married Anne Cuthbert, by whom he had four sons and three daughters, Jean, Paul, Magdalene, George, James, Elizabeth, William. James, born in 1766, became minister of the parish of Daviot, near Inverness, where he died 1st July, 1839. The youngest child, William, was under three years at his father’s death. He became assistant to the eminent Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, and was a preacher of distinguished ability. In November, 1802, he received a unanimous call from the large and influential Scotch Church of Rotterdam, where he long ministered with great acceptance, and refused repeated urgent invitations to become minister of the Scotch Church in Amsterdam. On Wednesday, 20th July, 1814, the day of Thanksgiving for peace, Mr. William M’Phail preached an excellent sermon on 1 Samuel xii. 24, which was afterwards published, and thus criticised by the famous Robert Hall: “It is an able, judicious performance, in some parts eloquent. It evinces a forcible mind.”
It may be mentioned that Mr. Hector M’Phail never published anything, and no letter of his is known to exist. The popular narrative tracts, The Highland Kitchenmaid, and Luke Heywood, written by Mr. T. M. Fraser of Yester, appeared first in the Christian Treasury for 1848.