(Continued from page 30.)
ALEXANDER GAIR—SOME ADDITIONAL NOTES.
On one occasion, he made mention of the “tradition” that by splitting the tongue of certain birds with a silver knife, they were brought to make an imitation of speech, and he remarked that many ministers in their teaching had not other or better qualifications than were taught them by learning and money.
Again, he said: “If you have a child to baptise, your minister is he who will name your child, and if your soul is in a tried condition, your minister is he who will clear up your condition to you.”
He was one day speaking of Elijah when he fled from Jezebel after slaying her false prophets, and when he sat down under the juniper tree in great despondency regarding himself, and said, “Take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers.” Sandy remarked that Elijah might have fallen a step lower in his mind, and added inwardly the thought, “No; nor better than the prophets I slew yesterday.” Sandy no doubt gave this comment from his own experience. After slaying “prophets” or ministers in a way of censure, as he often did, he had his seasons of doubt with respect to his personal standing, and felt himself no better than those he had condemned.
The following note will confirm the truth of the preceding. He was travelling home from Wick one day when he was overtaken by a woman, one whom he thought did not know him. He began to ask her what kind of a man was Sandy Gair, and how did the people like him. The woman answered that she could not say much about him. “Well,” said he, “tired am I of that man. Many a weary day have I with him.”
* These Notes from the start have been chiefly taken from note-books belonging to the late Mr. G. Sutherland, Forse, Caithness. The Editor has written short notices of the worthies named, and added a note here and there from his own information. A good many are (D.V.) yet to follow.—ED.
When he was rising some mornings before all the rest in the house, he was asked why he was rising so early. His answer was, “I have a desire for prayer, and if I drop prayer, I will lose my soul.”
Here is a note that Sandy Gair himself told of a worthy woman, known from the place she dwelt in, as “The wife of Arecraggy.” When he visited her, he would say, “Well, how are you now?” “Oh, very well,” was her reply, “in every part, except in my black, miserable heart that cannot be mended or made better.”
When the eminent Rev. John Sinclair of Bruan (who died in 1843) was licensed for the ministry, both Bruan and Lybster congregations desired to get him. Meeting Sandy Gair one day, Mr. Sinclair asked him which of the two places he thought he should go to. Sandy, in reply, quoted Genesis xix. 17, “Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.” Bruan was on higher ground than Lybster. “Then,” said Mr. Sinclair, “you wish me to go to Bruan.” “Oh, yes,” was the answer, and there he went, his own mind undoubtedly being led by the Most High to this decision.
Sandy Gair had a remarkable command of illustration, and made very apt use of it on many occasions. The following is an example. On one occasion, when he was asked to speak to “the question” on a Communion Friday at Latheron, he rose and said: “There was once a Protestant lady who married a gentleman belonging to the Roman Catholic Church. At the birth of their first child, there arose a contention between them as to who would ‘milk foster’ the child. His mother would not take a Roman Catholic nurse, and the father would not take a Protestant one. But there was an ass on the farm, that had milk, and they agreed that the boy should be fed with the milk of the ass, with the result, as it was affirmed, that something of the stupidity of the ass followed him all his days.” The lesson is apparent, and has various applications as a warning against undesirable unions, and unwholesome instruction in religious and spiritual things. When asked, “Who was the penitent prodigal’s elder brother who refused to come in at the prodigal’s return?” he replied, “A graceless formalist.”
He was speaking of the Israelites in connection with their eating the Passover, where they were commanded that if a lamb were found too much for one house, that house should share it with its nearest neighbour. He went on to speak of Christ the gospel passover, and of mutual feeding upon Him, and said, “You and your nearest neighbour spiritually may be twenty miles distant from one another, and yet you may be able to feed upon the Lamb together.”
Referring to his own personal experience on one occasion, he said that he was afraid that “effectual calling” was not yet made perfect in him, because when he found himself able to do
anything spiritually good, he was not willing, and when he found himself willing, he was not able. Exercised persons will understand this saying.
To a person who was complaining one day of his trials and temptations, Sandy said, “The coat that was made for each man suits that man better than any other.”
Speaking of “the ten virgins” in the parable, he gave the warning: “Be you aware: the foolish virgins were not suspected by the world more than the wise were.”
A good minister was to be removed from the congregation of Berriedale to some other place. Sandy was discoursing at his own meeting as usual, when at the close he uttered the following uncommon prayer: “Now, Lord, thou art taking from us Thy servant, and if it be Thy will, give us a Christian in his place; and if not, give us a devil; and if not, give us a dummy. And the glory shall be Thine for ever. Amen.” The meaning is plain. He desired that if they were not to get a sound Christian minister, they would get one whose wickedness would be so manifest that people would be afraid to follow him, and failing either, “a dummy,” one whose speaking would be so weak as to have no influence for evil.
He was one day travelling on the coach with a minister who, though sound in his general doctrine, was rather “high Church” in his ideas. This was in days before the Disruption of 1843. The coach passed the place of worship at Bruan, and the minister remarked with his usual somewhat pompous tone, “That is the Church of Bruan.” “No,” said Sandy, “that is the kirk of Bruan; the Church is the people of God”—a distinction that should not be forgotten.
On another occasion he was working in his field of potatoes. A passer by addressed him and said, “What wonders to-day, Sandy?” “Many,” he replied, “I put them in broken and I am taking them out whole.” We did not hear what special spiritual application our worthy’s ingenious, heaven-taught mind made of the apparently homely but nevertheless wonderful natural process, but there is one application that might have been before his view; Christ’s body was laid in the grave, bruised and broken, but it rose whole and perfect on the morning of the resurrection.
A woman, who was once in Helmsdale (Chirsty Bannerman) said: “At first, whenever I would hear Sandy Gair speaking or lecturing, I hated him, as he took from me all the fancied goodness I had. But after I was brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, there were very few I could compare with him.”
God’s promises are like the beams of the sun, they shine as freely in at the window of the poor man’s cottage as of the prince’s palace.—Gurnall.