JOHN CAMERON was born about the year 1845 at Monar, on the borders of Inverness and Ross-shire. While John was still a boy his father left that place, and took some land near Beauly. His mother was well known as a pious woman, and notwithstanding the change of place she continued for many years to be called “the woman of Monar.” She attended many of the communions in the surrounding parishes, and being a woman possessed of good gifts, mentally and religiously, and of an imposing appearance, she became well known to the other godly men and women in all the surrounding districts. John was her second eldest son. It does not require any proof to show that she would have done her utmost to teach her family their ruined state by nature, and the only way of salvation for the lost, viz., faith in Christ and Him crucified. But, like a few others, who had a godly upbringing, John continued self-righteous as a lad, and even as a young man, until the Lord’s time came.
While he was yet in his early teens he went to serve as a page boy with a certain gentleman, who later on made him his butler. In this capacity he served in families of the highest rank, both in Scotland and in England. His tall and handsome appearance—he was over six feet, and erect as a reed—and affable manner made him a great favourite with all his employers and their friends.
He had occasional strivings in his conscience since he was a boy—the Holy Spirit giving him many warnings and pricks of conscience—which made him, for the time being, very diligent in prayers and other religious duties in an effort to work out a righteousness which would satisfy his conscience. On one of these occasions he never gave up prayer for three years. These good impressions and many good resolutions vanished “like the morning cloud and like the early dew that goeth away,” and John became careless again. He told the writer once that, notwithstanding the great temptations to which he had been exposed at these times, the Lord kept him from immorality and drunkenness and many other sins to which he was often tempted. He adored the Holy Spirit’s restraining grace in his having been so preserved, and said: “No thanks to corrupt and sinful John Cameron for that.”
He was in his thirtieth year when the Holy Ghost convinced him of sin and righteousness and judgment. He was at service in London at the time. His sins now became a heavy burden that sank him into an horrible pit and miry clay. The light of the holy law of God, which he had transgressed every moment of his past life, and the awful wrath and curse of that law, made him feel the terrors of the Lord in his wounded conscience like hell fire. These terrors continued for some two or three years. At last he was almost giving up every hope that he would ever taste of the mercy of God through the blood of Jesus Christ. There were several godly ministers in London at that time, who preached the gospel in its purity, and the master whom he then served was a pious man who kept worship regularly in his house, and gathered in his servants to family worship morning and evening. It is to be feared that such masters are not often to be met with in our day. Alas! the loss to both masters and servants is incomprehensibly great.
While John was in distress of soul he went on a Lord’s day to hear a certain minister, whose name the writer does not remember, and his master went also. After the master came home, knowing John’s mental trials, he said to him: “Yon sermon was all for you, John,” but that sermon was not yet God’s message of mercy to John. He came to Scotland several times while in that distress, and heard Dr. Kennedy, Dingwall, and other true servants of Christ, but his bands were not loosed. At last the time to favour him came. We give his own narrative of the fact: —“I went one day into Hyde Park, London, feeling inwardly like a rebel of hell, and fearing that at any moment I might be cast into that woeful place; but I had not been very long in the park when the Lord revealed Himself to my soul in a most wonderful way, delivering me from all my fears. I saw hell dried up for me by the suffering of Christ, black and all as I was, and that I would never sink into it, because Christ paid all that law and justice demanded of such a hell-deserving, sinful wretch as I was.” John came out of Hyde Park a new creation in Christ that day. He went there in great misery, and left it rejoicing in God’s salvation. He said that he now saw a beauty on the face of the material creation which he never saw before, and could join the Prophet in his song: “Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains, for the Lord hath comforted His people and will have mercy upon His afflicted.” He told the writer the portion of God’s word that gave him this wonderful relief, but it has escaped our memory, and others to whom John told it cannot recall it. From that day John’s path was like that of the shining light that shineth more and more into the perfect day.
Shortly after this his health became seriously impaired, and he gave up his situation and came home. He was not long in Scotland when he became known to the godly men and ministers, who began to ask him to speak to the question on the “Men’s” day. A person, now dead, who was present the first time that he spoke to the question, said that when he rose, on account of the expression on his countenance and the warmth with which he spoke, he made a great impression on the people, and that after the meeting many were asking who was the tall, black-haired young stranger who spoke so beautifully? They were answered that he was the son of the “Woman from Monar.” That was all they could say of him that day; but John soon became well known, and his gifts and graces won for him a high place among the “Men.” He became so well known and so highly appreciated as a public speaker that he was appointed a missionary at Strathpeffer by the Free Church as successor to that eminent man of God, Mr. Gilmour, the fragrance of whose memory remains still fresh to all who knew him. The Rev. Mr. Macdougall was then the minister of the Free Church at Fodderty, who showed John much kindness, which he never forgot. John used to speak of him as “the dear, godly man.” Mr. Macdougall was one of the faithful preachers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, as his published discourses reveal. Dr. Kennedy and he were bosom friends to the last. John referred often to these days in which he felt very happy in the fellowship of the godly men and women who, in those days, resorted to the Strathpeffer wells. But alas! the scene has changed there now; for instead of prayer meetings among the visitors Satan has turned it to a “Vanity Fair.”
But the evil time came on the once pure Free Church, in which God’s infallible truth became impugned by some of her professors and ministers, who were not only allowed within her pale to carry on their destructive work, but were even supported by her General Assembly. At last it became a conscientious duty to raise up the standard of truth which had fallen. So two ministers, a few students, many godly elders, and a large number of members and adherents refused to follow men any longer who had publicly departed from God’s Word and the Westminster Confession of Faith, and consequently a stand was made in 1893. John was one of the first who rallied to the standard. He continued steadfastly in his adherence to the position taken up then till the day of his death. Errors in doctrine or practice were fearlessly exposed and rebuked by him wherever or whenever he heard or saw such. This aroused old Adam in some, and many were glad the day he left the Free Church, that then was, and joined the Free Presbyterian Church.
He may have on several occasions spoken at fellowship meetings words which offended godly men and women, but that, the writer believes, arose not from a desire to give offence, but on account of a real desire to hold purity and decorum in the Church in every thing pertaining to doctrine and practice. That he was too sharp sometimes must be admitted, but his aim was always purity and peace. It flowed from zeal, like Peter’s, not always guided by knowledge and discretion. But all this sharpness disappeared before the end, and during the last three years of his life, at least, he became as meek as a lamb.
John Cameron was possessed of a good intellect and discernment. There is hardly any branch of literature or science on which he was not able to converse to edification, but his knowledge of the Bible was both comprehensive and accurate. His mind was saturated with its doctrines and principles. Experimentally, he knew the awful, condemning power of the holy law of God set forth therein, and also the exceeding preciousness and saving power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In its green pastures he fed daily by faith, and trusted his all for time and eternity upon the sure word of the promises.
He had read very widely the best works of divines, both Scottish and English, and being possessed of a very good, retentive, and accurate memory, he could repeat their statements of doctrines and principles with striking correctness. To spend some time with him in private was both refreshing and entertaining. He would start some point of doctrine, and rehearse what so and so of the old divines taught about it, and desired then of his companion to let him know his opinion. If his own opinion should be asked first he would give it frankly, and should the other’s not agree with his he would ask for a truth to corroborate the different view taken. He never opposed, so far as the writer knew him, the clear declaration of the Word of God, but always thanked one for informing his mind on the light of truth.
The love and fellowship existing between him and Duncan and David Fraser were warm and enduring. This was to a certain extent true as regards others of the Lord’s people; but the writer spent many happy and profitable nights with these three, and realised the perfect concord that existed between them. The first time the writer met him after Duncan Fraser had gone to his everlasting rest he said: “Since our very dear friend, Duncan Fraser, has gone, I have often thought of the example set by Job’s friends, when they saw his suffering and misery, they sat in silence with him during seven days. I am afraid that sympathetic and tender spirit is rarely met with nowadays.” He felt very lonely in the world after dear Duncan Fraser was taken away, for he realised that a prince truly had fallen in Israel that day.
John was a fearless rebuker of sin, and many a transgressor was faithfully warned. He was at a certain place at a communion season, and after he came out of the church on the Sabbath he met a servant girl going to post a letter. He said to her: “I am very sorry that you are transgressing God’s commandment, which will assuredly bring a terrible retribution upon you if you repent not of it and forsake it, and nothing would make me warn you of this but love to your soul, the glory of God, and that I would not let Satan have one soul destroyed if I could avert it.” What effect this faithful and tender warning had, the great day will reveal. In the several places at which he was employed as one of our missionaries he was much loved by some on account of his teaching, and especially his faithfulness; while others disliked him for the sharpness of his expressions in rebuking sin.
At the Dingwall communion in February, 1920, he said to the writer when they parted on the public street: “I am of the opinion, my dear friend, that this will be the last time we will meet in this world, for I am having many warnings that my time here is drawing to an end. May the Lord be with you to uphold you and to enable you to be faithful unto the end.” It was the last time we met. To another friend he said: “I hope and pray that I shall not be left long in my last sickness to be a burden to others, but that the Lord will call me away in a short time.” This hope was realised to perfection.
He was always in the habit of coming from Tomatin to the communions at Inverness, which are held in January and June. In 1920 he came us usual to Inverness communion in June. It was noticeable that he was very happy and full of good cheer during the five days of the communion season. He stayed with his friend, Mr. James Campbell, for several days after, and was in a heavenly frame of mind. Every discerning person could observe that John was becoming ripe for his everlasting home, but none seemed to have thought that the end was so near. A friend went with him to visit some who were sick. After leaving one of these he said to his friend: “I enjoyed much of the Lord’s presence there.” The communion was to be held at Beauly the Sabbath immediately following Inverness solemnities, and John’s mind was not fully made up as to whether he should go or not. On Wednesday afternoon, after speaking for a good while to a friend about the person of Christ and His office as an Advocate with the Father, and how this office was set forth both in the Old and New Testaments, to the great comfort of his friend, he went up to his bedroom. When he came down he said: “I think I will go to Beauly, for I think I have a promise that I will get back safely.” He did get back safely. He attended all the services at Beauly on Thursday, but on Friday morning a severe pain struck him in the region of the heart. He desired to be conveyed to the railway station so that he might get back to Inverness. This was done, and he got back to James Campbell’s house. After resting a little while he felt better, would not allow a doctor to be called, and was quite cheerful and happy. He retired early to rest, had a quiet night, and when his host looked into his room in the morning he was sleeping quietly. Half an hour later, however, the hostess heard a noise in his room, and hastening there she found John lying on the floor, at the bedside, groaning and almost lifeless. She called for help, but before she got his head lifted up he gave one groan and was gone. The doctor was at his bedside in four minutes’ time, and pronounced life extinct, and said it was heart failure of a very sudden kind—indeed, like a shot from a gun. “Be ye therefore also ready; for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not!”
John Cameron got what he hoped and prayed for, viz., that he should not be kept long on his bed of sickness at the end, but that he should be taken away without being troublesome to any. We have no doubt but the Lord did order the place of his departure exactly in accordance with John’s desire, for we are sure that he ended his earthly pilgrimage with the very friends with whom he would like to do so.
John Cameron held a unique place among the godly men of the Free Presbyterian Church, and his removal has left a vacant place which has not yet been filled. His presence at communion seasons has been much missed, but nowhere more than at Tomatin, where he laboured so long. He is now, we firmly believe, where love and joy reign undisturbed, and where the Lamb leads His people to fountains of the waters of the consolations that are at God’s right hand. “The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”
N. C.