John Maclaine was born at Kinloch, Mull, but came to Oban in early youth. He became a member of Oban Free High Church when he was quite young and during his life he maintained a Christian walk and stood faithfully to the position he took up in 1893. He was of a very reticent nature but when in private with him one soon discovered that he had been a diligent reader of the writings of men which gave nourishment to Christians in days gone by who fed upon them. For many years he carried on a stationery business in Portree and on his retirial he took up house at Connel, near Oban. Latterly he removed to Oban and was elected an Elder in our congregation there. It was with great reluctance he was persuaded to accept the office but on doing so he proved himself to be helpful to his minister and the congregation in many ways. Up to the time of his death he acted as the congregational treasurer.
As to his spiritual experience we are not in a position to say how he came under the truth or what was the instrument that was used by the Lord in effecting the great change which clearly took place as evidenced by his life up to his death, but a letter has come into our possession written to one in soul concern in which he gives an account of his own experience. We here reproduce the part of the letter bearing on his own case and the advice he conveyed to the one in trouble:—“Some years ago I was in deep agony about my soul and I went from church to church and from meeting to meeting to see if I could find rest—but no—I could not; and I remained in this state for a considerable time. The reason why I was not finding rest was that I thought it was to be found by my own exertions until I was led to see that it was alone to be found in Christ. He did the great and glorious work of redemption already and it is in Him we are accepted and for His sake. Before the time of which I mention and a while afterwards I had a great difficulty in giving up my own self-righteousness, and I think that this is the cause of the difficulty of many in the same condition. I may tell you that soon after this I experienced a time of joy that I shall not forget as long as I live. In fact, I was almost carried to the third heaven with delight in my soul and then I experienced a new life altogether and I saw, as it were, with new eyes, and everything seemed to me as new. Surely all this is what is meant by the Scripture text that says:—‘If any man be in Christ Jesus, he is a new creature.’ I may tell you that I was much surprised when I would see men passing and repassing and yet they seemed to have no anxiety about eternal things, but I can understand the reason now. It is just that they were walking in darkness and that they did not see things in the same light as I did. Christ was not then to me ‘A Root out of a dry ground,’ but became a reality. . . Secret prayer was a great delight to me then. I also got a relish for divine things and the Word became my delight.
So far I have told you some of my experiences, but I don’t want you to make them a criterion for your own guidance. God has so many different ways of bringing anxious enquirers to the light and some are deluded by thinking that because they are not brought to the light in exactly the same way as some other person, that, therefore, they are still in the dark. I could not direct you to a safer guide than His own Word and there you have the promises that are able to guide you to salvation. Ask the guidance of the Holy Spirit that He may take the things of Christ and shew them to you.
Perhaps what I have said does not bear on your case at all, and if anything I have said does not apply to your case, you will kindly dismiss it from your mind and stick close to the inspired Word. I may tell you that I lost my relish for worldly things and you will likely do the same. We have a scriptural authority for this—that whosoever drinketh of this water shall not thirst again, that is, they will not thirst for earthly things as they did formerly. I may tell you also that before the period referred to I had a good moral character and this is in itself a good thing, but Satan, the enemy of souls, used it as an instrument whereby it kept me from accepting Christ by making me believe that I would reach heaven by my own righteousness but you know that in His sight no flesh shall be justified—that is justified out of Christ. My dear—Evil thoughts will arise in your heart and hard thoughts of God and you will sometimes think that God is unjust by the way He works, but these are from the Evil One and the only way to make him flee is to use the Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, an instrument that never fails. Another thing that troubled me much was the doctrine of election—but I don’t concern myself with that now. We have one great authority to come to Christ for He said Himself: “Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”—but ‘coming to Christ’ are words that puzzled me and I shall endeavour to explain it the best way I can in a few words. It just means that you are enabled to come to Him as a lost sinner, having nothing of your own that you can lay any hope on and that everything acceptable in the sight of God is in Him and if God gives you anything it is for His sake.
I am so constructed by nature that I am won by the preachers who declare the love of God rather than those who preach the threatenings of God . . . . I may tell you that you have been remembered often in my prayers. I would just like to give you one little piece of advice and that is to keep aloof as much as possible from the world, as it is always a snare and that you do not go to any place which may be quite harmless but which may grieve the Holy Spirit. I think you should not go to this choir practice in the meantime. I am sorry that you could not speak to me about these things but I believe it is because I showed so little of the Christian spirit in my walk and conversation. I confess that my love has cooled a good deal for some time past just because I was giving myself up too much to the affairs of the world. Satan promises us all manner of good things when he sees we are in an anxious state. He even tempted our blessed Saviour by promising all the kingdoms of the earth if He would fall down and worship him.”
Mr. MacIain passed away on 8th September and was buried at Pennyfuir Cemetery, Oban. We extend our sympathy to his widow and pray that the Lord would sustain her in the loss of a loving husband.