MR. ANGUS MACKAY was born at Blackburn, Rogart, Sutherland-shire, 13th July, 1858. When a young man he went out to Canada and remained there for two years but returned owing to health reasons. In 1887 he married Mary Bell and lived at Rogart until 1912 when he and his wife and twelve of a family left for Canada. From his youth he lived an exemplary life and acted as a Sabbath school teacher in the Free Church. In 1893 he threw in his lot with the Free Presbyterian to which he remained faithful until the day of his death. In a letter I had from him in Vancouver he said: “When the Free Presbyterian movement began it was described as a storm in a teapot. Now, you have been in the U.S. in New York, Buffalo, Chicago, etc., and various places in Canada and you are on your way to New Zealand, Australia and Africa. The teapot has grown considerably since 1893!” He was first elected as a deacon and then as an elder. Mr. Mackay carried on the Free Presbyterian meetings for many years until he left for Canada. He himself has left on record a short statement of what we may take as the dawning of the light. He was first impressed, he says, by the preaching of the Word under that eminent servant of Christ, Rev. Alex. Macleod. He remembered his reverent look and the smile that lit up his grandmother’s face when she saw him entering the pulpit. He mentions Rev. xxii. 17 as a portion of Scripture that was helpful. Angus had his set backs as well as his encouragements. He mentions a severe rebuff he had as a punishment for backsliding to the pleasures of the world which brought him very low. In a paper left by him under the title: “A Few Reflections on my Past Experiences” he gives some insight into the varied experiences through which he passed. Owing to ignorance and the deceitfulness of sin he confessed he at times leaned upon warm affections rather than on the meritorious sacrifice of Christ. When the call came to make a decision whether to remain in the Free Church in 1893 or leave it he was encouraged to take the latter step by the words: “Thy people shall be my people and thy God my God” (Ruth. i. 16). Looking back on the step then taken he says: “I may say (although not worthy to be named among God’s faithful few) the lines have fallen to me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage (Ps. xvi. 5-6).”
During my recent visit to Canada I spent some days at Innisfail in the hospitable home of Mr. and Mrs. Mackay, both of whom were mourning the loss of a beloved daughter. Mr. Mackay and his wife accompanied me to Calgary. He was then very frail and in parting with him I felt that was the last I would see of Angus Mackay on this side of heaven. He was very happy at the Sabbath services and the prayer-meetings held during the week. Those meetings are green spots on memory’s page and the happy experiences then enjoyed come back to us again as we pen these lines. Angus Mackay passed to his everlasting rest on 22nd February, 1941, far away from the land of his birth and the place where in his youth he heard the precious gospel message proclaimed from the lips of a true messenger of the cross.
We tender our heartfelt sympathy to Mrs. Mackay and family in the great loss they have sustained in the removal of a beloved husband and father.—D. Beaton.