It is with sincere sorrow that we record the passing away of Mr. Archibald Stewart, who was for a long time a prominent figure in the religious life of Skye in connection with the Free Presbyterian Church. Mr. Stewart was born on 27th December, 1864, at Edinbain, Skye, and passed a good part of his life a stranger to true and vital godliness. Of his father, James Stewart, we are not in a position to say anything, but his mother was a God-fearing woman, who, we are sure, did all in her power to train her family in the knowledge of God’s Word. At the early age of fourteen years, the subject of this sketch went to Greenock to serve in the business of his maternal uncle, John MacLean, a God-fearing man, well-known in religious circles in that town when the Free Church of Scotland was a power for good in the land. There he continued for ten years, and came in contact with many of the Lord’s people, though at the time he was not able to value their company.
Probably with a view to bettering his position, Mr. Stewart emigrated to America and spent about three years in New York. It was during his sojourn in that city that the Word of God began to make lasting impressions on his mind, and the solemn and awful fact began to dawn upon him that he was a sinner in the sight of God. He told us that often during this time he felt as if hell was pouring like a flood through all the faculties of his soul, and thus he could enter into the experience of the Apostle: “The commandment came, sin revived, and I died.” It was in February, 1893, after coming back to this country, and while reading John Bunyan’s Sermon on The Jerusalem Sinner Saved, that he got the liberty of the gospel. In connection with this experience we heard him saying about two years before he passed away: “The Lord showed me that the enmity of my heart was a great power which would not let go its hold of me until the Almighty was pleased to cast it out, and ever since the day that the Lord took to do with that power, I have a broken heart over the continual efforts of the enemy seeking to obtain that place which he formerly had, but which, to the Lord’s praise be it said, he is not finding.
It was at the Communion at Flashadder in 1896 that he made a public profession, and, being pressed in spirit, he resolved to proclaim to others the salvation which he himself found. With the view of qualifying himself, educationally, for preaching the gospel, he proceeded to Glasgow, where he met Rev. Neil Cameron and Rev. Alexander MacRae, then of Kames, both of whom advised him to take classes in order to qualify for the University. He attended classes in Greenock till March, 1897, when circumstances in Providence led him to Waternish, Skye. At that time the Free Presbyterians in Waternish were worshipping in Knockbreck School, and, being asked to take the services, he consented. The Lord opened his mouth so that he was most acceptable to the people. This was not allowed to go unchallenged by Satan, who opened his arsenal upon him, in an endeavour to close his mouth. After much trouble, in which the courts of the Church had to intervene, our friend was completely exonerated and those who were troubleers in Israel found another ecclesiastical field more congenial to their taste. It was not without reason that Satan tried to close his mouth, for shortly after this trial began, a young woman, who afterwards became his wife, was savingly changed through his instrumentality. He continued as missionary in Waternish till 1920, and, being in business on his own account, he never during that time accepted any remuneration for his services. In 1903 he was married to Isabella Bain, who proved a true help-meet to him until she was removed by death in 1932. Of a quiet and retiring disposition she manifested, like the godly women of old, that she possessed the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit. From the effects of her sudden removal her husband never fully recovered.
We remember him on one occasion telling us of an experience he had when nearing the end of the period which he served as missionary in Waternish. One Sabbath morning on his way to Church he was pleading with the Lord to reveal His power in spoiling Satan’s kingdom, when, noticing a flock of pigeons in a field, he asked the Lord that he would give him a token that his prayer would be answered by causing one of the pigeons to leave the rest and fly to the top of the Church which was near at hand. A few moments afterwards that which he asked for took place, and the same experience was repeated a few weeks afterwards. On this second occasion, a young man who was present during public worship was savingly dealt with and is now a useful layman in our Church.
Shortly after the above incident took place, fresh troubles broke out in the Waternish Congregation so that Mr. Stewart ceased to act as missionary among them and was appointed to the Vatten section of the congregation, where he laboured till his last illness began in 1936. For the last ten years of his life he was unable to attend the public means of grace, and during that time he had many trying experiences in connection with the temptations of Satan, and sweet experiences of the Lord sustaining him under his trials. On one occasion when reviewing some of his experiences, he told us that during the period already referred to, when he was attending classes in Greenock, he had been reading Dr. Owen, on the Glory of the Person of Christ, and he said: “I saw such a view of the fullness of Christ, that I was persuaded it would do for me for all eternity. But now,” he continued, “I am finding myself empty and the enemy as hard as ever, yet the Lord, by His grace, frustrates him. I am finding myself so dead and not able to open my mouth; I feel I cannot pray, but I am cherishing the hope that, for Christ’s sake, the Lord will be merciful to me a sinner.”
Though in feeble health for a long time, the end came suddenly. We received word on a Friday morning that he was very low, and called to see him. It was very apparent that the grim messenger was hastily taking down the tabernacle, but Archibald Stewart was prepared. There were no raptures of joy but there was no fear. His was a quiet and solid resting on Christ as the Rock of his salvation, well aware that Christ would never leave those who trusted in Him. At our entering into the sick chamber he brightened up and entered, though feebly, into conversation. It was no use endeavouring to hide from him, what he very well knew, that the time of his departure was at hand, and so we conversed freely, both of us realising that he was on the brink of the bridgeless river. We doubt not but faith was in exercise in him at that time when he quoted that Scripture, so comprehensive and so pregnant with meaning, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We believe he was enduring, “as seeing Him who is invisible.” The following Sabbath, 9th June, 1946, he entered into the presence of his Lord, there to behold all things as it was impossible for him to see them here, and on the Wednesday of that week all that was mortal of him was laid beside his late wife in Trumpan Cemetery, there to await the coming of his Lord and Saviour to raise up incorruptible that which was sown in corruption. The congregation of Glendale, of which he was an elder to the last, and the Cause of Christ in the world, are much the poorer by his removal, and we, personally, have lost a most intimate and faithful friend. Mr. Stewart was, in many ways, far above the average professing Christian. He was well read in Calvinistic Theology, and had extraordinary powers of mind to grasp what he read, yet in that powerful mind lay his weakness, for through it he was more vulnerable to Satan’s temptations than such as whose minds were of more ordinary calibre.
To his daughter Annie who devotedly nursed him to the end, and to his son and other daughter we would take this opportunity of tendering our sincere sympathy in their great loss, and our prayer is that they would come to know their father’s Saviour as their own Saviour.—J. C.