By Dr. JOHN LOVE.
God will take His own way of bringing sinners to Christ.
I. “Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out.”
Thy fears that Christ may not receive thee, may arise from thy own folly, in inventing and chalking out God’s way to bring thee home to Jesus Christ. Some souls that are coming to Jesus Christ, are great tormentors of themselves on this account. They conclude, that if their coming to Christ be right, they must needs be brought home thus and thus. They think, for instance—(1) “If God be bringing me home to Jesus Christ, He will load me with the guilt of sin till He make me roar again.” (2) “I must be assaulted with dreadful temptations of the devil.” (3) “When I come to Him, I shall have wonderful revelations of Him.” This is the way which some sinners appoint for God. But perhaps he will not walk therein; and yet He will bring them to Jesus Christ. But because they come not in the way of their own chalking, they are at a loss. They look for a heavy load and burden of sin. But, perhaps, God giveth them a sight of their lost condition, and addeth not that heavy weight and burden. They look for fearful temptations of Satan. But God sees that they are not yet fit for them; and that He would not be much honoured by them in such a condition. They look for great and glorious revelations of Christ’s grace and mercy. But perhaps God only takes the yoke of their jaws, and lays meat before them (Hos. xi. 4). God hath more ways than thou knowest of, to bring a sinner to Jesus Christ; but He will not give thee beforehand an account, by which of them He will bring thee to Christ (Is. xl. 13); (Job xxxiii. 13). Sometimes He hath His way in the whirlwind; and sometimes the Lord is not there (I. Kings xix. 11).
II. If God will deal more gently with thee than with others of His children, grudge not at this.
Refuse not the waters that go softly, lest He bring up upon thee the waters of the river, strong and many, and these smoking firebrands—the devil, and the guilt of sin. Christ simply saith to Peter—“Follow Me.” What thunder and lightning did Zaccheus hear and see? “Zaccheus, make haste, and come down,” said Christ, and he came down, and received him joyfully. But had Peter or Zaccheus made the objections which thou hast done, and directed the Spirit of the Lord, as thou hast done, they might have looked long, before they found themselves coming to Jesus Christ.
Anecdote from the Life of Rev. Thos. Hog,
Kiltearn.
THERE was in the parish of Kiltearn, Ross-shire, a bold young fellow, John Munro, alias Ceard, so called from his occupation, being a tinker by trade. This man, who loved to give and take his bottle, happened to have a child to baptize; but accounting Mr. Hog too rigid in his examination, he had no will to go to him; but go he must, for the discipline of the Church in those days permitted no man to go without the bounds of his own parish for baptism, without a licence from his minister. So John Ceard being shut up in this dilemma, either to want baptism to his child, or go to his minister, at length resolves on the latter. Mr. Hog received him courteously, and knowing his errand, took him apart and examined him, but finding him unqualified to receive that seal of the covenant, he told him so much in plain language and gave him his best advice to agree with God “while he was in the way” of life; and recommended to him to get the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism by heart, and to come next week to give account of his success. John goes home, but being as yet insensible of his mercy, was in no haste to comply with the advice given him, nor to return to his minister at the time appointed; however, the case straightened him, and therefore return he must once more, and he was resolved it should be but once. So he comes again to his minister and in an insulting manner asks him how long he would be so cruel as to keep his child from baptism. Mr. Hog answered him with meekness, that the cruelty was on his own side, who was at no pains for his salvation, and the salvation of his child; and added, “If I should administer baptism to your child without warning you of your hazard, I should be more cruel than you, for you would perish in your iniquity, and God would require your blood at my hands.” To enforce the reproof, Mr. Hog asked some questions concerning the nature of sin and wrath; but John, fretted therewith, said in a peremptory manner: “Well, minister, will you give me baptism to my child or not”; and Mr. Hog answering, “The Lord’s time is the best time; when you are fitter to receive that privilege, I shall be more willing to grant it.” John was angry and said, “Well, sir, keep it to yourself, you’ll give me baptism when I ask it again, farewell.” He went off in a huff.
By the time John Ceard reached his own house, he found great uneasiness in his mind. The thoughts of what Mr. Hog represented to him did pursue him, and particularly what he said concerning sin, wrath to come, and the necessity of being reconciled to God. When night came, he went to bed as usual but could not sleep, his thoughts troubled him; so up he arose, and set about prayer, a duty to which he was a very great stranger, and finding his distress to grow, he goes next day to the minister. Mr. Hog, knowing the haughtiness of the man’s spirit, was surprised to see him come so soon back, yet he received him kindly and asked what brought him. The other answered that he had had no rest in his mind since he was with him; that he was followed as with a familiar spirit, with the thoughts of God’s wrath against him for sin; and was so full of ignorance of God, and of sin and duty, heaven and hell, that he could form no right judgment concerning them. Upon this information, Mr. Hog instructed him at great length concerning the important subjects above-named, and then prayed with him; and finding remarkable assistance vouchsafed to him in both these duties and having otherwise an excellent discerning of the gracious operations of the spirit of grace, he gave the man such directions as he judged proper for a person in his condition and desired him to bring forward his child for baptism with the first opportunity, for now, said he, I hope God hath begun to convince you of sin and misery, and will in His own good time discover the remedy unto you. But John refused to do this as peremptorily, as before he had requested for the benefit of it, and being filled with a sense of his rebellion against God, he added: “No, no; no baptism for me, I have no right to it; nothing is due to me but hell and damnation.” Mr. Hog still urged him to bring forward his child, but he would not be prevailed on to do so, and away he went in tears, requesting the minister to continue his prayers, if peradventure God would have mercy on him. A work of conviction continued with this man, which was found to be real, clear and permanent. Mr. Hog, whose concern for him was very great, found the work of grace advancing most sweetly in his soul; yet all this time his mind was not calmed, his disquiet continued for several months after, when to his sweet experience and exceeding joy, the hand which wounded him did also heal him, which happened as follows.
Upon a certain Lord’s Day, John Ceard rose early, and his cries unto God vied with the dawning of the morning. In this prayer he got such a sight of sin, as filled him with great abasement; and he was made to cry to God for mercy with all the arguments he could form; and gave not over till he obtained a glimpse of hope, that God would have mercy on him; yet in a little the former load on his spirit recoiled upon him. When he came to church, he found more uneasiness than he expected. Atheism and heart plagues did fiercely assault him, and he was afraid lest he should perish by them; but to his great surprise the hour came, when his dead soul was made to hear words of eternal life. The minister was directed to preach Christ so clearly to his very soul, that he found it a time of love, and a day of salvation, so that he was in a very transport of joy; and after the sermon, he comes to the minister’s closet door, which, contrary to his custom at other times, he had forgotten to bolt at that time; so in the man comes, and though he found worthy Mr. Hog on his knees, such was honest John’s transport (for now I may call him honest) that he cried: “Mr. Thomas, O, Mr. Thomas, turn your prayers
to praises on my account, for this day, salvation is come to my soul.” Mr. Hog was amazed to find any giving him disturbance in time of secret prayer; but cut short as if he had been at a close; and being wise and composed, he concealed his surprise, and examined the other gravely and composedly, and found a most comfortable and satisfying account of the impression made by that sermon upon his mind, will and affections. “God who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness shined on his soul giving him the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” which turned his will to the acceptance of the Saviour, and to resign himself to him on His own terms; upon which he found his soul filled with wonder, joy and peace unspeakable.
Upon John Ceard’s request, Mr. Hog turned his prayers into praises on his account, and good reason he had for doing so, for this man proved one of the most remarkable converts in the country, and continued to adorn the doctrine of God his Saviour to the end of his life.
The late John MacKenzie, Carpenter, Port-
henderson, Gairloch.
PAUL in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews has given us a scriptural warrant for dwelling on the memory of those justified in Christ Jesus, while in the opening verses of the twelfth chapter of the same epistle he shows the practical use we are to make of the memory of these witnesses. It is profitable for those who are still in the wilderness of this world, and struggling onwards to the “desired haven” to mark the steps by which one after another, of those who loved the Lord, have reached the end of their journey and joined the Church triumphant. It is not too much to say that to few of that company was it given to thread closer to his heavenly Master than to the late John MacKenzie.
This remarkable Christian died on 7th June, 1932, and had then entered by eight months upon the 95th year of his age. It has occurred to us as we sat to record the death of his worthy widow in the pages of our Church Magazine that something also should be recorded of himself, though somewhat belated. Our subject was born at Inverasdale on the shores of Lochewe. The house where his parents resided then is still there to be seen, and is known locally as the “white house”; probably it was the only building of its kind there at the time. It was, however, at Boor, near Poolewe, that his father’s people were for two generations, and there they carried on the trade of boat-building; a trade which was in good demand on the west coast at the time. John’s father was also a boat-builder, and carried on his trade at Inverasdale and later at Porthenderson after he had removed there. Naturally, the son also learned the trade and in after years became noted for his good workmanship.
As far as it can be ascertained at this distant time, it was when our subject was in early life that he came under the power of the truth. His amiable disposition, gentleness and patience were evident from his youth. The Rev. Duncan Matheson, a “Disruption Worthy,” was then minister of Gairloch. John had great respect for him, and always referred to him as “the first minister we had here.” Mr. Matheson died in 1873 when John would be about thirty-six years of age, so he had a long while of his ministry. When he held Mr. Matheson, whose favourite theme was justification by faith, in such esteem, one is led to conclude that if he was not converted under his preaching that he was fed and nourished by his ministry. Owing to his natural reservedness he would seldom or never speak of his own personal experience. A noted woman used to tell how he gave her a gentle rebuke when still in his teens. The Rev. Duncan Matheson happened to take his text from the 12th chapter of Isaiah for two successive Sabbaths. The two were walking together to church on the third Sabbath and she related that she said to John: “I wonder will the minister have the little chapter to-day again.” But John in his own gentle way cautioned her by saying: “Never say the little chapter but the short chapter”; such was his discriminative intelligence which was characteristic of him all his days.
While still a young man he left his carpenter’s bench at Porthenderson and went for a time, we cannot say how long, to the city of Glasgow and worked with, what was then, the Caledonian Railway Company, in their works at St. Rollox. Here he worked in the wagon building department, and he used to say that to use one hundredweight of nails per day was a common occurrence with him while there. The religious circle in which he moved while in the city was still green in his mind till old age. He spoke often of the “men” he met, who were the excellent of the earth, many of whom were his fellow-workers. There were two he never forgot and these are John Campbell and Peter Campbell, who were among the worthies of his day, and who in later years were among those who formed the St. Jude’s congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church in that city. John Campbell was our subject’s senior by thirteen years, and kept the gate at St. Rollox and had a small office there, to which at the dinner hour those who feared the Lord, and there were many of them, gathered and spent their time discussing portions of Scripture and speaking about the work of the Spirit in the people of God. Hence the gateman’s office became known in the works as “John Campbell’s College.” In that congenial company, John was in his element.
He, however, returned home after a time and resumed work at the boat-building with his father and brother at Porthenderson where he finished his pilgrimage. By this time, the Rev. John Baillie was settled over the Gairloch congregation. The sincere friendship that existed between himself and his new minister continued till the minister’s death.
When the Rev. Donald MacFarlane raised the standard in the Free Church Assembly on the side of the truth in 1893, there was no man who could be more zealous than John MacKenzie on the side of the stand made. His faithfulness to Christ and His cause espoused him to that testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church. The step he took then he never regretted. It was, however, shortly after the Free Presbyterian Church was formed, and the Rev. J. R. MacKay, their first minister, was settled in Gairloch, that he became a member in full communion, but he was looked upon as a changed man from his youth by the most discerning people.
In the year 1909 he was ordained an elder, and from that time he had actively and faithfully discharged all the duties connected with that office till he “fell on sleep.” He frequently conducted meetings, and his terse notes on the Scripture as he read the chapter were clear and convincing, and none without doing violence to his conscience could resist their truth. His doctrine was pure and without corruption: “speaking the truth in love,” and his life was answerable to that. He was deeply affected with a sense of his frailties and unworthiness and he would refer to his brother elder, Kenneth Macpherson, who lived on the opposite side of the hamlet, as the “one who is keeping me right”; “am fear tha ‘ga m’ chumailsa ceart.” His brethren in the Session loved him and from their tribute to him which they placed on their Records we quote the following: “A man of warm piety, of an unobtrusive, self-effacing, buoyant and peaceable disposition, and one the example of whose blameless life and whole-hearted devotion to the cause of Christ exercised a commanding influence on young and old alike, he was held in respect by all who came in contact with him, and was in a very special manner endeared to his brethren in the Session and to the Lord’s people in general.”
He continued at his trade till near the end of his pilgrimage. It could almost be said of him what is said of Moses: “His eye was not dim nor his natural force abated.” It was only two years before his end that he finished his last boat and the money he got for it he gave intact for the support of the cause of Christ.
It is said that he was naturally timid and afraid of death, but when death really appeared he met with it calmly and had no fear. He got grace to die. Like the church he looked for the Bridegroom, and the Bridegroom stood ready to embrace him in the arms of love everlasting. Death brought John MacKenzie to the home which he longed for and to the joys and engagements which the better country affords. His wife, one son and two daughters survived him. In conclusion, it is right to state that we are indebted to Mr. John MacKenzie, presently at Coigach, the deceased’s nephew, for many of the facts stated above.—A. B.
The late Mrs. Catherine MacKenzie, Port-
henderson, Gairloch.
MRS. MacKenzie was the devoted wife of John MacKenzie whose biographical sketch is given in the preceding pages. She was born in South Erradale in the parish of Gairloch. John MacKenzie, her father, was a respectable crofter and fisherman of unapproachable character. Her mother, Jessie MacKenzie, was one of the most eminent women in the parish, and was one of the members in full communion during the ministry of Rev. Duncan Matheson. Her consistent Christian character and conversation gave her a place that few had. Her regard for the Lord’s Day gave her influence in rebuking offenders, irrespective of persons. This zeal for the Lord’s Day was also very remarkable in her daughter, the subject of this sketch.
Mrs. Catherine MacKenzie passed to her eternal rest on the 24th day of November, 1946. She had then entered upon the 90th year of her age. From her early years, like her husband, she showed signs of love to Jesus her Redeemer. As a young girl, she was given to secret prayer, and when herding the cattle in those youthful years she was known to resort to places of secret to commune with the covenant God of Israel. This was one of her outstanding characteristics to the end of her pilgrimage. She became a member in full communion during the ministry of the Rev. John Baillie in Gairloch, while she was still young. During all these years, for she was one who witnessed long, her Christian wisdom, consistency and devotedness shone forth in her daily life. At the same time we do not claim for her exemption from those imperfections which are incident to all the saints of God so long as they are not completely delivered from the “body of this death.” No believer acknowledged more humbly and habitually that she “had not already attained, neither was already perfect,” but no one “pressed” more earnestly “towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
We should not omit to state that she was among those who founded the Free Presbyterian Church in 1893, and ever since held its distinctive principles inviolably sacred. While the congregation of which she was a devoted member for so long, was specially dear to her, she did not forget “the regions beyond”; other parts of the Lord’s vineyard and the mission fields occupied her thoughts and prayers.
She was most exemplary in her constant attendance at the public ordinances. “The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob”; public worship is preferred by the Lord before private, and so it is by his people. She, like the Psalmist, could say: “My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord.” During the last years of her life her eyesight was gone, but so long as she had a little bodily strength, she continued to attend the public services regardless of weather. We remember asking her if she was cold one cold day, as we came out at the church door. “No! who could be cold listening to the gospel,” was her ready answer. For some time before her end she was confined to bed, her time then was mostly spent in prayer. Sometimes she would forget there was anyone in her bedroom, especially if there was a little silence, and she would lapse into prayer and converse with her covenant God in Christ. Her devoted family of two daughters and one son are left to mourn. For her to live was Christ and to die was gain. She ended her days in the house of her son-in-law at Lonemore, where she was tenderly nursed by her daughter.—A. B.