The godly men who were connected with the Strathy and Farr Congregation of the Free Presbyterian Church, in North Sutherland from the beginning of the Church were John MacKay, Swordly, Betty-hill, the late father of Mr. Hugh MacKay, elder, Vancouver, Hugh Munro, Leadnagullin, near Strathy, George Munro, Farr, and Murdo MacKay, Missionary, Strathy. These gracious men are all at their rest in heaven. The only one we did not meet was John MacKay who died long before the others, although we visited and knew his widow. When John MacKay, Swordly, was a leading man in that part of the Church, Alick MacDonald was in his youth, and was privileged to enjoy the friendship and fellowship of those godfearing men until one by one they were removed from the Church and their labours on earth, by death.
Mr. Alick MacDonald of whom we now write was born in the village or hamlet of Armadale, on the North coast of Sutherland, about three miles West of Strathy. He was born on 25th March, 1880, and died last year, 1959, on Monday the 10th of August, at the age of 79 years.
His father’s name was William MacDonald and his mother’s name was Grace Calder MacKenzie. Mr. and Mrs. MacDonald had their home in Armadale; and Alick, as he was always called by his friends, lived with his parents from his childhood, and after they died, he continued to live in the old home with a brother for a number of years. Many a time in Winter and Summer, Alick walked the lonely road which wends its way through hilly moorland from Armadale to Strathy Church, to worship the Lord in His Sanctuary. Later on he lived with his sister, Mrs. MacIntosh, at Thurso, and latterly at Forsinard, where friends going to and coming from Strathy, especially at Communion Seasons, used to visit him.
From information gleaned from his own conversation, we learned that his mother was one who knew and loved the Redeemer, and the ways of Zion. And as to the beginning of the work of grace in his own soul, he let it be known that he was very young, indeed a boy, when he began to have an interest in the salvation of his soul and the gospel of Christ, and the precious Word of God. And as far as we could gather, it was through his gracious mother’s instruction and influence that the Lord began the “good work” in his soul. That he was a poor, guilty and unworthy sinner, who was born again, not of corruptible seed, but by the Word of God applied to him by the Spirit of truth, was most clearly manifested by a long consistent life as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. His utterances at Question Meetings which are recorded hereafter substantiate this clearly and show him to be a man taught of God.
When he was a lad, after leaving School, he was for a little time engaged in some teaching work in a school in the Strathnaver district, Sutherland. One night after visiting friends, when he left the house in fog he missed his way and was lost for two days on Strathnaver. He related at a Communion in Wick, in 1950, that following upon this trying experience, he attended a prayer meeting at Bettyhill, Murdo MacKay, Strathy, was present, and John MacKay, Swordly, presided. John called upon Alick to pray in the following terms: “Rise and pray. Surely the Lord has something to do with you.” And so these discerning men perceived that the fear of God was in young Alick MacDonald.
He told more than once how his mother left the Free Church in Strathy at the time of the passing of the Declaratory Act of 1892-93. A Rev. Mr. Calder came to the Congregation after the death of the eminent Rev. Mr. Munro of Strathy. At first Mr. Calder exposed and condemned the Act from the pulpit in the hearing of his mother. Then Mr. Calder went away to attend some Church Court. We cannot remember if this was a Presbytery or an Assembly. When he returned he made a statement from notes which he had with him in the pulpit, and told the people to the effect that the Declaratory was not so bad as had been made out. Alick said when his mother heard this she resolved never to return to the Free Church in Strathy again and neither did she, nor her young son Alick. In this connection he was guided by the example of his mother, and from his youth until his death he had a love to the testimony of the Free Presbyterian Church. In this connection readers may note what he had to say at a question meeting in Strathy, three years before he died.
At the Question Meeting at Strathy in September, 1956, the portion given out was: “Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth”: Ps. 60, ver. 4. Alick when called to speak, among other statements, made the following remarks: “Those who were shewn hard things had to wait patiently on the Lord. A day came on them when they were brought out of darkness into the marvellous light of the gospel. ‘In our low state who on us thought: for mercy hath he ever.’ They were made to drink at times the wine of astonishment. When in the Free Church Assembly of 1892 men rose who did not believe God’s Word, it was an astonishment to them there who feared the Lord. An honour was given to the late Rev. D. Macfarlane and the late Rev. D. MacDonald. Some stood for a while but like the sons of Ephraim went back. Some of the Lord’s people did not get strength. Their strength went from them when they thought of their manses and churches. Manses and churches were not in the minds of Mr. Macfarlane and Mr. MacDonald. Truth was in their minds. ‘His testimony and His law in Israel He did place; and charged our fathers it to show to their succeeding race.’ How would we be today if they were lying down to slumber. We ought to be thankful to the Lord that we are the Church of the Reformation. Stone and lime is not the Church, but the people of the Lord. Great will be our condemnation in the Free Presbyterian Church if we go to the judgment seat without Christ. ‘Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’ ‘This is the condemnation that light is come into the World, and men loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.’ Pilate said, ‘what is truth?’ There are men to whom truth is nothing. The Word of God is truth.”
For many years before Murdo MacKay died, Alick was his intimate friend. He loved and respected Murdo and in his characteristic simplicity went to Murdo with his difficulties and problems which were always of a spiritual nature. But some of his questions would amuse Murdo. Here it may be said that Alick had likeness to Nathanael in whom there was no guile. This was conspicuous in his character and disposition. Once he said to Murdo MacKay, after having prayed in church at Murdo’s request, that his prayer was so dry that the Lord Himself would not have heard it. And frequently in public prayer he would name the person for whom he had occasion to pray. Once in praying for Murdo in Thurso Church, he said: “I mean Lord, Murdo MacKay.” Indeed, by the grace of God, he was truly a man of prayer. He lived a life of prayer. And in public and private, all who could appreciate prayer when listening to his exercise were greatly edified by the beautiful and accurate manner in which he quoted one passage of Holy Scripture after another.
This leads to the observation that our late friend was a man practically of one book, the Bible. He spent his days and his life in the Word of God, and rarely referred to any other source of reading except Bunyan’s sermons. He read the Church magazines of course, and did keep in touch a little with what was going on in the World, but he had little mind or desire to be taken up with even lawful things which were of a worldly nature.
We know that he was a member in full Communion in Strathy Congregation before 1911, so that he was at least fifty years a member in the Church. He was elected an elder in Strathy in June, 1944, and acted as Missionary for a number of years till failing health laid him aside for over a year before his death. During this period of confinement to his home and to his bed, he met with attacks from Satan but was greatly supported by the Lord. He expressed to the writer and others that the Lord was sending Gabriel the Archangel to help him. And he told us that on one occasion, Satan said that his (Alick’s) name was not in the Lamb’s book of life; and that Gabriel came and said that his name was in the Lamb’s book of life. In his weakness on the borders of heaven these were real experiences to this rare man of God; and so we have just recorded what he said to us. We were informed by those who heard him, that he once cried out upon his bed when alone: “You’ll never get me.” We believe that he was thus battling with Satan and his temptations.
We know that much more could be written about this good man who was anything but good in his own eyes. It may be of interest to those who never saw him to say that he was exceedingly tall, well over six feet in height, of thin build, and had a grave and solemn countenance and walked with a slow and measured step. The solemnity of spiritual and eternal realities seemed to pervade not only his life but his appearance also. His death has removed a light from our midst, in a dark day.
Mr. MacDonald was affectionately and constantly cared for in every way until the end, by his sister Mrs. MacIntosh and her daughter, Mrs. Barnetson. We extend sincere sympathy to them and his two nephews and other relatives; and commend them to God and the Word of His grace.