By Rev. John Colquhoun, Glendale, Skye
Though Scotland is but a small country compared with other nations of the world, yet, ecclesiastically, since the Reformation, it is not insignificant, nor destitute of what ought to be glorious in our eyes. It may truly be said that in no other country were there such conflicts in connection with the Crown Rights of the Redeemer. Since the advent of the Gospel in its purity when Popery was overthrown, men in high places endeavoured to shape the Church in Scotland according to their own fancy, and ranged on their side were to be found men who used all their power and craft to bring it into conformity with the sister kingdom of England in doctrine and church government. In the struggle which arose over this Christ’s faithful witnesses often had to contend with “a Pharaoh on the throne, a Haman in the State, and a Judas in the Church. It was often the case as in the days of Micah: “Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion” (Micah iv: 11). The Lord, however, is never at a loss to raise up instruments, who, in the strength of God-given grace, were enabled, in deeds as well as words, to say to the enemy, “She shall not be defiled; your eye shall not look upon Zion.” Of these the subject of this sketch was one.
Robert Blair was born at Irvine in 1593. His father was an eminently God-fearing man who manifested his piety in his life and in his transactions with his fellow-creatures, refusing to enrich himself by anything that savoured of dishonesty. This godly man died when Robert, the youngest of six children, was only six years of age. His mother, at the time, was not a gracious woman, but was outwardly respectable, and faced the bringing up of her children in rather straitened circumstances. The Lord began to deal with Mr Blair in the seventh year of his age by posing to his conscience the question, “Wherefore servest thou, unprofitable creature?” Shortly after this he heard a sermon from the text, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works” (Psalm lxxiii: 28), which had a salutary effect on him for a time, as far as keeping him from the youthful follies of other children who were in school with him. However, his goodness appeared to be as the morning cloud and the early dew that passes quickly away. He went on in this way for a while, alternately sinning and mourning over sin, and it was when he was a Regent in the College of Glasgow that he was taken out of the horrible pit and out of the miry clay, and his feet set upon the Rock and his goings established. He was now a new man in Christ Jesus, and considered it his duty, not only to teach his scholars according to the laws and customs of the College, but also according to the law of God. This had such a salutary effect on them that his reproof had more effect on them than the rod had before.
About this time the infamous Perth Articles were introduced into the College of Glasgow, and, after the retiral of the Principal, Mr Robert Boyd of Trochrig, Archbishop Law made matters very difficult for Mr Blair. The outcome of these troubles and his strained relations with John Cameron, who had succeeded Principal Boyd, caused him to demit his charge and go to Ireland on the invitation of Lord Claneboy. In the providence of the Lord he was settled in Bangor without any Episcopal sanction. When he came to his charge he found the place in a sad condition. Ulster was planted by King James I with settlers from Scotland and England who were reckoned “generally the scum of both nations, all void of godliness, abhorred at home, insomuch that ‘going to Ireland’ was turned into a proverb, and one of the worst expressions of disdain that could be invented was to tell a man that ‘Ireland would be his hinder end.’ ” Episcopacy in Ireland was not conducive to true piety any more than it was in Scotland. It was such a field that Mr Blair began to cultivate, and he did so diligently as he found opportunity. In his parish there were over twelve hundred come of age besides many children. He preached four times a week, and also instructed the people in a plain and familiar way, and although he had much opposition there was also a good measure of success. In process of time Mr Blair had help from other ministers who came over from Scotland when persecution became hot there. Their joint labours were countenanced by the Most High, and there was a general revival of religion over a wide area. This success of the gospel awakened the malice of Satan, and he lacked no instruments to procure the deposition of the ministers whose labours were blessed in an outstanding manner. This happened in 1631.
After being deposed, Mr Blair and other godly preachers realised that there was no room for them to preach the gospel either in Ireland or in Scotland, and decided to emigrate to New England. The Lord, however, accepted the purpose for the deed, and after they procured a ship and left Ireland they were tossed by contrary winds, and after reaching a point nearer Newfoundland than they were to any part of Europe, they had to return and at the end of two months they cast anchor on Lochfergus, the place from which they had embarked. Some time after this Mr Blair came to Scotland and preached in various places. After the signing of the National Covenant many of the Bishops fled to England, and Mr Blair received a Call to be minister of Ayr, which he accepted. At the famous Glasgow Assembly of 1638, which excommunicated the Bishops, he was by an Act of that Assembly transported to St. Andrews. After the Treaty of Berwick, King Charles I, with the perfidy for which the Stuart dynasty was noted, and at the instigation of the prelatic clergy, had that treaty burnt in London by the common hangman, and made preparations for a second invasion of Scotland. The Scots gathered an Army and invaded England as far south as Newcastle, after they had routed the English Army which never stopped till they reached Durham. Blair and several other ministers were in the Scottish Army, and played an important part in keeping up a devout spirit among them. The Committee of Estates sent up a Petition to the King, and after a second Petition followed the Treaty of Ripon. After this Mr Blair was sent up to London to wait on the Commissioners when the great Treaty was concluded. By this Treaty, the King, for the third time, granted a free General Assembly and Parliament to Scotland. At this Assembly, which met in 1641, Mr Blair preached at the opening of it.
After the Irish rebellion was quelled in 1642 in response to an appeal from Commissioners from Ireland, the General Assembly ordered eight ministers for each year, during five years, to visit the congregations there for three months. Mr Blair was ordered to visit his former parishioners at Bangor. He found matters had altered for the worse, but still there were many who were the salt of the earth. He worked laboriously among them, preaching once every day of the week, and twice on the Sabbath. Such was the concourse of people who came to hear him that he often had to preach in the fields as no church or house could contain them.
When Mr Blair was settled in St. Andrews he found much uphill work. The parishioners were very ignorant and superstitious and much inclined to prelacy. He succeeded in dividing the parish and settling a minister in the landward part of it, which made the burden of his parochial labours more tolerable, but he was much employed in many weighty and various concerns both of England and Scotland. After the death of Alexander Henderson the King appointed him his chaplain for Scotland, which, when he heard of it, was not very acceptable to him. However, after accepting it, he conducted himself as became a minister of Christ, notwithstanding all the snares and temptations with which the office was surrounded. His biographer says: “Mr Blair was faithful, and very diligent, and painful in this weighty charge and difficult time. For family exercise, he prayed twice every day in the King’s house, before dinner and supper in the presence of the King and all the Court attending the diets. On the Lord’s Day he lectured and preached twice, before and after noon in the Presence, besides his earnest dealing with the King (with whom he had many debates anent prelacy, liturgy and set forms, ceremonies, etc.) in secret, to condescend to the just desires of his parliaments. In his public preaching at Court, he was abundantly free, plain, and particular, though he used no apostrophe nor pointed out the King with his finger as some others did, which did irritate the King, whereas he confessed that Mr Blair by his way gained ground on him.”
After King Charles I was put to death, steps were taken to put his son, Prince Charles, on the throne. In connection with the negotiations that took place, Mr Blair took a prominent part, taking two journeys to London which considerably undermined his otherwise robust health. His twin enemies, the gout and the gravel, came upon him heavily so that he came not so often to church courts. In 1661 he preached from I Peter iii: 14, and his sermon was misrepresented to the Council by a malicious hearer as something that cast serious reflections on the then Government, and he was called before them. He arrived in Edinburgh but, owing to two fits of the gravel which he took there, he was not able to appear before them. In his absence his place at St. Andrews was declared vacant, after which he sent in his presentation, as the civil part of his ministry, and afterwards liberty was procured for him to reside in Fife. He chose Kirkcaldy as his residence, where he lived for three and a half years. While in Kirkcaldy he did not interfere in public affairs. Through the influence of Archbishop Sharp he had to remove to Couston, in the Parish of Aberdour, where he died on 27th August, 1666. He was buried in the old churchyard of Aberdour, and a monument was erected in the church wall above his grave. Kirkton, in noting his death, says, “This month, Mr Robert Blair, that godly and able minister, departed this life in his confinement, whither he was sent by the State at the Bishops’ request. He was a man of great piety, ability and high experience: and though he died a sufferer, yet he died full of hope that the Lord would deliver Scotland, and very confident God would rub shame (as he expressed it) upon Bishop Sharp, as it came to pass.”
John Livingston, in his Memorable Characteristics, says of him: “Mr Blair was a man of a notable constitution, both of body and mind—of a majestic, awful, yet amiable countenance—one thoroughly learned, of strong parts, a deep invention, and solid judgment, of a most public spirit for God. His gift of preaching was such as seldom any could observe withdrawing of assistance in public, which in some others is frequent. He was seldom brangled in his assurance of salvation. He spent many days and nights in prayer alone, and with others, and was one very intimate with God.”