The late Mr Robert Watt, Elder, Inverness
The life of this godly man is an illustration of the apostle’s words: “It is through much tribulation that we must enter the kingdom.” In the circumstances of his birth and childhood and especially in the possession of godly parents, Robert Watt was highly favoured. He was born in 1885 at Swiney Cottage about one mile outside Lybster, Caithness, in the home of his father, Donald Gunn Watt, known locally as Druggist Watt as he kept a chemist’s shop in Lybster, his mother being Robertina Ross, daughter of the well known Capt. Ross, Wick. Robert was the second son, his older brother, Frank, predeceased him by many years in London, where his house was well known to our London friends as a hospitable centre for the Lord’s people in the city to meet. At the time the religious conditions of the North of Scotland, religiously and spiritually, was a desolation, produced by the corruptions in doctrine and worship which were showing themselves in the Free Church in the wake of widespread back-sliding and departures from the Word of God and the testimony of the Disruption Free Church. In Robert’s parents’ home dissatisfaction with the Free Church finally led to a small company, including Robert’s parents and sister of Druggist Watt, Mrs Ronaldson, severing their connection with the Free Church, some years before the Free Presbyterian Church was formed, and connecting themselves with the only body in the district that bore any semblance of orthodoxy, the Cameronian Church. As there was no Cameronian place of worship in the vicinity, they met on Sabbath in Swiney Cottage for worship, which took the form of reading a sermon of C. H. Spurgeon, the great Baptist preacher of the London Tabernacle, as these arrived each week, printed in weekly parts for Spurgeon’s Magazine “The Sword & Trowel.” When Robert lost his parents at about the age of eight years, Capt. Ross came to live with the orphaned children for about a year in Swiney Cottage, and during the year he was with them, Capt. Ross held services at Lybster, which were the first services held in the district in connection with the Free Presbyterian Church in Caithness. The God-fearing people in the parish gathered here to worship God, such as Duncan Cormack, later the well known elder of our
Church in the North. On returning home to Wick, Capt. Ross took the children with him, and here Frank and Robert, with their sisters Netta and Joanna, made their home till they moved out to seek their livelihood on their own account in the South.
The years spent in the home of their grandfather in Wick were memorable ones for the children, for they met so many of the Lord’s people, attracted to Wick at the communion seasons by the warm fellowship of like-minded friends and refreshed by listening to the pure preaching of the gospel, who met in Capt. Ross’ home. Robert retained memories of pleasant association of those years, particularly of a visit to Wick of the saintly Rev. D. MacDonald, Shieldaig, and of a sermon which he preached in his hearing on “The Rose of Sharon.” Mr MacDonald was in many ways a remarkable man and a most winning and arresting preacher. At time of spiritual enlargement, when he himself was enjoying the Lord’s presence in proclaiming the glorious truths of redeeming love, his voice would sometimes break into a somewhat shrill exclamation of delight, to which we have heard our people often refer. In preaching on this occasion, Mr MacDonald uttered this high-pitched note, which Robert ever after kept in memory, and loved to speak of it, as it left such a strong impression on his mind.
Robert left this grandfathers’ house to work on the telephones in the Post Office service at Inverness, where a few months later he married. He was only a short time working for the Post Office, when he sustained severe head injuries from which he suffered for many years, as a result of a fall from the top of a telephone pole. He moved with his wife to her parents’ home above Dingwall for a short time, then to the nearby farm of Arcan Mains, Scatwell, where he was engaged on such light duties as gardener and coachman for the next ten years. This peaceful existence was broken by the outbreak of the First World War, and through those terrible years Robert served in France, from which in the Lord’s kindness he was spared to return home to his wife and family. He finally settled down in Inverness, where he made his home for the rest of his earthly pilgrimage.
There is little evidence that these years of trial and conflict brought any change in his way of life. Although he was the subject of serious impressions and religious convictions, like Ephraim, these all passed away ‘as the morning cloud and the early dew.’ Sometimes, conscience smote him with alarming thoughts, but he managed to stifle these convictions, and as he listened to the disturbing words of his minister, he consoled himself by saying that the minister was an old man and would soon cease to trouble him. In later years, he regretted this heedlessness of youth. When passing the telephone pole from which he had suffered the fall, which still
stands in the town of Inverness, he would stop and gaze upwards and sadly shake his head at the recollection of his former thoughtlessness.
The Lord’s time, however, eventually came and under the preaching of his minister, the late Rev. E. MacQueen, he was awakened to concern over his lost state and to lay to heart his sins. There followed a protracted period of soul trouble that lasted for years, when he was made to learn for himself by bitter experience that it is an evil and bitter thing to have sinned against God, and to feel his need of the salvation that is in Christ alone. His friends sympathised with him and his minister was greatly perplexed by the long continued grief and distress which showed no signs of abatement. During these years the Lord, however, had not altogether forsaken him. He was employed in the service of Howdens, the Inverness Nurserymen, and was often quite unable to attend to his daily work. One day his distress was so great that he hardly knew what he was doing and stood at the old fountain in Inverness at the junction of Kenneth and Wells Streets, weeping over his sins. His horse, a lively animal which usually had to be kept under firm control, seemed to sense that something was wrong with his master, and quietly went about the day’s work without guidance of any kind.
Deliverance which had been so long delayed at last arrived. At the Communion at Tain, Rev. M. Gillies, who was assisting Rev. D. Beaton, preached from the words spoken by Ehud to Eglon, King of Moab: “I have a message from God unto thee” — Judges iii, verse 20. Mr Gillies first spoke to the Lord’s people, then to those seeking the Lord, and finally to the unconcerned. Robert Watt that day was among the seekers, and found in the words a message from the Lord to his soul, as Mr Gillies took up his case, which was blessed to him in bringing deliverance, and he left Tain rejoicing in the new found liberty of the Gospel. He ever after regarded Tain as his spiritual Bethel, to which, as Mr A. Robertson, our worthy Tain missionary, has informed us, he often returned in the hope of recovering something of the gladness of those days and the savour of the Redeemer’s ointments which then filled his soul. This deep and thorough work of grace left its impress upon his whole after life and conduct in the way of forming, from this once hardened and wayward sinner, a saint of sterling worth and honesty. He listened with new interest to the Gospel, which now he could appreciate in its full power and grandeur. In the following year, in 1924, when sitting at the Lord’s Table, he listened with the greatest enjoyment to the late Rev. D. MacFarlane, Dingwall, in his table address, speak of the two cups which the Lord put into the hand of the believer, the cup of
cursing which was taken out of his hand, and the cup of blessing which was given to him in its place. This communion season greatly strengthened and refreshed his soul.
Robert Watt was a choice Christian, ripe in the knowledge of the evil of sin and the corruption of the heart which had kept him groaning under its bondage for years, and the strong consolations of the Gospel. When he came to experience the joy of salvation, his whole soul was engrossed with the greatness of the deliverance he had received. On one occasion when watering his horse at a public fountain, not far from our present Church in Inverness but some time now removed, he became completely oblivious of what was going on around him, and was brought to himself when someone told him that his horse with the cart had wandered up into the town. At another time when on Kenneth Street watering his horse, the words came with divine power into his soul: “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” — Hebrews xiii, verse 5 — words which later on in his last sickness were to become a comfort to him, for he remarked to one who asked him how he did, that with such a promise for a pillow under his head, he felt comfortable. To a sister he wrote at this time that nothing now occupied his mind but Christ and his soul’s salvation. This early love and zeal he retained through life.
Our friend was imbued with a spirit of deep and genuine humility, and could not brook any word of praise lest the worthiness of the Saviour be obscured by any suggestion of human merit. Once on coming out of the prayer-meeting, at which he had enjoyed unusual liberty in public prayer, a friend remarked to him how much he had enjoyed listening to him, but his only comment was that he should keep his voice low in case someone might hear him. It was a pleasure, however, to hear his public exercises, and Robert’s last appearance at a prayer-meeting at Inverness will long be remembered by those who were present, for the deep abasement in his confession of sin before the Lord and the fervency of his praise of Christ. His cheerfulness and imperturbable good humour made him a most pleasant companion, and he had a friendly word even for the openly ungodly. His remarks in public when called to speak at the fellowship meeting were weighty and marked by the sense of reality of divine things. He was elected to the eldership of the Inverness congregation, and carried out his duties with zeal and faithfulness; he weekly visited the sick in hospital; for 20 years he acted as missionary at Tomatin, where the people loved and appreciated his weekly visits; and on the Church Courts he was an interested and valued member, having a deep interest in our Foreign Mission Cause in Rhodesia. He loved the courts of God’s house which he attended, even when his ailments made it a pain-
ful effort for him to do so. In his last illness, when a fellow-elder who has since joined him in the heavenly country, reminded him of the words of Rev. John Brown of Haddington on his death bed: “I am sure Christ will say to me, ‘These sixty years this wretch has grieved me,'” his eyes brightened as he recognised the words of a kindred spirit travelling in the same road. He was often in the depths, but veiled his trouble from all but the Lord. He had the sorrows and trials that fall to the lot of the Lord’s people from an ungodly world, the reproach of the cross, and domestic and family troubles. Of a large family of 11, he lost 3 sons and a daughter, which he bore uncomplainingly, but it was noticeable that after the sudden death of his son, Frank, in the summer of last year, he seemed to lose much of his vitality and interest in life, which he did not regain till the end came a few months later in October 1966. We believe he has now secured the crown, but we will long miss his genial Christian fellowship. We extend to his god-fearing wife and to his surviving family in this country and abroad our sincere sympathy in their great sorrow and loss, and also to his sisters, Miss Netta Watt and Mrs MacEwen, now residing in Inverness. May the Lord be their refuge and strength in this evil day of blasphemy and rebuke. — A.F.M.
DR JOHN DUNCAN AND MALAN
Dr John Duncan, known by the title, “Rabbi,” after passing through the darkness of doubt, almost approaching to Atheism, came to rest in the peace of the gospel. In the year 1862 he described his experience in these words:— “In this softened state of mind I went next day to meet Mr Malan, who, my friend told me, was in Aberdeen. He was there, here, and everywhere, working his syllogism — ‘Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God,’ by which I believe he did much good, and some harm. But, for him I have to thank God. Malan that day greatly attracted me; his face beamed with happiness and love. You know he is overstrained, but his dogmatism did me good. I felt as if all the Christians around me were sceptics like myself; — here was a man who could say, ‘I know, and am sure.’ He was the first gentlemanly, intellectual, and altogether pleasant dogmatist I had met, and I was greatly attracted to him. The conversation turned on religious conversation. I quoted a Jewish word — ‘When two sons of Israel meet and no words of the law pass between them, they make the Shechinah to depart from Israel.’
Later in the evening he came and touched me on the shoulder, and said, ‘They tell me you are a very learned man. What do you know?’ ‘Well,’ said he, ‘I believe that is not exactly what a
Christian says. He does not say absolutely I know nothing. I know Him that is true.’ And so we talked, going away from the company till late into the night, and going over many things. I fought against his syllogism. ‘I believe Jesus is the Christ, but I don’t believe that I am born of God.’ At last, in our talk, I happened to be quoting a text. He started forward, and said, ‘See! You have the word of God in your mouth.’ It passed through me like electricity — the great thought that God meant man to know His mind: God — His Word — in my very mouth. It was, I believe, the seed of, perhaps, all I have, if I have anything, to this hour. Seminally, it was, perhaps, all there — though I cannot even now unfold it, much less then. Before leaving, I said, ‘Will you pray with me?’ He said, ‘No, I cannot pray with unbelievers.’ I said, in simplicity, ‘You do not understand our language. When I ask you to pray with me, I mean to pray for me in my presence, permitting me to kneel beside you.’ And he said, ‘O yes, I will do that.’ I went home and wrote a prayer, which I wish I had preserved. ‘O God, my God, my God, because Thou hast made me, teach me what is the meaning of being the Christ the Son of God, that I may believe on Him.’ It was defective, but it was not false, it was true so far. Then I sat down and wrought out a series of syllogisms. Thus —
“Major — He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God — God.
“Minor — But I believe that Jesus is the Christ — John Duncan.
“Therefore I am born of God.
“Then I said, No conclusion can be stronger than the weakest of the premises. These syllogisms were favourable to me, with this caveat. But those relating to the Spirit were unfavourable. Thus —
“Major — If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of His — God.
“Minor — But I have not the Spirit of Christ — John Duncan.
“Therefore I am none of His.
“Then I took down Brown’s Bible, and spread it before me, and I prayed — ‘I have been speculating about Thy Word: I know nothing; teach thou me.’ And so my philosophical pride got a stroke which it has never recovered, though it sometimes troubles me yet. I then went to bed and there prayed, ‘O God, I do not know what is the meaning of “the Christ,” and if I should die before morning I should be lost. But Thou knowest that I can study no more to-night. Let me not die before morning.’ Whereupon, as one who had committed his case to God, I fell, with a certain sorrowful tranquillity, soon asleep.”
Next morning Duncan appeared at the breakfast table with a page of syllogisms, wishing Mr Malan’s opinion of their soundness.
“Major — Ezek. xxxiii. 11: ‘As I live saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked’ — God.
“Minor — But I, John Duncan, am one of the wicked.
“Therefore the Lord God has no pleasure in my death. Is that right?”
“Right,” answered Malan.
“‘But that the wicked turn from his way and live.’ Therefore God will have pleasure if I turn from my way, and I shall live.
“‘Right?’ ‘Right.’
“Major — John iii. 16: ‘God so loved the world, that he gave His only begotten Son — His love to me was what moved Him to give His Son. “Can that be said?” ‘It can — nothing is more certain: “That whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”’
“Therefore God’s express design in giving His Son, out of love to the world, was, that I, believing on Him, might not perish, but have everlasting life. ‘Is that a safe conclusion?’ ‘It is, dear friend; only hold that fast, and it will deliver you out of all your misgivings, and set your feet upon a rock.’
“Well, next day, as I sat down to study, and took my pen in hand, I became suddenly the passive recipient of all the truths which I had heard and been taught in my childhood. I sat there, unmoving for hours, and they came and preached themselves to me. There was now no investigation such as I had desired; but presentation of the truth to me passive. And I felt, sitting there, as if in that hour I had got matter for sermons for a lifetime. Now the temptation to daily sin was gone. I had not even to fight with it. And I was in an almost infantile state of mind — so that when I mislaid a paper in my study, I would kneel down and pray to find, and then go to seek it.”
In fact, night after night he laid himself down to rest with the infant’s prayer on his lips:—
“This night when I lie down to sleep,
I give my soul to Christ to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.”
(Extracted)