Two Ness Elders
Mr Donald Finlayson passed away on Wednesday 5th December 1979 at the age of eighty seven. A few months later Mr Norman MacKay passed away on Wednesday 30th May 1980 at the age of eighty five. For sixty years Donald Finlayson proved by his indifference and infrequent attendance on the means of grace that his main concern was not in the things which matter for eternity, but in caring for his sheep and croft. It was on the Monday evening service of the Ness Communion in March 1952 that an arrow of conviction pierced his heart from the bow of Him who sits on the white horse of the everlasting gospel, in the course of a sermon preached by the late Rev. A. Beaton, Gairloch on the text “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace” etc (Heb. 4:16). On the following Thursday to the great surprise of all Donald appeared in the prayer meeting, which at that time was held at noon. In the Lionel area of the parish 12 noon to 2 p.m. was the recognised hour for prayer in the three churches. All outside work in Spring and in Autumn came to a standstill. Although the greater part did not attend the prayer meeting, there was that outward respect shown.
It was during a prayer meeting address on Colossians 1:13, 14 that Donald had his bonds loosed, and his soul entered into the glorious liberty of the sons of God. At the following communion in October, he was admitted by the Kirk Session to full membership in the congregation, along with Mr Donald M. Campbell who is at present the minister of Shieldaig. It was a cause for rejoicing to see one whose sun was beginning to set, and the other in the flower of youth publicly professing Christ.
In April 1958 Donald Finlayson was ordained a deacon in the congregation and in September 1961 to the office of an elder. When conducting a service he showed that he had a good grasp of the Scriptures and was an excellent Gaelic reader.
For the last few years Donald was confined to his home and latterly to his bed. It was always a pleasure to visit him and to have worship with him. What a sweet savour of grace were of his exercises.
To his sister Annie who so devotedly attended on him and nursed him, and to his sister Mrs Murray and family who also showed great kindness to him we extend our sincere sympathy.
It was at the March communion in 1938 that Norman MacKay made a public profession. He went through a short, sharp law work. His deliverance through the words, “Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”, was equally clear. All things became new to him. Even the heavens above and the earth below appeared to be new. That he was deeply taught by the Holy Spirit one could discern from the discriminating way he spoke to the Question, and also in conducting services not only in the Ness congregation but also for a number of years in vacant mission stations in the Island of Lewis. A gracious humility, a deep sense of his own unworthiness and of the sinfulness of his nature were outstanding traits of his character. It could truly be said of him that he had a love for the Cause of Christ and prayer for its prosperity as that of his fellow elder Donald Finlayson. To his niece Mrs Kelman, her husband and family who for years devotedly cared for him and to all his sorrowing relations we extend our sincere sympathy.
It was Donald Finlayson’s grandfather, James Finlayson who along with Malcolm Macleod rallied to the testimony raised by the late Rev. Donald MacFarlane in 1893. Both were elders in the days of the Rev Duncan MacBeath whose labours were so greatly blessed in the parish of Ness. As a faithful ambassador he often warned the congregation that the clouds which were darkening the horizon would soon break. The late worthy Mrs Macdonald, Stoneyfield, Stornoway whose father was also a noted elder in the Ness congregation told me that when she was a maid in Mr MacBeath’s manse he solemnly counselled her to identify herself with the remnant which would make a stand in the day of trial. “You’ll meet your own co-ages” he said “who will try to persuade you to go with them, but see to it that you will not give in to them”. Without enlarging she told me that what Mr MacBeath had said to her was fulfilled to the letter.
The late Rev. Donald MacFarlane in his sermon “Forsaking All” on Mark 10:28-30 says “In the history of the Church there were times when the Lord’s people did this — they forsook all while others did not. At the time of the Disruption in 1843, the evangelical ministers to the number of over 400, left their manses and churches for Christ and the Gospel . . . In 1893 the same test was put on the Free Church that came out at the Disruption, and of all the ministers in the Free Church, it was only two who stood the test. There was a godly man in Strathspey named William Grant, who predicted that there would be another Disruption in the Free Church. After speaking to the Question at Moy on the Friday of a communion, he asked leave to speak again, which was readily agreed to. He said that since he sat down it was revealed to him that this would be the last communion he would be at in the world, and that there was something on his mind that he wished to tell them before he died, and that was that there would be another Disruption in the Free Church and that of all the ministers in the Church only two would follow Christ and the Gospel, and that if he were alive he would be with them. When we made a stand in defence of the truth, it was told to a man who had heard William Grant’s prediction that the disruption he predicted took place. The man said that if there were more than two ministers it could not be the disruption predicted by William Grant. He was told that there were only two ministers, and then he said he believed it was what William Grant spoke of.”
The late Murdo Cameron, Kishorn, an eminently godly schoolmaster as the exercises in his diary prove, and an intimate friend of Dr Kennedy, Dingwall said that the Lord would maintain the witness raised in 1893 until the latter day glory, in spite of all the troubles and trials through which it would have to pass. The truth, which he said he had for the Church was “Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it” (Isaiah 65:8). The negative command “Destroy it not” etc clearly implies the positive duty to uphold and defend the witness, “for there is a blessing in it”.
With the passing of these two gracious elders, Donald Finlayson and Norman MacKay, the Cause of Christ is weaker. May the Lord repair the breaches on the walls of His Zion. W.M.