The Brucefield Elder

by the Rev. W. Scott, Chesley, Ontario

Mr George Forrest, whose name has become familiar to home readers of this Magazine in connection with the Canadian Mission, passed away peacefully at his Brucefield residence, Ontario, on the evening of Saturday, 21st December, 1912. This event had been anticipated, the deceased having been in his ninetieth year. Until quite lately his mental vigour and power of memory continued remarkable. Notwithstanding his great age and infirmities, including blindness, his vision seemed undimmed and his force unabated in spiritual things. Of this the writer had experience in the summer months. Nor can we forget his then venerable presence or the glow on his countenance, when sitting with him at table even so recently, as he conversed on divine things or “engaged” before or after meals. However cut off from the world, he remained alive unto righteousness and unto whatever concerned the cause of God, which lay on his heart. Now, alas! his memory but suggests the prayer of the Psalmist: “Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Psalm 12: 1).

Our personal acquaintance with the departed was confined to such contact as we had with him during our visit to Canada as last Mission deputy. Earlier deputies will doubtless have something to say about his general career. As the last to have been with him, however, and at his own desire, permitted to be present and preside at his burial, we feel prompted to give these few recollections — the main facts in which were related by himself as, on different occasions, we conversed together.

Mr Forrest was born in the parish of New Deer, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on 1st May, 1823. At the age of eighteen he began life in the capacity of a farm servant, and a few years after emigrated to Canada, where he eventually started farming on his own account. He was in his twenty-second year when he first experienced any spiritual change. The late Rev. Dr. Robert Macdonald of North Leith (whom the writer himself remembers as a preacher), was on a preaching tour in the Disruption year. He preached twice at Mintlaw. “One of his texts,” said Mr Forrest, “I never forgot, namely, ‘For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord’ ” (Romans 6: 23). It was a sermon which brought him under serious impressions. He might then have been arrested, he added, only that he yielded to the persuasion of one sitting near him to leave before the service closed. As a result he became more reckless than ever; showing the danger, he remarked, of stifling conviction. Yet the Lord had mercy on him, even leading him by a way which he knew not. The actual time of his conversion he could not specify. It was gradually and by degrees that the change came. But the circumstances were these: two years later he was to have left for Canada; but God, as he put it, who moves in a mysterious way, so ordered it that he was advised to remain at home till the following spring, when, it was represented, he would have a better prospect of obtaining work in Canada. He did so. In the meantime he went to St Fergus, where, as he explained, he came into contact with a companion who was the means of his being savingly changed. This person, it transpired, afterwards became his wife.

It was soon after this, or in the following year, that he was led to make a public profession of his faith. He stated that his first Communion was at Strichen, Aberdeenshire, in 1846. He belonged to New Deer Free Church congregation, and was examined by that Session, but as the date of their Communion would only fall due a week after he expected to sail for Canada, they gave him a certificate for the earlier Communion at Strichen. In relating this, Mr Forrest observed that he did not remember ever having missed an opportunity since till the previous year, when he was unable to leave the house.

Having in this way first given himself solemnly to the Lord in connection with the showing forth of His death, Mr Forrest, on 14th April of that year, crossed the Atlantic — sailing from Aberdeen to Quebec on the “St Lawrence”, and reaching Toronto on the last day of May. About three years later — being the spring of 1849 — the companion whom, in the providence of God, he had met at St Fergus — Miss Mary Henderson — followed him to Canada, and on 3rd July of the same year they were united in marriage. Mr Forrest had already taken up land in the township of Stanley. He did not dwell much on such matters, but his manuscript shows that by September, 1850, they were able, with their first child (the present Mrs Mustard), to move from Whitby and make the future farm their home. Their two sons were there added to the family — George William and William Lawrence. During these happy days (as he described them), and after some hard, pioneering work, Mr and Mrs Forrest, with their elder son, in 1866 undertook a visit to Scotland. Mr Forrest mentioned having, on that occasion, communicated in the Free Church, Peterhead.

But trial came at length. Mr Forrest’s mother had died in 1862. Now came a succession of griefs, as thus stated by himself: “My father died about the 1st of February, 1873, aged 85 years. Mrs Forrest died on the 21st of March, 1874, after two years of extreme suffering. She was thus taken from me after nearly twenty-five years of very happy married life.” Nor did his troubles terminate here. In June of the same year (1874) he was ordained an elder of the Brucefield Congregation of the Canada Presbyterian Church. It was the year before “the Union” — that Union in connection with which all special testimony to the Kingship of Christ, whether over the Church or over the nations, was dropped. And to Mr Forrest, as well as to his minister, the Rev. John Ross of Brucefield, it was to mean separation in the sense of having to “go forth without the camp” for the truth’s sake, bearing Christ’s reproach. It was a testing time. Mr Forrest went through the proceedings as representative elder. In April, 1875, he attended the meeting of Synod with Mr Ross, in London (Ontario); and, in June of the same year, he likewise accompanied him to Montreal to the last General Assembly of their Church, at which, along with the Rev. Lachlan M’Pherson and his elder, they formally entered their dissent, and tabled their reasons. How often, in Scotland, have the witnesses had to do likewise, and be “partakers of Christ’s sufferings”. To Mr Forrest and others these events may be said to have been the “beginning of sorrows”. In the July following the dissident ministers and elders organised themselves into a Presbytery under the old banner at East Williams. But Mr Ross died in 1887, and Mr Macpherson had predeceased him. Brucefield Congregation soon fell away from the more faithful testimony, and Mr Forrest found himself isolated enough. He was able to resume fellowship with a minority of the congregation in 1895, when the majority formally entered the Union. This was a satisfaction. And in 1901 he led the way, along with the friends both in the South and North, to the connection formed with the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland, which greatly revived his hopes. How he regarded this connection may be gathered from a brief passage in his M.S., written five years later. “The truth is (he says), that for nearly twenty years I have had so little to do with anything that is worth recording, that I find that my connection with the Free Presbyterian Church is about the only thing that I care to mention. But I am very thankful that a kind Providence led me to cast in my lot with the Free Presbyterian Church, for it is small and despised by some who ought to know better. Yet they have thus far maintained a Scriptural form of worship when larger Churches are corrupting it with men’s inventions. And I may state here, that at the Communion at Brucefield this summer (1906) the Lord gave testimony to the word of His grace by loosing the bands of some of His people. It was a time of refreshing to us all.”

The experiences of those years, prior to the home connection, had deeply exercised Mr Forrest. Our intercourse in the summer shewed this. His state of mind at the Union crisis he illustrated by mentioning the following incident. Meeting Mr Ross at the time he remarked to him that by his standing against the Union he had the feeling that the other side might credit it to his thinking himself better than others. Mr Ross’s ready reply had quite reassured him. Said Mr Ross, “There was a time when there was only one to acknowledge Christ’s Kingly claims, and he was a thief. Will that satisfy you?” his minister added. At another time, speaking of its not being always easy to know duty, and that yet guidance is promised if sought for, he mentioned in connection with his disquietude at the separation time, that the next morning after the Union he had that comforting word given him — “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Psalm 32: 8). Similarly, later on, as the prospect of losing his pastor, to whom he had been devoted, was falling heavily upon him, he stated that he had not been left without comfort. Being present at Mr Ross’s end, the dying minister proffered to him a parting counsel. As his last word to Mr Forrest he said, “‘Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee,’ — and that whether as to official duty or private life.” (Psalm 55: 22).

As the outcome of such trystings, those who knew him best testify that Mr Forrest never wavered from the distinctive position which he had taken up. This, his own letters, appearing in former issues of this Magazine, shew. A brother elder, similarly tried, remarked to the writer in this connection — “I believe the separation was a matter of principle with Mr Forrest. With some others, including elders, their action was in deference to Mr Ross, but Mr Forrest was sound.” So concludes the verse just quoted as the parting word — “He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55: 22).

Among the consolations provided for Mr Forrest during those trying vicissitudes, there was his marriage to the present Mrs Forrest. He thus chronicles it in his M.S. — “On 11th May, 1876, I was married to Isabella Fraser.” Moreover, they had left the farm and gone to Brucefield four years previous to Mr Ross’s death, which brought minister and elder more together, and into closer fellowship. Nor was it a small consolation that when otherwise tried, Mr Forrest was not one who was ordinarily troubled with unbelief. His faith in the Scriptures was of childlike simplicity. He was one who received without questioning the ingrafted Word. Referring to this trait in Mr Forrest, one very intimate with him remarks — “He was not like me. He was steadfast. I would go there and some days have nothing to say. ‘Are you in the dumps?’ he would ask.” Any exception to this more even tenor of mind appeared only towards the end. The M.S. which he prepared extends to 1906, and its concluding sentences may be taken as expressive of his normal condition: “On looking back on what is counted a long life, there are many things that I have reason to deplore. But ‘this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.’ He is all my salvation and all my desire.”

His last days — It was evident that death’s shade became very real with him as he neared the waters of Jordan. As the waters were coming in unto his soul, he felt the need of the everlasting arms. With his soul cast down within him, he would repeat the Psalms — “Will the Lord cast off for ever, and will he be favourable no more? Is his mercy clean gone for ever? Doth his promise fail for evermore? Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies?” And then he would exclaim, “No! no!” whilst the tears streamed down his face. He had never been in the habit of using the imprecatory Psalms in praise, although he would read them, having, as he said, no personal enemies. Now, however, he recognised their significance, in being called to wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers — against the rulers of the darkness of this world. Thus it was night to him in the dark valley. Yet light was arising in the darkness. He was seen to rally in connection with the lines —

“In God my glory placed is
And my salvation sure” — (Ps. 72: 7).

He spoke of this as a passage which gave him uplifting after having been cast down. It also suggested the question to him — “What is the glory?” And here he quoted from the Shorter Catechism — “The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory.” This, again, he connected with Christ’s intercessory prayer: “and the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them.” The verse he indicated had brought comfort to him — from the thought of the glory being as safe in His hands as the salvation. And so, in his last audible prayer, he was heard to express an assurance even beyond his usual, thus — “O Lord, we have yielded ourselves to Thee in the day of Thy power.” He was given a measure of consciousness to the last. At the Sabbath meeting in his house, even when unable, latterly, to lead in prayer or to read the Psalm to be sung, he continued to give out the Psalm. This was so to the end. More than once he gave Psalm one hundred and forty-three. On the very last Sabbath the Psalm which he then gave out was one hundred and forty-six, containing the verse —

“The Lord doth give the blind their sight,
The bowed down doth raise;
The Lord doth dearly love all those
That walk in upright ways.”

Although blind he was able to the end correctly to distinguish not only one Psalm from another, but the verses of particular Psalms. He used the Psalms in connection with his own state of mind. He would say, “What would I do now without the Psalms, when I cannot see to read.” He had been totally blind for about three years, although it was much longer since he could read — unless in the case of the Bible, which he still read when blind to other reading. He would dream, however, that he had recovered his sight and could see everything. Thus dreaming he, in his joy, began a letter (as he said) to one of the home ministers exclaiming —

“Extol the Lord with me, let us
Exalt his name together.”

Wondering once what would be the first thing that he would see, he said, inquiringly, “Shall it be the King in His beauty?” And so now that question has been answered, for “the Lord doth give the blind their sight.” “Thine eyes shall see the King in his beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off” (Isaiah 33: 17). And who on earth can tell how “Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see”? (Luke 10: 23).

“But as for me, I thine own face
In righteousness will see;
And with thy likeness, when I wake,
I satisfy’d shall be” — (Ps. 15)

Conclusion — His comparative seclusion notwithstanding, Mr Forrest was one who followed public events with keenest interest even to the last. There was manifestly a patriotism in his piety, which played its part “for our people and for the cities of our God” (2 Sam 10: 12). This readily appeared in conversation. But, indeed, his life was a testimony, in his having had so largely to be “separated from his brethren” for “the testimony which he held,” as already shown. A few points, which, to the writer, he emphasised so recently in conversation, may here be added, showing how he kept in touch with current events.

I. Romanism — He had no sympathy with the changed sentiment of our time, which ignored the evil or progress of Rome as the anti-Christ of Scripture and of the Confession of Faith. The way in which Romanism was gaining ground greatly concerned him. Thus in July he spoke of “the alarming hold which it was getting on the country.” He said the Roman Catholics already averaged forty-seven per cent of the population of Canada. And he pointed out that, after the late Eucharistic Congress at Montreal, it had been announced by the Romish dignitaries that their Church was concentrating her strength upon Britain and upon the United States, but especially upon Canada. Referring to the matter again, he stated as ominous that it was estimated that five-sixths of the public officials in the United States were Roman Catholics, with only one-sixth Protestant. He viewed such a state of things with apprehension, and expressed his belief that “a terrible time in judgement was coming on the land, and that soon”. He said, moreover that he had been impressed by the contrast as between the overthrow of ancient Babylon and again of mystical Babylon, or the Church of Rome, as described in prophecy. Jeremiah had delivered the book of prophecy, containing God’s severe judgment against Babylon (then in its strength) into the hands of the Babylonian ambassador on his returning to Babylon; after reading which he (Seraiah, the prince) was directed to bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates, as significant of the utter destruction of Babylon and of the quiet way in which it was to disappear — like a stone sinking in the Euphrates. Whereas, Mr Forrest went on to say, in the case of the Church of Rome, as mystical Babylon, the language is: “A mighty angel took up a stone, like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city, Babylon, be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all” (Jer 51: 59-64; Rev 18: 21). He seemed profoundly impressed that things were hastening towards this crisis, and that this should be taken into account in connection with the low state of the cause meantime, and judgement as impending.

1. The Reformation. — Mr Forrest showed his belief in a historic testimony. When the elders were together at the close of the Brucefield Communion, he took occasion to emphasise the importance of the Second Reformation period in its relation to our time. In his fourscore and tenth year, it was affecting to hear him witnessing as he did against the present revolt of the Churches from the Reformation standpoint. He spoke particularly of Alexander Henderson and how nobly he had maintained his position as Moderator and leader in 1638 Assembly until the work of Reformation was overtaken. He declared his belief that God’s judgments were coming on our land for its backslidings from such attainments. He believed such retribution to be at hand now. He maintained that the period 1638-1650 was the time of greatest purity in the Church. He remarked on its short duration — Alexander Henderson himself dying heart-broken at its overthrow — and instanced the sequel of this in “the killing time”, adding, that the blood of the martyrs in Scotland, so much forgotten, was still in the skirts of the Church of England. He lamented the direction events were taking in Scotland, and its changed attitude to Prelacy, notwithstanding the curse so solemnly pronounced by Alexander Henderson on whoever should attempt to rebuild Jericho as then thrown down.

2. Mr Forrest was no Voluntary. He recognised to the last the obligation upon nations, as such, to acknowledge and do honour to Christ as “Head over all things to the Church” — (Eph. 1: 22). Any action that mitigated against the doctrine of National Religion he deplored. It pained him, therefore, that, when (as he said) it had been proposed a few years ago to amend the Constitution of the United States by embodying in it an acknowledgement of Christ, even the Associate Synod of North America declared themselves against it. In a sermon which appeared in their Magazine, he added, one of their ministers had been allowed, without exception being taken to it, to go the length of saying that, whilst as Mediator Christ was Head of His Church, He had no power or authority as such beyond that: that only as God was He over all things. Against such defection he testified.

With a mind thus clear and active at so advanced an age Mr Forrest was yet “patient in tribulation”. Those constantly about him, as so disabled, say, without reserve, that “he was easy to wait upon”. “I am weak and weary,” he would remark at times; yet, “why should I complain,” he would add. And never did he seem happier than in the fellowship of his brethren, as they “spake often one to another”. One — a co-office bearer — says, “I had many nights with him; he talked on passages of Scripture. ‘What do you think of this passage, or the other?’ he would ask, and we would discuss the passage together, and come to agree on it. We never had a word of difference. He was often at me for not coming often enough. The very day he died he wanted those about him to watch the stage-coach to see if I was on it.” Now, however as come at length to the Church triumphant, he may say without any intermission, “Truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”

— F.P. Magazine, Vol 17, pp 425-432.

“If I had not sailed this sea-way to heaven, but had taken the land-way, as many do, I should not have known Christ’s sweetness in such a measure.” — Rutherford.