David Steven

I recently read a short book on the life of David Steven, a Christian leader in Caithness during the nineteenth century, written by Alexander Auld, a Free Church minister from Caithness who published other historical material on Christianity in the Northern Highlands (Auld includes some of the text of this book in his Noted Ministers and Men of the Northern Highlands).

David was born in 1789 or 1790 and died in 1873. Going by some comments made by him, the days in which he lived were not as deep spiritually as in earlier periods, yet in comparison to what has been the case in recent decades they were much better than now, at least as far as church attendance is concerned. But that is true of everywhere in our country.

His father having died in an accident before David was born, his mother and siblings had to leave the farm his father worked and go to live with her parents. At some stage in his youth, he learned many Psalms and the Shorter Catechism. He also heard Haldane preachers when they came to Caithness. While not converted through their preaching, he recalled their visits and always remembered a saying of one of them – ‘A fish can no more live out of water than a believer can live without prayer.’

David had many natural talents. He was adept in looking after animals, he was very capable with his hands, and he played the violin. He worked for several years as a cooper, but on finding out that he was skilled at watchmaking and cleaning clocks and mending watches, he changed his career.

He did not give much thought to his soul until he was about twenty-five. His conversion was a gradual process and while he was developing an interest in religion he continued with worldly pleasures until rebuked for his inconsistency by a woman regarded as a prominent sinner in the area. That rebuke prompted him to be more earnest in spiritual things and he began attending the preaching of a leading evangelical, Mr. Gunn of Watten.

Gunn’s preaching affected him deeply, first by conviction of sin, and then with gospel deliverance which took place during a sermon Gunn preached on John 3:16. What particularly impressed him from that sermon was the preacher’s emphasis on the love of the Father in sending his Son as Saviour. Before then, he had assumed that it was the death of Jesus that had caused the Father to love his people. He had further profound experiences later that day in his own home.

David became an earnest Christian. With others he studied the Bible and the writings of old divines. It was the period in the Church of Scotland when evangelicalism was beginning to increase and the dominant Moderatism to decline. David’s studies also led him to becoming informed about the state of the church nationally and beyond. Moreover, he attended fellowship meetings and although still young he was recognised as a suitable speaker at those gatherings. The Communion Season at Watten was a gathering that Christians from surrounding parishes came to and his circle of friends widened. His home became a gathering place on the evenings of the Communion Season. He began a weekly instruction class in his own house on Sunday evenings for young people. The classes were held for half a century and were based on the Shorter Catechism.

David supported the Disruption that took place in 1843. The appearance of the Free Church also allowed David to attend communions in other congregations. At that time, there was a fellowship meeting on each evening of the Communion Season, with a prolonged one on the Sunday evening, and David soon became a regular speaker at those gatherings. The author says that at the Sunday gatherings David could speak for hours, and the listeners delighted to hear what he said.

One chapter focuses on David’s character traits. He was marked by consistency, humility, earnestness, elevation of thought, reverence for divine ordinances, liberality of mind, and profitable conversation. The author was aware that readers may find such a description as exaggerated, but cites the opinions of well-known Christians, including Dr John Kennedy of Dingwall, who acknowledged his spiritual stature.

Though an exemplary Christian, he was often distressed by his awareness of indwelling sin and lack of spiritual progress. The sample of letters included in the book reveal that he shared his complaints about himself with like-minded friends and no doubt received useful counsel from them as well as earnest mutual prayer by them on his behalf.

The brief account of his life shows that he was a man of the Word. Through it he found guidance in striking ways and comfort in difficult circumstances. Above all, he met Christ in it. As he said in one of his letters, ‘It is in the person and work of Christ that the Father hath declared Himself to be well-pleased, and it is there that rest is to be found when all else is dark. But you say, how shall I get into rest? In the record of the Old and New Testaments Christ is set forth, and it is your duty and interest to read and to meditate on the wonders of redeeming love there declared; the poor sinner thus spreading his little sails, the blessed Spirit of God may some day breathe upon him, and sail him into the harbour of rest.’

From his own experience and that of others, as he stated in a letter to Mrs Auld, he noted that ‘The Lord’s people have got cabinets in which to lock up their jewels, and it is their wisdom to be doing so. But it is not at all times they can open this, and view what it contains. Sometimes experience is so dark that they cannot see that ever they got a token for good from the Lord. But the next time the light of His countenance shines on their souls, it will take off the covering off all the former, and they will see the unchangeableness and faithfulness of Him whose gifts and callings are without repentance.’

Response to meeting for Brotherly Conference, 1788

In a previous post, I mentioned the concern a group of lay-leaders in Easter Ross had about possible criticism of their meeting together for mutual prayer and fellowship. What happened once they begun meeting? William Findlater tells of some repercussions:

'The judiciousness of their conduct, as well as their devoted piety, in thus recording their sentiments and objects, soon became evident. Their meeting thus exclusively, and being composed chiefly of men who did not frequent their parish churches, their motives were misrepresented, and their character aspersed by the moderate clergy, who at that time carried things with a high hand, both in Church courts and in their Parishes. These excellent men were stigmatized as ‘leaders of a hostile faction, – promoters of schism and division, – censorious, &c., and worshippers of idol shepherds – a term applied to the popular ministers, and as breaking asunder the harmony that should exist betwixt ministers and people.

'Such was the influence of these reports and calumnies, no doubt exaggerated or distorted, that soon after they had held some of their meetings, the late pious and excellent Mr. Mathieson of Kilmuir, to whose church some of these men repaired, made some pointed and personal allusions as to their conduct. In a few days thereafter, two of their number, who were his regular hearers, called upon him, and after requesting an interview in his study, and shortly stating the object of their visit, put into his hands the above document, which having read attentively, affected him deeply. He cordially embraced them, admitted that he had been misinformed as to their views, and ever after esteemed them as his dearest and most valued Christian friends, and uniformly vindicated their characters when assailed – esteeming them as the truest friends to the church and the cause of religion in his day, and acknowledged that the duty in which they were engaged should be an example to ministers, who he wished had such a meeting for such purposes among themselves – a wish which in a few years thereafter was realized, on the admission of Dr. M’Intosh to Tain, and Mr. Forbes to Tarbet, which the writer believes is still kept up by the majority of the members of that presbytery.

'From this meeting, he believes, emanated the first proposal of a Society for missions, called ‘the Northern Missionary Society,’ which has excited such a lively interest in that part of the country, as to be warmly supported, by liberal collections and donations, from all the contiguous parishes. The late highly respected and deeply lamented Dr. M’Intosh was among the first who called the attention of his brethren, and the religious public in Ross-shire, to its establishment, and was appointed and continued its active and confidential Secretary till his death.'

Meeting for Brotherly Conference, 1788

In the late eighteenth century, some local church leaders (not ministers) in Easter Ross agreed to meet regularly for prayer and fellowship because they were concerned about the decline in spiritual vibrancy in their churches. Aware of possible criticism, they drew up the following explanation of their gathering together.

Invergorden Ness, 17th September, 1788.
‘The after subscribing persons,(1) having, by the kind providence of God, and as the outward fruit of the gospel, attained to an intimate acquaintance of one another, although from different parishes; yet as members of one church, of which Christ is the professed head: – After spending some time in considering privately together, and secretly alone, the too many undeniable proofs (from the light of the word of God, and our own woful experience) of our own deadness and unfruitfulness, and the deadness and unfruitfulness of the day, with the prevailing of all manner of sin in the land –

‘We have come to the following resolution, that is, to meet four times in the year, or as oft as shall be judged fit and most convenient, and in the places that shall be agreed upon, to humble ourselves before the Lord by prayer and supplication, that He would avert the threatened and deserved judgment (in which we acknowledge our own guilty hands) which is already making too visible a progress one year after another. It is generally owned by the most considerable part of ministers and professors, that the Lord hath withdrawn his wonted presence, in a great measure, from his people and ordinances (and we own though others would deny this, that we have daily experience of it,) which calls for such a duty; and among other causes we briefly name the following.

‘I. The woful deadness and decay that hath fallen on ourselves, our heart backslidings, our closet coldness, our family formality, our dry and careless reading of the word of God, our barren minds as to meditation on the word, with love, profit, and delight; from whence has proceeded an untender walk, unguarded expressions, carnality in heart, inclinations, and actions, worldly in our minds and pursuits, resisting the remonstrances of our consciences, checks from providence, and the word of God, grieving the Holy Spirit, whereby our evidence of his love to us, and our interest in Christ, is darkened, which makes us go doubting in the dark.

‘II. The deadness and decay of the day we live in, as to a work of the Spirit on the generation. There are few or none crying, “What shall I do to be saved?” The Lord hath been calling home his faithful labourers and people these many years by-gone, and few – few rising in their room; whereby the hands of those that remain are weakened when they are not seeing a seed rising to serve Him, according to His promise; but instead of that, all manner of vice and immorality rising in our land: Adultery, fornication, and uncleanness, among all ranks, (of which it were to be wished that professors of religion were free,) – murders, robbery, and thefts, – hatred, malice, lying, Sabbath-breaking, &c., – contempt of godliness and the people of God, – religion evil spoken of, and the sincere practisers of it branded and stigmatised as the troublers of the peace of Israel, and as a people that turn the world upside down; which is a matter of lamentation, and should be a lamentation to us.

‘III. The low case of the church of Christ and His cause in our land: Great men setting up their power and interest to oppose Christ in His rights, prerogatives, and members. In His rights as sole Head of the church, and His prerogative to reign and rule in it; they (the great men) are thrusting in ministers on reclaiming congregations, with the force of the law of Patronage, – ministers who have nothing in view but the fleece; their manner of entry and their after walk proves it is not sparing the flock, but scattering them; which is a sin greatly to be mourned for, and has turned common in our day, and practised without a parallel. And when we add to this sin, the sin of the Judicatories of our Church, that so few of them witness for Christ and his members, with the neutrality of almost all professors in our day, which in the light of the word is clear to be against Christ (Mark, ix, 40) and his interest, and nothing but men-pleasers, – when they comply and fall in with whatever is proposed to them, they would not venture on the frown of men for a good conscience and the favour of God, (how learned Peter and John, divinity of God rather than men!) which we desire to acknowledge to be matter of humiliation before that, the professors of Christ are not confessors of Christ, – oh what can be found among a people to bring on wrath that is not found in our land this day! when to this we add corruption in doctrine, legalism generally taught, (which is laying too much stress upon works,) or of more refined pressing of evangelical duties without an eye to the Spirit of God. Some press duties, so as they seem to think that their own reasonings are able to enforce a compliance, and more than that, as of old, so of late, we hear that some broach awful errors, and that with impunity.

‘IV. The case of the young generation, who are generally given up to irreligion, and contempt of all that is serious, despising even the form of religion. What will become of the cause of Christ and his interest in our laud, if they continue as they are?

‘And being together for the above causes, we resolve to keep the following order, namely:

‘First. That each meeting shall choose a Preses, (only for order’s sake,) whose province will be to read and sing a portion of the word of God, and call one about to pray; and during the intervals betwixt the said duties, if one of us have a doubt, upon which he would have the mind of his brethren, that each give his thoughts freely upon it, for our mutual edification.

‘Secondly. That none of us bring any other person into this our meeting, without consent of the rest asked and obtained.

‘Thirdly. As the word of God requireth, that we should consider one another, to provoke unto love and good works; therefore, if one or more of us. see or hear any thing unbecoming in the walk, conduct, or expressions of one another, that we be free with one another, according to the Scripture rule: “Go tell thy brother his fault,” &c. Matthew, xviii, 15. “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in any wise rebuke him, and not suffer sin upon him” Lev. xix, 17.

‘We are aware that this our meeting together, out of different parishes, will be misconstructed; but so far as we know ourselves, we have no divisive views in it; nor do we make a faction; and we desire to give none offence; but if the following of our duty give offence, we cannot help that. If we could meet unobserved, it would be our choice: not that we are ashamed of our duty, about which to find we have been at pains, and searched the word of God, and found it to be His command; and the exercise of His people, in such a day as we live in, to meet together for prayer and spiritual conference, as in Mal. iii, 16: “Then they that feared the Lord spoke one to another.’ The command in Zeph. ii, 1-3, seems to be to the same purpose: “Gather yourselves together,” &c.; and Heb. x, 21, 25: “And let us consider one another – not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together – for as much as ye see the day approaching.” These portions of Scripture, besides others that might be mentioned, prove that fellowship-meetings of the Lord’s people, mutual prayer, and spiritual conference, (being held within the bounds of men’s station,) is a necessary duty and special mean of life in a declining time, and of strengthening against the temptations of such a time. Wherefore seeing our call and warrant from the word, the example of the people of God, and the Lord’s dispensations, in the day we live in calling for it, our own needy cases calling for it, (being a day of famine,) we have now come this length, as to appoint the first Wednesday of November coming for our first quarterly meeting. And may those more near the Lord be stirred up for such a necessity, in a day of so much deadness and lukewarmness, that the Lord may justly complain as in Isaiah, Ixiv, 7: “There is none that calleth on thy name,” &c. O! for the spirit of prayer to cry, “Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts, look down,” &c., “Quicken us and we will call on thy name.”’

Robert M'Watt

Another Disruption worthy, ‘a good minister of Jesus Christ,’ has gone to his rest.

Mr M’Watt was born at Inverness, of religious and reputable parents, in the year 1801. He received the rudiments of his education in his native town, where he was known as an apt and lively scholar. At a very young age he entered King’s College, Aberdeen, where he not only took a full curriculum, but a good place in his classes. He afterwards studied theology at the same university, and was duly licensed to preach the gospel. But though his vivacious youth, his glowing fervour, and his evangelical preaching made a deep impression wherever he preached, he had to wait a long time for a charge.

He acted as tutor for fifteen years in the family of Altyre, where he was held in high esteem, until he was presented by the Earl of Seafield to the church in Rothes in 1839. But he had scarcely set his manse in order when he felt bound in conscience towards Christ to leave it. Conservative in politics but thoroughly evangelical in religion, and true to the ancient polity and historical tradition of the Church of Scotland, he joined in 1843 the noble Disruption host, with whose contendings he was in fullest sympathy.

For several years both before and after this event he was so instant in season and out of season, preaching generally thrice on Sabbath, and frequently in the neighbourhood all round the week, that he sowed in his elastic and vigorous frame the seeds of the debility and pain of his later years.

He was not only the assiduous pastor, and even the medical adviser of the parish of Rothes, but, as the only Disruption minister in the parish of Aberlour, he either planted or watered all the Free Church congregations of the bounds. He also acted as Clerk of the Presbytery for twenty-seven years with singular courtesy, close attention to the business of the court, and much knowledge of Church law.

Towards the close of his long and laborious life he suffered from paralysis, and had the help first of a probationer, and latterly of an assistant and successor, for some time before his death, which took place at the manse on the 27th November, 1880.

As a minister of Christ, Mr M’Watt preached not only the old Puritan theology, but the gospel of God with great fervour, faithfulness and love. And we know that he was wise in winning souls to Christ, some of whom wept over his bier and bless his memory. He was beloved not only by his own people and co-presbyters, but by the congregations of the Presbytery and the whole community, who laid him in his new tomb with reverence and regret, feeling that they had lost a father in Israel. He was not only a man of culture, of polished manners and genial gentleness, but full of faith and of the fire of devotion, a good example of the Christian gentleman. Mr M’Watt, who was unmarried, was a brother indeed to the two sisters in whose society he lived, one of whom survives him.

(Dr Scott, Aberlour, Free Church of Scotland Monthly Record, June, 1881).

Highland Harvester

Highland Harvester is the title of a book 
written by George Mitchell which was
 published in February 2013 and charts the 
life, times and legacy of Peter Grant (1783-
1867). He is known in the Scottish 
Highlands as ‘Peter Grant of the Songs’,
 and is arguably the most influential Gaelic 
hymn-writer of the nineteenth century.
 His collection of hymns ran to twenty
editions. Professor Donald Meek writes of them: ‘Grant’s hymns will remain forever as an integral part of the Gaelic spiritual heritage of the mainland Highlands, the Hebrides and areas far beyond, where Gaelic speakers have settled.’

Peter Grant was a powerful Gospel preacher, the second pastor of Grantown-on-Spey Baptist Church, where he served for forty-one years. He worked on his farm, Ballenta, which his family has worked for three centuries, and took no stipend from the church for years. He preached at least five times a week and usually spent a few weeks each summer as an itinerant preacher.

The small Baptist Church in Grantown grew to 292 members and had several outreach Sunday Schools and preaching stations in the Grantown area. The Lord visited the community in gracious waves of revival during Grant's ministry, with two to three hundred people attending each of two midweek prayer meetings. Up to 1200 people attended the baptismal services he conducted in the River Spey.

Peter had no English until he was thirteen years old, and was succeeded in the pastorate by his son William, who also spoke Gaelic. William himself ministered to many of the 2000 or so navvies who camped in the area during the building of the Highland Railway.

George Mitchell obtained many of the papers on which he researched this remarkable Highland revival from Yvonne, the widow of John Fisher of Inverness, and Dr Ian Grant (Peter’s great-great-grandson) writes: ‘I think George Mitchell has captured the essence of Peter Grant in all his character.’

The book reveals Peter’s warmth in his family letters – he had ten children and seventy grandchildren – and the analysis and extracts from his preaching stir the heart. We capture the spirit of a remarkable preacher, whose sole resources for many years were a Bible and a small English dictionary! The book also illustrates the global reach of this Highland ministry.

Peter Grant lived through a fascinating kaleidoscope of social, historical and theological changes. These included the aftermath of the Jacobite rebellions, the control of the Moderates within the national church, the missions of the Haldane brothers, the Agrarian Revolution, the Highland Clearances, the Hungry Forties, the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars, and the Disruption of 1843.

Eric Alexander writes: ‘I knew almost nothing of Peter Grant before reading this excellent book. May the book be widely used to create a longing for true revival in the church in the twenty-first century!’