Most ministers today are downright boring, irritating, just plain wrong, or all three. Angus Smith who died this week aged 90 after battling cancer was one who stood out from the crowd. Probably what contributed most to this was his famed stand against Sabbath ferries in Kyleakin, Skye, in 1965 when he was physically carried off the slipway by police officers. Drama always sticks best in the memory.
Angus had the best style of preaching: measured, slow, deliberate, precise. With proper pauses. For me, the only two other ministers in our church that stand out for demonstrating this ability to the same exceptional degree are also deceased. They are the Revs. Donald Maclean (Glasgow) and Alec morrison (Uist). These men knew how to deliver a message. No snoring under them.
It was a rare sermon of Angus's where you learned nothing new. He was very sociable, good in company and would freely discuss matters with anyone regardless of their station. He would give you his opinion honestly. He wasn't held back by concerns about what anyone might think. I rare quality in ministers. On one occasion he advised a young FP minister that the way he carried himself seemed affected, not genuine, put on. Words to that effect.
I think he became a better preacher after he left the Free Church. The reason I say this is because I heard a recording of him preaching while he was still a Free Church minister. He was preaching on the doctrine of the Millennium and during the sermon he made it crystal clear that he was an A millennarian. He stated that he believed the Millennium began at the crucifixion and that the modern time in which we live is the little season when Satan is loosed. At many points during the sermon he became so angry and shouted so loudly that the microphone went dead due to the volume. I suppose that sermon may have been recorded during his more difficult period as minister in Ness, Lewis. Angus would have been the first to admit that he was far from perfect - as all men are. I never heard him preaching in that manner while I knew him - he was ever an example of calmness. Neither did I hear him mention the Millennium.
Certainly while I knew him he had very good insight. I remember on one occasion he told me: 'No denomination has survived.' Meaning that no matter how good any part of the Christian church was at its beginning, as time went on it was inevitably infiltrated by those whose labour is to destroy. An inevitability, as Satan always works hardest on the true Church: his number one target.
The following are some notes I jotted down from sermons I heard him preach in the Stornoway FP church.
Sabbath morning: 23/10/16.
'The most fearful warfare is the spiritual warfare.'
'They are terrified by the thought of the devil appearing physically, but at the same time he is their intimate companion.'
Sabbath evening 13/8/17.
Romans 8:34.
'Christ went into the grave, went into death, and defeated it.'
'The first day of the week has far more glory than the seventh, because the seventh represents creation, but the first represents salvation.'
'"I go to the Father." More wonderful than saying: "I go to heaven."'
Sabbath morning 29/10/17.
Isaiah 6:9-10.
'Sovereignty can only be complete.'
'This coal has touched your lips: this coal gives you the authority to preach the gospel.'
'Pharoah asked Moses to pray for him.'
'People are taught Christianity is being good to your fellow man. That is part of it, but it is not the heart of it. The heart of it is to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.'
Sabbath morning 10/12/17.
Revelation 22:1.
'He fills all in all. No creature could behold the glory of God. You would have to be God himself to behold that.'
'The church is going down among ourselves but he will bring people alive in other parts of the world.'
Sabbath morning 17/3/19.
1 John 2:1-5.
'I will endeavour to say a word to the Lord's people, I will endeavour to say a word to those that are not God's people and I will also endeavour to say something to the hypocrites.'
'It's no use to say, "I was a Christian up to a certain point, but then I gave it up." That man was never a Christian, never, never, never.'
'No sinner can keep the word of God perfectly. When he can, he will no longer be in this world.'
Sabbath morning 12/5/19. His last sermon.
1 John 3:1-3.
'The world's view of hope is, "maybe", "perhaps". But the word of God never speaks in this way. Never.'
