THE Scripture which says that “the righteous man perisheth and no man layeth it to heart, and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come” might be applied to us as a people. The Lord is removing His own people from our midst. North and South, but how few take to heart that they are removed from the fearful judgments which are threatening us as a land. When the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, are few in number, the removal of one will cause a great blank. Such a blank was made in the Edinburgh congregation by the sudden removal of Mr. John MacLeod, Elder.
John was born in Glendale, Skye, in the year 1882. He was the son of the late Roderick MacLeod, Borve, and a grandson of the godly blind Norman MacLeod, Glendale, who died at the patriarchal age of 101 years.
John’s early Christian training made an impression on his mind so that even in his unconverted days he had a great outward respect for the things of God, especially the Sabbath day. He came to Edinburgh when a young man and was employed by Messrs. Macniven and Cameron. In coming to the city he associated himself with our congregation and took a lively interest in all its concerns, supporting it with his means and presence. In 1905 when the congregation passed through a severe ordeal, the majority having joined the Free Church, John faithfully stood by the testimony raised in 1893. Being an intelligent reader and an independent thinker he had a firm grasp of the reasons for which the Free Presbyterian Church stood and no persuasion could dissuade him from giving them up and he held them firmly to the end of his days.
In 1916 he joined the Army and spent most of his military life in Salonica. Being demobilised in 1919, he returned home to his wife and family. He found it difficult to get employment which would not involve him in Sabbath work. With a large family to support this was a trying and testing ordeal, but he was sympathetically supported by Mrs. Macleod in his attitude. He was offered and accepted an appointment with the Edinburgh Corporation Tramcar Company, on condition that he would not be asked to work on Sabbath. The Company accepted his terms but stipulated that he would supply a substitute. To this he agreed and for a time did not realise that he was guilty in engaging another man to take his place. Sometime after I became minister of the Edinburgh congregation John called on me with the purpose of expressing his intention of coming forward as a member in full communion. After relating some of his experience and his hope that he was delivered from the fearful pit and miry clay he went on to speak of how his mind was troubled about engaging another to take his place on the Sabbath. I told him that from my own personal experience I was convinced he was almost as guilty as the one who took his place. With this view he fully concurred and resolved not to come before the Session. I advised him to make the question a matter of prayer and to go to the Manager and ask him to be relieved of his responsibility. To this he replied that it would be futile as he (the Manager) would not grant his request. Sometime after on calling at his house he told me he had got rid of the Sabbath responsibility. “Did you go to the Manager?” I asked. “No,” he said, “but he came to me and said: ‘MacLeod, we take the responsibility of supplying a man to take your place on Sabbath.'” This surely was a clear answer to prayer and the care the Lord had over him. “When a man’s ways please the Lord He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.”
Sometime after John appeared before the Session and gave an account of the Lord’s dealings with him as a lost, guilty sinner and of his hope for eternity, with which the Session was fully satisfied. In 1931 he was unanimously elected an Elder and faithfully performed the duties of that office to the entire satisfaction of his brethren. One could not wish for a more agreeable and peaceable member in a church court than he. He was a man given much to private prayer and meditation and we often enjoyed his exercises in public prayer, especially, when he spoke of the love and sufferings of Christ.
Until a few years ago he enjoyed a healthy, robust constitution, but latterly was much troubled with a weak heart and high blood pressure which made walking any distance difficult for him. Living at a distance from the church he had to leave early to be in time for the service. On Sabbath 31st July he left home in his usual health for the service and after walking a few hundred yards he fell on the pavement and immediately expired, we believe, to enter into the joy of his Lord. His sudden death came as a great shock to the congregation and his removal is greatly missed and deeply mourned by them all. May this loud call be blessed to us as a people and may the Lord arise in infinite mercy and raise up the children instead of the fathers and repair the breaches on the walls of Zion.
We wish to express our sincere sympathy with Mrs. MacLeod and family in their sad and sore bereavement and would pray that the Lord, who promised to be a husband to the widow and a father to the fatherless, be their God and Comforter in their deep sorrow.—N. M.