No visitor to Glenhinnisdale can fail to be impressed with the beauty of this glen situated about 12 miles from Portree. It was in glens such as this that piety flourished in days gone by in Scotland. Our sturdy and intelligent peasantry, well-informed through the reading of God’s Word and the Shorter Catechism, were an effective bulwark against the inroads of modernism and infidelity generated in the universities and colleges of our large cities. Sad to say, these glens are now becoming depopulated, due to Highlanders seeking the comfort and wealth of the towns, or being filled with an alien stock with no respect for the Bible, the Sabbath or the worship of God. The worthy woman whose name appears at the head of this notice was one who, though spending most of her life in this obscure glen, showed that she had been with Christ and learned of Him.
Margaret MacDonald was her maiden name and she was born in Low Eyre in the parish of Snizort seventy-seven years ago. Her parents belonged to the present Free Church where she herself remained until after her marriage. On the conclusion of her school days she became a teacher and it was while engaged in this occupation that she met and married Malcolm MacLeod, whose home was in the Glen. They were blessed with seven children, all of whom were present at their mother’s funeral. Malcolm MacLeod was a highly-esteemed communicant in the Portree congregation. Although elected an elder, his natural diffidence and the low estimation he had of his own fitness for the office prevented him from accepting the responsibility. He predeceased his wife by a number of years but his memory is still savoury to those who knew him.
Like the rest of Adam’s race, Mrs. MacLeod was born into the world dead in trespasses and sins, and nothing short of the power from Heaven was able to move her out of that state. Her father died when she was young but such a loss, though great, made no lasting impression upon her. Upon the death of a young relative, however, her brother John, who appears to have been a godly man, reasoned with her over the state of her soul in view of Death and Eternity. He concluded by saying to her, “See that you pray for yourself,” to which she replied, “Yes, and see that you pray for me also.” The deep impression made upon her at this time continued and she now began to pray in reality for the salvation of her soul. The work of effectual calling was carried on gradually in her experience. She was a long time in bondage as she sought with all her might to please God with her own works. This is the hope of the natural man and from such confidence every soul must be cut off who is to have his portion in Christ. Mrs. MacLeod had to learn this solemn and salutary lesson so that the preciousness of salvation by grace alone would be seen in all its God-glorifying and soul-satisfying beauty. She could draw no comfort from her own deeds which she saw now to be all polluted with sin, and this brought her low in her mind. One day, in this state, she was making the beds at home when the thought powerfully entered her mind, “Do you not know that it is all for Christ’s sake?” Her mind began to be exercised by this thought and she began to see that it is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us.” Some time later she was brought to the full liberty of the gospel through reading the sermons of Rev. W. Romaine. She mentioned to us that although her conversion was gradual and over a considerable period of time yet Satan was not permitted to harass her often on that point, or to becloud her hope of having been united to Christ, even when her progress and growth in grace were a real concern to her. In this connection she told of an incident which happened in the home of the late Ann Munro, Portree, over 20 years ago. There were several of the Lord’s people in the house as well as Mrs. MacLeod. There was one present who, in speaking of spiritual experience, was able to tell some very striking incidents in connection with being brought from darkness to light. The late Finlay Morrison, missionary at Flashadder, who knew Mrs. MacLeod well, turned to her and said, “Where are you now, Mrs. MacLeod?” She replied, “Well, this is the truth I got while listening to what was being said, ‘What is that to thee; follow thou Me.'”
Some time before Mrs. MacLeod made a public profession, she was in the byre among the cattle when the question came powerfully to her, “Lovest thou Me?” At first she did not have the strength to answer the question but as she began to meditate on the love of the One Who put the question she felt she could indeed say, “Lord, Thou knowest all things, Thou knowest that I love Thee.” “That was a happy day for me,” she said, “but I have had many a cold one since.” Shortly after this she came forward in Portree and was received as a communicant. That took place in March, 1925, and from that day Mrs. MacLeod was kept a consistent follower of the Lamb as well as an encouraging and sincere friend to all who sought the good of Sion. She was not one who had a name to live and yet was dead. She felt her needs and knew the One Who alone could supply these needs through the means He had appointed for that purpose. On one occasion she had a great desire to go to Flashadder Communion. The day turned out very wet and, as they had a long distance to walk, her husband, who was to go with her, hesitated to go. She insisted on leaving home at least, so great did she feel her desire to be. Her husband agreed and they set off. By the time they reached Flashadder, however, her mind had become very confused and she was tempted as to whether or not it was a real spiritual desire which took her to the Communion. Rev. N. Cameron, in inviting the communicants to the Table, quoted the words: “Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.” These words were accompanied with such power to Mrs. MacLeod’s soul that she was convinced that it was this hunger and thirst which made her follow after the Gospel and which had brought her to Flashadder on that occasion. It was another good day in her experience.
As mentioned already, it was after her marriage that Mrs. MacLeod left the Free Church and came over to the Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland. She told us the portion of truth which led her to take this step but it has escaped our memory. Being of an intelligent turn of mind, she had a good grasp of the principles of the Church and fully approved of our separate position in order to maintain a clear witness on the side of Christ and His Word in Scotland.
Mrs. MacLeod’s health began to fail very much in her latter years, and eventually she came to reside with her daughter, who is nurse in Portree, where she was tenderly cared for until the end. During the last two years she said that that portion frequently came to her, “Let not him that girdeth on his armour boast himself as he that putteth it off”—I Kings 20, 11. She felt that she, herself, was drawing near the end of her warfare. Last New Year she found great sweetness in the words, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes”—Rev. 7, 17, and remarked how wonderful it was to think of God wiping away the tears of His own people. In the January before she died, a friend called in to see her and said, “You look better today.” To her Mrs. MacLeod replied, “I did not expect to see you again for I woke with these words, ‘So to the haven he them brings which they desired to see’—Ps. 107, 30. As she often said, she was waiting for the Ferry-boat and wearying that it was not coming. During this time it was a precious privilege to be going to see one who was so obviously ripening for the Father’s House. The end came in March on the Tuesday after the Portree Communion. When we called to see her one of the days of the Communion she said that she wished she could be with us on the Sabbath. Though that was not to be, she had not long to wait until she entered the eternal Sabbath where communion with Christ and His people shall never end.
To the bereaved family we extend our sincere sympathy. May they seek the God of their parents for it is written, “If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him He will cast thee off for ever”—I Chron. 28, 9.—D. MACLEAN.