The late Mr John MacLennan, Elder, Diabaig*
* This and the following Obituary have been in proof for quite a while, but by some oversight have not been published till now. We apologise for delay.—Editor.
The Shieldaig Kirk-Session at its meeting on the eleventh June, 1960, referred to the removal by death of Mr John MacLennan, and decided that the following tribute be inserted in the records of the Kirk Session:—
“The Court desires to record the great sense of loss and grief occasioned by the removal from the Church on earth to his everlasting reward earlier this year of the esteemed member of this Court, Mr John MacLennan; and they consider it appropriate that a tribute to his memory be engrossed in the Kirk-Session Records of the Congregation. Mr MacLennan was born at Diabaig, Torridon, in 1866, and came to the knowledge of the truth in his early years under the preaching of Rev. Duncan Macbeath, Ness, Lewis, on a Communion occasion. He removed to Poolewe, near Gairloch, Ross-shire, to pursue his trade as a tailor. But later, on returning to his native place on marrying, he settled down there. He became a member while in Gairloch, and was elected to the office of the Eldership there. Later he became an elder in the Shieldaig congregation—about 1915. Thereafter, to the day of his death, he diligently served the Cause of Christ in the Kirk-Session of the congregation, where also at a later period he carried out the duties of a part-time Missionary, and also as an elder representing the congregation on Presbytery and Synod, performing all the duties of his office with faithfulness and zeal. He adorned the office of elder, as he did also his whole Christian profession with a lowly and saintly consistent walk and conversation. And the loss, therefore, to the Church Court and to the Church below is sorely felt in an age of abounding iniquity and lax Christian profession. Mr John MacLennan was an exercised believer whose Christian character was particularly marked by the grace of humility, the spirit of prayer which dwelt richly in him and by great diligence in attending the public means of grace. He often led the praise of the sanctuary in a most acceptable manner. He was a warm friend of the Free Presbyterian Church whose testimony he prized and cleaved to, and invariably maintained, and he was truly a companion of those that feared the Lord. ‘He kept the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.’ He was no self seeker, nor sought by eye service to please men, but after serving his generation by the will of God was gathered to his fathers at a ripe age. The Court wish to extend to his like-minded widow and to their two sons and two daughters, their heartfelt sympathy with them in their bereavement. They would commend them to the Lord and pray that the Spirit’s strong consolations may bring comfort to them in their sorrow.”
The following anecdotes may be of interest:—
While the dispute in 1893 was in progress one said to Mr MacLennan: “What good did Mr MacDonald do since he came here?” Mr MacLennan replied, “It is the Great Day of Judgment that will reveal that.”
While doing what he could to collect money in the surrounding districts to build the present F.P. Church for the congregation, he related that one person told him that information was abroad that they were doing Satan’s work in Shieldaig as they were building another church. He answered that the same accusation was made against the Saviour in His day. He said, however, that nearly everyone helped somewhat—on the whole liberally.
D. R. M.
The late Miss Annie Macdonald, North Uist
The subject of this notice was born at the Mill, Dusary, North Uist, and was the fourth member of a family of seven sons and four daughters. Both her parents were God-fearing, her father being a worthy and respected elder in the Free Presbyterian Church at Bayhead.
I regret that I am not in a position to say when, or by what means the saving change came about, but that she had undergone that change no one who knew her could doubt.
Quite early in her life she went to Glasgow, and after being there for some time decided to go to Canada. There she met with a few of the Church’s deputies and her friendship to those messengers of Christ remained green ever afterwards. Years later she returned to her native island, and, as a dutiful daughter, nursed her parents during their last years in the world.
It was in 1941 that Miss Macdonald became a member in full Communion, and it was evident to friends and foes that her profession was not in name only. The advancement of the Cause of Christ and especially in the congregation to which she belonged was a concern to her. This was manifested by her outstanding liberality in upholding it. Being endowed with strong mental gifts, she fully grasped and dearly loved the witness for the truth raised by the “Two Donalds” (as they were affectionately known in Uist) in 1893, when the Free Church did not repeal the infamous Declaratory Act of 1892. The “Two Donalds”—Revs. Donald Macfarlane and Donald Macdonald were natives of North Uist. Annie lived long enough to see the fruit of the Declaratory Act in the worship and practice of churches, and in the lives of professing men and women, but by the grace of God she was enabled to the end to adhere faithfully to the witness of 1893.
For the last year of her life she was unable to attend the public means of grace, but her interest in them was as keen as ever. She had the salvation of the young at heart and rejoiced to hear of them attending regularly the preaching of the Word. She was a mother in Israel indeed.
She often expressed the desire to depart this life without being a burden to others, and it pleased the Lord to grant her desire. She was only about three weeks confined to bed before the end came. The first week of her illness was spent at her own home, but when it became evident that constant attention was necessary she was removed to Sollas Schoolhouse, where she was tenderly nursed by Mr and Mrs Campbell. The latter is a niece of Miss Macdonald.
It was a privilege to visit our friend during her last illness. She verily knew the plague of her own heart, but her hope was in the blood which cleanseth from all sin. Some of her last words to the writer were, “I am a poor sinner, but I have a good hope through grace, and I have no desire to be left long in this world.” Conscious to the end, Miss Macdonald passed away, we believe “to be for ever with the Lord,” on the 30th day of September, 1960, at the advanced age of 82 years, and what was mortal sleeps in Clachan Sands Cemetery till “the trumpet shall sound and the dead in Christ shall rise first.”
We extend our sympathy to her only surviving brother and to her nephews and nieces, and would seek to pray for them what David sought for Solomon:—”And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee, but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off forever” (1st Chron. xxviii: 9).—A. M.