The Late Hector MacLeod, Elder, Gairloch
Hector Macleod was born in Gairloch in 1915 and remained there until the declaration of war led to his being called up for the Armed Forces in 1939. Shortly before this he was favoured with a call to a more glorious service, even to serve the Lord whom he followed henceforth for many years. He passed through a time of deep concern for his soul’s salvation but ultimately was enabled to profess his faith in Christ. It was from the warmth of this spiritual experience, together with the sweet fellowship of the people of God, that he was transferred to the rigours of army life in time of active service. The Lord encouraged him by his word assuring him that he would never leave nor forsake him. His great concern was that he would prove faithful to his Lord and Saviour, but he was able to testify, ‘while many a day I was pelted with various articles while on my knees, the Lord strengthened me and enabled me to witness on His side.’
It was no small part of his burden as he proceeded to engage in the warfare with the Germans, that so many of the young men with him, were not prepared to die. At one time he was posted between the Seigfreid and Maginot Lines. It was here that he could testify, ‘the Lord gave me strength to refuse an order from a colour sergeant to go with him on a Sabbath day to a certain village to buy drink which he was to sell to the young men and make a big profit for himself. Although he threatened me that I could be shot for disobeying a command, I was enabled to hold out. When we were captured at St Valery this man who had accumulated £500, had to burn the money as no-one would accept it.’ Hector had been brought very near to death during the fighting when a shell landed at his side killing the man beside him.
From St Valery he was led (walking) to Germany and of him it could be said as truly as it was said of Joseph ‘The Lord was with him’ in the prison. He came in contact with a young man from Scalpay, Harris who often sang the spiritual songs of Dugald Buchanan. This made Hector desire to have such a book but that seemed impossible. However four or six months later a parcel arrived at the camp (having been passed through some other camps) addressed to nobody and no one would accept it. It was opened here, and to his surprise and delight it contained a copy of that very book referred to.
There was another book he longed to obtain as it had been a source of real blessing to him when he was converted and that was Spurgeon’s Twelve Sermons on the death and Passion of Christ. Again, after about six months a parcel arrived from Glasgow containing this book.
His labour in Germany was in a quarry and there he had remarkable tokens of the Lord’s goodness to him in that the manager of the quarry was providing him with a sandwich every day during a great part of the time he was in that quarry.
The Lord had given him at the very beginning of his captivity a sense that the stay would be long and this had the effect of settling his mind and raising his hopes of ultimate deliverance. And this deliverance came in May 1945 when he had reached twenty-nine years of age. Afterwards he could testify — “I can say that in all my spiritual life (53 years) I never had such nearness to the Lord as I had in the German camp. Many a day I feel like the children of Israel. ‘But soon did they His mighty works forget unthankfully’. Psalm 106: 13.”
After release, he returned to Gairloch where the congregation were to reap the benefits of these rich spiritual experiences and were to realise that in him they had no common gift. His employment was with the Roads Department where he was soon promoted to a position of responsibility.
It was in keeping with his deep and true humility that he hesitated to accept office in the congregation. Ultimately he did occupy the office of deacon and elder in turn and proved himself, by the grace of God, eminently suited. His spiritual gifts were as rare as the measure of grace. In prayer he had an unusual sense of the Divine Majesty and the need of the blood of the Lamb in approaching that Being. His language in preaching assimilated that of Rutherford. When the need arose he led the praises of the sanctuary with reverence and a degree of melody. He was very conscious that he was a sinful creature and in himself unfit to engage in holy worship. He gave of his time and services freely and would disdain to take anything by way of reward. In church courts he kept a very low and humble profile with his voice seldom heard while he undoubtedly was given much to prayer with regard to all church matters.
As treasurer of the congregation he manifested the utmost degree of integrity. He would not spend unnecessarily but was most generous in case of real need. The trust put upon him in this connection was not misplaced, as he was very conscious that the money which he handled was the Lord’s.
During a long vacancy he had the burden of taking numerous services and was partly responsible for the great degree of peace and harmony that prevailed.
Nor were his activities limited to his own congregation but throughout the church he was a frequent visitor at communion seasons. At such times he was the means of bringing refreshment to the people of God. He often, in speaking to the question, on the Fridays of communion seasons, spoke of his grief at seeing the general decay of religion in the land and urged upon all to hold fast to the truth. In his regard for the testimony raised in 1893 he was unflinching.
At communion seasons in his own place, his house was filled with welcome guests who were well entertained, not only with the bounties of this world, but with his edifying conversation. What he did in this connection was without the least degree of ostentation but with a manifest singleness of eye to the glory of God and the good of the Cause of Christ which was near to his heart. In his home he showed himself to be a devoted and good husband and a wise father.
For many years Hector MacLeod enjoyed very good health. Two years prior to his death this was altered and he suffered a severe illness but even then he could not be persuaded to stay away from the means of grace but struggled hard to be at every service on Sabbath and on weekday. The congregation were much refreshed by his spiritual exercises at this time when he even excelled his former times.
Throughout his life he appeared to have a high measure of assurance of his state of salvation in and through the Lord Jesus Christ even when conflicting with the power of unbelief within and with the corruptions of his fallen nature. During his last illness it was not so but he was greatly harassed by Satan. On one occasion it was the portion found in John 5: 24 that relieved him “He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death to life.” For him death was, in the words of the late Rev Archibald Cook, “a solemn thing to the greatest child of God that has assurance that he will never drink of God’s wrath. The thought of passing into the hands of the High God makes him tremble.”
He expressed his view that the Father was seeing the elect under the cover of the blood that cleanses from all sin, from all eternity. Often did he utter the words, “Gather not my soul with sinners” dreading the thought of being with the ungodly world for eternity.
The last week of his life witnessed him suffering much pain and discomfort and even then his thoughts dwelt more on the sufferings of Christ for his sins than upon his own pains.
On Sabbath 13th November, 1995 he passed away to be with the Lord and his remains were laid to rest in the Gairloch cemetery on the following Wednesday to await a glorious resurrection. “The memory of the just is blessed.”
Alfred E. W. MacDonald