THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE BY Roderick MacCowan " Ah ! what are saints the better for our praise."—Quarles " Whose praises having slept in silence long."—Spenser Glasgow : Edinburgh : JOHN MACNEILAGE I NORMAN MACLEOD 65 Great Western Road 25 George IV. Bridge Portree: JOHN MACLAINE 1902 CONTENTS. Preface, Introduction, Donald Munro, . Alexander MacLeod, John MacCowan, Norman MacLeod, Donald MacQueen, Hector MacLean, Angus Munro, . Ronald MacDonald, Angus MacLeod, Alexander Munro, John Munro, Neil Stewart, . Nicol Nicolson, Donald MacDonald, Peter MacPhee,. Donald Nicolson, John MacLeod, . John MacLeod, . John MacSween, Malcolm Nicolson, John MacKay, . Donald MacDonald, John Maclnnes,. Alexander Maclntyre, Alexander Finlayson, Walter MacKay, \ ' ¦ CONTENTS. PAGE Angus MacNeil,......... l&3 Lachlan MacRae,......... '84 Peter MacKinnon.......... 185 Neil Maclnnes........... 186 Kenneth Campbell,......... 187 Malcolm MacFarlane,........ '"7 John MacLeod, 187 Alexander MacPherson, . : . ." ' .' • .188 Malcolm Maclnnes, . .' / . ¦ •' • • .188 John MacKenzie,......... '88 John MacKenzie,......... '89 Alexander MacKinnon, :....... 189 Angus' MacKinnon,......... '89 John MacKinnon, ;........ J89 Thomas Noble,.......... l89 Donald Campbell, . ....... 189 Donald Lamont, . ....... '91 Angus Nicolson,......... 193 Donald MacQueen,......... 198 Donald MacDonald.......... 199 Colin Elder,.......... 201 Nicol Maclntyre,......... 203 John Campbell,.......... 207 appendix. Poems by Malcolm Nicolson,....... 215 „ Donald MacDonald,....... 225 „ „ Donald Maclnnes,....... 229 preface. I feel there is no need for any apology for the production of this little book on the " men " of Skye, as I believe— and many share that belief—that something of the kind should have been written long ago. My only regret, however, is that the work has not been more competently done. I collected the material for these biographical essays from trustworthy persons in my native island, and also from friends belonging to it, resident in the city of Glasgow. I take the liberty to mention the names of Messrs. Norman Munro, missionary, Staffin, and John MacCaskill, missionary, Minginish, Skye; and also Messrs. Donald Kelly and Peter Campbell, Glasgow. My thanks are also due to the Rev. James S. Sinclair, Glasgow, for suggestions and assistance in correcting the proofs. My main desire is that the Lord would bless this humble attempt to perpetuate the memories of the worthy " fathers" of Skye, and that the example of their lives may serv? as a stimulus to many. RODERICK MACCOWAN. Glasgow, February 8, 1902. introduction. The following sketches deal with the lives of eminent Christians who were raised up by God, in the Isle of Skye, during the early part of the nineteenth century. Skye has been pre-eminently indebted to laymen for the Gospel of Christ. Among these stands forth as chief the well-known and highly revered Donald Munro, the blind preacher, himself converted through the instrumentality of a lay evangelist, one of the men sent out by the Haldanes. We do not attempt here any detailed notice of the eminent ministers of Skye. The most renowned of these was the Rev. Roderick MacLeod, Snizort, familiarly spoken of as " Mr. Roderick." Reference to him and other ministers will be found scattered here and there throughout these pages. The famous missionary, Columba, was the first person who carried the Gospel to Skye, in the sixth century, and the Reformation also made its way into it, when the land was delivered from Popery; but during the eighteenth century Moderatism spread its withering blight over the Island, as indeed it did over the greater part of Scotland. There weret however, even in this dark period a few evangelical ministers in Skye. It must be said of them, nevertheless, that they had fallen into a low condition, and appeared to possess but little spiritual vitality, their ministrations having small effect on the hearts and lives of the people. Ecclesiastical historians aptly describe the latter half of the eighteenth century as " The Midnight of the Church of Scotland." Moderatism was predominant. X INTRODUCTION. Rowland Hill, who made a tour through Scotland about this time, informs us who the Moderates were, and what were the results their preaching was fitted to produce. He writes : -"I fear the Scots, by far the best educated and best behaved people in the British dominions, will soon be no better than their neighbours. Like their ministers, they will all become Moderates; first, they will be moderate in religion, they will have a moderate notion of Jesus Christ and the Gospel of Salvation, for we cannot expect they will be better than their teachers; they will next be contented with a moderate share of love to God, of prayer and of repentance; they will be more moderate in regard to the use of their Bibles, and be more moderate in their zeal in teaching their children the Assembly's Catechism, and this will lead them to be moderate in morality. In point of chastity, sobriety, honesty, etc., they will soon become moderate, and be very anxious to grow in this fashionable moderation till they become immoderately wicked unless, through Divine mercy, they hear a little more of the ' grace of God that bringeth salvation,' the only doctrine that teacheth us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust, and to live righteously, soberly, and godly in this present evil world." Under such preaching the people were careless and godless. Another eminent man* describes the Moderates in the following terms:—"Many of the clergy were genuine Socinians; many of them were ignorant of the teaching of Scripture. They seemed miserable in the discharge of every ministerial duty. . . . When they preached, their sermons generally turned on honesty, good neighbourhood, and kindness. To deliver a Gospel sermon, or preach to the hearts and consciences of dying sinners, was as completely beyond their power as to speak in the language of angels—their discourses were destitute of everything a sinner needs. . . . The congregation rarely amounted to a tenth of the parishioners, and the one-half of this small number were generally, during the half-hour's soporific harangue, fast * Dr. Hamilton of Strathblane. INTRODUCTION. xi asleep." And another historian says that under the Moderate ministers " the people went to church, took their seats, and settled down to sleep." The ways of the Lord are wonderful, and His thoughts higher than the thoughts of men. He takes His own way and means to accomplish the ends He has in view from eternity. When He has work to do, He prepares those whom He will use as instruments for it. When the cause of Christ was so low and dark in Scotland that it was midnight, He raised up two men who did more to keep alive true evangelical religion than any hundred of the ministers who were in the Church at the time when they commenced their labour of love. I mean the Haldanes. A brief reference to them appears useful and necessary, as they are not so widely and popularly known as they should be, ignorance of their history having, presumably, arisen from their being the founders of Congregationalism in Scotland, and their having dropped away from the Churches which contained the majority of the population. There were two brothers, Robert and James Haldane. Robert, the elder, was born in London on the 28th of February, 1764. His younger brother, James, was born at Dundee, on the 14th July, 1768, within a fortnight after his father's death. They were descended from an ancient Perthshire family. Their father was a captain in the Navy. As to early training, they were greatly indebted to their mother, who was a decided Christian. " From their infancy she laboured to instil into their minds a sense of the importance of eternity, particularly impressing upon them the necessity of prayer, and teaching them to commit to memory and understand Psalms, portions of the Shorter Catechism, and of Scripture." She set an excellent lesson and example to parents, and particularly to mothers, to pay attention to the religious instruction of their children. The infidelity which prevails so largely in the present generation is traceable, in no slight degree, to the carelessness and negligence of parents in instructing their * See Lives of the Haldanes. xii INTRODUCTION. offspring in the Word of God, as also to the evil doctrines instilled into the minds of the young in the schools. Many parents now iend their children to classes for dancing and music in preference to those exercises connected with their instruction in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They set their feet on the high road to atheism and infidelity. The teaching of the Shorter Catechism and the Psalms is gradually becoming a thing of the past. Catechising is almost wholly abandoned, with the result that the youth of Scotland are falling away into practical indifference to, and disregard for, any religion. The seed sown by this pious mother in the minds of her children grew up, and, in God's good time, it bore much fruit. Both Robert and James joined the Navy, and they were both captains before they left the service. From the account given, it is clear that the Haldanes underwent a true Scriptural conversion. There was, however, no human instrumentality. " It was neither sudden nor violent. It was the act of God, and, as such, mysterious in its origin, decisive in its character, and effectual in its results." The foundation of their profession was well and deeply laid, and the superstructure was worthy of the foundation. Shortly after being converted, they left the Government service, and devoted their time and means to the advancement of the cause of Christ in the world. Robert planned a mission to Bengal, but in consequence of the opposition of the India Company, and others then in power, the design had to be abandoned. He sold the estate of Airthrey, valued about .£70,000, in order that he might have more freedom to travel, and means at hand to expend on the cause. The Haldanes were self-denying Christian men, and indefatigable in their efforts for the advance of Christianity. James Haldane started on a course of touring through Scotland, preaching the Gospel, distributing tracts, and founding prayer meetings and Sabbath schools here and there. In 1797 he itinerated through the Northern counties and the Orkney Islands, preaching as he went, INTRODUCTION. xiii and his labour of love was acknowledged by the Lord to the conversion of many souls. This circumstance was sure to incur the opposition and obloquy of the Moderates, who did all in their power to dissuade the people from attending on the preaching of the Haldanes. On one occasion a precentor of one of those ministers said he would not go to hear them because they were Latiludinarians. " And what," said Haldane, " do you mean by that term ? " "I mean," said the ill-taught and ignorant precentor, " by Latitudinarians, those who go about preaching the Gospel for nothing." At another time, while preaching in Argyllshire, they were arrested and sent to Kintyre under an escort of Volunteers. When they were brought before the Sheriff, and the provisions of the Toleration Act were pointed out, the Sheriff dismissed them, saying, " Gentlemen, you are at liberty." Such proceedings, instigated by the Moderate ministers, had the natural effect of attracting larger crowds to listen to the Haldanes. The parish ministers, who did not seek the eternal salvation of their congregations, began to fear and to warn the people against them, and curious and ridiculous were some of the intimations some of those ignominious clergy made from their pulpits. Here is a specimen : " I have to inform you that those preachers who have been for some time disturbing the peace of the country are expected here also, and I hope you will give them no encouragement. It is possible they may preach and pray better than I do, but, sure I am, they have not a better heart."* Such is Mr. Self without any cloak to cover his nakedness. Robert Haldane travelled on the Continent, inquiring into, and promoting the cause of his Master. He visited Geneva, where the Church had so far apostatised as to hold the writings of the heathen philosophers in higher estimation than the Word of God, the writings of Plato, Aristotle, and Seneca than the writings of the inspired prophets and apostles. Haldane was the means of the * Lives of the Haldanes, p. 289. xiv INTRODUCTION. conversion of many theological students, and many who became eminent men dated their awakening to his visits among whom were D'Aubigne, the historian of the Reformation, Monod, and Gaussen. The Haldanes founded seminaries with the intention of educating and qualifying pious young men to go forth to preach the Gospel. These institutions were undenominational. The students were taught by qualified men. Mr. Farquharson, who went to Skye, and was the means, in the hand of God, of the conversion of blind Donald Munro, received some training in one of these schools. The following notice of him is to be found in the " Lives of the Haldanes."* " The revival in Breadal-bane was entirely begun by a devoted catechist, a Mr. Farquharson, who had been recommended on account of his earnest zeal and godliness to Mr Haldane's class at Dundee, but whose capacity for learning seemed, on trial, hardly to warrant his persevering in academical studies. He was therefore sent away to Breadalbane at the end of his first six months, with the view of trying whether he might not be of use as a Scripture reader amongst the poor and uneducated Highlanders. The district was at that time destitute of evangelical preaching. There were actually no Bibles, scarcely any Testaments, and the people lived without prayer. So great was the opposition to the devoted catechist when he commenced his labours that, in a circle of thirty-two miles round Loch Tay, every inn was shut against him, and there were only three families that would yield him hospitality. But it often pleases the Lord to work by the feeblest instruments, and " to choose the weak things of the world, and things which are despised, to confound the things that are mighty." Despite of opposition and neglect, he went from village to village during the winter reading the Bible, and speaking the words of salvation to all who would listen. In the spring of 1801 there was some awakening, and early in 1802 so great a revival took place that in a very short * " Lives of the Haldanes," p. 316. INTRODUCTION. xv time there were about one hundred persons, previously ignorant of the Gospel, who seemed to be truly converted. These conversions occasioned a great sensation and much opposition. It produced in these Highland glens a kind of religious persecution. . . . " In 1802 the humble and holy man through whose instrumentality this revival took place was himself sent a prisoner to Aberdeen for preaching the Gospel in Braemar. Mr. Farquharson had not been many hours in gaol before a lawyer waited upon him and put a book into his hand, stating that a part of it was written in the very cell in which he was confined. " Read it," said the gentleman, " and you will soon be liberated," and immediately retired. To his no small surprise, Mr. Farquharson found it to be " Rutherford's Letters." This led him to muse on the sufferings of the godly author, and he thought his own but light in comparison. Mr. Farquharson was soon released, in consequence of the intervention of his friendly visitor, who was better acquainted with the Toleration Act than Mr. Farquharson's ignorant and bigoted persecutors." The above is an example of the moderation of the Moderates. A godly author says that we oft see a false spirit in those that call for moderation. In 1805 Mr. Farquharson visited the Isle of Skye. Revivals had taken place under his preaching before he went there. He was much acknowledged by the Lord. It was. the success which attended his labours that roused the enemies of the Gospel to lodge him in jail in Aberdeen. The cause of Christ in the Isle of Skye was in a low state at that time. Moderatism was on the ascendancy. " It is probable," says the writer of a Tract on Revivals which was published in Glasgow in the beginning of last century, "that the truth as it is in Jesus had never before been publicly proclaimed in the Island which he now visited. From the parochial pulpits, there is too much reason to fear, it did not go forth; and the remoteness of the districts had hitherto precluded the visits of those not connected with the Church who, toward the close of the last xvi INTRODUCTION. century and beginning of the present, travelled over the country promulgating sound doctrine and, we believe, sincerely seeking the salvation of souls." The state of religion in Skye was then undoubtedly unfavourable, but it is too much to say that the truth had never, before Mr. Farquharson's visit, been proclaimed in the Island. The Moderate ministers were opposed to spiritual revivals, or any movements of this kind, among the people. They stamped them as fanaticism and enthusiasm. They also considered themselves to be in possession of a sort of monopoly of religion, and supposed they had the right to interdict any who ventured to preach the Gospel within their parochial limits. In addition to the oppression of the Moderates, the people had many other disadvantages to grapple with. Few could read the Scriptures, and scarcely any copies of the Bible were in their possession. " In a population of many thousands not above five or six Testaments could be numbered, and their value had never been appreciated."* Still, dark as those times were in Skye, there was a desire after the Gospel created in a few among the people. The writer has heard of a young woman, living in the west of the Island, who left her native place and her father's house simply because the Gospel was not preached there. Her father and mother, in parting with her, gave her, not their benediction but their seven curses for leaving home. She was immovable, and would not remain. Perhaps, like others, she would be looked upon as an idiot by those who did not understand what it was to be restless and sick with the love of Christ. She travelled to the North of Scotland, and shortly after attended a communion there. A God-fearing minister, in inviting the Lord's people to the table, said, " You that left father and mother, with their seven curses on your head, I invite thee to the Lord's table." There is no doubt but the Lord made good His promise—" Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or * Tract on Revivals. INTRODUCTION. xvii father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my sake and the Gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time . . . with persecutions, and in the world to come eternal life."—Mark x. 29, 30. In the Tract on Revival, already referred to, an account is given of another in these terms :—" Many years ago, and long before any awakening took place in Skye, a young girl, of little more than childish years, residing in a glen which, during the revival, was distinguished by much of Divine power, became deeply impressed with the idea that God was not in her native isle. At the same time she was overcome by the feeling that she must go in pursuit of Him where He was to be found. She accordingly stole away from her parents, and travelled across the country to the usual outlet by the ferry to the mainland. As she proceeded, she made no secret of the errand on which she had departed, and, as her relations had taken up the opinion that she had become unsound in her mind, little attempt was made to recall her. As soon as she was out of Skye she began to ask every passenger with whom she met where she might find God, for that He was not in her country. She called at houses, too, by the way, asking direction in her uncommon inquiry. Pity and kind treatment marked the conduct of all towards her. Her question excited surprise, but as her manner expressed sincerity and deep earnestness, everyone answered soothingly, and as unwilling to interfere with the hallucination under which they conceived she laboured. In this way she journeyed for days and weeks; but, though disappointed in every application for the knowledge which she sought, she did not desist. At length she reached the town of Inverness, often heard of, and which her youthful imagination had long pictured the centre of all that was good and valuable, as well as great. The first person whom she there met, and to whom she made application, was a pious lady, addressed by her on the street. She stopped her, and said in Gaelic: " I am come from Skye, where God is not—can you tell me where I shall find Him ? " The lady B xviii INTRODUCTION. was struck not more with the unusual nature of the address than the deep-toned earnestness and solemnity of her manner. Her first impression was that of all the others to whom the poor child had spoken by the way; but she engaged in conversation with her, and became satisfied of her sanity. " Come with me," at last she said; " perhaps I can bring you to where you shall find God." She took her to her home. Next day was Sabbath. The wanderer accompanied her kind protector to the House of God. For the first time the Gospel was declared in her hearing—it came " in demonstration of the Spirit and of power " to her soul. She was an awakened sinner, and soon became a happy convert; lived for many years in the lady's family; never again returned to Skye; married and settled in the parish of Croy, near Inverness, and was one of the most eminent Christians of her day. She lived long, and was greatly distinguished for her devotedness and fervency as a follower of the Lamb. Often have the pious in Skye said to each other—" Who can tell but the prayers of her who was led by a way which she knew not to the knowledge of the God of Abraham may be receiving their answer in the great work which, in this dark place, He has been pleased to produce ? " And who can tell ? If the Lord prepares by His grace those who plead with Him, those who lay hold on His strength, will He not in due time answer them, and declare His faithfulness? Often, doubtless, were this woman's earnest supplications offered up for her native isle; and if, though after a long time, the day-spring from on high did visit it,' and the light which beams from Zion's hill did shine into the vale where first she drew breath, who will say but in granting this blessing the Hearer of prayer had regard to her request, and fulfilled the word of His promise—that the seed of Jacob seek Him not in vain? No one can estimate how great a blessing it is to have a friend- -a child of God—to pray for him; and no one can tell how valuable and important was the result connected with the simple event now related, which separated an insignificant individual INTRODUCTION. xix from her country and kindred that, far from her home, she might learn to pray to the living God, and that a long life should be passed in seeking light for those who sat in darkness, and times of refreshing for those who were perishing in a dry and barren wilderness." The writer of the tract just quoted says that Mr. Farquharson itinerated for a considerable time in Portree, Snizort, Kilmuir, Diuirinish, and Bracadale, and that his sermons consisted of powerful and faithful testimonies against the abounding sins of the country, clear and energetic illustrations of evangelical truth, solemn protests against the soul-destroying doctrine of justification by human merit (an antidote to Moderatism), with affectionate and solemn warnings and invitations addressed to his hearers as lost sinners. His appeals excited great attention, and produced no small inquiry among the people. It was this excellent preacher who brought the Gospel to Skye during the dark reign of Moderatism, and who was the instrument, in the hand of God, of the conversion of the eminent man whom we are now to notice, and whose name stands in the forefront of the " fathers " of Skye. DONALD MUNRO. " That man who, bearing precious seed, in going forth doth mourn, He doubtless, bringing back his sheaves, rejoicing shall return."—Ps. cxxvi., 6. Donald Munro, the father of evangelical religion in the Isle of Skye, was born at Achtalean, in the parish of Portree, in the year 1773. When he was fourteen years of age, he took smallpox, which deprived him of his sight, and rendered him stone-blind all his life after. His parents were in humble circumstances. It is from among the poor God has chiefly selected His people. "Hearken, my beloved brethren, hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith." Donald, when yet a boy, learned to play the violin, with the intention of earning a livelihood. He possessed a talent for music, and his pleasant and frank disposition made him a general favourite with the people. " The calamity of his blindness engaged the sympathy of all, and his other qualifications secured their patronage." Donald, while still in a state of nature, and ignorant of the way of salvation, was also made a parochial catechist A blind man in every sense, was appointed to lead a spiritually blind people, and "if the blind lead the blind, they shall both fall into the ditch." But God, in His rich mercy, who leads the blind in a way they know not, had compassion on the blind catechist, and " took him 2 THE MEN OF SKYE. from a fearful pit" and set his feet on the way to Ziòn. As there was a small salary attached to the office, it is probable that it was partly out of sympathy for his trying circumstances that they made him a catechist. He did not, however, relinquish the violin though called to fill such a holy office in the Church. He pursued the incongruous combination of offices—catechist and fiddler—going from township to township attempting to instruct the people in the Bible and Shorter Catechism, and playing his violin to as many as desired to hear. The ministers and " the powers that be " were quite satisfied, and the people generally were also at ease under their double-blind teacher. When Donald was converted, he flung his fiddle aside, and no more is heard of it. His music was now of a higher and more spiritual nature. There are not many details to be had of Donald's conversion. It took place on Mr. Farquharson's appearance in Skye. It is said that Mr. Farquhar-son did not intentionally, or by pre-arrangement, go to Skye, but that he was a passenger on board a ship bound for America, when, owing to wind, or some other cause, they put into Uig Bay. It was the end of the week, and intimation was given to the people in the surrounding districts that' on the following Sabbath he would preach at Uig. A large congregation assembled in the open air, as he would not be allowed inside the walls of the Established Church. He preached from John x. g, " I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." Another account states that Mr. Farquharson was preaching at Cuid-reach, at the place where the road breaks off towards the house of the present tenant. There were two THE MEN OF SKYE. 3 tenants in Cuidreach then, one at Beinnanduin, the other at Cuidreach, and there was a large number of cottars, some of whom went afterwards to Uig and Earlish, and others abroad to America and the colonies. It is said that it was at this spot Donald Munro was converted, though the writer is inclined to believe the previous account. The particular place makes little difference; the main thing is the conversion. There is no doubt but Donald entered into the sheepfold by the door Christ Jesus, and went in and out, and found pasture. It is related that when Mr. Farquharson was preaching at Uig, an ignorant old man was quite displeased after hearing the preacher's description of fallen human nature, one particular of which was that men are by nature of their father the devil. On going home, he said to his neighbours, " Na creidibh focal dheth na thubhairt e, oir ma tha e fior, tha Satan air chul a'n tighe aig na h-uile duine agaibh." " Don't believe a word of what he said, for if it be true, Satan is at the back of the house of every one of you." After his conversion, Donald visited the people of Eynort, Minginish, in the capacity of a catechist. A simple, ignorant man said to him, " You were very nice and pleasant when you were going round catechising and playing the fiddle." Donald replied, " If I had died then, I would have gone to hell." "I don't believe a word of that," said the poor man, " for you were so nice and kind." It was the Rev. John Nicolson who was minister of Portree at this time. He was one of the Nicol-sons of Scorrybreak, and was locally known as Mr. John. It is said that, though a good man, he was a dry preacher, hence the word, " Mr. John gun sear- 4 THE MEN OF SKYE. moin" (Mr. John without a sermon). There is no mention that he was an opponent or persecutor of Donald Munro. He was for upwards of forty years minister of the parish of Portree. He died in 1823, bequeathing the sum of £140 as a fund on behalf of the poor of the parish of Portree. He is described in the old statistical account as " a man of primitive manners and exemplary conduct, of a sincere, benevolent, and charitable disposition, of untainted rectitude and uprightness." The Bible fell from the pulpit in the church one Sabbath. It was old and worn. He turned to the congregation, and said, " I have spent myself and my Bible on you, and ye are not converted." It was customary then, when the patron attended church, to pray for him, mentioning his name, but Mr. John did not pray for him in this particular manner. Lord MacDonald was displeased, and asked him one day, when they came out, what was the meaning of his omission to pray for him. " Oh," said Mr. John, " I included you in the bulk of sinners." If he was as pious a man as tradition says he was, it is strange that there is a silence regarding the state of the cause of Christ in the parish in his day. It betokens an unhealthy and dead state spiritually for a man in his position not to have left a clearer testimony behind him. Mr. Nicolson was succeeded as parish minister by the parochial teacher, the Rev. Alexander Campbell, son of Mr. Campbell of Corn-larach, near Dunvegan, and brother of the Rev. Donald Campbell, D.D., of Kilninver and Kilmelfort Donald Munro, being a catechist, went to hear Mr. Farquharson, to whose preaching the people in large crowds assembled. It is said that Mr. Farquharson's THE MEN OF SKYE. 5 mission to Skye had no other direct fruit than the conversion of Donald Munro. Donald himself, who was a man of uncommon charity, expressed the opinion that one or two besides were converted under Mr. Farquharson, but of this it appears no evidence exists. The Spirit was not yet poured down from on high. Blind Donald was to be the means, in the hand of the Lord, of the conversion of many. There can be no doubt but he was raised up to show how " the weak things of the world " are made " to confound the mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised—yea, and things which are not—hath God chosen to bring to nought things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence." " To me," said Donald Munro, many years after, " Mr. Farquharson was a messenger from God." We may here remark that though Donald was destitute of the sense of seeing, it is not recorded that he was discontented under the hand of the Lord. It was unquestionably a crook in his lot, but his mind took rest in the sovereignty of God. " Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight which he hath made crooked ? " " Godliness, with contentment, is great gain." After John Milton wholly lost the sight of his eyes, he composed his great poems, " Paradise Lost" and " Paradise Regained." The great poet, referring to his physical defect, says: — * Since light so necessary is to life, And almost life itself, if it be true That light is in the soul, She all in every part; why was this sight ¦ To such a tender ball as the eye confined; So obvious and easy to be quenched; And not, as feeling, through all parts diffused, 6 THE MEN OF SKYE. That she might look at will through every pore? Then had I not been thus exiled from light, As in the land of darkness, yet in light To live a life half dead." But Donald, blind as he was, could do some useful work. The herring nets were then made in Skye; and it is said that Donald could make them without omitting a mesh. He was once working at a net, and a neighbour came in and helped him, but, in the course of the work, left out a mesh. Donald, on resuming work, did not go far when he discovered the mistake, and got it corrected. Donald Munro was a man of extraordinary mental endowments. He was gifted with a strong retentive memory. He never learned to read. Education was not easy to acquire then, but if he could not read himself, he was read to by others, and he made good use of his ears. When he was in a state of nature, in order to qualify himself for the office of catechist, be had learned by heart the Shorter Catechism and several chapters of the Bible, and Psalms, so that, though blind, he could conduct worship. Dr. MacKay says: —" Most intelligent Christians have testified, and still do, from their own observation and experience, that Donald Munro could quote the Scriptures from the first chapter of Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, without misquoting or misplacing a verse or sentence, and would correct those who read in his hearing if they misquoted a verse or word; and while he was " mighty in the Scriptures," his discernment in the truths of the Gospel, and his power of practically applying them in his addresses, appear to have been extraordinary."* * Memorials of the Rev. Roderick MacLeod of Snizort. THE MEN OF SKYE. 7 It is related that a stranger once came to his father's house, where strangers were often entertained, and this man could read. Donald told them to give him the Psalm book, and asked him to read a certain Psalm. When he finished, Donald said—" I had all the Psalms within the cover of the Bible before except that one, and now I have it." Such was his quick and tenacious memory. It is said that Mr. Roderick of Snizort remarked, when they were going with the remains of this blessed man to the grave, " that if such a thing had happened as tlfet every Bible had been lost, the Bible would largely have been found in Donald Munro." " Thy natural faculties," says the poet, " were superior to many in our day. Thy mind was open; thine heart like a full store especially considering the glory of the great King, His created works in the deep, earth, and heavens. Though thou didst lose thy sight when young, thou didst receive double instead—anointing and salvation—but the cause of my mourning and sadness is, that though I have my two eyes I am not seeing as thou wast." Donald said, after he was converted, that he got new views of Scripture truths, of himself, and of the practices of the inhabitants of the Island. He did not halt long between two opinions. He was not an indolent Christian. Before his conversion he was a professor of religion, a blind formalist, and a teacher in Israel, and, like Nicodemus, he was ignorant of the new birth without which a man can never see the kingdom of heaven. Now, through grace, he began anew to seek and preach Christ and Him crucified. He did not put his light under a bushel. Though he passed much of his time in seclusion and retirement 8 THE MEN OF SKYE. from the world, yet he was not a recluse. He declared, like the Samaritan woman, what the Lord had revealed to him. " His official situation afforded him opportunities to speak in the name of Jesus, and before he had been himself a convert for a year he was made the instrument of turning three or four from the error of their ways to the faith and obedience of the glorious Gospel." At this time he would be a comparatively young man, about thirty-three years of age. I have not been able to ascertain the exact time at which Donald Munro left Achtalean, his native place. After he was made a new creature in Christ, it does not appear he remained very long there. Whether it was that the minister was apathetic or opposed to him, we cannot determine. The next step Donald took was to establish a prayer meeting in Snizort. At its commencement, it was only acknowledged by a few. The religious powers did not, of course, recognize it. We are safe in the inference that it did not meet with the approbation of the Moderate ministers, but, notwithstanding, in course of time it increased in numbers. Prejudice was strong against this innovation, but Donald Munro was a man who knew how to take the opposition of men for what it was worth, and that was very little. The meeting grew in popularity, and many were induced to attempt to call on the name of the Lord. Prayer meetings have proved one of the most profitable and edifying institutions of the Christian Church. At this time, in Skye, this was eminently so. The people were dried up under the formal preaching of their ministers. In the prayer meetings the Lord's people were refreshed, strengthened, and made to go on their way rejoicing. " Thou, O God, didst send a THE MEN OF SKYE. 9 plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." The prayer meeting in Snizort flourished for about two years, at the end of which a Baptist preacher appeared in the district. The members and adherents of the meeting heard him. They had got weary and sick of the cold and lifeless moderate preachers, and they counted it a relief, when a stranger came round, to hear him. At this early period of their Christian life they were more easily imposed upon and more susceptible to be led astray. Some of those who attended the meeting were attracted to the Baptist. " Eleven were baptised by him—division ensued, and the prayer meeting was in a short time finally dissolved." This was a trying and severe blow to the cause, occurring, as it did, at a time when it was weak and in its infant stage. Those who followed the Baptist preacher dwindled into insignificance, and went out of sight, and very little more is heard of them in the religious history of Skye. This agitation and division, however, only proved to test those who were faithful. It was a wind which separated the chaff from the wheat; a fire which took the dross away from the gold. A few eminently pious and faithful men stuck to each other. This dissension only helped their cohesion. They continued faithful coadjutors of Donald Munro, and they were the means, by their prayers, teaching, and practice, of keeping evangelical religion alive in the Island at a time when spiritual death was almost predominant. " Some of those who were brought under the influence of the Gospel through Donald Munro,1' says the Rev. James Ross* of Bracadale, " were educated * Life of Donald MacQueen. •IO THE MEN OF SKYE. and giftea men, and soon obtained appointments in various parte of the Highlands as teachers and catechists. The names of some may be mentioned —John MacCowan, Kilmuir, though he was neither teacher nor catechist, was highly respected by all who knew him for his fervent piety and loving kindness; Donald MacDonald, catechist, who laboured for many years in the parishes of Kilmuir and Diuirinish; Angus Munro, Gaelic teacher, Snizort; Neil Stewart, catechist, Long Island; Malcolm Nicolson, Gaelic teacher, Lewis; John MacSween, teacher, Islay; and Donald MacQueen, catechist, Bracadale." Lachlan Cameron went from Elgol, Strath, to visit friends he had at Snizort. On Sabbath he accompanied them to hear Donald Munro. As he had never heard any but the Moderates, he said to himself, " This man must be mad." Donald at once said, " You are here who are saying that I am mad for telling you the truth," and showed him the danger of sin, and the way of salvation. Lachlan ever after was, like all those converted under Donald Munro, worthy of the name of a Christian. Malcolm MacRitchie, afterwards Rev. Mr. Mac-Ritchie of Lewis and Strathy, in his younger days was teaching a school at Sconser, parish of Portree. At the end of the week he would leave Sconser, and walk to Snizort to be near Donald Munro on Sabbath. On one occasion he heard him speaking on humility, and Mr. MacRitchie, in his old age, said, " I heard several of the Disruption worthies delivering sermons on humility, but never heard any who would come up to Donald Munro." The bearing the conversion of the Rev. Donald Martin, parish minister of Kilmuir, had on the move- THE MEN OF SKYE. 11 ments of Donald Munro, must not be left unnoticed. Mr. Ross* says he was one of the hearers of Mr. Farquharson at Uig, when and where he was converted. " He happened to be passing that way, and was attracted to the place where the people were assembled. While listening, he became deeply interested, admiring the zeal and earnestness of the preacher, and, without any further ceremony, Mr. Martin invited him to his manse, where he remained while preaching in the surrounding districts. The Scripture which says, ' Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend,' seemed to be fulfilled in their mutual experience. Through their short intercourse, Mr. Martin was stimulated into further exertion, seeing more clearly that every faithful minister is virtually an evangelist." Dr. MacKayt intimates as much as that Mr. Martin was a Godfearing man before he met Mr. Farquharson. However, it is generally believed that this minister was at this time brought out of darkness into the marvellous light of the Gospel. After his conversion, he laboured for two years with great acceptance in Kilmuir. The change in his life and preaching soon attracted attention, and he was sought unto by those who feared the Lord. A desire after Christ was created in many. The world became little in their estimation, and their minds were set on their eternal interests. Mr. Martin favoured the cause of Donald Munro's prayer meeting. At the end of two years, after his conversion, he removed from the Island to the charge of the Gaelic Chapel of Ease, Inverness, and subsequently to Abernethy, Strathspey. Many * Life of Donald MacQueen. t Life of the Rev. Roderick M'Leod. 12 THE MEN OF SKYE. men of discernment thought he committed a great mistake in leaving the Island when a door of usefulness was being opened, and when there were appearances of a real awakening and revival among the people. It is related that he said, on leaving Kilmuir, " that the Lord would give to them a blind man whose labours would be blessed to them." He (Mr. Martin) left behind him a godly man in the parish schoolmaster. Besides this individual, Donald Munro was now in Kilmuir. The prayer meeting in Snizort had to be abandoned some time previous to this period. The cause of Christ cannot be kept underground. Like a spring of water, if not allowed to break forth in one place, it will rise in another, in spite of opposition. The prayer meeting was now instituted in Kilmuir, similar to what it was in Snizort These meetings for prayer were largely attended, and were the channels in which much spiritual blessing was conveyed to many souls. Kilmuir was without an ordained minister, but the people were better served than those in the parishes which were under the ministration of the lifeless, graceless Moderates. After Mr. Martin left Kilmuir, the people addressed a call to the Rev. Dr. MacDonald of Ferintosh, but he refused to accept it Afterwards Dr. MacDonald met Mr. Martin in Inverness, and the former said— " You have left the people of Kilmuir, and I declined to go to them, but the Lord raised up a blind man to minister to them, at whose feet we might sit." However, religious affairs were not destined to continue long in this condition in Kilmuir. It was necessary to get a minister for the parish. The minister they got, did not walk in the steps of his pious THE MEN OF SKYE. 13 predecessor. He cared only for the sheep so far as to ensure for himself their fleece. " The hungry sheep look up, and are not fed, But, swollen with wind and the rank mist they draw, Rot inwardly, and foul contagion spread."* This minister made it his first object and business to try and extinguish the light which was being established in Kilmuir. The schoolmaster, disgusted with his practices, left the country. Graceless ministers scatter the flock of Christ Donald Munro was left as catechist to fight the battle single-handed. He did not relax his efforts. He was afraid of no man. The love which casts out every slavish fear had taken root in his heart. He knew the Scripture, " Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh his flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord." Despite the attempts of the Moderate ministers to the contrary, and many other inconveniences, Donald persevered in conducting the prayer meetings, "encouraged by the numbers who came to listen to the Word of Life." It was Mr. Martin who secured for Donald the appointment of catechist in Kilmuir. Donald's labours were distasteful to Mr. Martin's successor. He said to him, " I can break your bread for you." " Well," said Donald, " have you not read of some in the Bible who were fed by ravens with bread and flesh, when no bread was left them by men ? " It is said that it was his custom to come with abstruse and philosophical questions to perplex Donald. He asked one day, "Who will be deepest in hell ? " and was told, " Graceless ministers." The people took the side of Donald. " The earth helped the woman." Donald was conducting a meeting at * Milton. C i4 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. thy victory might be, always watchful against despising grace, but raising it up. It was not with a lamp only that Donald marched through the wilderness, but with oil always, from the fulness which during his life was abundant to him. Through gracious experience, thou didst teach others that their salvation was not for themselves, but through the merits of ¦the blood of the Lamb." " Wisdom and prudence were given thee to catch the foxes, so that the young grapes of the vine-tree would not be spoiled when they were soft Thy doctrines were pure and so mysteriously searching that thou wouldst not give •shelter to anything that would prevent godliness. Also thou didst take great care that grace, however low, would not be choked, seeing Satan would try to keep it down. Thou wouldst uphold such to thy utmost against the devices of the devil, drawing out for them from the full treasure which is in God." The labours of Donald Munro were signally blessed to many souls in Kilmuir. The Moderate minister was, howeVer, successful in ejecting him from his office and depriving him of his salary. When the Lord permits men to close one door of usefulness on His people, He may allow it, in order that He may open another. Such was the case here. A new friend to thè evangelical cause was raised up by the Lord in the Rev. John Shaw, who in 1814 was appointed minister of the parish of Bracadale. He had previously been assistant to Mr. Souter of Diuirinish. Mr. Shaw was a native of Moulin, Perthshire, where Dr. Stewart was minister for a time. "Acting in Diuirinish in an inferior capacity, his influence until now had not been efficiently exerted. He was a holy and a humble man, little Earlish one night. Two moderate ministers attended, and soon manifested that their object was to scoff at any weakness they could find about the blind evangelist. A bold man who was in the audience sharply ordered them to clear away, and said that they were like those who came out at night against the Saviour. They left the meeting. Donald's fame as a godly man and faithful Christian teacher, and one whose work the Lord acknowledged, went far and wide. By faith he "obtained a good report" John Morrison (lan Gobha), the song smith of Harris, visited Skye intentionally to see and get an interview with Donald. He happened to meet the blind man on the road. "Where did you come from ? " inquired Donald. " I came from Harris," answered the poet. " I thought," said Donald, " there was nothing there but rocks." " There are rocks there," replied the poet, "but there is ground also." "Are you," said Donald, "the smith of Harris ? " " Yes," said the smith, " are you Donald Munro ? " This was the beginning of their intimacy. The poet called one of his sons after Donald Munro, who became Dr. Donald Munro Morrison, of Edinburgh. John Morrison composed a memorable elegy on Donald Munro, a few lines of which we attempt to translate and paraphrase. Donald was remarkable for his love to the brethren : " Regarding thy kindness to thy friends and brethren in Christ, thy soft heart would be daily overflowing with love to them. Thou didst bear the image of the Saviour on all thy faculties, which was apparent when one met thee and received thy welcome. . . . Thou wast conscious of the need of renewed" grace. It was thy custom to be self-denying, however great 16 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 17 surrounded and supported by God-fearing, prayerful men, and Mr. Shaw appreciated the men of Skye. The inscription on his tombstone in the churchyard in Bracadale, where he is interred, which, I am informed, was composed by Mr. Roderick, is as follows: —" Sacred to the memory of John Shaw, who, with unremitted fidelity, discharged his ministerial labours in this parish nine years. The excellency of his private character cannot be well expressed. As a Christian minister he was well known in devotedness to God, in zeal for the salvation of souls, in humility, meekness, and long-suffering. He made his exit for a glorious immortality on the 16th of January, 1823, in the 39th year of his age." When the moderate minister of Kilmuir refused to have the services of Donald Munro as catechist, the evangelical minister of Bracadale accepted him The godly people in Skye in those days were fond of Mr. Shaw, and he reciprocated the feeling. It was said by a noble Puritan that he wished no stronger wall round his house than the prayers of the Lord's people. The minister of Kilmuir could not work with Donald; Mr. Shaw could, for he was of the same mind with him. It should have been observed that Donald Munro was employed by the Society in Edinburgh for Propagating Christian Knowledge, a society that did inestimable good to the Highlands and Islands in supplying outlying districts with Gaelic schoolmasters and faithful missionaries, and catechists whom the Lord much acknowledged. How long Donald remained in Bracadale we are not able to determine. He travelled from place to place. He was restless when the cause of Christ did not appear to be in a prosperous acquainted with the ways of the world, and naturally little qualified to understand its opposition directed, whether insidiously or in open violence, against the interests of Zion. But whatever his failings in this, his heart trembled for the ark of the Lord—its safety was the object of his deepest solicitude and the theme of his importunate and constant prayers, ile was, consequently, the friend of the friends of Christ, few and despised as they were in Skye."* But Mr. Shaw was weak and rather lenient in dealing with his parishioners, a weakness which almost amounted to laxity and incapacity in dispensing the ordinances and privileges of the Church, and which, at a subsequent period, brought his successor, the famous and revered Mr. Roderick of Snizort, into a serious controversy which led to his suspension from office for a year, and almost terminated in his deposition. In Mr. Shaw's time it was calculated that there were about 250 communicants in the parish of Bracadale. In his evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commonst in 1847, Hugh MacCaskill of Talisker, who, along with his family, was deprived of church privileges by Mr. Roderick, answered the following questions thus: —" How many communicants were there in Bracadale in Mr Shaw's time ?" —" I should say about 2 50." " How many were there afterwards in Mr. Roderick's time ? "—" Ten was the outside—from five to ten. I know that they were one year as low as five, and another year as high as ten." The Rev. John Shaw had a warm heart to the people of God, and many of them gathered round him. It is a great blessing to a minister when he is * Christian Herald. t Reports on Sites. i8 THE MEN OF SKYE. condition. " Donald Munro," writes Dr. MacKay,. " became soon a public character in most parts of Skye. He began to make more and more extensive itineracies throughout the Island, and became an acknowledged evangelist among the bulk of the-population, and it is matter of publicity that his labours were extensively acknowledged. . . To many the esteem in which he was held by the common people, and his popularity, were distasteful, and his followers were held to be fanatics, and decried, of course. No gentlemen associated with Donald Munro." The so-called gentlemen of Skye in those days were similar to the nobles in the days of Nehemiah who would not set their hands to the building of the walls of Jerusalem. The work went on without them. Donald Munro was in Snizort previous to and at the time of the conversion of the Rev. Roderick MacLeod. Dr. MacKay tells how he came to Snizort. " The lady of a proprietor in Skye—a truly Christian lady—procured an asylum for Donald Munro> a croft and a dwelling for life in the parish of Snizort. But Donald's zeal did not subside. He went about doing good. The people of the district built him a meetinghouse in a central spot of the district, where his dwelling now lay, and there were held meetings for prayer and exhortation, weekly at least, and sometimes even daily, and the common people heard him gladly. His meetings were crowded, and in that humble place of meeting, it is well known, and not a few witnesses still survive to testify, that ' there this man and that man was born.' " Donald Munro's name is associated with that of the Rev. Roderick MacLeod of Snizort The interviews Mr. Roderick had with Donald were blessed to THE MEN OF SKYE. 19 him, and there can be no doubt that Mr. Roderick imbibed the views of this eminently godly man, and carried them, with his greater weight of character and influence of position, more effectually into practice. When Mr. Roderick was unconverted, and in charge of the mission at Lynedale, in the parish of Snizort, of which his father, Mr. Calum, was then minister, Donald sometimes heard him, and would not bear to hear him ill spoken of. When Mr. Roderick would be seen going to or returning from a day's shooting, with his gun on his shoulder, followed by hi.3 dogs, some would say, " There goes Black Rory." Donald would rebuke them sharply: " Cease your scorning of that young man; the day will yet come when you will no longer call him "Black Rory" but "White Rory." Donald, after coming home from a visit to Mr. Roderick, was asked what he thought of the minister. " There is plenty of fuel there," he replied, "whenever it will please the Lord to set fire to it," meaning the learning and mental endowments of Mr. Roderick. When Mr. Roderick was awakened to a sense of his lost state by nature, it is related that he passed nights with Donald Munro. The former stood to the latter in the relation of a son to a father. He never considered it below his dignity to visit godly men in their humble dwellings. There is no question but Donald was instrumental in forming and edifying Mr. Roderick. We are told that the latter was counted a poor fanatic for condescending to make a companion of blind Donald Munro, and that this was a special count in many indictments against him. When this happened to be told to Mr. Roderick, who was then 20 THE MEN OF SKYE. but young, and was being prepared for the great work he was subsequently to accomplish, he would quietly smile and say: " I intend to spend eternity in Donald Munro's society." " He (Donald Munro) was the means of helping and strengthening him in the new path on which he had happily entered." " Saints fellowship, if it be managed well, Keeps them awake, and that in spite of hell." Mr. Roderick ever entertained a high regard for Donald Munro. Dr. MacDonald of Ferintosh was in Snizort with Mr. Roderick; they were speaking of a certain passage of Scripture, and disagreed in the interpretation. "We shall send for Donald Munro," said Mr. Roderick. Donald came, and told them that they were both wrong, and gave a different interpretation, in which they readily acquiesced. " It is a remarkable fact," observes Dr. MacKay, " that without any special purpose or design on Mr. Roderick MacLeod's part, the Free Church, school, and manse are built almost on the very site of Donald Munro's meeting-house—' By the river side, where prayer was wont to be made.' " Donald was a man of prayer. It was this that gave a savour, sweetness, and attraction to all he did. " This poor man cried, the Lord heard him, and delivered him from all his distresses;" " Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." The poet says—"When the dew would drop upon thee, thou wouldst be a strong wrestler in prayer; thine heart warm and contrite, beseeching earnestly through Christ; thy bowels of love in earnestness, under the warm showers of refreshing graces, enjoying His presence, and the smoke of the incense going up. It THE MEN OF SKYE. 21 would be a strengthening to the smoking flax and support to the bruised reed. . . The blind would receive eye-salve; the lame would leap with joy; slumbering virgins would be awakened, and the dead quickened." Though physically blind, he did not lead an idle life. The people of Skye were extremely kind, tender, and attentive to him. He had to be led by the hand, and sometimes carried on their back. His life was busy, full of work, and full of fruit to the end. The following was true of him— " And in old age, when others fade, they still forth fruit shall bring; They shall be fat, and full of sap, and aye be flourishing."—Ps. xcii., 14. Donald never married. His sister kept house for him, and the people of Skye showed him much consideration and benevolence, together with great admiration and respect. He had a brother, John Munro, who went to Glasgow, where he was a tailor to trade. It is said that he was a God-fearing man, and associated much in Christian fellowship with a pious woman, Maggie MacPhee, who then lived in Glasgow. Donald Munro suffered persecution, and that from men who, instead of attempting to discourage him, should have encouraged him—I mean the ministers of Skye. It is equally true that those who were ministering in the highest offices in the visible Church close on two thousand years ago, crucified the Saviour. Christ is wounded in the house of His friends, and very often His people are. This is one of the distinguishing marks of the Church of Christ, "In this world ye shall have tribulation." " They that live 22 THE MEN OF SKYE. godly in Christ will suffer persecution." The Lord, in His divine sovereignty and mercy, acknowledged His Church, " His heritage, when it was weary." " Man's extremity is God's opportunity." The Church has prosperity in adversity, and is cleansed in the furnace of affliction. " They lived unknown Till persecution dragged them into fame And chased them up to Heaven."* The above was true of Donald Munro, and in regard to his persecutors we shall only say—" The memory of the wicked shall rot." Donald was restless if he understood the cause of Christ was not prospering. If souls are not converted, it will be true that, in course of time, the Church will die out in a place, and the candlestick will be removed. Donald's heart was in his work, and in the work of his Master, and he could not withdraw from it. He did not study his own comfort or his own reputation. He was not like the hired servant who takes no further interest in his Master's work than to get his wages, and resigns or retires if he does not get everything to his satisfaction. Donald had an eternal—a son's—interest in the cause of Christ. With it he could not sever his connection. He got a promise from the Lord that he would see his children's children. " Thou didst receive a special promise which was fulfilled to thee in thy day, that thou wouldst see the children of thy children, fed on the gracious Gospel." Donald saw that, and rejoiced that •^witnesses were raised up to testify for the cause of truth in his native Island. Those who associated with * Cowper. THE MEN OF SKYE. 2J him, who helped and strengthened his hands, were men of sincere piety and intelligence, who subsequently shone in the firmament of the Church. In the parishes of Portree, Kilmuir, Bracadale, and Snizort, and many other places, the labours of Donald Munro were clearly blessed to the conversion of many immortal souls and the edification of the people of God who resorted to hear him. " This good man's-services, although principally confined to Skye, were not exclusively so. He sometimes visited the mainland, especially on sacramental occasions; but where-ever he proceeded the same holy influence was made to accompany him, and the Lord honoured him as the means for promoting His cause. A little anecdote, well known, will illustrate his zeal and manner of proceeding during such solemn occasions as we refer to. In this district of the Highlands immense numbers from incredibly remote points assemble to the ordinance of the Supper, where faithful preaching and esteemed ministers are expected. They are usually accommodated at night in barns or large outhouses —the males occupying one department of the building, the females the other. A stranger, who had never heard of Donald, came to attend on an occasion at Lochcarron during the ministry of the late Mr. Lachlan MacKenzie, a man most eminent among his-own people in his day and generation. The stranger had his bed allotted him in a large barn with a multitude accommodated in the same way. During the darkness of the night he was aroused from his-slumbers by a voice calling aloud, "Awake! awake!" The summons seemed to be obeyed, as if expected, judging by the movement which he perceived all around him. He then heard, " Let us sing to the 24 THE MEN OF SKYE. praise of God," pronounced by the same voice. Several verses were distinctly enunciated amidst the darkness and the stillness of the night. They were sung, each line being regularly announced, with thrilling effect. Prayer was then offered up, the stranger perceiving all his fellow-lodgers on their knees, and instinctively following their example. This duty ended, a long portion of Scripture was distinctly pronounced. Pie was amazed; but much more was this the case when he listened to a striking and powerful exposition, with reference to the Scriptures, in proof or in illustration of doctrine, concluding with an irresistible appeal to the consciences of all who were present. It is not said that the stranger had " come tp scoff," but it 5s to be feared an idle curiosity, which too often guides many to such places, had led him thither. There is reason to believe, however, that he "remained to pray." The Lord had conducted him by a way which he knew not when he directed his steps to the place to which he had come. He had touched his heart; and from that day forth this wanderer on the mountains of vanity sought Zion with his face thitherward." * The heart of the pious people of Skye in those days went out towards Donald Munro. Through him the Lord wrought in a wonderful way, whereby, as in the case of the turning back of the bondage of Zion, joy was brought to them. A considerable revival of religion took place in many parts of the Island. This revival, according to the writer of the " Tract on Revivals," "took place in Skye, 1812-1814. The people became deeply impressed with certain views as to all the ordinances—preaching, baptism, and the * "Tract on Revivals." THE MEN OF SKYE. 25 Lord's Supper. Those impressions led them to be unwilling to receive the administration of the ordinances from the ministers that were then the ministers in that part of Skye; and therefore they declined to accept the administration of the ordinances at the hands of those ministers. This was the case in various parishes; it was not confined to any one parish, but it extended to various parishes."* A practical separation took place in Skye about this time. The reasons were obvious. To the God-fearing people, it meant starvation of their souls to abide under the preaching of the Moderates. These Moderate ministers knew not the Word of God, nor their own hearts, nor the requirements of the Lord's people. One of them once, in beginning to expound the passage in Peter, "Your adversary the devil, as a roaring Hon, goeth about seeking whom he may devour," said: " My dear friends, the apostle here meant by the roaring lion, Nero, the Roman Emperor." Such ludicrous commenting became common. But while those ministers and their meetings were dry, like the mountains of Gilboah, on the meetings conducted by Donald Munro the dew from Heaven fell and rested " as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore." The prayer meetings held by these men were worthy of the name. Generally seven or eight or more of the men would engage in prayer. They did not weary the congregation by long prayers. Their prayers were short, earnest, and void of repetitions. If anyone transgressed the rules, he would be rebuked. They could speak to one another and be a check on * Reports on Sites. 26 THE MEN OF SKYE. -one another without quarrels and controversy. Long prayers to please men were a characteristic of the Pharisees. It would be well to study what Ralph Erskine calls " The geometry of our prayers." These .sincere men were careful about every part of the ¦service and worship of God. It was not everyone who would be allowed to lead the public congregation in .singing the praise of God. The precentor must be a godly man professing religion, not a man of the world. They knew that in the Old Testament, " the lingers" were definite and select: Asaph and his sons were Levites, men who made the highest profession in the Church. In New Testament times, the Apostle desires the congregation to sing with grace in their hearts; and if he requires that of the congregation, surely he requires it of their leader. They knew the Westminster Confession of Faith, the subordinate standards of the Church of Scotland, which provide that the precentor must be a "fit person." They knew that the Reformers would never call a man of the world, whatever his natural gifts, a fit person to conduct this holy and eternal part of Divine worship. In all these matters Donald Munro was ¦.scrupulous and careful, and set a good example before his successors. Donald Munro died at Bernisdale, in the parish of Snizort, on the first day of October, 1830, in the fifty-seventh year of his age. Like the man of uprightness, his latter end was peace. For him to live was Christ, and to die was gain. " Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." An eminent minister * testified: —" I never met a man in whom there was more of the Lord than Donald Munro." * The Rev. John M'Rae, of Knockbain. THE MEN OF SKYE. 27 It often occurs that men of eminent piety and gifts like Donald Munro are not so well known while they live as they ought to be. Great men have been compared to great trees, whose size is not known until they are cut down. Many felt keenly his death, but .none felt it more than Mr. Roderick, who, as soon as he heard of it, hastened from Bracadale to Bernisdale, and said over the remains of this pious man, with tears in his eyes—" My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof." Donald, it is said, died on Friday, and on the following Sabbath Mr. Roderick made suitable reference to the loss the Church sustained by the removal of such a great man. At the close of the service he baptized a son of Donald .MacQueen. The child's name was Donald Munro MacQueen. The news of his death quickly spread far and near, and many were in mourning and sadness. "Zion trembled when that pillar fell." A prince and a great man had fallen that day in Israel, and many felt themselves weak, like David, after Abner was laid in ithe grave. The godly poet of Harris felt this death, ;.with many others, a heavy blow. " There is cause of ¦mourning at this time to many around, whom thou : didst leave miserable after thee. One to fill thy place—in gifts and precious talents renewed by grace ;—they have not found. Thou didst receive the gift of the Spirit to rule thy talents, and to exercise them ¦in the way of Him who filled thee with His love. Children were born to thee in Christ, and on thy breast they received the sincere milk of the Word. ¦Weak and strong, according to their growth in grace, ^thou didst feed, like a wise steward." i "When thou wast called to the rest the Almighty 28 THE MEN OF SKYE. prepared for thee, those who were about thee were sorrowful; tears were flowing down their cheeks; their hearts were wounded with thy death. Thine house was then a Bochim, with the weeping of those whom thou didst leave behind. No wonder though flesh and blood felt it hard to part with thee; one who cherished and edified them taken away so soon. It was a cause of mourning to them to lose the company of the noble man who was kind, frank, and sympathetic. Their souls were united to thee in love. " Though thou art now decayed in the earth, thy testimony is still speaking to the wicked in the world. If grace will not save them in time, quickening them through regeneration, though thou art gone, they shall yet see Donald coming with the armies of the saints down from Heaven to prove that their message was neither lies nor shadows. The saints shall come to set their 'Amen' to the sentence of damnation of those who despised their own mercy. Their souls shall go to destruction, and they shall be gathered into hell, to the infinite ocean of wrath which shall never ebb." " That place shall be full of wailing in the flaming wrath, conscience stinging them, devils tormenting them, the furnace of God's wrath boiling red, and wave calling upon wave to make heavier the punishment of sin, and their pain getting worse and worse. Since they set their backs to the offer of the Gospel, the heat of the furnace will be severer. They shall never expect to be delivered, and if they considered Donald mistaken when he declared to them the consequences of sin, eternity will reveal to their souls their vanity." A contemporary of Donald Munro wrote of him in THE MEN OF SKYE. 29 the following terms: —"A man highly honoured of the Lord, and whose memory will be had in everlasting remembrance. It is impossible to reflect on his career without being impressed with the truth that God is ' no respecter of persons,' and that the distinctions of which men are apt to make so much are often lightly set by of Him. He can choose His instruments from the most unlikely materials, and, in performing His works of wonder, strikingly prove that ' the excellency of the power is of Himself.' He once selected a child of tender years through whom to speak to His people, passing by a regularly appointed and aged servant; and not more forcibly did He then announce than He has done among us by the history of Donald Munro, ' them that honour me, I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.'" Donald Munro is buried in tne cemetery of Snizort, where many God-fearing men are interred, and out of that hallowed island burying-place will arise, at the sound of the trumpet on the great day, many who shall have their portion in the first resurrection. " Blessed and holy is he that hath a part in the first resurrection. " So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory." When Donald's body arises it shall pass into that glorious kingdom where the inhabitant will never say, " I am sick," and where there shall be no blindness of eyes, dimness of vision, or any other imperfection, but perfect happiness in fellowship and glory with Him "who washed them from their sins in His own blood," and who brought them through much tribulation "to an inheritance, incorruptible, D 30 THE MEN OF SKYE. undented, and that fadeth not away." "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever."—Dan. xii., 3. The following inscription, engraved on his tombstone, was composed by Mr. Roderick of Snizort: — In Memory of DONALD MUNRO, The Father of Evangelical Religion in the Isle of Skye. Born at Achtalean, Parish of Portree. Deprived of sight by smallpox at the age of 14. Called to the knowledge of the truth through a Mr. Farquharson, who visited Skye in 1805, the whole Island being then in gross darkness as to the things of God. He was afterwards appointed Catechist to The Society in Edinburgh for Propagating Christian Knowledge, and in that capacity laboured first in the Parish of Kilmuir, and latterly in Bracadale. He for many years suffered persecution for the sake of Christ, but lived to see his blessed cause grow and take root. And, after a life of singular devotedness and usefulness, died in peace in Bernisdale, Parish of Snizort, on the ist of October, 1830. This memorial is erected by a few surviving friends who were witnesses.of the faith and patience which distinguished him, And which it is their earnest prayer They may have grace to follow. " The righteous shall be held in everlasting remembrance." alexander macleod. " That man hath perfect blessedness who walketh not astray, In counsel of ungodly men, nor stands in sinners' way. He shall be like a tree that grows , near planted by a river, Which in his season yields his fruit, and his leaf fadeth never."—Ps. i., 1 and 3. Alexander MacLeod was born in the year 1790. He was of the MacLeods of Raasay, from whom descended the Rev. Roderick MacLeod of Snizort We know little or nothing of how he passed the days of his youth, till he was awakened and brought to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus, according to report, "through the influence of the Haldanes." We are not aware whether this change took place under the preaching of Mr. Farquharson or under that of the Haldanes themselves, in some part of the country outside his native island. From the facts which have been transmitted to us of the history of this man, there is no room for doubt as to his having undergone a saving spiritual change. During the subsequent part of his life he showed himself a consistent, intelligent Christian, full of zeal springing from a knowledge of his heavenly Master, love to His cause, and love to his brethren, "out of a pure heart." In his early days the ministry of Skye was rotten to the core. Arminian, soul-destroying 32 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 33 Christian profession was modest, and more retired than assuming. In his death he had peace. In his last moments, though enduring great bodily pain, he faithfully exhorted his distressed family and others present earnestly to seek the Lord as their best portion, after which, with great composure and solemnity, he said, ' I am now entering the swellings of Jordan. Even so, come Lord Jesus,' and fell asleep." On May /th, 1834, Alexander, his brother, stated in his journal:—"I got an express from Balmore, on the west side of the country, that my brother there was at the point of death, and whose life I did not overtake. As the widow and her family expect to remove ¦'to this side of the country, I hope to be indulged in giving them some of my time, until their affairs are properly arranged." Another son was innkeeper at Struan. He and his brother, the factor, were married to two sisters. .There is no mention of the innkeeper as a religious ••man. " I will take you one out of a city, and two of |a family, and I will bring you to Zion." , Alexander MacLeod got a good education, and ìwhen advanced to the stage of Christian life to teach others, he was able, when addressing the people, to '¦translate, with ease, Baxter's "Saints' Everlasting [Rest" into Gaelic. The "men" of Skye in those !;days were not unintelligent and ignorant. It is true jjfhat some of them could not read, but these were read gto, and they were gifted with retentive memories and spiritually enlightened minds which were set on " the things which are above," and established in the truth. Their minds were open to learn more and more of the •way of salvation. They were men of profound judgment and clear discernment, men of boldness and .doctrines were disseminated by the majority of the ministers who filled the pulpits of the Establishment. They were in Skye, as in other places, deluding the people, deceiving and being deceived, ignorant of the truth and of Christ, and careless of the eternal interests of their congregations. They were more concerned about their worldly interests—their sheep and cattle —than the flocks of immortal souls which were entrusted to them They looked after "the sheep" merely for the wool, and cared not what would become of them provided they got their stipends and comfortable manses. The power from Heaven, which is necessary in all ages for the conviction and conversion of sinners, did not accompany the preaching of the Moderates. One had to look for it elsewhere. The Lord raised up Donald Munro, and among the first fruits of the glorious Gospel in the Isle of Skye was Alexander MacLeod, the subject uf these notes. His father, Donald MacLeod, had several sons besides Alexander. He was in favourable circumstances, and in a position to give his sons a liberal education. John was tacksman of Balmore, and factor for MacLeod of MacLeod, Dunvegan, and for some time factor for MacGilleChalum of Raasay. He was secretary and treasurer of the Diuirinish Auxiliary Branch of the Highland Missionary Society. He is referred to in the society's report as follows: —" The Christian community in Skye, and your society, have by the death of Mr. John MacLeod, tacksman of Balmore, lost a faithful and steady friend. As a public man he was peculiarly steady, correct, and weighty; his measures were mature and wary, his manner was affectionate, amiable, and winning; his exemplary 34 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 35 the state of religion in the Island about and before the time we are speaking of in the books which were written by men from the South who travelled through the Highlands and Islands after Dr. Johnson. A John Knox visited Skye in 1786. In his journal he states: — " Being at Dunvegan Castle on a Sunday, after church time, the company became very numerous, and was composed of gentlemen who had been in the army. My object was to push the subscription which I endeavoured to represent as a very becoming supplement to the services of the day, in which the company readily acquiesced, among whom was the clergyman, who, though his income is only £40 per annum, bestowed his mite with great goodwill." The parish could only be in a deplorable state religiously under the ministry of a man who showed such open disregard for the Lord's Day. It does not appear that Alexander remained very long in this parish. In the Highland Missionary Society's report, printed in 1834, we find that he was local missionary at Portree. "Alexander MacLeod, local missionary, Portree, Isle of Skye, in his journal, from 8th January to 30th November, 1833, says: —' On 28th July, I went to the ship Adrian, of London, at anchor in Portree Harbour, and having on board a great number of emigrants. I was desired by the pilot to perform worship, to which I immediately consented, and although there was a great noise and bustle among them when I went on board, I was both astonished and delighted to see them behaving with great circumspection and attention during the time of worship, after which they showed a great desire that I should give them another visit, to which I consented. The next day being Sabbath, I thought proper to ask the firmness, who would dare to say their say in the face of all opposers of the Gospel. They were not afraid of men. " The fear of man bringeth a snare." They knew the truth, " If God be for us, who can be against us ? " The Bible was their chief book. " The Bible: that's the Book, the Book indeed, The Book of books, On which who looks, As he should do, aright, shall never need Wish for a better light To guide him in the night." Besides, they were conversant with many of the best and standard theologians. The first and foremost of the theological works read and perused by the "men" of Skye was that excellent book, a body of divinity in itself, Thomas Boston's " Four-fold State." That book was a favourite. They had also in Gaelic the Confession of Faith, Guthrie's " Christians' Great Interest," Bunyan, Flavel, Edwards, Willison, Doddridge's "Rise and Progress," Gray, Coles on "Sovereignty," Earles, Matthew Henry's " Communicants' Companion," " Burder's Sermons," Baxter, " Alleine's Alarm," " The Life and Poems of Dugald Buchanan," " Peter Grant's Poems," and many others. The people of Skye were in need of teachers, men who could feed them with knowledge and understanding. The labourers were few ; the hirelings were' numerous. The Highland Missionary Society commissioned Alexander MacLeod as catechist, and in that capacity he set out on Tuesday, 20th of May, 1828, for Glen-dale, in the parish of Diuirinish, a parish that was groaning under a Moderate minister. He was well qualified for the appointment. We get a glimpse of 36 THE MEN OF SKYE. captain's permission for other people to come on board to attend worship, which he granted with the greatest pleasure, so that on Sabbath we were on board the Adrian, when the deck was greatly crowded." There was no settled minister then in the Island of Raasay, though there was about double the population there is now. At the Disruption of 1843 Raasay had a population of about 1000, who all adhered to the Free Church, as the result • of the instruction, on the principles at stake in the Ten Years' Conflict, disseminated by the " men." No impediment was thrown in the way of their worship by the proprietor. Dr. Martin of Husabost, who was opposed to the "men," said before the Select Committee *—" I was informed by Mr. MacCallum, the minister of the parish of Diuirinish, that he got the church at Raasay built while he was minister there on the Royal Bounty; the funds were collected by himself from members of the Established Church ; and both he and Mr. MacDonald, the minister of Portree, told me that since Mr. Rainy became proprietor of the island, the Established clergyman had been denied admission to that church." The hand of cruelty was laid on Raasay. It is said that between 1852 and 1854 twelve townships were completely desolated. The number of families removed was about 97. Before the Disruption their minister was the minister of Portree. He had to go over occasionally to preach to them. The Rev. Coll MacDonald was not very highly thought of as a minister. His wife, who was like-minded with himself, went one day to hear Dr. MacDonald of Ferin-* Reports on Sites. THE MEN OF SKYE. 37 tosh, who was preaching in Skye. On her return home, Mr. Coll asked her if she liked the preacher. " No," she said, " I would rather be hearing yourself." Mr. Coll expressed great satisfaction at her reply. Alexander MacLeod turned his attention to Raasay, and travelled from township to township catechising and instructing the people in the things which belonged to their eternal peace. Some of the people were ignorant. It is said that he was once catechising in Halaig. His brother had the factorage of the Island for some time. Alexander was questioning a man who was so ignorant that he could not give any answer. "Poor man," said the catechist, "you have a heavy burden on you." " Well," said the man, " I think you should keep quiet on that point; if I have a heavy burden, it was your brother that put it on me." He was in arrears of rent; but the catechist meant his spiritual ignorance and blindness. In the report already quoted, the following accounts of visits to Raasay are given: — "September 2nd, 1833.—I crossed the ferry from the Island of Raasay to Sconser, to see a sick young Iad, who was in a deplorable condition. The disease was indescribable; and his destitution of the comforts of life was such as to melt any person of natural feeling, not having even so much bedding as to keep his broken body from the earthen floor, nor bed-clothes sufficient to keep the cold from him. His circumstances were the more distressing to me that I have every reason to believe he was one of the little flock He manifested great patience in his trouble, bearing his sore affliction cheerfully, which his happy-looking countenance testified at the occasional intervals of pain. Owing to his racking pain, he could 38 THE MEN OF SKYE. speak but little. Having his Bible beside him, I asked him if his trouble would allow him to peruse it. He replied, ' I attempt it perhaps twenty times in one half-hour.' I asked, ' Do you find any comfort from the Bible ?' He said, 'All the comfort I have in the world is from the Bible.' At the time of worship he was all in tears, after which I departed." " November 7th.—I left home, taking a circuitous tour by the farthest bounds of the parish and Island of Raasay, returning to my own home on the 30th. Although I met with outward difficulties, from coarse weather and bad roads I had to travel, I humbly desire to praise the Lord that I was not prevented from attending to the means of grace, for they very often were refreshing to my own mindk I always catechised and held two diets a day, with very few exceptions, and I may say three diets, for the night family worship would be always very throng, as many of the people followed from farm to farm. And I desire to cherish good hope that the labours of your society will not be spent in vain on these poor benighted islands. Oh! that He would come down like rain on the mown grass, and as showers that water the earth." "January ist, 1834.—Taking a circuitous course round the east side of the Island of Raasay, all diets were throngly attended, and many followed from farm to farm. At Halaig, on the Lord's Day, though the weather was exceedingly stormy, and the people's passage by sea to the place consequently rough, yet it appeared that no house on the farm could contain the people; we, therefore, retired to a large cave near the seaside, where a numerous congregation were sheltered from the storm. On the 6th, my own mind was in some measure refreshed on this occasion, THE MEN OF SKYE. 39 and I hope it was not altogether unprofitable to others. After the evening diet, which was much crowded, though I felt much wearied, I was revived by interesting private conversation with young professors. " March 30th.—-When returning from Braes to the village of Portree, on my way I visited a sick young man who appeared to be about called into eternity. While conversing with him about the state of his soul, he said that he could now rather have an interest in Christ than ten thousand worlds, and that his past time was miserably misspent. I observe here that this is a general complaint with dying people nowadays, which was not the case in our past recollection, when the Word of God was scarcely to be found and ignorance was covering the whole land. Then the most wicked and the most ignorant, were filled with carnal and delusive dreams of happiness; for instance, an old man died some time ago rejoicing, saying, " How happy he would be in the other world, when he would see his father and mother there." But now, when the Word of God is so generally taught, and the people warned to flee from the wrath to come to Christ, and that, short of an interest in Him, nothing awaits them but eternal misery, general impressions are made by these truths on those who continually are hearers, so that they seldom approach death with a sleepy conscience. I always find the time of visiting the sick a favourable opportunity of addressing those present, and of improving the confessions of the sick." It is related that he was once in Raasay catechising and holding meetings, and was followed by some people from township to township. He was at 40 THE MEN OF SKYE. Torran on his way to Rona. He called at a widow's house, and he said to those who were with him that it would be as well for them, and perhaps it would be blessed by the Lord to them, if they remained and cut the crop of the poor widow as to go to hear him. Alexander was a very considerate man. John Morrison (lan Gobha) of Harris was brought to the saving knowledge of the truth about this time. There was no minister in Harris whom he could with safety consult, but he acquired the acquaintance of the men of Skye, and visited the Island principally to see them, especially blind Donald Munro. John was a godly man, and a great poet—in fact, I believe, the greatest and ablest of our Gaelic religious poets. He was an intimate acquaintance of Alexander MacLeod. " They paid each other mutual visits, and were on terms of the most intimate friendship." The Harris poet composed a beautiful, able,- and sublime elegy on Alexander. Alexander knew the state of affairs in Harris well. In 1830 he wrote the following graphic description of religious circumstances there : — " John Morrison, by trade a blacksmith, was brought under the power of the truth eight or nine years ago. He was a man of uncommon powers of mind and of great prudence. After he came to a comfortable hope, through grace, the state of those around him fell heavily on his soul, and his first attempt to spread the light of truth was by conversation. He was regarded as having the natural use of his reason greatly impaired. While some pitied him, others hoped time would cure him. In course of time he began on the Sabbath to read publicly the Scriptures in his own house; and, as a matter of course, the people would flock about him to hear if he should say anything THE MEN OF SKYE. 41 strange. His manner at first was to stand in some convenient part of the house and read. If he came to any striking passage he would stop to make some suitable and plain remark. It was a common thing that some one more daring than another, and sometimes two and three in one time, would encounter him. Then followed a debate, with all vigour, and all was attention. Sometimes he would be hard put to, which made him study the Scriptures with patient and close attention. The debate being ended, he would proceed for a while until something new gave occasion for another debate. Thus were the Sabbaths spent for a length of time. These debates, altogether spontaneous, had a happy and influential effect. The people freely brought forward their objections and their ideas of things, and John Morrison had thus a fair opportunity of bringing the truth clearly in contact with their notions and conditions. Thus was conviction forced upon many. Opponents lost their strength, open sins began to hide their head, the voice of secret prayer might be heard here and there, and Bible rule became more regarded. Having thus surmounted many and violent conflicts, heaps of 'abuse, gross slander and misrepresentation, and things growing quieter, he ventured out from his own home' to the neighbouring villages; and, waxing bolder, he attacked by the weapons of truth, the strongholds of Satan, and the working of iniquity. The light of i truth was gradually working its way, convictions were quietly gaining ground, and John the smith was growing in the esteem and affection of the people. Thus rwere things going on when, in 1828, your society' (Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge) gave ;him a commission. Since then he continues, as 42 THE MEN OF SKYE. formerly, when his lawful calling permits him, to go about from place to place exhorting and catechising. In the course of time, when those men who had received serious impression were growing in knowledge and experience, so that they might be engaged in public prayer, he organized prayer meetings, wherein three or four Gaelic teachers in the Island assisted him. These prayer meetings first began, I think, in 1830. At the first of these prayer meetings at Tarbert, in the open air, the number present was said to be above two thousand persons. Only contrast this meeting with the little combating meetings in 1825 or 1826. Family worship was set up in each family, and all, old and young, that could lisp were given to frequent private devotion. All were given to silence and meditation, except when two or three met each other and talked seriously of their state and of the truth. " About the same time the house of John Morrison was crowded at night at time of worship, which was a new thing, and the meetings in the part of the Island where he resided were numerously and closely attended. Nothing, however, took place for several weeks. After Murdoch MacLeod left the place where the awakenings were going on, he came to see John Morrison, and at the first meeting they held the work of awakening began. At that meeting John Morrison, who opened by singing and praying, while reading the chapter of Scripture, was so overcome by the truth, and so overwhelmingly melted, that he could not proceed to address the meeting; many of the people also were, during the reading of the chapter, silently melted and overcome. Thus it became Murdoch MacLeod to exhort the meeting, THE MEN OF SKYE. 43 during which more were deeply melted, and others cried out in deep distress. John Morrison, recovering so as to be able to speak, also addressed the meeting, when the impressions were heightened and rendered more general, so that there was a mighty shaking among the dry bones on this occasion. Matters continuing in this way, they found cause to hold meetings every evening, Saturday excepted, and three meetings on Sabbath. It was remarkable that at the dismissing of the meetings those awakened, with every appearance of a desire to conceal themselves, would each quietly escape to the rocks or caverns in the shore, there to pour out their souls before the God of mercy. Even a stranger could now see seriousness depicted on almost every countenance, and perceive that oppression of heart, under a sense of guilt and condemnation, to which a sad countenance is an index. The vain voice now gave place to the songs of Zion; jollity and merry-making to mourning for sin, prayer, and serious conversation; backbiting and abuse to the provoking to love and good works, and to mutual injuries frankly confessed. The Bible, covered with dust, lying in some bye corner, was now "brought forth from its seclusion, and its leaves opened and perused with trembling hands and profound reverence. On the Sabbath morning, which used to be passed in lounging on the bed, might now be seen one going to this retired corner, another to that retired corner among the rocks, and another returning •from the creeks of the shore—all thoughtful, serious, or going heavily. Even the children laid aside their youthful amusements, and might now be seen here and there, in furrows of the field, on their little knees, lisping their supplications to the Father of mercies." 44 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 45 The poet thought highly of the abilities of Alexander MacLeod. "Thy natural faculties, together with every precious talent God bestowed on thee, renewed with grace, were always ruled with the grace He gave thee, thinking on his statutes and precepts every day of thy pilgrimage." Alexander's house was situated at the convergence of the roads at Skaebost Bridge, Snizort He was kind, indulgent, and hospitable. Being the tacksman of Ung-na-cille, his resources permitted him to have his house, his table, and his hand open to the Lord's people, and, what was better, he had a heart to give— "With true generosity of mind, thou didst give hospitality without complaint; thou wert kind to the oppressed and liberal to the poor, arising from thy tenderness and purity of conscience." In all this, his wife was of the same mind with him. She was a God-fearing woman. She was not a drag on her husband, in the service of the Lord. It might be said of her what was said of the virtuous woman, " Her price is far above rubies ;" " Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land;" and " She opened her mouth with wisdom, and in her tongue was the law of kindness." (Pro. xxxi.) We have it on the highest authority that a good wife is from the Lord. " God, in His grace gave thee many a testimony of His goodwill; in His mercy, He gave thee a partner, as a rib out of thy side, who was a blessing to thee all thy days. Great was her love to thee, and she followed thee to the grave, with the same affliction." In bodily form, Alexander MacLeod was above the average height, of dark appearance, and pleasant to look upon. Over and above the characteristics described, it may be said that his whole bearing was such as won the general affection of the people. As a teacher and missionary, he was faithful, and practised what he preached, "in all things showing himself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech that could not be condemned," "exhorting and rebuking with all authority." The following is the substance of the character the poet gives him, though here given in less sublime language, suffering in translation and paraphrase: "It was not doubtful notes nor false cunning thou wouldst be teaching to souls, but established and steadfast truths, proved by the language of Scripture, for self was not the end of thy reproving of the people, but that they would flee to the Refuge." "It was not with bit and bridle that thou didst labour in the vineyard. Since thou didst take the plough into thine hands thou didst not look back. The yoke that was put upon thee was not to thee a burden nor a pain; what pained thee was the cursed and bitter being of sin, and the deceit of the devil." Being a man of principle, he was indifferent to self-interest when the eternal interest of immortal souls and the glory of God were to be considered. He would tell the truth at all costs. He would not sacrifice the principles of truth for the sake of any creature. He was not a flatterer. "Great was thy fear of sacrificing the peace of a good conscience to destructive self-glory, neither wouldst thou purchase the peace of flatterers. Little was thy regard of licking the soft sycophants of the nattering mouths. Though thou wouldest awaken their hatred, thou wouldst tell them about their rottenness." "Self- e 46 THE MEN OF SKYE. deceived men are like the Egyptians, comparing the work of the magicians to the work of Moses. Some were so in thy day, with their crafty, false works, but thou didst disregard them, and thy doctrine did swallow up theirs. Thou wert not like the locusts, which, though they wear a crown like gold, have stings in their tails. Thine heart would be wounded, seeing the greatness of the vain-glory of self-deceivers, who by their deceit murdered souls." He would not go aside to listen to graceless ministers. He avoided these vain babblers. " Thou didst never go to drink the impure milk of those who were secretly pregnant with deceitful purposes, and bringing forth poisons which raised consumptive plagues in many simple souls. The people would require many bitter purgatives before they would clear their filth from their minds." Alexander was a man of quick discernment. He could distinguish sterling piety from the counterfeit It is said that the first Sabbath after the conversion of Mr. Roderick of Snizort, Alexander discovered that the minister had undergone a gracious change. As he was accompanied by another man from the church, the following conversation took place. Alexander enquired, "What is your news to-day?" "Nothing at all," said his friend. " What is your own news ? " " I have great news," he answered ; " and news which I believe is causing joy in heaven, that Mr. Roderick is taking his doctrines from above to his congregation." On the Friday of communions, the "men's" day, Alexander MacLeod of Ung-na-cille (Alasdair Mac Dhomhnuil mhic Alasdair), as he was called in Skye, was a principal man. His testimony was highly THE MEN OF SKYE. 47 appreciated. "Thy testimony would be sweet at the question meetings. The ears of the people would be open, listening to thy words; thy sword on thy thigh, like a soldier in his armour, carefully defending free grace from the unsteadfast purposes of the hypocrite." "At a fellowship meeting in the Isle of Skye, a number of speakers to the question had dwelt on the distinguishing marks of saving faith. The most experienced Christian present, a catechist named Alastair MacLeod, was called up last to give his opinion. 'We have been hearing a great deal to-day,' said the venerable man, 'about saving faith, its actings and its fruits, and it will be well for us to give good heed to what has been said, and to seek more of the faith we have been hearing of; but is there not a risk lest, in thinking so much about precious faith, we lose sight of its great object ? This only would I say to you, Was faith crucified for you, or were you baptized in the name of your faith ?'" * Dr. Charles Macintosh, when in the Isle of Skye, contrasted the eager attention of the congregation, and the warmth and freshness and simplicity of faith of the recent converts there, with the comparative listlessness of a people that had been long familiar with the richest exhibitions of Gospel truth. "The people of Skye," his father, the then venerated minister of Tain, wrote, in reply to his remarks, "have not grieved the Spirit of God like those of Easter Ross." Alexander MacLeod was a man of prayer. "It was at the prayer meetings that thy words were more impressive. Those who knew thee, greatly miss thee. When thou wouldst be praying earnestly through Christ, thy Hope, there would be warm showers of Life of the Rev. Dr. Charles C. Macintosh of Tain and Dunoon. 48 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 49 lying in a trunk for some time, and put it on the bed he was to rest in. The fever he contracted is ascribed to this circumstance. The last diet of catechising he held was in Slugans, in the vicinity of Portree, and he went home and lay down with fever, •of which he died shortly after. When he died several of the pious men came, and before they entered the house of fever, they went to the barn and committed •themselves to the Lord. Observing some hesitating, one of them quoted the passage of Scripture, " Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph." They then fearlessly went in, dressed the body and coffined it, and remained by till they committed the earthly remains of this distinguished Christian to the grave in Snizort None of those who attended took the fever. This occurred in October, 1836. His wife and the oldest son and daughter succumbed to the same fever within two months of his own death. "It pleased God," says the poet, "in His gracious and blessed dealing, to turn an infectious fever to thine eternal perfection of health. It called thee out of every affliction, through Christ who conquered death for thee. Thou didst go with shouting on the wings of angels to Paradise." The death of Alexander MacLeod brought sadness and sorrow to many hearts in Skye. He was in the meridian of his life, only forty-six years. He was an •excellent man, a man in whom the people could safely place their confidence. He was a man of culture, refinement, and high attainments. He was a scholarly man; he had a good command of the English lan- soft dew resting on those who were broken-hearted and afflicted." He observed family worship three times a day. In autumn, when they had to work in the fields too far away to go home for dinner, the Bible was-taken out, and worship was held in the open air; and it is related that as far as the singing would be heard, the neighbours in the adjoining fields would stand during the time the singing and worship was conducted by Alexander MacLeod and his household. When Donald Munro died, Alexander continued to conduct the meetings in Snizort. He was much acknowledged of the Lord. Some of his labours in Christ's cause are recorded in his journal:—"But to go over the bounds of their (the Moderate ministers) own parish to preach the Word of Life to perishing sinners, this they could not pass. Oh, let any man of Christian feeling consider what sort of pastors these are! Oh, Christian societies, ' Come over into Macedonia and help us!' I arrived at Sligachan, the appointed place of worship, where the minister met with an exceedingly thronged gathering, and although the place was indeed a wilderness and very mountainous, three miles from the nearest farm, no-church, no pulpit, yet, blessed be the Lord, we got very sound doctrine. ' Lo, we heard it at Ephratah, we found it in the hills of the wood.' The people dismissed, and the minister had to ride 13 miles to his own house. I travelled 16 or 17 miles that evening, and arrived at my own house very late." Alexander MacLeod was catechising at Braes. He-stayed overnight in a house, and the woman of the-house, it is said, took out a blanket which had been 5o THE MEN OF SKYE. guage—the specimens of his composition we have given manifest that he could write it with ease, correctness, and fluency. His knowledge was not the graceless, superficial knowledge which only serves to puff up. He was a humble, unselfish Christian. We finish these notes by quoting the poet—"There departed from us at Ung-na-cille, to eternal happiness, the star which was brilliant in godliness and clear in his testimony; as a light from the pure Sun of Righteousness, he received his excellent gifts and graces, which left many hundreds of his acquaintances sorrowful after him, for they lost a leader and edifier who had special care and watch over his flock. His continual exercise was to consider them and make their acquaintance. To those of them who were with young, great was his kindness of heart, and from his bowels of mercy he hated to drive them harshly." john maccowan. " But thou art holy, thou that dost inhabit Isr'el's praise. Our fathers hop'd in thee, they hop'd, and thou didst them release. When unto thee they sent their cry, to them deliv'rance came: Because they put their trust in thee, they were not put to shame."—Ps. xxii., 3, 4. john MacCowan was born at Rigg, Scorrybreck, in the year 1788. Rigg is about half-way between Stafhn and Portree, and is now included in the large sheep farm of Scorrybreck, through which one travels fifteen miles of rich, fertile soil without meeting any creature but shepherds, sheep, and game. At that time the place was inhabited by a more precious tenantry-— " A bold peasantry, their country's pride, If once destroyed, can never be supplied." When the people were cleared out of that part of the Island a good many of them were compelled to emigrate, and the rest got settled in other parts of the Island. The tyrannical landlords then held their tenantry as tenants at will; they could expel them when they liked. From the beautiful and productive glens of Skye a thriving and diligent population was cruelly swept away, and sheep and deer were introduced in their place. A large proportion of the 52 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 53 sorrowful that they are never more to see their nearest and dearest friends in the world till they meet at the great day, when time is no more. This expatriation was bound to tell on the Isle of Skye, the population of which was then upwards of double what it is now. John MacCowan got settled at Borve, in the parish of Snizort, about a mile from Achtalean, the place of blind Donald Munro. It was here they made each other's acquaintance. John was one of the first persons who were brought to the saving knowledge of the truth through the instrumentality of the blind evangelist. This would be in 1806, as it is related that he feared the Lord since he was eighteen years of age. To be a true convert then, meant to dissociate oneself from the death-dealing Moderate ministers. He became a regular attendant of Donald Munro's prayer meeting at Bernisdale, Snizort, was one of his greatest helpers, and the ties of brotherly love and fellowship were never broken. When the Baptist preacher visited Skye, and was successful in breaking up the company who assembled to pray at Snizort, and in drawing some of the people after him, giving them an immersion in doctrines which they would have done well to be ignorant of, John Mac-Cowan adhered firmly to Donald Munro. "They h.eld fast the profession of their faith without wavering." The division and trouble seemed only to •cement together those of them who had an intelligent grasp of the principles of the Church of Scotland, as laid down in the Confession of Faith, and from ¦this they could not be led away. In course of time he married, and when children were born to him he would not present them for population was forced to emigrate to Australia and America. The godly fathers of Skye traced these movements to their, no doubt, original source, and declared that it was a judgment from the Lord on the people for their sins and misuse of Gospel privileges that they were obliged to remove from such highly favoured means of grace, and were placed in the back woods of America or in the bush of Australia It is recorded that in 1802 one ship carried 600 emigrants from Bracadale, from Lord MacDonald's and MacLeod's estates, to Wilmington, North Carolina; and that during the first three years of the last century twenty-five vessels went from Skye alone laden with emigrants. There are many living who can recall some of the emigrant ships lying at anchor in the bays of Skye waiting for passengers. The ship is bound for America. She takes her course from the west of Skye. She is not to call at any port till the passengers reach their destination. Before they embark, big fires are kindled outside the house, bags of oatmeal are taken out, and soon piles of oatcakes are ready and shipped with the other necessary provisions to supply them on the voyage. The day they are to set sail, Mr. Roderick, their minister, comes. A large number of people are assembled. The minister preaches on the separation of Lot from Abraham (Gen. xiii.), and in their separate places building an altar to the Lord, and exhorts those leaving their native Island to build an altar to the Lord when they reach America It is an ever-to-be-remembered day in their lives, and a touching sight to see. The people, with tears in their eyes, men, women, and children, bid farewell for ever to their remaining friends; and the latter are equally 54 THE MEN OF SKYE. baptism to the parish minister. It was the Rev. Malcolm MacLeod who was then minister of Snizort. He was known in Skye as Mr. Calum. He was a man of an amiable, affectionate, and benevolent disposition, hospitable and free from sourness and incivility. His homeliness and gentlemanliness of manner much endeared him to the people of Skye. Dr. MacKay says that he was a God-fearing man; but it would appear John MacCowan stood in doubt, for he would not present his children to Mr. Calum for baptism. He had five unbaptized. On the decease of Mr. Calum in 1832, the Rev. Simon Mac-Lachlan was settled as minister over the parish of Snizort. John applied for baptism for his children. He had to go before the session. Mr. Simon asked, " Why did you not apply for the ordinance of baptism before now ? " He replied—" I saw myself reasons why I did not apply." With this their interrogations ended. They could not question his piety. The minister said—" I see you are one of the congregation of Bernisdale." John MacCowan was principally distinguished as a man of prayer. The most of his prayers were offered in secret before the Lord. He was not as the hypocrites who pray to be seen and heard of men. He did not advertise his private devotions. " But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly." It was the time passed in secret seeking, and, we believe, receiving, the presence of God in Christ which made his prayers in public so savoury and refreshing. His life was a life of prayer. The spirit of grace and of supplica- THE MEN OF SKYE. 55 tion was in a large measure bestowed upon him. He was regarded as the " Fifth man of prayer in the Isle of Skye." " Cuigeamh fear urnuigh an Eilean Sgiathaich." It was difficult to get him to engage in public prayer. There was an old soldier in Kilmuir who was wounded in battle, and, on account of loss of blood, was mentally weak. This pensioner would sit near him, and as soon as he would hear the man who conducted calling on him, he would give him a blow on the side, and would continue his blows till he would rise. Mr. Roderick of Snizort was once going to Uig to preach. He was noticeably depressed in mind before leaving. When he returned, he was bright and cheerful. They asked him what he met with that he appeared so bright. He said, " I got John MacCowan to pray to-day." One who has a good recollection of him, having met him on several occasions of communion, told me that there were few like him in Skye. He abhorred hypocrisy and all deceitful appearances. His life was the life of the contrite and brokenhearted man. There was no ostentatious formality. When he would enter the church he would sit near the door, throw his plaid over his head, and bow on the seat. Mr. Roderick, in calling on him to engage in prayer, would say, "Where are you in hiding today ?" He was not one of the selfish creatures who like to go to the front, with the appearance that they have something to offer, and in whose faces displeasure can be read if their service is not called for. Such hypocrisy and self-advancement were detested by the " fathers " of Skye. He had a disadvantage in not being able to read. It was difficult to get education then; schools were 49 THE MEN OF SKYE. .scarce. Notwithstanding, his mind was not empty; the Word of God dwelt in him. Such was the richness of his mind in the Scriptures that Mr. Roderick used the same words about him as he did ¦of Donald Munro—" that had the Bible gone amissing, it would almost be found in these two men." With the Lord's people, he was a general favourite. He was a man of brotherly love and kindness. Angus MacLeod (Aonghas nam beann) passed much of his time with him, and Angus would only condescend to remain where he found the fear of God. He had a son, Murdo, who taught a school in the parish of Bracadale. He died when he was about twenty years of age. Another son, John, died at Leith of small-pox. He was physically well built, and of a robust and ¦strong constitution. Sometimes, in those days, when civil officials were few, one had to depend on the strength of his arm for justice. There is an anecdote told of John in this connection which need not here be related. There was only a very poor administration of justice in Skye at one time. It is not so far back since a man, found guilty of sheep-stealing, suffered the penalty of standing on an elevation in the public square in Portree on a market day with two large ram-horns hanging round his neck. One of these sheep-stealers was for some time imprisoned in Inverness, and it is said that he came back to Skye a converted man, and that he used to say in his prayer: " Blessed Jesus, thou wert called the carpenter's son, and no wonder, for thou didst hew many a rough tree." When the people were cleared away from Borve, he went to Herbusta, in the parish of Kilmuir. This THE MEN OF SKYE. ST was shortly before the Disruption of 1843. Since the days of Blind Donald Munro at Kilmuir, there were some who had very little intercourse with the parish minister. At the Disruption the people of this district joined the Free Church in large numbers, and were in due time formed into a regularly organized congregation. They had no minister for twenty-one years. They had to depend upon Mr. Roderick of Snizort and chance ministers for ministration. They had no church or place of worship for sixteen years,, because no site could be obtained from the proprietor. ^They met for public worship, in all weathers, in the-'open air. They made no application to Lord Mac-Donald on account of the site at Portree having been lso peremptorily refused.* When Captain Fraser purchased the estate, Dr. Martin of Monkstadt applied', to him for a site, and readily obtained it, with a. handsome contribution to the Building Fund. Dr. fMartin was an elder in the congregation, and a zealous [promoter of its interests. It was mainly through hisv Sexertions that a church and manse were built at a-[cpst of £1765. In 1864, the Rev. Christopher Munro. 'was ordained and settled as pastor of the congregation, fc There were many then in Kilmuir who feared the-JLord; men who watched and prayed. They were' largely of one mind, and lived in brotherly love. On one occasion Mr. Roderick of Snizort was expected ;down to Kilmuir to preach. On the previous evening *Murdo Beaton, a God-fearing man, came up to John iMacCowan's house. The following day the people :were to assemble to hear the Gospel. After supper 'and worship, and when the others had retired to rest, ìthey both sat up " speaking one to another," till the-* Report on Sites. 58 THE MEN OF SKYE. rays of the sun shone into the house. They did not feel the night passing. They then went out, each to a separate private place to pray. " Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another: and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, said the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him." (Mal. iii., 16, 17.) After the Disruption, John MacCowan got notice from the factor to quit his holding at Herbusta, on account of the warm side and share he took with those who then stood up for the cause of truth in the land, but he was not ejected. The Rev. James Ross, who was in Bracadale, was, in his younger days, teaching a school in Kilmuir, and used to pass much of his time in his company, and he found his conversation edifying. Often did they sit up till far into the night speaking of the things which pertain to the Kingdom of Heaven. When Mr. Ross was leaving Kilmuir, he went to bid him farewell. Mr. Ross said, " I am going to flit." " Oh," said John, " the great thing is to be prepared for the flitting out of time to eternity; many a flitting I have had in the world, and many a trying one." Mr. Ross wrote of him: *—" John MacCowan, Kilmuir, though he was neither teacher nor catechist, was highly respected by all who knew him for his fervent piety and loving kindness." Some of the largest and most weighty stones in the building are hid from the view of the public. He saw many things in his day. He witnessed THE MEN OF SKYE. 59 and participated in several revivals—genuine revivals —of religion, in which young and old heard the voice of the Son of God and lived. Many were brought alive to the things of eternity. It is related that Dr. MacDonald of Ferintosh, during one of his visits to Skye, was out one day taking a walk, and was met by a young girl who seemed to be in concern for her soul. The Doctor inquired what was the matter with her. She replied—¦" What is the matter with me, but .that the truth of God is piercing my heart." " The ;àwakening was principally confined to those not much ^advanced in life, of the age of fifteen and under to 'thirty, both married and unmarried. But there were [some striking exceptions to this rule on both occasions. One man, eighty years of age, was brought under great concern, lived a few years as a professed Christian, and died, it is believed, in the Lord. A !still more wonderful instance of the power of Divine ,'grace was afforded in the case of a poor man residing jin the parish of Bracadale, above one hundred years old, who, in the judgment of charity, passed from death to life, having, from being ignorant and unholy, renounced his dependence on a covenant of works (and embraced the faith which purifies the heart and overcomes the world. The conversion of an idiot, or, rather, half-witted person, who afterwards emigrated with his relations to America, constituted another, triumph of that grace which was so bountifully communicated to this hitherto barren wilderness. But time would fail to enumerate all the instances of this kind which occurred—including some of persons ¦little known, during their life, to be more than ;fnere professors, who, on their death-bed, evinced * Life of Donald MacQueen. 6o THE MEN OF SKYE. the reality of the change that had been wrought on their souls."* Some wonderful instances of conversion are related God often works by instruments which men would not acknowledge. There was a wicked man in the village of Portree, whose house would be full of visitors, not better than himself, on Sabbath, to profane that day. On a certain Lord's Day his house was crowded, and to make room the householder stretched himself on the bed in the kitchen. Unexpectedly, who knocked at the door and came in but a tinker. They were all glad to see the stranger. After the tinker was in for a little, he asked leave of the host to recite a song. Immediately he received permission, and all present expressed a wish to hear the song, as it would pass the time. The tinker sang solemnly to them the hymn composed by the godly Gaelic poet, Dugald Buchanan, on " The Day of Judgment," and it is said that the man of the house was thereby converted, and that his house was no more a synagogue of Satan on the Lord's Day. During the wars with Napoleon Bonaparte, the Isle of Skye contributed upwards of 11,000 men to the British Army. Some of those volunteered, and others were induced to enlist to defend the nation. John MacCowan was asked to enlist, a call which he readily obeyed. He was young then. The examining medical officer, who knew him well, did not like him to leave the Island, and, of his own accord, reported to the recruiting officers that something was wrong with the thumb of his right hand, and that he could not handle the gun, so he got liberty to remain at home. * Tract on Revivals. THE MEN OF SKYE. 61 It was his practice to go to the communion to Bracadale. He felt an attraction in that place. He remembered the days of John Shaw, and when Mr. Roderick was there Donald MacQueen and several of the " fathers " resided there. Above all, he went up to Jerusalem to see "the face of the King." The last time he went to the communion to this place he was accompanied by John Maclnnes, a truly pious man. They walked fast all the way from Kilmuir in order to overtake the evening prayer meetings It was a hot day. At the prayer meetings there was an extraordinary nearness to God noticeably given him. Many were struck by his expressions. Some one of the brethren asked him if he had anything in view. He replied—" These are the last words I will ever say in Bracadale." After returning from Bracadale, he was working the following day. He felt unwell, and was obliged to take his bed. He had contracted a cold, and was seriously ill. Ronald MacDonald, Uig, went to see him; and on entering the room, lifted his hands and praised the Lord that he was spared, and said—" I was told in the evening, when putting in the cattle, that you were seriously ill. I left at once as I was, and never walked quicker from Uig to Kilmuir." Ronald was often with him during his illness. A week before he died all pain left him. On the evening of the night he died, at worship they sang together the 6ist Psalm, after which he told them he was feeling weak. Many of the Lord's people were seeing him on his death-bed, where he felt happy and content. His pain revived the night he died, and he said to those present," What a lesson you are getting in seeing me dying here!" f 82 THE MEN OF SKYE. custom of the men of Skye to read a chapter of the Bible, and then return and comment on and exhort from passages the interpretation of which was clear to them. On another occasion Norman went over to Lochalsh and Glenelg, up Lochhourn side, and Arnisdale, where there was a Mr. Corbett, a minister, who gave his pulpit to Norman to preach from. It was observed that at meetings, on communion occasions, when Norman would address the people, they would at once appear attracted and affected. He, like his master, " spoke with authority, and not as the scribes;" but when one of the Moderate ministers would rise, the audience would harden. Their preaching was like the east wind; it brought drought with it. We have not been able to ascertain when Norman left Minginish and returned to Waternish In his latter days he lived at Lusda, Waternish, where he occupied a croft His interest in Christ's cause did not abate, but increased as he increased in years. One of my informants recalls walking with him to Braca-dale to settle a dispute which arose there when Mr. Finlayson was minister. In addressing the people, he said—" A Mhinginish, Mhinginish, is fada fo na bha mi sgith dhiot." (Minginish, Minginish, it is long since I was tired of thee.) In 1843 the Church came out; " Thainig an Eaglais a mach," as they say in the Highlands, as if they had left nothing but emptiness behind them. The men of Skye were not inactive spectators of this momentous movement. In some places there was a separation years before 1843. In the Presbytery of Skye, Mr. Roderick, of Snizort, and Mr. Glass, of Bracadale, were the only ministers who THE MEN OF SKYE. 83 left the Establishment Very shortly after the Disruption, Mr. Glass left the Island. Mr. Roderick was left single-handed, and was compared to Robinson Crusoe—"monarch of all he surveyed;" but there were godly elders, catechists, and Gaelic teachers in Skye in those days. They were powerful men, who exercised an influence for great good. It was their undoubted piety that gave them the high place they held in the estimation of the people. They were men of prayer. There was a man in Snizort, and he could scarcely be found off his knees. The first crop of " men" raised in Skye was like the first crop of good ground which had been fallow for a time: the ears are strong, heavy, and full of fruit. When they would then assemble at Snizort on such occasions they had happy times, times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. To go to Snizort on such occasions was to many what going up to Jerusalem to the feasts was to the tribes of Israel. Angus MacLeod ("Aonghas nam beann") once walked a long distance to Snizort to a communion. When he arrived, wet, weary, and hungry, he said— " I did not halt till I reached Jerusalem." Many souls were brought to the knowledge of the truth, and the Lord's people were edified. Conspicuous among the men was Norman MacLeod. There was no sham or imposition about him. Flattery, "the nurse of crimes," was then conspicuous by its absence. It is a dangerous time when "panegyric runs and censures cease." They looked upon each other as brethren, and the one did not seek to exercise an undue rule over the other. While brethren dwell thus in unity, the dew will come down upon them like the dew on Mount Hermon and the hills of Zion. 84 THE MEN OF SKYE. Mr. Roderick was always a favourite with the men of Skye. He reciprocated the feeling of love they showed him. Particularly fond was he of Norman MacLeod, whose company was very interesting and edifying, and he could give a good counsel to the minister. Mr. Roderick once acknowledged to him that he was depressed in his mind over his want of success in the ministry. Norman said to him—" When I was in the Army, we were one day going into battle, and our commander said, ' See that you fire low.'" He used also to say that, when in battle, he took aim at the heart. Mr. Roderick, standing one day with several of the elders at the church in Snizort, and observing Norman approach, said—" Here comes an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." Another who well knew him, has said—•" There were not many laymen in the Highlands whose labours were more blessed by the Lord than Norman MacLeod. He was a holy man. There were not many godlier or holier men in his day. He was owned of the Lord wherever he went. He was a straightforward, honest, and sincere man." Norman (" Tormad Saighdear," as he was called in Skye) was, in his bodily physique, over six feet in height, not corpulent—straight and handsome to the end of his days. He lived to a good old age. The hair of his head was white like wool. He was a man much respected. It was a law in Israel, " that they would rise up before the hoary head and honour the face of the old man, and fear God." On the morning of the day he died, he said— " Before this day ends, I will be with Donald Munro," and mentioned several of the fathers who predeceased him. " Oh," said his wife, " you have often THE MEN OF SKYE. 85 been with them before." He walked into the room, and, longing for his return, she entered, and found him dead on his knees before the chair. Thus he died, praying, in his own house at Lusda, Waternish, in the year 1858, aged 85 years, deeply regretted by all who knew him. His body is lying in the grave at Kilmuir, Dun-vegan, awaiting a glorious resurrection. donald macqueen. " So they from strength unwearied go, still forward unto strength, Until in Zion they appear before the Lord at length."—Ps. lxxxiv., 7. Donald MacQueen was a son of Alexander Mac-Queen, who for some time occupied the farm of Glen-vargill, in the parish of Portree. Previous to his tenancy of Glenvargill, he was innkeeper at Sconser. (An inn was then situated where the shooting lodge now stands.) After leaving Glenvargill, he went to Braes, where he died. He was married to a daughter of the tacksman of Tote Roam, " Fear Thota Roam," Scorrybreck. The circumstances of Donald's birth are significant. He was a natural child. Jephthah, born after a similar manner, was a man whom the Lord signally acknowledged, and who judged Israel for six years. The election in all ages obtained salvation, and the rest were blinded. Donald was born in the year i;85- The late Rev. James Ross, of Bracadale, wrote a brief sketch of Donald MacQueen, but it is more doctrinal than biographical. From this sketch I make a few extracts:—When young, Donald received the most advanced education then obtainable in parish schools, and had the benefit of being sent for a short time to one of the best schools in Inverness to complete his education. "After 88 THE MEN OF SKYE. returning from Inverness, he acted for some time as tutor in gentlemen's families. .During that time he had the offer of several important situations ; among others, that of becoming manager of an ¦estate in the West Indies." Shortly before these ¦openings for promotion in the world occurred, Donald was brought to know himself as a sinner, and Jesus 'Christ as his Saviour, by the means of blind Donald Munro. He now felt that going abroad would be anything but congenial, where the object of every-¦one was the accumulation of wealth. The allurements of the situation were laid out before him, but he now saw that "by humility and the fear of the Lord are riches, and honour, and life," and "they that will be rich will fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition." Donald declined the offers of those situations, and remained all his days in the Isle of Skye. He married, when he was comparatively young, a woman who feared the Lord. She was converted, it is said, under Mr. Farquharson. Her parents were worldly, and felt no interest in religion. They were careless about the Divine law of the Sabbath. They forgot the Fourth Commandment—"Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy." It is said that when their daughter was about fourteen years of age they punished her because she refused to draw water from the well on the Lord's Day, a work which should have been done on " the day of preparation." Donald met with treatment which had some resemblance to that which his wife suffered. He was obliged to leave his father's house, as the desecration of the Lord's Day. allowed and carried on became intolerable to him. THE MEN OF SKYE. 89. t. After he married, he went to reside in the parish of Snizort, where he rented a piece of land. "While ^living in that place, two of a family of eleven were born unto them. His wife died in 1832." .In the year 1815, Donald MacQueen was appointed English teacher in the island of Soa, which contains a population of about 70 souls, and is. ^parochially connected with Bracadale. This parish,. j,it is said, was the first parish in Skye in which the fSacrament of the Lord's Supper was dispensed, after |the manner of the Reformation, by the Rev. John Bethune, eldest son of the third Dr. Angus, eighth ^descendant from the Laird of Balfour. John Bethune '.became minister of Bracadale. He died in 1707. His son. (by his wife a daughter of MacLeod of Dry-noch), the Rev. Kenneth Bethune, was liberally-(educated, and was chosen minister of Kilmuir. He ;died in 1739.* " The Beatons, or Bethunes, a famous, -family of physicians, settled at first in Argyllshire, but, on the invitation of the Lord of the Isles„, [removed to Skye. They were the descendants of ^Archibald Bethune of Pitlochy and Coppeldrie, in pjife, fifth son of John Bethune, fifth laird of Balfour,, of which latter Cardinal Beaton was nephew."f The predecessor of the Rev. John Shaw in Braca-fdale was the Rev. Roderick MacLeod, who was [married to a daughter of the Rev. Donald MacQueen, pinister of Kilmuir, Skye, who died in Raasay in ^•785. This Mr. Roderick was successor to the Rev.. William MacLeod (brother to Sheriff MacLeod, ^Jllinish), of whom little is known or recorded, except [that he lived and died. * '* The Brave Sons of Skye " by Colonel Maclnnes. t Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Glasgow. 90 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 91 which is a ground for hope and that which is not." He was hard on the wicked, and rebuked them so .severely that he became a terror to evil-doers. There was an old man living in Rhu-dunain who ;was more afraid of Donald than he was of his own *ignorance.( Mr. Roderick was there holding a meeting, after which this man said to him, " Mo shoid-eanach coir ort fein, cha bu tu Domhnull Mac Cuinn, ^bheirreadh e falas air. an each ghlas aig fear an Rhu Be cheisdean " (" My kind man, you are unlike Donald MacQueen; he would bring sweat through the grey horse of the tacksman of Rhu with his questions") There were.in Fernlea, Minginish, three ungodly old maids, sisters living together who did not attend -the means of grace. Donald went to their house to catechise. He asked one of them, " What hope have •you for eternity ? " She replied, " God created us, and He is our Father." " In the same way," said Donald, I the devils might speak." She got so warm that she began to put three questions to him for the one he would put to her. " Who then is our Father ? " she asked. Donald said, "Ye are of your father, the devil, for it is his will ye delight to do." She replied, " But you will not put us wrong in the mind as you did that man in Eynort." A young, serious girl who was present asked him to pray for her, and one of those ungodly women said, " Why did you ask him to do that for you, as if your parents and people were worse than others?" There was a man living in Minginish called "Coinneach Offigeach" (Kenneth the Officer), from his having been an officer in the Army. He would not go out of his house on Sabbath to the public worship. Donald, acting under a sense of his duty, went and Mr. Roderick, Mr. Shaw's predecessor, would not marry a couple unless they were able to answer the questions of the Shorter Catechism. He used to subject them to the catechising immediately before they were married, in presence of the witnesses. When debarring people from the Lord's Table, he would mention those who were refractory by their names, but, notwithstanding the strictness of his discipline, he was not counted a godly man. Mr. Shaw recognized the education, ability, and, what was a more important element in his character, the unfeigned piety of Donald MacQueen. After being for some time teacher, Donald was appointed catechist. • '"He laboured at first for about twenty-nine years in various districts of the parish of Bracadale," and was employed by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The catechising was dissimilar to ¦what it is now. Of course, it is now almost obsolete. .After they answered questions of the Shorter Catechism, he would ask what foundation were they building on for eternity, what was their conversation and manner of life; were they praying, -were they observing family worship, were they observing the Sabbath? thereby bringing the •conduct and practices of the people under examination ; the wicked were exhorted and rebuked if they forsook not their wickedness. If there was a family who neglected to attend the public means ¦of grace, the catechist would intimate that he would hold a diet of catechising in that house, whereto the whole township were to assemble. Donald was a -severe catechist; "being delivered from delusions, "himself, he made it a life-long duty to distinguish; Tbetween the precious and the vile—between that 92 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 93 written," said she, " that God is just when He justifieth the ungodly who believes in Christ Jesus." It is related that Donald MacQueen attended four General Assemblies in Edinburgh, three of these to defend the case of the Rev. Roderick MacLeod, his minister. Mr. Roderick was converted when he was probationer at Lynedale, and, on the death of Mr. Shaw, he was ordained in Bracadale in September, 1823. He was only a young man then, 29 years of age. His wife, a daughter of Donald MacDonald, proprietor of Skaebost was a woman of sterling piety, and much encouraged and strengthened his hands in bearing testimony. We have already stated that Mr. Shaw was lenient. When Mr. Roderick went to Bracadale there were 250 communicants on the roll. The first communion he held he intimated that only those who appeared to be God-fearing, consistent Christians would receive tokens. The number who communicated was under ten. Before building, the rubbish must be cleared away. The godly men approved of this action, among whom chiefly was Donald MacQueen, and the result of this honest dealing with their fellow-sinners was that a spirit of self-examination went forth among the people, and a true revival began in Skye. Not only was there caution as to the persons to whom they would dispense the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, but also as to those who would receive the ordinance of baptism. In a short time there was a large number of infants in the parish unbaptized. He would not baptize the children of wicked and ungodly parents. "Baptism," according to the standards of the Church, "is not to be administered to any that are out of the visible Church till they profess h held the catechising in his house. Kenneth spoke to him privately before the service began, and entreated him not to question him in presence of the people, but that he might catechise him after the rest would go away, as he was to stay with him overnight Donald questioned him at the family worship, and, on the evidence of some who were present, it is related he was weeping like a child. Donald went from home, and on passing by this man's house shortly after, he observed some men standing at the house, and, on inquiry, was told that Kenneth had died. His death caused him profound sadness. It is said that Donald used to go to a cave in the neighbourhood for nearly a year to seek the Lord's mind in regard to this man when he was alive, and that it was revealed to him that he was brought to the way of salvation before he was taken out of the world. A woman came to him once, and asked, " What did John Bunyan mean by the Slough of Despond ?" Thinking " she had as much need of deeper conviction as of consolation," he replied—"Whatever Bunyan meant by that, I wish I saw you in it; I wish I saw you in the Slough of Despond." * He dealt gently with the Lord's people. He and Angus Munro were speaking of a woman. The former was saying that he thought she was a Godfearing woman; the tatter's opinion was that, for himself, he could see no ground to believe that Donald was catechising, and Angus was present Donald asked the woman, "What foundation are you building on for eternity ?" " The justice of God," she answered. Angus shook his head. "How can you prove that ?" said Donald. " Because it is * Life of Donald MacQueen. 94 THE MEN OF SKYE. their faith in Christ and obedience to Him." The men of Skye in those days laid more emphasis on obedience than is done now. The Presbytery of Skye, on the first appeal made to them by one of the discontented parishioners, Captain MacLeod of Drynoch, after examining his qualifications—and, mark, the Moderates were not particular about qualifications— instructed Mr. MacLeod to baptize the child. Knowing the man's character better than they, and taking a deeper and keener interest in the people's spiritual welfare, he positively declined to obey their instructions. The case went before the General Assembly of 1824. The Assembly approved of the conduct of the Presbytery, and enjoined them "to take care that the ordinance of baptism be duly administered in the parish of Bracadale." " In consequence of this injunction," writes Dr. Hanna,* " the Presbytery visited the parish, examined a number of the parents to whose children baptism had been denied administered the rite by one of their own number to some of the unbaptized, and in one particular case enjoined Mr. MacLeod to baptize. With this order he refused compliance, on which the Presbytery proceeded, at a meeting on the 5th of May, 1826, to suspend him for two months from the office of the ministry. Against that decision Mr. MacLeod himself neglected to protest and appeal. This having been done, however, by another membert of the Presbytery, the matter came again before the supreme ecclesiastical court; and the General Assembly of 1826, after a long and animated debate, affirmed the sentence of the Presbytery, and renewed their former instructions, * Life of Dr. Chalmers, t Mr. Calum of Snizort, Mr. Roderick's father. THE MEN OF SKYE. 95 with directions " to restore Mr. MacLeod to the full exercise of his ministerial functions as soon as he expresses his willingness to conduct himself in a manner becoming a dutiful son of the Church." The Presbytery having failed to obtain that satisfaction from Mr. MacLeod which they conceived themselves entitled to exact, proceeded to serve him with a libel, inferring deposition. This was felt by many members of the Church to be a summary and severe mode of dealing with scruples which, however narrow or ill-grounded, were the scruples of a devout and conscientious clergyman. They were anxious that all the gentler methods of remonstrance should be exhausted before such a minister was cut off from the Church. It was mainly the interest which Dr. Chalmers took in this case which brought him from London to Edinburgh, and he had the satisfaction, in conjunction with the other members of the committee which the General Assembly of 1827 appointed to confer with Mr. MacLeod, to obtain from him the following declaration: —" With reference to the impressions that the discussion concerning my conduct have produced, as to my holding views and principles inconsistent with the laws and constitution of the Church of Scotland, I now declare my conviction that the same are agreeable to the Word of God, and my entire willingness to obey them, and my decided resolution to adhere to them, without any mental reservation or qualification whatever; and that, as I took no appeal, I acted wrong in disobeying the injunctions of the inferior Court" On this declaration being laid before it, the General Assembly unanimously agreed—" That the whole process relating to Mr. MacLeod is now at an end, and that there is no 96 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 97 "bytery meeting held in Bracadale, representing the congregation, he said—" You have laid the foundation wrong at the beginning, the superstructure is wrong, and you will be found blockheads." One of them .afterwards remarked—" We will not take a feather out of Mr. Roderick so long as Donald MacQueen lives." Donald used to observe the Lord's Day with great care. He would scarcely speak on anything but the Word of God. He would say, " There is no person in the world who is keeping the Lord's Day as he ought." " He was a strict and conscientious Sabbath observer. He kept the sacred day holy to the Lord, except so much as is to be taken up in the works of necessity and mercy. Vain and worldly conversation, reading •the newspaper and light literature on the Lord's Day, he could not tolerate for a moment, and testified against it. The instances in which fishermen set their nets on Saturday in order to catch fish on Sabbath are, it is to be hoped, very few. It has, however, been done, and he deplored the practice, .regarding it as evidently the doings of men who do not pretend to have the fear of God before their eyes, or any regard for the Sabbath." The Sabbath fishing referred to here was probably the salmon fishing on the coast of Skye by the Johnstones of Montrose. In contravention of the law of God and man, this evil is still carried on, and few in Skye have raised their voices against it. We are not aware of any other place in Scotland where this is allowed but Skye. Those employed in this fishing get a share of the fish caught on Sabbath, and are consequently involved in the evil. The question was raised in a certain parish whether those fishermen should receive the ordinances of the Church. It came before the Free Church Presbytery, room for any further proceedings." Dr. Chalmers, in. his Diary, says that by this "declaration he compromised no principles whatever, and only acknowledged himself to be wrong in a matter merely legal, and formal, which he certainly was. This declaration carried him most triumphantly through the Assembly. The Moderates rejoiced over him as a stray sheep, and we were all very happy and harmonious on the occasion." Mr. Roderick only owned that he acted wrong as he took no appeal. It seems that with truth and principle on his side, and surrounded, as he was, with the godly men of Skye, he looked down with indifference on the Moderates, and did not trouble himself about their instructions and injunctions. I may record what I heard in regard to this dispute, that Captain MacLeod went to Portree to attend a Presbytery meeting to insist on his child being baptized. When he returned home the child was dead, and the contention ended so far as he was concerned. Mr. Roderick and the " men " held the same views us they did before, and we find in the records of the Church, headed " Irregularities in Bracadale," that this-case was again before the Assembly from 1833 to 1838. The contention which culminated in the Disruption was brewing and seething then, and, with the translation of Mr. Roderick to Snizort, no more is heard of the Bracadale case. I refer to this controversy simply for the reason that the men of Skye took a great part in it, especially the subject of these notes. He knew the Standards of the Church, and could debate, and discuss, and defend her principles in her courts with commanding intelligence. He was an able controversialist. He defeated the Moderates more than once. At a Pres- 98 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 99 with power, "and the commandment which was ordained to life, he found to be unto death" (Rom. vii., io). He saw then that he could not help himself by good-doing any more than by wrong-doing, and was led to inquire, " What must I do to be saved ?" And the way of salvation through grace was being revealed to him. It was dawning on his mind, and so powerfully that the neighbours were awed by the decided change they had seen in the old man's conversation, and his love to those who would lead him in the right way. But, in speaking of such a change, he would exalt the Lord alone, in providing and blessing the means, and in revealing his love and mercy, and in saving freely for His name's sake." Donald was stationed as a catechist at Fiscovaig, Minginish; Alexander Munro was at Fernlea; and Norman MacLeod at Carbost, as Gaelic teachers. Brotherly love existed between these men. There was no jealousy. "Domhnull mo ghradh" (Donald my love), and "Alexander, to whom I would give the warm welcome," says Norman in his poem. There was no strife or contention as to who would be the greatest. Donald was removed from Fiscovaig, and came to Struan. "Other districts in Skye besides Bracadale had the benefit of his labours. He was sent to Stein, Diuirinish, where he remained fourteen years. He returned again from Stein to Bracadale, where he continued to serve as catechist till he was called to his rest." Donald, in his earlier days, used to take tours through the Island catechising. He would leave Bracadale, go to Minginish and Soa, come to Elgoll, and down to Sconser, across Loch Sligachan to Braes and the parish of Portree, thence to the parish of Snizort, and return home to Bracadale. and we were told that their finding was that, as the fishermen were not working on Sabbath, they were not guilty of any sin which deserved refusal of the ordinances. On this evil principle any other class of fishermen might set their nets on Saturday, and leave them a-fishing on Sabbath. Skye men now have got so accustomed to this great evil and public desecration of the Lord's Day that they think nothing of it or of the commandment which, by clear inference, declares that " the sea and all that in it is " are to rest. Those employed in this cursed work receive the Sacraments of the Church. The labours of Donald MacQueen were not in vain. They were blessed by the Lord to the bringing of immortal souls from darkness to light. No man can save another. All the created angels in heaven, all ministers on earth, cannot save one immortal soul. The Lord keeps the work of salvation in His own hands that the glory may accrue to Him. Men are sometimes used as instruments. Donald would " sometimes allude to a remarkable case of conversion he had seen in that of an old man named John Mac-Lean, who lived in a district called Tusdal, on the farm of Talisker. Being on a visit catechising, he called at this man's house for the purpose, and found him confined to bed owing to the infirmities of age, being an hundred years old, and blind. It was evident that this old man lived till then without God and without hope in the world. The fancied hope he entertained was legal. It was built on the covenant of works, apart from an interest in Christ. But this old man lived till he was an hundred and seven. And his. after-life would show that the Word spoken to him in his hundredth year came ioo THE MEN OF SKYE. Journeys like this were not so easily done then as now. He did not do it driving in a carriage, buried in plaids and rugs; he had to walk it They laboured in the vineyard then, and their labours brought forth fruit In the dark days of Moderatism, the merchants were accustomed to attend the communions, pitch their tents, and expose their commodities for sale on the week-days. Donald and the rest of the men removed their tents, and obliged them to discontinue the practice. The law of Christian hospitality was not transgressed in the house of Donald MacQueen. He entertained strangers, and did not like anyone who came to his house to go away without partaking of some food. He was a widower for the last fifty-three years of his life, his wife having died in 1832. His daughter kept house for him. " Your adversary the devil walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour." He roareth against the Lord's people only; as for the rest, they " are taken captive by him at his will." It is Rutherford who said that he preferred a roaring devil to a sleeping devil. It is no sin to be tempted. The Saviour was tempted. The sin is when one falls by the temptation. Satan often comes as an angel of light. When he fails in one way, he tries another. He will continue to tempt and harass the children of grace as long as they are in this world, and will follow them to the gate of heaven. "Not long before his death Donald MacQueen was not a little annoyed with a temptation which lasted for some time, but which he was enabled to overcome in such a way that he had thereafter abiding rest, notwithstanding his THE MEN OF SKYE. 101 great bodily weakness. To a man who had all along such a knowledge of the in-dwelling corruption of his heart, and mourning over it alway, it would appear that the temptation with which he was assailed at the time was rather an unusual one. It was this: he was haunted with the idea that he was perfect; and though he abhorred the suggestion, knowing it could not be true, since absolute perfection is not promised in this life, yet it continued to harass him until the truth, as it is in Jesus, which comforted him all along, brought renewed life and joy to his mind. And this he was specially privileged to enjoy in the hour of need. For, in searching the Word of Life for direction and consolation, peace, like a river, filled his mind through a passage of Scripture which fully met his case. It was this: "Ye are complete in Him" (Col. ii., 10). He would be perfect; he was longing for it; but he was fully conscious that he did not at the time attain to it Instead of that, his actual experience was that he was rilled with a sense of self-emptiness and imperfection. But he was made to rejoice when the Spirit brought to his remembrance the comforting truth that all the perfection he needed was provided for him in Christ, and it was being administered unto him. For it was out of the fulness that is in Christ he obtained every blessing he needed to make Christ and His salvation precious unto him." It is said that Donald would be in tears when he read or spoke of the sufferings of Christ. This broke his heart more than anything. He would bring Christ before his fellow-sinners as the "only name given under heaven among men whereby we must be saved," and that whoever rejected this salvation must perish for ever. "How shall we escape if I02 THE MEN OF SKYE. we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him; God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will ?" (Heb. ii., 3, 4). At the communions in Bracadale, he would be the last, but not the least, to speak to " the question " on Fridays. He used to compare the hypocrite to the door on hinges, which could be turned any way. He was one himself to whom it was given "to hold fast the profession of his faith without wavering." " The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger " (Job xix., 9). He hated sin and loved holiness, knowing that "without holiness no man can see the Lord." "He could not be content with the form of godliness without the power. To be filled with coldness and apathy and indifference to divine things he could not endure. Though he was conscious to the last of the remains of sin, yet sin did not reign in him. He sought to crucify the will of the flesh in doing the will of God. And though he knew His will but in part, yet through his daily study of the Word of God he was taught to do His will more perfectly. And as he was enabled to walk in the light of the Gospel, he found the Sun of Righteousness rising with healing in His wings, filling him with joy and gladness. He could testify a few weeks before his death that the promises of the everlasting Gospel brought home to his mind by the power of the Spirit were dispelling his doubts and fears." " Latterly the weight of years was telling on Donald MacQueen; and he had besides bronchitis about a THE MEN OF SKYE. year before his death, and, though he recovered, it was only in part, for his bodily health seemed to be weaker thereafter." He had now arrived at years which only very few get in this world. He was over one hundred. He was a man of healthy, strong, robust constitution and massive frame, with a venerable appearance. " Three days before his death he was enabled to attend the monthly prayer meeting. The last thing he was heard specially to pray for was that pure and unfeigned love to all the brethren would abound more and more." Like Dr. Owen, he might, say—" The long wished-for day is come at last, in which I shall see that glory in another manner than I have ever done, or was capable of doing in this world." Donald died in his own house in Bracadale on the 13th November, 1885. He rose from his bed in the morning, sat in his arm-chair at the kitchen fireside; so takjng the Bible in his hand, about to conduct family worship, he was peacefully called out of time to eternity. " A dol o ùin' gu bith-bhuantachd B' e 'n t-iteal a bha teann! Gu deimhin fèin cha b'fhiosrach mi, Air tiota a bhi ann : Cha b' luaith a d' fhalbh an anail ud, Bha goirid agus fann; No sud an làimh mo cheannard mi, Is sud an t-anam thall." We believe he took his place among those who surround the Throne, and " these are they who have come through much tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb," and "with the spirits of just men made perfect" With many others of the Lord's people, his body I04 THE MEN OF SKYE. was laid to rest in the graveyard at Snizort, till it be awakened at the resurrection. The inscription on the headstone on his grave is as follows: — In Memory of DONALD MACQUEEN For many years a Teacher in Skye and Soay. Afterwards Catechist to the Free Church in Bracadale from 1843 to 1885. Died 13th November, 1885. Aged 100 years. He was able to discharge his duties till within a few days of his death. During his long and useful life he won the esteem and reverence of all classes as one who equally by example and precept taught to three generations what a good man and a Christian ought to be. Erected by the Free Church Congregation of Bracadale and other friends. " The memory of the just is blessed."—Prov. x., 7. hector maclean. " O happy is that man and blest, whom Jacob's God doth aid; Whose hope upon the Lord doth rest, and on his God is stay'd."—Ps. cxlvi., 5. Of the godly men who adorned the Church in the Isle of Skye, few were more remarkable for honesty and sincerity in their profession of religion than Hector MacLean. He is entitled to a position on the same platform with the most godly of the Skye "fathers." The MacLeans from whom he descended lived in Edinbane and Arnisort, where Hector was born in the year 1778. We are not aware how he passed his boyhood. It does not appear that he had the advantage of being sent to and kept at school in his early days. Education was in those days difficult of acquirement in consequence of the scarcity of schools. Only those who possessed ample means could give a satisfactory education to their children. His father had a large family. When the revival from Moderatism took place in Skye, the hearts of many, young and old, were opened to the Gospel. It was a resurrection from the dead. In this family three or four of the daughters rose up to be, according to all appearance, God-fearing women. There was not so much presumption displayed in taking up a profession of religion in the Isle of Skye at the beginning of the nineteenth century as there is at the io6 THE MEN OF SKYE. beginning of the twentieth. Now, in many places, the age of fifteen is counted, with ministers, a sufficient qualification for applicants for church privileges, without taking into consideration whether they have been effectually and savingly called by the Spirit of God The doctrine of regeneration and the new birth is almost buried under the erroneous, soul-destroying, and superficial opinions which the ministers of our day weave out of their own brains. We know it for a fact that there are ministers in Skye now who make a point of indiscriminately urging people to come forward to communicate at the Lord's Table. In days gone by, the Spirit of God was moving and leading those who came forward. Donald MacLean, a brother of the subject of these notes, was also reckoned a man who feared the Lord He was tenant of the farm of Totarder, in the parish of Bracadale. At communion seasons the Lord's people resorted to his house, and there were few other houses in Skye where they would receive more hospitality or warmer entertainment Neil, another brother, enlisted in the Army, and fought in several engagements with the French. He returned home to Skye blind, being probably among those Highlanders who were sent to expel the French from Egypt some of whom were converted after leaving the Army, and were subsequently eminent for the earnestness of their piety. Several also returned to the Island of Lewis deprived of their natural sight but the Lord gave them spiritual sight to discern the things of the Gospel. Neil began to wash his eyes in the sea at Loch Ghreshornish, and thereby his sight was restored to him Latterly he was a God-fearing man. For piety he was esteemed equal to his brother Hector. THE MEN OF SKYE. 107 It is said that there were few Christians in Skye livelier than Neil MacLean. We do not know the exact time at which Hector was brought to know himself as a sinner and Jesus Christ as his Saviour. The Lord may have drawn him to Christ without human means. It is a strange circumstance that may be here noted, and that without any disparagement of the divinely appointed order of the ministry, namely, that those who are brought in through the instrumentality of men, though they may be true Christians, are oftentimes liable to seek counsel at the lips of men, to the injury of the cause they profess to uphold; whereas, on the other hand, those who first were dealt with without the interposition of men—like Paul and others—are generally more disposed to go past men directly to the Lord as their counsellor. The latter—as indeed all those who follow the Lord fully, whatever the circumstances of their conversion—prove themselves to be the firmest and most reliable Christians. It is said that Hector was about thirty years of age when he was brought to the knowledge of the truth. By a holy life and ¦conversation, he proved the reality of his conversion. He was ever after a man of consistent conduct. The change in his life would likely take place in the days of the revivals in Skye early in the last century. When a young man, he was for some time in the employment of John Shaw, the pious minister of Bracadale. In this situation he would undoubtedly see and hear much to his edification and spiritual advancement. Hector feared the Lord then; and such was Mr. Shaw's confidence in him that, going from home on one occasion, he asked Hector to conduct meetings in his absence, but Hector sternly io8 THE MEN OF SKYE. replied—"I came to work for you, not to hold-meetings." In process of time Hector married the daughter of a Hector Morrison, an eminently godly man, who lived near Inverness. When young and unmarried, she attended a communion at Lochcarron in the days of the Rev. Lachlan MacKenzie. Mr. Lachlan knew her father well. Having met her, he asked her to call on him. When she called he handed her a half-crown and a penny to bring to her father. On her arrival home, she handed the coins to him, and told him they were from Mr. Lachlan. He looked at them, and said—" I see what he means; this teaches me not to despise any of the Lord's people, for the King's image is on the penny as sure as on the half-crown." In her, Hector MacLean found a congenial partner-She was a God-fearing woman, and they were of one mind. She was kind, and secured the love of the people around her. They were not destined to be long together, for she died at Waterstein, Glendale^ in child-bed, before they were a year married. It was. a trying blow to him to lay the mother and the infant in the grave, but he had the comfort and consolation that she was one of those for whom to die is gain, and to be with Christ is far better. " The wicked is. driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous-hath hope in his death" (Prov. xiv., 32). She went out of the world singing— " They shall be brought with gladness great, and mirth on every side, Into the palace of the King, and there they shall abide."—Ps. xlv., 15. Hector was manager to MacLeod of Orbost—first THE MEN OF SKYE. 109 at Orbost, and again at Waterstein, in Glendale. When he went to Glendale, the state of religion was deplorably low. The people were living in sin and neglect of duty. They led wicked, loose, and indifferent lives. The Gospel was not preached to them, and the vain philosophy which was preached by the Moderates had no good effect. I have already related an anecdote of a girl who left this glen and her father's house under the not very erroneous conviction "that God was not there." On the Lord's Day they would sit in groups on the hills and knolls, speaking of their worldly affairs. In summer, we are told, it was no unusual custom for them to go to the seashore to swim, and indulge in other athletic sports on the Sabbath, Hector was aware of the conduct of the people he went to reside among. Like Lot, he was vexed with their filthy conversation. The day he removed to Glendale he was seen to go off the way to pray. He was not long in Glendale when affairs religiously changed their aspect. He rebuked and reproved the wicked, and exercised such influence and authority over them that Sabbath-breakers would flee off the road if they observed him, and, at the same time, as someone remarked, they entertained such respect for him that they would put the hair of their head under his feet Hector began to conduct religious meetings. In his early days he was not taught to read, but after his conversion, by intense and assiduous application, he soon acquired the ability to read the Bible in his native language. Those unacquainted with the Gaelic might ask, How could these men, of little or no education, intelligently address the people ? The Gaelic has peculiarities in this respect An uneducated man lecturing in the English no THE MEN OF SKYE. tongue commits numerous mistakes in grammar. His thoughts do not flow consecutively. The want of a knowledge of the principles of his language makes him afraid of the ground he is travelling on. The Highland layman is not in the same case. He is not afraid of committing grammatical errors; neither is he, in a sense, guilty of them. He is not afraid of using a singular verb with a plural subject. He works with a pure, expressive, original language. Even Gaelic-speaking ministers who have made a study of the English tongue, enjoy more freedom of expression in thek native language than they have in English. No language for the Highlanders like the Gaelic. It was Dr. MacCrie who said "that an ounce of Gaelic was better than a pound of English in feeding the souls of poor Highlanders." Hector left the employment of MacLeod, and took the township of Hamara, in Glendale. hence the name he went under in Skye—" Eachan Hamara" Here he was comfortably sustained on the income and produce of the farm. A stranger once came to his house, and they went out to the barn. Hector had several bags of oats lying by; the stranger asked what he meant by keeping such. He replied—" The Lord put it through the ground, and let Him now send His people to eat it." The proprietor of Waternish was selling seed in spring, and Hector went to purchase some. "You are Hector of Hamara," said the Captain. "Yes," said Hector, "and though I had it all, I would leave it behind me." The Captain, who was a considerate man, entertained him to dinner at his own table, and gave him the seed free. It is said that Hector had a neighbour who was not in his element but when reviling him. After the wicked THE MEN OF SKYE. ni man would exhaust his groundless, evil words, Hector would calmly say—" I am worse than all you have said against me." Hector was diligent in following the means of grace. The men of Skye then were not in this respect like the men of Skye now. There was a communion in Gairloch, and it came into the minds of Hector and Angus Munro to go there. They were honest, pious young men They took a boat, and arrived safely in Gairloch. They were not known there. They slept in a barn together, and the Lord favoured them on this occasion with much of His presence. In their latter days, when they would meet, they would recall the time they were at the communion in Gairloch. Hector was once at a communion, and stayed in the same house with Ronald MacDonald and Angus Munro. In asking a blessing one morning on food, Hector began—" Lord, where Thou begin-nest the good work, Thou wilt bring it forward; but where man begins it, it will rot." On the following day, in the course of conversation, Angus said—" I once heard a man saying in prayer, 'Where thou beginnest the good work, Thou wilt bring it forward; but where man begins it, it will rot.'" " Well," said Hector, forgetting himself, "whoever said that, was not a man without sap." Those present smiled, and Hector, recollecting, said—" If it was I who said it, we will say no more." Hector had low and humble thoughts of himself and his attainments. On one occasion he said to Angus Munro—" Well, I am very much afraid that the good work was never begun in me." Angus replied— " Chan fhaic Satan am feasd aig a chagailt thu" (Satan will never see thee at his hearth). Hector 112 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MJLN OF SKYE. 113 When he finished, Hector raised his head and said to him—"How would you like now to walk to Ramasaig ?" a township several miles distant. He was at a communion in Bracadale, and was staying in his nephew's house at Totarder, where also some of the ministers were entertained. At the dinner the ministers were conversing in English, a language which was dry to him, as he could not understand it Dinner over, they asked him to return thanks. He began—" O Lord, blessed be Thy name that Thou canst understand Gaelic." On another occasion he was at Bracadale, at a communion time, and, conducting worship, he called on one of the brethren to engage in prayer. This man would not agree to proceed, and told Hector that there was another man present whom he should call upon. " Where is he ?" said Hector; " he is a great hypocrite like myself." The man was a godly and honest man, and Hector respected him as such; but this was the way in which the men of Skye in those days often spoke to each other, and they could well understand one another. Such language is a shibboleth to many of the men of our day. He was careful and of a sound judgment regarding those whom he would take for the Lord's people. He knew the evil of hypocrisy, and the base counterfeit imitations the enemy of souls would lead the natural man to adopt A man, under conviction and excitement, came once to see him After he revealed his mind to him, Hector replied—" Many a big fire went out." Mrs. MacLean remarked that he should have been more open and free to the man, but he said—" If the Lord has begun to work in him, there will be no fear of him." was not satisfied with a hollow assurance; he desired a well-grounded one. Hector was married the second time to Mary Mac-Phee, a woman from Ardnamurchan. She used to go to the communions in Skye, and she knew and was known to the godly people there. By her he had nine of a family, whom they brought up comfortably in the world. The distinguishing characteristics of Hector Mac-Lean were his unfeigned piety and an uncommon measure of fearlessness and independence of mind. Be the persons high or low, rich or poor, he regarded them all as men. He feared not the face of man. There was no respect of persons; there was no flattery. Hector never said to any man but "thu fein " (thyself), even to his chief, who, it is said, would address Hector as " sibh fein." In this way of address he was both scriptural and grammatical. Double-mindedness was absent from this eminent man. What he had to say to any man, when he had opportunity, he would say it to his face. He was once driving in his cart to a communion at Bracadale. Two students, to whom he gave a lift, were sitting in the cart with him, probably aspirants to the ministry. He turned to them, and said—" If you do not get grace from the Lord to prepare you for the ministry, it were better for you to be tinkers." To a minister who used to divide his sermon into ten or twelve heads, and who was preaching one Sabbath night in the church at Dunvegan, Hector publicly said, after several heads had been mentioned—" I think it is time you were stopping." Mr. MacColl, Diuirinish, kept the congregation late one Sabbath night, and some of the people had to travel a long distance to their homes. 114 THE MEN OF SKYE. c " Is olc an obair fear teagaisg. That preacher's work is full A bhi beagadh na tuathadh." of ill Diminishing the people still. THE MEN OF SKYE. Ministeir, baillidh, Moderator na deireadh. Chaneil sgoilear is aird na thu, An drasda na Duneidean. Nuair theid thu na chubaid, Ni thu urnuigh bhios gle mhath, Cuid na Beurla's na Gailig, Cuid na Laidin 's na Greugeis, Sa chuid nach tuig cach dhi. Bheir i gaire air Fear Ghesto. Translation. Minister and factor, Moderator of Presbytery, There is not a higher scholar, Now dwelling in Edinburgh. When thou ascendest the pulpit, Thy prayer is fairly— Some in English and Gaelic, Some in Latin and Hellenic. What is not learned by the people, It will make the tacksman giggle. It is related that Dr. MacDonald of Ferintosh was in Skye on one occasion, and he and Mr. Roderick overtook Gillespie on the road, and the Doctor asked him to recite the song he composed on Mr. Souter. After doing so, the Doctor handed him half-a-crown. Consequent upon the revival which took place at Unish, under Norman MacLeod, already referred to, Mr Roderick, of Snizort began to hold meetings at Fairy Bridge in the spring of 1843. From all quarters of the Island the people flocked to this spot. " Shortly after the awakening began, the Rev. Roderick MacLeod came from Snizort and preached at Fairy Bridge, at a place where three roads met; and continued to do so weekly for a long while. On such occasions the gatherings were often very great; the numbers who left their work and came to hear were said to have been sometimes from five to nine thousand. The Word was quick and powerful, and many who seemed to feel little while under it were struck with conviction while on their way home, and turned Pride, haughtiness of mind, a seeking of the company of the rich of this world, were not qualities of the godly "fathers" of Skye. If they happened to go into such society they were careful, and set a watch on the door of their lips. Hector was once entertained in the house of one of the Skye aristocrats, and the company was anything but suited to his taste. After parting with them, he said—" I never went among such but I got my feet burnt." One of them, in his machine, overtook Hector and asked him to step up. Hector said—" I am here walking with two of the Lord's people, and we are speaking of portions of Scripture, which is more profitable to us than to drive in your carriage on the Lord's Day." The parish of Diuirinish was under the ministry of the Moderate, Mr. Souter, before the Disruption. He was not a native of Skye. His Gaelic was very deficient. He was parish minister, tenant of the tack of Feorlick, where he resided; and, like adding insult to injury, he was factor on the estate. He was a pluralist, and, like the rest of the Moderates, the cause of Christ was very far from his heart " Gillespie Aotrum," a witty fool who lived in Skye, and who often entertained himself in the manses of the Moderates, on whom he played many clever tricks, composed a satirical rhapsody on Mr. Souter, in which there is some truth. He says.- — Translation. " Bithansaoghal na bhutarras A mess the world will be in, Fhad's bhios Soutar na So long as Souter factors shiamarlan." them. Ii6 THE MEN OF SKYE. aside to pray. . . . One Wednesday he preached from the word^ "Behold, I stand at the door and knock." On this occasion the presence of the Spirit of God was manifested in great power. Mr. MacLeod was using the words, " Oh! it is not my fear that Christ will not accept you, but my fear is that you will not accept Christ," when the cries of the people were such that his voice was drowned, and he had to stop speaking. Some, after that solemn sermon, refused to remove from the place. When their friends offered to take them they would cry, " Oh! will I go away without Christ ? Will I go home without Christ" ? The power which on many occasions about this time attended the preaching of the Word at Fairy Bridge was overwhelming." * In Skye in those days it was customary for those who had long distances to go to travel all night in order to be at Fairy Bridge in time for the service on the following day. In this commotion of revival great caution was exercised by the " men " of Skye. They did not receive into their communion at once those who cried publicly in the congregation. Such would need to be at least three years leading a becoming life ere they received Church privileges. The excitement was allowed to go away, so that they might see what they had, and what fruit was being brought forth. The men of Skye would not approve of the modern inquiry meetings, because they are meetings in which men seek to take the work out of the hands of the Spirit of God. We have heard with our ears a so-called evangelist saying to a public congregation, " If there are any present who feel moved, let them wait, and we will * Annals of the Disruption, p. 204. THE MEN OF SKYE. 117 help them into the Kingdom." Such improper, unwarrantable language would not be heard in Skye in the days we are speaking of. Mr. Roderick was exceedingly cautious. He compared the revival to a shepherd going out to bring home a few sheep. To bring home those few he would stir up and excite thousands around them, though the majority would return to where they were. We have made mention of the revival because it occurred in the parish in which Hector MacLean was a respected elder and teacher. We may add that these meetings brought into contact and acquaintance with one another the Lord's people in the Isle of Skye, and much good .fruit resulted from the memorable meetings held at ¦Fairy Bridge. When the Disruption came, the Church, in name and reality, came out in Skye, in some parishes leaving the Moderate minister with only those who were in his employment, and a few who were in his favour, to be his congregation. Whatever view may be taken now of the Disruption, and some are of opinion that it would have been better for Scotland had the event never occurred, basing that opinion on the clear and undeniable fact that the majority of the Free Church, who have now amalgamated with the United Presbyterians, have grossly departed from the principles on which she Was founded by the Disruption fathers,—which question it is not my intention here to discuss—I may be permitted, however, to remark that in Skye the Disruption was a time of quickening and awakening, and much blessing; and it is deserving of Observation that those parishes where the people did not bear witness then, but remained in the stagnant and inactive condition of Moderatism, they continue 118 THE MEN OF SKYE. THE MEN OF SKYE. 119 education, of expounding the Scriptures?—Certainly not; I consider it presumption on the part of uneducated men to take upon them such a responsible office as that of a minister of religion." The mind of Dr. Martin was prejudiced against the "men," and he misrepresented them His opinion goes for very little. In those days the "men" did not preach from a text, as he alleged. They read the chapter, and exhorted the people from easily understood -passages. These exhortations and admonitions were owned of the Lord to the conversion and edification of many. It would be more instructive to listen to such godly laymen than to a Moderate giving a sermon on Noah's Ark, and saying that she was as long as between the house of Donald MacDonald and his pulpit, or giving some other equally contemptible exposition. At the Disruption, the MacLeod of MacLeod granted sites to the people for the erection of churches. Money had to be collected. Dr. Martin had come home with wealth, but he was hostile to Free Church principles—though not from having better principles himself. Hector went to see him. On entering his room, the Doctor rose, and, taking a bottle out of the sideboard, offered him a dram. Hector said—"I came on another errand, which is to collect money. I know you have money, and I'll not go out of the house till I get a subscriptioa" The Doctor put his hand in his pocket and gave him a pound note. Hector then said—" I'll take a dram from you now." He was overtaken by the Doctor one Sabbath day, the latter driving in his carriage, into which he asked him. Hector said—" I will not go into your carriage; I will take the feet the Lord gave me, on His own day." in darkness and in the undesirable silence of spiritual death to this day. The majority of what is called the higher class in Skye took no interest and no part in the Disruption and the preceding years of conflict except to oppose it and scoff and intercept the godly men who were faithfully bearing testimony against the abominations of their day. Like the days of Nehemiah, " The nobles put not their necks to the work of the Lord." They were high minded, and condescended not to men of low estate. Dr. Samuel MacDonald Martin, a brother of Angus Martin, the Moderate minister of Snizort, had been abroad in New South Wales and New Zealand. Shortly after the Disruption he returned to Skye, and in 1847 was summoned to London, along with others, to give evidence before the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Sites for Churches. The following are some of the questions put, and the answers given by him: — " What reason had you to change your opinion ?—* With regard to the sect belonging to the Free Church in Skye, I do not say that my opinion is changed, because I never entertained a high opinion of that sect. My reasons for not doing so are the simple fact that in Skye, at the present moment, there are numbers of uneducated men going about as teachers of the people. In the institution of a Church, my opinion is that those who are set up as teachers should be men of considerable attainments and liberal education ; but the parties who are teachers in Skye at present are artizans and men, comparatively speaking,, of no education at alL "You do not consider them capable, from their * He was in favour of the Free Church when abroad. i20 THE MEN OF SKYE. We made mention of Hector's straightforwardness and inflexibility, yet he loved the brethren and the Lord's people, and he seldom under-estimated them John Mackay, a native of Sutherland, was for a time the principal man at Snizort. As John, before ¦coming to the Island, was catechist at Ardnamur-chan, Mrs. MacLean knew him well, and used to speak of him to her husband in eulogistic terms. He went to Snizort, made the acquaintance of John, and, on returning, said to his wife, what the Queen ¦of Sheba said of Solomon—" The one half of the greatness of his wisdom was not told me, for he exceedeth the fame that I heard" Hector MacLean was often at his Bible. " He gave attendance to reading, exhortation, and doctrine." It is the Word of God alone which is able to make; men wise unto salvation. He was a man of prayer.^ In rising to pray, he would often say—" Lord, putì ballast in us." Those ships which carry ballast are not easily upset. He was upwards of fifty yearsj conducting religious meetings, and the leading man] in Glendale. His labour of love in the cause of* Christ was blessed. When he went there the wor^ ship of God was a strange exercise to many families; but Glendale had better days after that, in which'; every morning, when one passed through the Glen,'; the worship of God and the singing of psalms would! be heard in every house except those of the Moder-ates. " Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin isj a reproach to any people." (Prov. xiv. 34.) Hector MacLean died at Hamara on the 22nd day of June, 1866. At the time of his death he was eighty^ eight years of age. He was strong and healthy till, the last illness. The day he took ill he was out, and, THE MEN OF SKYE. 121 sitting on a wall at the roadside, he observed an ungodly woman passing, and asked her into his house-,to see a man wrestling with death. He bade farewell to the world, went in, and took his bed. The communion was at Dunvegan, and he told his wife not to send word to the minister nor the people in case-of disturbing them. No one, so far, came to see him,, at which he expressed astonishment, and said—" I would not like brotherly love to cease." He also, said—" I have nothing to do now, but depend upon ¦what Christ did and suffered." He died the following *day; and, as his life was the life of the righteous, his latter end was peace. He is buried in the graveyard in Glendale. Shortly after his death, the widow sold off her effects at Hamara, and went to reside at Ardna-murchan. Latterly she stayed with her daughter at Greenock, where she died on the first day of June,. 1882. 142 THE MEN OF SKYE. mare died The man raised an action at law against the township for recovery of the money at which the mare was valued. Ronald had a neighbour who was able to outwit him. They were both going to Portree to attend court. Ronald asked his neighbour to walk faster, whereupon he replied, " Oh! Ronald, fast as you can go, the dead mare will overtake you." They paid for the mare. He and this neighbour were out one day in spring, working in a field, and a sheep quite near them was delivered of a lamb. The lamb sprang to its feet at once. Ronald remarked that man was a wonderful creature, seeing the time he required to be nursed and trained before he can walk. " But," said the other, " If man were born with his clothes and shoes on like the lamb, he would spring to his feet quite as quickly." The Rev. Angus Martin, who in 1843 became minister of Snizort, was expected to come out with the Free Church. He took part in the meetings previous to the hour of decision, and then remained in the Establishment. Ronald, being a man of discernment, did not value his preaching much. After hearing him preach one day, Ronald was asked what he thought of him. " In my opinion," said he, " he is like a potato in the brim of the pot, half of which is boiled but the other half is raw." He could not elude the penetrating insight of Ronald. Ronald was at a communion, and took up quarters in a house which entertained many of the Lord's people and strangers who flocked together on such occasions to hear the Gospel. He was to sleep with two men in one bed, and it appears there was an innocent strife between them as to who would THE MEN OF SKYE. 143 ¦occupy the front of the bed. "Well," said Ronald, "at my best, I would do for nothing better than a packing stone in the inner wall." When the others heard this from a man who was by far their superior they would not take the front. Ronald was once in Moidart, a Roman Catholic district, where he was obliged to lodge in the house of a Papist They asked him if he worshipped the priest. "Yes," he said, "but He is a greater priest than the one you have." He was tail, with well-chiselled features; strong and well built, of dark hair, and swarthy complexion. John Morrison, the poet blacksmith of Harris, having met him, said—"Oh, man, you are very black." Just as black as a blacksmith," replied Ronald. Ronald was confined with illness, and when the brethren went to see him, he began to recite to them the songs of Morrison. A bird can sing even in a cage. Ronald lost the sight of his two eyes by walking rather fast, it is said, on a warm day. He was for a time quite blind. It was then he manifested to a remarkable degree that the truth " abode in him" He went to Glasgow with the view of attending the Eye Infirmary. One of the " men " of Skye resident in the city visited him. The woman of the house he lodged in, remarked that he was too old to be likely to recover his sight. The visitor did not like this pessimistic language, and asked her to tell the age of Bartimeus when his sight was restored. She could not answer. Ronald clapped his hands and said—" It is not told what age he was." The doctors removed scales which had fallen inside his eyes, and he recovered his sight with its original strength. THE MEN OF SKYE. " The Lord doth give the blind their sight, the bowed down doth raise; The Lord doth dearly love all those that walk in upright ways." When in Glasgow he attended a communion in one of the Gaelic churches. The minister who presided at the " men's " meeting knew him well. Ronald, as usual, was left to the last to speak to the question. He spoke with his characteristic brevity and terseness, and sat down. " Well," said the minister, " the only fault we can find with you at any time is that you are always too short." He was an able man, and mighty in the Scriptures. At a question meeting, in speaking of Christ's saying to Nathanael, " I saw thee under the fig-tree," he remarked—" Christ saw him in his mother's womb, He saw him in a state of nature, He saw him under the work of the law, and He brought him into and saw him in a state of grace." He was asked to explain the passage " The plowers plowed upon my back : they made long their furrows," and he said, " Was not the furrow down from Cain to Martin of Tote (an enemy of God's people), very long ? " He was a man of thought and observation. He used to say, "When the world and its wealth begins to come to a man a thread will draw it, but when it begins to go away a hawser will not keep it." He was a man of peace, and had no inclination to quarrels and squabbles among Christian brethren. He would rather mend than rend. Some of the "men" were on one occasion speaking of a person whose weakness was more apparent than others. Ronald said—" For my own part, I would rather THE MEN OF SKYE. 145 mend the holes on his garment than make them worse." The prayer meetings were well attended by the Skye " fathers " and by the people generally in those days. It is said that these meetings at Snizort sometimes began at seven in the morning, and that the sun would be setting in the west when they dismissed, and they would not feel the time passing. When their fellow-countrymen were away in distant lands on the field of battle, prayer meetings were held in Skye. When any of these godly men would go to a place he did not know the state of religion in, he would not ask how the meetings were attended on Sabbath, but whether the weekly prayer meeting was well attended. They saw that if the r»