LECTURE ON NORMAN MACLEOD

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1789, 30 June 1913, Page 9

LECTURE ON NORMAN MACLEOD

In St. John's Hall on Friday, Dr. Gibb delivered a lecture on Ihe groat Scotsman*, Norman Maeleod, whom lie is the. title of the lecture styled "every inch a man." The Church of Scotland, Dr. Gibb said, has been 6erved by many ablo and eloquent flien, and Norman, Maeleod takes ' rank among the very greatest of these. But the minister of the Barony Church in. Glasgow was also a public man, and for many years ono of the mon most held in esteem in «1I Scotland. Ho was known indeed across the border, one of his most fervent ad' mirers being the Anglican Dean Stanley. As a writer of book?, and especially as the editor of that once well-known magazine, "Good Words," llacleod rendered a signal service to his generation. He was a man of thci most catholic sympathies. He was greatly loved by Queen Victoria and not less by the poorest of the poor in Glasgow. Oftr JiOTman" they used to term him. The Story is well known how a minister of the Free Church was asked to visit a man dangerously ill of typhus fever, and on asking if they had not some church connection was informed that they were members of the Bal-ony. "Why didn't you send for Dr. Maclecd then? he not unnaturally asked. "Solid for Nonnoa!" was the reply. "Diiina ye keii it's typhus fever?" Tho story may bo apocryphal, but it at least indicates tho feeling in which Maeleod was held. Dir. Gibb did full justice to his inspiring theme. The great minister's work in church and the general community was graphically - depicted. "But,' said tho lecturer,' "great though Macleod's Ivork was, his character was greater still. Genius and goodness do not always go together. In this case they did." Maclood's simplicity and purity, his strenuousntes, his courage, his geniality and humour, his broad huiminitarianism, his unaffected faith in God and the Evangel, were all delineated with (sympathetic insight. Better than inost men, Maeleod, as portrayed by Dr. Gibb, was able to keep the balance of apparently conflicting qualities. His humour, which was keen, and of which many admirable examples were given by tho lecturer, never seemed to conflict with his deep Underlying seriousness. He was a mrely gifted iiuan, and with it singular devotion he consecrated his lifo to tho service of God and his fellows. were in his day many like him in tho emphasis attached to the spiritual. He was iii advanoe of his time in his insistence on the promotion of men s temporal, as well as eternal welfare. The lecture wis listened to with great appreciation, and at the close _ a vote of thanks was accorded Dr. Gibb, and emphasised by hearty applause.