MR. CAMERON was born in the district of Thornhill, Dumfries-shire, in March, 1849; he was thus 83 at the time of his death. In his infancy he was brought north and spent the most of his days at Onich until he came to reside in Oban. The great change that shaped his after life took place, we are informed, when he was about twenty years of age under the preaching of the Rev. William Macdonald, Free Church minister, North Ballachulish. We have no definite particulars of this great event in his life but it is manifest that the change was very real for when he was only 28 years of age he was elected with his life-long friend, Mr. Duncan Mackinnon, to the Eldership in the North Ballachulish (Onich) congregation. The attachment between these two worthy men was very tender and the union of a long friendship was only broken by death in 1920. Like so many of the most discerning and most pious of the Lord’s people in the eighties and nineties of last century he was deeply grieved at the backsliding of the Free Church in her relationship to the Scriptures and the Westminster Confession and when the General Assembly of 1893 refused to repeal the notorious Declaratory Act he, with his friend Mr. Duncan Mackinnon, disowned the jurisdiction of the Declaratory Act Church. They held meetings on the Sabbath, first of all in Duncan’s smithy, and afterwards in his house and that of a neighbour on alternate Sabbaths. From the position taken up then there was no wavering until he ended his earthly course and entered heaven. He was not a man who proclaimed on the housetops what great things he was going to do and straightway forgot what he said. He was a man who carefully weighed his words and he considered seriously the step he was taking and sat down and counted the cost so that when difficulties arose he faced them and overcame them as part of the cost he had reckoned on. This feature of his character made his position as an office-bearer particularly useful to the congregation in times of trouble. When he came to Oban he was elected an elder in the congregation and during the remainder of his life he was particularly helpful to the congregation by his wise guidance of its affairs and in the assistance rendered in taking the services in the minister’s absence. The congregation were highly privileged to have such an elder so wise and cautious and withal so spiritually minded and deeply interested in the Lord’s cause and it is to be said to the credit of the congregation that they highly appreciated Mr. Cameron and valued his services. No one who had any knowledge of the truth could be long listening to him in speaking or in praying without realising how rich was his spiritual experience and how well he had been taught in the school of Christ. He had a remarkable aptitude for bringing out the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures. Blessed with a well balanced judgment he did not throw the reins on the neck of his imagination allowing it to run riot wherever it pleased but kept it within legitimate bounds and thus made it a most useful handmaiden in setting forth the truth. His prayers were characterised by reverence, a heavenly unction and a restrained and becoming attitude as one who, though he had hope his sins were forgiven, felt he was in the presence of the great God of eternity. The Rev. Neil Cameron and he were very much attached to each other from the days when the former began to take a public part in the movements of the Free Church. They were only separated a few days in their home going and it was touching to witness the mutual interest they had in each others welfare as they were passing through the valley. Near the end of last year Mr. Andrew Cameron had a severe heart attack and at the beginning of this year his doctor and all who saw him concluded the end was at hand. He himself, too, came to the same conclusion and expressed a willingness to be away. From this severe attack he rallied but the strength lost never returned; still, he was hopeful that he might live to see the Communion in May. It was not to be. His Lord had commanded him to come home and sit down at the Table above where so many worthy men, women, and even little children from Oban are. His last days in this vale of tears were pleasant to witness. It was truly the death bed of a Christian. Death had lost its sting; he was going to be with Christ and the foretaste of the heavenly joy that was soon to be his was cheering and encouraging to those looking on. His mind was taken up with spiritual things. Time and again he expressed the hope that everything was going all right with the congregation whose welfare lay very near his heart. When a drink was offered him to quench the death thirst his thoughts turned to the blessed Saviour who had to drink such a bitter draught in order that the sweet cup of salvation might be given to His people. Two days before he passed away he sang in Gaelic verses 25 and 26 of Psalm lxxiii.:
“Cò th’ agam anns na nèamhaibh shuas
Ach thusa, Dhia nan dùl?
Is cha’n ‘eil neach air thalamh fòs
Ach thus’ am bheil mo dhùil.
Mo chridh’ is m’ fheòil faraon a ta
Air failneachadh gun cheisd:
Gidheadh ‘se neart mo chridhe Dia,
‘S mo chuibhrionn bhuan am feasd.”
(“Whom have I in the heavens high
But Thee, O Lord, alone?
And in the earth whom I desire
Besides Thee there is none.
My flesh and heart doth faint and fail,
But God doth fail me never:
For of my heart God is the strength
And portion for ever.”)
He seemed to derive much encouragement and comfort from these words so full of hope and assurance. Next morning on learning it was the Sabbath he lifted up his hands and said: “Oh! blessed day, many a blessing poor sinners have got on this day.” In the near prospect of passing away he said: “Farewell sorrow; welcome, eternal happiness.” On the last morning (14th March) of his journey in this world he awakened out of sleep saying: “He’s coming; He’s coming,” then asked for a drink which on receiving he passed into a quiet sleep from which he never wakened in this world. As one witnesses such a deathbed what a heavenly beauty the words of the Apostle assume—”But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him” (I. Thess. iv. 13-14). His remains were laid to rest in Pennyfuir Cemetery, Oban, on the 17th day of March, in the hope of a glorious resurrection. In his passing hence the congregation and minister of Oban have lost a friend and counsellor who had their best interests at heart. To his sorrowing widow, his companion in life’s joys and sorrows, we tender our heartfelt sympathy, also to his daughters (Mrs. D. A. Macfarlane, Dingwall, and Mrs. Angus Macdougall) and his three sons.