The Free Presbyterian Church congregation of Tain and Fearn, and the cause of Christ at large, lost a loving and faithful witness for the Redeemer and the Gospel in the removal by death of the late John Holm MacLeod, Old Police Station House, Hilton. He was born at Nigg Ferry on the 15th of December, 1882, and died on the 23rd of July, 1959. He did not thus reach his seventy-seventh year. His mortal remains were laid to rest in the Chapelhill burying ground, Pitcalnie. At the age of two years he lost his mother, and was brought up for a time with grandparents. As a young man, he joined the regular army and saw service in Egypt and in India. While serving with the Seaforth Highlanders, he knew the late Capt. K. K. Macleod, then a non-commissioned officer. Before the 1914-18 war broke out, his time was served in the army, and he was in Mexico on the staff of an oil company. But he returned home, and was in France with the 51st Division. He went through the battles of Mons and the Marne, and Loos. He remarked later how he saw, in a sad and terrible way, the words of Psalm 91 fulfilled:—
A thousand at thy side shall fall,
At thy right hand shall lie
Ten thousand dead, yet unto thee
It shall not once come nigh.
As far as is known, his spiritual exercises and experiences began during this war. He was severely wounded in the left arm, but recovered and was discharged. He returned to Mexico for a time, but went from there to Vancouver, where he attended our Church in Scott Street. He and his wife became members there, and afterwards he was ordained to the eldership. He was much refreshed in soul and benefited through the services in Vancouver of Rev. James MacLeod, Greenock, and of the late Rev. Ewan Macqueen. He told that Psalm 51, also Ps 90,—and the portion in Isaiah 41, were made specially precious to him. The last-mentioned portion is, “Fear not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my uprightness.” By 1936, he and his wife returned to Scotland, and got a home in Hilton, where he became an elder of our church. He proved a loving and faithful servant of the Lord, and was exemplary in the office of the eldership. He laboured diligently to help Christ’s cause in Hilton. For about two years and a half before his death, a great change came over him in the way of losing interest in even needful things relating to this life. He took seriously ill on the last Sabbath of February before his death, and never recovered, although removed to the Royal Northern Infirmary, Inverness, for treatment. He let it be known that it was his desire, if spared, to give the portion in Gal. 2:20 as a basis for brethren to give marks of grace, at the Fellowship Meeting at Tain Communion in July. But it was not to be. Our people who knew him profoundly respected him, and loved him. He is much missed. We deeply sympathise with his bereaved widow and his brother and sister in Canada.—D. A. Macf.