Rev Fraser Macdonald
On 29 April 2013 Rev Fraser Macdonald passed away in a retirement home in Portree at the advanced age of 88 years. We believe that his passing was not only from time to an endless eternity but from this wilderness journey to the spiritual Canaan above, the rest that remaineth to the people of God.
Mr Macdonald was born on 15 December 1924 in Oban of God-fearing parents. His father was an esteemed elder in the Church and his mother a
true mother in Israel whose piety was held in high regard by the Lord’s people. The value of a Christian family as an influence for good is incalculable, and it was under such spiritually-benign influences that he grew up – one of a family of 11 children.
In his teenage years he came under soul concern. At this time he was working on the family farm near Beauly and came under the ministry of the late godly Rev D A Macfarlane. The preaching of this good and much-used servant of the Lord was blessed to Mr Macdonald and he often recalled with pleasure, and fed again with profit, on the Word as Mr Macfarlane had expounded it. There is no doubt also that Mr Macdonald’s preaching benefited from, and
was influenced by, Mr Macfarlane’s highly-spiritual treatment of the Word in the pulpit.
Several years later, Mr Macdonald made a public profession of faith in Christ and subsequently professed a call to the ministry. He was accepted as a student for the ministry by the Northern Presbytery and, after gaining an MA degree at Edinburgh University, he followed the Church course in div-
8Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol 2, p 129.
Black and white portrait photograph of Rev Fraser Macdonald, an older man wearing a dark suit and white shirt.
inity under Rev D A Macfarlane and Rev Donald Beaton, Oban. This was to be Mr Beaton’s last class as a tutor of Theology. Speaking of his student days, Mr Macdonald recalled that, while at an Edinburgh communion sharing lodgings with a fellow student, Alexander Murray, they had worship together after an evening service. They decided to continue to read the Word and pray and, in what seemed a very short time, they found it was time to go out to the morning prayer meeting.
On 27 August 1952, Mr Macdonald was inducted to the North Tolsta congregation. He thus became the first minister of that congregation in the Church. Though he was not a native speaker of Gaelic, Mr Macdonald had studied Gaelic prior to his induction and very quickly acquired fluency in preaching in that language. It was in these early years of his ministry that he married Morag MacLeod, a nursing sister who had close connections with the Kames congregation; she was a true helpmeet to her husband in their journey through life together. His earnest preaching to the large congregations which gathered in Tolsta was blessed to a number who professed faith in his latter years in that charge.
In the summer of 1966 Mr Macdonald accepted a call to Portree and on June 21 of that year was inducted there, his brother, Rev A E W MacDonald, preaching the induction sermon from the words, “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). Mr Macdonald’s assistance at communions was notable in that professions of faith followed not infrequently from his preaching of the Word at these sacramental gatherings. His prayers, as well as his preaching, were highly regarded by the Lord’s people. Since his death, one member of the Church stated that she would often play over a tape of Mr Macdonald’s sermon to hear his opening prayer.
In the wider Church he was Clerk successively of the Outer Isles and Skye Presbyteries, and was for a time Assistant Clerk of Synod with Rev R R Sinclair. His knowledge of New Testament Greek made him a useful member of the Training of the Ministry Committee.
In April 2006 he resigned his ministry due to failing health, though he continued to hold services for a time. During his latter years he derived comfort from the words in Job 5:26: “Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, like as a shock of corn cometh in its season”. Though Mr Macdonald’s latter years were encompassed with increasing frailty, yet his love of the Word and prayer, and of the company of the Lord’s people were continuing evidences of his being like that shock of corn coming in its season.
To his mourning widow, sisters and brothers we extend our warm sympathy. May many servants of a like mind and spirit and gifts be raised up for the service of the Lord!
“That man who bearing precious seed,
in going forth doth mourn,
He doubtless, bringing back his sheaves,
rejoicing shall return” (Ps 126:6).
(Rev) J R Tallach
Hesitating to Embrace the Promises1
A Letter from John Newton
I think your experience is generally of the fearful, doubting cast. However, the Lord has given particular charge to his ministers to comfort such souls. He knows our infirmities, and what temptations mean; and, as a good Shepherd, He expresses a special care and tenderness for the weak of the flock (Is 40:11). But how must I attempt your comfort? Surely not by strengthening a mistake to which we are all too liable, by leading you to look into your own heart for (what you will never find there) something in yourself whereon to ground your hopes – if not wholly, yet at least in part. Rather let me endeavour to lead you out of yourself: let me invite you to look unto Jesus. Should we look for light in our own eyes, or in the sun?
Is it indwelling sin distresses you? Then I can tell you (though you know it) that Jesus died for sin and for sinners. I can tell you that His blood and righteousness are of infinite value; that His arm is almighty and His compassions infinite. Indeed, you yourself read His promises every day, and why should you doubt their being fulfilled? If you say that you do not question their truth or that they are accomplished to many but that you can hardly believe they belong to you, I would ask, What evidence would you require?
A voice or an angel from heaven you do not expect. Consider if many of the promises are not expressly directed to those to whom they belong. When you read your name on this letter, you did not scruple to open it. Why then do you hesitate to embrace the promises of the gospel, where you read that they are addressed to those who mourn, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who are poor in spirit etc. You cannot but be conscious that a gracious God has begun to work these dispositions in your heart. If you say that, though you do at times mourn, hunger etc, you are afraid you do not do so enough, or not aright, consider that this sort of reasoning is very far from the spirit and language of the gospel, for it is grounded on a secret supposition: that, in the forgiveness of sin, God has respect to something more than the atonement and mediation of Jesus – to some previous good qualifications
1Written to a Mrs H. Taken, with editing, from Newton’s Works, vol 2.
in a sinner’s heart, which are to share with the blood of Christ in the honour of salvation.
The enemy deceives us in this matter the more easily because a propensity to the covenant of works is part of our natural depravity. Depend upon it, you will never have a suitable and sufficient sense of the evil of sin and of your share in it so long as you have any sin remaining in you. We must see Jesus as He is, before our apprehensions of any spiritual truth will be complete. But if we know that we must perish without Christ and that He is able to save to the uttermost, we know enough to warrant us to cast our souls upon Him. And we dishonour Him by fearing that, when we do so, He will disappoint our hope.
But if you are still perplexed about the high points of election etc, I would advise you to leave the disposal of others to the great Judge and, as to yourself, I think I need not say much to persuade you that, if ever you are saved at all, it must be in a way of free and absolute grace. Leave disputes to others; wait upon the Lord, and He will teach you all things, in such a degree and time as He sees best. Perhaps you have suffered for taking things too much upon trust from men. Cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils. One is your master, even Christ. Study the Bible and pray over it, and you may take it as a sure rule that whatever sentiment makes any part of the Word of God unwelcome to you is justly to be suspected. Aim at a cheerful spirit. The more you trust God, the better you will serve Him. While you indulge unbelief and suspicion, you weaken your own hands and discourage others. Be thankful for what He has shown you, and wait upon Him for more. You shall find He has not said in vain: “Seek ye my face”. I heartily commend you to His grace and care.