found himself wandering in to St John’s Free Church. Listening to the powerful oratory of Guthrie as he preached on Christ weeping over Jerusalem, the man left affected but unchanged. All week he tried to kill his conscience through plunging headlong into drunkenness. The following Sunday he was drawn back to hear Guthrie again despite being under the influence of drink. The great orator did not disappoint. Toward the end of his sermon he leaned his huge frame over the pulpit and said with great feeling: “There are few families among us so happy as not to have had some one near and dear to them either in imminent peril hanging over the precipice, or the slave of intemperance altogether sold under sin.” The hearer could contain his emotions no longer and left a broken man. The following day he sought out Dr Guthrie and was dealt with “fatherly kindness.” He continues: “when he had knelt with me at the throne of grace, and offered up a prayer, the like of which I never heard before or since, he bade me farewell, inviting me to return and see him: but I never did so”. Within weeks the man was on a ship to Australia where he became a wealthy businessman and generous contributor to charity work. Among his writings are The Gospel in Ezekiel (1855) and Plea for Ragged Schools (1847), and The City, its Sins and Sorrows (1857), "Christ and the Inheritance of the Saints" (1858), "The Way to Life", Speaking to the Heart", the "Life of Robert Flockhart", "Man and the Gospel" (1865), "The Angels Song" (1865), "The Parables" (1866), "Our Fathers Business" (1867), "Out of Harness" (1867), "Early Piety" (1869), "Studies of Character" (1868–70) and "Sundays Abroad" (1871), "The Sunday Magazine" Born at Brechin, Forfarshire. Minister successively of Arbirlot and of Old Greyfriars and St John's parish churches and of Free St John's Church in this city. Thomas Guthrie died at St Leonards-on-Sea in Sussex in 1873 and was buried in The Grange Cemetery, Edinburgh. His grave is in a commanding position, terminating the main central avenue at its southern end. His will left his copy of the National Covenant to the Free Church. His wife, Anne Burns (1810–1899), daughter of Rev James Burns of Brechin, is buried with him. Memorials Tributes in memory of him include the following: A statue of him, in Portland stone, stands