THE county of Caithness, like other parts of Scotland, has been bereft during recent years of most of its aged and eminent witnesses for God’s truth. Trees of righteousness of venerable worth and long-standing experience have been cut down by the hand of death, and their empty places have caused a painful sense of desolation in the hearts of surviving friends, who valued and esteemed them. The loss to the cause of Christ has been very great. It is our sorrowful task on the present occasion to record the unexpected departure of Mr. Donald Polson, Clayock, Bower, one of the last of these worthy public men of an older generation that adorned the Church in the far north. The deceased, who had been for some time in better health than usual, suddenly became unwell, and at the end of five days’ illness passed away, on Sabbath, the 27th November, at the age of sixty-seven years. Previous to this, many of his friends had thought he had got a new lease of life, so that the news of his death came to them with a sad shock. His unlooked-for removal is also felt as a sore blow by the congregation at Halkirk, in which he was the leading office-bearer, and for whose welfare he was spending and being spent with ungrudging energy. He was a man much beloved for the excellence of his personal character, as well as for his active Christian labours.
Donald Polson was born of worthy parents in the parish of Olrig, and several of his relatives on both sides were witnesses for Christ in their day. He had thus the precious privilege from childhood of godly upbringing and example, and this was evidently accompanied with the divine blessing, for at the age of sixteen or thereabout he showed a deep concern for the things of the soul and eternity. Under a burden of spiritual trouble, he one day entered the Olrig Free Church as the minister (the late Mr. Auld) was giving out the opening Psalm. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God;” and the inspired words on this occasion came with special power, and brought relief to the young lad’s troubled soul. They were, we believe, the following:—
“O greatly blessed the people are
The joyful sound that know;
In brightness of Thy face, O Lord,
They ever on shall go.”—Ps. lxxxix. 15.
From this period, Donald became a devoted follower of the Lord and His people, of whom, at that time, there were not a few in the county. Indeed, love to the brethren was a prominent feature in his character to the end of his days. A more loving, Christian man one could seldom meet with. He might justly have appropriated the language of the Psalmist, “I am a companion of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts,” for the society of God’s people was one of his chief delights. Many are the interesting notes and reminiscences we have heard him tell of excellent worthies of the past, such as David Steven, James Macadie, David Budge, and Hugh Stewart, at whose feet he sat, and whose fellowship he enjoyed, as well as others whose names are not so widely known. We cannot omit mentioning two godly men of the latter class, who were his dear and intimate friends, and of whom he often spoke in terms of warmest respect and affection—David Baillie, Watten, and Donald Mackay, precentor, Dunn, the one distinguished for the beauty of his private personal character, and the other for his upright, outspoken faithfulness on the side of God’s truth—both useful to the Church in their day.
During the middle part of his life, the subject of this notice sat under the able and edifying ministry of the late Rev. Alexander Gunn (junior), Watten, and as a deacon in this worthy minister’s congregation he was most diligent and conscientious. A prayer meeting was held at Dunn, on Sabbath evenings, for many years, where groups of pious men often met on Communion occasions, and had sweet fellowship together in Word, and prayer, and praise. Of old time conducted by godly James Macadie and others, the care of the meeting latterly fell on Donald Polson, who, when many of the worthy people had passed away, still endeavoured to preserve for it its hallowed associations of Christian fellowship. The writer can testify by personal experience to the value of this meeting. It seemed like a little well of “living water” in the district, and it was with the keenest regret that its leader eventually, on conscientious grounds, ceased to conduct it.
In the year 1893, Donald, who had always been a thorough adherent of the Constitutional party, and a sturdy opponent of innovations in doctrine and worship, cordially associated himself with the testimony on behalf of truth raised by the Rev. Messrs. Macfarlane and Macdonald after the passing of the Declaratory Act. He took an active part in the organisation of the Free Presbyterian congregation at Halkirk, and as has been already indicated, attended to the last with unselfish devotion to all its interests. One cannot omit noticing also the deep interest he took in the Helmsdale congregation, which a few years ago became associated with Halkirk as one Free Presbyterian charge. He often visited Helmsdale, and his services in the conduct of its meetings were not without tokens of the divine blessing, while his general helpfulness was highly prized by the congregation. Indeed it is not too much to say that our Helmsdale people feel with more than ordinary grief that they have lost a father and a friend, whose place will not be easily filled up.
In regard to personal characteristics, it may be said of our departed friend that he was a man of keen discernment as to truth and error, a man transparently honest and single-minded, who had no sympathy with half-hearted or worldly-wise ways in religion, and yet no lover of controversy for its own sake. In him, in fact, was all a woman’s tenderness and sympathy, and by his warm, guileless, loving disposition, he endeared himself to his intimate associate as few did. Being brought early to the knowledge of the truth he took a fatherly interest in the young of his acquaintance, especially any in whom he saw some good thing toward the Lord God of Israel. In this respect he was a true Barnabas, who took young disciples by the hand and introduced them to the brethren—a service which some who survive will ever hold in grateful remembrance. His bearing, when engaged in religious exercises, was very reverential; nor will his friends forget the tender, feeling manner in which he read the Word, or the unction, humility, and appropriateness of expression which marked his prayers. In early and middle life he was also a sweet, pathetic singer of the sacred songs of Zion. Perhaps the writer may be pardoned for referring to a little personal experience in this connection which illustrates the point. It happened twenty-three years ago at a late meeting on a Communion Sabbath evening in Pulteneytown Free Church, Wick. At the request of the presiding elder, one of the “men” rose and gave out a Psalm to be sung. He took the first four verses of the 137th, that song of sorrow in the land of captivity, beginning
“By Babel’s streams we sat and wept
When Zion we thought on,”
and then led the singing to the rich old plaintive tune of “Bangor,” reading line by line according to the time-honoured practice. Both reading and singing were suffused with such intense spiritual emotion and thrilling pathos that the heart of the youthful listener was deeply touched, and he thought he had never heard such affecting words and melody before.
After the service was over, he longed intensely to see and hear “that man” again. The “man,” he discovered long afterwards, was Donald Polson, and the incident seemed the harbinger of a future loving intimacy until life’s close. The scene stands out prominently before the eye of memory, and the experience will never be forgotten.
It may be added that the deceased office-bearer was most assiduous in his general visitation of the people under his care, and was remarkable for his kindly, sympathetic attention to the homes of the sick and dying. In this important feature of Christian practice he excelled many. His Christianity was of a very real and practical kind, manifesting itself in the most unselfish consideration for the welfare of others. Though delicate in body, he did not spare himself, but often cheerfully endured much trouble and inconvenience in order to further the work of the Church or to help individual acquaintances in a time of need. The whole district in which he lived—irrespective of religious distinctions—will miss him much for his active Christian labours in their midst.
As a public figure at Communion gatherings in Caithness, Donald Polson will be greatly missed. He carried with him a presence and a savour of better days, and was one of the last representatives of a race of godly men who are, sad to say, fast passing away from the land. The ministers of the Church will feel they have lost a personal friend, whose warm greeting and interesting company they prized. Much sympathy is felt for his widow and family in their sore and sudden bereavement. May the Lord in infinite compassion raise up the children in room of the fathers and make them noble witnesses for Himself! The Voice says, “Be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
J. S. S.