THE subject of this notice was born at Drumbeg, in the parish of Assynt, on 4th January 1859, the third son of his parents, who four years later took up residence at Inver, near Lochinver, where they abode for the remainder of their stay upon earth.
Donald Graham experienced the first strivings of the Spirit who convinces of sin, righteousness, and the judgment, when he was about seven years old. The boy would lie awake at night, weeping over his sins, and seeing nothing for himself and his brothers but the torments of hell, unless God, for Christ’s sake, would have mercy upon them in His pardoning grace. In his youth he became an apprentice joiner, and at the age of 19 years, when serving in the town of Golspie, the “trumpet of the year of jubilee” sounded in his ears, and he obtained what he afterwards called his “marriage lines.” He went to bed one night laden with his sins. Before morning he had two precious truths indelibly sealed to him by the Holy Spirit, which were as precious to him on his deathbed as on the day of his spiritual espousals. The two portions of Scripture so blessed to him were as follows:—”I even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins” (Isa. xliii. 25); “And I will betroth thee unto me for ever: yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies: I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord” (Hos. ii. 19, 20). Some time thereafter he was so encouraged by a conversation he had with the eminent Dr Kennedy, that he became a member of the Free Church at the next Communion season at Lochinver. Such was his piety and godly walk that at the early age of 24 years he was ordained to the office of elder. As a joiner, he often had occasion to travel from home, and at one season, when working in Ferintosh, he walked every Sabbath to Dingwall to attend the ministry of his beloved Dr Kennedy.
Mr Graham had a great desire to become a minister of the Gospel, that he might preach the way of salvation to his fellow-sinners. How full he was of the Gospel is well shown by the following incident. About one year before his lamented death, he was confined to bed in his manse, when, on a certain Sabbath, the speaker in the Free Presbyterian Church of Shieldaig discoursed on that truth, “Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.” On being informed of this, he told how many a time he preached on that text to the hills and rocks of Lochinver. After the death of Dr Kennedy, however, a party of influential leaders (hitherto somewhat restrained, but now dominant in the Assembly) turned the Free Church of Scotland into a hot-bed of Rationalism and Voluntaryism, careless alike of the infallible authority of the Scriptures and of the solemn ordination vows of her ministers and office-bearers. Donald Graham could not join the ministry of such a backsliding Church. Indeed, it was with the greatest reluctance that he got one of his family baptized in the then Free Church in 1893. In that year, however, the Rev. Messrs Macfarlane and Macdonald raised aloft the banner of 1843, and, to preserve in unbroken continuity the principles of the Free Church of the Disruption, formed the Free Presbyterian Church. To be true to his Lord and to his conscience, Mr Graham saw it his duty to leave the Declaratory Act Church (the only true historical name for that body), and to follow the Free Presbyterian Church, an act which he had never cause to regret. This step was indeed the fulfilment, as with others, of that command—”Wherefore come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing: and I will receive you.” He was appointed missionary to the Free Presbyterian congregation at Lochinver where, to begin with, he conducted services in his own workshop, and later had the satisfaction of seeing a church erected through the kindness of the late Duke of Sutherland, the zeal and generosity of the Lochinver people, and the liberality of friends throughout the Church.
After much prayer, and by casting his burdens upon the Lord, the way was now opened to him to enter upon his theological studies, and on 10th September 1905, he was licensed by the Northern Presbytery to preach the Gospel, shortly afterwards receiving a unanimous call from the combined congregations of Shieldaig and Lochcarron. He was ordained and inducted at Shieldaig, 8th November 1905, where he laboured until his death. When but one week in his new sphere, his youngest child, aged six months, passed away. This caused him much sorrow and trouble of heart, but by faith he was enabled to say with another—”The Lord gave, the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Being presented by the Lochcarron part of his congregation with a pony and trap, he preached there regularly for over twelve years every second Sabbath, except when absent during Communion seasons in other parts of the country. He was also for many years the Moderator of the Applecross congregation, which he visited generally twice yearly. The fatigue of the arduous journey to Applecross was more than compensated for by the refreshment of his spirit during such visits to his friends in Applecross and the “coast,” where, among others, he held sweet fellowship with the godly William MacBeath and his equally pious wife.
In December 1922, Mr Graham was stricken with an illness which left him frail in body. In the following year, one of his sons was taken away, and within one year more the malady which brought him to his deathbed became manifest. Such afflictions, coming the one after the other, served only to bring him closer and closer to the Lord, and such was his meekness and exercise of faith that he was never heard to murmur. Three operations, two in Edinburgh and one at Shieldaig, were undertaken to relieve him, but proved unavailing, and shortly before his death he again went to Edinburgh for further treatment, returning home at the New-Year. It was by then apparent that the Most High, in His wise counsel, had decreed otherwise for him than those who loved him on earth had hoped. On 5th March, 1927, Donald Graham passed peacefully away to be with Christ. His mortal remains were laid to rest in the church-yard at Lochcarron, there to lie until the Resurrection Morn. A large gathering of people of all denominations followed the cortege to the Shieldaig boundary, and again at Lochcarron there were many present to show their last respects to the departed pastor.
As a man, Mr Graham was of a gentle, retiring disposition, famed throughout the countryside for his open hospitality, showing kindness both to friends and strangers, but in an especial manner he bore a warm love to the Lord’s people, and a tender regard to all who had concern for their souls. On fine days during the last year of his life, his frail form would be seen walking in the street of Shieldaig, stopping here and there, while he enquired after the people, leaving them with the pious blessing, “I wish you well for time and eternity.” Even when life was ebbing low on a sick bed, he had always the temporal and spiritual concerns of his people on his mind.
As a minister of the Gospel he was known to the writer for over two years. When bodily strength was given him, he was a vigorous pleader for Christ. His doctrines were those laid down in God’s Word. His words in prayer and discourse were most scriptural, and while he clearly showed man’s total depravity before God, he was especially happy and free in showing forth the excellency and glory of Jesus Christ as a Saviour, inviting even the chief of sinners to come to Him while He is to be found. His last sermon delivered from the pulpit was based on the Song of Solomon, ii. 10-13—”Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away,” and he gave evidence that he was yearning for his own call to come. In his last years his mind was quite apart from this present world, although he would be grieved over the ungodliness of men, and the soul-destroying doctrines so prevalent in our day. His thoughts were most often upon the eternity of glory which awaited him, revealing this in the many pious ejaculations which would inadvertently escape from his lips, and he evinced an assurance, at once childlike, yet immovably strong, that to him to live was Christ and to die would be eternal gain. To one who remarked, “You are poor to-day, Mr Graham,” he immediately replied, “No, I am not, and soon will be very rich.” To the writer he quoted the text, “To me to live is Christ; to die is gain,” and said, “I have had that promise for fifty years, and the Lord will not leave me now.” His deathbed was a living exposition of the words of the Psalmist—”Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.”
We offer sincere sympathy to his sorrowing widow and family who remain with us, and commend them to Him who is the stay of the widow and the help of the orphan. The Church at large has need to remember the congregations bereft of their pastor, and to pray that the Lord would raise up for them faithful witnesses in Christ. “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them.”
J. M. J.