THE congregation of Halkirk, like many others in the Church, has to record the removal by death of a number of faithful witnesses for Truth during the year 1934. Such were Mr. Donald Taylor, Coal-Merchant, Miss Georgina Sinclair, Miss May Sutherland and Mrs. Sinclair Polson. To them “to live was Christ and to die was gain.” Their gain is our loss.
Donald Taylor, familiarly known as “Dannie,” was born of God-fearing parents, who instilled the Scriptures into the minds of their children from infancy, and endeavoured to bring them up in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord.” Dannie’s extensive knowledge of the Word of God was a proof of the value of this early instruction. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it,” is a scriptural exhortation to which parents would do well to take heed in this crooked and perverse generation, when comparatively few homes have got even the form of family worship. If the minds of the youth of our day were imbued with a taste for the Word of God, there would be no room in them for the garbage of modern literature.
Dannie was, like others by nature, ruined by the Fall, and a hater of God and godliness, but a day came with him when “old things passed away and all things became new.” “Old Adam” did not die but the “New Man” was there too, and the conflict continued until death separated them for ever. Information supplied leads us to the conclusion that the great change in Dannie’s life took place during his youth under the preaching of the eminent Rev. John Fraser, Rosskeen. In his early years he used to attend Sacramental gatherings at Latheron, Olrig, Dunnet and Thurso, along with his like-minded companion, the late Mr. John Mackay, Missionary, Greenock. His memory retained much of what he heard, and the fragments then gathered were distributed to others in after years in the form of note and anecdote. He loved, particularly in the closing years of his life, to relate the experiences of the worthies of a former generation. In his soul’s experience he seemed to have much in common with them.
He had distinct poetical gifts and various poems appeared from his pen in the earlier issues of the Magazine. The Memoirs of the late Rev. D. Macdonald, Sheildaig, closes with several verses of a poem written in genuine appreciation by Dannie and signed D. T. His love for the late Messrs. Macfarlane, Dingwall, and Macdonald, Sheildaig, flowed from gratitude for the testimony for truth which they were instrumental in raising in 1893. When his parents severed their connection with the old Free Church in July 1893 on account of its cutting itself adrift from scriptural moorings he saw eye to eye with them. Along with others, who had similar convictions, they formed the Halkirk Free Presbyterian Congregation. At this time he was in such a delicate state of health, and cast down in soul that some feared he would not recover. A friend who had “the secret of the Lord,” remarked concerning him thus “His flesh shall be fresher than a child’s” (Job, xxxiii. 25). He recovered and, in due course became an office-bearer in the congregation, occasionally acting as precentor also. In the Friday Fellowship Meetings he took a lively part and he loved to glean in the Song of Solomon.
Two days before his death, he wrote a letter to the Press on the subject of Sabbath desecration. It duly appeared and touchingly revealed his grief for the growing disregard of the Fourth Commandment. As he neared the end of his journey a fragrance and mellowness accompanied his exercises in prayer. This was specially commented on after the weekly meeting on 7th March. On the following Sabbath morning he was preparing to attend church but feeling unwell, he lay down again and soon gently breathed his last at the age of 73. Thus ended the wilderness journey of one in whom the grace of God revealed itself strongly through all imperfections. To the sorrowing widow we extend sincere sympathy in her bereavement and to all who mourn his removal.—W.G.