The late N. A. Tallach, Elder, Glasgow
Neil Anderson Tallach was born in Dornoch, Sutherlandshire, in the year 1893, the fifth member of the family of the late Mr and Mrs Andrew Tallach, a godly couple who sought to bring up their family in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Andrew Tallach was a missionary in the Free Presbyterian Church in Lochinver and Raasay. Two of his sons, the brothers of the subject of this obituary notice, were ministers in the Church. Rev. John Tallach was Foreign Missionary in Rhodesia and latterly, until the time of his death, minister in Oban. Rev. James Tallach, who is also deceased, was minister in Kames and Stornoway. A son-in-law, the late Mr Alex. Macinnes, Glasgow, was also an elder of the Church. A feature of the home life in the Tallach household was that the children were not merely taught in the Scriptures and the worship of God, but were also instructed in the principles of the Church to which they belonged. Writing of this particular feature in his obituary of Andrew Tallach, the late Rev. Neil Cameron states, “When each member of his family arrived at years of discretion, he privately taught them the way in which destructive innovations in doctrine, worship and discipline crept into the Free Church, how thereby it ceased to be any longer what it was, so that such as remained in it had abandoned its former Creed and Principles.”
There is great need at the present day that parents would follow this laudable practice, in order that their children would not only value the privileges of family religion, but also esteem precious the public worship and ordinances of God’s House when these are observed in accordance with the mind of the Spirit of God.
The advantages of family training in the instruction of the Word of God, together with the consistent example of godly parents, are not sufficient in themselves, however, to effect the conversion of the soul. Many may feel the restraint of these influences, but restraining grace does not change the fallen nature of man, it merely restrains the full outbreak of the depravity of the natural heart. Saving grace, on the other hand, introduces into the soul a principle of spiritual life effecting a great and radical change, and bringing that soul into a realm of spiritual knowledge and experiences to which it was before an utter stranger. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.” (2 Cor. 5:17). The Holy Spirit does often use these advantages of family worship etc., as a means to effect the great change in the conversion of the soul, but the power does not lie in the means, but in the One of Whom the Divine Redeemer said, “It is the Spirit that quickeneth: the flesh profiteth nothing.” (John 6:63).
Anderson, as he was generally known, after leaving his father’s house and marrying, was employed as a commercial traveller, and while the restraining influences of his upbringing undoubtedly followed him, yet he remained dead in sins until the time came for the Lord to visit him with His salvation. As far as we can ascertain this took place around the time of his first wife’s death. We have no record of how the Lord awoke him spiritually, apart from knowing that he had a long period of concern developing into such a state of unrest that he could not sleep, and that he often felt so agitated in his mind that his bed shook under him. His concern arose from the realisation that he was a guilty sinner in the sight of an Holy God, that he had spent his days in adding sin to sin and treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and that from such a condition he only too clearly recognised he had no power to deliver himself. The Lord, however, was able to deliver him, for he had provided a Saviour who is able to “save to the very uttermost all that come into God by Him.” In this Divine Redeemer, there is one who died for the ungodly and rose again, whose blood is able to cleanse from all sin, and who alone is able to give peace to the soul. “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you.” (John 14:27). The spiritual union of the guilty soul of Anderson Tallach to this Divine Saviour took place under the preaching of the everlasting gospel, in those soul-comforting
words of Revelation 22:17. “The Spirit and the Bride say come, and let him that heareth say come, and let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely.” From his own account to friends of this experience, he drank deeply of the wells of Salvation, according to the testimony of Divine Truth, “Let us therefore draw water with joy, out of the wells of salvation.” The joy that he experienced at this time was so great that he was incapacitated for his normal employment the following day. In the year 1937, he was strengthened to obey the command of his Divine Redeemer, “This do in remembrance of Me.” He became a communicant in St. Jude’s Congregation, where in 1946 he was also ordained to the office of the Eldership. For some years he also served as part-time lay missionary under the Southern Presbytery, holding services very willingly as required from time to time.
During his wilderness journey from the place of the new birth, until the day of his death, Anderson Tallach was destined to learn, along with the whole election of grace, the desperate wickedness and deceitfulness of the human heart, the subtle temptations of Satan together with that persecution of the world to which all the godly are exposed. In writing to a friend of his sense of self-loathing, he says, “You are complaining about yourself, but that is the way with us. I wish sometimes I could spew myself out of my own mouth.” But these experiences were blessed to him to make the Divine Redeemer all the more precious to him and in opening the eyes of his soul to see more and more the inexhaustible fullness of the fountain open for sin and for uncleanness, and thus in concluding the aforesaid letter, in which he complains much of himself, he concludes by saying, “but dear S . . . I believe we will get there, don’t you?”
In speaking to the question at Stornoway Communion, in August, 1961, a few months prior to his death, he again indicated that the conflicts of the believer send him to abide for peace and security under the wings of the God of Israel in Whom he has come to trust. The question was, “For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8). He said, “This is a precious text to every believer. It speaks of grace, or the love of God in exercise in the soul by faith. There was a time in the experience of the Lord’s own people when they thought they would procure salvation by their own works, but there came a day when they were so hedged up as to realise their own efforts to be fruitless, and they saw that only through faith in Christ could help come to them. Faith will not and cannot exercise itself unless there is resistance. It has been compared to a bird in the air. Unless there is air to resist, the bird will immediately come down till it meets resistance again. It is the same with faith. The Lord’s people have to battle with doubts and fears and misgivings, with the world, the flesh and the devil. Nothing can overcome these powers but saving faith in exercise by the grace of God. “This is the victory that overcometh the world even your faith.” We do not always see that these things which faith is working against, are for the strengthening of faith. All things are working together for them that love God — even their fears and doubts and the attacks from the powers of darkness. They are a means of bringing faith into living exercise, and faith will overcome. David, after killing Goliath, cut off his head with the giant’s own sword, and so, Satan defeats his own ends when he assaults the believer. He is driven by the temptations of the evil one to Him Who was manifested that He might destroy the works of the devil. In the midst of all this, faith is strengthened. Faith is the gift of God. A gift is something free and unmerited, to which we have no right or claim by ourselves. Faith will bring out the wonderful source — Christ — through Whom the love of God flows forth. Faith is strengthened and encouraged as it gets clearer and clearer views of blessed Jesus. It is a wonder of wonders that God can take glory through the salvation of such as we are. When we see ourselves accepted in Christ, and this great and good gift sealed in and through the Blood, so that we are brought to be of His people, we ought to be emptied of self, having nothing to boast of, all boasting done away. We must decrease, but Christ must increase.”
Our late friend was of a loving disposition, and one of the things he rejoiced in was the peace and fellowship of the brethren. Anything which tended to mar this peace, was a source of grief and concern to him — perhaps this could be said to be the outstanding feature of his Christian character. He sought the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem and could truly say, “For my brethren and companions sakes I will now say peace be within thee, because of the House of the Lord our God I will seek thy good.” (Psalm 122:8, 9).
The end came suddenly, on the 20th December, 1961. He had for many years been afflicted with a heart complaint, and on that day he passed away as a result of heart failure. His last words before breathing out his soul into the hands of his Divine Redeemer were “blessed Jesus,” words familiar to those of us who had listened to his exercises in prayer, as well as to his conversation. The Scripture tells us that the reason why all nations shall yet call the New Testament Solomon blessed, is “and men shall be blessed in Him” (Psalm 72:17). We feel this to have been true
in connection with our late friend, whose calling ‘Blessed Jesus’ arose from the fact that he had been blessed in the New Testament Solomon with the peace of God which passeth all understanding.
In conveying therefore, our sincere sympathy to his bereaved widow, sons and daughters, we must also say to them “that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him.” (1 Thes. 4:13, 14). May they all be bound up in the bundle of Life with the Lord their God.—D.M.
The late John MacInnes, Kyles Scalpay, Harris
The worthy subject of this obituary notice was an elder of the Free Presbyterian congregation of North Harris. He was born in Kyles Scalpay on the 1st day of May, 1872, and passed away, we believe, to his everlasting rest on the 2nd May, 1963, at the ripe age of 91 years. He is survived by his widow and a large family of six sons and seven daughters. When John was bringing up his family there was no word of “Family Allowances” but he worked hard and provided honestly for their sustenance.
He was of a robust constitution physically, and his mental powers were equally sound. When in his 89th year, he told us that, for himself, he never consulted a doctor, never took a spoonful of medicine and never took a pill of any kind. Having been asked if he was ever at a dentist he told us, in his usual unassuming manner, that he was not. Naturally he was of a kindly and affectionate disposition.
In his soul’s experience he knew that “by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom. 3: 20). That Christ as his Lord and Saviour was made precious to him was very evident by his unfeigned humility and holy walk. Frequently he gave very acceptable addresses to our people in Kyle-Scalpay by making scriptural and edifying remarks, verse by verse, on the chapter of God’s Word read.
He was of a meek spirit but was not subject to the fear of man, especially in the affairs of the Lord’s Cause. For the ten years that we were privileged to know him, we never heard a hasty word from his lips nor did we see an unseemly expression in his eye. He was a man who had a true sense of his own unworthiness. This disposed him to meekness and induced him to meditate on the providence of God more favourably than many. He realised with Jeremiah that it is of the Lord’s mercies that he was not consumed, and this caused him to think well of God as the God of Providence even in his afflictive visitations. He enjoyed times of communion with God and the solemnity of eternity lay upon his heart. His
scriptural, clear view of God’s Sovereignty in providence as well as in grace enabled him with Gospel meekness to endure the disappointments and trials of this life. John was taught of the Lord. We are informed by one of his sons that he was a man much given to secret prayer. We are informed by a neighbour of his that he spent much time in secret prayer in his byre (cowhouse). He was not of those “who have a form of godliness but denying the power thereof.” (II Tim. 3: 5).
His trials were many and varied. Death visited his family twice. A daughter died in infancy and he lost a son, 25 years of age. Indeed he gave his son to the Lord with the words, ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away.’ By faith he was not only submissive to but also acquiescent in the Holy Will of his Sovereign and Covenant God. He detested a careless, unconcerned, fatalistic attitude of mind in anyone.
By way of approbation, the phrase is often expressed regarding some “He was loved by everyone.” John MacInnes’s vital godliness elevated him above that. He was not loved by everyone. John knew in his experience that the words of encouragement and consolation given by the Lord in His inspired Truth, were applicable to him as to all true believers—”If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” (John 15: 18, 19). Even in the conscience of his revilers his Christian deportment bore witness to his knowledge of God and that he had been with Jesus.
Being well versed in the Shorter Catechism, he freely and earnestly quoted from it in his prayers and exhortations. His remains “still united to Christ” rest in the sands of Luskentyre “till the resurrection” when John “shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the Day of Judgment and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.”
May his family be given to love their father’s God and to esteem highly the testimony of Truth which he as an elder loyally upheld. We need not expatiate for it is written in the Inspired Word, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Rev. 14: 13).
A. MACKAY.
The late Mr Angus MacLeod, Manish, South Harris
The subject of this short obituary notice passed away to his eternal rest in June, 1963, and left behind him the fragrant memory of one who was a humble follower of the Lamb. We are unable to say anything as to the means whereby he was brought to the saving knowledge of the truth, but that he was one who
feared the Lord and eschewed evil, was apparent to all who knew him. He did not make a public profession until late in life, but his exercises in public gave one the impression that he felt much his need of being daily cleansed in the precious blood of Jesus and so kept unspotted from the world, by the power of the grace of God within his soul.
He was naturally of a shy and retiring disposition and although he was approached to undertake the duties of the eldership, he consequently declined, feeling himself unable to fulfil such an office acceptably, yet he always showed clearly that his heart was set upon the things of Christ and His cause on earth. His attendance, on Sabbath and weekday, at the courts of God’s house, was an example to others. During the last year of his life he was much afflicted in body, but manifested the same meek and quiet spirit, under tribulation, as had characterised him in more active days.
His end was peaceful; he is missed in God’s house on earth but we hope that he has his place in God’s house above. As we think of him now, we feel that the Psalmist’s words sum up best the assurance of his heart, and the very desire of his soul:—
“Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me,
And in God’s house for evermore
My dwelling place shall be.”
—Psalm xxiii, 6.
We would extend our sympathy to his sorrowing widow, in her great loss, and pray that her husband’s God might be the God of her salvation and his portion on earth her own.
“Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord.”
A. M. C.