FURTHER TEACHINGS AND HOW THEY ARE ESTIMATED.
After his ordination the new preacher took his place in the pulpit once every Sunday, and being now a close student of theology as well as of other subjects, he soon became an eloquent and powerful speaker, and the entire congregation was delighted with him. The last Sunday of the national year, Mr. Melvin announced a sermon on "The Ideal Relationship of Capital and Labor," prompted by the recent trouble at the foundry between employers and their hands. The preacher of the day said: "Beware of so-called socialism, for it trenches very closely on the borderland of anarchism, and after having listened to lectures and sermons an hour long and read many books upon that much-abused topic, I am constrained to turn to the teaching of the Man of Nazareth, and find in that teaching something more rational and common-sense than elsewhere. In the first place our Saviour recognized property rights when he said, 'Render unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar's, and unto God the things which are God's.' This doctrine is for the workingman as well as for his employer, and enables both to procure homes for themselves and hold them in their own right.
"We cannot fail to recognize the fatherhood of God, and if so then we must recognize the brotherhood of man, for all men truly should be such. If you and I have come to that point where we regard every man as our brother, on the authority of Jesus Christ, the social problem will be solved, and the capitalist will regard and treat the man who toils for him as the son of his Father God, and the toiler will regard the employer as not only his brother, but co-heir with himself to an incorruptible inheritance. Much depends, brethren, on the exercise of that charity which translates love. Love one another and you will use one another aright. As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, and there was life as the wounded Israelites looked upon it, so there is life in a look at the crucified One, and there is more than that, there is adjustment of relationships between husband and wife, between pastor and people, between citizens and their chief magistrate, between capital and labor. I can do no better than lift my hand toward the sky and utter that little classic, ' Ecce Homo,' and He is the Man of Sorrow."
The senior pastor's sermon had a marvellous effect upon the people, and it was said that the iron workers' difficulty was soon settled on the Christ principle. The next Sunday being July 1st, the anniversary of Confederation, the Rev. Mr. Devoau preached a sermon in keeping with the day, and said "that the Iroquois term 'Kannatha,' which was very restricted in its meaning, and only signified a collection of wigwams or huts—a village, we might say—had become corrupted into Canada, but now stood for dominion power and nationality. The population had grown into many millions, and the area was 3,750,000 square miles, or nearly as great as the entire continent of Europe. The mineral and coal deposits are almost inexhaustible, and the exports and imports the astonishment of the nations.
"The growth of our cities is simply wonderful. Winnipeg has doubled its population in five years; Calgary has nearly trebled the number of its citizens in the same period, while Montreal has become the New York of Canada. Truly the words of our text apply specially to us, 'He hath not dealt so with any nation, and as for his judgments we have not known them.'"
Continuing, the speaker said: "The God who has so wondrously blessed us since 1867, when a confederation of our leading provinces took place, expects us to be rational and sane, and stand for unity and consolidation of languages and creeds, that Canada may show to the world what the brotherhood of man means and that the Saviour's teaching has been put into practice upon our ocean-girt shores. A large number of our people do not know what the term Canadian means. They will do well to remember that it takes in not only the people of old Ontario, but the people of the greater Canada beyond, with its diversity of speech and polity, and no responsible person would say or do anything that would not tend to weld together the different doctrines and tongues. If we are true to God and each other we will one day stand in the front rank of world powers, and our fleets, not of war, but of commerce, will ride upon every sea. The battle of the Sea of Japan or Corea proved that battleships were not worth the coal that steamed them, but our mercantile marine is of priceless value, for it carries our wares to every land and our commerce into the marts thereof and into every clime."
Immediately upon the close of the sermon, Mr. Melvin, who had occupied a seat upon the platform, arose and said, "This is the best sermon to which I have ever listened; it is truly the teaching of a man who is saner and wiser than his fellows." Upon the utterance of these words the vast audience broke into thunders of applause, evidencing the fact that it was the sentiment of all.
As the summer advanced, Mr. Devoau invited Mr. Melvin to take a trip to Ottawa with him, as he was going to visit his parents for a day. The invitation was accepted, and these two kindred spirits started off on an early train for Canada's beautiful capital, where they were met by Mr. Devoau, senior, who heartily welcomed the friend and colleague of his son. As they walked toward the home of the Devoau family, whom should they meet but the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada, who was out for a stroll, and with whom the elder Devoau was well acquainted. Both preachers were at once introduced to the Premier, who was very gracious and genial. Mr. Devoau said they were having a day's recreation after their recent teachings. Sir Wilfrid said: "I will not ask what those teachings were, as I am sure they were all right." Mr. Melvin said: "They were not exactly like those of the Scotchman, who was asked if his health was good, and he said, 'I am no verry weel the day, for last nicht I was teaching the bairnies doon at the hall hoo to vote.'" Said he, "We are not exactly teaching people how to vote, but we are trying to pound sin out of them." The Premier then made the hit of the day when he said, "Get all the sin out of them and they will vote right."
After a splendid day, during which they visited the noble pile on Parliament Hill and had a sail in a steam launch on the majestic river, the pastors of the tabernacle returned to Carsville, where at the Young People's meeting the senior minister related their experiences while in Canada's beauty spot, as the capital city might be called. He told of meeting the Premier and of his friendliness and geniality. "This country," said he, "has had gentlemen in that position, and it has had statesmen for prime ministers, but it never so strikingly combined the two great qualities as in the person of him whose name will be engraven with a surpassing lustre upon the bead-roll of the nation, and the name will be that of the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid Laurier."
Mr. Melvin, who did not feel quite so strong recently, thought of seeking a much-needed rest in retirement for a time at least, now that his colleague was immensely popular, and could now handle the entire congregation, though it never was so large. However, just as he was preparing for this move an invitation came to him to enter upon higher educational work, which he at once accepted, saying that, he would still preach and teach, and would really have a larger field in which to do good, and the change of air and scene would be as good as a rest.
The people of Carsville expressed much regret at the departure of one who was known as an admirable citizen as well as an able and effective minister. Mr. Melvin, however, always told them that he was leaving with them a man after his own heart.
Before the day of his leave-taking a farewell banquet was tendered him, at which were appreciative after-dinner speeches, the chair being occupied by Rev. Mr. Devoau, informally. Abraham Thompson, Esq., senior member of the Board, when called upon, said: "I am grieved at the departure of one who has been everything that I could wish—broad-minded, sympathetic, and scholarly—one in whom all could alike trust, ever finding in him a wise counsellor and a safe guide; a man of splendid mental balance, of unusual wisdom. To say that I endorse his teachings is not enough; I heartily endorse all of it, and pray that the Great Head of the Church will bless and keep our mutual friend, together with his much appreciated partner, unto their journey's end."
The next called upon was Thomas Edwards, the leading merchant in the place. He was shrewd in business and a keen discerner of men. He said: "Though I am not on the same side of politics as Mr. Melvin, yet in the main I think his teachings are sound and the product of a sane mind. Personally, I have learned to respect him. I will, like one who has preceded me, go farther and say I have learned to love him, and wish him and his godspeed in a ministry which has been a blessing to my whole house."
The next official was Edmund Garvin, general manager of the foundry, and a man of intense perception. Said he: "I have noticed that our worthy senior pastor, whose removal I deeply regret, always stood for unification in the home and independence, and not only there, but in the church and nation, and I may say his sentiment is mine. I, like him, am no hanger-on—only poltroons are that—and no man in his right senses would be anything but a brother to all the races and creeds in our country, and in all his utterances our clerical friend has proven himself not only wise as a serpent, but also a true Christ man. I wish him and his amiable wife great happiness and success in future life."
The chairman now saw that as the time was getting late they must close, and said in a few closing words that his colleague had endeared himself to him, and had done more for him than he could ever repay. "I, like yourselves, regret his departure, but feel that he is going into a field of great usefulness, and he doubted not that he would be happy and prosperous."
Shortly after Rev. Mr. Melvin's departure old Uncle Reynolds, as he was called, was struck by a pilot engine at the station, and so seriously injured that he was taken home in the ambulance. He was the most saintly man in the tabernacle, and Rev. Mr. Devoau, now in full charge, was sent for. His practiced eye at once told him that the old man's hour had almost come. Stooping down he said, "Uncle, how is it with your soul?" and opening his weary eyes the aged veteran said, "It is well; it is well." Talking for a moment or two with his pastor he said: "Our dear Bro. Melvin is gone from us, but, oh, how precious are his teachings! As the result of them my feet are on the Rock of Ages—the rock of Christ—and I have long since found out that 'all other ground,' as the sacred bard says, 'is sinking sand.'"
Coming back late in the evening Mr. Devoau said, "Uncle, is there light in the valley?" and the dying man raised his feeble hand and blessed his pastor, and whispered to him that he had already been a blessing to many and the people loved him. Then he said: "Oh, yes, the valley is bathed in light; for He has said, 'At evening time it shall be light.'" With these words trembling upon his lips the old man swept through the gates of paradise, a ransomed soul.
Finished as was the course of this saintly man, yet the great world, as in all such cases, moved on, and with it the teaching of the new pastor of Mount Zion.
Speaking to the young people some time after this, he said: "Let there be no misunderstanding concerning what I stand for, and what we all should stand for. I am for liberty of conscience, freedom and independence, along all lines, both religious and national, even to the granting of home rule to poor, old, long-suffering Ireland, which, by all means, it should have, and is justly entitled to in this twentieth century.
"The question arises, How can we best qualify ourselves for the salvation of ourselves and fellows, and the working out of our destiny along general lines? I answer, by consecrating our ransomed powers to the great Arbiter of Destinies, who stands behind all forms and systems, but ever watchful of His own."
At the conclusion of the address Mr. Henry, principal of the Public School, arose and said: "I beg that the Young People's Club will place upon record, and in letters of gold engrave and place amid the archives of the church, the admirable and fearless utterances of this evening."
Mr. Henry was followed by one who, in the educational world, stood higher than he, namely, the head master of the Collegiate Institute in Carsville, who capped everything by saying, "'Pro bono publico,' and as well as being for the public good, though I am an independent in politics, I will say that the Rev. Mr. Devoau has the faculty of always saying the right thing, and his teachings are an inestimable boon to all classes in this place."
In a few mouths after this the pastor of Mount Zion was honored with a degree from world-renowned Harvard, and his influence increased, and his ministry truly became one of reconciliation and power, until the ever-circling years at last brought near the Age of Gold.