W. W. Walker

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ I have forsworn war for ever, after the dreadful scenes which I have witnessed, and there were scenes which I did not witness, in far-off Russia and Japan, which were infinitely more appalling, where was seen the dreary sobbing of broken-hearted widowhood and the piteous wailing of hungry, fatherless children. ”

“ Everyone who heard Mount Zion's rector, or pastor, noticed that he was perfectly fearless in depicting the exceeding sinfulness of sin, and having found out that a certain prominent man in the place was very vile in his morals, and had ruined many young lives, and was in the habit of running the rig on good people, and who also was most un-Canadian in his ways, he openly rebuked him for his evil deeds and for not restraining his family. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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." ”

“ Many a basket prepared by her own hand found its way into the homes of want, and many a visit was made which comforted and cheered the anguished sufferer, and which tended to turn the hour of sorrow into one of joy. ”

“ He told the minister, however, that this great battle, including the retreat, was even worse than the siege, as in the former large bodies of them had frequently to face about and charge with the bayonet to press back the hordes of Japanese who were continually driving in upon them.
Mr. Devoau said: "When you think of the fact that we could never meet our enemies when we were not outnumbered from two to three to every one of our own men, you will concede that we never had a fair chance, but put them man to man and they could never withstand the Russians in a bayonet charge. ”

“ The soul is made optimistic and the life beautified by its possession, while the ear is brought, spiritually speaking, within range of the victorious shout, "More than conquerors!" and the new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Melvin preached on the character and attributes of Christ, saying that, He did not rule or reign among men in an imperial sense, seated upon a kingly throne in such splendor that only a chosen few could approach Him, but in a thoroughly democratic manner, to whom the rich and poor, the learned and unlearned, all alike could come, to find in Him a Saviour, Brother, Friend and merciful High Priest, one who was touched with a feeling of human infirmity, and who always entered into sympathy with humankind. ”

“ After a fearful pounding with all kinds of guns, one day the enemy in overwhelming force came upon us with the bayonet, and after a hand-to-hand struggle, without parallel we believe, in which the ground was piled with the slain, we were forced out and our works taken. ”

“ 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. ”

“ If research proves that man has been on this earth 2,000,000 of years instead of 6,000, as formerly taught, do not be afraid to accept it, for it is in perfect harmony with the teachings of God's own revelation, and infinitely more correct than the antiquated teaching of the past, according to the most eminent authority in the world. ”

“ Hitherto we could see nothing, as not a soldier was in sight, and all that we could do was to pound the naked hillside, but now the little brown squads, in twenties, began rushing across the fire zone, and it appeared as if they were reserves coming up to reinforce the men at the base of the hill. ”

“ One glance showed that the sands had almost run out, but upon his feeling the hand-clasp, the sick man revived for a time and said, "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God has in store for those that love Him." ”

“ Shortly after the burial of the secretary-treasurer there came to Carsville a straight military-looking young man with an indifferent air, who procured employment at the foundry, and whom the minister noticed in the congregation, intercepting him at the close of the service to find out who he was and to welcome him. The person was Leonard Devoau, who had returned from Manchuria, where he had fought in the Russian army at Port Arthur and Mukden, escaping from the former to the latter disguised as a Chinaman, where he took part in the world's greatest battle. ”

“ The minister now asked his new friend if he would like to join the tabernacle, and at the same time gave him a hearty invitation, but he said he could not conscientiously join, but would attend the services. Mr. Melvin said, "Now I am not a bigot, and do not insist on every one doing as I do, and being what I am. How would you like to simply become a member of our Young People's Society, where we would help you and you could help us?" "I will do that," said Mr. Devoau. ”

“ 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. ”

“ In other instances that I have seen at Mukden and 203 Metre Hill, men have been mortally wounded and left an unrecognizable mass of flesh and blood, which for days heaved with anguish and life, while others, after hours and sometimes days of agony, died with broken bayonets protruding from their backs, having entered as gallant breasts as ever swelled with breath and life. ”

“ I like the Russians; they are good fellows, and are greatly slandered in the West. They have a moral code, and with some exceptions, they live up to it, and any nation that crosses arms with them will pay a heavy toll. ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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. ”

“ Melvin now saw that the time was ripe for moulding public opinion along not only spiritual but national lines, and he did not even consult the politicians concerning the matter, but as a teacher applied himself resolutely to the task.
The very first Sunday after bringing his bride from her somewhat distant home the pastor of Mount Zion Tabernacle preached on sin, and said the individual must come out from among his sinful associates in renunciation thereof, and dare to be singular, or there is little hope. As it is with individuals, so with nations. ”

“ In closing, I presume you would like to know more fully my opinion of war, and in giving it I will say that if you murder a man by shooting or stabbing him you are merciful, but if you kill him by exploding an eleven-inch shell, in many cases he will be torn to fragments and his dismembered body scattered over an acre of ground. ”

“ If in former times it was taught that the atmosphere was forty-five miles high, who now would continue to adhere to such a belief, when with their own' eyes they can see meteoric stones burst into flame one hundred miles from the earth, thus proving the atmosphere to be considerably more than that height, as in order to become so heated as to glow it must collide with atmospheric particles for many miles. ”

“ When we reached headquarters I, having nothing but a temporary connection with the Russian army, went to my chief and tendered him my uniform and arms, telling him, as there was not likely to be any more fighting, I would return to Canada. He, however, refused to take anything, saying that as a mark of honor and appreciation I must retain them, and after saying 'Good-bye' to my battle-scarred comrades I went to the station to entrain for the coast, and as it steamed out a crowd of officers and men waved their caps and handkerchiefs, shouting, 'Canada for ever ”

“ 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. ”

“ 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 ”

“ 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. ”

“ Melvin proved herself an angel of mercy in Carsville, and frequently relieved her husband by taking charge of a service of praise, or by preaching a sermon in connection with the Sabbath service. Her work as a teacher had made her a fluent, impressive and logical speaker, who was always acceptable to the people. ”

“ A battery of six guns came up to the foot of the hill at a gallop, the gunners setting them at an angle of many degrees, so as to rake our works, but though they concealed themselves as best they could, our sharpshooters frequently got a bead, and an artilleryman would throw up his hands with a shriek and tumble in a heap. ”

“ Melvin, who was delighted to see his countrymen, who in some cases spoke the mellow, musical tongue of France, that land of art, science, and literature, and military power. As his congregation was so cosmopolitan and contained representatives of every leading denomination, the pastor of Mount Zion preached the doctrines of the Bible in their broadest sense, and showed their most comprehensive meaning. ”