THE LATE REV. JOHN STEVEN.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XL, Issue 12727, 22 December 1915, Page 2

THE LATE REV. JOHN STEVEN.

AN APPRECIATION BY THE REV. WILLIAM XICHOL. (From a sermon delivered in the Lower Waitaki Parish, 12th December, 1915..) When I heard of the death of your late beloved minister I thought of 'the words of the text and how appropriate they are to the sudden nature of his i.eparture. the honor cherished towards iiim. the angelic convoy he wduld have ever the river from time into eternity, ar.d his happy entrance into the higher legions of the everlasting life. We were wont to call him the ••father" of our Presbytery, because he was the minister of the longest standing among us, and also because of the affection we had to him, and the reverence in which we held him. I, therefore, who knew him so long and so favorably and loved and esteemed him so highly, could not express myself more exactly than in the words of the text, "My father, in- father, the chariots of Israel and the horsemen thereof." (2 Kings, 2-12). To my mind, he ascended as really as Elijah ascended, though apart from the bodily frame, amidst a celestial carriage", with celestial attendants, right into the celestial life, where now he is bathing his ransomed spirit in the infinite light of the immediate presence of God.

When a good man dies I believe it creates a throb that is felt- through all the spiritual universe. The heart of God feels it, and so does every angelic being, and every ransomed spirit who has arrived at that sublime height of existence where the nature is attuned into full touch with such stupendous happenings as the passing of an immortal soul into what were once the mysteries of the eternal life- And Mr Steven was no common man. Beneath that burly form, which was the outward expression of everything that was kind and beneficent, there dwelt a soul that iu my judgment- was in many respects a rare'and exceptional soul. 1 had opportunities of getting nearer to the real soul of the man than most. For one thing, 1 was with him when he was passing through a veritable "valley of the shadow of death," iu the very seriou.' illness from which he suffWed a good many years ago, that many of you will remember. He was then certainly at death's door, and to us all it seemed that the door was open to receive him irom our sight. I was up here preaching for him one Sabbath when his illness was at- the worst. As I knelt at hi; bedside on the Monday morning before leaving, 1 never expected to see iiim again, and he had the'same feeliug, at first. But, strange to tell—it is one of the awe-inspiring mysteries of the spiritual life —as he told me afterwards, while I was offering prayer and pleading that he would be spared to us, the consciousness came over him that the turn had that moment taken place, and that he would recover: and recover he did. to the astonishment of everybody. My belief is that 74 was in answer to prayer and in response to his own faith, not to mention any one else's faith. Anyway, his work was not then finished, and God had larger

.•xperienees for his servant to traverse ere the end here should come. Hut what impressed me greatly in that tinicugettalile incident was this: the unlearing, calm, heroic fortitude of the man m circumstances of uncommon strain and trial, the singular quality i.f his faith, the complete resignation of his spirit to the ordering of God, and his remoteness from ail earthly considerations as to his relations to God's will —giving one the feeling that his was a spirit which dwelt ax>art with God, tliat- there was something about him its to the high and pure quality of his spiritual being tliat didn't reveal itself m everyday life, and that only became known in the deeper and more intimate communion of soul with soul — and that never takes place except with oue or two persons as rare events draw them together in a quite unusual way. To judge him. therefore, by the outward man, you would only know half the man, if even that; to know the whole man, you required to be with him in that inner region of the spirit which is a secret place in the common walks of life. Many of you, however, had glimpses of that whole man as he went to and fro about your homes in -easons of sickness and sorrow during' tiie well nigh 40 years of that ministry which he exercised in this district, and on account of which he was so levered and beloved among you, and that consciousness you will carry with you to your dying day as a sacred memory. Another thing which singled him out

as an exceptional-soul was his spirit of tolerance and forgiveness. 1 knew him on occasions when in public affairs tilings occurred that called for strong represenskm, and, to a man of a narrower mind., might luive caused extreme rancour and alienation: but 1 never heard him speak with acid bitterness of anyone, even when there was grave provocation. He .always frankly conceded to others the right to differ from him in matters of public interest, matters involved in controversy, however tenaciously he might bold by his own judgment, and whenever he was harshly or unjustly treated, he didn't cherish \ indictiveness. but sought after means < ■•:' friendliness and healing. Those of lid who are acquainted with the ordinary ways of the .world know how little tolerance there often is, and how little oi whole-souled forgiveness there is: and, on the other hand, how much intolerance, how much bitterness, how much spite, how much that is alien to the mind and teaching of our adorable Savour. Tam free to say. however, that yiv Steven always commanded my highest admiration for the spirit of Christ that ruled him in speech and conduct in his relations with others in the rough and tumble of life in tin's combative, touchy, and troublesome world. His name will live in my memory as that of one of the kindliest of souls, one of the sanest, four-square in breadth and solidity of mind and character, a true "white man" in the best sense of the term; in short, a Christian man as well as a .Christian minister, a man who held himself bound as his highest aim in life to live cut the spirit and principles anrl teachng and commandments of our Lord. As he moved about in this wide community for almost 40 years, the one outstanding eulogy that can be pronounced, and that one which embraces everything that is worth while, is: he «as a Christian man.

The pains with which he carried on iii.s ministry among you; his pastoral devotion, which was an example of a. special order to his brother ministers: hi:: warm interest in the young: his marked and loving, care of the sick, the dying, and the bereaved: his ceaseless zest for the religious advancement of t)i< people: his quenchless desire up to the very last to plan and devise for capturing hearts for Christ through rhe attractive presentation of the living and winning word —you are all familiar with ; and how highly you appreciated these valuable qualities of his life and work you voiced with no uncertain sound at the time of the farewell 19 month's ago. Mr Stevens' name will live evermore in the history of the Church in this part as the pioneer minister of the extensive territory over which he had the oversight for so many'years; in which he laid the foundations, sound and broad, through his assistance several congregations heing formed out of the original parish, and in which he occupied with such great distinction the unique position of a one New Testament bishop. He thus cultivated the virgin soil, and' in doing so wrote his name indcliblv in the abiding record of North Otago's most illustrious pioneers.

But what to my mind places the crown of distinction on the head of our departed friend was his remarkable quality of sympathy, constituting him the sympathiser of high degree. The office of the sympathiser T regard as almost the loftiest on earth, considering how full this earth is of sin and .sorrow, and how urgent is the need of one specially gifted with healing sympathy. As the sympathiser par excel - It nee we all knew him; I myself have had to know him intimately in tiiis connection; as the sympathiser we shall think of him to the end : as the .sympathiser he will be--honored as long as any one lives who was helped by him ; as the sympathiser, what a welcome ho would get in heaven from the many he thus befriended here below

who have passed tin before! A little girl of five years who had beeil a fayprit«» with the late Bishop Philips Brooks, made a striking remark on his death. When the good bishop died, her mother came into the room where the child was playing., and, holding thf- bright little face between her hands, said: "Bishop Brooks is gone to heaven. 7 ' "0, r inamma, :! was the reply, "how happy the angels will be!" Yes, how glad the angels will be to have Mr Steven among them, for somehow I think of hiin as being a meet companion, lor angels! But especially how glad will his old-redeemed friends in glory from the Waitaki Plains be to have him among them in that blessed land where they know not any longer the pangs of pain, the agony of suffering, the struggle of death, and the sorrow of bereavement! The sympathiser and the comforted will methinks have much much to tell one another yonder. "What wonderful exchanges there will be of thought as the one tells of former solicitude, and thrills at the spectacle of the great reward, and as the others tell with shining faces of what that sympathy did for them in the old days of the life here, how it helped them through to the farther shore, and how indebted they are to their dear old friend, dearer now to them than'ever, as they realise, as they never could do here in fullness, what they owe the sympathy, what they owe to the patient, gentle, loving sympathiser, known on earth by the name that we all love, whatever his new name inay be in those seraphic altitudes or the- heavenly life! On an occasion like the present, however, wo cannot but feel that-whatever is said talis short of what one would like to say of Christ's servant, who is indeed worthy of honor. But I would remember here that could Mr Steven now communicate with us he would be the first to put a check on much speaking with reference to himself. Rather would he desiderate some reminders addressed to the worshippers as to the # supreme value of vitaj.religion, the due' and daily recognition of God. trust in Christ as a personal Saviour, the high demand of the age on us all to live a thoroughly Christian life, and the urgent need of being ready for death, since death is the most serious and momentous of all iuman prospects; while, if we ready, as he was, it may he transfigured l with beauty by the most exalted anticipations the human mind can entertain. The solemn voice that come« from our dear friend's sudden call is' surely, "Be ready; be ready at any moment; be always ready." It is exceedingly important to be perfectly prepared.'; and the necessary preparation is found in Christ. No soul who is trusting in Christ will bo left unsheltered in that grand crisis of being.' Every believing soul is '"li id', with Christ in God."

''lt. matters not at what hour o' the the day, The Christian falls asleep. Death cannot fonic To liim untimely who is lit to die." And finally, it is, T'm sure, our unanimous wish to express and'manifest our deepest sympathy with the bereaved family born and brought up at the Man-v here, who have proved such a credit to the district and to t-fieir Manse training, sneh an honor to their parents, and such a testimony-to the superlative advantages of living religion. May they he abundantly comforted in tins time of trial .and' sorrow; may the gra~ cious Christ, Whom their parents loved, audi Whom they love. ton. Tie near to sustain them, and may they be helped to realise what a privilege, what a. glory, it is to have had a coocl father and? mother, and to know that they are nowsafe home in Christ .and await-in;? them in the heavenly land. "One more at home! This is not home, where, cramped in earthly mould, Our sisht of Christ is dim, our love is cold! But there, where face to face we shall heli old. Ts home and Heaven! One more in Heaven! Another thought to brighten cloudy days, Another theme for thankfulness and praise, Another link on high our souls to raise To home in Heaven!''