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■1,"
A JUBILEE lir JSPECT.
" But thou wouldsi not iiluiif
IJi- s,ivi'(l, my fatlnr, alone
('oiHURT iind ( oiiif in thy ;;i),il,
LtMvinj,' the test in Uw wil.l.
We were weary, and we
Fj-aiful, and we in nur niiiicii
Fain tu drop (h)wn and die.
Still thou tunifdst, and still
Cavest the weary thy hand.
If, in the paths of the world,
Stones may have wounihd thy feet,
Toil or dejection iiave tried
Thy spirit, of that we saw
Nothing ; to us tliou wast still
Cheerful, and helpful, and firm.
Therefore to thee it was given
Many to save w-th thys.df.
O faithful Sliepherd, to come
Bringing thy sheep in thy hari<l !
Rev. John Wakefield. D.D.
A Jubilee Retrospect
.\i>i.KK-,^Ks |)|..ii\|.:ri;i. oh I II l. Co M !■ I.KTIO N (./
/• iffy Year v o i. r h k M i n , > t k \' of
REV. JOHN WAKEFIKLD, I)..'. (1852-1902)
With Introductory Sk.ich l.y A'.v. E. H. h'y.lman, M.A.^D.D.
MONTREAI.
('. W. COATES
TORONTO
WILLIAM HKIGdS
1902
HAI.IRAX
V. HUESTIS
n
Mgunf Timor
Memoiiaf
! thr-r>
A Jubilee Retrospect
IntrodiK-tioii.
'I'm; tils; ♦iiiu' tlu! writer ever saw Rw. tloliii
Wiikfticld \,-a.s in the autuniii ol" \Hy.i, in
Cohouri;, wlifii lioth wcrt' studoiiis jit Victoria
(V)IIt'f^e. Little tlioiijjht (Mtlior th«n of the
relations to he estaldishod hetween them as
titne rolled yn. One was a " now student," the
other was an " old student." One had been
converted, the other not. One h;.d already lia<l
for a year a place in the ranks of Methodi.st
preachers; the other was niarchii in the
opposite direction. Waketield was t^ one; I
was the other. His year o( preaching had
begotten in hiinaveb -^ent thi. • '"or educational
betterment. Hence i-.. resort to the fountains
of learninor.
wintering college, he addressed himself ener-
getically to his studies, leading " a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and honesty."
Heing a stranger, young and unobtrusive, he
made himself but little known to the general
>u7o*-rv
A JUIULEE RETROSPECT
boily of the studeiits luitil, in .lanuiuy of the
current colUs^^e year, a circumstance occurred
wliioh at once gave him prominence. A j^reat
revival liroke out first in tlie eollej^e and then
in the town. At that time the tide of piety
was at its ebb in old Victoria. Only a small
minority of the students were profe.ssors of
reliijion, and but few of that minority wen;
brave enough to show their c<jlors. 'i'he atmos-
phere of the college was eltjctrical with mischief
and deci<ledly unfavorable to frank and open
jMi'ty. However, the faithful few recei il a
powerful reinforcement in a number of zealous
young preachers who sought the ^college that
year. Mr. Wakefield was one (if the number.
The C'hristian students soon saw the necessity
and the opportunity of iloing soniething for the
spiritual improvement of tSeir fellows. The
stalwarts among them organized for work. ]\Ir.
Wakefield was one of the.se. They met occa-
sionally in .some lecture room for a j)rayer-
nieeting. Their fellow-students took their own
way to enliven the.se occasicjns — sometimes by
the scraping of a violin anil .some heel-and-toe
e.xerci.se at the door, and .sometimes by the
apparently altogether acciflental overturning of
a chaii' or a form by one who entered the room
prompted by some other s[)ii'it than that of
REV. JOHN WAKF. FIELD, D.D.
pniyer. But tlieso earnest, ^odly young men
persevered, fasted res^ularly, prayed without
ceasing,', and seconded their prayers by many a
warm and brotherly word of counsel and invita-
tion. The direct result was a great revival.
After six weeks of special services about 130
persons, probably the majority of them students,
coimected themselves with the Church. The
religious atmosphere of the college was entirely
changed. Several of the converted students
entered the Methodist ministry and some the
ministry of other churches.
The late Rev, Dr. G. R. Sanderson was at that
tim(> pastor in Cobourg, and skilfully marshalled
the students who were probationers and local
preacluirs to his assistance. No man could
desire better helpers in special services than Dr.
Sanderson had at that time — W. R. Parker,
Henry Tew, Thomas Stobbs, N. R. Willoughby,
W. C Henderson and several others, besides Mr.
Wakefield himself. After all the years that
have passed since that time it seems to me still
that I have never known young men so effective
in jirayer and exhortation as they. Many of
the scenes in that revival are fresh and vivid in
my memory unto this day. Among such workers
and in all that work Mr. Wakefield was in his
proper element. He exulted in it. His spirit
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
and aptitudes brought him to tlie front. He
was always willinf]f and always rea«ly. He had
an excellent voice and knew how to use it. He
had couraife to stand in tht- breach or lead a
forlorn hope at any time. His youthful fervor
never failed to warm a praycr-meetinff or fellow-
ship meeting. He had the resjject in a high
degree of his fellow-stu<leiits and exercised a
useful influence uj)on all who knew him. Through
the whole revival he rendered assistance, the
value of which Dr. Sanderson in later years
often heartily acknowledged.
From the time of that great religious awaken-
ing in Victoria College in January, 18.54, the
writer dates the beginning of his own new life,
and it was at that time and amid those scenes
that he conceived a friendship for John
Wakefield which has deepened in respect and
esteem down the years to the present hour.
The Rev. John Wakefield was born in War-
wickshire, England, October 7, 1830. His father
was a farmer in comfortable circumstances and
was able to rear and maintain his family well, and
to provide for them the limited amount of educa-
tion available in that day to persons of limited
means. His parents were conscientious and
exemplary members of the Church of England.
Their children were trained to regular attendance
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
on tbu services of the church aiul at .Sunday
School. Family prayers were faithfully observed,
and vere conducted by the mother when the
father was absent. Such a family was not
likely to be cramped by biijotry, nor was it a
strani^e thinjf that they should go to Methodist
meetinifs when the opportunity occurred. A well-
remembered and much-prized privilej^e to the
lad of seven to ten years of age was to go with
his mother to tl»e cottage prayer meetings an<l
to attend the preaching service on the village
green. He was sorry for the preachers, who
were sometimes subjected to rough treatment
for the supposed blasphemy of professing to
know that their sins were forgiven and that, in
th(! event of death, they should go to heaven.
But he felt more sorry for the poor souls who
wept so bitterly on account of their sins. He
was already in training for that fifty years of
preaching which has done its full share in
bringing about the change which has come over
the thought of the whole Christian world re-
garding a conscious salvation.
An elder brother had crossed the Atlantic, and
after a .sojourn of seven years on this side went
home for a visit, but with the enthusiastic pur-
pose of returning and making (Janada his home.
By dint of much persuasion the younger brother
10
A JUniLEE RETROSPECT
obtained permission to come with him. Thoy
landed at Boston, and in April, 1845, they
reached the city of Hamilton. The j'ounnr
stranger made imiiiiry for a church. The f.rst
church he entered was the old King Street
Methodist, and the first sermon he heard was by
the Rev. Wm. Ryerson. The impression of the
wb 'e service upon bis mind resulted in a tixeil
determination that his church in C'anada should
be the Methodist Church. In May bis home
v/iis established with his brother, in the northern
part of the township of Blenheim, in the county
of O' . ird. There in sijifbt was a Methodist
church, and there he regularly attended service.
Camp-m etings were then very common. To
the English youth they were a new thing in all
their features and methods, strange and pecu-
liarly attractive ; but the preaching was search-
ing, awakening, and in demonstration of the
Spirit. He was often deeply convinced of his
sinful condition and need of salvation: but
because of a conviction that if he were to give
himself to God he .should have to give himself
to the ministry also, and because he felt that
that was a responsibility he could never bear,
he resisteil the Spirit and went on in liis care-
less ways. But in cour.se of time, when be was
in his nineteenth year, a protracted meeting was
REV. JOHN \VAKEFlEir\ I). P.
11
conductcMl hy some <^<)dly local preacli' s in the
little church near his home, which was one of
the appointments on the old Dumfries circuit.
Matthew Whitip'jr and U. \V. M. Gilbert were the
circuit preachers, but they coild not attend this
meetini--. Their presence was required other-
where. The whole of that larj^e circuit was in
a flame of revival. It was a very prosperous
year. An increase in membership of more than
one hundred was reported at the ensuinjr Con-
ference, 'i'he HU'etinj:;, conducted by cn'y the local
preachers, was a j^reat success. Many souls were
converteci, and John Wakefield was one of then:.
On Wednesday evening, February 14th, 1849,
he found the Saviour and light and peace and
joy. So far as ministerial instrumenuality is
concerned, Mr. Wakefield was one of those
who>e conversion was the fruit of the labors of
local preacheis. The writer .stanJs in the same
class. There are many otli< 's. It is .said t'lat
tlie limes are changing and constantly improv-
ing. I shall not rea-on so unwisely as to dis-
pute the saying, but I hope that Methodism
may go on improving until she completes the
cycle. As among the heavenly bodies there are
certain movements which ettect a complete re-
vclution in certain periods of time, and then
repeat them.selves — the precession of the etjui-
12
A JUniLEE RIITROSPECT
noxt'H, for instaiico, which comnleU's its cycle in
about 2ti,()()0 years — «o we •luiv ardently hope
that after a f^lorious period of inipioveinent.
somewhat less, however, than 2(i,0'^0 years,
Mcthoilisin may complete her cycle ami swee})
round with undiminished vi;^or to where she
was half a century a<;o ; when aj^aiii MeUiodist
circuits shall be so plainied as to necessitate the
work of local preachers; when local pi jachers,
havinjf work to do, shall keep themselves in
(jood workin!^ condition: when the Methodist
peojjle shall hear the ( Jospel with as much plea-
sure and protit from a local preacher as from an
ordained minister, provided he be as ^ood a man
and can declare the truths of sin and salvation
with clearness, fulness and power ; and when
local preachers shall aj^ain conduct evangelistic
services successfully as in the former days,
without the minister, if need be, bringi.io in as
the I'esult c' their harvestinj^ scor.s and scorea
of vvell-Hlled sheaves for the Master's yarncr.
The young convert was plunged at once into
the midst of the work which such revival sea-
sons and their aftermath always provide for
those who have just begun a Christian life, such
as attending and holding prayer-meetings, at-
tending and holding class and fellowship meet-
ings, accompanying the local preachers to their
REy. j'lHN WAKEFIELD, D.I).
i;{
• Hstiint Sabbath services, assisting them in the
oDeninj; and ciosin<; exorcises " to ;ret their hand
in," and now and then " to try their winufs " in a
brief exhortation at the close of the sermon.
All this was very acceptable to Mr. VVaketield.
He had been so converted as to regard himseli
no longer as his own master, but enlisted for
any service his new Master might have for him
to perform. Besides, such work was congenial,
well suited to his mental constitution and to the
frame of mind he was then in. He was active
in a round of cottage prayer -meetings, after the
pattern of those he had seen in England, in
which a goodly number we''3 converted, among
them the late Rev. A. R. Campbell. Hut when,
soon after, it was proposed by the pioacher in
charge to give him official position as an ex-
horter, he was actually frightened, and for a
time could not be found. He was absent from
home ! But in his absence, away from the
accustomed round of daily occupation, with
plenty of time to think, he was brought face to
face, more directly than in other circumstances
he could have been, with a question which kept
coming to him, which demanded an answer, and
would accept none but the right one. That was
the (juestion of entering the ministry. He was
not rebellious against the will of God in this
14
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
matter. He did not refuse to obey. It can
scarcely lie said that he was reluctant. I>ut he
dreaded responsibilities that seemed to him so
grave and exhaustless. The Htrui:<,de ended, of
course, in a hearty acceptance of the Divine call.
He returned to his home, and at the February
Quarterly Meetinj;, 1852, received license as an
exhorter, and a few montlus later was made a
local preacher. In these official positions, with
a mind to work, he had work enouj^h to do,
holdini' from one to three services each Lord's
day, prayer-meetinj^s most of the evenHi<;s ot
the week, besides attending camp-meetings as
opportunities occurred.
During this year the Rev. Wm. Ryerson, Chair-
man of the Hrantford District, pressed him into
the itinerancy, and that, too, on his own home
circuit. At the end of his year under the chair-
man, being anxious to go to college, and know-
ing that if he gave himself into the hands of the
Conference as a probationer there would be no
chance for him by reason of the pressing de-
mand for young men in J^ll parts of the Church,
he determined to keep his destiny in his own
hands for the time, refused to be received on
probation, and went to Cobourg on his own
account. As we have already stated, his year
at college was not only a year of study but, to
REV. JOHN H'Ak'EFJEL/\ D.D.
15
a lar<;e extent, one of evanj^olism and soul-suving
iis well. At the ensuinj; ('onference he was
formally accepted as a probationer, and went to
his appointment, Ingersoll, with a heart on tire
with zeal for souls.
He completed his probation and was received
into full connexion and ordained at the famous
Mrockville Conference in 1856 — a Conference
memorable, first, for the great debate on the
class-meeting iiuestion, in which Dr. Ryerson,
J)r. Jeffers, and other giants of the Conference
took part ; next, on account of the official visit
of two mighty men of the British Conference,
Dr. John Hannah and the Rev. F. J. Jobson ; and
again, becau.se of the largest class of entrants
into the ministry of the Methodist Church ever
recorded in any one year of its history in this
country. The ministerial life of forty-seven
Methodist preachers is dated from the year
IS.50. Of all those who entered in the same
year as Mr. Wakefield, 1852, or were ordained
ill the same class, he is the only one still in full
wnrlc. Three or four superannuates still linger
on these hither shores, but all the rest have
passed over to the better land.
From that Brockville Conference Mr. Wake-
field went forth to a life of service in the Meth-
odist ministry altogether unusual — unusual,
t^'
16
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
certainly, as to the term of it. an.l sel.lo.n par-
alleled in labors or in fruits. He combined m
himself many in.portant elements ol success.
To be<Mn with, a full half century in the Meth-
odist Itinerancy woul.l seem to imply a very
sturdy physique. I am inclined to think that
he is much indebted to his parents for " souml
health and a good constitution." That is one
way, unquestionably, in which the virtues of
parents are visited upon their children. He
could endure hard work lon^ continued : but he
always wrought with a wise moderation. He
uii-ht say. as did John Wesley, that he was
never in a hurry. He was active, to be sure : it
wouhl be difficult to find the "lazy bones in
his frame ; b- le was never nervously, excess-
ively active. I think, also, that he owes much to
nature, that is. to his parents and to God. for an
equable disposition. Amidst the labors and
attritions incident always to the itinerancy lie
was never one to worry : and according to well-
settled principles of physiology an.l conunon
sense, the habit of worrying is more exhaustive
of nervous vitality and tends more to shorten
our days than almost any other violation ot
physiological law. If one has goo.l health as
Mr Wak.'field has had during most of his lile.
and the lavor of Ood, as every minister of the
NEV. JOHN IVAK'EFJEIJK I). I).
(I(is|icl «>u;,'l»t to liiivt', it is no particulur crt'dit
(o liiiii to !)(' clifci ful ; but, !it the smne tiino,
;:(»o(l cheer is a vvuiiflerlul conservator ol" the
vital I'orccs.
I'erhiips tlie most prominent chai'actei'istic oi"
Mr. Wiiketieiirs miiiisteriai life is his aijaptation
to rtnival work. His first station alter ordina-
tion was Ayhner, in the west, hut after a lew
weeks in tliat Held he was taken away to supply
Walsincrham circuit, where the Superintendent,
the Rev. Simon Huntinj^don, had suddenly died.
It was a Iar<;e circuit. He travelled and pn-ached
almost every nij;ht Jind day, and the work of
(loil <jjreatly prospered. In protracted meetin<^.s
that he held, features that he had witnessed
in similar meetin<:s when he first beijan to
jireach were repeated. It was a common tiling
for persons to fall to the lloor, to remain uncon-
scious for hours, and to be carrieil in that condi-
tion to their conveyances at the eiid of the even-
in^;'. r>ut however stormy the nieetinj^, the
Icadei- had coolness and self-possession to com-
mand, control and jj^uide to successful issues.
Lari;e mnnbers were converted. For such work
Mr. Wakelielil was ailmirably adapted. He had
an orotund voice and perfect distinctness of utter-
ance. In these he possessed eli'Uients of <^reat
]ii)Wei-. A <^ood voice always commands respect.
IR
yl JVlilI.EE RETROSPECT
H,. ha.l MX unlailin- lifility of expri'ss.o.i m
l.«tl. preachin- and prayc-r. This, t.K,, is a -ivat
aavanta-e. If a yout.^ lUTaclu-r laLois lor
lan.rua.'c, or has a visibly "hanl tmu-." the tears
of tiu- con-rej,'atio.i that he sh.nil.l hreak .h.wn
are arouscl, an.I atteiiti.jn to th.^ messaj,'e is .hs-
phiced by sympathy, or some other feeiitiR loss
Ihitterin-, for the ,nessen;v.r. If Mr. Waket.e .1
ever ha.l a hanl time no <.nc knew it hut hiMis.ll.
He had also a fervent spirit. This, with Ins
ready utterance. j,'ave him immense power in
exlK.rtation. H at any time a meetin- was eoh
it was na his fault. He had, moreover, the j;oo<l
will of one and all, and could commend himself
to them as their friend. Hut above all, he had a
thorcu^'h sense of the reality of the transactions
which take place in conviction and conversion
between the Saviour and the soul that is being
saved. He could therefore make those who
heanl the Gospel from his lips feel that they
were face to face with- facts and realities. For
such reasons he was successful in finding th
hearts of the people an.l persuading them to
be reconciled to God. With such .lualiHcations
it might be expected that he would reap success
anywhere.
His next station was the .^Id Niagara circuit.
By unwearied labor in protracted meetings the
Ri'iv. JO//X \vaki:fji:i.i\ />./).
I!)
in.'riilMrHlji|) ol' the church wuh <l()ul)lL'il in tw(»
y.'iirs.
The thrciifl of tic imrniCivc of piiMic iiiini.s-
tcriiil life imi.st htTe l.c cut so as to u.hnit of tho
iiistTtioii of a hrief pas.sa;,'f from thr lori^' .story
of .loin.'Mtic lifi'. Oil thf .-{rd of Auj,Mist, l,S.'>9,
Mr. Wukofii'M vva.s inarrit'd to Mis.s Loui.sa
r-aktr, (Jau^rhtcr of the; ll.-v. John iJakcr, of the
Kn;,Hi.sli ('oiifcrencc, and sister of the wife of the
lair K.-v. (}. N. A. V. T. Dixon, still his faithful
companion after more tlian forty years of the
f\er-varyin«,' experiences of the Methodi.st itin-
erancy.
After a hard year on the Welland circuit,
which then included all that is now the Welland
district, durinnr which special .services wen '.eld
with the usual result, he wa.s sent on invitation,
to Drtimniondville. The reasons were special.
For several years there had been di.sagreements
Itetween some of the leadin<,' families, a number
of church trials had been held with the usual
I ruit oi' discord and .spiritual dearth, and party
lines had been drawn d-ep throu<,di the midst
«'f the society. The same means that God bad
honored elsewhere were resorted to for the pur-
pose of revivinjr the languis'iin^r Church. A
])rotracted meetin<? was undertaken in faith in
(Jod, but without the least visil'le prospect of
-^^z^m
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
20
su^ce^^)r nearly six weeks he preache.l tiye
„i.hts in the week to sn.all cmj^re-ations witli
litUe apparent effect. But earnest work pre-
vailed, an.l showers of blessin-s canie .lown^
ForsiK weeks more the n.eetin-s werecarne.l
on in thesan>eway, bul the church was so
crowded and penitents were so nun.erous that
there was no roon. for them at the a tar. ( )ver
one hundred united with the Church, seventy-
six of them beins heads of families In three
years the member.ship was increased htty p.-'r
cent., wounds were healed, ene.nies vvere recon-
ciled, party lines were obliterated, and the whole
character of the circuit changed. As confir-
matory of what I said above, note that for auN
vouns preacher, except one of p-eat physical
endurance and facility of utterance, to preach
etiectively live nights in the week, tor twelve
weeks in succession, would be an impossibdity.
It would re.,uire too nnich time and space lor
the purposes of this sketch, to follow the whole
course of Mr. Wakefield's various pastorates an.l
to mentio.i particularly the results of his labors
in the several fields he occupied : but on each ot
a Ion- list of important stations he was at once
rcco-nized as a leader in evangelistic work. Le
one "more instance suthce. In the tovvn of
Chatiiatn, ..early twenty years subHe,,uent to his
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.I).
21
DruiiiiiiotKlvillc expt'rionces, lie and his follow
pastors ol" (jtlici- churches, deeply impressed by
the state of religion in all their conjrregations,
resolved on a campaign of union revival meet-
ings. The other ministers unanimously laid
upon him, though one of the youngest among
tliem, the responsibilities of generalship, binding
themselves to take obediently any part of the
work he should assign them. The meetings
began auspiciously ; sinners were being con-
verted : there was a promise of great .success :
but as the favorably known evangelist,
the Rev. E. P. Hammond, was in the country,
he was invited to Chatham to assist in the
revival. The outcome was a work of salva-
tion seldom, if ever, eipialled in this or any
country for glorious and abiding fruits. Be-
sides the accessions to other churches, over four
hundred new members were received into our
own, and a second church had to be opened to
give accommodation to the increasing hundreds
who wished to be called Methodists.
One phase of his Drummondville experience,
namely, that of reconciling enendes and making
peace in the Church, was destined to be repeated.
At one of the Conferences of the old Wesleyan
-Methodist Church, when the Stationing Com-
Hiittce liad almost Hnished \i» labors and Mr.
22
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
Wiikefic'M <li<^ not expect a roinoval, durinj,' tlie
last liour a c;!i-n<,'e was nuule to meet, as it was
said, an emcr^'oncy. He was sent to a iiew
charge with a special order: "Settle those diffi-
culties." For several years the circuit had
heen divided by what might he called "family
lends," so that it had hecome a by-word lor
trouble throughout the whole connexion, and at
•he time he went to it, was rent in pieces. 15e-
sides that, tlie district, within the bounds of
which he was stationed, was, through the mis-
cou'iuct of an incompetent chairman, in a state
but little different from chaos. He had then
two sets of difficulties on his hands. The
Stationing Conunittee had given him one by
giv'.ng liim that appointment: the Conference
"tself^gave him the other by displacing the
former chairman and electing Mr. Wakefield in
his stead. Ho fulfilled his conunission in both
cases. He put strong and influential men out of
the Church, but ret; ined, all the while, their
respect and friei'vlsliip by the kind and Chris-
tianly spirit in which lie did it, and the strictly
disciplinary methoils lie pursued. It is no .dight
achievement to deal with an offi'uder in the way
of inexorable disciplin." and yet retain his affec-
tion. l'>y liie restoration of peace the circuit
was put upon the high road to prosperity, and
RF.V. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
23
since that time a long succession of happy
pastors have ministered there to a united and
happy people.
The affairs of the district also were adminis-
tered so judiciously as to efface in a short time
all traces of former blundering. Indeed, "judi-
cious " and " energetic " are the two key-words
which open to our view Mr. Wakefield's style of
iiianagemont of both circuit and district. As a
(•()iis('(|uenc(', he has been placed, a great portion
of his life, in positions of responsibility. Twenty-
three years, if I count aright, he has been chair-
man of the district in which he was stationed,
made so by the fx\ e ballots of his brethren — ^a
testimony not only to his ability in a'bninistra-
tion, but also to a certain ipiality calk' I urbanity,
suavity, courtesy and other names, all of whicli,
however, mean simply brotherly kindness. Yox
the same reasons, when elections were to be male
foi- positions of honor in his Conference, he was
sure to receive his full share of the favors be-
stowed. In 1878 he was secretary of the first
Lcmdon Conference, and in 1S80 its president,
lie was again president in 1891, this time of the
Niagara Conference. He has been a member,
elected on the first ballot in each instance, of
every (Jeneral Conference the Church has had,
except that of 1886, and then he was in Austru-
24
A JUIUI.EE RETRnsrECT
li.-i. He has cnjoyfd the rare lunKjr ami priv i-
lei,fe 1)1" atteiidiii;;-, us a iiieinher, the thi-(>u Hcii-
meiiieal Conferences, first in Loudon, Km^land,
ill ISSl: then in Washini^ton, I'.S.A , in ISDI ;
an«l ajj^ain in Lomhjn in I'.lOl. It nmst be
renieiiibered that tliese privilei,'es were eai'nestly
coveted by many able and wortliy brethi-en, a ■ '
tiiat the decision l)et\veen them was reach('d 1\\-
warmly contested elections.
There are methods of winninf;- electi(Mis and
lionors which are <fenerally jndj^ed to lie in-
ailmissible in the courts of the Church — personal
solicitation for votes, moving inlluential friends
to en<''a"'e in the activities of a regular canvass,
etc. That such methods have not lieeii resorted
to, even in ecclesiastical politics, it would be
scarci'Iy safe to say, but no one could ever
accuse John Waketield of employing any such
means. The honors have always sought the
man, not the man the honors. Vet no one
appreciates such favors more than Ik;: and now,
in these latest years of his ministry, it is one of
his most grateful reflections that lie has enjoyed,
as the spontaneous gift of his brethren, almost
every otHce it was in their power to bestow. In
a brotherhood like that of the Methodist Church
an<l ministry, ability, faithfulness to Cod and
duty, unsellish devotion to the welfare of fellow-
RF.V. JOHN WAKEl-IELD. D.D.
iiioii, liuiiiility, ami brotherly kindness in its
various manifestations, are sure to carry one
I'oiward and upward to all the objects of a
healthy ambition, far more readily and certainly
than the shrewdest practices of a hateful, self-
seek in<i^ polic}'.
Forty years ago the climate of certain sections
of Ontario was not so salubrious as it now is.
In some of his stations Mr. Waketield had his
share of the a<,nies and fevers that prevailed,
and at length it became necessary to seek a
change for the preservation of his healtli. In
1H70 he was stationed at Sherbrooke, Que., and
placeil in the chair of the district. Tliere he
rest)rted to the old and tried methods for the
si)iritual improvement of his widely-extended
diocese. He had always had confidence in camp-
meetings as a revival agency. In J 859 he had
assisted in organizing Grimsby Camp, was a
member of the tinst committee, preached the
tir.st sermon on that famous ^^round, and par-
ticipated in the glorious successes of the early
years of that institution. After the Drummond-
ville revival, in order to shepherd .ell the con-
verts he had taken into the Chuvch and give
them work to do, he held such a meeting there,
and notwithstanding the opposition of " the
oasur Soil " iji that vicinity, achieved another
2(i
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
•^reat success. So on the (^)ui'liec district he lielil
!i cjiiiip iiiL'ctinj4' ciU'li year aii<l arraii^cil lor a
permanent camp <i;round on the Danville circuit.
Moreover, lie saw the neces,sity in those
Eastern townships of a school lor hi<;her educa-
tion under the auspices of the Methodist Church,
instituted a series of public meetin<.>'s on this
behalf, in which the writer took some part,
eidistetl the sympathy of leading' men with tlie
enterprise and obtained from them promises of
liberal financial assistance. This efibrt resulted
in the erection of our noble and tlourishinif
Stanstead College. Durin^^ two years he made
a personal canvass of nearly the whole of our
Quebec work for funds for that institution, and
collected the substantial sum of 8-22,000. He
was removed to the east, be it remend)ered, for
his health's sake. All these activities may have
been very beneficial so far as the elimination of
malaria was concerned, but possibly may have
been unfavorable in other respects.
After a term at Aylmer in the east he came
west ajjjain, and Iiad happy and successful
pastorates at St. Mary's, Chatham, Hamilton
First, Coderich and l^iris. In the two stations
last nientione<l his health seriously declined, and
at the Confei-ence of 188+, just at the time of
the union, after he had taken his part in
REV. JOHN WAKF.FIEI.D, D.D.
st;it.i()iiin<,f tli.' uiiiiistcrs in tliu Unitfil Clnirch,
Ik- was coiiipellcd to ask a superannuated relation
IV)i- liimself. It was helioved by many of his
friends, and feared by liiiiiself, tliat the work of
his hfe was tinislied. IJut it was not in accord
with Mr. W^aketield's constitution of cither mind
or body to sit <lown in supcramniation and l^e
sick. A}.rain lie aou<;ht recuperation in entire
ehaiif^e of scene and climate, and sailed for
Australia. In tliose eastern and southern ' vnds
he was received and treated with tlie kir.dness
and respect duo to the position lie had held in
liis own country, A seat was allotted him
on the Conference platform in the city of
.Melbourne for three successive years. A lonf
sea vv>ya<,'e had produced its effects in a ^a-eat
improvement of his strength, and having
preached several times in the Melbourne pulpits,
he was offered regular Sabbath work as second
minister in one of the city circuits. He accepted
an engagement which terminated only the Sab-
liath before he left for home. He was absent
thiee full years, ai.d when he reached Canada
again he had cir-jumambulated the globe and
completely recovered Ids health.
Since his return he has done some of the best
work of his life, as would be attested by the
good people of Burlington, Thorold, Dundas and
28
A jnUI.F.K RETROSPECT
I'ariH, where successively Ikj has ])een [)astt»r:
and l)y the breth.ren wlio have been constantly
meeting liini during the j)ast fourteen years on
the executive boards and connnittees of the
Church, where so often he has been a nienilier,
and where liis mature ju(l<;;iiient and wise
counsel have been of so f^reat service. He has
had nuich ofHcial work to do because liis
brethren havt? always rej^arded the interests of
the Church as safe in his keepin<j. He is
thorou<5hly loyal to Methodism a.^d to Methodist
rules and usasxes ; is stronjflv conservative as it
relates to the doctrines and practices of tJ)e
Church ; and a a sound theologian, and able
preacher of sound doctrine, lias received another
unsouj:fht honor, very properly bestowed by
V^ictoria University — the Doctor's degree in
Divinity.
Dr. Wakefield's jubilee year came round while
he was ministering a second term in Paris. It
was a time of pleasing coincidences. It was
the Quarterly ( )tHcial P)oard of the Paris circuit
that recoiii mended him for the ministry half
a century before. Two of the members of
that Board — the two, I believe, who moved and
seconded the resolution recommending lum to
the lirantford district meeting — are still, in
extreme a^e, members of that same Board. The
REV. JO 'VAKEFIEI.D, J)./)
L'J)
Paris church thought that tlic unusual event
.should he celehrated with more than usual con-
ifratulations. They resolved to tender their
])astor a jubilee ban(|uet. Invitations were
issued to all the previous pastors of Paris circuit,
to each of the circuits Dr. Waketield had
travelled re(iuesting a representation, and to
many of his personal friends among the senior
ministers. The banquet took place on Tuesday
evening, Feb. IS, 1902. The particulars of that
occasion — who were there, what was said, etc. —
may be learned from the following pages. The
writer was not present, nor has he any informa-
tion as to what the report herein contained will
say.
■ )r. Waketield is new in his fourth year on
Paris circuit, the tifty-first of his ministry. All
who know him might wish that his health of
body were etjual to his vigor of mind and
l)uoyancy of spirit, that he might continue his
grand work even a while longer. All do wish
that his years of retirement may be years of
ha])py rest and joyful anticipations of the
sweeter rest beyond.
E. B. Ryckman.
.'{()
./ junii.iih: h'/:rh'i)sr/:cr
.liihilet' Address.
I >i'li\ end ill llic ilMriilllcjii < urilciiMic, UdodshM u. <iii|., |!ki'
Ml!. l'i{Ksii)r;NT AXi. Bkktiii!i;n:— It is not
from ;iuy choice of niiiic tluit I .-ipjujar hcfcre
you iit this hour. Ihit ior many !on«,' years it has
heen the rule of my Mfc to obey the l.iw of the
Churcli and to .sul'mit to those in authority.
When the presiih'ut asked me to preach a jubilee
sermon on the Conference Sunchiy I ventured to
decline, but when the Conference Si)ecial (Com-
mittee, at their session last fall in (Juelph,
earnestly and magnanimously recpiested, by
resolution, that this Conference should be opened
by such an address as I niicrht give in rccountin<'
the goodness of (iod to mo, and to the Zion of
my heart's affection and love during fifty years
of ministerial labor, I received it as a mandate,
and I am here.
It seems strange to think that I have been in
the active work of the Methodist Church f^r
fifty years— that during that j)eiiod men and
things— a great procession— have moved out and
away from me, while by tlie 'roodness of r„y\ to
me, a .sinner saved by grace, 1 am still active
REV. JOIIX IVAk'F.r/K/J), /)./).
M
ami strong; jukJ Joyful in the work. And F want
to say thut I would latliur liavi! proiiclied the
(lospel for fifty years than to liave filled the
most exulted position that it is within the pi)wer
of this world to iAXvv to any man.
I'ermit nie to trespass upon your time by
referrin-,' u> two thing's whicli occurred prior to
I.S"}2. (ireut events do not mark the lives of
many. Life, for the most of us, is made up of
little thin<,'s and small he;,'innin<fH. Some of
thesi', however, an deeply and ineradicably
impressive.
l-'irst. — When a very small boy in England
there settled down u])on my child-heart a deep
s(MiIful conviction— not o.t all understoo<l— that
sometime, somehow, I must preach for Jesus in
a far-otr land. In a general way the physical
teatures of that land, as in a vision, were out-
lined and mapped in the mind, until at fourteen
yiars of a<re that earlier vision near Warwick
Castle found its reproduction and reality when
I stood, an English lad, here in this county of
< )xford.
Secondly.— I refer to my conversion to God in
IS+II. It was in an old-fashioned Methodist
meeting where there was some smoke, it is true,
• •lit where, I tell you, there was also a good deal
ol fire. After the .services had continued for
several weeks there came an hour when a visible
32
A J U HI LEE REIROSrECT
jjflory tilli'd the pliicu of incctin;^. I can't cxpliiiii
it. I woiidiT if (jiixl thus iiiaiiilVstfil His
proHL'ice in the thiys of ohl ;" He cannot or will
not do HO now. Nevcrthele.ss a visiMe {^loiy,
seen by all and before which saints and .sinners
fell prostrate, filled tliat place ol nieetinj;, ind
scores cried to (lod and were saved, and I was
one.
In my remarks, as I proceed, it will help both
yon and me if 1 note a few of the different
events of the five decades which have led mc (■>
tliis jubilee year, dwellinj^, of course, more hujLjcly
upon matters iti the earlier decades, as my talk
is supposed to be reniini.scen* \v. its '^hani' !;»•
First. — A few thinj;s connected with the
country and the Church from 1S52 to IH(!2.
The country had been i^overned from Downing
St, but she had cut the leading strings, and had
obtained the right to manage her own atf'airs.
This right had not been gaine<l without a long
struggle, in which Methodism was alw.iys in the
var, being at that time, and still maintaining
the proportion, the largest Protestant Chureli in
Upper Canada. Among the causes of di.ssatis-
faction was thi fact that one-seventh of all the
Crown Lanils of the Province were s(!t apart for
religious j)urpose>«, and called ''The Clergy
Reserves." These wer< claimed by those repre-
senting the Establisheci oiuirches of the > .id land,
h'E I '. JOHN 1 1 'A KEFIEI. />, D. D.
X\
l)iit after twenty-Hve years of bitter controversy,
ill wliicli Dr. Kj^erton Rycrscni and (ieor<;e Hrown
lH)re the brunt, these reserves were handed over
to tlu' various municipalities for secular, or per-
haps iiion^ properly, educational uses. During
that period Methodist ministers labored under
many disabilities ; they could not, for example,
p(M-fi)nn the marriage ceremony, and it is con-
ceded on every handthat the successful i.ssue of
that eventful time is dut; largely to the prowess
and energy and matchless ability of our own Dr.
llyerson.
These \vere the days of bad roads and ox-carts
iind stage-coaches, wnen under the most trying
circumstances the lianly pioneers of the Province
sought their settlements in the forest wilder-
ness. Hut, in the year 18., "J, Lady Elgin, with
gi-eat ceremony, turned the first sod of the
Northern Railroad : the first in the country,
except a small section in Lower Canada. Then
l)egan the railroad era in this land, when, in
(|uick .succession, the Grand Trunk, and Great
Western, and others were planned, and speedily
carried to a successful termination.
At this time. 18.)2, the population of Upper
Canada was !)o2,001, while ten years later the
population of the whole of Canada was only
2,506,755.
•M
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
In 18r)3 the first ocean steamer reacheil Quebec.
This seems incredible, when we are so accixs-
toiiied now to see all our rivers, canals and coasts
lined with lar<fe steamers, from the head of Lake
Superior to the Atlantic, a tlistance of 2,000
miles.
In 1852 the English lanfjua<re was one of the
less important languatjes of the world, judt^intr
by the numbers of those who used it ; now it is
spoken by 125,000,000, and this number is
increasing with great rapidity every year, 'i'he
thrill and glory of it is, that wherever the English
tonrjue is found there also is to be found the
highest civilization, material progress , a know-
ledire of the Euirlish Bible and of H)n<:land's God.
Turning from the material to the spiritual, let
us look for a moment at the position of the
Methodist Church in 1852. As I was at that
time a Wesleyan Methodist, I will be forgiven if
the statistics I give only relati' to that branch
of the Methodi.st family to which I belonged.
No one rejoices more than I do that now there
are no divisions among us. " All one body, we."
There were at that time, ministers and proba-
tioners, 212: members, with tho.se on trial,
27,585. Missionary income, £(),517 .']s. 7^,d. W(>
used the pounds, shillings and pence mode of
reckoning finance in those days.
f'',V. JOHN I AKEFIELD, D.D.
35
Of the 21 2 miniatcrs who were in the work, or
beijan with me in 1852, I believe less than a
dozen are alive. The C'onference that year, it
may be interesting to know, was held in Kings-
ton. Enoch Wood was President of the Confer-
ence and Superintendent of Mis.sions. Geo. K.
Sanderson was Secretary : Anson Green, Hook
Steward; James Spencer, Editor; Lachlan Tay-
lor, Agent for the Upper Canada Bible Society,
and Eg.'rton Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of
I'ublic Schools.
In the early summer of this year a camp-meet-
ing was held on my father's I'arm, as several
others were afterwards. At this meeting William
Ryerson, then chairman of the Brantford dis-
trict, came to me and said, " You must go on
circuit work." Those were the days when the
fathers spoke with authority. Both his tone and
message unnerved me, for I felt that I could only
fail, but on further pressing me I dare not refuse
lest I sin against God. He said, " They want
you on your own circuit, and if you would rather
remain here than go anywhere else you can do
NO." The Rev. Joseph Shepley was the super-
intendent of the Blenheim and Stratford circuit,
and there I was .sent, and my home was to be in
Stratford This circuit covered the territory
em braced in, at least, .seven or eight of ourpres-
:5(;
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
ent circuits, and more than many of our modern
districts. IMy time was spent mostly on horse-
back, and my two valises, fastened to my saddle,
one before and one behind, readily carried my
belongings, libiary and ah. A comfortable home
had been provided for me at Robert Monteith's
by my ever kind and never-to-be-forgotten friend
and superintendent, the beloved Shepley.
The church in Stratford, where I preached my
first sermon, was a small, unfinished frame build-
ing, without plaster or any permanent seats ;
but I feared ai I dreaded it as though it had been
a large cathedral. ( )n Sunday morning the little
church was crowded to the doors, as it had been
amiounccd that a ruddy-faced lad with a voice
like a trumpet was to preach. 1 had a wretch-
edly hard time of it, and on starting to my after-
noon and evening appointments (which were in
the direction of home) I packed up every item
ot my belongings, strapped my valises to the
saddle, and resolved that Stratford should see
my face no more. In the afternoon I preached
from the same text— I had no other— in a room
of a hotel in Hell's Corners, or what is now
Shakespeare, and got along no better. From there
I proceeded east to Kite's church, a log building,
in which for many years the Gospel was preach-
ed, and large numbers Were blessedly saved. On
REV. JOH r WAKEFIELD, D.D. 37
nearint^ the buildiiifj \ heard tlie voice of earnest
prayer, and the burden of the petition, borne up
to God by many amens, was for a blessinir upon
the hibors of the boy preacher who was coming
to them, and the mercury befjan to rise in my
whole spiritual system. I preached ajjain from
the same text— 1 had no other— but, oh, the
cliange. The mercury rose hij,dier and higher.
I had only spoken a short time when the power
of God came down upon the assembly and pre-
cious souls cried for mercy, in the old-fsishioned
way, in every part of the house. I never knew
how ' got out of that pulpit. They told me after-
wards that I laid one liand on the front oi" it,
and that 1 leaped over it and went down the
church, lUble in hand, exhorting as I went. That
meeting lasted until a late hour at night,— a large
number professed conversion, and that meeting
saved me to this ministry. In the morning I
started back to Stratford, feeling, if not really
singing,
" My talents, gifts, jind gmccs, Lord,
Into Thy blessed h;uids receive ;
And let me live to preach Thy Word,
And let nie to Thy j^lory live ;
My every sacred ninment s|)end
In publishing the .sinner's friend."
I remained on the circuit for a year, going f^ jni
38
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
appointment to appointment, exhorting, visitini,',
pi-eachinj^ to sinners.
It was in my liome at Stratford that 1 saw a
hirc^e, unabridged dictionary for the first time in
my life. 1 had never looked upon one before,
and when 1 found that its purpose was the study
of words and grasped the idea of its great value
to me, 1 thought it better than a gold mine.
A man lived in Stratford by the name of .lames
Rus'.. He had five young men who were all
apprentices. They built a beautiful cutter and
said it was for the young preacher. They made
me a present of it, and I had it for the winter.
The boys became converted, I believe every one
of them, and very likely the fact tliat they made
and crave me the cutter had a good deal to do
with it.
I speak of these few and simple things for the
benefit of the young men in our ministry, whose
success in the work I have always cherished.
The year was one of hard work and some priva-
tion, as it was not a very unusual thing to brush
the drifted snow from the fioor with a pillow to
make a comfortable place upon which to lan<l
my feet in the morning. But from that tirst
Sunday night preaching was a luxury, so that
you will not wonder when 1 say that the year
Was one of much spiritual blessing. My salary
for the year was one hundred dollars.
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
39
It w.is (lurini? iny year jit Stratford tliat I
met for the fiist time the Rev. E<.(erton llyerson.
It was ill tliis way. I always remeiiiljer it, and
iiuw speak oi it as an evidence of the greatness
of the man. He wa.s makin<; his first tour of
the country as Superintendent of Education.
The diirnitaries of the place jjjave him a public
reception and presented him with an address, to
which, before a j^reat thronj; gathered in the
open air, he made a lengthened reply. The
leailing citizens were introduced to him, and
among tlie rest the ministers of the different
ehurches. With my usual modesty I kept at
the back of the crowd. He in([uired about me,
however, and said he had lieanl of me, and
asked, " Where is the young Methodist minis-
ter ■* " I was taken and introduced to him, when
he addressed nie with many kind and encour-
a;,Mng words. Well do I remember his fine,
iuardy figure, his full head of bushy hair, his
flashing eyes. He impressed me as being a
moral and intellectual giant, an impression that
I have never lost. But the thouirhtful kindne.ss
of the man that day has always been to me one
signiMcant proof that he was great.
1 was asked to return to the Stratford circuit
for another year, but my ever faithful superin-
ituident dissuaded me. He told me I did not know
40
A JUBILEE RETROSrECT
much, which was tiuo. He tol«l ine further that
as men were scarce, if T was received ow trial I
would have to <;o to a circuit, and that I would
probably never get to college: so, having a
great thirst fo-- knowledge, I stri'ted for Victoria
on my own responsibility. On my way, I saw
in the city of Hamilton a Methoilist Conference
for the first time At that Conference Dr. Griffin
and three others were ordained. Dr. Griffin
may sing, " My company Ijefore is gone," for the
other members of his class have preceded him to
the better land.
It was at tliat time in Hamilton that I saw
and heard for the first time that womlerful
evangelist, the Rev. James Caughey, who was
tall oi stature, spare in build, with striking
features, an eye like an eagle's. His voice was
as clear as a bugle call, and with it he certainly
did not fail to declare the whole counsel of God.
Joel Carpenter had welcomed me to his home,
and I was thus privileged to hear this man of
God. In the afternoon his theme and manner
were gentle, persuasive, instructive, but his night
sermon : How the bolts flew ! He took for his
text, "The wicked shall be turned into hell."
When the wrath of God against unrighteous-
net • was portrayed with ter-ifying power, -jcores
w» ^ converted.
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
41
As it is a mutter of historic interest, there is
one other matter connected with this Conference
I may be permitted to mention. I heard the
Revs. John Borhmd, John Jenkins and James
Ihock.a dele<,'ation from the Province of Quebec,
whicli up to that time had been a district of the
Britisli Conference, proposing a union with our
VV(;sleyan Church in the West, a union which was
shortly afterwards successfully consummated.
The term I spent af, college in the years 18.')3-
1M.')4 (the college year extended from June until
June, with two weeks' holidays at Christmas),
passed swiftly away. But it was an eventful
time, so deeply impressive that it can never be
obliterated from my memory. I was led into
holding protracted services at Baltin»ore during
Christmas holidays, where many were converted.
A work oi' gi-ace of wonderful proportions
bloke out in the town of Cobourg, where the
Rev. George R. Sanderson was pastor. Large
numbers of the students were converted, and
the inHuence of that blessed revival, as Chan-
cellor Burwash told me lately, .still lives. Where
ought there to be revivals of religion if not in
our seats of learning? Thank God, the influence
of that revival was not felt in college life only,
but it proved, as all such times of refreshing
and surrender to God in college halls must
42 A J UIUI. KF. RF. TROSI'FC T
prove, to lie a bfiicdictioii to the wlioli- ClHireh
ami country. This you will readily iH-licve
wlicu I tell you that it was thrre that a
Carnian, a llyckiiiaii, a Mr. .Ju.sticc Ihitton, and
scores of others, were savingly converted to (iod.
'J'lu! whole professional life of this country, in
law, in nu'dicine, and in (government, has felt
the impulse; and reajied tho henelit of that
awakeniu}^'.
I <,avatly desired to remain at college, hut
l..adiii<;- men in the L'hurch toM me that souls
were perishing and being lost, and that I W(juld
ho responsible for their loss if I did "ot go and
])reach to them. 1 have since been sorry that
I took their advice, though I nnist confess that
much of my ministry has l)een tilled with sun-
shine. In 1.S5;") I was ;' Ingersoli, in 1S.")(> at
Woodstock, in both of wliich there was a large
measure of material and spiritual progress,
which have left only pleasant memories upon
the mind of the speaker. 1 remember with satis-
faction such standbys as John !'arker, .lames
;ind William Scarti" James Ilawlings, Ceorge
I'arr and others
In l«5.j I heard William Case at the Confer-
ence iu London preach his jubilee sermon, a copy
of which 1 hold in my hand, lie took for his
text Psalm 25. H), " All the paths of the Lord
REV. JOHN IVAKF.hlEI.D. I). I).
4;!
MIC iiirit'v .•mil ti'iitli unto such as keen hisfov*;-
ii.iut ainl hi.; 'cstiiuonies." As I reineniljor him
hr \v;is a ui.iii of m('(liuiii liei^'ht, with a kimlly
CDUiitt'iiancc und every (nidence of a fully coii-
srciated life. Ho was horn in the Ciiited States
in I7S0, and came into Canada r'ui. Fort Erie to
preach the Gospel, crossinj; the Nia<;ara River in
a \\)\s hoat, while his horse, led hy the hridle,
swam hehind him. For ei<,diteen years he liad
(•liar<,re of important districts. He took a great
interest in the Indians, indeed was called
The apostle to the Indians." Xot lonj,' after
he preached the sermon to which I have referred,
hr died at the Alnwick Mission, north of Co-
l)ourj.j, as the result of a fall from his horse. He
was seventy-five years of afje, and it will he
s.-en that he ministry of Flder Case and that of
my own span the 19th century.
During the year IS.')? a marvellous revival
set the Walsingham CMrcuit aiiame. I at-
tended eight or ten ditierent camp-meetings, in
different places, within a few years, and wit-
nessed hun(h-eds of conversions to God. These
meetings were marked hy many phy.sical mani-
le-^tations that 1 nee<l not stop to explain.
The close of this decade finds me entering
upon my third year on the Drummondville
cncuit. What a change the.se ten years have
imfi
44
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
l)r()U<iht: Tliu siidtlk" and vjiliscs luivc liir^vly
;rivfii place t(. the coiiirortiible l>u;,';;y, the sta,i;v-
coach to the raihoad, tlie Kpinnin<,-\vheel (o the
weaver's loom, the or^'an and tlie ])iaiio, whde
the l)oardi!i<;-house has hcen ^rnindly supplanted
hy a comfortable home of my own
In IStil (5od favored us with a remarkable
revival of reli^it)n on the Drununondville circuit
It had been the unhap[)y scene of discor.ls and
Church trials for several years, which bore their
usual fruit of evil, si)iritual deartli and death,
and I began the services, therefore, in sheer des-
peration, without the slightest sign of revival. I
jM-eached for tlu; first five weeks to about thirty
people, but persevered. (Jradually the nundjer
<rrew until, during the last six or seven weeks oi
a twelve weeks' meeting, the house was crowdi'd
at every service. (iod gave us as the fruit of
that labor seventy-six heads of families, one
liundred and one joined the Churcli, of whom
only one, so far as I know, proved unfaithful.
Tliis was but one of a series of revivals in the
old Niagara district. There had been ])rioi-
to this a camp-meeting at Smithville an«l at
(Jiimsby. This meeting was followed tlie next
year by a large and powerful camp-meeting at
Drunanondville, and by the lontr and successful
series of sucii meetings at Grimsby. The hitter
R/:V. JOHN WAKF.riRl.]), />./).
45
was rst;ii)lislit'<l in lS.")f>, jiinl lor yjirs it Wiis a
ci'iitrt' of jfrcat spiritual iiillucncc and power. I
iiia_\- lie ])ri\ ilc;^r((l to say that I am the only
one now livm;^ of tlic int-nihcrs of the district
coniniittre appcjinted to select tlie nri-ound, and I
preached the first sermon ever delive'od upon it,
takini: for my text, " There is a souml of abund-
ance of rain.'' In this work, in that old jmrt
of the country, I was as.sociatcd with such men
as Samuel Rose, Samuel I), liice, Isaac H.
Howard, Edward Wliite, .lolni Shaw, Michael
Kawcett, .lonathan E. Betts, Alexander Suther-
land, .John I'otts, and scores of others, most of
whom have passed into the beyond.
It was in LS(il, while I was stationed at the
l'\ills, that the Ameri'-an War broke out, and I
well remember the deep impression made when
t he rirst ^un was tired at Fort Sumpter. 1 cannot
recall the circumstances of those days without
thinkiiijr of the really terrible nature of that
wai". It cost the United States about 500,000
men antl five billions of money. Think of a war
in which, at its close, the General (Gen. Grant)
hail 1,000,000 of men under arms, and durinc
which 2,000 pitched battles hud been fouLdit.
Hut the war not only ileveloped (Jen. (Jrant, but
it also <fave to the woi Id's roll of honor Abraham
Liiicuin. More than tliat, the fetters, the irvves
w
A JUIilI.EE R/:7h'(KSl'/:CT
.f
fvci-v slave wi'if
lirok
»'ii,
Ullil
til
cursf oi
slavery lifted IVoiii this continent.
Dnrin^' the course ol" the war iimny ol' "iir
horiUr territories were renilere(l uns.it'e tor
tnivellin;^ hy the liounty-juiiipers iin<l sk(!ilail-
(ilers of tlmt awful period. .Many times 1 have
had them on my track Imt I always kept a ^^ood
horse and no leal trouhle happened me.
As this decade closes we have, ministers and
]»rohationers, 4N7, »n increase of "27 o . meml»ers,
iiichnlin*; those on trial, o-i'^S'), an increase of
2(i,N()0: while the niissionar}- income reacheil a
total of S»J:{,-277.
It will he evident to you that as I pass from
this memoralile period I have reached a point
where sentences must include decades.
I well remember l)ein<; in the Stationin;;
Committee of tho Conference at Montreal when
the Ion <f- threatened Fenian invasion tcjok place
at Fort Krie in iSdn. y)n the 1st of .Iinie
(Jeneral O'Neal had landed 1 ,400 troops (so
called), and attempted to reach the Welland
Canal. WopI came to Montreal that seven
T' -into volunteers were killed at Rid^eway.
'I . ,, Rev. E. R. Votnif,' sent me a letter which
he wrote on the dead hoily of a F(!iiian,
ami it was published in tlie Mantrcdl Witness
I
riiiay, k'^utiiiuay ;in>i ."jun-uiy
were
nVH o
RE V. J I )HN li -.1 KEhlEL P, /). P.
^Tfjit cxcitrm.iit. On Jijiif Htli (H-iicral Spt
111'
ami
,()()()
iiKMi crossed
th
IrontitT !it St.
AIIkims, Tlif wliolf l)()i(l«T, li-oni Detroit t<
the State of M
III
ir. Was IlieTiaceil !)>' tills ra'^oed
worthless ht.r.le of cut throats ami nithans, ami
no one knew what would hecoiiie of it. It is
appan'm that the I niteil States (jovernuient diil
nothing' ui 'il woii-ni^^h fori-eil • . do it thron<,di
the protests of the eneri^vtic l; .Minister at
Washin^'toii. 'I'hen (Jenoral .Meaue seized the
iiiwiiitions of war from uur would-lie invaders
and put an einl to the farce.
Ill lN(i7 the provinces of t'aiiad
a wore con-
federated, and the Act came into force on tlio
1st of July amid ^fetieral rei<)icin;,rs all over the
land. In iStJN the Hudson's Hay Company
surrendered its rights to the Crown, and soon
eonfederateil Canada reached from the Atlantic
to the Pficitic.
The jlev. Will. Morley Pun.shon, I ).!)., that
peerless orator, . uiiie to tliis country in l>S(i,S,
•md remained until l.S7:{. I heanl him ;;ive his
famous lecture on "Daniel in liabylon " for (he
first time in Canada, in the Centenary Church,
Hamilton. He was present at the farewell
nieetiiijr to our three niissionuries, who were sent
ill that \v;u- to Manitoba, nam(lv: (jeorce
\'oiner. K. R. N Onne- .•'.'id I'efiV ( ';iie.i!}»!j T Ijiid
already heard of th' glorious promise of a great
48 A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
land in the valley of the Saskatchewan, from
George McDougall, of heroic memory. But it
was now my pleasure to entertain the mission-
aries at Grimsby, and to look upon the caravan
with which they set forth on their long and
arduous journey. Our missions date from 1823.
At a missionary meeting held at the Fifty, in
18G7, through the kindness of Mrs. Peter Jones,
I came into the possession of the tirst annual
return for missions, so far as I can make out.
It was as follows : —
Stratford §2:i (»
Ancfister and SaltHeet 44 00
Trafalgar 1*> '^
Bertie ] f,
Sniithville... ';> 2o
Lyons' Creek 12 <>'-
Thorold '* ^^
Beverly *» {^
Long Point '> ^_
John Keagey « 2;)
The Ministers at Conferenco !•) -in
Total «144 00
This bears the endorsement of Dr. Green. The
first report told of the conversion of Thomas
Davis, who was the first Indian convert. He
was a noble specimen of physical manhood and
a chief of the Mohawks upon the Grand River.
His conversion took place in 1 823. The con-
version also of Peter Jones and his sister Mary
at a camp-meeting held at Ancaster by Elder
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
49
Case opened the door for the conversion of the
Indians. It was not long after this when Peter
Jacobs and John Sunday wore won as trophies
for God near Kingston. And I lieard Peter
Jones say lie had kept a record of more than
l.oOO Indians who had died happy in the Lord,
I was present at the meeting of the General
Board of Missions, lield at Brockville, when it
was decided in the interests of the work, as a
response to duty and an inspiration to the peo-
ple, to establish a foreign mission. Accordingly
in 1872 our first missionaries were sent to Japan,
in the persons of George Cochrane and Davidson
McDonald. In that year, which closes another
decade in my experience, I was at Aylmer, in
the Ottawa district, under very trying circum-
stances — circumstances of Church difficulty both
on the circuit and the Ottawa district, of which
I now had charge. These things, however, soon
iiappily passed away and prosperity shortly
afterwards reigned.
The returns of our Methodist membership at
that time in the country were as follows : Min-
isters aiui jn-obationers, C57, an increase of 170 ■
members, including those on trial, 69,597, an
increase of 15,212. And the missionary income
liad climbed to 8^94,010.
The year 1H74 i.n important and eventful in
4
5()
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
the history of Canadian Methodism by reason of
the union that w.a8 noiselessly and harmoniously
effected between three of its branches, namely,
the Wesleyan Church of the West, the Wesleyans
of Eastern British America and the New Con-
nexion Church in Canada. There seemed to be
something very natural in this union. Of course
it introduced, of necessity, a new order of
Church government as, for example, the for-
n.ation of several annual conferences, a General
Conference and the introduction of laymen into
the legislative body. The first General Confer-
ence met in the Metropolitan Church (then the
largest Metlodist edifice in the world) in ?-p-
tember, 1874, under the presidency of the late
Rev. Egerton Ryerson, D.D. Many of the men
at that Conference who have now gone to their
reward, stand out very clearly before my mind,
as well as many who are yet spared to th
Church. The United Church started out with
the following members: Ministers and proba-
tioners, 1,031; members, including those on
trial, 101,946.
Let me now speak only of one or two things
concerning my work in St. Mary's, Chatham
and Hamilton up to 18S2. During this period
I was six years chairman of districts, one year
assistant secrct.ary nf Conference and one year
F:EV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 51
secreturj' of Conference. I was a delegate to
the General Conference in 1878 at Montreal
was president of the London Conference in
1880, a member of the Ecumenical Conference in
1.S81, so that whatever sweets and trials there
were in official positions I had them to the full,
and as nobody else will probablv say it of me or
for me, I will say it myself i-evcry burden and
every responsibility has driven me nearer to
CJod, and to every duty the Church has laid
upon me I have ^aven of the best that was in
me to fulfil it.
There was also given to me to witness during
this period filled with many official anxieties
the greatest revival tliat I have ever seen on a cir-
cuit. It was e.stimated that over 1,000 souls
were converted to God in the town of Chatham.
This was a unio. meeting under the leadership
of Rev. E. P. Ha.Mmond.
In 1881 a most important enterprise was
launched in our Church by the organization of
the Woman's Missionary Society. This took
place in the Ladies' College at Hamilton. The
necessity of such a missionary agency was ur<red
by the late John McDonald at a regular anni-
versary of the Mi.ssionary Society in the Cen-
tenary Church, held some time previously, and he
generously urged the people of Hamilton to
52
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
seize the honor of lea<linj? in tlie matter. He
ottered at that time the first subscription in the
name of Mrs. McDonald, givin^; SlOd. The
Society then organized has already done a noble
work. It has been well managed from the
beginning. lis annual income is now about
!?50,000, and I don't know wh^t we would do
without it.
After the Ecumenical Conference in 18SI the
Canadian delegates were called to meet in the
Carlton Street Methodist Church ..i Toronto,
where it was arranged that each delegate was to
•rive an account of some distinct pha.se of the
Conference. It fell to me to speak of " The
Results of the Conference." I ventured to sug-
gest some method by which the Methodist
churches still holding a separate existence could
be broui^.it nearer together. I did not go so far as
to speik of an organized union, and at that time
there certaiuK appeare<l to be no outward sign
of such a union. Yet it came. From that hour
union .seemed to br in the air. No one could
tell from whence it came, but in September of
1S82 and again in Novembi r, union committees
were hehl in Toronto to formulate a " basis of
union" whose findings were submitted to th»;
Quarterly Ho.trds of the different churches for
their appro- d. V large majijiily .oted in lavor
^^^' JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 5.1
of tlie ttTiuM, HO that one year later, in September,
1HN3, a CJeneral Conference was hel.l i„ Helle-
ville to complete tlie .scheme. I opposed the
••asis as unjust and did it for all I was worth
althoufrh I ha<l always been in favor of union'
lint I felt that in the union of 1874 the Wesleyan
hranclKto which I belonjred.had made concessions
enou-h-and I think so still -while at this time
still more and ^rreator were being demanded. It
appeared to me that those who had yielded the
most before were beinrr called upon to ,lo it
H;,'iun-and I opposed it. I thou<rht that the
door was already wide enough for any who
wantcl to enter in. I have to say, however
and I do so gratefully and gladly, that it looks
as though God approved it and that He has
graciously crowned it with His signal hlessinrr
I lie bodies M-hich united at this time were :
The Methodist Church of Canada, which
brought into it—
Miiii.sters . „ii-
\t I i,Jii>
J^',T';7Vi •; i2«,«;44
.VliDlars 1.-{1',.{1'0
TheMethodist Episcopal Church, which brou<dit
into it— "
Ministers .,.,„
Meiiilicrs ,,-"-,
Suii<l;iy School Scholars. . ..'.'.'..!. 2;;jm8
64 A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
Tlie Primitive Methodist Church of Canada,
which brought into it —
Ministers p^
MeiiiLers ^-''-'^
Scholars ",0'''>
The Bible Christian Church of Canada, whose
nuuioers were —
Ministers ^ J-J
Members ' -•'•'^
Scholars '•/.'•«•
Tliis made the United Methodist Church the
largest Protestant body in the Dominion, with—
Ministers and Probationers ^'*''*'.!
Members, with those on trial. .. 1»)!>,803
Church property, valuation $!), 130,807
The year 188:J was filled with shadows forme
on account of the breaking down of my health.
From the beginning of my ministry 1 had been
in labors more abundant without much recreation
u/ rest, and my constitution, which had been so
strong and healthful, failed me. I had thus to
learn that the powers of physical endurance have
their limits. Many of my brethren thought that
my work was nearly done, but God, in His own
way, turned my trouble into a blessing. It had
been a desire of mine, cherished for a long time,
to see more of the world, and esp. Jally of the
world in tlu.' southern seas. I had read a great
deal about the work in Fiji, in the New lleb-
Rr^V. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
55
rides, in Samoa, and upon the island continent
of Australia. A cliange of climate was esteemed
positively necessary for me if my life was to be
prolongeil ; accordingly, I started on a journey
around the world on July 22nd, 1884, and for
nearly three years I lingered in the sunny south-
ern lands. Some of the brightest days recorded
upon the tablets of my memory are connected
with the ac([uaintances I formed there of many
noble men and women in Christ, who boL.. treated
lue with great kindness, and bestowed upon me
every possible honor. I believe much of this was
not for my own sake, but from the fact that 1 was
a Methodist minister from Canada. I came into
contact with and learned to love many of those
who, in order that they might win the cannibal
heathen for Jesus Christ, counted not their lives
dear unto themselves. It was a matter of rejoic-
ing too that, while necessarily absent from my
beloved Canada, I was enabled to do some work
for (jod. Among other things, I took regular
Sabbath work on ona of the Melbourne circuits
for more than two years, and I am not without
hope that from my service there some fruit shall
be found at the great comintr dav.
In May, 1S8G, I was present at the Jubilee of
Methodism in Victoria, which was held in the
Exhibition building, Melbourne. Without any
56
A jrniJEE h'/-:rh\)sr/:cT
pressure beinj; lifouj^lit to lioar, but in u sim|>li
response to the opportunity aff>ir<l(Ml, SlOo.OOO
was contributed to the Jubilee Fund. 'I'he day
was memorable in every way. Tliree thousand
people were present at breakfast. Tea was
.served to more than four thousand. In the
eveninij a mammoth meetintj was held, svlien
John Watst'ord preached the jubilee sermor
Since I returned home, restored in lieu .ii, I
have been able to do fourteen years of, perhaps,
as good work as I have everdoiu; for the Master.
These years, however, are so near to us that 1
need not repeat their history. One thin<,' which
has impressed me most 1 will mention. I refer
to the Kcumenical Conference in Wasliington in
181)1. Some things connected with it cannot be
forgotten, p.<i., the sermon of the Rev. \Vm.
Arthur, read by the Hev. Bowman Stephenson :
the visit of the Conference to the President at
the White House : the visit of I'resid.'iit Har-
rison, with the late Lord Pamicefote the iiritish
Ambassador, and many other notabl neTi, to
the Conference. Perhaps tlie most noteworthy
feature of that memorable gathering was the
deep spirit not only of Christian brotherhood,
but aloo, very markedly, of Methodist union,
which like leaven put into the meal is still oper-
ating. Since that time Australian Metlujdism
/>'/:/-. yrVAV WAKEFIELD, D.D. 57
hiis bcoiiK.' united, of which tlie first conference
h.is jn.st heen hehl, while the <,<reat Episcopal
("hurches in tlie ['nitod States, north and south,
;ire surely C(jinin<; much nearer tojjether.
The close of this decade fjave us, as nearly as
the correct fi<,'ures are obtainable :
Ministers ,iiul Prol)fiti<>nerH l 74^
MeirihtTs, incliidin<,' tliose en triiil. 23;{,'8»W
niurch property, wurth Sll,5!»r!49J
Minsk iriiuy iiicimic S'249 385
Coiitriliutioiis for all purix.ses §M,U«:{i9<J7
Durin^r the last decade there are three thin crs
in our own Church whicli will ever stand out hi
monumental significance.
First. — The great awakening among our young
pt'ople, and their organization for the bringing
..f the world to Christ. This is best seen in the
large number of educated and devoted young
Mirn atid women who have freely offered, not
only their money, but also themselves, to lift the
race up to God, and it is also to be observed in
the g.!neral helpfulness of our Epworth Leaguers
in all good work. I should get along but poorly
oil my circuit without the help of the young.
They have wonderfully improved in the past few
years, and limitless possibilities for good yet lie
liefore them.
Second.— The steadily increasing number of
those who are making money fast, and to whose
trust (Jod is committing great wealth, who are
58
A J V HI LEE RETROSPECT
consecrating at least onu-tonth of their income
to the advancement of the hi<,'her e«hication t>'
the youn^' and to the spread of the (Jospei in all
lands.
Third.— The apparent ease and manifest
enthusiasm with which the Church raised in .so
short n time, and without the aid of special
a<,'encies, a million and a (juarter of dollars for
the Twentieth (VnturyThanks<,'ivin<,' Fund; the
name of Dr. .John Potts will ever stand linked to
this historic movement in Canadian Methodism.
Worl(l-iri<lf Methodism held its third Heu-
menical Conference in the City of London, Eng-
land, in 1901, of which I had the honor of beinjr
a n\eniber— one of the very few who have been
privileged to attend all three of the Ecumenical
Conferences of Methodism. In the proviilenci
of God its fruit for good is sure to appear.
I must make passing reference to the rapid
increase of wealth in our country during the
past few years. This is especially noticeable by
an exanunation of the Public Revenue returns
for the past ten months. Canada's aggregate
trade for the past ten months, ending April
•SOth, amounted to 8338,522,149, an increase
of 827,446.220 over the same period of last
year. The ever increasing knowledge and the
ever unfolding revelation of the natural re-
sources and possibilities of Canada convince me
RFA'. JOHN lVAKEin-:i.l\ D.I). .-,!>
that there is l.eton; her a rutuif of such in.i<,nii-
tudi- and j,'h)iy, tliat it is iinpossibh- to fxa;^-
^'erate in the expression of it. 1 l.elieve it will
surpass anythin;; that the most far-seein;; and
sai!;,'uine man in the J)oniinion has dared to put
forward as his dream.
Two thin<,rs have transpired durin-,' the decade,
artectinjj^ the Kinpirc at lar<,a', which will stand
out conspicuously upon the pa;,'es of history.
First.— The serious and epochal character of
the war in South Africa. The mi;,'ht of the
British Emi)ire was at stake, and the loyalty of
the ("oloni
es was tested ; but the strai
n put
upon each hut served to show their firm found
tions. But .somethinj.,' better will he the result,
namely, the fact that (iod has made use of that
racial conflict to lift a lari^^e number of the .sons
of men to a hi(,du'r civilization, to open a path
of more rapid pro^M-ess, and to hasten the rei^ai
of purer and better spiritual realities. Inci-
dentally it will al.so serve to fructify and render
more fruitful a lar^'e part o»' li earth's sui-face.
produein^r comfort and even wealth for millions
of our fellowmen yet to be.
Secondl- This decade holds in its embrace
the memory of the death of Queen Victoria, the
idol of h'T people, the ([ueenly woim.:i and the
woiiiiinly Queen, respected by the j;ood in every
land, and who, for all time to come will be re-
CM
J / liii.F.r. RETh'osrr.cT
;_rar'lf(| as ii iimdi'l !'■ m' tlir lulfi's of nal i us. 1 .
tlii>i coiin.'cf idii 11 wonl n.iy lif tittiii;,'ly vp.! . ri
of \ ''lli , ,1 McKiiilcy the li')iitst-lii-)ir 'I ml
ahl ■ 1' I ixlist, I osiii iit of the rrtitcii - it-"^
wli iii-i'i; ,■ this p.'i-ioil was assassin ttrcl,
'■ Mf I'.i^iiiiiciiical ( ont'tTciK-f of .Missions, wli. m
w ■ li.i ! 'i\. N<'\\ York in t'lc \\h< 'n < : A|iiil.
I'lC I! \ hicli w !■- Ill}' ])i'iviit •' i(i iittcml,
\V! ' Ion,' 1"^ r''iar,iilH.'ri-il h\ tli<' (*1 -.tiai oi '
us tilt ,.• It: l(- ■ s[)ii ' iial ;,'iitiH'rini:; \\\v liit'day
of I't'iiti'co^' M;tii\ who altciiilf'l I W'l'f iii'vci-
MS ntijir !ii;i\cii ' ore, iid ciii 'a i!t,'l\- cxpfct
to he a;j!iin uiii wh<Mi I'io^h' , in i i.fht<ousiifss,
tlu'y stand Im fore (loo \\\> liiii for a moinc; t
what ( iod has wrought uh'ii i ;^.ith>'rin>,' tlir
1 inie of Clir -^tian missions ui^rs to its a— cm
hly, with sympati tic and hcjil 'il ou-opo.ition
in their lepi^ seruati capai t\-, such persons ,i~i
William McKitilcv , 1. njami ilarrisDn'riici lor.
Koost'velt and S. h Low
The ilccadc w' ''h dose-, with this, t.,, nil ili
year. arti)rd> the loi w iiej,- tiLjiin witli h ?••
S(;t forth th^ sti ■ni^l.i the Met odisL ' ii
in ('ana(hi :
.Ministt ' ill'! I'l^iKltin THnViT •'
Mciiilit 111(1 J'ri>l);i' ,.rs . . ifH'.i
Clmnli jii.ipcrty \.i!i, > .it -^ l(i,(; 'U.im «i
A Uiereiits of tin- C'liii! h J.tHMi,()i >
Missiiiiiiir\ inii.iiie f"" Irs j> it !!>l!e'i.4-
( uiitril. itiuns f. ill! .ri.,,scs 8S,i>7-_',U<'
A'A /
/' VA II ',1 ■/■:/■•//■://),
.1).
til
'"'' ''' 't ■ ,du Ic ti,.- .>?1,2.)0. •fX) of the
"'•l< .1. ul tin. j.ivsc'ii tiiiR. Ill the Me>h,>-
11 Im- -
•■It V
fi
'10
r .1 i
i"i)ii.
4H, .,!»
— 7,(MM,i>Hr)
', I'lt'Iy uttoreil
•'lis' holds theh,
I
n>ti
IS
i''ve .she IS i ivv
it CDIIMIlUIl
Iwlls
1 I f 1 1
•llt'S,
^n<»ri. s iloctnncs she
I' Vrii ;iiail th' ilo;ry^ p,.,„ .,j
ts of utiivi rsal atoiitiinent .ml
with her itimniiit iiiinistr^
III-
irii-
.li.cli Vpostolic system I h,.]
M-th
il<
levc
-L ppwhcr uii.k'r the Ijaj-tisi,
■st and of power is, and sliall h
bi' I sort of incaiiiati) revival
rv
itiial
!'■ and energy that the .j.ir
'I' '•'' ill rise all around h n, his
I -t- nee rebuke to sin, and a call to n
111 the ' 'hurch of our lev
its full si
Very
!pent-
f tui(rht soon to do
Kire in the conversion of the world.
liren, we are the
lal d
esoendants of
rors, of ir„d|y „.en uiul wouLii wli.jse Hves
raci 'i-s are a rich le^^acy, indeed, to the
•h of the present. I would extol theui f
or
62
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
tlieir luiroisiii ami <levotioii, junl for their lives
of iiiarvellous sacrifice and trial. Of the few
who linjrer with us, like myself far advanced in
years, I cannot now speak, but the most of them
rest from their labors and their works do follow
them.
I count it a jjreat honor to have been per-
mitte«l to spend so many years in such ji;oodly
company, to have been a sharer in their toil and
harvest, and to have been a partaker of fellow-
ships so hallowed. Many of us who are in the
Church to-day oucrht to be better. Every voice
that reaches us from out the past urges us to a
fuller, richer, hi<,'her, deeper, miijhtier consecra-
tion and to the attainments of a larj^er and
grander life. T.ut I do not look into the future
as a pessimist. I choose the eyes of the optimist.
For myself the shadows are lengthening— they
are creeping far to the east. Sunset is at hand.
Hut for the Church of God I see no lengthening
shadows which tell of the coming eventide. The
sun is not sinking behind the <listant hills to be
followed by the darkness. Rather, I see him
rising, full orbed and glorious, with the tread
of a fiant, to the arch of the heavens in his
noonday splendor and looking down upon
an illuminated ami an emancipated world.
The flower is not fading, but bursting every
REV. JO FIN WAKEFIELD, D.D. fiS
liour into <ri-efitor beauty and riclicr fragrance.
We are not (. .spondent, but full of faith and
hope, for the Lord reigneth. My work is nearly
done, but while I live I will sinrr : —
"I live for those who h»ve ine,
For those wlio know me true.
For the heiivons tliat siuile »lK)ve me,
And HWJiit my coming too ;
For tliu cause that hicks assistance.
And the wrongs that need resistance.
And the futine in the distance.
And the good that I can do."
64
A iUBILKE REIROSPECT
Tlie Jubilee BaiKiuet.
i' .
In the oltl Metliodist ini'.-tins house in the
Upper 'rown, laiis, in IHoi, .lolin WukcHeld, ol"
lilenhcini Township, was noniinuted for the min-
istry by Wni. Kevell and James U. Hill. tSeldom
has a congregation in any branch of the Church
militant an opportunity of joining in the jubilee
celebratitm of a minister still active in the work
of the Church. Impressed, no doubt, by that
thought and with an earnest desire to show their
love and gratitude to one whom all delight to
honor, the < )rticial IJoard and congregation of the
Methodist Church in Paris decided to tender to
their pastor, the Rev. John Wakefield, a bancjuet
in honor of the fifty years of faithful, itinerant
labor spent among the people called Methodists.
Of course the thought was to associate witii Dr.
Wakefield his beloved wife, who for so long has
shared with him the tiials and triumphs of his
unitjue experience.
The date fixed upon was February IS, 1902.
The (Quarterly < >mcial lk>:inl, whic!) took th-
f^ljVjOIlN IVAk'E FIELD, D.n. (-,5
i"iti;.tiv,; in the matter, f.mn-l th.- members of
ti.e con-i-e-ation u.i.I the citizens <)f the town
.".ithus.astic about it. an.l ea^rer to unite in
>"al<in- the (jecasion a success in every par-
t"-"lnr. It was intende.! that, besides the
""■'"bers and friends of his own congregation
"M.l the nnnisters and representatives of the
ocal churches. J)r. Wakefield's close personal
lr..'Mds throughout the province, both mini.sterial
•iiid lay, and representatives from all the
<,)uarterly Boanls with which he had ever
l-i')ored, should be present. The list of invited
-nests numbere.I about one hundred, and where
inv.fitions were not honore.l it was of necessity.
Pai-is gave their guests a most hearty recep-
t.0.1, and when they reached the church they
found the ample school room had been turned
iiito a ban.pieting hall, decorated with taate and
"1 ncli profusion, and with tables sprexd in
epicurean abundance. Tnder the most perfect
arrangements and in rare good-fellowship about
.00 partook of the feast, and then retired to the
•■lu.rch auditorium for the great event of the
evening.
The splendid choir of the church opened the
• xen-.ses, an.l throughout the evening greatly
•l-;Tl.ted all. The liev. K. R Rowe led the
ngregation in prayer, and the Rev. W. S.
fi6
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
Griffin, D.D, was voted to the chair. He, in his
own inimitable style, and greatly to the delijrht
of all, conducted the exercises of the evening.
In his opening remarks Dr. (Jriffin said that of
all the men in the ministry of the Wesleyan
Church when Dr. Wakefield entered it in 18.V2,
he alone remained still in active service, and he
had already been f.t work for three years. Of
the men that constituted the Methodist Con-
ferc-.(e at that time there w<.'re but sixteen or
eighteen living. Dr. Griffin closed his remarks
with some amusing comparisons between the
world as it is to-day and as it was in 1S52. He
then presented the following programme :
ADDRESS FROM THE PARTS CHURCH.
To the Rev. John WakcficUJ, D.D. :
Dear I'.\stoi{, — As members of the Paris
Methodist Church we have learned with much
pleasure j-ou are now spending with us your
fiftieth year in the ministry. Before it passes
away we are desirous of expressing to you, in
son^e way, our high estiujation of the work you
have (lone during this long pcrioil.
You have been blessed by Almighty God with
unusual strcngtli and vigor of body and mind,
REV. JOHN IVAKE FIELD, D.D.
<i7
and these l.lessing.s have been most earnestly and
onor-otically consecrated to Him in vour efforts
to promote the interests of the Methodist Church
"Ilin- many of the highest offices in the same
with <?reat accejitance.
Your labors in the various charges under your
care have been crowned with abundant success ■
your wise counsels have been much ought and
h.ghly valued, lives have been brightened and
rnnoblo<l, and many souls led into the Kingdom
tlirough your instrumentality. °
For these blessings we join with you in
'•.•turning thanks to the Cod of all Grace who
has enabled you to accomplish such noble results
I here are few who have been permitte<l to
t'Mgage tor fifty years in the active work of the
'"■nistry and are still able to carry.it on so
t'fit'ctively.
We remember with pleasure your labors a»iionrr
'.s some eighteen years ago. although, owing to
-ll-lu'alth. your stay at that time was short yet
wo saw with what Christian fortitude you bore
your atH.ct.on, and your presence proved a great
''lossin*''.
L..oking farther back we remember, also with
a t.uch of pride, it was from this church, .some
fitty summers ago, you were recommended to
"iiferonce for active work.
»;«
./ JUBII-EE RETROSPECT
% .
Tlie luovor of tlmt motion, I'.ro. Win. Revell.
is still with us, although laid aside by ajre and
intirinity. The sccc.n.ler. Hm .!■ l'>. Hill, is an
active memlu-r of our OtHcial Board : as well as
Bro. Egerton Thompson, who heard your first
attempt at preaching.
We liave invite-l t l.c present this eveninpj a
number of ministers and friends to join us in
otterint,' our very best wishes for yourself, Mrs.
\Vaket?eld, and family, with tlie prayer that you
may be spared to carry sunshine to the hearts
of the many with whom you may yet come in
contact.
We feel that we cannot clo<e this brief address
without <,Mvin,Lr you the assurance that your
earnest, tend, r, instructive addresses and sermons
have betn very hij^hly appreciated, and very
helpful to all, making for yourself nmny new
and warm frien<ls. W.' may not have upheld
your hands as we ought, but we will endeavor
in the future to co-operate more fully with you.
and pray God to bh-ss your labors among us
still more abundantly.
Sigue<l, in behalf of the Church, by
Lewis M.M'S, I{r(or<''i)ig Strinird.
Takis, K.l.ni.iiy 18tli, l'.t(»'_'.
RFA'. /OHM UAKEFIF.I.IK D.D.
m
ADDIiKSS KKOM PARIS .M IXlSTICIirA L
ASSOCIATION.
To the u. r. J,,/,, I Wiih'ti,'l(l. D.J). :
Dkari.v Beloved Buothek.— WV, your fdlow-
i'H..nb..r.s of the Paris Ministerial Association,
;,^lu<lly embrace this favorable ()i)portunity in'
uivin^r exf)rcssion, on our own behalf, and also
on behalf of the Churches whicii we rejiresent,
vi/., the Ikptist, Con^r,o;rational and Presby-
t.rian, to our heartfelt eon^'ratulations, and to
"'iir thanksoivincrs to the CJreat Head of the
Cliureh in perniittin^r you to celebrate the
.i'lbilee of your service in the Christian nnnistry
-.1 privile^re criven to but few in tiiis In'^h
f.illinfr. We .lesire to express our appreciation
"1 your fellowship in our nieetinjrs to^jether for
< "hristian converse, and to bear (jur testimony to
tlx' profit we have derived from your larjre
-•xi)erience and your wise counsels in our
d'liberations, and also your timely papers read
"I our Association on matters affectin<r the
w.'Ifare of the community.
Vou may not be able to say with Caleb, as lie
ivviewed hi.s life's work, and looking back to his
,\"un- manhood, "As my strencrth was then, even
^:' •■ !^- my Htrcn^^th now for war both to <ro out and to
70
A JUBILEE RETROF.PECT
come in," yet you do njoice in the [)Osse.ssion of
a sound mind and a vigorous body.
It is a matter for conjjratuUitiou that after all
these years of service you are still in the active
ministry of the Word. In this restless, l)usy,
airirre.ssive aire vour brethren are jjrateful to find
you still in the front rank of Christian activity,
and doin^f splendid service for Christ and the
Church.
Knowing as we do how highly your services
have been, and still are, appn-ciated — how you
have stood among the leaders in the great and
noble army of the Methodist Church, who glory
in having John We.sley on their bede I'oll of
honor — and the denomination to which you
belonof havinir a<rain an<l again honored \'ou in
assigning you to positions of importance and
trust on their various Official Boards, and are still
so honoring you, we, your brethren in the
ministry, "joy and rejoice with you," and thank
(iod that He " counted you worthy putting you
into this ministry," to which you have given
Hfty years of your life. Only in the light and
ble.ssedness of t'u eternal home can we measure
or understand — perhaps not even there shall we
fully comprehend — th^ glorious fraitH:;;fe of such
a mini.stry, but the Master, wl.oni ' has been
your delight tn serve and worsliip, -vill not l>e
unmindful of "your work of faith and labor of
REV. JO//X WAKE FIELD, D.D. 71
love," un.l will reward you " at that .lay " with
a " crown of ri^rhteou.sne.ss that fa.k-th not away."
'• And they that be wiso shalt shine as tiie hri^dit-
ne.ss of the tir.nanient. an.l they that turn many to
ri;,diteouHne.s.s as the stars forever and ever."
Our prayer for you is that vour " bow may
abide in stron-th " for all the days to come, and
that you " may Hnish your course with joy, and
tlie ministry wliich you have received of the
Lord Jesus, to testify the Gospel of the grace of
God." and when the .Master shall call you from
the Church Militant to the Church Triumphant
m Heaven, you may receive an abundant
entrance into His Everlasting Kingdom, and hear
the words of commendation :
Seiv.mc of (Jod well done,
Rest from thy loved employ ;
Tliu bitttle fought and victory won,
Enter into thy M.ister's joy.
That you and your dear partner in life may con-
tiimc to enjoy the smile and benediction of
Ib-aven, we subscribe ourselves with sincere
iraturnal congratulations,
Yours in the Master's service,
.r<)ii\ James, J).D., President
P. C. Cameron, B.A.
Ed. Cockhurn, .M.A.
E. I). SiLcox, Hicretary.
I'AKis, February 18th, l!i<t2.
72
/ JUHII.EE RETROSPECT
1H{. WAKKKIKLDS llKl'LV.
It will he Imt littlf womlt r if I \\\\\ uiDihlf to
control iny.selt' eiiou^li to say a tfw woiils in
reply to this hearty and heaiitirul aildress from
what I I'ijudly call " my own Chuieh," |tn',seiited
as it is on this unicjuc occasion and with all the
surrotindintrs of this hour. When I think of
the thoui^htful kindness which oriijiiiated this
!neetin<,^ the object it has in view, the many
hours wliich have been spent in pn-paiation liy
a very large part of the Cluirch, the presence of
eminent and busy men in larye nundters, both
uiiuisterial and lay, from so many parts of tiie
country, I am led to ask who and what am I,
that all this should be done to please and lioiior
me? I call to mind with ;,'reii,t },'ratitudi the
fact that it is no new thin;^' for this church to
show an atTectionate interest in its presi'ut
pastor. When I came here uninvited, l)at at the
command of the Church nearly tl ree years ajjo,
and likely wlu-n some thought that my days
were too nearly numbered to make it possible
for me to efficiently serve this ctjngregation,
there was, nevertheless, a large an<l represetita-
tive gathering of the church, accompanied by
most of the ministers of the town, to bid me a
REV. JOHN W'AKF.riEI.lK />./). r.\
liearty welcr)mc-. Ajrain after a two inoiitlis'
visit to tlu' old woil.l durin;,' the past .suinintT,
"II iriy return tluMv was another larije ;,mtlierin<,','
iH-!ir!y tilling (he Iuw.t part of this huilih'n^r, to
bi.j me w.lcMne home, and to thank (Jo.? for
safety in journeyinjrs hy buth hm.l and sen.
Happy is (he man who ministers to such a
Hock. I ftvl to-ni;rht deeply luu.ihled I,efore
<iod from a {)rofoun(l conaciousness of great
unfaithfulness to Him, an.l the painful realiza-
tion that my life has been a sad failure com-
pared with what by proffered ^r.-ace it ou;,djt to
liav.« bet-n. On the other hand, I qWg ^rniteful
praise to my i{<.avenly Father that after more
than fifty years spent in His service, I .stand
to-n^dit in the undimme.l ^dory of His reconciled
e(juntei:ance. ajid surrounded by friends of my
own and other clunche.s who ne.\t to Him I love.
Fifty years is .1 larjre part of any lif.. in this
world, but asompored with the life of a human
soul it is but as one st-p of the lonj; journey,
<)u.' drop ofeartl/s mi„hty oceans, or the first
l<-tten. in the alpi.ibet in that education which
IS to be carried oi under celestial teachers for-
ever, ^'et it is the lar<rer part of the time which
will make or maroui' beinjr forever.
This address very naturally speaks of my
relation (o the Paris ehurch. It in a ivmarkabie
yf jrnii.r.E kktrospf.ct
thi.ui,' iliiit tlio Paris Quartuily lloanl. whicli
rocoiiiiiien<U'(l me to tlic liraiitt'onl district
mt't'tiii^' as a camliilate for the ministry so lonj,'
a<(o, sh( lid now he tendering; me this juhilee
liaiHiuet, and prescntint; mt with this address as
its minister, and still more remarkal le that the
two men who moved and seconded that recom-
mendation shonld he stUI witli us, ami one of
them on this phitform ( Ih'o. Hill), an active and
beloved member ol" the Hoard; the other (l>ro.
Wm. Ilevell), now nearly ninety years of a<;e, is
confidently waiting; till his chan;;e shall coiih'.
I have been three or four times invited by this
Hoard to liecome its pastor, and have been
station''d here tvyice when uninvited I have
been a i I'quent visitor to annivi.-rBary servicis
all thruu<,di the years, and now, at nearly tl>e
close of my third year of service in this pastoi il
term, I have reason to believe that our nspect
and love for each other has increased \\\\ t ) the
present hour, as witnessed by your kind and
unanimous invitation to me to return for a
fourtli year.
The aiMress speaks of my interest in the
Metho<list Church. Why should I not l)e
interested in her and love lu-r ? When I was far
away and lost, a special service 'leld by some of
her local preachers was instrumental in my
RRV. Jj//\ n-AKEhllU.D. /)./). : ,
salvutioii, Hti.l I lov.- tho Cliurcli ii.s I hm; i, •
lift.'. Wli.'ii I WHS iiuitf a youii^r iniriistor i
lia.l lar;,'e indiieuinents off.-rt'<l im- f* leav\! her
coiiiiimiiioii, hikJ still lui.rer, not to leave tiie
.Metlio.li.st ^'iiui-ch, l.ut toleav.- this Caim.la of
ours; but uuiie ,,(■ these thing's moved ii <■ IW one
iiiuineiit, and I have l<eeii eonteiitod and happy
in my Church relatiun.ships every tlay of my
existence Shu has done me jrood and not evil,
al! the days of my life.
I have had many failin^^s, but I cannot say
that I have been an idler, for usually up t.j the
limit of my .stren^rth an.! ability I have gladly
•riven myself to the interest of the Church of
Cod. I ha'-' never bci'n a place .seeker, but
have left the plno to s.-ek me, and have felt
that I wa.s houo . any sphere of labor
assigned to ne '. . . ,urch. As for any
little succe.ss which ^ ... wned my labor, my
life world have been .-.n int,olerable drudfrerv T
I ha<l not seen some fruit of my toil, and i i Me
It IS not yet too late to gather nuiny of the
largest sheaves.
" A.t,'c' is opi,. . tuiiity, iic ,'
'I'lijui youth it.self, th.. vj,h u. .-inotluT .Ins.s ;
AimI ,i.s tlio eveniiif,' twili^'ht fji.Ics jiw.iy,
The sky is full ..f stars invisildi- l)y dny."
..«!,!t ,.., . ,,ot oven a -.i.-uw ur .;;; ; hi,-, but as
Mount W«SO*
Memorial
I ihrary
7ti
A Junil.F.r. h'ETh'US/'F.CT
compareii with the cuiiiiiij; j^Iorv I can say,
" The iii;^ht is tar spent, and the (hiy is at
haml."
" I iisk 111! hii^luT \v;i<^t's
Wiii'ii (jiid sli.-ill cull ijic hoiiu',
'V\v.\.n to \\\\w foiiv'lit tlie l(.ittli-s
Wliicli iiiJike His kin<r(loiii onmr. "
f! .
TIIK KHV. WILLIAM MrDONAGH.
With unt'eij^ncil pleasure I stand lieforc this
atnlieiipe on tliis s| lemlid occasion. I con^^jratu-
late myself upml the honor hostowed upon nie
in receivinj^ an invitation, and I con^n-fitulate
the concrft'j'at ion and the Church, and all others
interested, upon tlu Imiior they have done them-
selves in seeking to bestow honor upon one so
worthy. \aa former pastor of the Paiis ( 'hurch,
1 can testify to tlu'ir kindne.ss of heart and their
tmfeijfncd love of all the hrethren. I was called
to the work of this ministry iit the same year as
J)i\ Wakefield. 1 bless (Jod for health ind
streiif^th for .so lun^ a sirvice, and I Mess Him
also that for forty years out of the fifty of my
n)inistry 1 have known Dr. Wakefield. I could
not but think to-nij;ht of h.nv ofti-n in the old
Woshyiin Conference .h)hn Wakelli^ld was sent
ii*Tjiimr?i *« V
REV. JOHN WAKF.FIEI.I), D.D.
t(» circuits lis ji peaco-nijikor, to arran^re t|Uarrels
an.l strai-rliton out disturbances that threatened
the life of the Church. I have followed his
career, and to-ni;,dit as I look back upon that
history I rejoice that I have been associated
with one so esteemed, loved and successfuh
TMK l{K\. J. S. WILLIAMSON, D.D.
Ir is a jrreat ph-asure for me to be here to-
ni<,dit an.l meet the friends with whom I spent
three v.ry pleasant years of my ministerial life.
The pleasure is enhanced by the fact that the
occasion is an outburst of real honest sentiment
in honorinir a brother minister. Such and simi-
lar occasions are all too few. One can always
know when the people are not plea.sed with him
or his utterances, but it is more difficult to
ascertain the pulse when they are satisfied.
An occasion of this kind is, therefore, the more
hi<,d»ly appreciated. It is .still more i)leasinfr to
I'e here to add in some small dei,'ree to the in-
terest of a ;,'rand jubilee banquet so enthusiasti-
cally tendered to my honored brother, your
brlovcd pastor. Ke\. I)i. Wnkefield, ..n the evrnt
of his fifty years of faithful and loving toil in
the ministry of our Church.
A jrniLEF. RETROSPECT
r .
My intimato ncfiuaintiince with the ;,Miest of
the ovenin<if ho<^an eiff'utcen years a<(o, when th.c
(lifierent branches of our Metluxlism were uiiitcil
in tlie present Cluirch. Previcnis to that time
we had each labored in anotlier and ditl'erent
branch of tlie Methodist Church. The rivah'ies,
jealousies and prejudices of the years prior to
that event did not tend to make men tliink
more hifjhly of each other than they ouj^ht to
think.
Since tlie union we have been closely a.sso-
cialed in the work of the Annual and General
Conferences, in missionary and collej^e boanls,
jind in the <i;eneral work of tlie Church.
The better a,('i|uaintance has dispelled any
feelint^ of inditi'erence, and a friendship, tnu;
and lastini^, has been the result. I can heartily
say that the ion<;er I know Dr. Waketield the
more thoroujjhly I prize him. Amo!i<; the many
excellent <|Ualifieations posse.ssed by him I would
mention that of i/z/^v/c//// ajid /u//(/////. Ne.xt to
his (Jod I believe the interest of our Methodism
has the place in his heart. While he loved in-
tensely the Church of his early days, with no
less a love is his heart drawn to the Church ')f
h's more matured manliDud and aee. No sacri-
tlce or tf'il is too great i^w liiiii t'j lay on the
altar of his devotion to her be.st interests. He
REV. JOHN IVAk'EFIEI.D, D.I).
70
stands ever ready to defend her honor and pro-
mote her welfare.
Another of these (lualifications I have found
in him is n>iini<ir. So man who knows him
intimately will •■ver accuse him of cowardice or
even hesitation to defend what he believes to he
ri;?ht and true. For this he will contend if he
stands alone. Every opponent in moral conflict
has f.nmd in Dr. Wakefield a foeman worthy of
his steel, and if conquered hy him in the contlict
has l>een able to console himself that he was
slain by a ^'iant.
'I'he last (|Ualification that my limited time
will admit of mentioning' is that of pemerrravce.
When once the path of duty was made plain
and the object to be obtaine.l was a worthy one.
he knew no defeat. He pursued his course as
the caper ^old-hunter searches for the shinin<r
metal. Every cavern would U ransacked, every
crevice rummajjed, every corner .searched, every
stone upturned, every obstacle overturned, every
wall sealed, that riirhteousness and truth niit;ht
be brought to the litr},t an-i have a jrlori'ous
triumph.
Dr. Wakefield has been true in his friend-
ships, manly in his l)attles, and fervent in his
piety. We pray for him that be may have a
bright and lovely sun-setting and a .juiet, peace-
m
A JUnil.EE RETROSPECT
ful eventide. And when at last lie lays off" tin;
armor on earth in..y he hear the Master ,s ,^.,
" Well <Ione : thou hast been faithful over a
few things, I will muke thee ru!<'r over tnaiiy
thinj^s : enter thou into th»' joy of thy lord."
THE RKV. I). L. r.HKTMOri?, !'ii D.
Men are known and reineinhered in the vari-
ous walks and professions of life fur many
thinfjs. Sonit^ for words, and s<mi.c Tor dce'ds :
some for words (july, and others for both. \ Jreat
physicians and surfxeons are known for their
marvellous skill in sueoessfully treating,' o!)-(in-e
and complicated disease. aiwJ in the delicate
handling of instruments in ditlicult sur;;ical
operation.s. (Ireat statesmen and soldit-rs show
their skill an<l jjenius in <j;uidiiii; states and
empires in perilous times throuj^h imminent
dan<rers; they are known in the councils of
natioti.s and on the fields of conlliet.
Some by stroni; self -as.se rtion thrust them-
selves before the world and k(H>p themselves in
the eye of men. Others by absolute- self-denial
and exaltation of truth and hi;^di principle forj^'e
.•'.head of all .-ompetitors. ' »ur fri.'iid and brother,
Dr. Wakefield, in who.se honor this mairiiitiemt
/>7s/'. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 81
• Icnionstratiun of love uiul loyalty is given, pre-
'•iiiinuntly brlonn^s to the latter class.
Jn his early y.'ai-s of life he was foumi by his
,i,Mvat Master and converted to God. Up sprann-
a new purpose within his heart, to the proclama-
tion of which he c<jnsec'rated his powers. All
men must see the new light and know the new-
Joy which pos,sessed him. He "was not dis-
olxdient unto the heavenly vision," and with
increasing gladness, and horn of God-given
success, he told " to others aroun<l what a dear
Saviour he had found." It is a great grati6ca-
ti.iii to Dr. W'akeHeld's friends that he has been
spareil for a half century of years to preach the
Divine mesisage of love. Very few are so
lionored. Some men, as years come upon them,
grow narrower in intellect, and poorer in heart
sympathies, with less power and willingness to
help other-s. But he who sits anrmgst us to-
iiiu'ht was never of brighter intellect, nor richer
in tru<" hroadni'.ss cjf soul. He goes forth to-day
with a /..al as (juenchle.ss as holy fire kindled on
alters divine "with cries, entreaties, tears to
■-iive." The world in which we live, whose
forces .'iiwrap us like a man in the cloud.s, has
mighty and malign power in .sapping the holy
.--uurce.s of thought, t.iith and conduct. To pro-
tect ourselves from waste and lo.ss every
.*-.■"*% If
82
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
activity must be keyeil to the pitch of most
strenuous endeavor, while we " seek those thiii^
that are above " where God is. In this way will
ripeness of years brinj; ripeness of experience
and sympathy.
It is a great pleasure to say the devotion and
consecra^'on of Brother Waketield have been
recognized by the Church which he has served
so long and so faitlifully : and to him has been
ungrudgingly given the highest honors she had
to Ijestow, and he has tilled those positions with
credit to himself and satisfaction to the Church.
Dr. Wakefield is one of those men who never
grow old. Years may whiten his locks, and the
step may be less ela.stic than it was, but his
heart in its finest qualities is as green and fresh
as the fields of the sun hine land. In all that
constitutes a true and emhiring manhood, the
smell of age has hardly touche.l his garments,
and never will. It \'^ one of the pleasures of my
ministry that I preach to people in old Lundy's
Lane church nearly every Sunday who were
brought to (Jod by his ministry, and others who
were helped in their heavenly journey, as he
told the shining story of the simple, saving,
keeping gospel of -Tesus ('hrist. One of the most
blessed things in Hrotlu-r Wakefiehl's life is em-
botlied in the simple statement, "His work
endures,"
^^^- JOHN WAKEFIELD, I)./). K^
In evidence of this he is welcomed to fields of
labor where some of the best years of his life
were spent in times ^jone by. He tells the same
old story now that he told then, and with a rich-
ness of experience he never knew before. There
are many on the circuits of his early mini.stry
who rejoice to-day that a man called John
W akefield came to them with the burning zeal of
a sc-raph to tell them the evangel of Chri.st
which won them to His ble.s.se.1 service. I have
the pnvile<.e and lionor of lal>oring on a part of
'me of his old circuits, where forty years ago he
literally turned the country upside down. His
name is a household word in all that range of
country.
In the earlier years of the Doctor's ministry
the Church was her own evangelist. She be-
I'oved God had raised her up to spread scriptural
lioliness throughout the land. .She had faith in
'.od, and faith in herself to this end. Her mem-
bers came together for prayer, for fellowship
lor ren.>wal of consecration vows to reach this
•■"'1. and the God of the harvest gave them a
'I'vme reaping. Few in the Church in those
'lays over thought thoy were e.xempt from
'ttend.ng the .sfx;ial services of the hou.se of
'""'• '>»«t fnt it was as necessarv to them as
water to the thirsty. Hence Dr. Clmlmers eo„ld
^^ay. " They were all at it, and ai^ay^ at it ■
K4
A JUIill.EE RETROSPFXT
A chanjjc somohow and Hoinewlu-rc Ims gradu-
ally come over us in these modern, unheroic days,
and we titid ourselves cotnparatlvely helpless for
successful spiritual work. We have, alas, too
fully come under the power of an all-pervadin<r
and almost all-triumphant worldliness.
We need men like .lohn Wakefield, who will
jro into this modern world of j,'reed-possess(>d,
pleasure-lovinj;, iidatuated men and women, call-
itig them to repentance, for the kinj^dom of (!od
has come ni<,di, I am j,'lad I have been honored
with the friendship and confidence for many
years of Brother Wakefield Though we did not
always agree in all things, I found it safe to fol-
low his counsel. In times of peculiar trial and
temptation his strong courage and high moral
principle, which were the gui<lingstar of his life,
was a tower of strength to n»e. " Like the
shadow of a ^reat rock in a weary land."
We cannot afford to lose from amoiiofst us men
like John Wakefield, men of siicli unswerving
loyalty to the Bible -to the oM and well-tried
doctrines of Methodism which hav< j-.roved vic-
torious on ten thousand fieMs of conilict— men
whose loyalty to .lesus C^hrist was only e(|ualled
by tlieir .splendid allegiance to tlu' usages and
discipline of the truly Apostolic Church of
Mcih(j(lisni. May God spare him many years
fur service.
A'AF. JOHN WAKEFIELD. DJ.
85
THK llEV. G. \V. CALVKRT.
Al/rH()r(;n tny Hurroundinij.s are very home-
like and the spot on which I stand u very fain-
ihar one.yeL I do not remember that at any time
I ever found it more difficult to attempt an ad-
dress than I Hnd it to he at this moment. The
dithculty arises, not Uyr want of som.-thinjr to
say, but from the fact that so much can he ^lid,
while so little time is allowed one in whicli to
say it.
However, I may say that I am here to join with
this company in con(;ratulations to our hi^dily
esteemed and beloved brother, Dr. Wakefield, on
havinjr completed fifty years In the Christian
mini.stry, an achievement that but few men
iiccomplish and one that but few of us litre to-
lll^dl^ -if.indeed, anyof us— maylook forward to.
ir, )iow< ver, it should be my jrood fortune to
nc(|uire such distinction, I know of no place
wht;re I would sooner celebrate my jubilee than
here in Paris, amon^r ,„y old friends, who have
<n(leared themselves to me by many acts of
kindne-ss during' our a.ssociations of former
\»'ar.s.
'I'hey are indeed to be connrratulate.l on the
■ iia.uniticent success of thi> jubilee ban.,uet,
m
A J I HI J. KF RE TROsrr.cr
lortM
1 iind
whieli tlx'y liavi' ti'ndt'n'd tlnir
l)ilovi«l ji.istor.
Attain I sii\ tliat T hrin;,' {TiectiTij's ami fon-
^n-atulutions to Dr. Wakcli^'ld on this juljilet"
occasion, accoiiiji III '"I with a sincen- wisli (hat
lie may yet live to render service to tli- cause
so dear h< his heuri in the years to come.
I think it is Dr. 'ralina<;e who lias Paid that
" it would be better for the world if, for life s
toilers, we had a little more taffy an<l a little less
epitaphy," meaning, I presume, that their hearts
would be cheired and their lives sweetened an«l
their burdens made to f«'el li;,'hter if we had
njore kindly words to say to t'aem anu uf them,
while they lived, instead of reservini; all the
nice thini^s jind kindly words to be spoken after
they are dead. Sir, I confess that I tjuite aj^ree
with him, and am here to say a few kindly
wnrds of and to an honored servant of (Joil,
whose life and work justly merit .some words of
commendation from those who have known him
bust And when I say this, T do not mean that
I shall descend to anythin«,'like fulsome flattery.
In this ca.se such a thinjj is not at all necessary,
and if indulged in would not be acceptable to
the fiiends present.
It is indeed a great gratification to me that
men like Dr. Wakefield are permitted, through
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
87
tho ;,'()(xl provitJenro of God, to tarry so loiifj in
tlu' arena of earthly toil for the Master, to cheer
hy their presence, and to bless and inspire hy
tiieir mature jud^'inent and ripe experience and
wise coiinHelH, those of us who are voun'^'r and
inexperienced, as well as the Church nt large.
Especially so since there is a tendency in these
days on tlie part of some con <,'regat ions to dis-
count men of years, and a corresponding eager-
ness to obtain men for i)astors who are youthful.
Now, sir, while I uiii gla.l for the .splendid
young Elishas to be found in our ranks, I am
doubly glad for the grand old Elijahs that
remain with us, who have done sf) much for the
Church of Go<l, and wluj.se saintly presence is
ever a benediction and whose mantles even we
.are anxious .shall fall oji other shoulders when
they are tiken away from us.
My ac(|uainti«nce with our esteemed Brother
Wakefield covers a pericjd of about thirty-four
years. In June of 18<kS he U^came thepa.stor of
tlie Methodist Church in the town of Sinicoe.
At that time I was teaching school at old Mount
Zion. on the adjoining circuit of Port Dover, and
I freijuently had the privilege of hearing him
preach. .lust then the authorities were urging
me to enter the Christian ministry, l)ut I was
undecided in the matter, greatl\- preferring
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88
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
■ p
either the medical or legal profession to that of
the Christian ministry. And one thing that
kept me in that state of indecision was a sense of
my inability to preach and exhort like many of
the men under whose ministry I had sat as a
listener, and among those men, especially, was
John Wakefield. His fearless preaching and
rousing exhortations made me appear very little
in my own eyes.
And yet his influence over me was beneficial,
for in the course of time his earnest utterances
became an inspiration to me in my early efforts
at preaching ; and in subse([uent years, as I be-
came more intimately acquainted with him, and
more closely associated with him, I found myself
catching from him an inspiration still as I lis-
tened to his deliverances on the floor of the
Conference in debate, or to his messages from the
pulpit.
One thing that particularly drew me to him
was his manly courage in standing up for what
he conceived to be right. He always appeared
to me to be a man that ha<l the courage or his
convictions.
Then, again, I cherished a sincei'e regard for
him because of his brotherliness. I have ever
found him ready to help his brethren in their
work when it was in his jvjvver to do so, and
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
89
that with a hearty cheerfulness that made you
like to have liitn with you.
With ;ill the honors his brethren have con-
t'<Tred upon him, lie has always remained the
same genial, friendly brother he was before tliose
honors came to him, and I for one will ever be
thankful to God that it has been my good for-
tune to know him and to be associated with him
in the Master's work. And if he should precede
me to the better land I shall gladly and lovingly
I)ay this tribute to his memory— that his life and
labors have been an inspiration to me.
I have long counted Brother Waketteld among
my truest and best-loved friends, and I hope to
do so to the end.
Mr. Chairman, as the time allotted to me in
which to speak must have expired, I will close
my remarks by wishing for Dr. Wakefield, and
his dear wife and family every earthly happi-
ness an(] blessing, and pray that to him and to
them " in the eventide there may be light," and
when life's labors are ended and they "have
crossed the Ijar," may they be greeted with the
Master's smile and His loving words of praise
and welcome, "Well done; enter into my joy,
sit down on my throne."
90
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
THE REV. W. F. WILSON, D.D.,
President of Hamilton Conference.
It afibrJs me a great deal of personal pleasure
to be present on this uniijue and joyful occasion,
not only to congratulate Dr. Wakefield, the
honored guest of the hour, on his jubilee, but
also Mrs. Wakefield, the devoted lady who has
so nobly a.ssisted him in his ministry, together
with their gifted, cultured children, whose labors
have been a benediction wherever they have
toiled. Now, sir, I am asked as President of the
Hamilton Conference to say a few words in
connection with this magnificent banquet that is
given in honor of one of the most distinguished
sons of our Church, and easily the most conspi-
cuous member and leader of our Conference.
This splendid gathering of representative min-
isters and laymen might well gratify the ambi-
tion of any Christian pastor, and be a fitting close
to a long and almost unparalleled ministerial
career. But I beg leave to assure this distin-
guished company that Dr. Wakefield has no
immediate idea of retiring f roni our active work;
in fact he is in spirit, energy and efiiciency, one
of the most acceptable preachers and successful
pastors of our Conference. He is at present hold-
f:EV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
91
ing more official positions of a conferential and
connexional character than any minister amonjr
us ; and, be it said to the credit of Dr. Wakefield,
tliat no position of trust assifjned him by the
Church, or his brethren, has ever suffered in his
hands.
Now, after fifty years of arduous toil, we are
gathered to pay our tribute of respect to the
character and work of one of the most success-
ful ministers Canadian Methodism has ever
known. Sometimes the king follows the cabi-
net, but this evening the cabinet comes to the
king ; for, as members of the Hamilton Confer-
ence, we very greatly appreciate the presence of
our beloved General Superintendent, and the
distinguished representatives of our missionary,
educational, publishing, and other connexional
interests of our Church, who are here to show
their appreciation of one whom we in this Con-
ference look upon as a wise, earnest, godly, be-
loved Christian minister and gentleman. One
loyal to our Methodism, for no power, prize, or
position has ever had any influence upon Dr.
Waketield's fidelity to the doctrines and discip-
line of our Charch, having over fifty years ago
dedicated hi splendid gifts and graces of intel-
lect and heart to preach the glorious Gospel of
redeeming love^ he has remained steadfast in his
92
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
purpose to this liour, and to-day the pulpit of
tiiis Paris church is his throne.
With stronff convictions, he has not hoen un-
mindful of the intidlectual progress of the years,
while standing by the old truths he lias applied
the new methods, his preaching never prosy, but
ever interesting and instructive, and always for
the edification of the Church and the conversion
of the souls of men. Hence we are not sur-
prised that young and old in this congregation
unanimously say, " Y(ju must remain another
year." Dr. Wakefield lias the strong, yet tender,
spirit that made John Fletcher, Matthew Simp-
son and William Arthur pre-eminentleadersin tlie
Church of God, and our Church needs such men
to day. Not star- preachers or silver-tongued
orators, but men full of the Holy Ghost and
power. This spirit made Egerton Ryerson our
statesman, Samuel Nelles our splendid scholar,
George Macdougall our lieroic missionary, and
George Douglass our matchless orator, together
with Samuel D. Rice, Enoch Wood, George R.
Sanderson, Samuel IJose, John Shaw, John A.
Williams, Ephraim B. Harper, and others, suc-
cessful and honored leaders in our belovnl Meth-
odism, while W. J. Maxwell, Samu- ' Hunter,
Ezra StafFord, A. M. Phillips, John E. Lanceley,
and many more, touched by this spirit, became
REV. JOffN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
!>3
princely preachers and beloved pastors wherever
they tolled.
I soiiietiuics wonder as our ranks grow thin
and our leaders fall, if we liave men ready to
step forwartl and fill the pulpits and positions of
trust in our Zion ; I believe we have. We never
had as many young men, converted, cultured,
consecrated and Christ-inspired, ready for work
at home or service in the foreign field, as we
have to-day.
And now, Dr. Wakefield, I most sincerely con-
gratulate you on this happy occasion, and trust
you may long be spared to our Conference to
cheer us by your words, and guide us by your
counsels; to you and the sainted fathers who
laid the foundations of our glorious Church so
wisely and so. well (let me say), cherish no mis-
givings about the future, about the loyalty and
fidelity of your successors.
With the old Gospel as onr theme, the salva-
tion of men our desire, and the advancement of
Christ's kingdom as the object of our toil, we
shall do our best to hasten the day when a ran-
somed world shall sing, " Bring forth the royal
diadem and crown Him Lord of all."
94
A JUniLEE RETROSPECT
THE REV. J. H. HAZLEWOOD.
To ine it is a great pleasure to have a part in
tliis banquet to an jld friend, and I most heartily
join with my old flock, among whom I spent
three pleasant years, in doing honor to our
Brother Wakefield as he sounds out tliis jubilee
year in the ranks of tl.o Methodist n.inistry.
Five years l^efore I began to breathe my native
air, that je, that has so often thrilled the
multitudes, had begun to call the people to
repentance ; and after fifty years, with a vigor
seemingly unabated, with unflinching loyalty to
Methodist doctrine, and with a voice that has
lost none of its richness and meicdy, the people
still hear of " the wonderful works of God."
It is an occasion of joy to " - 'ave been
his associates to thus recall th A service
to the Church and its great ..'^ i, and to
remember that " his bow abode in strength, and
the arms of his hands were r.:ade strong by the
hands of the Mighty God of Jacob."
When as a youth I first saw him, to me he
was one of the giants of those days — and ther;
were giants in those days. What shall I say of
Ryerson and Douglass, of Rico and Williams, of
Sanderson and Harper, and a host of others
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
95
now ainongrthc glorified, who through faith sub-
due:: kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained
promises, out of weakness wen.- made strong,
waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the
armies of aliens ? Truly others labored, and we
younger men enter into their labors.
Now that a (juarter of a century has passed
I can say I have never admired, respected and
loved him as I do to-night. May we who are
younger, inspired by the unswerving devotion,
and heroic sacrifice of such n>en as the brother
we honor to-night, prove ourselves worthy com-
panions and followers in the great work.
That many years of usefulness may be granted
our worthy guest, and a full realization of the
promise that at "evening time there shall be
light," till " the land that is fairer than day "
breaks on his view, is my earnest wish.
THE REV. JOHN PICKERING.
I HAD better be frank and own that I feel a
little embarrassment, first, arising perhaps from
the fact that my work as a plodding Methodist
preacher has not often brought me where I have
been called upon for an " after-dinner speech " ;
/Second, embarrassment because I know 1 am in
96
A JUIULKE RETROSPKCT
tlie prcHcnce of those who are experts in this iirt,
these elect members of our Methodist Siinliedrim,
men in wliose veins the blood of Apolloiuus flows
— Now Apollonius was an elo(|Uent man — 1 must
therefore crave your indulj^ence wiiile 1 try my
apprenticed hand.
Sir, I have first a pleasin-; duty to dischar<,'e
on behalf of the Cliurch I have the honor to
serve. At the last official meeting', i)y unanimous
vote, my worthy reconling steward, Brother
Wilkinson, and myself were recjuested to convey
to this meetinj?, and to our honored j^uest, their
congratulations, that through the good provi-
dence of our God he has attained his jubilee
year in this ministry, and, like Paul, when
sending his letter of congratulation to the
devoted Philippians, said, " The brethren which
are with me greet you— all the saints salute
you— especially those" of Wellington Street
Church, Brantford.
Permit me now, sir, to express my thanks to
the church at Paris for this niark of esteem to
the chairman of this district, and also affording
the opportunity of saying a few words of eulogy to
the living. It is pleasant to feel that when we are
gone somebody may arise and utter a few words
to our memory ; but why not say it when we arc
in the battle and the din >. Well, sir, I want t,Q
say a few things of our guest-
RFA'. JOHN WAKEFIELD, IhD.
97
IIK HAS WON ms HONORS I'AIHLY.
It lias fallen to the lot of Dr. Wakefieli' to HU
well ni<rh every ofHce in the gift of the Confer-
ence. His l.retliren have honored him year
alter year, lie has been elected president twice,
and chairman I know not how many times, not
because he was an eternal schemer and ever-
lastinjr wire-puller, but because of his sterling
worth. Who ever heard John Wakefield called
ii clerical mill -grind, r, and all the grist coming
to his mill ?
HE HAS BEEN STRONG IN HIS CONVICTIONS.
Possibly some coming to the yearly assembly,
and hearing the Doctor for the first time, may
suspect him of a little autocracy, but those who
have come closer, close enough to "see the rift
that peeps within," close enough to forget the
metallic ring in the voice and feel the beatin. of
the heart, these have found him tend, r and .ull
of sympathy; and, if his words have been
decisive and emphatic, it has been because of
decided conviction.
HE HAS BEEN FAIR IX DEBATE.
Oft some have not been able to see eye to eye
with him, and the debate has been keen und
earne.st, but this can be said, those who did not
7
PM
08
A JUIilI.EE RETROSPECT
a;,'ree with him have .l.-clarcl he ti-hts fair an.l
never hits a man below the holt; win or lose his
C(mtentioiis, he wins or loses with ho'ior.
HE HAS l»KKN l.oYAI, TO HIS CHriMll.
Not a hij^ot— not a pharisce— hvit an iM. C. (.
Loyalist; now M. C. C stands for Methodist
Church of (.'anada.
HE HAS 15EEX T-OYAI. TO ITS DISCIPLINE.
Just now I notice a little flurry in some
quarters re<,'ardinj,' a certain note in tluDiscipline.
I'll i)redict if John Wakefield can help it not a
line will be scored.
LOYAL TO ri'S DOCTRINES.
There has been no uncertain sound on the
cardinal doctrines of our faith, nobody left his
Church wondering whether the Bible was true,
or was there such a thin-,' as original sin, or was
the story of Adam and Eve a legend.
His congregations will tell you he believed in
a gospel as old as the 53rd of Isaiah, as old as
the 51st Psalm, as old as Calvary, as old as
Pentecost, and yet as new iud fresh as the dawn
which came creeping o'er the eastern hills this
very morning. To hini the old gospel is the
newest thing out. To him the pulpit has been
his throne, and when the roll is called up yonder.
REV. JOHN W'AKEllEl.n, D.D.
!H»
imiiiy, very many will be his crown of rejoicinj;.
I trust that tiiiu; will .Imi ;juiitly with him from
this (lay till tho hour of departuro is at han.l,
an ! then that he may nurt "the pilot at the l.ar."'
RKV. ALEXANDEU Sl'THhitLAXD, D.D.
I KSTKKM it u priviletje to have some part in
a <,nithoriii;r to do honor to my youn^^ friend
Dr. WakeHeld I say " youn^r friend " advisedly,
and I say it emphatically. Youn^r and. old arc
comparative term.s that sometimes have little to
do with years. Some men are old at twenty,
and some are youncr at four times twenty, and
Dr. Wakefield iKilongs to the honore.l few who
carry over th '"reshness of youth into a <rreen
old age. He ; reminded us that he is a Metho-
dist, and it v^ l.kely most of you have suspected
as much buiore now ; hut it reminds one of an
=ncideni A lew years a,<To I was in Xashville,
lenne.ssee, and the Rev. Dr. Ho.ss, editor of the
Nashville Christian Advocaie, kindly procured
a conveyance and took a party of us some ft)urteen
miles into the country to vi.sit the hi.storic lionio
of General Jackson. Here we found an aged
Jiegro, familiarly known as Uncle Alf, who had
been the General's body servant, and whose duty
100
A. JUBILEE RETROSPECT
now was to show visitors about the place. He
performed his duties with old-time courtesy,
and after viewing the various objects of interest
we prepared to depart. Just before leaving,
Dr. Hoss encjuired, with a twinkle in his eye,
"By the way, Uncle Alf, you're a Methodist,
aren't you ? " and the old man, with an assumed
deprecatory air, replied, " Oh, yes, Mistah Hoss,
Ise a Metibdist; but t'ank de Lawd Ise a
Chris'yuii all de same." I emphasize the fact
that while Dr. Wakefield is a Methodist, he's a
Christian all the same.
I congratulati the good people of Paris on
having carried out .so successfully what is in
itself a beautiful and praiseworthy idea— the
recognition of long and faithful service while
yet a man is living, instead of reserving all, kind
and appreciative words till after he is dead.
PoN.' mortem praise is no inspiration to the liv-
ing and it brings no joy to the dead; but words
of generous appreciation, spoken while yet a
man lingers amid the scenes of his toil, will be
cherished as a precious memory, and will tinge
with a brighter glow the sunset of his declining
years.
Fifty years of blameless and almost unbroken
service in the Christian ministry is a distinction
which falls to the lot of very few ; and when it
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
101
<loe.s occur, a fittin- recognition may l>e justly
clanne.1. Fifty years seems a long time'when
ooking torwanl, but not nearly so long when
Icx^kmg backward. When I used to hear ]:>r
Kyerson, of honored memory, speak of havin.r
.een m public life "for nearly half a century "
I thought what a long time that is, and how
very old the Doctor must be ; but when I rind
thefnendsof myyouth beginning to celebrate
tlieir jubdee years, the time seems very short
•since we were young together. And yet what
changes those fifty years have witnessed. When
J)r. Wakefield began his ministry we had but
one Conference, not very much bigger than some
modern district meetings. The u.embei-ship was
small, connexional funds very limited, and we
Imd not begun to dream of the pos.sibilities of
e.xpansion that the coming years would brinff to
pass. But the Doctor has lived to see a develop-
ment that IS almost without parallel. He has
seen the inception and the consummation of two
union moven.onts that have given us a united
Methodism from the Atlantic to the Pacific He
luis seen the one Annual Conference expand into
ten ; the growth of membership to some ;J00 000
U...1 membership and adherents together num-
b.M mg nearly a million, or approximately one-
hlth of the population of the Dominion. He
102
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
has seen our Missionary Fund jjrow from a few
tliousand dollars to over a quarter of a million,
and our mission work extend all over the Do-
minion and into the regions beyond. He has
seen our Book Room grow from a small retail
store into the largest' and most prosperous pub-
lishing house in the Dominion, while our educa-
tional work is represented by colleges and aca-
demies in every province. During the same
fifty years our laymen have taken their rightful
position in every court of the Church, and our
godly women have come to the front in the great
missionary enterprise. When to these evidences
of crowth within the denomination we add the
marvellous changes outside of it, may we not
congratulate our honored brother on having had
his lot cast in the brightest and most fruitful
fifty years in this old world's history ?
Although a modern man in many ways. Dr.
Wakefield belongs to the ol<l dispensation of
Methodist preachers. He began his work at a
time when the revival power of primitive
Methodism was yet strong throughout the
Church, and when the spirit of our ascending
Elijahs rested on many a young Elisha. The
old pioneers were men of on*' aim and purpose
—to preach the Gospel so as to save men from
sin and bring lost sinners to God. Their theo-
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 103
Io<ry was not very brotid, perliaps, but it was
<leep and high ; deep as the sin into which men
had fallen, high as the heaven to which tliey
might ascend. And let cavillers say what they
will, the preaching of those old heroes did the
ivo-^k, which is more than can be siid of some
modern substitutes. In his preaching Dr. Wake-
field faithfully followed the men of the past,
hence he did not think it necessary to tell his
congregations that Genesis had been compiled
from many documents of unknown anti({uity,
worked over by many editors ; or that Leviticus
was historically out of joint, belonging not to the
time of Moses but to a period centuries later ; or
that when the old prophets "testified before-
hand the sufferings of Christ and the glory that
should follow " they did not mean exactly what
they said ; or that the book of Isaiah was not
written by Isaiah but by two or three other men
of the same name, or whose guesses took shelter
under his name. These things Dr. Wakefield
regarded as speculative (juestions, curious or
useful, as the case may be, in the minister's study,
but that when offered to men who were
starving for the bread of life they were simply
husks that no man could eat. He was content
therefore, to preach the old gospel of ruin by
sin and redemption by Christ, and this made his
104
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
every sermon a direct spiritual force lor the con-
version of man and their upbuilding' in holiness
of life.
There is another thino; wliich ought to be
said : Dr. Wakefield has always been a loyal
man — loyal to his country as became a good
citizen; loyal to his Church, its doctrines and
its discipline ; and, last but not least, loyal to
his bretliren. In all this he was honest and
above-board, neve- descending to intrigue or to
pull wires, but seeking in all things to pursue a
manly, straightforward course. The result jus-
tified the wisdom of his choice, and in this gath-
ering we have the proof that the man who can
win and hold the love and confidence of Chris-
tian men and women is the man who with single
aim and unselfish pur'^ose strives to do his duty
without fear or favor.
On such an occasion one cannot withhold a
thought that projects itself into the future. At
the northern extremity of Sweden, where the
bold promontory of the North Cape fronts the
Polar Sea, a sight is witnessed at a certain
season of the year that is worth going around
the world to see. As the traveller stands watch-
ing, he sees the sun sinking toward the horizon,
but it never disappears. It may almost touch
the horizon's rim, but in a little while begins to
_ R EV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 105
climl. upward a^fain on a sleepless march that
never ei. Is. Rut there is another sljjht of still
chM.per ini,.ro«.t. A little earlier in the season
the sun, as seen from the North Cape, not only
approaches the horizon l-t dips some distance
below it. Then the trav Jler behohls a sunset
whose frlories are never seen in Southern climes;
but almost before he h . tune to vvcnder at the
marvellous display his attention is called in a
new direction. He turns a little toward the
east, and lo : the sky is already tirjred wii.. the
ro^y hues of the com'ngmorning-the splendors
of the settin^r mingling with the excjuisite beauty
of the risi:>j sun is a picture never to be forgot-
ten. Such a close of life's long day we all wish
for the brother beloved in whose honor we have
met together— a sunsec that .shall have in it the
prophecy of a still more beautiful ri.sing in some
far-off easfarn sky. There may be times amid
the wearmess and .-ihadows of waning years
when one will say :
" The gnives grow thicker and life's ways in..re bare
As years and years go by :"
but faich puts on a more chee. coura;^^ and
answors :
" Nav, thou hast more green gardens in thy care,
And more stars in thy sky.
e<M» ,
lOG
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
Behind — hopes tiirne<l to griefs iiiul joys to iiR'iii.!''ies
Are fading out of siglit ;
IJefoi-e - jKiins changed to pejice ;ind dreams to certainties
Are ghtwing in God's ligiit."
THE REV. J. M. KAGAK, M.A.
The class I represent to-niglit is a large one,
viz., the boys in the families of which Dr. Wake-
field has bee', pastor. For four years Dr. Wake-
field was pastor of my father's family while I
was a boy at home; so what I may say will be
reminiscent, and as it refers to happenings of
about forty years ago, it will be son^ewhat of an
excursion into ancient history.
Among the forces that moulded my character
when a boy, a large one was the influence of the
Methodist preachers, who were frequent visitors
at my father's house : and among them none
obtained so strong an influence over me for good
as did Dr. Wakefield. Some of the excellfnt
ministers who preceded him had about them .so
intense an odor of sanctity that their presence
inspired me with awe : they stood at an awful
distance above me ; so that while I greatly re-
spected them, there was no comradeship and
little friendship. But with the advent of Dr.
^'Jte ''
REV. JO//N . 'A KE FIELD, D.I). 107
Wakefield there was a new order of tlun«.rs, and
he had not been with uh long before we were
the best of friends. And as it was with nie, so
it was with my brothers and the other boys of
the neiffhborhood.
If I were to subject Dr. Wakefield to an
analysis I ahould say that the (tualities that
drew boys to hin were three :
1. Hi.s unaffected good ii Lure. Boy nature
is human nature in its most exuberant, fun-
loving stage, and Dr. Wakefield loved fun, could
see the point of a boy's joke and could laugh at
it with an infectious sort of laugh. Indeed, in
those days his appearance was somewhat boyish
for like the youthful David he was "ruddy and
of a fair countenance." If the boys did not
come to him in the parlor he would go out to
the woodshed, or barn or orchard— anywhe-e to
find them and get on good terms with them.
2. The second quality that won the boys was
his fondness of a good horse. Boy nature is fond
of dogs and horses: and here was common
ground, I might say a large territory of common
ground, for Dr. Wakefield and the boys. For at
that time Dr. Wakefield's love of a good horse
was almost a passion, he had a large stock of
horse lore, and in the estimation of -is boys w/is
a great authority on horseflesh. David Harum
108
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
\\. ^^
says, " A hoss is the most deceivitiest thing in the
world Tor wlien you think you know everytliing
aijout a hoss, you don't know nothin'." That
might hold true of other men, but in our boyish
opinion it did not hoKl truo of Dr. WakefiehJ,
for what he didn't know about ' horse wasn't
worth knowing. And he not only knew a good
horse, but he kept one, too ; indeed, the mere fact
that a horse belonged to Dr. Wakefield was proof
positive to us that he was a most extraordinary
animal. Like H. W. Beeeher, he believed a horse
was made to go, and he had a deep-rooted aver-
sion to taking dust from anybody. Should
anyone have asserted that some sporting charac-
ter with a fast horse had compelled Dr. Wake-
field to take his dust, we boys would liave re-
sented it as an impossibility and a slander.
3. A third quality of Dr. Wakefield's that
excited boyish admiration was his powerful
voice. In the matter of sounds a boy's prefer-
ence is decidedly for the loud, and strong, and
forcible, rather than for the (juiet and feeble : and
in Dr. Wakefield's voice we boys found every-
thing we could desire. For powerful, and even
explosive efli'ects, it was unrivalled. When he
spoke, no one ever complained of inability to
liear him. Of late years I have heard him say
that his voice was a mere wreck of what it once
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
ion
was. Well, lis a boy, I heard it as it "once was."
At cainpineetinjrs people hi.l behind trees to jjet
out of the way of it. And, be.sides thi.s, the Dr.
had a splendid couraft:e, attackin<r sins of every
dye, and sinners of low and hi^di de^^ree, and
when he launched forth his thunderbolts, as he
often did, we boys thouglit him a veritable son
of thunder.
The.se qualities ^'ave him a great inHuence over
ine, and opened njy boyish heart to receive the
truth he faithfully preached. And I accept it as
a providential favor that just when my character
was at the formative period I had the privilege
of a pastor who was able to win my admiration
and my affection as well. He also had something
to do with my entering the ministry. He and
the late J. B. Howard were the examiners who
reconnnended me to the Church as a candidate
A.id this is the only thing that I have against
Inm. After forty years of uninterrupte.l friend-
ship, the only fault I have to tind with him is
that he might have shut the door into the min-
istry against me, and didn't do it.
It has afforded me unbounded pleasure to be
here, and to add my tribute of respect and gra-
titude to my almost life-long friend, and "my
father's friend as well ; and I feel that .so well
deserved are the honors we give Dr. WakcHcld
Ill
no
A JUIilI.EE RETROSrECT
to-night, that in bestovvi-.g them w^ only <lo
honor to ourselvus.
THK KEV. ALBKIIT CAIIMAN, D.D.,
(ieneral Superintendent.
This magnificent occasion is called a banquet.
Bamjuets are often given to great men an<l to
special friends : and the good and noble man
and beloved friend is here. We honor Dr. Wake-
field for his life and labors, his character and
record of fidelity to God and the Methodist
Church and people. Further, banquets are taken
advantage of to explain foreign relations and
declare dome^itic policy. Now, as to foreign rela-
tions, our Canadian Methodism has peace with
all the world. Very possibly it has peace where
more aggression in the kingdom of (iod would
give it sharp conflict. For a Churcli to have
peace with the world, and in the world, is not
the highest commendation. Ii is entitled to the
peace which its Builder and Head gives. Can-
adian Mt^thodism has peace, possibly too indolent
a peace, with the Church of Italy and Spain. We
have peace with the Churcli of Gernmny, and
with the Churches of Scotland and Switzerland.
Our relations with the Church of England, and
'^Ev JOHN n-AKEhiEi.n, n.n, m
thu Church of Russia are amicaHe, and wo are
frien.lly to the Churclies of China un.l Japan.
We ;oul.| like the titniost fraternity with all of
them, so furastlieyare in Christ and show it
by their spirit and work. Our leader, John
Wesley, said, " \V<,> have a lea^rue offensive and
defensive with every soldier of Jesus Christ."
Now, as to our domestic policy, Canadian
Methodism ou^dit to say stron.; things for New
Ontario, and do strong things for British Col-
umbia. Manitoba, and the North-West. Perhaps
we cannot boast of New ()ntario as the politi-
cians do. Perha^ .s in our polity and practice we
are not keeping pace with its progre.ss. Is this
our domestic policy, to lag behind, to fail to meet
the demands of the time and place ? Is it our
domestic policy to discount the claims of our
superannuated ministers, and to be weakened by
aimual deficits in our missionary budget ? Are
we boasting of surplusages in our educational
work, of vast e.xpansion in our Church enter-
pn\es, and of mighty revival over all our domain ?
Are these the growing times ? What say our
laymen to such features of our domestic policy ?
Are our achievements splendid, and are we really
beating the other side in th. battle and race ?
>Some things in our foreign relations, and some
things in our domestic policy, might well be im-
proved.
m
112
A JUIill.EE RETROSrECT
In this ch'iiioiistnitioti iiml juMli-o l))iiii)U<-t wo
honor a wisi-, truf and worthy man. Dr. Wakc-
fiehl'H fifty years in the Methodist ministry have
not been passed in vain, hut havt; reared noble
monuments, and Ijorne abundant fruit. What I
would here emphasize, above even his success as
pa.stor and preacher, his special and most import-
ant work, is his value and efficiency as a con-
nexional man. Some men are broad enouffh,
fnr-seeing and stronjj enouj^h to be conne.xional,
to take an ontlonk upon Methodism as a whole,
to nurture ad her ins'.! .tions, and foster every-
where and all the time her broadest arid best
interests. In the connexional boards and insti-
tutions, with which perhaps I am most buniliar,
the counsel, experience, (^nerj^y, courajje, and .sac-
rifice of this man of God are invaluable. Then
in the union ()f our ( anadian Methodisms he
disphiyed his Christian manhood with the hap-
piest results. Not an ailvocate of union at its
inception, when it had been achieved he gave it
his loyal and hearty support. We were not
bribed into union, no • forced, nor flattt;red,
nor coaxed int( union ; but led of the
Spirit of (iod we were molted and fused into one
.spirit and one body ; and we jjive (}od the jjlory.
The marvellous prayer of Dr. John A. Williams
in the tabernacle at Belleville on the historic
KKV. JOHN IVAK'EFIELIK D.D. 113
occasio,, „f tfu. firnt united ii.eef ,g „f the Con-
ttTences, l,y the i>ovver „f tlw. Holy Spirit hrou.^ht
•IS, ill t„.,rethor at th.,- Cn.ss of Christ in the
;,'lorious a.lv)iiicu of the kin^'doni of (Jod
Also, J)r. WakeH.l.l has shown himself in
Mit-olo^ry, .loetrine, and .liscipline a progressive
conservative-pro^rn-ssive enou|,d. for the a^re-
(•onservative enough for the welfare of t^-
Church. Not all ol<l things are to be discon.
und abandoned ; not all new things are to
commended and embraced.
'* 'Tis viiin to chH old notions fudge,
^ And l)(!n<l our conscioncc to our dealing ;
Tho Tun Cumniandinents will not budge,
And Htoiiling will continue stealing.
Tis vain to call our rules too tight,
And loosen Scripture for desires ;
Tis sur- to dim the Spirit's light,
And :ndle deep, infernal fires."
Iti the conflicts raised by aggressive, ambitious
novelties, we always know where to tind John
Wakefield.
TMK ]{P:v. JOHN POTTS, D.D.
This is a uni(|uo occasion in the history of
(Canadian Methodism. It is not the first tim.;
that the jubilee of a minister has been celebr,,. . :
bv bis Conference.
- .f
;. t!
114
A J LIU LEE RETROSPECT
\\ ,
In ii few instances there have been jubilee
sermons preachrd, and I liave Jio doubt the
genial and thoughtful President of the Hamilton
Conference will arrange to honor the jubilee of
Dr. Wakefield by appropriate services at the
foi'thcoming Conference in June. It is, however,
the tirst time, at least so I think, in all the his-
tory of Methodism that a Methodi.st Church, in
its congregational capacity, has done so. All
honor to Paris for its official and generous
action in this matter.
It would not be so strange in other churches,
and yet it is not a frequent experience of any of
the churches. I can easily understand, in
churches of settled pastorates, when a man has
crossed the line of a quarter of a century and is
still fresh and powerful in the pulpit, and a
chief and influential citizen in the community,
that the desire may grow to the effect that he
may spend his fiftieth year in their midst, and
still lead them, as a true and much-loved shep-
herd, into green pasture and by still waters.
How seldom this occurs, even in churches where
it is allowable, in view of the theory of Church
(Tovernment. In our Church such a thing is im-
possible. One of the difficulties of this occasion
is that our thoughts are revolving around one
man. And yet we are here becau.se of that one
■.'■Am^:.,if
ii'-...
■i^Js^fSM'
'^^^' -^^^^'^ ^i'AKEF/E/.D, n.D.
115
man, an.l he nuist bo the t.xt of nmny brief
■sennons at this protracted .noetin<r.
I have known the subject of n.y little sermon
for over forty years, an.l I n.ay say that we have
been warn,, increasincjly warn,, frien.ls through
all these years. To-ni^ht I am carried back to
the old Nia^crara district, an.i especially to the
C.nm,sby ca.np-meoting. The mention" of that
<l>str.ct calls ui> such men as Samuel Rose of
precious and fragrant memory. He was chair-
•nan and General of the n.ini.sterial host, who
always were ready to do his bidding, in doing
battle for the Lord Mo.st High. Mr. Rose was
like a father to the m.-mbers of his district, of
which he was very proud, and to his dying day
he referred with pride to the men of th^t dis^-
trict. Richard Fawcett. John Shaw, Thos S
Keough, Alexander Sutherland, and the hero of
this evenino-.
What a brotherhood that was \ What .neet
ings those were on the old Grimsby camp
ff-und- We of the Methodist n.inistrv Ire
more to each other than any other ministrV be-
cause of the itinerancv. A settled pastor i^ 'less
(l(
pendent upon hi.-
Wakefield and
niinistenal l)rethrrn. Jol
hearts r.f his bretl
The Doctor has \y
men like him have lived
in
in tl
le
iren.
»een a
strong personality. I
^^s.^^i?A
110
A JUnil.EE RETKOSPECT
have never lieard of him a|)olo<^izin<^ for liis
existence. The Doctor has been a manly man —
indeed, I mi;^ht say that he has been noted for
his nianhness. This is no small accomplisliment.
In liis Church, in the community where he has
resideil, in the Conference to which he has be-
loufied, and in the Boards of the Connexion no
one has been at a loss to kno-.' wliere John
Waketield stood.
Dr. Wakefiekl has been, in the ministry of
fifty years, noted for two very important (juali-
ties, which are sometiines sadly lackin<i; aiid
which are vital to true success in the ministry of
the Methodist Church. I will do little more than
name tho.se characteristics of his ministerial life
and career — ernngilism and conne.flonallxm.
He, thank God, has not been a stranger to the
cry of the perislied and to the gladness of the
saved. His .sermons have been ble.s.sed of God
the Holy Spirit in helping many into the king-
iU)m of grace and glory. Then he, too, has been
a foremost connexional man on every circuit, in
every district and in all the work of the Church.
Fifty years in the ministry represent a great
variety of service. Such a term is an unusually
lontr service. How few reach it in aiiv of the
walks of pul)lic life. How specially varied when
the man has been a representative minister, such
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
117
V\ . ket,ol,l s „„„,rt.y represents f;re„t olmnge.s
tW^Churd, what „„„,eriea,, .,«ial a„d religiou.
The one thinj; which more than any other
■stand, out hefore our vision is the woLerfu
u...o„ ot ail the branches of Methodisn, J, tl^
Atiant-ctotePacihc. (id, the Lord and Head
ot tl,e Cln,rch, has put the seal of his approval
upon the union of Methodisn, throu.ho'u': ^h^
o. f vf r";.'"'"' '" ^°"''°"' ^'''"'"J'' Wo", good
old KIder Case preached his jubilee sermon and
m dune, .902, John Wakefield will preach lis
b lee sermon at the Han.ilton Conference in
tlatFM 1 ''""t- '"■— aarkable thin,,
tha Elder < ase an.I John Wakefield, in their
In the State, how wonderful the chancres and
how changed the position of Cana,la, in tt f!,"
p.re and ,„ the world . If we had, in those fifty
y,'a™, a ^rreat Methodist union in the Church
.avo we not had a great State eo„fe,leration of
Canada, to-day, „a great pa.toffJreater Britain
and ,„ the old land to-day Canada is spelkd
'~'^.
i •
118
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
with capital letters. Methodism, in the fifty
years <foiie by, has had an historic fj;lory, but it
has to-day a prophetic glory that excel leth.
i
THE REV. GEO. W. HENDERSON.
This is certainly a very unicjiie occasion, and
it is suggestive as well. Suggestive to those
who tell us tha. -he trend of the times is to
push the minister of age and experience to the
wall.
In 1883 the Quarterly Official Board of this
circuit invited the honored guest of this occasion
to become their pastor. For three years he
served this Church with great acceptability.
Time passed on. Three years ago this Board
was looking around for a man to succeed.
As is the custom of these Quarterly Boards, I
doubt not that these dear brethren canvassed
every likely and available man. They looked
their records — personal, private, official and
family — and then by an unanimous and hearty
vote, they ])laced their invitation in the hands
of Dr. Wakefield.
He is now closing his second term of three
years, having completed his half century in the
ministry, and as an expre.ssion of the high
REV. JOI/N WAKEFIELD, D.D.
119
esteem in wl.ich he is held, they tender to him
tins magnificent jubilee banquet. More
tlum this. I see by our Ckrmlan Guardian
that you have done both him and yourselves
the honor to recjuest his appointment for the
fourth year.
Here is a man over threescore years and ten
Long smce he has reached and crossed over the
so-called "dead line," and yet you are pleased
to load hnn with honors— honors which were
never more richly deserved. Dr. VVaicefield has
never allowed th." sympathy of a great lovin.r
heart to wane. He has kept well abreast of the
tunes. He has, in spite of advancing yeara
continued young.
In one of our religious periodicals I recently
noticed an article under this caption, " What
shall we do with the old minister?'" "Kill
Jinn." No, no I but if he be of tlie type of our
beloved Wakefield, we say. and I believe the
best sentiment of this age says, let us do him
Jionor— let us record our convictions that lonc^
years of experience, study and fellowship with
God .lo not render the minister of Jesus Christ
less competent as our spiritual teacher and
guide.
I am 1 re in a two-fold capacity. As their
representative I am instructed to convey the
120
A JUniI.EE RETROSPECT
greetinj^s of tho Churcli at St. Mary's. Though
many years have passed, those who remain have
the most precious memories of our brother's
pastorate. But I esteem it a still greater honor
to have been invited as a personal frierxl. To
be numbered among the friends of sucli a
man I reckon as one of the privileges of my
life.
Twenty-two years next June he laid loving
hands upon my head and ordained me to the
office and work of this Methodist nn'nistry.
That was the beginning of an actjuaintance
which has become increasingly intimate, and to
me most helpful to this very hour.
During the year of his presidency I was pei--
mitted to serve as his assistant, and a tliousand
times I have thanked God for that year. His
devotion to the interests of the Church, his
godly life, full of sunshine, were then and liave
since been to me an inspiration. He counselled
me. He trusted me, and with all my heart I
loved him. Two years later it was, to us, a
great joy to have him officiate at our wedding.
Last summer it was my privilege to have him
for my travelling companion, and I have great
pleasure in bearing my humble testimony that
to know Dr. Waketield better is to love him
more.
RF.V. JOIf,\ IVAKEFIEU), D.D. 121
THE IIKV. S. S. SELLERY, M.A., H.D.
^ I i-KLT pleased and honored when my Official
Board elected me to represent them on this in-
torotin- and. may I not say, historical occasion
ior this jubilee l.an.|uet will certainly be a mat-
ter of ("anadian :\retliodist history. It .rives me
very great pleasure indeed to convey to Dr
Waketiel.i, the honored guest of this evening,
the very warm and hearty congratulations of
n.y Official Hoard, an.l I may say of my whole
Church, on hi« reaching the jubilee year of his
''"nistry. J confess that in undertakincr to
represent my Board in this matter I have" as-
sumed no little responsibility, because I know
somethnig of the high esteem in which he is
held and of the strong terms in which they
wouKl like their congratulations to be conveyed.
Dr. WakeHeld had a most successful pastorate
in ])undas. and has a very warm place in the
hearts of the Dundas congregation. I am (juite
safe in saying that no minister was ever sta-
tione,l in Dundas whose pulpit ministrations
were more highly appreciated than J)r. Wake-
held s. He is spoken of by all classes as a prince
•n the pulpit and as a devoted, faithful pastor
and triend out of the pulpit.
I {
i *
f
'li i
if
'^^"^^^mm,
122
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
You all kno\ that he spent in Duiidas the
full term allowed by the Chuicli, and if the time
limit had been removed I .ju<l;;e that he would
have been there .still, for the simple reason that
I have been told on every hand that his popu-
larity increased with faeh year, s(j that he was
better liked at the close of his fifth ye;ir than at
the close of any of the preceding; years. Of
course I am glad that the lime limit was not
removed just then. You can remove it now as
soon as you like, for there is only one J3undas
in Canadian ]\rethodism. One of my officials
told me some time ago that he recpiesteil J)r.
Wal'efield (luring the last year, I think, of Ids
pastorate to repeat one of his sermons. It was
one, i believe, of unusual excellence, and he
wished to hear it again. I know some preachers
are very glad to repeat a sermon before the
three years are up, even without a reijuent, but
Dr. Wakefield, at the close of his fifth year, was
still so full of sermons, or had still such a supply
on hand or enjoyed so nmch the work of getting
up new ones, that he respectfully declined to
comply with the reijuest.
It is said tLat the churches are after the
young men — the coming man — and are weary
of the man, whatever his (|ualiHcations, who has
already come. The man fresh from the shell is
I^RV. JOHN WAKEIIF.LD, J)./).
12a
wanted, aii.f so much the better if he is steain-
hatehe.1. It is said that Paul's exhortation to
Timothy to let no man (lesi)i,«,e his youth, is (|uite
.superfluous in our day, that it is not the beard-
less but the greybeard w.io is in danger of
being despised. There are two sides to this
(|Uestion. I don't know as there is as much in
these reports as some would make out. There
are old men and old men. There are men
younger at seventy than others at forty. I
dont believe that the deman.l is so much for
men young in years as young in heart-men who
are still fresh intellectually, who have kept up
with the times, it is not simply veal, as some
would make out, that the churches are after, but
juicy meat, independent of its age. The fact is
that the most popular preachers in Canadian
Methodism, the preachers that everybody wants
to hear, and that no one can hear often enoucrh,
are men nearly if not .,uite threescore years'
and ten.
Why do the people of Paris want Dr. Wake-
field for a fourth year, although he lias pas.sed, I
imagine, the threescore years and ten ? Because
he has kept abrea.st of the times and is still
young in heart. One of our ministers boasted
that he had put in three years on a circuit with-
out preparing a single new sermon. Believe
I
J, ^
11:-
124
A JUIULF.E RETROSPECT
me, these are the iiioii who are not wanted when
they have a few <,'rey hairs. 'I'hey use tlieir
manuscripts till they are blael: .vith atfe and
their sermons become stale as mouldy dou^^h-
nuts — to use a classic expression.
Just another word. Dr. Wakefield has been
a Gospel preacher. There is nothinj; that wi^ars
like the dospel. You cannot imaj;;ine Dr. Wake-
field dealini^ in sensational twaddle. He has
preached tlie old Gospel, preached it in such a
way as to meet the needs of the growing' aye,
preached it with freshness and vicror, so that
after a ministry of fifty years he is still in
demand. It gives me very <,'reat pleasure to
convey to Dr. Wakefield, on this ever-to-be-
remembered jubi'ee :iCcasion, the hearty conijra-
tulations of the Dundas Church — the Church
that he served so faithfully and so acceptably
for a period of five years.
THE REV. W. C. HENDEHSON, D.D.
To but few men is it <,'iven to continue their
nunistry durinjr a period of fifty years, and to
fewer still on attaining the half century limit
to have tendered to them a jubilee bancjuet. l!oth
of these distinguished privileges have fallen to the
V-
m^^'3ii^'*;^i'»
'm^^''^m^mmm:. wmiP!?wmm
lot of tl.o honored ^.ucst of this oveniri^r, „„,i i^,th
wive come in the providence ,,f (io.i, on the one
i.an.l hy the exercise of sunctiHe.l connnon s.-nse
m cirn.jr for the hody, and on the other by th..
k'ood-will and love of the Church over which he
presides. The l.an.,uet of this evenin^r {« alike
cre.htabl.,. to the con^^re^ration an<l pastor. I f.-el
It a ^a-eat i^leasnre to he present on this happy
occasion and thus to show n.y appreciation of
Kt'nuuie worth and true Christian n.an}ioo<l. We
are hero to rejoice together, J)r. Wakefield Iiavinrj
thus tar ascen.led the Mount of Transfi;.uration
cm now raise his Ebenezer. and with gladness
recount the various incidents by tlie way.
His life has been devoted to one object: he
has lived not for self, but for others.
The purest joy we must p.-vrtaku
In giving j..y tootluTs,
Our burdens we the lighter make
liy bearing one another's.
To scatter sunshine in His name
Amid earth's gloom and sadness,
Is sowing light to reap the same
In sheaves of heavenly gladness.
•"Father," said a small boy, "What is a
pessimist { " " A pessimist is a man who deliber-
ately turns out the liuht so that he may look at
mi
Ipt: i.' ; I
m
the dark side of
til
Higs," Dr. Wakulleld h
mt: t
as
12«
.-/ JUlilI.EE Rh TROSrECT
never Ix't'ti a pessimist, lie lifts iilwnys turned nji
all tlie li<rlit and seen thing's From the liriylitest
stanilpoint. The (juspel he has preacheil has
been tlie (Josju^l ol" jflail tiilinjjs It is said that
at the head of its "Sunshine" column, tht; Nni>
York Triliii lie keep.s these lines standing;:
Hiivo ymi lunl ;i kiii(hu'ss sliowii '
Pass it on.
'T\v;is not given for you jilono,
1'ii.ss it on.
Lot it travel ilnwii tlie yojira,
Let it wipe iinotlier's tears.
Till in heaven tlie di'ed appears,
ras,s it on.
Havinj( realize*! in early life thi^ «.jreat kind-
ness oF Ciud, t;i>so fifty years have been spent in
passinpf the inestimable gift on. Who can
compute the good accomplished by all these
blessed influences set in operation, and which
travel down the years in ever- widening; circles
of sweetness and power ^
From a lonof and somewhat intimate accjuaint-
ance with Dr. Wakefield, I have been struck
with three leading; characteristics, and which I
believe have been the main elements of his
strength and power.
1. His great faith in Cod. Faith in (Jod is
tho backbone of moral character as well as the
h'EV. JO/fX WAKE IT: 1 1), A/;.
127
inspimti.,,, tc, Christian achi..v.M,u.nt. fl7who
ms (J.>.lo„hi,s,si.lc is nhva-,-s i„ th. n.ai„rity
\Ve read „. th • ..|..v,M,tl. chapf-r of hJi.p.ws
<>' those 'who throu^^h fuith s,.l,.l„e,| kin-r-
. on.s. wrouuht ri.hteons.nss, ohtaiue.l pron.is;;
.stoppe,! the ...out hs nf lions.,,„enche,l the vioh.nce
of hre u-axe.l valiant in H^^ht, an.l turned to
llifflit the armies of the ah'ens."
^^Mi^l.ty faith in (Jod makes nu^hty men for
2 His jrroat faith in the efficacy of the Gospel
Ho has always believed the Gospel good enomd,'
and great enough to n.eet the needs of nianl
the panacea for human ill, the sweetening tree
for all the bitter waters of this life. The old
Gospel, the same Gospel from century to century
but having its adaptati(,ns to each age and
generation. Applied Christianity will not only
*ave the individual man, but will solve the social
and other problems of society. Hence Dr
Wakefield's loyalty to the Gospel. His mini.stry
1ms always been, in the highest and most eminent
sense, a gospel ministry.
.'J. His great fnith in himself, and this is the
best am most Christian sense : this has been a
power ul element of strength in his character
often Iea.Iing him to atten.pt great things fo^
God where many others would have faltered
1 I
f1
7-A"J_
iA^i^
128
A J U HI LEE RETROSPECT
Witliout tliis, life could not havt.' been so pott" •
for goo<l. When any promised land was in vie ,,-
he always had the spirit of Caleb and Joshu
" Let us ^o up at once and possess it, for we are
well able to overcome it." Whenever any lar<,a(
project was before the Church, no matter how
many might be timid and fearful, his voice was
generally heard urging on the hosts of (U)d, and
pleading ability to succeed. In the work of the
circuit, district, Stationing Committee, or Con-
ference his convictions were always clear cut and
without misgivings, and the sequel generally
proved that he was in the main correct. My
prayer is that his life may be long spared and
his years of active ministry extended, an<l when
at the close of another decade he celel»rates his
diamond jubilee, that many of us who are here
to-night may be present to take part in the
general rejoicing.
X^l
THE REV. fJEORGE CLARKE, Pii.D.
Few men in the Methodist ministry celebrate
their fiftieth anniversary while yet in the active
work. Fewer still .who spare themselves as
little as ])r. WakefieM has done. To begin with,
Brother Wakefield was, and happily is yet,
REV. JCWN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
12f)
r.o.sse,sso.l of a marvellous voice and a vigorous
constitution wl.icl,, coupled with good judcrment
have carried him triumphantly through where
others must have failed. Dr. Wakefield's work
■n the Methodist Church has been much more
than the or.linary work of a superintendent of a
CM-cmt, great as that often is. Few men have
iield as long, filled as continuously, with as great
credit to themselves and atisfaction to their
brethren the position of district chairman, with
all Its additional toils and responsihilities, a.s he
has done. In addition to this, he has been
honored more than once with the highest honors
iHs Conference could confer. At a time when
■n the judgment of many loyal Methodists'
<l..sc.pl,ne was not being satisfactorily guarde.l
m our Church, there was great delight created
m the Conference at the pro.spect of Brother
VVakeheld, alter being compelled to recuperate
on the other side of the world, returning to the
active work of the ministry with an enriched
exper^nce. Ic has been my privilege to have
Dr WaKefield as my chairman on difibrent
'h-stricts, and I have always regards my asso-
cation with him with inten,se satisfaction and
pleasure.
Let me briefly ref.T to Dr. Wakefield is a
predecessor, as a pastor and circuit superintend-
Df I
[mmr.'^r
VAO
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
I
I '!
ent. I had the li'-nor of following liim on the
Thorold circuit, of following him on tl)at chartre
only a few months after the greatest revival in
the history of Thorold. For a Methodist minis-
ter to go to a new field and tnu! everything left
to his satisfaction means a great deal. Yet, I
want to say, that such .satisfaetion was mine.
The mendjership roll, notwithstanding the great
ingathering, was all I could ask. Not a name
was returned, but in all honesty should have
been returned. Then there was a carefully pre-
pared record of the atHicted, of the aged, and of
a few new converts in need of .special care, that
was a great help to me in my new charge. I
not only found the good people of Thoi-old all he
represented them to be ; but I never, and I .say
this without throwing a single reflection on any
other predeces.sor, went to a charge where I
found everything in as complete order — in the
home and on tlu; circuit. All I had to do was
to simply pick up the lines an<l drive right on
about my Master's business. As a preacher of
the Gospel, as an adnnnistrator of discipline and
as a pastor, especially among the aged and
afflicted, I never expect to follow his ecjual.
And I am thankful for the pri\ ilege of being
here to-night and give this testimony.
^^iiw'.rt.^k.
f^V-JOHNWAKKFIELD, D.D.
THE REV. D. W. SNIDER.
UVHER circmnstances so auspicioP.s an.l u„i,,„e
- the present. I an. happy to «nd myself in
I uns, ,n boaufful and pictures,ue Paris^ This
pace of ,dor,c,us hills and restful valleys, and of
-nd.ng creek and river, is precious o n.e be
cause o the hallowed character of the recolll
itii;;: ; "^ '^"" '"^' '"^""-^^' -" -•> '-
;'^ r , '""""^ ,n my soul, being set ariame
'>y the du-,ne fires of thankfulness and lov"
It was in thispl.ce during the early sixties
my ch Idhood were receive,!, and the first never-
orded ,n memory-was across these ravines
My firs sle.gh r.des were down these hills. My
hrst hsh.ng was m these streams. Here I toil.d
at the A B Cs after the manner of the" d s^';
iy^n, method of approach to the gates of tZ
P'lMlege. Ihe first memories of a consecrated
.ome and of godly paren. , who now "t i^ n
i r ''-^bors n> the abode of the saints, are her"
Ihe roughcast Metho<list n.eeting house tha^'
used to stand on the river bank, Lding to th
t t
•i f?
!32
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
i 'I
w
upper town, was my tirst place of worship, and
there the preacliers of tliose days <;ave nie my
earliest coi options of the necessary ((ualifiea-
tions of the man of (jod. The most essential
was that he must have hair that put to shame
the winfj of the raven, and nnist ascend on hi<^h
like his prayers. Who that remembers the
bushy blackness of the heads of the late Jiimes
Spencer, and especially of \V. S. Griffin and (Jeo.
H. Bridi^man, in their palmiest or more hirsute
days, will find fault wilh the childish fancy ?
Alas, that many of us have not been able to
pass down the illusion to succeedinjjf generations.
In September, 18S.S, the authorities of the old
London Conference laid their hands on me and
broke the cherished plans of many years. They
interrupted my course at old Victoria and
brouffht me, while an under^^raduate in Arts, to
the assistance of Brother Waketield in this place
of my early memories, because the health of the
robust veteran and truest of honor to-nij'ht was at
that time seriously threatened with break-down
and collapse. From the instruction and culture of
collej^e halls, I pas.se<l under hissuperintendency
whose stren(>;th of character an<l splendid min-
istry Victoria has sinc(! properly acknowdedj^ed
by conferrin<^ upon him the hcmorable degree of
Doctor of Divinity. I became his Timothy.
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D.
I3;j
for luno months n.y home was with Pr
VVukeheM ni the adjoining, parsona^re. I l.^ve'
vivid and knidly ren.en.brance of every men.her
ot the household : of the earnest. thou^dUful
cultured motherhood of Mrs. Wakefield ; of rest-
loss and musical Melville, of the ambitious and
versatde Miss I.iHiar, of the anecdotal and
q>.^Cramn.atic Miss Rose with literary instincts
ot the lu^diest quality, of Hubert ea^^erly plaein..
h.s wondenn^r feet upon the paths of in.miry
('Od <.avx' us a <rood year in the work of the
(^^hurch. Many were converted and -loriously
snved Iron, amon^r the brightest and best in the
congregation. Not very long ago I received a
letter from one of them, the Kev. Joseph L.
Ualker, L.A now an honored minister in an
Illinois Conference-a letter in which he tells
again to the glory of God and my abounding
gratitude Uie story of his conversion.
w^°T, !''*"' «»^1^ close association with ])r
Wakeheld as those months atfbrded and an inter-
ested observation of his career up to this hour I
am not going to say that his character or gifts
are Ideal or perfect. His love of fine horses has
nothing t(, do with it nor the way in which he
can be tempted to purchase what he can never
n.se at an auction sale. But I wish to keep on
the good side of him, and I know he would be
'11
I
W
r^J
'5»|
l.M
A JUBILEE RETROSPECr
tlie first to re{)udiat(' the tlatterinj; stiiteinent of
his [)erfeftibility ami the man that made it.
I want however, to say, with the <f.oatest
Irt'edoin and candor — and witli thorouj^h-
f,'oin<f emphasis what many in our ^Muthodist
connexion throu^li ignorance do not believe,
vi/., — that tlie youni; men of our C'hurch,
l)robationers and younir ordained ministers,
iiave no truer friend, no more deeply inter-
ested friend from ocean to ocean, than John
VVaketield. But that leads me to say another
thinj;: Dr. Wakefield puts what he conceives to
be the welfare of the Methodist Church before
all other considerations. For the welfare of the
Methodist Church as he estimates it, he lives and
breathes, he labors and prays, he ardently loves
or openly hates : the thouirht of the welfare of
the Methodist Church is first with him and
controls him ; and men may come and men may
(JO — they are subordinate and secondary. If
any have ever thou<fht themselves impaled by
his action it was not because h(; loved them less
but because he loved our Zion more. And in
what he has believed to be for the highest good
of the Church this man of predominating per-
sonality and of stern inHexible will has been will-
ing if it were the world against Athanasius, to
let it stand " Athanasius against the world."
i !
'[EV-J^yiN UAKEFlELn, D.n. j.-j-
Nmv l.avin. thu. exprosscl whauTiJii^,
•>e the prevu.un;: motive winch, t..rou^rh fifty
years, has ^au.le.l the actions of the ,nan whon,
we honor to-ni>.ht, I shall not trespass upon the
h'-^LJ "'^J;"-*"'"^>- ''f ^^^-'- ^y any further
characterization.
Af ^h'^'T- '! n"! '''^'"'' '^' ^''^ I*^°I'^« '^^" tl'o Pari.
Mothochst Church my congratulations upon this
""•qne gathering assembled under the wann and
nn-.tnig wnigs of their Christian hospitality, and
made n.en.orahly itnpressive hy their affectionate
appreciation of their whole-hearted and veteran
pastor: and to Dr. Wakefield, one of the noble
succession ot men in the Christian Church of
positive character and action, bearing the four-
square name of John, from John the Baptist sent
iom God to John Wesley and John A. Williams
let me, as the colleague of 1883-4 and the friend
of this hour, .say devoutly : " The Lord bless
thee and keep thee : the Lord make His face
tZxT '!r' ""' ^'^^^'^^ unto thee ; the
Lord Idtup His countenance upon thee and .dve
thee peace. "
THE REV. WILLIAM BRIGGS, D.D.
Afr^w'l «^if ''"', ^^^""''•'^tulations to Dr. and
Mrs VVakeheld, and to the members and friends
v.! the Pans Church. Dr. Bri^rgs procepd.d
136
A JUniLF.E RETROSPECT
Thought, at such a tiim; as this aiui in sucli a
luei'ting as this, has a doul)Io cdj^e. It teiiiixM-s,
if needed, the retrospective and the prospeelivr
look of the mind.
At whatever point of Hfe we may have arrived,
whether more or less of the milestones that
mark the way are behind us, when we look back
alon{,f that way, does not a vastly <,M-eater part of
it lie in sunshine than in shadow '. We wdl not
forget that shadows have fallen, and that when
they fell they were dark and depressing. Still,
when each is summed up and set hy itself, when
the light and the darkness are gathered up, separ-
ated and set in opjKjsition, which is really the
greater ? Is there not much more of sunshine
than of shadow ?
Some of us may be inclined to doubt this, but
if so, do we do so reasonably ? Do we take sutfi-
ciently into account the common blessings of
afe, the daily, hourly good that comes to is
through our relations to outward nature, and
through the relations, social, domestic and busi-
ness, which we sustain to our fellow-men ?
Again, do we count in our estimate our highest
blessings, the religious blessings ; namely, the
privilege of being the rhildren of (Jod, subjects
of His government, ministers of His pleasure,
with faculties to understand His character, to
RE I : JOffN IV A KE FIELD, I). I). ] :j7
rej.Mce in His iHMlVction.s, and to ceK-hn.to His
I'ra.se ^ An<l, then^fore, c-m we not answor this
wlK,!,. <,uostion in the well-known .netrcl words:
" It is truo, thniijrii cynics (l..ul)t if,
M..1C of .sunshine tli.m ..f shaduw,
On our pjithvv.iy t.. thu Um\h.
Ismul found, iiniid Iier w;inderinj,'.s,
^ Kio licr weary iniiicli was ,.n\l, '
Eiin.'s wolls wore .■sweet and many,
Miint's pool was only one."
There is anotlier thinir in our personal experi-
ence, as we are ponderin^r o'er the past to-nicdit
w(.rthy of special notice. Have we not Cen'
ffi-owm^r all the.se years, our powers e.vpandin.r
our capacity to enjoy and understand increasin"'
our vision openin. wi.ler, our thoughts deepen-
inir and enlar^'inf>- :*
We luue brio.?ter lights, and more advanced
e.s.sons tiian our fatliers had, and God intends
that we shall open our eyes to see more, and our
minds to comprehend more, an.l our hearts to
enjoy more, than any mortals who have lived
'.etoi^ us. But not only does God intend that
wo should l,e an improvement on the past of
others, of our predecessors. He also intends that
we should be an improvement on the past of
ourselves, that we .should mount above our old-
m
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138
A JUnil.EE RETROSPECT
time i^jnumnce, tluit wo sliuuitl disdiiin the level
of our foniier l)i<,'()trie.s, that we shouM elinib to
the crest ol" the occasion, that we should staiid
on the suiiiniit ol" cpportuiiities, that thus "on
our dead selves as steppin^f-stones," we should
" rise to hi«;her thin^js." And so throu<rh all the
chequered scenes of life let the full view, the fair
view, be taken by us. Let Us reineniber all the
way the Lord has lulpod ns, and the renieni-
branco will stren<,'then liopefulness.
And now, sir, enlaroin^r the teachinu' of this
thou^dit from an individual to a <reneral applica-
tion of it, let ine say that I believe the experi-
ence of the world is calculated to stren<'thi"ti our
liope lor the world, and hence to <^ive us coura'-'e
to labor for its redemption.
Whether we think of the political, educatiimal
or relioious world, e.xperience worketh hope in
each realm. Think of politics ] Now, by politics
I do not for a moment mean partyism, but poli-
ticalism ; and the politics of lon(,mt,'o meant, anil
went to establish a stronn; jjovenunent rerrard-
less of the means. Justice, mercy, truth, had
nothin<,' to do in the case. When a man was pro-
claimed kin*,', his entire business was to make
sure of his kin<,'dom. He usually be«,nin by
removing all liis rivals: the relatives and friends
of the former king, and all his own relatives wlio
/^'EV. /0//A' IIAK'KF//-:/./)^ IKI). i;j.j
looke.1 ask.nce. Tlu- next tl.i„. vv,us to put his
lavon es ,„to oflie... This last pructice has not
.•tltoj,n-thor ,hccl out y.t. \.xt in order he went
i'^rth to conquer all thr weak provinces roun.l
ahout, una carry honu- their ^^old. an.l n.ake
slaves ol their p.-ople. That was ancient politics
-supreme selHsiiness an.l lust of power; but
politics .h.l not remain there. A new id . was
p-owino. Some may say that moral ,, ..stions
have no place in politics, but politics will find a
place anion- the ^rreat moral (juestions, and ex-
perience worketh hope in this respect, for Web-
ster s definition of politics as 'a brancli of ethics"
's bem^r widely accepted and a<lopted. It is
bein^Y"^»-^'^^'*i"^'ly seen that every problem that
iaces humanity must be face.! at the polls; that
every subject that touches the general welfare
must be grapple<l in the Le^dsluture ; that there
IS no more stupendous folly on earth tiian to
suppose that politics can ^dve any moral ,,ues-
tion the slip.
Now think of the educational world, and can
we not say that this is an age ahead of all pre-
vious eras of educational progress ? Churches are
taking hold of educati<jn : governments are tak-
ing hold of education ; there is a demand for
knowledge, and there is an effort made to .supply
the demand by the philanthropic powe.Vof
1
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140
^/ JUHIl.l.F. RETROSPECT
Church uiid State. This is jin ti^n- when kiinwl-
e(l;ff has heen hroiiirht down from the MuiiimitM
<»l' Hocit'ty to l)e spiciid over the pljiiii.s. 'I'liis is
an u<,'c of e<hif^atioiuil institutions, IVoni connnon
schools as the has.- up to Hi<,di schocjls, and Col-
le^'iatc Institutes and rnivcrsity ( 'ollej^cs, as the
steps to an apex (;n which is the cuhiiination of
Imnian thouj/lit, or on which is the focus li*,d>t
from the first Hash of educated tliou;,dit. And
the knowled^fe wldch arises fn^ii tliis libt:. !
education is not only diti'used with a facility, and
an extension which places it within the reach of
all, hut it is a knowIed<,'e which is increasing.
Its organ of sight and the attributes of the mind
are strengthening; and in all its ingenuity it is
seeing farther. The arm of its industrial achieve-
ment is striking harder, and the thoughts and
facts of its discovering power are travelling with
a rapidity which puts human calculation at
fault.
In higher education at the beginning of the
century, an.l later years, even within the time of
the ministry of our dear friend whose Jubilee we
celebrate to-night, woman received but scant
recognition, and the majority of people thought
that reading and writing were enough for any
girl. In the business world she was seldom tru.sted
to sell a yard of calico or count a dozen of
A' A-/'. y<9/AV WAKEI'IEID, D.
n.
141
i'%'«;th.- .,n-hty masculine miiul alono wascon-
snlom ..,Mul to these transact io„,s. The century
which has ^ron.., a.ul especially the half of which
wetlunk,.Fto.ni;rht,has 1....,, a woman's con-
tnry, a century of e.lucation, of .,n.m\ uplift-
".^': ucent.ny in which won.an has co.ne to her
clucational and industrial opportunity
And now think of the Chri.s.ian reli;rio„_thc
cause <,t every advance i.. politics, in literature
"' '-^Hnd in science. Hero we n.ark. not a
|'> ■ d or monumental institution, huta^^row-
•n^^ force. The Kev. H. T. Brown, the ^.Poatly
»>eIoved and popular Baptist .livine in Liverpool
shortly before his death said, " When I Io<,k hack
I really cannot find the time when any portion
ot the CJiurch was as much onhVhtened as many
portions of it are now." Consider our own coun-
try We have the one Presbyterianism, the one
Methodism, and a closer fraternal union of the
churches, for never, it appears to me, have the
heart and mind of Christendom been so .renerally
ami fondly turned as during the present year or
the years our minds are dwelling upon, toward
Christ —
" The sinle;;s yo;irs
Tliat breathed beneath cerulean bhie."
What of our Methodism i In 1842 we were
divided, and but one-Hfth of the population of
li»5^"
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142
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
the Province. We are a unit now, and are about
one-third of Ontario's people. So much for the
(juantity of our Canadian Methodism — a jjrovN ing
quantity. What ahout the quality ? Is it
growing? I mean is it growing better? Still
the (juality is ditterent. Then the Methodism
was the camp-meeting, the educational, the
shouting, the hallelujah Methodism — not a bad
kind, remember. I am not stating it to scoff at
it ; far from it, for it was a soul-saving Methodism.
The "old-time religion " is still good enough for
me. Now the Methodism is more quiet, more
thouglitful, more practical, but in giving to the
Lord and in working for the Lord, I believe tlie
Church has not backslidden.
The singing wus more general then, and more
lively; more openly articulated, if not as educa-
tionally artistic. The lung power of Methodism
was grand. In those days, when Methodism sang
" I'll praise my Maker while I've breath," they
meant it, and used nearly all their breath in
singing it.
The praying was more fervent; long, dull
prayers were not very often heard. Such praying
ones weree.xhorted to " cut them off at both ends
and set them on fire in the middle."
The preaching had more of the spiritual
abandon, more of the awakening; the sin-con-
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 143
vincing and soul-converting resulting from the
there and tlien preachinnr. Yet, Mr. Chairman
count me not a pessimist. I am an optimist in
relation to our Chureh in giving, praying, singing
and preaelung, as well as working ; for our youn"
people are working nowadays as never before''
And experience worketh hope that still more
ia.th. more .eal. more energy, more missionary
enthusiasm, more willingness to sacrifice self
more charity, and more holiness may be ours'
Ihe Lord hasten it to our churches, and all the
churches of His care. Amen.
For a variety of reasons several of those invited
to thejub.lee banquet were unable to attend, and
forwarded, with their letters of regret, their
el.c.tations and good wishes. Many others, also
throughout the length and breadth of the land
took occasion to ".joy and rejoice " with the great
ffithenng in Paris on the unique event. From
a multitude of letters, addressed either to Dr
VVakeheld or to Mr. Lewis Maus, the Recording
Steward of the Church, we select a few af
mdicating the great and abiding love that Dr
U akeheld has awakened in the hearts of those
who have been associated with him in his loner
years of service in the Church.
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144
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
THE REV. E. D. KYCKMAN.
I HAVE considered well your invitation to the
jubilee bancjuet to be <riven to your pastor, Dr.
Wakefield, on February 18th, now approaching,
and am sorry to have to say that I shall not be
able to be there. I could f;ive several j^ood
reasons.
Nevertheless I am thankful for the invitation.
I should like very nmch to spend an evening
with the good people of Paris, of whom myself
and family have the pleasantest recollections on
their own account ; but doubly glad when they
mean to do honor to such a man as ])r. Wake-
field. I honor him myself. My ac<iutnntance
with him began forty- ine years ago, when we
were students together at college. I began by
thinking well of him, and from that time to the
present each successive year has but deepened
my respect ajul afi'ection f' •>. I have been
associated with him in ah . ery relation in
which Methodist preache? come together,
and I hnow him, and a more iiianly, honorable,
generous, judicious, and, in everyway, likeable
friend I never found in the whole of our vast
brotherhood.
I rejoice that he has attained to his jubilee.
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 145
and that his acceptability and usefulness are
increasing instead of diminishing.
I shall be with you in spirit at the banquet,
and feel assured that the occasion will be worthy
of yourselves and of the beloved pastor and
friend whom you seek to honor. Mrs. Ryckman
joins me in what I have said in these lines.
Yours very truly,
E. B. Ryckman.
THE REV. J. S. ROSS, D.D.
I THANK you heartily for your very kind
invitation to be present at the jubilee bancjuet
to be held in honor of your pastor, Rev. Dr.
WakeHeld. As I find it impossible to attend on
account of special services, I wish you would
kindly convey my sincere regrets. If present
and had an opportunity to speak, I would join
enthusiastically in all the kind, good and true
things said of my old friend, the Rev. Dr. Wake-
field, whom I have known for over thirty years.
He has ever been a stalwart with a kind heart
below— just and jealous of the purity of the
Church, but always fair. When thoroughly
convinced that an unpopular measure is right,
he may, in upholding it, have fear, but no one
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146
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
ever saw signs of it. I have known many men,
especially ministers, but for nieeting emergencies
with superb courage, when heroic treatment
was neede.l, John Wakefield excels them all. He
liolds the respect and confidence of the Connex-
ion for his loyalty to the doctrines and principles
of the Church of his youth, an<l for his well-
balanced juiigment on the various perplexing
([uestions which have come bef. re him m the
several Boards, Committees and Conferences of
the Church. His honorary degree of D.D. was
conferred upon him unanimously l)y the Senate
of Victoria University, and in addition he has
been elec.jd to nearly all the leading ofiices the
Church has had at its disposal, which he has
tilled with credit to himself and general satis-
faction. Not every travelling preacher's life is
filled with years and honors, and rarely do we
find one who, amidst the many hanlships of the
early itinerancy, reaches his juV)ilee year.
Therefore, when it arrives, let hearty congratula-
tions, felicitations and good wishes for the future
be the music of the hour.
With best regards, believe me,
Ever truly yours,
J. S. Ross
w?Tw:wwm
RF.V. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 147
THE rp:v. wm. kettlewell.
It is with the keenest regret that I find myself
un.ible to Jiceept your kind invitation to be pres-
ent with you on tlie occasion of the jubilee ban-
quet to the Rev. Dr. Wakefield on the 18th of
February.
I feel very proud of tlie Paris friends that they
are not allowintr the unusual opportunity of such
a jubilee celebration to pass without recognition.
I think that probably no minister of our Church
more worthily represents the heroic generation of
Methodist ministers that has all but slipped away
from us. The pioneer e.Kperiences of Dr. Wakefield
are of more exciting interest to the lover of his
Church and country than the well-written novel.
It is a matter of surprise and congratulation that
one wlio courageously faced the hardships of our
early history should still be so vigorous and suc-
cessful in his ministry. Will you kindly pre-
sent my apologies, and express my wish that Dr.
Wakefield may be spared to many more years of
usefulness in connection with our beloved
Church.
Yours sincerely,
Wm. Kettlewell.
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148
A JUIULEE RETROSPECT
MR. Z. B. LEWIS.
Allow me to congratulate yon on the fiftieth
anniversary of your ministry in connection with
the Methodist Church. Our acquaintance was
made in Cobourg while attending college. Well
do I remember the many pleasant hours spent
together at our boarding house on Division
street. The interest you took in my spiritual
welfare will never be forgotten. Through your
reasonings and prayers I was led to change my
mode of careless living, and felt the need of a
Saviour. What a change took place ! I first
felt the weight of sin, and afterward the great
satisfaction of knowing my sins were forgiven.
" Happy day that fixed my choice."
I will never cease thanking you for your lov-
ing and comforting words of counsel and advice.
It has been my good fortune to enjoy much of
your society during the past fifty years, and
during your ministry on this circuit a kind Pro-
vidence honored your efforts with a great revival.
Many have died in the faith, and a few of us
are left on our way to the better land. I so often
think of you when I review my past life. I
trust the reunion banquet may be an occasion of
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.D. 140
unmingle.! joy. I would much like to attend
and meet you and your numerous friends, and
wi.sh you (Jod speed. Trusting' you may
have many years added to your useful life is the
prayer of your sincere friend,
Z. B. Lewis.
THE REV. J. G. SCOTT.
Permit me. however, to concrratulate you and
to join you in gratitude to the Head bf the
(Church for tl< honor which rarely comes to men,
but has been given to you, of preaching the ever-
lasting Gospel lor nearly a half century. You
helped lay the foundations of our Church, rear
her walls, and develop and sustain in her that
spiritual life wliich is her crowning glory.
I think of you, and of others, your fellow-
laborers in the ministry, I am thinking also of the
future of our Church. Your jubilee banquet re-
minds methat the long bond which hasunitedyou
to the work you love must .soon of necessity be
locsened. From otlier lips men will soon listen to
the words of eternal life. Your interest in many
things, fresh, vivid, and hearty for fifty years,
will become by a law which is common,' fainter
and fainter, until down the corridors of memory
you will gaze to recall, with an effort, the names
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150
A jubii.ee retrospect
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\
ami circumstances so familiar to you nvcn now :
but deeply on your lieart, which will not soon
for<ret, will be indc^libiy enifraven the names of
the churches where you have ministered, the
confjre<;atio» s <j;athered within their sacred walls,
anil the ti'iu ^phs of the truth in the salvation
and puritici ' >n of men there witnessed by you.
And if you can never forj^et these crowninpr
glories of your ministry, neither can thos(!, many
of whom are on earth and many in heaven, who
have h^Gw enriched forever by them. I cherish
the hope that as the work of the tVthers draws
to a close the children may be baptized for the
d('!>d. So may the bright succession of manly,
common sense, intelligently pious, conseerate<l
men, run, preventing our graveyards, where
sleep the ashes of the fathers, from becoming
richer than the Churches.
Yours in hearty congratulations,
Jno. G. Scott.
THE REV. STEPIIKN BOND.
Dkar Bkotheu, — The receipt to-day of the
St<i r-Tr<i,iiscr'ii>t withax'eport of your great jubi-
lee celebration prompts nie at once to carry out
a purpose which I had formed of writing you
.w^'-^:::'m^'
REV. JOHN WAKEFIELD, D.I).
151
for tlie purpose of fxprt'ssin*,' my sense of loss at
the (lejitli of your brother Dutiiel, and in the
next phice of con^^ratulatin;,' you on the attain-
ment of yijur ministerial jubilee. I had noted
the latter fact before I received the paper, and
felt that I would like to express my delight a.',
the f'act. I remember distinctly the time when
you first preached as a local preacher in the old
Thompson's church. I wns at Ayr, in Mr. R.
Seniors store tryin^j how I would like clerking,
and s(j was not })re.sent, but I heard of it, and I
remember how prou<l the members of that church
were of j'ou at the time. During our lengthened
period in the itinerancy, it is somewhat strange
that we were never even in the same district at
the same time, nor in the .same Conference since
the division. But I greatly appreciate the fact
of your steady and honorable history in this
great work. And I must congratulate you on
the history of the past, and hope that in age
you may still have strength to follow your loved
emplo}'.
It is fitting and the promptings of my lieart
lead me to express my sympathy M'ithyou in the
loss of your only brother. J was at his liouse
for two nights a year ago last August and enjoyed
the opportvniity of renewing ac(|Uaintance, and
renewing old memories. He was a true man
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152
A JUIULEE RETROSPECT
m-
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and walked in the v v.s of rivrhteonsness. I can
see how a man beer nos lonely amidst many
friends when all liis earlier ac(|uaintance.s and
relatives pass away Happy is the man who has
a strong hold on the world beyond.
Your ministry, with the exception of the short
term spent at Sherbrooke and Aylmer (Kast), has
been within a comparatively limited area, while
mine has been spread over a great portion of
these two provinces. But we are nearing one
goal.
Receive kindly expressions of regard from the
one who, though never vi ry intimate, has known
you the longest, probably, of any one now in our
ministry.
Yours ^i. ly,
.S. Bono,
THE IlEV. CHANCKIXOR BURWASH,
S.T.D., LL.D.
Until the end of last week I had heU; fast to
the hope of being with you to-morrow on the
auspicious completion of your fiftieth year in the
Methodist ministry. Uur Board is engaged in
important financial and other delil)erations
which we hope may place our A liiui Mdtcr in a
position of permanent financial and educiifcionil
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NEV. JOHN WAKEFIELl\ D.D. 15.1
stren;,'tlj, Lee from the eiiibfirra.s.sinents of the
I>Hst. All itiiportiint meeting on \Ve<liie.sday
mak.'s it imperative that I should avoid a late
session Tuesday iiii,'lit, as now my strength is but
small.
Let me, lunvever, add my word of congratula-
tion to that of your many friends. I remember
well the beginning of your fifty years' work,
when, after a year uii.ler the chairman, you
entered college in the autumn of 185.S, and with
Stobbs, Tew and Lainl now in heaven, and
Parker, Henderson and Ru.s.s,and others still with
us, took part in the glorious revival which gave
our country such grand men as Carman, Ryck-
man. Senator Kerr, Judge Brit ton and scores of
others, and which made Victoria from that day
to tliis a centre of spiritual power for C^unadian
3Ietho<lism. Vou will pardon this little reminis-
cence, and believe me, with prayers that (Jod may
still add to your years and the fruits of your
laboi'v.
Yours in Christ,
X. Br n WASH.
TJIK KKV. CANOX VLFTJKD JiHOWN.
I AM glad to know that your many fricnrls,
both in and out of town, are combinin"- to tfiidor
ir.4
,-; J I nil r-'F. av / a'< 'SI'/-:
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you ;i conipliiiicnli ;y li;iiii|Ui't iii r. .■^fiiiti' t'
your having' I iiiflctfd tit'ly yt'iirs ct niiuisi vyX
lilV'. ] rcMT, ,1' 1 ciinnot Ix' pn"-! ut 01 >o
iMtort'stii _ ;in I" r.i 'mt 1 w ! 1' to > prcs: iiy
sympathy witii tli • ct of : ti. 1 ''1 ' lii; '
rospt'ct " I ' >tct'iii \'\ vl, h 1 1 i. ''
MCipiaitu nee has not b' u S' loiij^ui -*<> ■•■ iinia'<'
as otliri ot" ail friend . itut " h: bei'ii
sntlicieni y so as to Irad to I iiii i vci lii<^'h
opinion ■ '' your cliaractcr, and 'o !'■ ' ' ui lliat
your dl .cium; ilnrin^' tin- lon;_ \ 1 fifty
yc'u s \\. . bnii uidtoindy f\ "d lioso
l! iifjs winch uiako tor truth ai i^li I'-s
Witi kiml ri ards ' >r 'urs. ,. \\\ l;i li!
a ' |)niyiiii; th, ytiu may -pan lor 1 lan
varsi't Usefulness ani! ha]>]
Bfiievi' me fid Id'ii \ ■. !•
A i-'Hi.i) 1; '\^
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P.
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Soiilti ini lit
of the silvel' ' vs uu
of vonr fri'ii
I ^l our years
d I T'oiiU'li n|)ini >UH
'1 . H V T -
f^.V. JOflN WAKF.l-lEI l\ DP.
inr,
iiiiiis il
.;[)r('s.' iiy
t!i.- hi '
■ M. ^
iina!''
h. berii
vci \v'\\
111 iliiii
it\v
I'M ll(»SC
• la Mil
iOf I lilll
J; .\v
V.
our years
'■ i])iii'' 'IIS
i
\VKI.LIN(;T()N ST. cmiUJH, |{K.\NT1(»KI).
Joi n P >L 1,1. hi).,
t'lnii iiHii II liniiitfnnJ l>istricf,
M thai list f/mrc/i, I'urls.
Dear I'.ik.t I am iii.stnjotod t.. forwanl
y- the folic j; resolution, passed at the
i iterly Mretii ^ on the 14th Inst. :--
''he <,)iiarter y Koar-l of W .■llin«,'toii Street
Ch rch (iesire< to conjjratulate Kev ' )r. Wak- -
ficlu on theatt.innieiit of his juhiler asa preaeher
in die Method ; Cliurch. We devoutly thank
• oniplisheci hy him thiouffh
We pra\' tliat his how mav
i"^rh, a id thai many more niay
throuffli his ministry."
VS M WlI.KiXS^ x.
Rcriifil I III/ Sft'iriird.
JoiTX PlCKERlNc;, Pitstm:
( iod for the \S.i
these ma^^
still ahide ■,
he led into th
'i ;t-
15«
A JUHILEE RETROSPECT
THE INVITKD GIJKSTS.
It .^ .
Rev. Dr. uihI Mrs. (irillin, Tnnnitn.
Dr Jno. Potts, "
Dr. Sutherknd.
Dr. N. Uurwfish, "
Dr. I'arker,
Dr. CHnufin, "
Dr. Ikigf^s, "
W. M. Cruij^htoii,
H. \V. Woods worth,
John iiiul Mrs. Mills, (iiii'lph.
.lohii I'hilp, D.D., Kingston.
E. 1$. Kycknum, D.D., Cornwall.
Wni. MfDonagh, Stratford.
A. K. and Mrs. !luss.
D. W. and Mrs. Snider, Sinicoc.
J. S. and Mrs. Williamson, D. D. , Berlin.
G. W. Calvert, IngersoU.
John (J. Scott, '*
Win. and Mrs. Kettle well, Mount Forost.
.1. II. and Mrs. Hazel wood, Hamilton.
Alex. Dmgford, D.D., Owen Sound.
Peter German, Cainsville.
1). L. Brethour, D.D., Niagara Falls South
W. C. Henderson, D.D., Burlington.
Jno. Kay, Thorold.
W. F. Wilson, Hamilton.
J. S. Ross, D.D., Walkerton.
J. M. Hagar, Acton.
Jno. Pickering, Brantford.
(J. K. B. Adams,
REV. JOHN WAKEFIEI.n, D.D.
157
Rev. ,1 \V. .Smith, Bnintfonl.
" Win. Savage, Guelpli.
" <i. Clark, Ph.D., Wiarton.
" Jas. Harris, (Jiiulpli.
" S. \V. Jackson, Klora.
" U. W. Rowe. Cainsville.
" <ro(). \V. Fienderson, St. Mary's.
" S. S. Sellery, Duiulas.
" Dr. Jno. and Mrs. James, Paris.
'* E. D. and Mrs. Sikox,
" T. M. and Mr.s. Cameron, '*
" E. and Mrs. Cock hum,
Mrs. .John Wakefield, "
Miss Rose Wakefield,
Miss Lillie Wakefield, "
Mr. Hubert Wakefield, Los Angel.'s.
Mr. and Mrs. F. M. Wakefield, Honolulu.
Dr. Frank and Mrs. Wakefield, L-.s .Vngeles.
Mr. and Mrs. W.ilter Robson, W.ishington.
Laymen.
T. H. Preston, M.P.P., P.rantford.
R. S. .Schell, Es<i., ,
Jno. Mann, Es(|., "
Wm. Wilkinson, M-.A., "
J. B. Grafton, Dundas.
W. H. Keagey, "
W. R. Hooming, "
S. F. Liizier, Hamilton.
Wm. Hunter, "
Jo.seph Gibson, Ingersoll.
R. UaHS, Washington.
Jno. Read, Stratford.
J 58
A JUBILEE RETROSPECT
Will. (liirtliiier, (.'hiithani.
R. L. White, Hamilton.
K. liutler, Ingeisoll.
/. B. Lewis, Niagfua Falls SduIIi.
<iei(. Allen, Burlin;^tnn.
Win. McClary, Thoi-uld.
W. IJ. Calder, (iriinsby.
Press Rki'Rkskntatu ks.
C. W. Liiwton, Pmi.'i Ili'i-ieir.
(j. W. Feathorston, Shtr Tinn^rriiit.
<i. V. Brown, liniid Ej/Hi-iitoy.
Dr. Duiiton, (Unhc.
W . 1). Creiglituii, Chiisli<ni Oniinlixit.
If;-