Evening star., 1909-05-24
TO A GREAT EXAMPLE
Tablet to Memory of Dr.. Ham,
lin Unveiled.
SERMON BY DR.. CHAS. WOOD
Services Yesterday in the Church of
the Covenant.
TRIBUTE BY WIN. E. CURTIS
Deeds and Character Of the First
Pastor of the Church Set Forth
in Appropriate Eulogy.
TRIBUTE BY WIN. E. CURTIS

in Appropriate Eulogy.
A tablet commemorating the memory OF
Rev. DR.. Teunis Slingerland Hamlin. first
pastor of the Church of the Covenant.
who died two years ago. was unveiled at
the morning service yesterday. The cere-
| mony took place Immediately after SER
mon by Rev. DR.. Charles Wood on THE
Immortality of Fame" which was In
large part q tribute to DR.. Hamlin The
congregation gathered In the rear OF the
church. facing the tablet, which hangs
| over the center aisle.
William E. Curtis, representing the
board OF trustees. delivered a brief but
| touching address,; Mrs. Elbert Hamlin.
wife OF DR.. Hamlin's eldest son, un-
fastened the two American flags cover
ing the tablet. and two sons OF DR..
Hamlin drew them aside. The bronze
tablet contains a bust Of DIR. Hamlin,
and is inclosed In an oak frame. The in
scription Is:
'"Teunis 8. Hamlin. 1s47-19O7 First
pastor of this church. His life was an
example to all men. His death was tri-
umph of faith. His memory Is a benedlc-
ton
Dr. Woods Sermon.
In the course Of his sermon. DR.. Wood.
speaking on ''The Immortality of Fame"
said: "A provincial teacher, with hand
full of disciples and a multitude of enc
mics, upon whose feet woman pours
oil from a flask of extraordinary beauty
and value, makes the hazardous and au-
dacfous prediction that this deed shall
have a worldwide and undying fame.
So stupendous a claim exhibits a sublime
confidence. 1t reveals apparently at the
same time sad lack of perspective. II
shows, seemingly, a hopeless blindness
to the universal and resistless sway of
dlsintegrating forces and an entire obliv-
iousness of historic facts.
shall a kind act done to a Galilean
peasant survive when cities like Babylon
and Nineveh, empires like Assyria and
Egypt have utterly perished?'
After referring to the desire to prolong
ones self into the future. Dr. Wood said:
I'VE are to unveil here this morning a
tablet of one who. like this woman of
Bethany, brought his best to the Master
he loved. He broke his alabaster box of
life joyously. pouring out its spikenard
| on the feet of his Lord. All his powers
were put forth for the glory of Christ.
Abilities Of a High Order.
"Teunis S. Hamin's abilities were of a
high order. He was the best preacher l
ever heard said the president of one of
our great educational institutions. who
often sat in these seats. He had few su-
perior as an organizer. He left nothing
| to chance. He was an unwearied worker,
ready at sunset after full days exhaust
| ing toll to crowd into the night the work
| of another day. He was an indefatigable
pastor. writing sympathetic letters and
| making comforting and inspiring visits
INCREASINGLY. There is hardly home con-
fod rI,,r f0h fv,
| twenty-one years has not known in some
intimate way the tenderness. the SYM
pathy. the counsel, the admonition, the
| encouragement Of this good man. said
| a worker with him during all those years.
He was tender, trusty and true as min
| lister in the church. as q citizen In the
commonwealth, as husband and father
| In the home, as q man among men.
His ideals were SO high that he was
always dissatisfied with himself. The
| souls that most look up are the humblest
souls He appraised the efforts Of others
the command, In honor preferring one
another Your speech I once heard him
| say to a friend. was far better than
mine And he thought SO, whatever
others may have thought.
For nearly twenty-one years he served
this church he loved. and though he was
doubtless strong enough to have stood by
| Paul's side as he assures the church at
Corinth that I will very gladly spend
| and be spent for you. though the more
abundantly l love you the less be
| loved. but he was never called to de-
| scend, like Paul, into the soul-chiliing
| depths of Indifference and ingratitude.
! The heart of the church beat in unison
with the heart Of the minister. In his
/ last anniversary sermon he said: 1t is
priceless privilege to have been for
| twenty years the pastor of such a church
as this. God has permitted us to live
/ a nd uN a friends n
| each other In the deeper love of our
common Lord. 1t has all been good. 1t
is all precious. I thank my God upon all
my remembrance of YOU"
In his peroration DR.. Wood said: Him
that evercometh will I make a pillar in
| the temple of my God. and he shall go
no more out forever
Tribute by William E. Curtis.
Mr. Curtis tribute follows, in part:
| 1T has been a little more than two
years since a heavenly messenger sum-
moned DR.. Hamlin to the presence of His
Master. In looking back over the twenty
one years of his ministry, with that per-
spective we are able to realize more fully
our obligations to him, and to appreciate
| with greater accuracy the value of his
service to this congregation and this COM
munity. For he was a model citizen, as
we'll as model pastor.
"At the hour of his sudden departure
he was in the fullness Of his strength, and
zeal and usefulness; but few men ever
accomplished more within the limits Of
his life. Certainly no young church was
ever more fortunate in having for its first
pastor man of his remarkable business
talents. combined with deep spiritual
nature and an unfaltering faith.
when the Rev. DR.. Hepburn Of Toxic.
dean of the missionary corps in the far
east was asked the most important quail
ity for a missionary. he replied. 'Sancti-
fled common sense and DR.. Hamlin had
that quality to an unusual degree.
His religion was real and practical
thing; he found his creed and the methods
of his ministry in the Sermon on the
Mount rather than in the dusty tones Of
the theologians. and he had the faculty
of inspiring those whom he taught and
loved with his own confidence and en-
thusiasm.
HE left the impression of his person
ality wherever he appeared-strong. but
gentle; tactful. yet determined; resource
full, but prudent; freely lending his own
great strength and sympathy to tighten
the burdens and the sorrows of others.
Those who knew his voice and the
clasp of his hand need nothing to remind