| Rev Joshua Ervin |
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For nearly seventy-eight years our good methodical broyher took daily lessons in the school of life and every day made a contribution to his store of knowledge strengthened his self-control, widened his survey of the world, clarified his vision of the Divine hand in the history, of human kind, and stimulated his heart and soul to perform to the best of his ability the work God had called him to do. The demonstration of God's power to create a new heart had been made ever so plain to young Joshua Evan Ervin and his keeping and directing agency so richly displayed in his experience, that the young believer and ardent worshiper found himself powerless to decline the Divine summons to preach to others the blessed Gospel that was so sweet to his spirit; and the privations and the hardships of the itinerancy of that early day had no depressing effect on his courageous soul, aflame with love. He made the best preparation for his life work his opportunity permitted. September 6, 1861, he was united in marriage with Miss Minerva Mercer. Three of their four children survive. For over forty years' this consecrated couple shared the same trials and joys of the itinerancy, before the faithful wife was called to come up higher. The records of the North Indiana Conference show that besides serving for a season as president of the Farmers' Academy, Brother Ervin was pastor of Methodist Episcopal Churches in the following cities and towns: Portland, Camden, Tipton, Peru, Muncie, Kendallville, Mishawaka, Wabash, Auburn, Bluffton, Ligonier, Union City, a term of six years on the Kokomo District, Angola, West Marion, Pierceton. South Whitley, Cicero. In several of these churches Brother Ervin served for a second term, which is a telling evidence of his acceptability. Another proof of the exceptional popularity of the brotherly, kind-hearted man in his parishes is, that so many devout parents who had enjoyed his ministration to so great a profit were moved to show their love for him by conferring his name upon one of their sons. Some showed him this honor long after he had ceased to be their pastor. To-day there are scores of men in middle life and under in the learned professions who respond when the name Ervin is called. There is not a known instance of one of them dishonoring the name. The defensive charm is not in the name, but in the Christian training of the homes where the name is revered, as the reminder of the blameless example and clean personality of the minister who had enshrined the name second only to the name of Jesus in their memories. His former parishioners recall him as the pastor who was pure, undefiled, above questionable deeds, with the Scriptures written on the tablets of his memory, always ready to rebuke, exhort, and lead souls in love, or lift his hand in blessing. In 1906 he was united in marriage to Mrs. Eliza Rickard Smell, whom he had known as a parishioner and near neighbor during his pastorate in Simpson Chapel. Both were admirably suited for glorifying, each for the other, the evening of life. Both were more at home in the Bible than in any other body of literature. Both found the highest gratification of their taste in the fields of Christian experience and Christian biography. Both found their chief attraction in the house of the Lord. Both appeared, during the quiet years of their retirement, as constantly conscious of precious inward joy, but when going to the house of the Lord, their supreme felicity came to the surface, their Christian love shined out in the glow of a full assurance they were about to receive the manna that comes from heaven. How wonderful heaven will be, if sweeter peace prevails there, to what these choice spirits realized here. Next to the privileges of this church, Brother Ervin relished the sweet fellowship of the Ministerial Association meetings. He was the friend of the pastors of this church, the friend of every member. The district superintendent and his Conference brothers were remembered in his prayers. The Church of Christ continues to be the birthplace of souls of rare purity, rare felicity, of manifestation, rare exemplification of the manifold features of Christian virtue, and our hearts tell us Brother Joshua Evan Ervin belongs to that par-excellent group, and we shall find him there, but we shall also find he retains the same modesty and humility that beautified his presence among us. The devoted widow and. noble children are not paying him the last tribute of respect to-day. They are just coming to know him in a new light — a glorified spirit forever with the Lord. |