Chapter 26: The Converted Usurer

OUR meeting hall in Santos was anything but an attractive-looking place, being an old coffee warehouse with cement floor and bare red tiles — that is to say, they were red once, but now, together with the rafters and cross-beams, of a very dingy color. It was the best we could afford, however; and it had a little dark room in the back which served as Convenient living quarters for Jose and myself.
We had been holding meetings for about two months, and though some appeared to be greatly interested nobody had yet come to a definite decision. It was very unusual, and very perplexing, for in most cases there are a few ready to make open pression after attending the services regularly for two or three weeks.
One of these interested foil: was a quiet-mannered young man who never missed a meeting, and who agreed with everything. We had great hopes of him, and devoted considerable attention and prayer on his behalf, yet without result. As time went by I grew uneasy, and told Jose, my companion, that it was time our friend made a decision. He had received much light, and it was dangerous to go on in his condition.
After that we never failed gently but persistently to urge the man to a definite step of faith, but without success. He seemed to slip through our hands every time.
One evening after a meeting, I was dealing with him very firm, when I noted an unusual with a strange flush on the face of our phlegmatic friend. He ended all my efforts by affirming that I need not doubt him, for he “believed in God,” and so forth. A sense of indignation moved me, and I exclaimed, “But it is written that ‘the devils also believe and tremble.’” At this the young man flushed still more, and in an unnatural voice cried out, “Yes, and the devils will be saved!”
This was quite a new experience to me, and though I made some protest or other, when the man left I was feeling very much wounded in spirit and troubled in mind.
Consulting Afterward with Jose, we came to the conclusion that the man was a Spiritualist in disguise and was hindering our work, and we resolved that should he appear again we would test him with the Word of God, according to 1 John 4:1-3.
At the next meeting there he was, as unctuous as ever; and when the gathering was over I concentrated my attention on this very significant case.
Proceeding, cautiously, I found that he did not believe in Hell — always a serious indication. “That being so, if you deny what God’s Word affirms on this point,” I exclaimed, “tell me, do you believe that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh?”
“No!” he — or rather I should say the spirit in him — replied, with the same unnatural vehemence I had previously observed; adding, “but in Spirit, yes!”
“Then by God’s Word you stand unmasked; look here!” and I read him the passage, and 2 John 10:11 also.
After this rebuke he absented himself, and we had a glorious time, seven souls being converted within two weeks. One of these eventually became one of the finest native pastors and evangelists Brazil has ever seen — Samuel Mello.
Samuel Mello was a moneylender on a large scale― a successful man, of very attractive personality; he was also a thirty-three degree Mason. He was first drawn to us through receiving some tracts and a Gospel, with which we were canvassing the town.
A well-dressed man of some education, I felt little satisfaction when first he entered our coffee warehouse. I knew him to be of a class difficult to reach — a successful business man of the world — and wondered why he condescended to enter such a place as ours. Mere idle curiosity! I thought. The wonder increased when he reappeared at the next meeting, and continued to attend, rain or shine, though living two miles away. He always left as silently as he entered.
He began to read the Bible, and was soon under deep conviction, which was intensified by reading a copy of Pilgrim’s Progress. He felt his own need to “flee from the wrath to come,” but something kept him back — “he had great possessions.”
One night, at the close of the service, it was evident that Senhor Mello was going through a great struggle. Nothing that we could say seemed to help him; there was so much to give up, so much to face. He trembled and held back. At last his unwillingness to kneel was overcome. As we knelt in prayer the power of conviction overwhelmed him, and he wept bitterly, the stout bench shaking with his deep emotion. I needed to help him in prayer as a little child, for this clever, eloquent man, the orator of his Lodge, was helpless to say a word for himself in his supreme hour of need. Very definitely he sought forgiveness, and as definitely trusted and gave thanks. After a few words of encouragement he quietly left us―a saved man, “a brand plucked from the burning” — to become an instrument in God’s hands for the salvation of many.
It soon became evident that God had done a real work in Samuel Mello’s heart, for a day or two later at one of our meetings he stood up, and quoting the text, “Let the dead bury their dead,” he gave a remarkable and stirring testimony.
He closed down his business at once, heedless of great financial losses. Passing by his place of business about that time I saw large bills posted across the premises, and this is what I read: “No more loans on securities. This business is in liquidation.” He publicly renounced Freemasonry and other doubtful things, and trusted himself, his family, and his all to God. His old friends thought him demented, but in reality he had “come to himself.”
Within three months he was preaching the Gospel in the city of S. Paulo with great freedom and convincing power, and our hall was nightly thronged with eager listeners.
He became a great man of prayer, spending whole nights interceding with God for sinners. Beginning in low tones, his earnest voice would unconsciously rise with his fervor, and many a chance passer-by at some late hour of night would pause with awe at the sound of that loud, pleading voice. In the morning the floor around where he had knelt would be all wet with his tears.
Within six months he undertook his first missionary journey, and as a result many were converted and a Church established in the State of Minas.
A few months later he fitted out another expedition on horseback at great expense to evangelize the two southern States of Parana and S. Catharina. After journey full of blessing, Senhor Mello and his companions reached Paranaguα, a city of about 8000 inhabitants. A room was hired and the Gospel preached, with such result that in a day or two it was necessary to hire as large a room as could be found in the place; and one of his companions set to work and made seats for two hundred people. Night after night the hall was packed with eager and interested people of all classes. Every available corner was filled, the average nightly attendance reaching three hundred and fifty people.
The whole town was soon in an uproar, and the priests published against us a strong manifesto, which was circulated throughout the city. The following is a translation, minus a peculiarly scurrilous and immoral paragraph which shame forbids me to reproduce:
“CATHOLICS!
“Indulgent as we may possibly be in our attitude towards modern thought, still, when insulted in what we consider most sacred by newly-arrived adventurers who, under the pretext of preaching the Gospel, have shown themselves to be iconoclasts and the personification of charlatan anti-Christianity, not having even the simplest notions of the respect and consideration due to the Catholic religion and the noble Catholic population of Paranaguα, deceiving the simple hearted, and calling forth our just indignation, it is not possible for us to remain silent and indifferent.
“Bold and blind fanatics, irreconcilable and incoherent, barbarous in their language and in their deeds, they suppose that they are preaching to barbarians.
“After publicly insulting the Holy Virgin in their meetings...
“What fierce and mean hatred have these icons clasts shown, if we are to believe the reports that circulate freely! Let our protest be pacific and energetic, keeping within the limits of the law. Yesterday in their meeting hall they tore up the printed images of our Lady of Rocio.
“It is necessary, therefore, that the Catholics of this noble city make amends to the Holy Virgin for the great insults and blasphemy which have been heaped upon her, and let it be done publicly and solemnly. For this object the faithful are invited to be present this evening at six o’clock in the Church, where a well-known priest will preach about this question, and immediately Afterward the reparation will be made by prayers. Let the tender virgins carry flowers to crown the image of their and our Mother.”
This manifesto was scattered all over the city; but in the providence of God we received warning of it several hours before its circulation, and so were able to issue a counter-manifesto of exactly the same appearance as that of the priest, denying the charges, declaring our intention at all costs to preach the whole counsel of God in Paranaguα, and inviting the people to come and hear for themselves the pure. Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The effect was tremendous. The public demonstration by the priests ended in a fiasco; and when next day we circulated another and larger manifesto, dealing with the false charges made against us, and justifying our attitude against idolatry by publishing the Second Commandment (according to the Roman version of the Bible), the battle was ours, or rather God’s; and the meetings were more thronged than ever. For over sixty nights running on hall was filled with appreciative crowds, giving a total attendance of over eleven thousand.
The opposition of the priests collapsed. The Freemasons, after trying to create a riot in several of our meetings, and shouting, “Death! death!” against Senhor Mello, also had to retire shamefaced from the field.
The Spiritualists, who have hundreds of adepts in this city, tried to creep into our meetings, and under the guise of sympathy did us great harm; but we devoted our attention to exposing and denouncing this arch-deceit of Satan, warning the people that the god of Spiritists is the Devil, and saying that we disliked their friendship and discountenanced their attending our meetings; after which we were all satisfied to know that they had thrown off the mask and declared war. Amen! May God ever deliver us from any compromise with men, or from any false charity or humility in treating with the Devil or his agents!
During all this time our brother Mello was preaching with that enduement of power which comes from on High. As the meetings continued his hands were strengthened for a short time by two other brethren from Sao Paulo; but their words seemed flat and uninteresting — though they were experienced Christians of many years standing — as compared with the power and freedom of Senhor Mello.
The next step was to have a hall of our own; and a building was erected with accommodation for about three hundred people, having a pastoral residence adjoining. The whole cost was defrayed by Senhor Mello, and it just about exhausted his remaining resources. In about two months’ work over a hundred persons made a profession of faith in Christ. The majority were young men who had given up drunken, vicious, and impure lives to follow the Lord; and seventy of them were baptized by me a few weeks later.
The opposition of the priests was now limited to inciting the “Faithful” to insult our people and to stone them as they proceeded to the meetings. One night I was rudely awakened by a huge stone crashing through a window of my room, breaking two panes of glass and part of the window casing. I gave thanks to God, for when the Devil is mad salvation is at the gates. The next day an old lady about seventy years of age destroyed all her idols, and turned to the Lord Jesus Christ as her only Hope.
Senhor Mello not only devoted all his wealth to the cause of Christ, but literally spent himself in His service to such an extent that his health was affected; and after a period of temptation and suffering it pleased God to call him Home. His deathbed scene was a glorious and never-to-be-forgotten spectacle. He sang himself into the Heavenly Kingdom, full of joy unspeakable, with glory lighting his face.
Oh! the power in that Gospel, which drew and won this fast-bound worldling, adding another saint to the glorious history of the Church and another redeemed sinner to Paradise!