THE McNEILL-BURKE MISSION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 303, 20 December 1894, Page 2

THE McNEILL-BURKE MISSION.

Yesterday ovening the Rev. J. McNeill and his colleague, Mr J. H. Burke, opened their mission in Auckland by an evangelical service in the City Hall. The upper portion of the building was crowded, and in the lower there were only a few empty seats. On the platform, where a raised stage had been erected, was a choir of about a hundred voices, led by Mr Culpan, and in addition the following ministers of Auckland :—lievß. G. B. Monro(Piesidenb of the Auckland Ministers' Association), T. F. Robertson, R. Sommerville, 11. F. Macnicol, A. Carrick, J. Steele, J. Blaikie, A. Petere, C. E. Ward, S. F. Prior. The Revs. Hudson of Devonporb, Norrie of Drufy, Macdonald of Te Awanauta, and Ryburn of Gieborne ware also present. After a hymn, in which all the audience joined, had been sung, the Rev. Mr Carrick engaged in prayer, and then Mr McNeill announced another hymn. After this bad been sung, he introduced himself to the audience. The fame of the celebrated preacher haa preceded him so much in advance, thai) a very sbrong interest and curiopiby was naturally felt in this his first appearance. Every eye was turned towards him when he first stood up, and every ear was attentive to what he might say. Mr McNeill is a strong, healthy-looking man, a litble above the medium height, squarely built, and with a rather full face, the lower part of which is covered by a board. The expression of the countenance conveys the idea of an earnest, kindly and unpretentious man with strong individuality and no humbug. When be speaks this idea is further confirmed by hie whole manner. He pretends to none of the graces of the polished orator either in speech or action. He speaks with his native accent, making no affected attempts to Anglicise his utterance. . He searches aftor no lino phrases, eschews all rhetorical flourishes, and all sensationalisms, but is as natural before a large audience as if he were in hia own house. His action would probably offend an elocution master. Never for one instant is he still on his feet, and hia hands are incessantly in motion. Now he puts his right hand in his pocket, the next instant it is waving in the air, the nexb is passed rapidly over his forehead and head, and ever and anon it descends on his lefb with the crack of a pistol. Bub all this is bo natural and eervea to show the pure unaffectedneea of the man and hia perfecb earnestness of character, that where in another it mighb eeetn exfcravaganb and uncouth, in him ib adds to the impressiveness of what be is saying. Mr McNeill has great fluency. He never is aba loss for a word, and it is generally the righb word thab he chooses. Perhaps his greatest power is in description —vivid description ; and this power strikes one as all the greater when we notice that ho usoa none of the tricks of the rhetorician to bring up a scene beforeoureyes. Hismetaphorisquitehomely when he uses metaphor, which is not often. His ordinary way is merely to present the scene he wishes to describe in the light which will most quickly appeal to his hearers. No straightor, more colloquial form o speech could well bo imagined, no happier combination of quiet, honesb humour with earnest appeal. Keen Scotch humour and cloar Scotch cense are apparent in every sentence. There is nothing fanatical in the man, bub his whole speech scorns to spring from a deep senao of the reality of the things which are eternal, and an all embracing desire for the establishing of God's kingdom on earth. Before the offertory waß taken, Mr MeNeill explained that expenses in connection with bbo carrying on of the mission wore heavy, and he aakp,d the audience to contribute just as they could afford. To those who wished co give nothing hia advice was to keep their money. Mr Burke then sang " Will Your Anchor Hold in the Storm of Life?1' and Mr McNeill preached from I. Samuel xxii., 1, 2 where ib is said thab when David was in hiding in the cave of Adullam his brethren and all his father's house joined him in his adversity, and every one that was in distress, in debt and discontented repaired to the cave also. With great power and earnesbneßS he drew an analogy between the position of the annoinbed shepherd-king in his adversity and thab of Christ's Church at the present day, dwelling at length on the fact that ib was distress such as drove so many to David's hiding place that led so many nowadays to find peace in the despised Saviour of the world. Distress and discontent were as great factors in the building of Christ's kingdom as they were in the establishment of David's throne. Tho address was listened to with very marked attention throughout:. Mr McNeill will continue his mission on every evening this weok except Saturday,