REV. MARK GUY PEARSE.

Evening Star, Issue 8553, 27 June 1891, Page 4

REV. MARK GUY PEARSE.

At the City Hall last night, before a large audience, the Rev. Mara Guy Pearse delivered a leoture on ' Some Old Folks at Home, and Sketches of Cornish Religious Character.' The Rev. S. Gibb occupied the chair, and there were also on the platform the Revs. W. Will, J.M. M'Kerrow, J. Gibson-Smith, J. Ryley, J. M. Fraser, G. W, J. Spence, D. Button, and L. Hudson. Rev. Mr Spence apologised for the absence of Rev. Mr Oliver, who was indisposed. After the singing of the 100 th Psalm, and prayer by the Rev. Mr Will, The Chairman said that when asked to take the chair he gladly consented to do so. As a Presbyterian minister it afforded him very much pleasure indeed to have such an opportunity of giving expression to his warm admiration of and deep sympathy with the great Wesleyan church—(applause)—a ohuroh whioh had done, was doing, and would, under the blessing of God, continue to do a right noble work for Christ's cause and kingdom in the earth. From the work Mr Pearse was doing with Mr Hugh Price Hughes—(applause)—in the West London mission, a great many of them had received instruction in the works of the Lord; and by his books Mr Pearse had put them under a still greater debt of gratitude. If Mr Pearse succeeded that evening in imparting to them more pleasure and profit by his spoken word than he had imparted to them by his written works, that would be a redletter day in their history, He then called on the

Rev. Makk Guy Pearse, who, on rising, was received with loud applause. He said he had to talk to them about eome old folks at Home, and the feeling that had prompted him to do so was one that was worthy of appreciation. We had here room, hope, and opportunity, a great land, one yet scarcely explored. In a land like this one could not help living in the future. But it was a perilous thing for any people to live wholly in the future. Whilst we had the branches we must not forget the roots. And while calling ourselves a nation it was well to remember, and we did remember, the Home, the Motherland, that Great Britain which made us all one. A man might pas 3 what Acts of Parliament he pleased, he could not change his blood or his fathers, and in hia talk that n'ght he wou'd bring back to many of the older people little bits of memory that would soften the heart and brighten the hope of Heaven itself, as th&y thought of it enriched by the dear old saint 3 who might pass on before them. And for the young people it would be good to bring out all the quaintnesß of the old folks at Home with whom he was most familiar. Five years ago he was going round the Isle of Wight on board a eteamer with two American gentleman, who began to speak to him of some of his books, and he told them of some of the dear old men and women he had known of old, who had kindled in hia heart a holy feeling for goodness. One of the gentlemen said to him that if ho went across to America and told such stories there not a hall in the States would be large enough for tho people who could listen to them. And so, not long after ho had been in America, he found placards announcing that he was to deliver this lecture, and finding that it was acceptable there he thought it might be acceptable out here also. —(Applause.) Mr Pearee proceeded to make reference to some Cornish characters with whom he wa3 acquainted in his youth, and he did so in a manner no touching that the audience listened with rapt attention to his every word, and many an eye Wis dimmed with tears. The Cornishmen, he remarked in passing, had a distinct character of their own, which was accounted for, he had no doubt, because Cornwall was separated, as it were, from the rest of England. After reference to the fact that many term3—parish, for instance—were dying out, and that the various dialects were also becoming things of the past, Mr Pearse took in hand hia favorite character, Old Rosey, whose gentle history, so far as it affected the speaker's life, was most pathetically depicted. After the singing af a couple of verses of 'The Rock of A?e9,' Mr Pearse said that when leaving England nothing touched him more than the letters he kept getting for the few days before he left from fathera, mothers, brothers, and sisters requesting him to inquire for those of the family who had gone to the Antipodeß. Going so far from their native land he quite understood thi'.t some of them might have a tendency to forget the old folks at Home. It should not ba, and if there were any there that night in such, a position ho would implore them to bring back to mind the days of their childhood and their kind and loving parents. The Cornish miner's character was next referred to, and in prefacing a humorous story concerning one of these always happy individuals, Mr Pearse said he believed that God made humor, and that the Devil did not make it (applause)—and could not if he would and would not if he could {applause and laughter)—that humor was one of God's best gifts ; that it was a great folly on our part to allow the Devil to run away with such a gift; and that above all msn living a preacher was the man who most wanted a spice of humor.—(Applause and laughter.) After reciting one or two stories bearing on Cornish mining life and habits, Mr Pearse asked his hearers what effect the lecture would have upon tbem. He hoped it would be this: that they would live to make people think well of Jesus—(applause.) After prayer, concluding wiih the benediction, had been offered up by the Rev. Mr Pearse, the Chairman asked the meeting to express an opinion as to whether Mr Pearse should, on Monday night, lecture on ' Hugh Latimer' as advertised, or give another lecture on 'Old Folks.'

The vote was decidedly in favor of the latter course.

It wa3 announced that Mr Pearse will give a Bible reading at Trinity Wesleyan Church this evening, and will preach in the Garrison Hall on Sunday, morning and evening.