"THE SCOTTISH SPURGEON"-THE REV. JOHN M'NEILL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1942, 7 February 1889, Page 30

"THE SCO TTISH SPURGEON"-THE REV. JOHN M'NEILL.

It was at Houston, a village of Kenfrew : . shire, on July 7, 1854, that John M'NeilT first saw the light. His father, who is now spend* • ing the evening of his life in Glasgow, is a native of County Antrim, but comes of a Scottish stock. Crossing the Channel 40 years ago, he settled in Houston, where he married, and in whose quarries he gained his livelihood. The home was teetotal; hence the " Scottish Spurgeon's " war with the bottle. When he 12 years old the family removed to Inverkip ; the farmer be- r coming foreman in a quarry there. At the : village schools the boy received an education consisting of the ordinary English branches, " together with the rudiments of Latin and: French. On leaving school the lad entered the employment of the Caledonian Railway Company as GATE BOY AT INVERKIP STATION. By-and-bye he became a porter; and ono day he had a narrow escape when coupling waggons. He can never forget having been a "railway man." The finger nipped by the buffers is ever before him. After three years in this humble occupation, he was promoted to the booking office at Greenock. Spending his Sabbath under his parental roof, he worshipped with the family in the Free Church of Inverkip; and under the ministry of the Rev. Peter Douglas, he became conscious of a great change in his attitude toward God. His conversion, however, had not been preceded by a course of open sin. He lately remarked that he was a " converted decent man "—a kind hard to convert. He was about 19 when this occurred ; and with the courage which is so great a feature of his character, he at once stood up, and testified to being on the Lord's side. Ever . giving satisfaction to his employers, he was SENT TO EDINBURGH in the year 1875 to take charge of the com-* pany's town office at the .east end of Princes street. In a^few weeks he saw reason to give up his post ; but he at once got a clerkship in the North British Railway Company's offices across the street. Since his conversion he had been in the habit of addressing religious meetings ; and now he threw himself heartily into the work of the Young Men's Christian Association, His capacity for public speaking soon became apparent; and many friends in the city urged him to stiidy for the ministry. Following 'their advice, he relinquished railway clerking, and in the autumn of 1877 entered the University of Edinburgh. It was a bold step ; but if he had any doubts of its propriety, they were dispelled by a conversation with his mother. When he told her what he had done, her lips quivered ; and her countenance betrayed unusual emotion. Then came words he can never forget, " I have never told you. But I meant you for that before I saw your face." There are many Hannahs ; but how few can let their sons await the Lord's call I With marked emphasis Mr M'Neill is wont to say that his mother and be were always " great friends." Three years were spent at the Arts classes ; and during all that time he supported himself by MISSION WORK in connection with Free Sfe. Bernard's Church— work which, of course, precluded all endeavour after academic distinction. Ever courageous, he entered into matrimony during the last year of his curriculum in Edinburgh. His next step was to remove to Glasgow, where be attended the university for one year and the Free Church College for four years, all the time supporting himself and his family by mission work. On receiving Presbyteriai license to preach the Gospel, he was invited to become the minister of, the Barony Free Church, Glasgow, a church with 1000 members. Thinking the " charge too great for a young minister, he declined it, notwithstanding: a tempting stipend. Soon afterwards he was called by the M'Grie-Rox-burgh congregation in Edinburgh. It was a small body made up of two decayed Free Church congregations in a poor district of the city. Accepting the call, he was ordained in the summer of 1886. His SUCCESS HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL. Scotsmen dearly love a sermon ; and when it was announced that a second Spurgeon had appeared in an Edinburgh pulpit, there was a rush to hear him. Grave people hearing of the 'odd sayings which made his audiences smile, and of his extraordinary tin* conventionality in the pulpit, shook their heads and wrote him. anonymous letters. Others went to hear him for themselves, and came under the spell of an earnest preacher who believed that he had a -Divine message to men, and was not particular about the

way of delivering it, provided that he got it into their heads and hearts. The church, which was seated for 600, soon became insufficient for the crowds which resorted to it. So the evening service was held in a drill hall or circus, the audiences numbering from 3000 to 6000. The Wednesday evening congregations filled the church. Opinions differ as to the constitution of the Circus gathering, but the non-church-going element is very considerable. All classes in the city are represented, but the majority are well-dressed people of its middle class, who attend the service pretty regularly. All that seems wanting to form a great congregation is a permanent building capable of holding about 4000 people, and definite steps have at length been taken with regard to the proposal for ereoting A " TABERNACLE " IN EDINBURGH. There was some fear that if the Free Church did not busy itself to provide such a place, Mr M'Neill might see it his duty to make an appeal to the public at large to provide him with one on undenominational principles ; and indeed this fear has not altogether been removed from the minds of certain of his own congregation. It is said on the best authority that the subscriptions, though the list haa not yet been formally opened, amount to over £2000. One 3ady, a wellknown giver, and a member of the Free Church, has intimated her intention of subscribing £1000, to be paid in fh c years at the rate of £200 a year. Other names, for suras of £25, £50, and £100, have also been published, and it is thought that when the appeal has been fairly launched there will be little difficulty in raising the money. A man of splendid physique, he used to indulge in ALL MANLY SPORTS, such as swimming (he once swam three miles at a stretch), throwing the hammer, and tossing the caber. Even yet he could give you a valuable hint as to putting the stone, and might name the Australian cricketers as easily as the 12 Apostles. To alcohol and tobacco he has always been a stranger. He possesses that mysterious magnetism which gives a man power over his fellows, and he unites in his character the shrewdness and humour of the Scot with the emotionalism and generous impulse of the Irishman. Dr Stuart, of Dunedin, in a letter to a Glasgow friend, wrote : "In the evening ] heard Mr M'Neill in the Circus. He preached powerfully to thousands. At the close he asked me to say a few words and pray. He has a noble voice and a fearless spirit. If he hns the organising talent of Ross, of the Cowcaddens, he will prove another Spurgeon. I greatly admired his dash, his faith, and his tenderness. Some of his illustrations were excellent. It was a treat ; I could have cheered again and again." Mr M'Neill has been appointed to succeed the Rev. Dr J. Oswald Dykes as pastor of tho Eegent's Square (London) Presbyterian Church. — Town and Country Journal.