GOSPEL TEMPERANCE MISSION.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1142, 6 May 1885, Page 5

GOSPEL TEMPERANCE MISSION.

Mr Matthew Burnett, the Yorkshire evangelist and Gospel Temperance lecturer, arrived in Lawrence on Saturday, having addressed the people of Waitahuna on Friday evening and induced a number to sign the pledge there. Mr Burnett, who has been engaged in temperance work for some twenty-two years, is now acknowledged to be one of the greatest of living social reformers in that particular line. He is by no means an orator ; but he possesses a far rarer gift— viz., siucere earnestness, and that is the secret of his marvell«ua success. He is a man with a story to tell, and he tells it well, often giving expression to bursts of genuine eloquence. At seven o'clock on Saturday evening Mr Burnett, after singing " Hold the Fort," addressed a crowd of something like 200 people in the vicinity lot Boss .Place. Mr JNTeill acted as Chairman, and introduced Mr Burnett. An adjournment was made to the Presbyterian Church, but only a limited number followed.- The Committee entrusted with the management of the mission previous

to Mr Burnett's arrival had clearly mad a mistake in not engaging the Town Hall, as large numbers, who wero anxious to hear Mr Burnett, refused to go to the Ohurch. From this little piece of mismanagement, the mission on Saturday night • was almost a failure. Although the general public was invited to the Presbyterian Oh arch, yet it must be borne in mind that there are prejudices to be overcome before different denominations can be induced to consider the church of any particular one as common ground ; and as Mr Burnett labors in the interests of all sorts and conditions of men, a meeting-place where all could have met on neutral ground should have been chosen. Those who, from whatever reason, were debarred from hearing Mr Burnett's address on Saturday evening missed a treat, such as they are not likely to get the chance of every day. Mr Stenhouse took the chair, and the Rev. Mr Griffin opened the meeting with prayer, after which the Chairman introduced the lecturer, stating that he was the first temperance lecturer who had visited Lawrence. Mr Burnett said that he was extremely well pleased to learn that he was the first temperance lecturer who had addressed them. He would have liked to have spoken to the fathers and mothers whom he saw among the crowd gathered in the street ; but as they had not come to the meeting he must content himself with speaking to those before him. He asked them if they preferred to hear an address on pictures from real life, in which he included such men as Father Matthew, Dr Guthrie, William Wilberforce, Spurgeon, and the newlyappointed Bishop of London, Dr Temple. I On the matter being put to the vote, the subject intimated was that preferred. Mr Burnett said : The picture which I will try to place before you to-night is one which I never tire of looking at, and one which is treasured up in that gallery where so many others lie, ever to be re- { called. Among all those who have come out of darkness into light, through the blessed work of Gospel temperance, there is none I hold dearer than Dr Edward j Mitchell, of Ballarat, the genius and clever occulist, born at Birmingham, which has produced so many eminent men — among them John Angell James, who toiled in the cause of humanity for fifty years, a most eloquent preacher, lecturer, and prolific author, who left behind him tens of thousands of mourners ; and Canon Miller, the Non-con-formist minister, a - gentleman of large heart and catholic spirit. Charles Vince, who commenced life among the toiling brotherhood of working men and rose step by step until he became a great light in the cause of social reform, was a Birmingham man ; so was George Dawson, who Uttered stirring and inspirited words to many during his life; and Joseph Sturge, who went to the Czar when the horrors of war were threatening and did all that he could to avert bloodshed. To return to the subject of my address : Edward Mitchell was the son of a goldsmith, of Birmingham. He was the youngest son, and he used to delight in spending hours in the workshop, working at inventions with which he meant some day to astonish hia father. One of his inventions is known as the " Mitchell Gold Pen." He spent some years at college studying law ; but afterwards devoted his attention to medicine, making his special subject that of the eye. He went to London with brilliant prospects, and entered upon his professional career. But unfortunately in his young days he had learned to drink and gamble. I speak of a period when few, either professional men or clergy, closely allied themselves to temperance ; when it was considered the correct thing to drink wine with a friend and to take beer for dinner. But it was not long before Edward Mitchell got a craving for brandy. Still he found time, amid the pressure of his professional duties, to work at certain inventions, fifty of which were favorably received in the Old Land. Twice he was appointed on a Royal Commission, and once he was summoned by the Queen to Buckingham Palace to explain some of his inventions to the Prince Consort. At the Great Exposition he explained numerous inventions of his own to the crowned heads of Europe. But for the blighting curse of drink, Dr Mitchell might have ranked among the leading men of the nineteenth century. The craving for drink grew upon him, and the love of gambling got a firm hold of him. Soon it was observed that Dr Mitchell's hand had lost its steadiness, and he speedily fell from the high position which his genius had won for him. Feeling his position painfully, he withdrew from London in the palmy days of the Victorian goldfields, and took passage to Melbourne. Time rolled away, and Dr Mitchell had the ball at his feet ; but he drank and gambled until he had drunk and lost £100,000. Hope rose occasionally in his breast, only to be dashed again. He took delirium tremais. Strong men gathered round him by day and watched with him. By night no candle was allowed in his room. He became a raving maniac. He vowed when the attack was, over never to touch drink again j but he met in with boon companions, and spent his nights in gambling and drinking, while his patient ; and uncomplaining wife plied her needle in solitude. The noble wife of Dr Mitchell while alone would pour out her heart's sorrow to her Father in Heaven, and in the end the day of deliverance came. Dr Mitchell had sunk very low in the scale of manhood — the saddest sight that the angels can witness this side of eternity. He sank so low that people i regarded him as hopelessly lost, and called him " Old Drunken Dr Mitchell." But there is no such being this side the grave and eternity as a hopeless and irreclaimable drunkard ; the grace of God can reach even them. While addressing I an assembly of about 1,600 people one Sabbath evening at Ballarat, where Dr Mitchell was residing, T observed a man, with tall, well-knit frame, standing just within the door. I could see that he had known better days, and T noticed that his i restless eyeß followed me. On inquiry I was told the man was the notorious Dr Mitchell. People told me that if I could get Dr Mitchell sober and keep him sober it would be one of the greatest of living miracles. I called upon Dr Mitchell next morning. At first he received me coldly ; but when offered a platform- ticket to admit him by the side-door to any of my lectures, he cordially invited me to come in. A platform-ticket had never before been offered to anyone in Ballarat. I left,and on that day Dr Mitchell resolved to reduce his daily allowance of brandy from two bottles to. one. On Saturday night the doctor came by the side-door on to the platform, and the people were astonished to see "Old Drunken Dr Mitchell." I told the life-story of .1. B. Gough, and* gave a brief outline of my owp. I turned around and saw that the case of Dr Mitchell was not hopeless ; his

face alternately flashed and turned deadly pale. I spoke a little longer. I urged those who were bound under the chains of drink to come forward and sign the pledge. I aaw that Dr Mitchell's eyes flashed fire, and before I could say another word he rose, amid cheers such as I never heard before, stepped to the platform and signed his freedom. It was the dawn of a brighter and more glorious future for him. From that night until his happy spirit winged its flight to his # home of rest, he kept his pledge. He lived to regain his position, and to pay off £1600 of debt, and to labor in the cause of temperance. On Saturday nights he gave lectures on the physiological aspect of the question. He returned to the church from which he was never known to absent himself afterwards. When his death came, he was followed to the grave by thousands of the working men, for whom he had labored.— At the close of Mr Burnett's address only a few came forward to take the pledge. On Sunday Mr Burnett conducted a children's service in Lawrence in the forenoon, held service at Blue Spur in the afternoon, and conducted a religious temperance service in Lawrence in the evening. The Ohurch was crowded to the door, and many more would have come had the service been elsewhere. A number stayed behind and signed the pledge; but as Mr Burnett was not altogether satisfied with the arrangements, he intimated his intention .of returning to Lawrence as soon as possible, and holding a couple of week-night meetings in the Town Hall. He left on Monday for Roxburgh and the other goldfields towns en route to Queenstown.