TEMPERANCE MISSION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1398, 29 September 1885, Page 2

TEMPERANCE MISSION.

On Saturday evening Mr Matthew Burnett, the temperance lecturer and social reformer, arrived in Geraldine from the south. On Sunday he began In's mission in the district by conducting the morning service in the Presbyterian Church. A large congregation assembled to hear Mr Burnett, and be preached a very eloquent and interesting sermon, choosing his text from the third chapter of Bt. John’s Gospel, chiefly referring to the passage “ Ye must be born again.” Mr Burnett speaks with great earnestness, and though his power of voice is not strong his delivery has an amount of force, which, combined with his earnestness, gives him entire control of his audience, and he never fails to command their attention. In the afternoon Mr Burnett addressed a large assemblage of Sunday School children, teachers and friends, in the Public School, where he gave an address of advice and encouragement, especially dwelling upon the necessity of earnest labour among the teachers, in whose hands lay the moulding of the character-—or, as the lecturer put it, the sowing of the seed—in the heart of th<> scholar, which would germinate and come to maturity as the life ot the scholar went on. The superintendents of the Presbyterian and Primitive Methodist Sunday Schools also took part in the gathering, and a number of Sankey s hymns were sung by those present. It was arranged that Mr Burnett should hold service in the old Wesleyan Church in the evening, but seeing the large number that had gathered to hear him in the morning and afternoon, it was thought advisaffe by the Managing Committee to obtain a larger place of meeting. The Oddfellows’ Hall was therefore utilised, and the foresight of tire management was soon apparent, for at the appointed hour the hall was fried, and later on was packed, many having to find seats on the platform. To allow his con gregatioa a chance to hear Mr Burnett, the Bev. Mr Clark fell in with the arrangement, and went and took his seat with Mr Burnett on the platform of the hall. After two of Sankey’s by mas had been sung and prayer offered up by Mr C'ark, the lecturer stepped forward and delivered an address upon the parable of the Prodigal Son, He drew vivid word pictures from bl • of some of the greatest prodigals he bad met with in the Home Country and Australian Colonies. Ho was listened

to with great attention throughout, and at the close many were the expressions of pleasure which those present gave yent to upon hearing such «n interesting address. Last evening (Monday) Mr Burnett was to lecture at .'Mjotsburn, and this evening he will hold a mass meeting in the Oddfellows* Hall, which will be presided over by Angus Macdonald, Esq. The suhj-ctof the lecturer’s address will be references to the lives of Father Matthew, Dr Guthrie, and Canon Wilberforce. On Thursday evening instead of holding a meeting at Geraldine Flat, be will again conduct a mass meeting in the Odd* fellows’ Hall at 7 o’clock.