The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-12-12 00:00:00

W &E =EX.

THE REV. HENRY PELHAM STOKES, M.A.,
THE MISSION PREACHER.

The life of this earnest awl eloquent mission preacher
forms the subject via sketch in the B'uc Rihtoii arizettc
of Wednesday. We take the following extract:—
The itev. Henry Pelham Stokes was torn at East-
bourne, Surma, Noveuther 25th, 1851. His father is
rector of Whitton-cum-Thurle.ton, and it iral B-an,
lie warn educated at Queen Elisabeth's School, Ipriwich,
under Dr. Holden, and proceeds I from there to the
University of Oxford, where he graduated at Queen's
Collage in 1874, At • very earuy age he expreleed
great desire to become • missionary, and often used to
erect a pulpit in his father's house, and preach to his
family and the friends staying there.
One who is now in the presence of the King often
used to recall the Sermon ox a portion of the " Pilgrim's
Progress," and tell of the earnestness and simplicity
which characterised it. During his school life, how-
ever, his tastes seemed to change very rapidly, owing
to his being thrown much di the society of his cousin,
Colonel Robert Palmer %Laden, who served in the
Ahyseinian Expedition, and for the rest of his school
life his inclinations were turned towards the army.
Just before he made up his mind to enter Sandhurnt,
and to put down his name for the :Z d It ,yal Wel-h
Fusilier., his parent', who were agar St his entering
the army, decided that he should proceed to Oxford,
and accordingly he matriculated there. The ..id deli.°
for the army became strong-r and stronger, whereupon
he entered the lit Oxford University Rifle Volunteer
Corte, and took part with them in the autumn
mancsurree of 1872, wishing again to join the army.
During his cate-r at Oxford, the foundation of his
religions principles seemed to be completely shaken, '
and he fail into the society of some atheistical young
men ; for throe years the early Impressions of child'
hoot seemed to be buried, but happily and pr .viden-
tient they soon burst fo.th Into' newness of life."
At this close of his Oxford life he remained in Lou-
don waiting for his commission, and during this time
he lived in the giddy whirl of (whit:viable s ciety.
One evening, while playing a game of whist with somefriends, the Holy Spirit of G.ti came down upon him,
and brought a great desire into his mind to go and
hear Mr. Moody. So strong was this desire that he
gave expression to it, which naturally caned some
degree of amusement amongst the company amembled.
However, be wan perfectly wretched all that night,
and on the following morning came down tu
breakfast still more miserable. Many of his friends
that day in &Von-row remarked it, and asked
him if he was ill, to which he replied, "Something is
coming over me: I cannot tell what." After dinner
that evening he drove up in a hansom to the Agricul-
tural Hall, irdington, and on reaching the hall he saw
hundreds coming away, unable to get almisnion.
Nothing daunted, be pushed his way through the
crowd, and found one seat vacant at the far end; anti
when giving the account of his conversion from the
pulpit be always says—. God kept that seat for me."
He could only hear a very small portion of the
address, which was on the text, " The Spirit ant the
Bride say, Come And let him that in whim c .me.
and whosoever will, let him take the water of life
freely." Mr. Moody went on to " Perhaps there
are some who are deaf, who di not hea the Spirit and
the Bride' perhaps there are some hungry and not
thirsty. Therefore God said to His beloved disciple
Before we close our book let us put the offer of •
tion as broadly SS We possibly cso, Whosoever will,'"
and, be sail, 'Who...over '—th st is you, young m. 0."
It was the king's arrow of conviction. He saw it all,
and was among the first to rise when Mr. Moody
asked those who wished to become Christians to stand
up to be prayed for.
He walked out with hundreds of others into the
inquiry rocn, and the Lord bent Captain the Hon.
Ramada Moreton up to him, and on the evening of
March 23rd, 1875, he "pissed from death unto life."
Directly after his oonversion he we/ appointed secretary
to Captain Moreton, at the Conf 'reacts Hall, Mildmay
Park, and here he was trained in evangeliatic work for
six months; and just before proceedmg to Italy for a
holiday he was suddenly sent by Gldid, in a remarkable
, way, to the Highlands of Scotland, where he met with
' Mr. Aitken, at that time incumbent of Christ Church,
Evertor), LiverpooL The result of that meting was
the way was opened for him to take holy outer., and
shortly afterwards he was ordained to the curacy of
Cluist Church, Evertun, under Mr. Aitken's enoosinor,
the Bor. B. D. Wore.