J.J. Rouse

John James Rouse (1869–1951) was a Canadian Plymouth Brethren Evangelist, associated with early Canadian Gospel Hall Assemblies.

He was born May 15, 1869 on a farm in the township of Oro, Simcoe County, Ontario, Canada. In his early years, Rouse claims his life was a testimony to the truth of Romans 3:16, "Destruction and misery are in their ways." He gave examples such as deliberately tearing his brother's coat in strips; being sent with a basket of eggs to the store, and on the way seeing a stump which he used as a target to throw the eggs against; breaking the windows in his father's cow stable.

In his early teens, Rouse joined a gang of boys who blocked the door of the Presbyterian Church, sermon in progress, using wheels from the hay-rakes found in front of the blacksmith's shop. These they packed into the church porch so that the only way the congregation could get out was through the windows. Then they tampered with their buggies so that the occupants would be thrown out on their way home from the meeting.

They would scare people by hiding out in the Knox Church cemetery at night with a ball of lamp-wick wrapped and sewn, soaked in coal-oil. They would put on leather mittens, and toss the lighted ball back and forth, putting the fear of ghosts into their superstitious neighbours

The climax of their antics came when Alexander Marshall, Dr. James Law, and Dr. J. N. Case had pitched a gospel tent across from his farm. One night, Rouse's gang led an old horse up to the tent, and pushed its head inside the door. Then they put a bull thistle under his tail, causing the horse to plunge into the tent, creating havoc and spoiling the meeting for the night.

As Rouse contemplated eternity, he became fearful of death and judgement. He tried to be good, and attended Methodist Church meetings, thinking this would get him to heaven. He went to Sunday School in the Sons of Temperance Hall where he memorized whole chapters and whole books of the Bible. But still, he had no assurance of salvation. On several occasions he had close calls, where he was sure he would die. On one such occasion, in March, 1885 he had a close call while turning the horses around in the snow and brush of a wood. Fearing death, he cried out, "Oh, God, I'm lost, there's no use of me trying to be good." He got the wood on, and was on his way home, when he saw that, according to Romans 5:6, "Christ died for the ungodly," and he remembered that moment as the time where he "passed from death unto life."

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