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Andrew Murray
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 A Ministry dedicated to preserving the truth and accuracy of the infallible Word of God. |
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| The Revivals Page 10 | |
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Return to Revivals Main Index >> The Revivals "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" Psalm 85:6 Restitution still holds a prominent place in the revival program. One conscience-stricken traveler hands over 1s. 7d. to the Rhymney Railway Company, in payment of a nineteen mile journey some time ago without a ticket. A Rhymney business firm acknowledges the receipt of 5 pounds from an anonymous person in payment of an old debt, long disregarded. A collier, who has formerly spent his money on all kinds of sinful pleasure, has removed his younger brother from an orphanage, and has decided to support him with his savings till he is old enough to provide for himself. At one service a man with a tear-stained face rushed from the gallery to a pew downstairs, and, clutching passionately the hand of another man, entreated to be forgiven. It was evidently a request not easily granted, so the two repaired to the vestry, where the wrong was satisfactorily rectified, and then the two men newly-reconciled returned to take a happier part in the service. The conscience of the community, as well as of the church, seems to be quickened. At Pontypridd for years past it has been customary to give bottles of whisky as prizes in connection with the Volunteer shooting competition; but this year every man who formerly gave a drink prize has given a money prize instead. The change in the language of the crowds has been just as marked this Christmas as the change in their drinking habits. This change can not be more suitably expressed than in the two verses which have now disappeared from that well-known hymn, No. 366 in our new book:
Suffice that for the season past
But, 0 the power of grace divine! Whilst bands of enthusiastic workers have paraded the streets, arresting the attention of the care-less by joyful song and earnest invitation, homely meetings have been extemporized in cottages, and here some of the most precious experiences of the revival have been obtained. "The church in the house" is very precious in the sight of the Father. At one of these family gatherings no less than five con-versions were recorded on the evening of Boxing Day. For such it was a happy prelude to the Crowning Day, which all true believers anticipate. The secular press is still fanning the flame by its sympathetic reports of the revival meetings. Surely the most remarkable fact yet recorded in daily journalism is the "Revival Edition" of the Evening Express, published in Cardiff on the 27th ult. The managers have found a foot-ball edition to pay them well, so they experimented on Tuesday week with a "Revival Edition," in which every article, every report, every paragraph, and every portrait, indeed every line, except the advertisements, dealt with religious work. It has had such an enormous sale that a similar edition was produced this last Tuesday. The bishops of Bangor and St. David's have both guardedly blessed the revival in their pastorals, but the finest tribute comes from the saintly and Evangelical Bishop of Durham, who appeals to his brethren in the ministry everywhere "to observe this movement with a reverent welcome and sacred hope" The young missionaries have given themselves a very little rest. Evan Roberts attended the evening service at Moriah Chapel, Loughor,on the evening of Christmas Day. He listened to a sermon on immortality from the resident minister, and then conducted a vigorous and inspiring after-meeting, and did not leave the chapel till 10:30 p.m. This has long been the chapel of his ancestors. His great-grandfather, a fine soldier, who was wounded at Waterloo, worshiped here, and was honored for his sterling piety. His grandfather, who, as his father does now, worked at the adjoining colliery, was also a prominent worshiper here and an ardent missionary in the temperance cause in the days of its unpopularity; and it was in this very chapel that this young miner student, fresh from his studies at the Newcastle Emlyn Gram-mar School, conducted those inspiring services less than three months ago which immediately preceded the outburst or downpour, with which everybody is now familiar. Dr. Cynddylan Jones, that great preacher to preachers, says of this: "To work up a revival is to try to save the world by mechanics. The Heaven-sent man draws down a revival, saves men by dynamics. The gospel of mechanics is a cumbrous, costly machine, the gospel of dynamics -- power from on high, with-out machinery and guarantees --goes straight to the heart, and accomplishes that for which it is sent. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the dynamic of God unto salvation. And today the dynamic is working. Is it a marvel that there are explosions? And where there are explosions is it a marvel that there is confusion? Out of the chaos will emerge the kosmos; out of confusion, order and beauty and life." Though preaching is not generally acceptable at these spontaneous meetings, for enthusiastic song and fervent prayer and heart-stirring confession hold the field, yet the reading of God's Word is always welcome, and in the most lively meetings I have attended I have not known a deeper interest manifested in anything than in the reading of the Scriptures. Every verse is punctuated with heartfelt responses, and the poorest reader is thus encouraged by such prayerful sympathy to give the testimony of the Word side by side with the testimony of man. At Clydach, in the Swansea Val-ley, where Evan Roberts began his second campaign on the 28th ult. there were the same unwieldy crowds, and the same jubilant song that he meets with everywhere. He seems to get less and less patient with the ravenous curiosity to see the mere man. He is in no sense flattered by it, and his heart grieves over it more and more. "It kills me to see people paying me too much attention. Grace must conquer that" Again and again, I have seen him wrestle in the pulpit in fearful and agonizing prayer, till he and the congregation have got the victory over that unspiritual besetment of curiosity that takes mind and heart off the real business in hand, and prevents people from seeing Jesus only. From Clydach Evan Roberts moved to Morriston, where the revival had secured a great hold upon the population. This is vouched for by the fact that in the preceding week the churches had reaped from 1,300 to 1,400 converts. No won-der then that 2,500 people crowded into the large chapel to hear him and that other chapels were also filled. On Sunday he had three services at Pentre-Estyll, on the outskirts of Swansea. Here, too, for weeks past the churches had been all aflame, and Sunday's services were profoundly impressive. One man, fearful of theharm done by man-worship, said of Evan Roberts in prayer, "Lord, put him out of sight," but another prayed, "Use him as a speaking trumpet." Some of the young evangelist's sayings here were expressive and forcible. Speaking of emotionalism, he said, "If there is to be no feeling in this world, I am afraid you will have too much of it in the next." "Some men try to get one arm around the world and another round heaven -- they want both" "I am afraid some people's heaven will be a very small one. They want to go to heaven on tip-toes, without anybody knowing it. I fear nobody will know they are there." Elsewhere other young evangelists are at work, and the movement gathers force day by day. The services at the Welsh Tabernacle at Cardiff continue to be very effective in reclaiming some of the most abandoned. Principal Edwards says they are "at close grips with the evil one," and some of the services have been disturbed by young atheists. Again and again serious consequences have been averted by the tactful and pathetic singing of Miss A. M. Rees. There is also a hard struggle going on in Newport, but it can not as yet be said that there is any great development there. But as time goes on hopefulness abounds more and more, and every one knows there is good reason for it. |
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