EL NINA

El Nina turned thousands of miles of desert into paradise in an incredibly short time, as it caused millions of hardy seeds which had lain dormant in the ground through decades of drought to sprout and grow with incredible vigour.

“Lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth,
The time of the singing of birds is come
And the voice of the turtle is heard in the land.”

THE DOUBLE OUTBURST

The emergence of Mr. Evan Roberts brought the work of the last Revival to a new phase—its popular phase. The date of this happening was in the second week of November, 1904. It is of some interest to record that this new phase was not exclusively due to the appearance of that famous figure. During the days of Mr. Robert’s memorable meetings in Loughor, South Wales, one of the mentioned group of young ministers was holding meetings at Rhos, North Wales. In similar forms, and on the very same days, the outburst came in both Loughor and Rhos. From Loughor the fire spread throughout the south; from Rhos, to the North of the Principality. As the story, from this point onward, will mostly concern the work in South Wales, the following from a local newspaper about the work in Rhos may here be permitted, “Since the revivalist’s visit the district has been in, the grip of an extraordinary spiritual force, which shows no sign of relaxation. The churches are united in a solid phalanx. The prayer-meetings are so crowded that the places of worship are inadequate to contain them. Some last eight hours, with no cessation in prayer or singing! From the lips of the humblest and lowliest pour forth petitions which thrill the whole being—the spell of earthly things seems to be broken. In the street, in the train, in the car, even in the public-houses, all this is, in hushed and reverential tones, the theme of conversation.” The senseless ditties of the music-hall and. theatre were entirely silenced, and, instead, the very hills echoed with the songs of Zion.

RENT HEAVENS

If one were asked to describe in a word the outstanding feature of those days, one would unhesitatingly reply that it was the universal, inescapable sense of the presence of God. Revival is the exact answer to such a sigh as that of Isaiah 6410 “Oh that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence.” In 1904 the Lord had literally rent the heavens, and had scattered the satanic foes entrenched therein. The Lord had come down! The mountains were gloriously melted down in His presence.

THE SENSE OF THE LORD’S PRESENCE

This all-pervading sense of the presence of God even among the children, may perhaps be further illustrated by a story from Rhos. Someone overheard one little child ask another, “Do you know what has happened at Rhos?” “No, I don’t, except that Sunday comes every day now.” “Don’t you know?” “No, I don’t.” “Why, Jesus Christ has come to live in Rhos now!”

AN OUTSTANDING SERVICE

It recalls, however, a somewhat similar incident in the ’59 Revival. In August, 1859, in Llangeitho, that famous cradle of the Welsh Methodist Revival of the eighteenth century, an annual Convocation of the Calvinistic Methodist body was being held. The climax came in an open-air meeting at eight in the morning of the last day. The Rev. David Morgan, the Revivalist, wrote in his diary that it was the most wonderful prayer-meeting he ever was in. A noted minister—the Rev. Thomas John, Cilgerran—after the meeting, was found alone in deep meditation in a field. Said one who drew near to him, “Mr .John, was not the sight of the thousands as they silently prayed a most impressive one? Did you ever see anything to compare with it?” “I never saw one of them,” was the answer, “I saw no one but God!” Soon after he was seen leaving the field, and said a friend, “Whither will you go, Thomas John?” “Home,” came the reply, “how dreadful is this place! I must leave; I am too weak to bear it.” His earthen vessel was too frail for such experiences. Among the many lessons learned on such occasions is that there must come a great change, not only in the spiritual characters, but also in the physical frames of God’s children ere they will be able to “bear” the “far more exceeding weight of glory”.

[These remaining chapters are availible on the CD-ROM which can be purchased shortly]

Chapter 4 - The revival meetings
Praise and prayer—“Broken earthenware”—“Brother Tom”—“Shall not see death”—Revival of song—Prayers’ Immediate answers—Human leaders dispensable—Revival, and missions—Preachers “closured”—The “four points”—The purifying Word—To the churches first

Chapter 5 - Immediate practical results
The spiritual supreme—Strike effects healed—Disunity vanishes—Fallen denominational barriers—Humaneness—Self-denial and debts—Restitution—The crippled “Trade”—Worldly pleasures—Revolutionized habits—Changed parents—“Tramps”—A run on Bibles—The Colleges— Testimony of the press—The Revival and sound doctrine—Melted mountains

Chapter 6 - Lasting fruit
Do revivals last?—Nothing but a flash—A time of opportunity—A new generation—Despair of the pen—The inviolable wheat—Land of Conventions— “Yr Efengylydd” — “The Faith Missions of Wales”—Bible Training Institutes—Missionaries—The Advent—A great illumination—Its dispensational significance—Wales to-day—A fulfilled prediction

Chapter 7- Keswick 1905
“Diolch iddo” —A review of the Keswick of 1905—Some further words about the recent Convention.