(From the London Methodist Times of December 22)

“THE WASH-DAY OF THE LORD”
by Rev. T. Ferrier Hulme, M. A.

The last issue of The Methodist Times has brought me much correspondence, revealing the widespread interest in the revival. Perhaps the most touching and suggestive letter is from a probationer, who says: Yesterday my Quarterly Meeting very kindly offered to send me to the scene of the revival for a week in view of the missions I am under-taking here. Like you, I believe the revival is a manifestation of God, and I look forward to my visit as a supreme opportunity for getting a personal blessing, and trust I may return, like one of Samson’s foxes, to burn the world out with the sweet gift of fire. What a blessed awakening awaits England if our people will realise the infinite possibilities of prayer and the unspent resources of God. It is almost impossible to exaggerate the demand for well-authenticated news. Last week a reporter, having heard that a journalist of world-wide renown had been spending Sunday at Maerdy, and was staying in Cardiff on the Monday night, telephoned from a distant town to one hotel after another till he found him, and was then informed he had gone to bed. Never mind, tell him I must speak to him now. The victim was dragged from his bed to the telephone, only to be asked, What do you think of the revival?

Not the least interesting part of one’s experience is the journey thither. At every wayside station you pick up pilgrims, many of them ministers, and from one end of the train to the other you have revival talk and song. Those who know Wales know how the denominations are duplicated, and how pronounced and even bitter have been denominational jealousies, especially in the small towns. For the time being all these distinctions are forgotten. You find yourself talking to a brother minister, and in a few moments you are rejoicing with him in the —

PENTECOSTAL POWER THAT HAS COME

upon his church and neighbourhood. You don’t know to what sect he belongs, and you don’t care, and when you have left him you awake to the discovery that whilst you have asked him many things it has not occurred to you to ask him that. Like you, he is anxious that the Spirit may be glorified and the community regenerated, and that is enough to satisfy your heart. The movement is as interdenominational as the air, but the results are not. People are joining the churches by scores and hundreds. In many cases the membership is doubled. This is as it should be.

The spontaneity of the work is glorious, and the lack of organisation is most refreshing. It is all so novel, and So contradictory to what we are accustomed to regard as essential. There is no creaking of the machinery. The stir is caused by the blowing of the wind — the breath of Heaven. Where all is so black and grimy, and the one cry is for cleansing, we all felt we could understand the fervent ejaculation of the simple-hearted collier, ‘Lord, this is Thy washday’, and forgive the familiarity. The absence of advertising posters and window bills causes no confusion. Everything is advertised by living witnesses and signs following. You walk, as I did, into a town of 14,000 inhabitants, while there are at least twenty chapels, and you ask the first person you meet, ‘Where is the meeting? ’ and he tells you. The only advertisement I have seen was in another district, and was the most significant thing of the kind I have known in these modern days. As I walked down the streets of Aberfan and Merthyr Vale last week I read in the shop windows:

Merthyr Vale Chamber of Trade

REVIVAL MEETINGS

This Establishment will be

CLOSED

Thursday, December 15,

Owing to the visit of Mr. Evan Roberts.

They told me the same applied to the two pits in the neighbourhood. On the previous day I saw what I have often seen in Roman Catholic countries, but never before in this Protestant land. Seven chapels were open throughout the day for prayer and worship, and people walked in and came out as they felt inclined during those continuous services. Four of those chapels were crowded and two of them were densely packed. I got into the schoolroom of one, and found the people standing rows deep, but I could not get near the chapel door. Presently the school door was locked, but it made no difference. People opened the window and came through in orderly fashion till every vacant square foot was utilised. I said, If there’s a way in, there’s a way out, and out I shot and adjourned to one of the seven open sanctuaries where a hearty meeting was conducting itself hour after hour without let or hindrance, in which I was soon moved to take part. These two small townships of Aberfan and Merthyr Vale in this narrow valley are on opposite slopes, separated only by the Taff. The united population is about 9,000. There are four public-houses, three of which are tied houses. Throughout the day they are in a state of semi-desertion. The coffee tavern is besieged at all hours, and the swarming visitors, who cannot get in, satisfy their hunger by purchases at the grocers and fruiterers. For beds they flee to other towns, and take what they can get. I interviewed the landlady of one of the pubs, who told me she was against the revival, and —

PREFERRED ORDINARY RELIGION.

I asked her why, and she said that on one night the enthusiasts gathered outside her establishment, and sang heartily, and then prayed fervently that God would have mercy on the prodigals inside — and her customers were not prodigals, and were not likely to be.

As soon as the policeman could release himself from the society of the barmaid, standing at the door of the largest and noisiest public house in the centre of town, I interviewed him. He assured me that foul language and drunkenness had greatly diminished, and that his own duties (and evidently the barmaids) were considerably lightened. He added, The barmaid has just told me that the publican and his wife have gone to the service, and that is a new thing for them. Is there much diminution in his receipts? I asked. Oh, yes; but he puts it down to the approach of Christmas, and to the fact that the colliers are saving their wages for the time of feasting — but others know differently, he remarked with significant emphasis. On inquiry of the trades people, they also admitted that their sales were not what they should be. How is that? Well, you see, people are paying their debts and setthng old scores. It will be all the better for us in a little while.

I talked also to pit-men who had the same story to tell of amendment and reformation. Having obtained these facts from the business and trading community, I asked the local ministers what reports they had to give. I found that for three weeks previous to the visit of Evan Roberts they had conducted among themselves mission services, that hundreds had professed conversion, and that all the churches had been daily gladdened by the addition of those who were being saved.

What sort of converts are they? I asked. Mostly backsliders, said a man in the street. When a church is not aggressive it consoles itself by saying that it is just about holding its own. What a false notion! Mostly backsliders, tells another tale.

It seems to me that God has now given to His church in Wales an advantage over the enemy similar to that which the Japanese have acquired over the Russians by the capture of 203 Metre Hill. God’s people are now sweeping these Welsh hills and valleys with a searching fire, that is devastating the strongholds of sin, and in some instances is leading to almost wholesale capture. Evan Roberts did not arrive that day till five o’clock, when services had been in progress for about seven hours. I did not see him. I did not attempt to see him. I had my turn previously, and I was glad to be of some service in chapels that he could not visit. His coming constituted a great field day. But —

THE VICTORY HAD BERN GAINED

in the previous weeks, and the attack will still be renewed in the days to come, and there will be further fighting all along the line. The fire is not spent, and the ammunition is not low.

I always feel that I want to join in the ‘Diollch Iddo’ when I see the crowds of men, and specially of young men, at these services. There is sure to be a certain amount of reaction in the days to come, judging by past history, but thousands of these men have got a blessing they will never lose, and an inspiration that will make them grand fishers of men. It will give to us all renewed faith in prayer, for this is emphatically a praying revival. Evan Roberts told me that prayer became so passionate and mighty at Caerphilly that at midnight a number of men formed themselves into a praying “Get-them-out-of-bed brigade”, and in an hour or two three of the sinners prayed for became so miserable in bed that they dressed hurriedly and came on to the service and yielded to Christ there and then. After I have seen over and over again the complete abandonment with which men give themselves up to pleading, as if they were totally unconscious of any presence but that of Christ, and were quite unaffected by anything or anybody else, I can easily believe it. Even when I could not understand a single word I have been indescribably moved. How, then, must it be with the Father who knows all and loves all? Humanity in Wales is as frail as it is elsewhere, but I have had a new lesson in this text, The Spirit also helpeth our infirmity.

I have heard a young Russian offer his first prayer in English, and a young Welshman give his first testimony in English. He was the young man who said in broken English: When I was a boy and went to the seaside to bathe, and saw a big wave coming along, I just ducked. Friends, a big tidal wave is sweeping along this valley. Be sure you duck, and then you’ll get the baptism.

That, I suppose, is the preliminary stage, but if people will then proceed to plunge and to swim, they will be able to take full advantage of this glorious tide, for, as Ezekiel says, The waters were risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed through.

Some people take exception to this revival because there are those who declare they see visions and hear voices. Of these you hear but little. You often hear prayer for illumination, as when a woman exclaimed, May we draw up the blinds of the soul, and let in the light! There is much figurative language like that in prayer which always evokes response. In these services everything else seems to gain by spontaneity of feeling and expression.

I heard what the Daily News representative aptly termed

“THE TABLOID SERMON,”

by a young American, on Isa. 1: 18. The people listened gladly to the text, but when he proceeded to say, There are five c’s in this verse, and I want you to see these five c’s — the call, conviction, communion, cleansing, and confession, some of them didn’t see it, and wearied before he got to fifthly. However, they managed to keep fairly still, and then roused themselves and us by one of their glorious songs. We felt that such ingenuity was a poor substitute for spontaneity.

Extraordinary incidents are as numerous as ever. At Cardiff a young man, who had been lost to his parents for three years, turned up at the very service where his father (a county magistrate) and his mother were praying for him. His father knelt at his side to help him to Jesus, but the son did not recognize him till they both rose to give praise! They then went together to find the mother, who in another part of the chapel was earnestly praying for her lost boy, and who was totally oblivious of anything and anyone around her. The scene was indescribably pathetic, and the joy of all was ecstatic.

At one of Evan Roberts’ meetings a young man told how he spent his early years at Oxford in training for a monk. He ran away to sea, and was absent for twelve years. He settled in business in Wales, and spent all his leisure in drinking-clubs and similar resorts. A month ago, when on his way to the club, he was pressed to go to chapel by a friend. He absolutely refused, but on repeated pressure by his friend he said, I’ll toss for it. Heads, I go to the chapel; tails, I go to the club. He tossed, and it came heads. He went to the chapel, and he was then and there converted. This was a man well known in his own town.

In the Coegnant Colliery 200 hauliers and miners joined in prayer and praise. Those who desired to confess Christ were asked to signify the fact by holding their lamps aloft. Lamps went up by the score.

And so I might go on, but perhaps I cannot do better than give a somewhat free translation by Mr. Thomas of some of the sweetest songs of the revival. The three verses selected are good specimens of what you repeatedly hear sung with such fervour:

(1) “Gwaed y Groes”, &c

Jesus Christ lifts up the weary,
With a smile divinely sweet,
Jesus Christ brings down the mighty,
Kneeling, trembling at His feet.
Blessed Saviour,
Send a breeze from Calvary!

(2) “Dyma Geidwad”, &c

Here’s a Saviour for the fallen,
Here’s a Healer for us all,
Here is One who loves forgiving
Sinners, damaged by the fall.
Praise Thee, Jesus,
Ever, for remembering me!

(3) “R Hwn Sy’n Gyru’r mellt Hedeg”, &c

Thon that sendest forth the lightning,
Thon that walkest on the sea,
Send the arrow of conviction
To these hearts, we pray to thee
Open wide our self-made prisons,
Send the firebrand from the flame,
Lift Thou up the weak and weary,
Teach the mute to praise Thy Name.

It is contrary to all precedent to have crowded revival services in the week before Christmas, but there are most hopeful signs that this outpouring, hitherto largely confined to the colliery districts, will descend copiously upon such important centres as Newport and Cardiff. Already we hear of many remarkable conversions in some of the town churches, and of well-attended prayer meetings in the large business houses; and when the Christmas holidays are over, and the New Year begins, we shall most probably be rejoicing over much more stirring scenes.

IT SPREADS TO CWMBRAN

The revival which has broken out in South Wales does not remain in that part alone, and it does not require the presence of Evan Roberts to infuse the spirit of this revival into the Christian Church. Extraordinary services have taken place in the Wesleyan Chapel at Cwmbran during the past fortnight. Cwmbran is situated exactly half way between Pontypool and Newport, and not far from the villages where the Spirit of God has been manifested so recently in such a remarkable way.
The first signs of the revival took place three Sundays ago, when after the sermon had been preached by the circuit lay agent on “Let me die the death of the righteous, he asked a few to testify for Christ, and one after another stood up and told what God had done for them. The last to testify was a brother who had been the greatest drunkard in the neighbourhood. He told them how God led him to see the light when he was quite drunk (a statement for which the writer can vouch), and had now kept him for two years. His words took a firm hold of his companions, of whom no less than six have surrendered all to Christ during the past week, some of them being notorious drunkards.

The meetings have not been carried on in the usual way. They have been opened by prayer and reading, with short running comments by Mr. A. Brace, a young local preacher, varied with invitations to come to the front of any with whom God’s Spirit was striving at the commencement and at different stages of the meeting.

What was and is remarkable right throughout the meetings is the spontaneity, on some occasions as many as half a dozen commencing to pray at one time, and continually brothers and sisters are on their feet to pray, waiting turns. One old brother attempted six times to pray, and each time was forestalled by someone.

It was a glorious sight to see sinners rising and coming to the penitent form seeking forgiveness. Amongst those who have confessed Christ is a young man who had been brought up in the Roman Catholic faith. After the singing of ‘Come to Jesus’, the question was asked, who will come to Him now? A man got up and shouted, I will, and then broke down. Then his wife came out to the penitent form, and all his children. Another case occurred during the singing of ‘Throw Out the Life Line’. A passer-by who was drunk was so affected by the singing that he turned into the meeting. It was wonderful to see the change that took place in him before the meeting was over. He came forward and confessed Christ, and when the meeting closed he was a sober man. To describe all the incidents would take too much of your space. Never has the Spirit of God been felt in such a powerful manner before. Up to the present there have been sixty converts, and the meetings are to continue.

EFFECTS ON BRIDGEND

Rev. J. Sharp, Tondy, Glamorgan, writes: This very gracious and spiritual wave of revival has reached the Bridgend Circuit. Last week, Mr. Dan Roberts and his helpers visited the Calvinistic Methodist Church, Aber Renfig, where united and overflow meetings were held. On Sunday all the churches were moved. At Tondy scenes were witnessed in the Sunday-school as had not been seen before. The whole time was given up to praise and prayer. The class-rooms were full of inquirers of all ages. The work was continued in the church in the evening, when several more volunteered for Christ. Monday brought the joyful news from Ogmore Vale, Maesteg, Bryncoch, Cefn and Fountain, of similar results. Many who have long been prayed for have yielded; back-sliders have come back, and many wonderful cases of conversion have taken place. The football field, the dance, and the dramatic entertainment have been given up, and other matters laid aside for the revival meetings.