(Special Correspondent London Times of January 12.)

The Vicar of Burley, Leeds, has evidently made up his mind about the value of this movement, judging by his advertisement in The South Wales Daily News.

WELSH REVIVAL. — Curate wanted. . . . Warm welcome for bright, earnest, fiery, genial Welshman. . . .

There are plenty of that type in evidence just now, and their number is rapidly increasing, though only a very small proportion are in holy orders. The joyousness of this revival is more and more manifest as the weeks go by. The first week of the year has given it a yet mightier impetus, and it has a wider sweep than ever. There is no abatement, and no sign of it. Everybody recognizes that the tide is flowing faster, and churches that till quite recently were stuck fast on the mud banks and looked forbidding and unlovely, are now being cleansed and refreshed and beautiful by the living waters. The large towns, with their larger English element, are now receiving the baptism that at first was bestowed almost exclusively upon the Welsh community in the mining districts. The visit of Evan Roberts to Swansea has been a great blessing to him and to all associated with him, and it has very perceptibly quickened the evangelistic fervour of all the churches. And when we say all we mean all. For in Swansea, following the example of the Vicar, the Hon. Talbot Rice, everybody who is anybody in the religious Life of that locality was present at Ebenezer, where the late Dr. Rees, the historian of Welsh Congregationalism, once ministered. It was again a thrilling scene. There in the pulpit stood the youthful evangelist, a native of a neighbouring mining village. Three months ago he was unheard of and unknown, and now around him are clustered the representative leaders of all sections of the church of Christ, sympathetically and enthusiastically following his lead because he is led of the Spirit. It is a happy augury. God’s man is the man of the future, and the men of God are assured of victory when God’s purpose becomes their own and they make this their motto, “This one thing I do”.

The chapel was filling rapidly at eleven This means that when Evan Roberts arrived a very large proportion had been there for nearly four hours. Indeed, before one o’clock the gates leading to the chapel were —

LOCKED AND GUARDED BY THE POLICE,

and a crowd of many hundreds in the streets were being directed to the overflow meetings.

Those who have seen most of the meetings elsewhere declare that this appeared to be the most joyous and jubilant of them all. As he entered, the people were singing with much hywl —

Rhy fyr yw tragwyddoleb llawn
I ddyweyd yn lawn am dano
(Too short is all eternity to tell the Saviour’s story.)

Do you believe it, my friends? he asked. He then proceeded to dwell on God’s greatest gift. What do we give in return? The collection plate comes around, and we dip into our pockets and bring forth — a copper. God’s greatest, man’s least. God couldn’t give more, man couldn’t give less. Let men keep their scraps. Give God all. You cannot compete with God in giving. Just try. The more you give, the more God will give in return.

Sweetly led by Miss. Annie Davies, the huge congregation rose and sang with over-whelming power and pathos a hymn of full surrender, which brought everybody to the very gate of heaven Then a young woman from Llanelly, with charming simplicity and choking voice, told how for long God’s face had been hidden from her, and she felt she was cut adrift, till it pleased God to chasten her on a bed on suffering, and there she had a vision of Christ in His kingly robes, she saw the King in His beauty, and that had set all right. She had been much persecuted for her religion, but her faith in Jesus was exultant. The effect of this inspiring testimony was tremendous. Let no one sneer at the part that woman is taking in this revival. God is greatly honouring her, and she is confessing Him by singing, praying, and testifying. A woman’s voice is often heard when the woman herself can-not be seen. It is quite exceptional for there to be any obtruding of personality. What she does is generally done modestly, under the pressure of intense feeling and with a simplicity that reaches all hearts. Later on in the meeting a young man sprang to his feet and said under great excitement: I have given myself to Christ. I have £11 in the bank; I will give that too. And here again Evan Roberts common-sense was as evident as his grace Amen. Give it to Him by all means, but keep the money until you are given an unmistakable indication what God would have you do with it.

Joyous surrender was the keynote of this service, and towards the close the young evangelist said: There will soon be a great demand for funds, for missionaries will be plentiful Hundreds have declined the call to proceed to the mission fields because they loved parents and friends more than they loved the Lord. Those who attended the first meetings of the revival in November and are able to compare Evan Roberts now with what he was then are greatly impressed with his growing power. One well qualified to judge says:

There is a wondrous change in him already. He has immensely improved. His voice has gained in sweetness and resonance, while he is never at a loss for a bright clear thought and plain, simple language in which to express it.

With so much liberty in these meetings it is astonishing that there is not more license. But here, too, the evangelist is learning by experience, and on two occasions this week he has stopped a few who ought to have been stopped long ago. Stop! Stop! Some meetings have been spoiled so that other meetings may be saved. In this way I have learnt wisdom, and so must you. You may quench the Spirit by wanting to show yourselves. In the same meeting at which this occurred a man said in Welsh. Lord, we thank Thee for that extra turn of the screw we had just now. The next day at Llansamlet the curiosity to see the young evangelist was so keen that the first hour of the meeting —

He said: One might think you have come here from the North Pole, but if you had passed Calvary you would be warmer than you are. This won’t do. You are placing man before God. There are three spirits in this meeting — the Spirit of God, the spirit of man, and the evil spirit.

This brought Rev. Penar Griffiths up. He and his church have been abundantly blessed in this revival. These meetings are too cheap, he declared. Some of you say you have lost a day’s work, have you lost a tear? Others of you say you have closed your shops, but have you opened your hearts?

The thaw soon came, and then there followed a truly heart-searching incident. The evangelist invited those who had done their best for Christ to stand up. Many ministers and prominent church workers from far and near were present, and the chapel was thronged with eager Christians. For a minute or so all looked within, but no one dared to rise. At last a woman, whose eyes were red with weeping, stood and said, I have tried to do my best for Him, and so said another. All through the audience it was evident the thought was prayerfully working, Have I done my best? and soon there came the confessions, voluntarily given, that have been so frank and stimulating in this revival. Said one minister, I have felt since l remained seated that I have done my best for Jesus, but it has not been so clear and pure as it might have been. Then a very old man told how humbled he was, and how for two days prior to that meeting he had fasted prayerfully. Then a young working man rose and said how after yesterday’s meeting he had been reconciled to a neighbour with whom he had been at variance for sixteen years. He is here now, and pointed to the one concerned, who humbly acquiesced. Following these confessions there came uplifting song and mighty prayer, and a meeting that was icy to begin with was as consuming fire at the end.

The ethical results of this revival continue to be great and convincing. Everybody feels it is more than a coincidence that at the Quarter Sessions for the County of Glamorgan on Tuesday the judge was able to announce that the calendar was the lightest for twenty years, and that of the eleven cases only one was of a serious character.

Many people are devoting their energies to the establishment of rescue homes for the unfortunate victims of men’s cruel lust, some of whom now are longing for deliverance and shelter.

The delegates of the Miner’s Western District decided at Swansea to hold no more meetings in public-houses. At the meeting of the Rhondda (No. 1) District of the Miners Federation the chairman alluded to the revival, and hoped they would seek the guidance of the Spirit in commercial affairs, and so secure a more satisfactory settlement of their unfortunate disputes.

At Ystradgynlais, before a meeting of 1,500 people —

THREE MINISTERS WHO HAD PUBLICLY QUARRELLED

about local politics and the administration of the Education Act, became publicly reconciled, and ended their animosities by cordially uniting in the soul-saving work of the revival. Similar results are of daily occurrence in commerce, in society, and in the church.

Cardiff is receiving a very gracious baptism, and our own churches are sharing blessedly in the results. There has been a distinct outpouring during the past week. At Roathroad, Broadway and Splott-road there are constant conversions, and private advices from other Methodist centres show that our people are receiving and communicating the sacred fire.

The event of the week has been the publishing of the full and authentic account of Evan Roberts’ experience as dictated by him on December 28 to Rev. T. Francis, Church Missionary minister, Gorseinon, by whom it has been translated into English. All Methodists will see in it a wonderful similarity to the narratives of God’s dealings with the early Methodist preachers. The more important extracts will be deeply interesting to the readers of The Methodist Times.

EVAN ROBERTS STORY.

For thirteen years I had prayed for the Spirit, and thus is the way I was led to pray. William Davies, the deacon, said one night in the society. Remember to be faithful. What if the Spirit descended and you were absent? Remember Thomas! What a loss he had. I said then to myself, I will have the Spirit. And through all weather and in spite of all difficulties I went to the meetings. Many times on seeing other boys with the boats on the tide I was tempted to turn back and join them. But no. Then I said to myself, Remember your resolve to be faithful, and on l went. Prayer-meeting Monday evening at the chapel, prayer-meeting Tuesday evening at Pisgah (Sunday-school branch); church meeting, Wednesday, Band of Hope, Thursday, class, Friday evening — to those I went faithfully through the years. For ten or eleven years I have prayed for a revival. I could sit up all night to read or talk about revivals. It was the Spirit that moved me to think about this.

One Friday night last spring, when praying by my bed-side before retiring, I was taken up to a great expanse — without time and space. It was communion with God. Before this a far-off God I had. I was frightened that night, but never since. So great was my shivering that I rocked the bed, and my brother, being awakened, took hold of me, thinking I was ill.

After that experience I was awakened every night a little after one o’clock. This was most strange, for through the years I slept like a rock, and no disturbance in my room would awaken me. From that hour I was taken up into the divine fellowship for about four hours. What it was I cannot tell you, except that it was divine. About five o’clock l was again allowed to sleep on till about nine.

At this time I was again taken up into the same experience as in the earlier hours of the morning until about twelve or one o’clock. . . This went on for three months.

He then refers to the Convention at Blaenaunerch, Cardiganshire, last August:

The seven o’clock meeting was devoted to asking and answering questions. Rev. W. W. Lewis conducted. At the close Rev. Seth. Joshua prayed, and said during his prayer, Lord, do this, and this, and this, etc, and bend us. He did not say, O Lord, bend us. It was the Spirit that put the emphasis for me on Bend us. That is what you need, said the Spirit to me. And as I went out I prayed, O Lord, bend me.
On the way to the nine o’clock meeting Rev. Seth Joshua remarked, We are going to have a wonderful meeting today. To this l replied, I feel myself almost bursting.

The meeting having been opened was handed over to the Spirit. I was conscious that I would have to pray. As one and the other prayed, I put the question to the Spirit, Shall I pray now? Wait a while, said He. When others prayed I felt a living force come into my bosom. I held my breath, and my legs shivered, and after every prayer I asked, Shall I now? The living force grew and grew, and I was almost bursting. And instantly someone ended his prayer — my bosom boiling. I would have burst if I had not prayed. What boiled me was that verse, God commending His love. I fell on my knees with my arms over the seat in front of me, and the tears and perspiration flowed freely. I thought blood was gushing forth.

For about two minutes it was fearful. I cried, Bend me! Bend me! Bend us! . . What bent me was God commending His love (Rom. 5: 8), and I not seeing anything in it to commend. After I was bent a wave of peace came over me, and the audience sang, I hear thy welcome voice. And as they sang I thought of the bending at the Judgement Day, and I was filled with compassion for those who would be bent on that day, and I wept.

Henceforth the salvation of souls became the burden of my heart. From that time I was on fire with a desire to go through all Wales, and if it were possible I was willing to pay God to allow me to go. A plan was agreed upon, and eight of us were to go through Wales, and I was to pay all expenses.

In other parts of South Wales crowded and enthusiastic services are being held, and everywhere large numbers of inquirers are announced. At the Tabernacle in Cardiff a gang of gamblers has been broken up by the revival, and twelve of them have yielded to Christ. One of the Welsh hymns sung most fervently at all the services says —

Gone is the morn, it’s getting late,
But open still is mercy’s gate

And in at that gate hundreds are still flocking. A well-dressed shop assistant staggered to the front and asked a minister to pray for him. As soon as he found the Lord he got up and shouted out in Welsh, Is mother here? When he was told she was at the back of the chapel he called out, Mother, I’ve had to give in at last. I tried to refuse, but I was compelled.

And so the glorious work goes on.