Account of the present State of the Revival of Religion in a part of the HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND. By ALEXANDER STEWART, Minister of Moulin
Moulin, July I, 1802.
I CANNOT think of Sending abroad this edition of the foregoing letter, at the distance of nearly two years from its first publication, without bearing my renewed testimony to the power and grace of God, manifested in behalf of his people in this part of the country. The experience of years has now confirmed the favourable hopes which were entertained concerning many persons. Their humble, inoffensive, affectionate - behaviour toward their connexions, their neighbours, and each other, has evinced that the grace of God which was bestowed on them was not in vain; that the views they had received of divine truth, were neither delusive nor unfruitful and did not issue in barren speculations, or mystical fancies; or transient raptures, but in sound permanent principles of conduct. The desire of obtaining religious knowledge, and the attention paid to religious instruction, which had begun to spread a few years ago, are now become very prevalent. A persuasion of the necessity of possessing vital godliness, having an interest in Christ, and living a life of faith, is become pretty general; and the less ordinary, as well as the more stated means of improvement, are well attended. Among the numbers who thus frequent the ordinances of religion, with some degree of seriousness, there is reason to fear that many still satisfy themselves with performing the outward service, without attentively considering whether they are accepted in it by God, or have profited by their attendance. They seem to be contented with hearing of God by the hearing of the ear, without their eye seeing him, Job xlii. 5. Still it is ground of encouragement and thankfulness, that they continue to listen to the truth because they are thus placed the oftener within its reach, and in the way of receiving it so as to feel its power, Rom. x. 17.
A considerable number, however, seem to have “received the truth in the love of it," to have devoted themselves heartily to the Lord, and to enjoy communion with him in his ordinances. The number of these has been evidently increasing since the date of the preceding account. Most of them are found, as before, among the younger sort. The beauties of holiness, shining in their deportment, their language, and their very looks, have been witnessed by several ministers and pious persons who have occasionally visited us; and who, while they were “helpers-of our joy," have freely testified their own delight in what they beheld, and how they were “glad when they saw the grace of God " bestowed on such unworthy sinners.
There are also some who appear to be in a kind of intermediate state, who seem to be inquiring and feeling their way; but from some obstructions, either in their temper, or in their worldly circumstances, or in their domestic relations are making little or no perceptible progress. Of such however we have good hopes, that they may be already under divine teaching, and that the Lord may, in his wisdom, be conducting them by a different course from what we might have recommended; just as he led his people of old about, through the way of the wilderness, and not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near, lest peradventure they should repent when they should see war, and return to Egypt, Exod. xiii 17, 18.
We have been permitted to accompany a few of the Lord's children to the borders of the unseen world. Here we have received from them the last, and, in some respects, the most unequivocal testimony to the energy of the truth which they believed, by witnessing their peaceful, and even triumphant departure. While the avowed infidel, or the practical unbeliever, with affected levity, or forced composure, or stupid indifference, quits this world for another, which is to him an “undiscovered country;" the disciple of Christ, according to the clearness of his views of divine truth, knows whom he has believed, whither he is going, and how he is to fare; that he is not to be banished to a strange land, but to be welcomed home to his Father's house. We have accordingly seen such on their death-bed, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer." And what is likewise a striking evidence of the triumph of faith, we have seen a surviving widow and sisters, not sorrowing as those which have no hope, but unfeignedly rejoicing in the well-grounded persuasion, that their departed husband and friend was now in glory.
While journeying through a world full of snares, and bearing about with us much remaining corruption, we would request the continuance of our dear brethren's prayers, that we may be kept from the evil which is in the world, and that our peace and brotherly love may be preserved unbroken. And we would join them in earnestly praying that God could be pleased to pour out his Spirit yet more and more, and gather an increasing number into the Redeemer's kingdom, till the earth be filled with the knowledge of the Lord.
The Baptist Annual Register, page 1100-1.
This is a moving story which may have happened during this revival or a little later, connected to the Breadlebane Revivals.
Spurgeon’s sermons were read all over the North and in many a glen and Highland croft there was no gospel preacher more highly esteemed. A colourful example of this was given by Pastor W. Brock in an article ‘A Guide to Killiecrankie’, published in The Sword and the Trowel in 1873. Visiting this beautiful Perthshire glen he had accompanied an agent of the Scottish Tract Society who was accustomed to visit among the homes of the people. Brock thus recalls how they met an elderly member of the Baptist Chapel of Tullymet:
‘The good colporteur, finding that I was a Baptist, had hinted to me that it was scarcely less than a duty to call on a certain Annie Sims, living with her brother James, in the heart of a wood not far
from the meeting of the rivers. Annie, he said, had been “in the way” for seventy-three years, having been baptized in the river Tay at Dunkeld when sixteen years of age, and it was not every day that you could meet with such a case of faithful pilgrimage as that. So, through rain and mire, I found my way up a cart-track to the cottage, and making known my errand, gained a speedy admission.
Three chairs stood beside the hearth, on which the wood crackled cheerfully. On one of the chairs sat an aged woman, her body bent with the injuries caused by a fall, but with a face smooth and bright like a girl’s, and a happy voice that charmed you at once. The brother, a man of eight-four, took his seat opposite, and we were soon in for a “crack.” Yes, she had been a church member all those years, and was now hoping for the blessed end. She remembered her baptism well—Mr Macleod preached from a boat in the river to the people on the bank, and someone else baptized the candidates.
It was nearly twenty years since she had been in the church; she could not move from the house, and should never leave it now. But she had her Gaelic Bible, and could read it easily, with her glasses, and Mr B. (the colporteur) often paid her a visit, and brought her books. Then the talk took another turn. Where was the visitor from? From Perth or Edinburgh? What! from London? Ah, the brother had been there, thirty years ago, and a wonderful big place it was; but they kent of naebody there now but Mr Spurgeon, and they had his sermons every month, and sent them on to friends in Ireland. And did I know Mr Spurgeon; and how old was he; and how many bairns had he; and how many would his Tabernacle hold; and could they all hear him and see him when he preached? Now the communion question came up. Mr Spurgeon admitted persons to the communion who were not baptized, did he? The answer was
“Yes;” hereupon a difference of opinion ensued, the brother, a Presbyterian, highly approving; the sister questioning, ““There were sae mony deceivers about now; the church at Tullymet had great need to take care whom they admitted.” “Ay, but they mak it no longer the Lord’s table, but their ain,” objects the brother. And then we went to higher thoughts and future times, when all shall be one, sitting down together at Christ’s table, in his kingdom. Prayer followed; and as we said good-bye, the aged believer repeated once and again her favourite text, “In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
I had reached the door, when a hospitable thought struck Annie, and she called after me, ““We have nae bottle here, but we can gie you a cup o’ tea, gin ye will tak it.” Then we parted, and the cottage was soon lost to sight among the trees. But in how many such corners of our land, hidden from the eye even of the church, the jewels of our Lord lie, waiting his hour to be set in their own place upon his crown. I promised Annie that I would tell Mr Spurgeon, when I saw him, of his readers and friends on the top of that distant Highland brae.’
From, "C H Spurgeon, the Full Harvest, autobiography Volume 2."