Llangefni (1859)



When David Morgan preached at Llangefni thirty-nine converts found Christ, a number of them notorious reprobates. Among the thirty-nine was a woman to whom the Revivalist said, "You keep a public-house, don't you?" Astonished by the preacher's prescience, the woman answered, ''Yes, sir." "Then," said he, "it must be either the public-house or the church-meeting." The woman's face revealed her perturbation. "You understand, don't you?" he continued. "You must choose between the tavern and the society. You can't be a member of the church and sell intoxicating drinks." " O sir," she replied, "then I will pull the sign down this very night."

" What has made you stay ? " said the Revivalist to a man named Williams. " I have felt more powerful influences on my mind several times before," he answered, " but I felt tonight that I was in danger of being left by God."

From, 'The '59 Revival', by J J Morgan, page 178.

On the 12th of January, the Rev. J. Donne, of Llangefni, writes:—" The revival has reached to all parts of our county, and thousands have been added to the churches. I believe the truly religious element is gaining strength and intensity. Never were such things seen in Anglesea. Our church in this place has increased greatly; we have already received one hundred and forty. This week we have even­ing prayer-meetings in all the different chapels. We met together in the Town Hall at mid-day, and although this is our market-day, hundreds attended the prayer-meeting."

A correspondent at Gaerwen communicates interesting details respecting the revival work in that and the sur­rounding districts. Amongst other things, he says:—" On Monday morning, November 28, while the master of the day-school at this place offered up prayer, as was his cus­tom before the school duties commenced, the Lord poured out a spirit of grace and supplications' on him, and upon all the children present, about ninety in number, so that they continued in the exercise of prayer and praise until noon. A considerable number of the neighbours assembled to look on and to listen, and they might have said, When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.' They were deeply affected while listening to young children pouring out their full hearts in earnest prayer before the throne of grace. Many of the petitions were remembered and repeated afterwards, and the following may be regarded as a specimen: ‘Save me, oh, save me through the blood of Christ. The blood of Jesus can cleanse a great sinner like me.' A little boy prayed for his father with great earnestness, and with weep­ing eyes, Oh, save my father. My father is ungodly, save; oh, save my father, for Jesus Christ's sake.' Others pleaded for brothers and sisters, and the various members of their families. A woman who came to the place without knowing what was going forward was so impressed by the sight, that although she had scoffed at every manifestation of feeling in religion only the previous evening, she was so overcome that she joined the children in their devotional exercises."

The same writer adds:—" If I look round the district to Llanfair, Brynshenkin, Dwyran, Newborough, Bethania, Bethel, Llangristiolus, Llangefni, Gilead, and including Gaerwen, I may say that many hundreds have been added to our churches. In Newborough alone we have had two hundred. The Wesleyans and Baptists have had additions. At Llangefni the Calvinistic Methodists have had about one hundred fresh members; and other brethren, the Inde­pendents, Wesleyans, and Baptists, have had occasion to rejoice. At Talwrn, also, about sixty persons have been added since the 5th of November, the day on which the Rev. D. Morgan, of Yspytty, visited them." Later...

Llangefni, Anglesea.—"Previous to the gracious awaken­ing with which we have been favoured, ungodliness rapidly increased in this town; the ministry seemed so ineffectual that every messenger of peace, after he had delivered his message, anxiously and almost despondingly inquired, ‘Who hath believed our report, and to whom bath the arm of the Lord been revealed?' Domestic worship was only observed in a small number of families, and the greater number were prayerless. The house of God was wholly neglected by many, and those who attended were cold and formal. The prayer-meeting, notwithstanding the urgent admonitions given, was but small and unpo­pular.

"But, through the Divine mercy, a change for the better has taken place; multitudes have been 'turned from dark­ness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.' Blas­phemers now pray, Sabbath-breakers remember to keep holy the Lord's-day, drunkards have forsaken the intoxicat­ing cup, and leaving the seat of the scornful, they wait diligently in the courts of the Lord's sanctuary. The family altar is erected in scores of households, and the houses which at one period were the scenes of misery, are now become the gates of heaven.' "—February 1860.

From ‘The Welsh Revival’ by Thomas Phillips

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