Weston (1861)



Prayer is still being answered in the salvation of souls. Our Corridor meetings are still filled, and both there and elsewhere the power of God is made manifest in the conviction and conversion of the people. We are receiving very encouraging letters from persons who have been blessed at the meetings. A gracious work is going on at Weston, near Bath, a very dark place, where drunkenness prevails in greater proportion than in Bath. Thirty-five or more within the last few days have been convinced of sin there, and most of these have been made happy.

The United Daily Prayer-meeting at the Corridor Room is still attended by an average of about thirty-eight. It sometimes reaches between fifty and sixty, but it is an inconvenient hour for many to attend. The Weekly Prayer meeting con­ducted by clergymen at the Assembly Rooms is attended by about four hundred. I have just arranged into districts the names of seventy-one persons, who have been convinced or have found peace at the last few meetings, as we see the need of following them to know that they stand their ground. T. A.

From the 'Revival Newspaper', Volume IV, page 118.

I am proud, thankful, and yet humbled to the dust, in being allowed to state that our dear Lord has been blessedly working, by his Spirit, in this very dark corner of the outskirts of the city of Bath. About nine months past, when I first came into this neighbourhood, I, with others, saw how very needful it was to preach the rich gospel of the grace of God in this place (Weston). We began preaching out of doors, and a sister in the Lord invited us into her house to preach the word. We continued for some time until the Lord was pleased lately to convert unto Himself a young man about eighteen; he imme­diately invited his old companions in wickedness to attend with him the preaching of the gospel. That first Lord's-day morn­ing he mustered about eight, whom he took into a field close by, and read the word of God and prayed with them. I happened to hear him inviting them to come to Christ, and shook him by the hand; and told him I hoped the Lord would bless him. This seemed very much to encourage him, and that day he took seven or eight of his old companions to hear the gospel preached. I offered him an empty house, which he gladly accepted, and began from that time to read the Bible and to preach to them in a very plain way. He proposed to have an evening school, if I was willing, in my house. I most willingly complied, and freely joined with him to teach them to read and write. The effect was truly wonderful; we soon had from forty to fifty lads, girls, and adults, on a Lord's-day evening; and on week-day evenings from ten to twenty, and upwards, to learn to read and write. A kind friend advanced a sum of money, which pur­chased a large table, books, slates, &c. &c.; but our object was for the salvation of their souls. The number increased. We continued to earnestly pray for their souls; but saw no effect excepting a readiness to attend: there was the hearing ear. On Lord's-day, Oct. 20, my brother addressed them in a very plain but faithful way. The room was crowded with lads, girls, men, and women. We saw no effect; but on his way into the city (about a mile and a half) one of the worst and most trying of the lads, on going through a field, began to cry to the Lord to have mercy upon him, and to save his soul. They there in the field knelt down and poured out their cry to the Lord for him; and this lad, about twelve years of age, confessed he had peace through believing in Jesus. I knew nothing of this until the next evening; but, before the usual time, this lad came to the meeting-house, with a number more lads and young men, and, upon my coming home from the town, my wife told me I was wanted immediately at the meeting. Before I got in I heard loud cries to the Lord, from many voices, to have mercy upon their immortal souls. "Lord, save me." "Lord, have mercy upon me." "Christ Jesus, have mercy upon my soul." "Lord, give us thy Holy Spirit." And, upon going to the room above, such a scene I shall never forget; about twelve youths, from eight to eighteen years of age, all prostrate, crying most earnestly to the Lord to have mercy upon their souls: "O God, save our souls from hell." We went into the room, but were not able to hear our words spoken for cries to the Lord for mercy; for his Holy Spirit; and to save them from hell, and convert their souls; to soften their hearts. The neighbours went up and were struck with astonishment, but whoever entered were not noticed by either of those convicted: all prostrate, sending up such cries to the Lord for mercy, with writhings of the body such as I never before witnessed. They continued until about eleven o'clock at night, when we brought them down, where we had been preaching to a room full of parents and friends; and such countenances delighted my heart to see. The next evening they brought fresh lads with them, and went with one accord up into the upper room, and sent up earnest cries to the Lord with tears for their companions and friends. This having been a wet day several of them same and asked me this morning to allow them to go into the house to read the Scriptures together. I consented, and joined them about two o'clock, and we have had a precious day until ten o'clock this evening. The numbers continued, throughout the afternoon, increasing; and I must say, having known the dear Lord Jesus, and having had peace through the blood of his cross, for the last thirty-three years, such plain, simple, earnest, touching entreaties, offered spontaneously from the heart from youths that I have heard uttering most dreadful swearing, I think I never heard before. One took a company, after the others were gone home, up into a room, and stated what trials he had to endure from men that he worked with, that neither believed there was a God, a heaven, or a hell; and earnestly exhorted them to cleave to the Lord and be faithful unto death, and resist the devil's dens—the strong-drinking houses. And now, dear brethren and sisters in Christ Jesus, will you not, with me, lift up your hearts and voices to our dear Lord, that these youths may be kept from the snares of this evil world that lieth in the wicked one, and is fast ripening, for destruction. Amen. ISAAC BRYANT.

From the 'Revival Newspaper', Volume V, page 150.

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