Last month in Manchester was a wonderful, unforgettable month and those months are memorable that are spent close to heaven. Today I shall leave the glorious meetings in their glory without touching on any of them, apart from those involving the never-to-be-forgotten visit of the Rev. Joseph Jenkins, with Miss Maud Davies and Miss Florrie Evans, New Quay. It was a happy decision on the part of the Church in Heywood St. to get the Rev. Joseph Jenkins down to celebrate their annual festival. The first meeting was held at Heywood St. on the 20th, but Mr Jenkins was unable to join us until the Saturday evening. This was a strange meeting, marked at its outset by a painful backwardness, whether from a lack of enthusiasm on the part of the crowd, or from a fear that God was close at hand, I do not know, but it was a meeting of the 'Veterans' throughout, with only two young people daring to break out during the meeting. After the meeting had been opened, Miss Davies rose and sang the thrilling "Hir oedd y ddunos" [Long was the dark night]. The crowd sang to the spirit of song [sic], and this was by far the most obvious spirit in it. The old people were on their knees, and the young playing their harps, although it should have been the other way about. After the glorious singing, we had three 'grand' prayers from old saints, and a solemn one asking God to remove the barriers. After the last of these, Miss Evans rose and we had a particularly lovely prayer, teeming with beautiful ideas, a gem of a prayer. Another old pilgrim, who is unrestrained in prayer, got up and prayed passionately for God to remove the barriers, and to raise us to the bright side of the cloud. Despite these earnest and powerful prayers, it was a struggle to gain the blessing. Then we heard the voice of Miss Davies, in the elders' seat, reciting "Oh! rend the veil that hides the mount," &c [hymn]. I thought, when I heard these lines, that she was giving them out to be sung, and I took up my hymn book, but when the line "Let the bright sun of righteousness shine" fell on my ear, it became so divine that I could not believe she was reading, and I closed my hymn book, and saw, after some difficulty, that she was passionately praying the lines; and Oh! my God! thanks be for this prayer, the most glorious I have heard in my life. When she had prayed the first three lines, she began to praise Jesus, too divinely fair for man to describe and her face shone radiantly. Soon, we heard her praying this sentence, Oh! Dear Jesus! Oh! Dear Jesus! She prayed it about half a dozen times, and each time the sentence fell from her lips with a more divine splendour than before, but suddenly it became Oh! Great Jesus! and then we heard her praying solemnly that immortal old hymn – "Is it great Jesus, friend of mankind, Whom I see over there, with his wounded flesh?" &c. But she was unable to complete it, and turned then to express in the most lovely way her wonder at Jesus' love, and before long we saw that the crowd were bent over, and as it were hanging on her lips. Having besought God to make us little children so the Spirit might carry out its work on us, she turned for the second time to pray with irresistible force the blessed old sentence "Oh! Dear Jesus!" and having prayed it about half a dozen times, it again became, at the end, "Oh! Great Jesus" and then came the old hymn, "Is it great Jesus, friend of mankind," etc. again, but this time she did not pray it, but sang it with rapturous effect she sang the place into a flood of tears. We heard many people sobbing out loud, and others sighing heartbrokenly. To me the sentence "And the blood in clots upon his head" was like an echo of the beat of the nails, I never heard anything that brought the crucifixion so alive in my mind – but Oh! what a blessed sight! the 'Rocks of Salem' began to weep rivers of tears; I have never heard a prayer of such sweeping power. Heywood Street sang to Calvary, and Calvary to Heywood Street, this glorious and memorable prayer soon had its effect on the crowd — after this Miss Evans gave a piece of glorious testimony, and she was followed by a number of supplicants, one prayer being from a very broken young woman, this was a powerful prayer, tears from the soul eloquently addressing the throne of grace. I give thanks for prayers like this, which are too divine for man to be able to comprehend. The meeting was closed by an elder who offered a splendid prayer for God to bend us, and break our backs, and forgive us for crawling so long at his work. This turned, in the words of Dr James, into a heavenly meeting, and we would not have tired of it till morning.
On Friday evening they were at Pendleton, and there was more praying at this meeting than at Heywood Street, but we felt all the same that there was a world of difference between our testimonies and [?those of] these two modest, godly young women. Amongst the powerful prayers, there was again a remarkable prayer from Miss Evans, and Miss Davies sang with conviction "Cofia ddweyd" [Remember to tell] and "Mae'n disgwyl am danat" [He is waiting for you"; this meeting again delighted us. On the Saturday evening, the three were in Moss Side, and the place was packed, and the sight of the old 'Cathedral' was enough to make the mute walls break out and sing "Head of Calvary, This will never leave my memory." There were probably over a thousand people at this meeting, and one does not often see such a large crowd, with so many young faces in it, their souls consumed with great expectation. The meeting was opened powerfully by Miss Evans, and the Rev. Joseph Jenkins then preached with great influence and Miss Davies sang gloriously several times —A Welsh translation of "O! count your blessings," and "Er pan gychwynais adref" [Since I started out for home] were the two songs that most moved the crowd; it was raised to very enthusiastic feeling, but no-one more so that than the Venerable Dr James, who leapt for joy when he saw at the end that there were three in the net. On the Sunday morning the two young missionary ladies came to Moss Side again, and there was a good crowd of people to hear them, and that, to hear them, was their reason for coming, not to take part in the activities, so that one can only say of the meeting that its glory was Miss Evans' testimony and prayer and Miss Davies' heavenly singing, especially the immortal hymn of [Ann Griffiths of] Dolwar fach which she sang towards the end, "Electing a surety before there was a debt, Ordaining a physician before there was a wound, Loving an enemy without any merit - Shall receive eternal praise." In the afternoon we went to Heywood St. again to hear them. This was a strange meeting too, there was plenty of singing, but we felt all the time that our place was on our knees. There was powerful singing there, apart from delightful testimonies and the exceptional singing of Miss Davies, and between everything we felt we had been lifted up to heaven, but it was clear to everyone, from Mr Jenkins solemn prayer at the conclusion of the meeting, that he believed that at least three quarters of the crowd were not on their way there. This was a prayer which sobered the most indifferent of those present.
We went there again in the evening, and I found this a meeting "not to be forgotten while the fair heavens remain" [hymn]. The chapel was packed long before the meeting started, as was the schoolhouse nearby, and a great many people went home disappointed. Before the meeting commenced the crowd entertained themselves by singing hymns, and these were sung with great power and enjoyment; a stranger listening to them would have thought that the crowd was drunk on the joy of the grace that was there, and one could easily pardon that error, as there was a sea of song, but an untroubled sea, without the least disturbance. The three missionaries arrived before long. Mr Jenkins looked pale and weary, and it was clear that the carefree spirit of the crowd had wounded him, and that his spirit was at war with the spirit of the crowd. His solemn appearance sobered the depths of my soul, and I was horrified to think of what awaited us, for I saw in him someone who could use the fist of God! His text was the first sentence of Mathew 26, verse 63, "But Jesus held his peace." And oh! what a solemn sermon! here was a shower of unbearable brimstone! in a moment we were in hell. If the old Giants of the Pulpit used to preach their hearers to the Judgement, heaven knows we gained here some idea of the life of lost souls beyond the Judgement, but thanks be that it was a hell this side of Calvary for all that. There is no room for me to quote more than a little here and there of the unforgettable remarks. He had two main points, and one can see from that that he had forgotten that he was a Methodist [Methodist sermons almost invariably had three main points], the first was the Nobility of heaven in the face of hell's lightning. Secondly, that there was an aspect of godliness that was an occasion for the insolence of the ungodly – "But Jesus held his peace." It was to us, the young people, that he preached, and it was us on that he gazed, with the lightning of holy zeal flashing from his eyes. Indeed, sometimes the look on his face was enough to make one faint with fear. Anguish wrung our souls as we heard him crying out at one point, "where are you, lads? Have you bowed down to Jesus? If you have not, down with you! down with you! down with you he shouted like thunder, until the whole place was shaking under it. Why will you bow down to him! This is the kernel of all creation. Oh! down with you! he cried excitedly, until the chapel was almost in chaos. Indeed the faces of the crowd were shining with tears, very like a snow-covered valley with the silvery moon shining on it. Later on we again heard him shouting: Where are you? Do you belong to the Court? I do not, he said, and a heavenly smile (the first I saw) played over his face; I, he said, belong to the crowd that will on some day to come be casting their souls piecemeal in kisses at his feet. Why are they striking him? Jesus is silent, he can afford to be deliberate and dignified in the midst of devils. Why does he not strike? he is divine. Yes, he said, with a terrible look, watch what you are doing, you in the gallery there, you are scholars enough to know that Jesus is silent, watch that you do not take advantage of his love to provoke his Omnipotence. Remember that where you strike God, there is your Sinai, there the avalanches will fall on your conscience, and among further disturbing and overwhelming thoughts like this we heard him shouting like an earthquake, escape from the court as fast as you can and pray at his feet. By this time the place was in complete chaos, and a large number of people looked pitiful, weeping their hearts out, others here and there looking as helpless as if they were in their shrouds, but the sight became more terrible as he went on, and it became indescribable in its anguish and fear when he began the horrifying cry again, down with you! down with you, boys, cries that drove the crowd almost mad, and the last thing I heard from his lips was, Yes, tonight, down with you! For fear the demons will pass you on the day of Judgement, as the shabbiest creatures in God's creation, and he sat down. There was an overwhelming silence for a minute afterwards, and Oh! it was like an eternity to me, but God took care, as he does, to send an angel to comfort us, and who ever saw a Gethsemane who did not meet with an angel of God therein? I am told that Miss Davies rose and sang wonderfully sweetly; what she sang, the heavens know best, I do not. She sang another song, they tell me, just as sweet as the first, but to no purpose; three quarters of the crowd were struggling on the brink of the Abyss, too far away at the time for the music of Calvary to reach them; she sang for the third time, a song just as melodious, to a crowd that was almost in a mortal swoon, and by the end there were a few, they say, near the door, beginning to come to themselves, but the majority of the congregation were completely helpless, but she sang for the fourth time, and somewhere towards the middle the sweet notes of her heavenly song reached my ear, there was a chorus to this, and before long a host of people could be heard joining in with her; heaven knows the singing was balm to my soul, but I could not have joined in if I had had eternity to do so, but a good number were singing now, so that I could see that heavenly voice had sung many a stormy breast to heavenly peace, and kissed many a challenging tune [misprint for “wave”?] to sleep. But I believe that singing the crowd up out of its despair was one of the hardest tasks of her life. When the crowd had finished, she sang again until almost everyone was bewildered, "Ai Iesu mawr ffrynd dynolryw," [Is it great Jesus, friend of mankind] &c., and after that she sang again "Yn Eden cofiaf hyny byth," [In Eden I will remember that forever] and to the sound of the victory of Calvary joy came to our hearts, and we then began to sing, and the final four lines were sung with passion.
In the midst of the flood of song, Miss Evans stood up, and with her little hand up, she said "Stop that singing," and the final note died away in an instant. This was a hand that became almost omnipotent. Why? God was at her back, it was God's rod that she held in her hand, and she struck the sea like Moses of yore, and halted it almost as miraculously. "Singing is no burden to you, she said, do something harder for Jesus Christ." Then she applied the fiery sermon to our consciences in her own way, re-opening the old wounds, but under the balm of her delicious prayer we were revived a second time. To the sound of her "Amen" Miss Davies rose, and was silent for a short while, but when she spoke she drew out six very stirring prayers. When the sixth had ended, Mr Jenkins brought the meeting to an end, and proved that in doing so he was in the hand of the Spirit. It was the high tide he desired, for the young people's meeting, so that they could be immersed in it. But a long part of it was a terribly unbearable, a part that filled our comfortable benches with thorns, and caused our consciences to be pierced by merciless darts. Before long he asked those who had been saved to stand up, but there were only half a dozen within the ‘line’, then he cast consuming brimstone on the self-styled 'modesty' of those who were seated, who were saved. He asked those who would like to be saved to stand up, and we were all on our feet as one man, looking excited, "so," he said, with disappointment darkening his pale face, we knew the cause of this was the friends of the alleged 'Modesty'; thanks be for the smiles of the two young women then, which were to me like silver linings to the dark cloud of judgement on Mr Jenkins' face. But suddenly the meeting became a society [testimony] meeting, and not a prayer meeting. "Come along, then," he said "if you want to be saved, give your testimony," and Oh! it became a blessedly beautiful storm, his face became, in this storm, pleasant enough to make an angel want to kiss it. Feelings were pouring out, till the atmosphere was full of angels confined for years in locked hearts. Here were some, with hot tears, eloquently giving their testimony, while there was another with his soul pouring forth until the place shook, others, over there, struggling as if between heaven and hell, but Oh! the mercy of 'the most secure grasp above' [hymn], it became one of the most glorious places in which I have ever been, it became so divinely beautiful that he was unable to leave the pulpit, the Spirit was here moving on the face of the waters, making room for a new earth to fill the void in many a heart. Who will ever forget the meeting? It was such a night that Mr Jenkins, [? who] has seen wondrous things, declared he had had a blissful evening. Monday evening was marked by a lovely calm after the storm, and everyone declared that this was the most glorious week-end they had ever experienced, and today I hear an echo of that old [=dear?] sentence, 'Down with you, boys!' in the depths of my soul.
Goleuad 17th May 1905.
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224738/ART18
a mis i'w gofio byth oedd yr olaf yn Manchester, a misoedd i'w cofio yw y rhai hyny dreulir yn ymyl y nef. Heddyw gadawaf y cyrddau gogoneddus yn eu gogoniant heb gyffwrdd a'r un o honynt, ag eithrio y rhai hyny oeddynt ynglyn ag ymweliad bythgofiadwy y Parch. Joseph Jenkins, ynghyda Miss Maud Davies, a Miss Florie Evans, Ceinewydd, a ni. Penderfyniad hapus yr Eglwys yn Heywood St., oedd cael y Parch. Joseph Jenkins i lawr gynhal eu gwyl flynyddol. Cawsom y crwdd cyntaf ar y 20fed yn Heywood St., ond methodd Mr Jenkins fod gyda ni hyd nos Sadwrn. Cwrdd rhyfedd oedd hwn, a rhyw arafwch poenus yn ei nodweddu ar ei ddechreu, nis gwn ai diffyg brwdfrydedd yn y dorf, ai ofn am fod Duw yn agos oedd yn cyfrif i am hyny? ond cwrdd y 'Veterans' ydoedd drwyddo, dau ieuainc feiddiodd dori allan ynddo. Wedi agoryd y cwrdd, cododd Miss Davies a chanodd yn wefreiddiol 'Hir oedd y ddunos.' Canodd y dorf y ysbryd canu, a dyma'r ysbryd amlycaf o lawer ynddo. Yr hen oedd ar eu gliniau, a'r ieuainc yn chwareu eu telynau, er mai fel arall y dylasai fod. Wedi'r canu gogoneddus, cawsom dair o weddiau 'grand' gan hen saint, ac un ofnadwy am i Dduw symud y rhwystrau. Ar ol yr olaf, cododd Miss Evans a chawsom weddi nodedig o dlws, yr oedd yn dryfrith o syniadau beautiful, gem o weddi oedd hon. Cododd hen bererin arall sydd yn weddiwr , dihatal ac yr oedd hono yn angerddol am i Dduw symud y rhwystrau, a'n codi yr ochr oleu i'r cwmwl. Er y gweddiau taer a grymus struggle oedd hi am y fendith. Yna clywn lais Miss Davies yn y set fawr yn adrodd. "O! Tyn y gorchudd yn y mynydd hyn," &c. Tybiais pan glywais y llinellau yna mai eu rhoddi allan i ganu yr oedd hi, a chydiais yn fy llyfr emynau, ond pan ddisgynodd y llinell Llewyrched haul i cyfiawnder gwyn" ar fy nghlyw, aeth yn rhy ddwyfol i mi allu credu mai eu darllen yr oedd hi, a chauais fy llyfr emynau, a gwelais wedi peth trafferth mae eu gweddio yn angerddol yr oedd hi; ac O! fy Nuw I diolch am y weddi hon, dyma yr SWfedH &lyw&is er's pan wyf byw. Wedi ac i y tir llinell cyntaf, trodd i ganmol yr Iesu,yn rhy ddwyfol dlws i ddyn allu ei ddesgrifio, ac aeth ei gwyneb yn ganaid ddisglaer. Yn y man, clywem hi yn gweddio y frawddeg hono, O! Iesu anwyl! O! Iesu anwyl! Gweddiodd hi tua haner dwsin o weithiau, a phob tro disgynai y frawddeg oddiar ei gwefus gyda rhyw ysblander mwy dwyfol nag o'r blaen, ond yn sydyn trodd y frawddeg yn O! Iesu mawr! ac yna clywem hi yn gweddio yn ofnadwy yr hen emyn anfarwol hwnw - Ai lesu mawr ffrynd dynolryw, A welaf draw a'i gnawd yn friw?" &c. Ond methodd fyned trwyddo, a throdd wedyn i ryfeddu yn y modd mwyaf anwyl at gariad Iesu, a chyn bo hir gwelem fod y dorf yn ei dwbl, ac yn crogi megis wrth ei gwefus. Wedi erfyn am i Dduw ein gwyneud yn blant bach er mwyn i'r Ysbryd wneyd ei waith arnom, trodd am yr ail waith i weddio gyda grym anorchfygol yr hen frawddeg fendigadig, O! Iesu anwyl! ac wedi ei weddio tua haner dwsin o weithiau, trodd eto ar y diwedd yn O! Iesu mawr! a dyma'r hen emyn."Ai Iesu mawr ffrynd dyolryw," etc.allan eto, ond weddio wnaeth hi y tro yma, ond canodd ef gydag effaith berlewygol, canodd y lle yn foddfa o ddagrau. Clywem lu yn beichio wylo dros y lle, ac eraill yn ochain yn dorcalonus. I mi yr oedd y frawddeg, "a'r gwaed yn dorthau ar ei ben" fel 'eco' curo'r hoelion, ni chlywais ddim erioed ddygodd y croeshoeliad mor fyw i'm cof - ond O! olygfa fendigedig! trodd 'Creigiau Salem' i wylo dagrau yn afonydd, dyma y weddi fwyaf ysgubol yn ei grym ddisgynodd ar fy nghlyw. Canodd Heywood Street i Galfaria, a Chalfaria, Heywood Street, byr waith wnaeth weddi ogoneddus a bythgofiadwy hon ar y dorf— ar ei hol cawsom ddarn o brofiad gogoneddus gan Miss Evans, a dilynwyd hi gan amryw o weddiwyr, un weddi gan ferch ieuanc hynod o ddrylliog, gweddi nerthol oedd hon, dagrau enaid oedd yma yn hyawdl anerch gorsedd gras. byddaf yn diolch am ambell weddi fel hyn, sydd yn rhy ddwyfol i ddyn allu ai deall. Clowyd y cwrdd i fyny gan flaenor, weddiai yn fendigedig am i Dduw ein plygu, a thori asgwrn ein cefnau, a maddeu i ni am gropian mor hir gyda'i waith. Trodd hwn yn gwrdd nefolaidd chwedl Dr. James, ac ni fuasem yn blino ynddo tan y boreu. Nos Werner yr oeddynt yn Pendleton, a chawsom dio yn hwn nag yn Heywood Street, ond teimlem er llny fod yna fyd o wahaniaeth rhwng ein profiadau ni a'r ddwy ferch wylaidd, dduwiol hyn. Yn nghanol y gweddiau grymus, cawsom weddi nodedig eto gan Miss Evans, a chanodd Miss Davies gydag arddeliad Cofia ddweyd," ac Mae'n disgwyl am danat," cwrdd wrth fodd ein calon oedd hwn eto. Nos Sadwrn yr oedd y tri yn Moss Side, a'r lle dan ei sang, a'r olwg ar yr hen 'Gathedral' yn ddigon a phery i'r muriau mudion dori i ganu "Pen Calfaria, Nac aed hwnw byth o'm cof." Mae yn debyg fod dros fil yn hwn, ac anaml iawn gwelir torf o'i maint, a chymaint o wynebau ieuainc ynddi hi, a disgwyl mawr yn ysu eu henaid. Agorwyd y cwrdd gan Miss Evans yn rymus, a phregethodd y Parch. Joseph Jenkins gyda dylanwad mawr wedyn a Canodd Miss Davies yn ogoneddus droionynddo —Cyfieithiad Cymraeg "O! count your blessings," ac "Er pan gychwynais adref" oedd y ddwy siglodd y dorf fwyaf codwyd hi i deimladau brwdfrydig lawn, ond neb yn fwy felly na'r Hybarch. Dr James, yr hewn, ddylamai o lawenydd wrth weled ar y diwedd fod tri yn y rhwyd. Bore Sul daeth y ddwy genhades ieuainc i Moss Side wedyn, a chawsant dorf dda o bobl i'w gwrando, hwy yr oeddynt wedi dod, ac nid i gymeryd rhan yn y gweithrediadau, fel nas gellir dweyd am dano, ond mai ei ogoniant xiedd profiad a gweddi Miss Evans, a chan baradwysaidd Miss Davies, yn enwedig emyn anfarwol Dolwar fach ganodd yn ogoneddus tua'r diwedd, sef "Ethol meichiau cyn bod dyled, Trefnu meddyg cyn bod clwy, Caru gelyn heb un haeddiant Caiff y clod tragywyddol mwy." Yn y prydnawn aethum i Heywood St eto i'w clywed. Cwrdd rhyfedd oedd hwn hefyd, yr oedd yna ddigon o ganu ynddo, ond teimlem o hyd mai ar ein gliniau yr oedd ein lie. Yr oedd yno ganu grymus, ar wahan i brofiadau melus, a chanu eithriadol Miss Davies,. a rhwng y cyfan teimlem ein bod wedi ein codi i'r nefoedd, ond amlwg ar weddi ofnadwy Mr. Jenkins ar ddiwedd y cwrdd i bawb ydoedd, y credai ef nad oedd tri chwarter y dorf o leiaf ar y ffordd tuag yno. Gweddi sobrodd y mwyaf difater yno oedd hon. Aethum yno wedyn yn y nos, a chefais gwrdd nad a'n anghof tra bo'r nefoedd wen yn bod." Yr oedd yr addoldy yn orlawn ymhell cyn dechreu, a'r ysgoldy agos yn llawn, a dychwelodd llu adref yn siomedig. Cyn dechreu ymddifyrai y dorf ei hunan drwy ganu emynau, a chenid hwy gyda nerth a hwyl mawr, gallai estron dybio wrth wrando mai torf wedi meddwi ar orfoledd y gras oedd yno, a gellid yn hawdd faddeu y camgymeriad iddo, gan fod yma for o gan, ond mor di-storom ydoedd, nid oedd y cynhwrf lleiaf yn ei gerdded. Daeth y tri cenhad yno cyn bo hir. Gwelw a llafurus oedd yr olwg ar Mr. Jenkins, ac amlwg ydoedd fod ysbryd iach y dorf wedi ei glwyfo, ac fod ei ysbryd, mewn gwrthryfel a'i hysbryd hi. Sobrodd difrifoldeb ei wedd ddyfnderoedd fy enaid, ac arswydwn wrth feddwl am yr hyn oedd yn ein haros, gan y gwelwn ynddo un allai ddefnyddio dwrn Duw! Ei destyn ydoedd y frawddeg gyntaf o'r 63 adn. yn Mathew 26ain, sef Yr Iesu a dawodd." Ac O! bregeth ofnadwy! dyma gawod o frwmstan anioddefol! aeth yn uffern ar amrantiad arnom. Os yr arferai hen Gewri'r Areithfa bregethu eu gwrandawyr i'r Farn, y nefoedd a wyr ini yma gael rhyw syniad am fywyd y colledig hwnt i'r Farn, ond diolch mai uffern tu yma i Galfaria oedd er hyny. Nid oes gofod i ddifynu ond ychydig yma athraw o'r sylwadau bythgofiadwy. Dau ben oedd ganddo, a gwelir wrth hyny ei fod wedi anghofio mai Methodist oedd, y cyntaf oedd Boneddigeiddrwydd y nefoedd yn ngoleu mellt uffern. Yn ail, fod yna wedd ar y dwyfol oedd yn achlysur i ryfyg yr annuwiol-" Yr Iesu a dawodd." I ni y bobl ieuainc y pregethai, ac arnom y craffai a mellt eiddigedd sanctaidd yn fflachio o'i lygaid. Yn wir yr oedd yr olwg ar brydiau arno yn ddigon a pheri i ddyn lewygu gan ofn. Corddai ing ein henaid wrth wrando arno yn dolefain yn rhywle, "lle 'ryda ch'i fechgyn? ydach chwi wedi plygu i'r lesup Os nag ydych, i lawr a ch'i! i lawr a ch'i! i lawr a ch'i bloeddiai megis taran, nes oedd yr holl le yn siglo odditano. Pa'm y plygi di iddo fo! Dyma gnewyllyn pob creadigaeth. O! i lawr a ch'i! dolefai yn gynhyrfus, nes oedd y lie bron yn dryblith. Yn wir disgleiriai gwyneb y dorf dan ei dagrau yn debyg iawn i gwm dan gnwd eira a'r lloer arianaidd yn tywynu arno. Ymhellach ymlaen clywem ef yn dolef wedyn, :Lle'r ydach ch'i Yda ch'i yn perthyn i'r Llys? Dydw i ddim ebai a chwareuodd gwen nefolaidd ar ei wyneb (y gyntaf a welais), yr wyf fi ebai yn perthyn i'r dorf fyddant rhyw ddydd a ddaw yn taflu eu heneidiau yn dameid- iau o gusanau wrth ei draed. Pa'm maent yn ei daraw? Iesu distaw ydyw, gall fforddio bod yn ham- ddenol a boneddigaidd yn nghanol cythreuliaid. Pa'm na thery? dwyfol ydyw. Ie, ebai, a golwg ofnadwy arno, gwyliwch yn y gallery yna be' yda' ch'i 'neyd, yr yda' ch'i yn ddigon o scholars i wybod mai Iesu distaw ydyw, gwylia gymeryd mantais ar ei gariad i 'brofokio' ei Hollalluowgrwydd. Cofia mai'r lie 'rwyt yn taro Duw yno mae dy Sinai di, yno y disgyn yr 'avalanches' ar dy gydwybod di, ac yn nghanol ychwaneg o feddyliau cynhyrfus a llethol fel hyn clywn ef yn bloeddio megis daeargryn, dianc o'r llys a'th anadl yn dy ddwrn, a gweddia am ei draed ef. Erbyn hyn 'roedd y lle yn an. hrefn drwyddo, a golwg dorcalonus ar lu mawr, yn wylo eu calon, eraill yma thraw yn edrych mor ddiymadferth a phe arndo angau am danynt, ond elai yr olygfa yn fwy ofnadwy o hyd fel yr elai ymlaen, ac aeth yn anesgrifiadwy, yn ei hing a i dychryn pan ddechreuodd ddolef yn arswydus wedyn i lawr a ch'i! i lawr a ch'i fechgyn dolefau wnaeth y llu yn wallgof bron, a'r peth olaf glywais yn disgyn oddiar ei wefus oedd, Ie, heno, i lawr a ch'i! rhag i gythreuliaid eich pasio boreu'r Farn, fel y creaduriaid mwyaf shabby greodd Duw, ac eisteddodd. Bu distawrwydd llethol am fynyd wedyn, ac O! 'roedd fel tragywyddoldeb o hir i mi, ond gofalodd Duw fel ei arfer anfon angel i'n diddanu, a phwy welodd Gethsemane erioed na chyfarfyddodd ag angel Duw ynddi hi P Cododd Miss Davies a chancgld yn dlws odiaeth meddir, beth a ganodd, y nefoedd a wyr creu, 'wn i ddim. Canodd gan arall lawn mor swynol a'r gyntarf meddir wrthyf, ond i ddim pwrpas, brwydrau tri chwarter y dorf ar ffiniau Anwn,. yn rhy bell ar y pryd i fiwsig Calfaria eu cyrhaedd, canodd am y trydydd tro gan arall yr un mor eosaidd i docf oedd bron mewn llewyg marwol, ac erbyn y diwedd yr oedd yna ychydig meddir wrth y drws yn dechreu dadebru, ond yr oedd corff y gynulleidfa yn hollol ddiymadferth, ond dyma hi am y pedwerydd tro yn canu, a rhywle tua'r canol disgynodd nodau melus ei chan nefol ar fy nghlyw, yr oedd cydgan i hon, a chyn hir clywn lu yn uno gyda hi, gwyr y nef fod y canu yn falm i f enaid, ond nis gallwn uno yn y canu pe cawswn dragwyddoldeb am wneyd, ond yr oedd yno lu da yn canu'n awr, fel y gwelwn fod y llais paradwysaidd wedi canu ami i fynwes ystormus i dawelwch nefol, a chusanu llawer ton feiddgar i huno. Ond mi gredaf mai un o orchwylion caletaf ei hoes oedd canu y dorf i fyny o'r anobaith yr oedd ynddi. Wedi i'r dorf orphen, canodd wedyn nes dyrysu pawb bron "Ai Iesu mawr ffrynd dynolryw,"&c., ac yn ei g61 canodd drachefn Yn Eden cofiaf hyny byth," ac yn swn buddugoliaeth Calfari daeth gorfoledd i'n. calon, a dechreuasom ganu wedyn, a chafwyd canu .angerddol ar y pedair llinell olaf. y Yn nghanol y diluw can, cododd Miss Evans, ac a'i llaw fach i fyny, ebai hi, Stopiwch y canu 'na," a dyma'r nodyn olaf yn marw ar amrantiad. Llaw aeth yn hollalluog bron oedd hon. Pa'm? Duw oedd o'r tu ol iddi, gwialen Duw oedd ganddi yn ei llaw, a tharawodd y mor fel Moeses gynt, a darfu am dano yr un mor wyrthiol bron. Dydi canu ddim baich i ch'i ebai, gwnewch rhywbeth caletach dros Iesu Grist." Yna cymhwysodd y bregeth danllyd yn ei ffordd ei hunan at ein cydwybodau wedyn, gan ail agor yr hen archollion, ond dan falm ei gweddi felus adfywiwyd ni eilwaith. Yn swn ei hamen cododd Miss Davies, a bu ysbaid yn fud, ond pan siaradodd denodd chwech o weddi- iau cynhyrfus hynod allan. Wedi i'r chweched orphen, terfynodd Mr. Jenkins y cwrdd, a phrofodd ei fod yn llaw yr Ysbryd wrth wneyd. Y llanw oedd ganddo eisieu erbyn cwrdd y bobl. ieuainc, iddynt gael suddo ynddo. Ond drill ofnadwy o anioddefol fu darn hir o hwnw,' drill wnaeth ein besmwythfeinciau yn llawn drain, ac a barai fod ein cydwybodau yn cael eu trywanu gan bicellau yn ddidostur. Gofynodd cyn bo hir i'r rhai oedd wedi eu hachub godi, ond haner dwsin oedd yno tu fewn i'r line,' yna bwriodd frwmstan ysol ar fodesty honedig rhai eisteddent oeddynt wedi eu cadw. Gof- ynodd i'r rhai fuasent yn leicio eu hachub godi, ac wele ni fe4 un gwr ar ein traed, a golwg gynhyrfus arnom, felly," ebai, a siom yn duo ei wedd welw, gwyddwn mai'r achos o hyny oedd cyfeillion y 'Modesty' honedig, diolchwn am wen y ddwy ferch y pryd hyn, yr oedd i mi megis ymylon arian i gwmwl du barn orphwysai ar wedd Mr. Jenkins. Ond yn sydyn trodd y cwrdd yn seiat, ac nid yn gwrdd gweddi. Dewch ynte, ebai,, os yda' ch'i eisio eich hachub, "dywedwch ei profiad," ac O! dyma hi yn ystorm fendigedig o dlws, aeth ei wyneb yn ddigon anwyl yn y storm yma i godi awydd ar angel i'w gusanu. Dyma hi yn arllwys teimladau, nes gorlanw yr awyrgylch ag angylion gaethiwyd flynyddoedd mewn calonau cloedig. Rhai yma a'u dagrau brwd yn hyawdl adrodd eu profiadau, tra acw ceid arall yn byrlymu eu henaid allan nes siglo y lle, eraill fan draw yn 'strugglio' megis rhwng nef ac uffern, ond O! drugaredd yr afael sicraf fry,' trodd yn un o'r lleoedd mwyaf gogoneddus y bum ynddo erioed, aeth yn rhy ddwyfol dlws iddo allu myned o'r pwlpud yn ol, yr oedd yr Ysbryd yma yn ymsymud ar wyneb y dyfroedd, gan wneyd lle i ddaear newydd lanw gwagle llawer calon. Pwy anghofia y cwrdd bythol ? Y fath noson oedd nes y tystiai Mr. Jenkins welodd bethau ofnadwy, iddo gael noson fendigedig. Nos Lun tawelwch hyfryd wedi'r ystorm oedd yn ei nodweddu, a thystiai pawb mai dyma y week-end fwyaf gogoneddus gawsant, a heddyw clywaf eco yr hen frawddeg hono, 'I lawr a ch'i fechgyn!' yn nyfnderoedd fy enaid.
Goleuad 17th May 1905.
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224738/ART18