A London evangelist writes as follows of a visit to this town:—I was staying in Hastings for a day or two with some relatives, who told that the Revival fire had reached that fashionable watering place, that they were having great open-air meetings on the beach, and that more than one of the large halls were opened for special services. Before service time I walked down to the beach to see if I could meet with anything to encourage and refresh me in the work of the Lord, and soon saw a goodly crowd in the Fish-market, listening with the deepest attention to a dear brother who was pointing poor sinners to "the Lamb that was slain." After the discourse was finished, I went up to him, and bade him God speed, and told him I was in the work in London and should be glad if he would tell me what the Lord was doing for Hastings. He told me he had been labouring there some time, and that rich showers of blessing were falling in that town. Many of the fishermen and navvies had been led to cast themselves on Jesus for salvation. The different services he and other bretheren were holding were well attended, and many were crying “What must I do to be saved." He then introduced me to one after another of the dear souls who had lately been brought to Christ; he then invited me to go with him and the converts to their breaking of bread, which is held in Bank's school-room every Lord's day morning, and is found to be a blessed and profitable time for the dear new-born ones. I went with them and had sweet converse with some of the navvies who were going with us. One deeply interesting case I must tell you: it was that of a navvy, who had been the pest of the place formerly, but was now sitting at the feet of Jesus clothed, and in his right mind.
As soon as he got saved, he could not rest till his wife was saved too. "And now," says he, "bless God, I have got a new wife, and she declares she has got a new husband." In the afternoon I took part with the brother whom I heard in the Fish-market, in a service in the open-air, on Halton Green, a little way out of Hastings. It was well attended, and the deepest attention paid; I trust the Lord blessed them. In the evening we again met on the beach, and proclaimed the message of the Lord, and then sang our way, with " I have a Father in the Promised Land," to the Market Hall, in George-street, which soon became filled with just the class we wanted, the dear fishermen, and lads, with hundreds of the working-classes. There our dear brother (Mr Whitelock) once more proclaimed the gospel message; the Lord verily was there. I never saw more earnest attention, or a greater spirit of hearing, manifested. A wish being expressed that I should tell the people a little of what the Lord was doing in London, I complied, and told them that the Lord was saving London sinners, as He was those of Hastings, by their "believing on the Lord Jesus Christ." We had a large number that stayed to the after-meeting and I have reason to hope that some poor sinners were on that solemn night caught in the gospel-net. B.
From the 'Revival Newspaper', Volume V, page 181-2.
The Fish Market was close to the marker.