Knockandhu (1839)



A young James Morison visited in the summer of 1839 'and a deep impression was left on the whole community.' He shared his time between Cabrach and Knockando. On the first Sabbath, over two hundred were there and they had come from miles around. His preaching did not excite his hearers. However, 'In the evening he preached extemporaneously in a barn which was crowded and the results were such that gladdened his heart. The eagerness of his audience increased his earnestness, causing him to speak with an earnestness and power he had never previously experienced.' This encouraged him not to use notes again while in the area.

Interestingly, Morison defended his new way of preaching in a letter to friends. He felt that by laying down his script he preached with more power. He had been finding that he had been getting new ideas in the pulpit but ignored them as they were not in his script. He now wanted to be a channel for Holy Spirit. He followed the revivalistic themes practised by Charles Finney, which was very novel at the time, preaching the need for faith in Jesus. People liked this new kind of preaching. 

 Not a meeting was held here without someone being blessed. The thatched meeting house was crowded and the audiences hung on the lips of the speaker, in some instances for the space of three hours. From early morning till late at night he was engaged in conversations, prayer meetings or preaching. Some of the cases he had to deal with were remarkable on account of their peculiar experience and Morison often walked four or even six miles to converse with these anxious souls.'

'The Life of the Rev James Morison', by Adamson, pages 61-2.

In George Smeaton's book of Morison's life he wrote that there was, 'an overwhelming outpouring of the Spirit on the whole district... many souls were saved and a most blessed revival of religion commenced.'

 

Additional Information

I do not know where the meetings were held.


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