Lechryd (1859)



The tide reached high-water mark at the village of Lkchryd in the Presbytery meeting. A ''society" was held at 8 a.m., the young men of the district filling the centre of the floor, and the young women sitting, in tier behind tier, on the gallery. One of the speakers — Thomas John — contemplated the possibility of such "solemn troops and sweet societies " being led astray, once the Revival was over, by the lust of the eye and the pride of life. Then he shouted at the top of his terrible voice, "Put on you the whole armour of God! " With the word a chorus of Amens overwhelmed him, as a river bursts its banks in high flood. The inundation continued in ever-swelling torrents of rapture till ten at night. Some could not so much as eat bread until the waves subsided. Most conspicuous was a pious, ardent young schoolmaster. Where the wind blew strongest, was it on the gallery, or in the big seat, or on the floor, there would he be found, revelling like the stormy petrel in the tumult of the elements. A brawny exponent of muscular Christianity undertook to persuade him to seek some refreshment. "Come for food, Mr Pierce," said he. "The Bread of Life, man! " cried Pierce. " Yes! yes! but we must have the bread that perisheth too." " The waters of salvation! " exulted Pierce. "Tea, now!" retorted his unsentimental friend, taking him by the collar and removing him by main force. Preaching the next evening, David Morgan described Joseph led to jail between two officers. "Where is your coat, Joseph? " cried the crowd derisively. *^ What does it matter where my coat is? " replied Joseph; "I've got my character T

The Rev. John Richards, Llechryd, returning from a Sunday engagement at this time saw a woman washing fleeces in a brook. He conversed with her about the Sabbath exercises. "Oh! " she said, ^*the preacher proclaimed beautiful things, blessed things." Testing her further, he found her unable to reproduce any remarks from the sermons. He exhorted her to give the more earnest heed to the things heard, and not let them slip. She answered mildly, "If I have not gripped the truths, the truths have gripped me. The water of the brook does not remain in this wool still the wool grows whiter with every rinsing that I give it. I felt yesterday that the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, was cleansing me from all sin. If I don't hold the things, the things hold me at any rate." On another occasion he stopped to speak to a stranger. "What sort of services did you get yesterday?" ''Wonderful!" she replied. "The heavenly dew was falling very heavily.'' "What is the name of that farm yonder?" inquired the preacher. "Yes, delightful meetings," continued the woman. " The great Master was very near yesterday." "Who lives in the mansion among those trees?" queried Richards. "Oh yes!" she pursued, "yesterday was a great day. It was a market-day for the soul here. Half-a-dozen joined the ' society ' last night." And Mr Richards had to carry his topographical re- searches elsewhere. So the Revival made many leave the care of the asses, having neither eye nor ear nor tongue but for the things concerning Jesus of Nazareth.

From, 'The '59 Revival', by J J Morgan, page 69-71


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