There are a few different accounts here.
It may perhaps be interesting to the readers of this truth-telling, gospel-preaching "Revival" to hear a little about the work that has begun in Manchester, and which, by God's help, will go on until, like a flood, it will sweep away all sin that stands before it. I can hardly go up one street in Manchester but I can see some of the fruits of the Lord's own work.Little children singing some of those sweet hymns that are every week published in the "Revival", or stalwart men whistling some tune, such as "Rest for the weary," "We're bound for the land of the pure and the holy." Praise the bleeding Lamb for the change. Not long since these men were the worst characters in Manchester; now, through faith in the precious atonement of Jesus, they are heirs of glory. Almost in every house I go, I hear of someone telling of God's goodness to them. One strong man, about 35 years of age, who has been a champion in the service of sin and Satan, told me he was wandering up the streets of Manchester, when his eye was caught by a placard that Reginald Radcliffe would preach in the Corn Exchange on the Sunday evening. Out of curiosity he went. The word went deep into his soul, God's Holy Spirit showed him what a deep-dyed hell-deserving sinner he was; he sunk down upon his knees, and before he left the place he gave God that for which Jesus had died--his whole heart. Sixteen months have passed away since then, and he is still on the side of the crucified One.
The work in Manchester will roll on, for it is God's own work. Men have tried, but tried in vain, the glorious news to stay, that Christ has suffered for us all. He is choosing the rams' horns to blow down the walls of sin and iniquity. The gospel is preached here in almost every street, and His Holy Spirit is opening the eyes of the people.
Rooms are being opened in almost all parts of the town, prayer-meetings in many of the cottages of God's dear children; tracts by thousands are being distributed up and down; hundreds of copies of the "Revival" are being blessed to blood-bought souls, and every means are being adopted to bring in the lame, the halt, and the blind to the gospel feast.
May God bless his own word. It's to Him that the glory belongs.
"The Revival", February, 1863.
On the invitation of Mr Jeremiah Chadwick, of the Manchester City mission, I had the great pleasure last Wednesday afternoon of addressing above 200 men on the great salvation, who are employed in connexion with the goods department at the new Bailey railway station, Salford. The service altogether was only half an hour long and a similar one is held every week by the above mentioned missionary, aided by various Christian ministers. I was very much pleased with the deep and serious attention of my audience to the blessed gospel truth. This station has been taken up since Christmas.
Every week Mr Chadwick conducts OR superintends 9 such meetings at the different railway termini in Manchester and Bolton. The porters highly prized these religious exercises and they are also warmly approved of by the directors and officials generally. But the most delightful circumstance is that this department of evangelism has resulted in a number of men attending God’s house and adjoining Christian churches. May all our railway stations soon be visited by the glorious gospel!
Since I last wrote many precious souls have found the saviour in this city. There has not been one meeting for a considerable time in which souls have not been blessed. If in heaven there is joy over one soul brought to Jesus, what must have been the rejoicing in heaven among the angels over the hundreds saved in Lancashire. I have known cases of cotton operatives walking 5 miles to hear the blessed life giving gospel; women coming without bonnets on and many leaving an empty cupboard to hear of the precious Jesus. I have asked many in Lancashire if ever they saw anything like this before? And their answer is, no. The work is not anything of excitement, but a genuine awakening of sinners to listen to the gospel. Our Parsee brother from Bombay has been labouring in and around Manchester, several times in the Alhambra circus to a crowded meeting. Last Lord’s day many found the Saviour; It was a heavenly sight to see young and old embracing the Saviour by living faith.
At Glossop and Oldham the Lord has owned his Word through our esteemed brother. Oh what joy it is to see the dear cotton spinners, without anything in this world, rejoicing and praising the Lord. I must say I never spent such a six months of happiness.
At Waller Street a blessed work is going on. I have seen for myself and can with confidence say the presence of the living God is in our midst. On Tuesday the room was nearly filled. On Thursday a precious time. On those two meetings 18 professed to have found the Saviour. Our meetings last three hours and even then it is with much persuasion they leave. The fact is many of them have no comfort in their homes, broken up through the bad times; But in the meetings they meet with the precious Jesus and his presence cheers them. At Todmorden, nearly 80 young converts, with only one brother to lead them. You will be glad to hear that our dear brother M, the converted thief, is being used by the Lord among the fishermen in Southport.
"The Revival", April 2nd, 1863.
Some time ago a few men took their stand on a Lord's day at a corner of a street in Chancery-lane, and there delivered the simple Gospel to the people. Many precious souls were brought under the power of the Word, and many were saved through faith in Him who died and rose again. The numbers increasing, and cold and wet nights coming on, a brother in Jesus opened a little room in Hyde-street, where many souls professed to find rest in Jesus. That room very soon was too small to
hold the numbers that flocked to hear the gospel, and another was taken that would hold about 400 people and opened about sixteen months ago. When it was opened the brother who pays the rent told the people that it was the Lord's room, and he believed He would use it to gather into its fold some of the lambs for whom He shed His precious blood. Praise be His name, the Lord has blessed the room, and many have found their Saviour there. Many whom nothing but the Holy Ghost could change have there been born from above. Drunkards have been made sober, liars have been made truth-tellers, swearers have been made prayers, and they have been made by the Holy Spirit to know what vile sinner they were, and to know that Jesus bore all their sins, and not only have they been made happy on earth, but have a sure hope of eternal happiness in glory.
The word is preached by poor, simple, truthful and honest men who have been plucked by the grace of God from everlasting punishment, and if you could only hear and see them, you would be rejoiced. We have some who have been soldiers of the cross above twenty years, whose very look seems full of love and some who were, through the instrumentality of Richard weaver and Mr Radcliffe, brought to a knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. How many have here been born again we cannot tell, but we do know that many have professed.
"The Revival," June 18th, 1863.
Locations unknown