At the Free Synod of Moray last week most interesting reports of God's work were given in from many places. Among other ministers, Mr Mackintosh of Gartly addressed the meeting referring more particularly to the religious movement in Gartly. The parish of Gartly lay about fourteen miles along a narrow glen, between two ranges of hills. Going out of the hills at one end were two openings, the one to Kinnethmont and the other to Huntly and owing to this the work had been entirely confined to his own parish, which had a population of some 970 people. The work appeared in Marnoch, then at Drumblade, then at Rothiemay, then at Cornhill; the interest deepening all along. They had had special prayer on the week before the 5th April and their special meetings began at Gartly Station on the evening of the 5th April, when about 800 people were present. The next evening about 100 attended the meeting in the church, which was a large number, seeing that no people were nearer the chapel than a mile's distance. More than a third of this meeting remained as anxious inquirers. Up til Monday evening the total number that had remained as anxious inquirers was 250, which was about a third part of the population of the parish if they counted off those individuals who could not attend each meeting. Of these 250, 180 had made a profession. It was often, in regard to such a movement, thrown in the teeth of God's people that it was merely women and children that were impressed. He would perhaps be allowed to state, from facts which could not be denied, that the opposite was the case in his parish, where the majority of those who had professed were young mon. At the meetings, the proportion had been about seven men to one woman. There was not a single farm for six miles along in which there were not some who had professed. Families had been largely brought in. There were just seven farms in the whole parish of fourteen miles along in which there were not some who had professed. He had known in some instances of a man coming, after a hard day's labour, some four or six miles to the meeting. He bore testimony also to the quietness of the work, which he could not explain otherwise than by saying that it was God's work; and, with the distinguished Dr Nettleton of America, he would say that if they had not an evidence of God's work in revival meetings, then they had not an evidence of His work on the face of the earth.
"Times of Blessing," April 30th, 1874.
We can now only trace its course in the neighbouring parishes, in order to give some idea of its breadth. Commencing at Portsoy (where a good work is at present being done), on the Moray Frith, not far from the mouth of the Deveron, and moving inland nearly along its course, there is, contiguous to Portsoy, Cornhill; to Cornhill, Marnoch; to Marnoch, Rothiemay. Following, then, the course of the Bogie upwards from its entrance into the Deveron, contiguous to Rothiemay, there is Drumblade; to Drumblade, Gartly; to Drumblade and Gartly eastward, Culsalmond; near the source of the Ury to Gartly southward (following the course of the Bogie), Kinnethmont; to Kinnethmont, Premnay; to Premnay, Oyne; to Oyne, Garioch; to Garioch, Old meldrum and Inverurie. And now we are on the banks of the Don, sixteen miles from Aberdeen. And thus in
thirteen contiguous parishes, which, following the course indicated above, extend at least fifty miles in length by many in breadth along the banks of these rivers, the God of our salvation has been graciously sending streams of blessing from that river of life the streams whereof make glad the city of our God.
26th June, 1874.
"Times of Blessing," July 9th, 1874.
Location unknown.