Morriston (1807-1849)

1807 Morriston, Glamorganshire. ‘Shortly after Mr Davies was established here, the cause was revived uncommonly, and hundreds were added here, and in Sketty in a short time. In the year 1807, a remarkably powerful revival broke out. The influences were so powerful that the people would remain in the chapels half the night singing, weeping, and praying, and they would do so again as they went home in companies staying here and there to pray. Many of the most ungodly men of the area were won to religion in this revival. Part of the song composed by Mr Davies in reference to it is worth quoting here.

“Morriston lately has had proof of God’s favour,

Through his gracious visitation, he made many of the dead alive;

Some old and middle-aged, and also young people,

Were saved in scores from going to the fires of hell;

The mighty breeze would walk up and down,

And turn through Swansea until the great walls were damaged;

And also Llangyfelach and around Mynydd-bach,

Pearls were found in Cwmbwrla, which will forever be perfectly whole. The Man with the rainbow, that conquered on his horse,

So that he made some enemies willingly give him respect;

Some hundreds were compelled to enter into the church of God,

That were lately seen living on the field of the world.

Some of the cruel blasphemers, the worst enemies to be found,

Are loudly praising God for free salvation,

That flowed like a river between the thieves on the hill,

To wash some of the most loathsome as pure as the white snow.”

Soon after this fervent revival very many of the inhabitants were swept away by death, particularly in Morriston.’ [HEAC ii. 14-5]

1828-30

1827-30 Carmarthenshire Revival. General accounts: ‘The memorable revival which commenced in Caermarthen­shire in the summer of 1828, and soon spread over the whole Principality, continued unabated to the close of the year 1830. We find in the “History of the Antipædobaptist Associations,” that 6,642 were added to the churches of that denomination during those years. That being by far the smallest of the three leading denominations, we may safely estimate the additions to the Independent and Calvinistic Methodist churches at 20,000; and if the increase of the Wesleyan Societies was proportionate, the churches of the four de­nominations had above 30,000 members added to them during the years 182830. Hundreds of those converted in this revival continue to this day to adorn their profession, and a large number of new interests then formed in different localities are lasting memorials of that gracious visitation.’ (HPNW p.429)

‘GOOD NEWS FROM WALES; OR, ACCOUNTS OF REVIVALS.

____ NO. I.

____

DEAR SIR;

REVIVALS of religion being now happily the subject of so much inquiry among Christians, and ­forming so prominent a part of their prayers, I have great pleasure in com­municating to your intelligence, which will, I am sure, gladden the heart of all those who long and pray for the prosperity of Zion. It is the substance of a letter which I have re­ceived from a gentleman in South Wales, who has taken considerable pains to collect the information with which he favours me, and on which you may place the fullest reliance as to authenticity and correctness.

With esteem, believe me, dear Sir,

Very sincerely yours,

Bristol, DAVID DAVIES.

Jan.10, 1829. About the commencement of the year 1828, a remarkable revival of religion mani­fested itself at a place called Caio, in the upper part of the county of Carmarthen, which soon spread itself to the adjoining congregations, of Kilcwyn, Pannau, Llan­sadwrn, Llansawel, Llandovery, &c. In the course of the year, the addition of members to these and other congregations or churches in the same county, including a few on the borders of Breconshire, have been – to the Calvinistic Methodists, upwards of 1800; to the Independents, 1450; and to the Baptists, 445. The increased number of additions to the Independent churches is confined, in this statement, to the county of Carmarthen; but it adds, that their churches in the county of Brecon have also been highly favoured by an increase of members: how many, has not been ascertained. This revival continues, even to this day, to break out in other places in the above mentioned counties; and within the last two or three months, Glamorganshire, too, has partaken of the glorious outpouring; for in this short period, at a place called Morriston, in the neighbourhood of Swansea, 250 have joined the Calvinistic Methodists, and about an equal number have been united to the Independents. It is still extending powerfully and has lately visited Swansea, Neath, Lansamlet, and other places in that county. It is the Lord’s doing and is wonderful in their eyes.

Wales, at different periods, has had revivals, which have been the means, in the hand of the Almighty, to cause many a barren spot to teem with verdure, and the wilderness to blossom as the rose. In this revival, there has been considerably less of that violence of gesticulation or jumping, for which the poor Welsh have subjected themselves to the censure of their more quiet English brethren. Still, the silence of devotion has frequently been broken by the loud sighs of such as were under conviction, and by the psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs, which would escape from others, even while the preacher was delivering his mes­sage, when the Holy Spirit showed them and made them feel, that there was a way of salvation, even to such sinful wretches as they now saw themselves to be. With all this, there is much weeping and praising God with uplifted hands.

In former revivals, frequent instances have been known of children being persecuted by their ungodly parents, or wives by their husbands, or husbands by their wives, for joining themselves to the Christian Societies; but now instances have occurred of young people, under the influence of convictions, having, by the advice of religious friends, asked their parents whether they would give their consent to their joining a Christian church; and they have cheerfully granted them leave with the tears gushing from their eyes, and grieving that they themselves were not similarly affected. Nothing is known as very particular or extraordinary preceding this wonderful visitation. Prayer meetings were regularly held in most of the favoured churches; generally early on the Sabbath, morning, and one night in the week besides, where many an earnest supplication was made to a throne of grace for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In these places great at­tention has also been paid to the Sunday­-schools, where not only children have been taught to read, but young people, also, have been instructed in the doctrines of the Gospel. At these schools, catechisms on some of the most important doctrines and duties have been committed to memory by those who attended, together with large portions of the Holy Scriptures; and hundreds of psalms and chapters have been publicly repeated by them, either at the school, or as a substitute to the minister’s perusal of a chapter, at the com­mencement of public worship. These, however, are not held up as causes, but rather as signs or precursors, of the gracious intention of that Spirit who worketh how he pleases, when he pleases, and where he pleases. Is there not in this account an encouragement to Christians.

1828 Morriston, Llansamlet etc. ‘In the year 1828 on the 11th of October, the Meeting House in Loughor was opened, and in the following week,October the 15th and 16th, the Association was to be in Aberafon, and few days after that a revival started to break out very fervently in Morriston; and after a short time I was to be in Morriston the Sabbath morning of the 23rd of November at 10, Llansamlet at 2, and Swansea at 6; the fire began to break out very strongly in Llansamlet that Sabbath, and to some degree in Swansea. The revival proceeded very powerfully throughout the regions. On Christmas day after that, Neath Meeting-house was being opened after renovation; the revival broke out very powerfully that day; that revival spread to Aberafon, and up to Ystradgynlais, and to various other places; it also came to Llangyfelach, and throughout the regions there was added to the Independents and [Calvinistic] Methodists close to three thousand souls; but to our sorrow, after a few years, we saw many of them turn back by backsliding; but many of them have had the privilege of standing until now, and hopefully be held, and the others return in repentance.’ (Hopkin Bevan, Ychydig o Hanes, p.23; CCHMC ii. 77; Williams, Cofiant Hopkin Bevan, pp.64-5)

Journal of William Griffiths, Apostle of the Gower:

‘Jany 1829

12 Mon – This day at home – reading & conversation – I feel sorry to see the subject of the present revival at Neath & the neighbourhood taken up by the newspaper, with so much spleen and indignation, tho’ the writers profess to serve religion, by holding forth the un­pardonable excesses of enthusiasm, to contempt & ridicule – Excesses there are, no doubt, and every wise & pious man laments to see so much noise & confusion in places of worship – yet the Lord works powerfully upon the souls of hundreds & the moral effects are excellent – no enemy can deny it – before any should sit down in judgment & condemn the whole excitement, now in the country, as the very hight of ignorance & phrenzy – They might consider – whether men (ministers &c) can move & excite whole towns & villages of people to any such religious concern – & so many hundreds of young people, mostly ashamed to be seen among religious people, much more so, to hear their own voice in a place of worship – whether the preachers themselves (as they are supposed to be) are fond to encourage any of those tumultuous scenes which so much offend those wise gentlemen who condemn the whole revival as the works of delusion & infatuation – whether they themselves are capable to judge of strange effects, the cause of which they had not the means nor the will to examine impartially – few of those who censure have any knowledge of the language in which these poor deluded enthusiasts (according to theirs) give vent to their feelings – They ought further to know the real character of other revivals which have been every way similar to the present – but of a more remote date – and which have taken place in different parts of the Principality very frequently – whether the enemies of religion who live in those parts can deny the facts – that in these Great excitements many persons of the most abandoned Character were truly converted from their sinful courses & lived from that time forth an ornament to religion & a blessing to all their neighbours – and also that the standard of morals has been much higher in such places than it was before these revivals have visited them – these & many more enquiries of the like nature ought to be made before judging rashly as mere spectators of some outward irregularities which no wise or pious man wishes to justify.’ 1849 South Wales. Thomas Rees’s account:

THE GREAT REVIVAL IN SOUTH WALES IN 1849.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE CHRISTIAN WITNESS. Some months ago, on the suggestion of my excellent friend, Mr Joseph Maybery, of Llanelly, I wrote to the ministers of those churches which were most signally blessed with these awakenings, for the numbers added to their churches during the year, intimating my intention of publishing the account in one of the periodicals. The following is a list of as many of the churches as furnished me with the numbers added to them. If you will insert it in the CHRISTIAN WITNESS, it will undoubtedly be pondered over with gratification. by thousands of your pious readers, and will also be transmitted to future generations as a memorial of the gracious dealings of God with our highly privileged nation:- Churches Numbers added Ministers

in 1849

Glynnedd 90 John Thomas.

Cwmllynfell 200 R. Pryse.

Gibeah 110 Ditto.

Rhydyfro 70 Ditto.

Ystrad-gunlais 150 H. Rees.

Godreyrhos 50 Ditto.

Carmel, Llangiwc 128 J. Rees.

Capel Sion, Glais 66 Ditto.

Hebron, Clydach 109 T. Thomas.

Glandwr 156 Ditto.

Libanus, Morriston 185 Vacant.

Horeb, ditto 163 T. Davies.

Alltwen and Pantteg 400 P. Griffiths.

And more

The foregoing list is, of course, imperfect, as it scarcely contains one-half of the churches which were blessed by the wonderful revival of last year. It is supposed that from 1,200 to 1,500 persons were added to the nine Congregational churches in the parish of Merthyr Tydvil, and at least 1,000 to the churches in Carmarthenshire besides those in the above list, such as Llandovery, Llangadock, Llandilo, Carmarthen, Llanelli, &c.

One very peculiar feature of this wonderful movement was the great numbers of converts who pressed together, at the same time, to the anxious meetings. In some localities meetings for conversing with the awakened were held every evening throughout the week, and sometimes oftener; and from twenty to thirty individuals were examined at each meeting. Mr Hughes, of Dowlais, gave the right hand of fellowship to two hundred and forty persons the same Sabbath morning, on their admission to the Lord’s Supper; and your correspondent had the soul cheering gratification of doing the same to two hundred and ten on the 28th of October last.

These gracious visitations of the Spirit of God were not confined to the Congregational churches. Some thousands were added to the Baptist churches in the counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan, and great numbers joined the Calvinistic and Wesleyan Methodist Societies in some localities.

Many good warmhearted old Christians had their doubts of the reality of these movements, because they were not attended by loud cries, promiscuous singing, jumping, &c., as some former revivals were; but the audible groans of hundreds and the floods of tears shed under the preaching of the word, clearly manifested some strong inward feelings, which the eloquence or the schemes of man could not effect; and what is still a more convincing proof that it was a work of the Spirit of God, the thousands of young converts, with comparatively rare exceptions, are walking worthy of their holy profession.

It will be readily acknowledged that the terrible visitation of the Cholera was principally the means of arousing the attention of our hearers to consider seriously the important truths with which they were already theoretically acquainted; but who will venture to deny that the Lord had mercifully ordained this awful scourge as the means of accomplishing his gracious purpose of saving thousands?

The mighty movements are not felt now as they were eight or nine months ago in any place, but things wear a very encouraging aspect. Almost all the churches are peaceful; the attendance on the means of grace is unparalleled in the history of religion amongst us; our youth manifest great thirst for religious knowledge; our Sabbathschools are very flourishing; a number of pious and talented young men are preparing for the ministry; and many of the young ministers who were ordained within the last six years are very active and promising.

The Welsh are now one of the most religious nations on the face of the earth. Nine-tenths of the middle and working classes are either professors of religion or constant attendants on the means of grace. Evangelical religion in Wales has the public opinion decidedly in its favour. But, alas! we are, as a nation, after all, very far from what we ought to be. Sin and Satan are still amongst us, and the time is not yet come for the people of God to take their rest. May the Spirit of the Lord continue to pour his blessings upon us, and may his mighty power be felt amongst the millions of England, and throughout the whole wide world!

I am, Dear Sir,

Yours in the bonds of the Gospel,

THOMAS REES.

Beaufort, near Abergavenny,

May 7, 1850.’

(The Christian Witness, vii (1850), pp.315-6, reprinted in Rees, Miscellaneous Papers, pp.93-6)

‘The year 1849 was a year of singular judgments and mercies to the inhabitants of South Wales. That terrible pestilence, cholera, swept hundreds away in a few weeks, and by the Divine blessing which attended the awful visitation, thousands were brought to think of their ways and turn to the Lord. All the places of worship in the manufacturing districts of the counties of Monmouth and Glamorgan for some months during the summer and autumn were overcrowded. Multi­tudes who had not been seen at any place of worship during the previous ten or fifteen years, became regular attendants for a time; and though many of them, when the pestilence ceased, returned to their former evil habits, still a large number of that class have been thoroughly changed, and continue to this day to attend the house of God. Most of those who were regular hearers before then joined the churches. No less than 9,139 were added to 67 Independent churches in the counties of Monmouth, Glamorgan, Brecknock, and Caer­marthen, in the course of three or four months. Many feared that an unusual number of relapses would follow this sudden increase, but their fears were not realized to nearly the extent it was apprehended.’ (HPNW p.430)

This information was kindly provided by Geraint Jones

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