Rhydyclafdy Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (1905)
This meeting was attended by a vehicle full of people from Rhydyclafdy, who reached [=?got back to] the village at about 3 o'clock in the morning. They made the driver halt by the chapel, and they all got out to hold a prayer meeting beside the stone on which Howell Harris had stood to preach on his first visit to Llyn. Harris was at that time suffering injuries as a result of persecution, and he preached from a stone near the church. Rhydyclafdy Methodists have displayed excellent zeal by insisting that this stone be moved and carefully placed in a prominent position in front of their chapel, on a stone plinth, with an inscription showing that it was from this stone that the seraph of Trefeca preached on his first visit to Llyn. I will give the inscription at the beginning of the next article. How blessed it was to see the young men and women of Rhydyclafdy on their knees at three o'clock in the morning around this stone, which is looked on as the church's most sacred possession. There was a spirit in this meeting that broke into great rejoicing. The following morning, at 10, I saw almost all of these in Llanbedrog, and with them Beren, the author of the immortal verses known as 'Hardd Rhosyn Saron' [Fair Rose of Saron]. This meeting took fire straightaway; since the people from Rhydyclafdy and Pwllheli had not lost the Spirit of the previous night. There I heard wonderful prayers; and I shall not forget one lad crying out, Thank You, Lord, for saving me while I have my strength, so that I can do something for You." The great heat in these people caught hold of the meeting, and the people of Llanbedrog joined with them, so that we had a blessed morning, with several people giving themselves to Christ. At 2, we saw the same people again, making for Rhydbach, where the congregation became a beacon of fire, with six giving themselves to Jesus at the end. Most of the Rhydyclafdy people had gone home by the evening meeting, and was a fearful place. Beren's two daughters had fainted in the terrible heat at the morning meeting in Llanbedrog. When they had recovered, one of them sang very sweetly. They told their father in the chapel house, "Although we have often sung about the 'Fair Rose of Sharon', we have not seen him thus till today. Oh! He is fair." One of them played the harmonium this evening in Rhydyclafdy, and suddenly she went on her knees to pray; and straightaway her sister, at the other end of the chapel, followed her. Like a flash of lightning, an irresistible influence pervaded the chapel. What next? A great hurly-burly throughout the chapel, and Beren was beside himself shouting: Great Lord, we have been very concerned for these young people; now here they are in Your hand, it is [?] between you and them." The sisters spontaneously burst out in prayer, rejoicing and sang, and it was a wondrous place. There was a very crowded meeting at Pentre Uchaf at the same time as this meeting at Rhydyclafdy, and a number remained for the fellowship meeting; but the most heartbreaking thing about this was there was a young man there, listening in tears, who was hurled to eternity before mid-day the following day, by the horse running away with him. Thank goodness he was a godly lad.
Goleuad - 10th March 1905.
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224584/ART7
Additional Information
Yn y cyfarfod hwn yr oedd llond cerbyd o Rydyclafdy, y rhai a gyrhaeddasant y pentref am tua 3 o'r gloch y bore. Yn ymyl y capel, gwnaethant i'r gyrwr sefyll; ac aethant oll i lawr i gynal cyfarfod gweddi yn ymyl y gareg y pregethodd Howell Harris arni ar ei ymweliad cyntaf a Lleyn. Yr adeg hon yr oedd Harris dan ei glwyfau oblegid erledigaeth, a phregethodd ar gareg yn ymyl yr eglwys. Y mae Methodistiaid Rhydyclafdy wedi danger sel ardderchog, drwy fynu y gareg hon wedi ei symud, a'i gosod yn ofalus ar fan amlwg o flaen eu capel, ac wedi gosod colofn o feini dani, ac argraff yn dangos mai arni hi y pregethodd y seraff o Drefecca y tro cyntaf y daeth i Leyn. Rhof yr arjgraff ar ddechreu yr ysgrif nesaf. Dyna beth bendigedig oedd gweled bechgyn a merched ieuainc Rhydyclafdy ar eu gliniau am dri o'r gloch y bore o gwmpas y gareg hon yr edrychir arni fel y peth mwyaf cysegredig gan yr eglwys. Cafwyd hwyl yn y cyfarfod hwn a dorodd yn orfoledd mawr. Boreu dranoeth, am 10, gwelaf y rhai hyn bron oll yn Llanbedrog, a Beren, awdwr y penillion anfarwol, a eilw ef wrth yr enw Hardd Rosyn Saron,' gyda hwy. Aeth y cyfarfod hwn ar dan yn y fan; oblegid yr oedd pobl Rhydyclafdy a Phwllheli heb golli Ysbryd y noson gynt. Yna clywais weddiau rhyfeddol; ac nid anghofiaf un bachgen yn gwaeddi, Diolch i Ti, Arglwydd, am fy achub yn fy llawn nerth, er mwyn i mi allu gwneud rhywbeth drosot." Cydiodd y gwres mawr oedd yn y bobl hyn yn y cyfarfod, ac unodd pobl Llanbedrog gyda hwy, fel y cafwyd bore bendigedig, ac amryw yn rhoddi eu hunain i Grist. Am 2, gwelwn yr un bobl eto yn gwneud am Rydbach, lie yr aeth y gynulleidfa yn goelcerth o dan, a chwech yn rhoddi eu hunain i'r Iesu ar y diwedd. Dychwelodd pobl Rhydyclafdy i'w cartref y rhan fwyaf erbyn cyfarfod y nos, a bu yno le ofnadwy. Yr oedd dwy ferch Bereh wedi llewygu yn ngwres ofnadwy cyfarfod Llanbedrog, yn y bore. Wedi dadebru, cahodd un o honynt yn swynol iawn. Dywedent wrth eu tad yn y ty capel, Er ein bod wedi canu llawer ar Hardd Rosyn Saron,' ni welsom ef felly hyd heddyw. O! mae o yn hardd." Canai un o honynt yr 'harmonium' y noson hon yn Rhydyclafdy; ac yn sydyn dacw hi ar ei gliniau i weddio; ac yn y fan wele ei chwaer yn y pen arall i'r capel yn ei dilyn. Fel fflachiad mellten, dyma ryw ddylanwad anorchfygol yn treiddio drwy y capel. Beth sydd nesaf? Un dwndwr mawr drwy y capel, a Beren wedi colli ei hun yn gwaeddi: Arglwydd mawr, yr ydym wedi pryderu llawer am y bobl ieuainc yma; bellach dyma hwy yn dy law Di, a rhyngoch Di a hwy." Torodd y chwiorydd allan o'r bron i weddio, gorfoleddu, a chanu, a bu lie rhyfedd yno. Cafwyd cyfarfod lliosog iawn yn Pentre Uchaf yr un adeg a'r cyfarfod yma yn Rhydyclafdy, ac arhosodd am- ryw yn y selat; ond y peth mwyaf torcalonus am hwn yw, fod yno ddyn ieuanc yn gwrandaw yn ei ddagrau, yr hwn hyrddiwyd i dragywyddoldeb cyn canol dydd dranoeth, trwy i'r ceffyl redeg i ffwrdd arno. Da oedd iddo ei fod yn fachgen duwiol.
Goleuad - 10th March 1905.
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224584/ART7