The Odd Fellows Hall, Halifax (1864)
...These same brethren invited me over the week before last, to carry on a series of special serrices with brother H. Moorhonse in the Odd Fellows' Hall; and you will be glad to hear of the great success attending the preaching of the gospel in this town.
On my arriving on the Saturday afternoon, I visited the bible stalls in the market, where I found brother Poole and his wife, with many more, circulating the bread of life among the eager multitude of people who were attracted to the spot and it rejoiced our hearts to hear the young converts praising God round the stall. On the following Sunday we held two meetings in the Odd Fellows' Hall which was crowded to excess, especially in the evening. I never experienced anything like this revival before, for, at the close of the services, hundreds waited to be spoken to in the large hall and there were two vestries full of seeking souls. 50 names were taken by their bretheren as professing to have found the Saviour and it was difficult for us to leave the hall, the people were so desirous to remain to be prayed for.
Services were held in the hall during the week. H Moorehouse and myself addressed the meetings and 128 gave in their names to join the different denominations. A great number waited to be spoken to till very late hour. The Lord seems to be blessing the whole town. It is most gratifying to see all the different churches united in dragging the gospel net - all pulling together. Jesus is held fourth prominently, the cross is the great centre and Saints and sinners are attracted by its preaching - Christ crucified, the power of God and the wisdom of God. Infidels, swearers, drunkards, thieves, old and young are blessing and praising God.
There are some who say the revival is dying out. Let them visit Halifax and Bradford and see what the Lord has done there and is doing. I agree with my brother Weaver that it is believers that are getting cold and talking about something else instead of the Blood the Lamb. I feel I have not time for anything else but winning souls to Christ. Heaven rejoices and rings with “hallelujahs” at the return of a prodigal.
E USHER
“The Revival” April 7th, 1864.
For several months past the Lord has been wonderfully saving souls, chiefly through the instrumentality of very humble servants, whom He is raising up in these days, evidently adapted for the work of evangelisation of the lowest classes of society. We have had special services in the Oddfellows' Hall (which is capable of holding about 1500 people) for the last five months; and just the right workmen, just at the right time, the Lord has indeed sent amongst us. And now, after having registered more than 500 names as having received good at these services, God has in a very providential way sent our dear brother William Fletcher, whose heart God has touched, and who is just the man cut out for the work he is now engaged in.
He arrived here on Saturday, June 4th. We had got large placards out for Sunday meetings in the hall. There was a good attendance in the morning; in the afternoon a public love feast, at which many of the new converts spoke with much blessing.
In the evening a very powerful address was given by our brother Fletcher, relating very many telling incidents of God's love and mercy towards the poor fallen ones, and at the close of the service, in the after-meeting, although we have many times received more names, we never experienced more divine power. Thirteen names were taken down -amongst them were the mistress of a brothel, and a young woman of twenty-one, who lived with her. Up in a side gallery I observed one weeping. I went up to them, and after speaking and praying with the mistress, she consented to come into the ante-room, No sooner had she stood up than the younger woman came close at her heels with streaming eyes, and sobbing as if her heart was broken. They followed me into the ante-room and soon professed to find peace through the blood of the Lamb. The young woman promised to go to the Refuge at Great Horton, Bradford. I took a few friends into the house where they lived and found the mistress willing, both to part with her and also to give up her former habits. I took the girl to the refuge on the day following, and she rejoiced at having got into two refuges, the one for the body and the other for the soul, which is the refuge of Christ. We are now making arrangements for getting another dwelling for the elder woman. She has three small children and a son of nineteen years, who has been living for the last two years on what his mother could bring from her wicked course. This circumstance is of such a character and is likely to do good to such an amount, which has not been known during all these services. I cannot tell you half of what I should like, but suffice to say, the work is still going on, and likely to continue. We are now about to hold an open-air meeting during this week, and again in the hall on Sunday. We are also intending having an out-door campaign for a week at the fair, and are now endeavouring to get a good supply of tracts. May the Lord still bless the labour of his servants: pray for us, dear brother, and tell your brethren also to pray for us. The whole town is on the move; hard hearts are softening; prejudice is giving way; the churches are getting affected by the revival spirit, and we hope soon to be able to say that thousands have been saved by the blood of Jesus through the instrumentality of these services.
THOMAS RAWLINSON.
"The Revival," June 30th, 1864.
Additional Information
The building was demolished in 1863.