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
I couldn’t resist pressing invitations to go to this place, where my Christmas was to be spent. On Christmas Eve, I preached in the Free Church, a fine building, holding about 1000, the largest in the town; it was about half filled. I’ve found much infidelity prevailing here. Notorious Joseph Barker has his headquarters at Burnley, a few miles off. The young men and the lads are in a most degraded condition and as ignorant as they are rude in matters which concern that everlasting welfare. I gave away 500 tracts and visited many of the poor at their homes. I was assailed by one poor fellow in the street. He was drunk and of course collected a mob in a little time. He asked a number of sceptical questions, which any of our Sunday scholars could answer. I pitied his ignorance, very soon silenced him and his townsmen laughed him to derision. I told this poor young man, how much I felt for him, and after I had talked with him, a total change seemed to come over him. He said he never met anyone he liked so; he had never been so spoken to about his soul before. The language I employed was from the word itself., That young man became like a child, and addressed me as if I was his father, though there is not, I should think, many years between us. He wanted me to go home with him to Burnley. I invited him and his associates to my meeting that night at the Mechanics Institution. They came in like a flood and their conduct before the commencement of the meeting alarmed our good friends on the platform. Perhaps 600 were assembled, and I certainly never saw such a set of roughs. It was like the sea and the waves soaring. But the Lord gave his servant power and the Spirit of the living God came down and silenced the multitude and many were weeping bitter tears. About 200 remained to the after-meeting. One of the clearest cases of conversion was an aged man at this meeting. He said he was one of the vilest blasphemers in the town. There is certainly at this time and has been for some months past, an outpouring of the Spirit on this place. Forty are known who have given evidence of having been converted during the last five weeks. I addressed the young converts before I left. It is delightful to see their faces and hear them sing. They sang each night under my window.
"The Revival," January 15th, 1863
I do not know where these buildings were.