London, 10th October, 1860
My dear Brother,
Since my return, I have heard with pleasure from different persons, that the short account of the Lord’s work in my letter from Μ—, was both interesting and refreshing to many, I believe the feelings produced on hearing of such wondrous grace to sinners, depends much on the state of our own minds at the time. If really in communion with the Lord, and cherishing His unselfish love towards others we will rejoice exceedingly, and like the disciples of old we will lift up our voices with one accord, in praise and thanksgiving to God. I feel as if we had come far short in acknowledging God’s mercy to sinners in the assemblies of His saints. I suppose the joy in heaven over repenting sinners is expressed in singing. (Luke 15) There is often, doubtless, a most becoming silence with respect to many announced cases of conversion, still, when the work is clearly and manifestly of God, it deserves a note of loftiest praise.
The kindred subject, prayer, is also getting a place now, in connection with evangelistic work, which is most cheering and encouraging. A few months ago, the following statement was made to me by one who has been long in the Lord’s service. “I have now been a preacher of the gospel for about thirty years; and during that time I am not aware that I ever preached without first having prayed about it, and generally both in private and public. But I confess I never made it much a matter of prayer afterward. And now, when I witness so much blessing in immediate connection with special prayer after preaching, I feel that I have been wrong on this point, as a preacher, all my life. This, I am sure, is both the experience and sentiment of many. Take another practical case. One evening lately, I hurried from W—, to Μ—, where dear S—was preaching. It was near ten o’clock when I arrived, still, there were small groups to be seen, in close conversation, in different parts of the Hall. I knew the character of the services, and had counted on the Lord for blessing. I asked a well-known friend if there had been much blessing? The following reply was given, which I felt at the time to be most instructive. “We saw none until there was power in prayer. There did not seem much impression produced during the preaching, nor until the second or third prayer after; when God gave great power in prayer. Then numbers were broken down, and some of them have found peace through conversation.” How fully this statement agrees with what has been often witnessed, and shows the importance of waiting on God, and of earnest prayer to Him for the blessing, especially if conversion be the preacher’s object.
We were greatly interested in visiting Kells, and the old school-house in the parish of Connor. The associations are deeply interesting. We saw Wallace and Carlisle, two of the four young men who first met for prayer in the old school-house (M’Quilkin and Meneely were from home), and heard from their own lips the few circumstances that led to their meeting for prayer. These were few and simple, but God was with them. They had been brought into peace with God themselves. Their own hearts had been made to burn with earnest desire for the salvation of others. They agreed together to meet for prayer, and wait on God, not seeing their way clear to act, or knowing how God might use them. The old school-house, just outside of Kells, was the chosen spot, because it stood alone in a quiet place. The meeting was intended to be very private, and confined to believers. After preaching to a very good audience in Kelts, we went to the school-house for prayer. Wallace, Carlisle, Meneely’s father and mother, M’Quilkin’s brother, and several others, who, at an early period of the work were associated with them, were all present, and joined in prayer and praise to God, in remembrance of His great goodness.
As we lingered about the hallowed spot, I could not help gazing and musing on the humble scene which God has chosen for the commencement of His great work. The place—the men, how humble! Yet within these four rough walls the first breath of prayer ascended to heaven, which has since been answered in such showers of blessing: and from whence has issued that stream—nay, those floods of blessing which have filled and fertilized so many souls, not only in Ireland, but in many, and far distant lands. To God alone be all the praise. We felt the place to be dear to our hearts, knowing it was dear to the heart of Christ.
But I must now tell you a little about Scotland. When we arrived in Glasgow, letters were waiting, urging us to come through to the east country; assuring us that there was a great and blessed work of God on the east coast. We went on Thursday and returned again on Saturday. So I must give you a brief account of those two evenings. They will be long remembered by many.
As some of our relations were staying at a place called Cockenzie, for the benefit of the sea-bathing, which is about eight miles south-east of Edinburgh, some arrangement was made with the coast missionary about my taking part in the meeting on Thursday evening. It was his regular week—evening meeting in that place. He is evidently an earnest hearty man, and well fitted to labor amongst the fishing villages along the coast, which, in many places, has been the scene of a most blessed awakening. He has been much used of God in conversion. The meeting was held in the village school-house. It may hold about 120 people. It was well packed, and almost entirely by the fishing population, a class, hitherto, extremely careless about spiritual things. But the Lord has been doing a great work amongst them, ever since the spring of this year.
I addressed them from Christ’s own question to the Pharisees, “What think ye of Christ?” and pressed the immediate and eternal importance of this question of questions. There was great attention, and here and there some were weeping. I felt the atmosphere to be good. It was genial, causing the heart to expand. I felt assured there would be the manifestation of the power of God, During the prayer meeting many were affected, but I observed two women sitting closely together, looking very distressed, yet shedding no tears. They looked like mother and daughter, which I afterward learned they were. My heart was drawn towards them. I first asked the younger, if she was happy in Jesus?
“Oh, no, sir!” she replied, “I am not happy; I am very unhappy.”
“But there is enough in Jesus to make you happy, if you receive Him.”
“I know that, and I have been trying a long time, but I don’t seem to understand the way.”
After saying a few words about God’s way of salvation, I spoke to the mother, when something like the following conversation took place:
“Well, and has God’s grace visited your heart in these blessed times?”
“Oh, no, sir! Mercy seems to come to everybody’s door but mine.” This was said rather despairingly.
“Well, now, tell me, do you believe that Jesus died for you a sinner?”
“Yes, I believe that He died for us sinners.”
“And can you believe that Jesus died for you as a poor lost sinner, and yet say, no mercy has come to my door?”
“I know that, but it has not come to me yet; everybody seems to get blessing but me.”
“Well, if it has not yet come to you, it has come for you, if you will only believe it, and receive it. Can you think of God giving His beloved Son to die for you on the cross, and say there is no mercy in Christ for you? But tell me this, what did Christ shed on the cross?”
“He shed His blood.”
“For what purpose?”
“That our sins might be washed away.”
“And is there power in it to wash all our sins away, if we depend on it?”
“Oh, yes, sir! I do believe that.”
“Well, then, can you trust it? If you do, your sins are all forgiven; mercy has come to you; only believe it. Surely, if Jesus so loved us as to lay down His life for us, and shed His precious blood that our sins might be put away, we should love that blessed Jesus, and put all our trust in Him. Oh, do believe that He loves you now, and died on the cross for you, and give your whole heart to Him.”
The room was very full still, comparatively few had gone away, and conversation was going on in different parts; but the Spirit of God was causing His own blessed truth to burn in the heart of this mother. After a few moments silence, when she could no longer suppress her deep emotion, she fell on her knees, raised her hands, and, with a loud touching voice, prayed to God for mercy. Then she addressed Jesus, as the Lamb, the bleeding Lamb of Calvary. Her appeals to Jesus were enough to melt a heart of stone. Over and over again she exclaimed, with an earnestness of tone and manner that told of a heart within being broken to pieces, “Oh! Thou precious Lamb of God, and didst Thou bleed and die on that accursed tree for me, a poor sinful creature? Oh! Lamb of God! Oh! Thou precious Lamb of God! Come to me this night! Oh! come to me this very night! Put all my sins away, and save my soul.” Such was the burden of her prayer, and she continued for some time. The daughter, as you may imagine, was thoroughly broken, and weeping at the feet of Jesus, and so were many others. But all praise to God, both mother and daughter rose from their knees, confessing they were now happy in Jesus. They believed that the blood of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, had cleansed them from all sin. Other three or four made the same confession. Joy filled our hearts. The missionary then gave out two verses of a hymn in praise to God. It was now near eleven o’clock, and he thought we should send the people away home. He said he had been found fault with for late meetings. So I agreed, and we proposed to separate, but the people were unwilling to go. They then asked me to come back the following evening, which I agreed to do. It was altogether a heart-stirring scene. To see those poor, and hitherto utterly careless, people in such deep concern about their souls, was worth a long journey to witness. And so many of them are happy now, both the fishermen, their wives, and children, are rejoicing in God’s great salvation. We were told that the men hold prayer meetings on board their boats when out at sea. The work here has been much helped on by means of hymns. We were told that the women going about their work, and the children on the streets, may be heard throughout the day singing their favorite hymns. What a change! God has wrought it. The praise alone be His.
Friday evening. The school-house being engaged until nine o’clock, this evening, with a Bible-class of young men, I preached in the open air. The evening was fine, and there was a much larger congregation than we could have had in the school. Many of the sea-bathers were present, who would not have gone into the school-house. But who, think you, were the first to catch my eye, seated on the green? The mother and the daughter, seated in the front row, with the Bible in their hands. I thought they were happy. I spoke to them immediately after the preaching, and found it was so. They assured me that not a doubt remained on their minds as to their forgiveness and acceptance. At this moment, an old woman stepped forward, and said, “I wish I could say so.” The daughter then began to explain to her the gospel, which she herself, through grace, had believed the previous evening. I could only praise God for the wondrous change, and the new evangelist.
We reached the school-house a little before it was ready for us. However, the people stood in groups about the door waiting till it would be opened. I then had an opportunity of speaking with several about their souls, and the previous evening. I found there were great expectations in some minds as to the blessing we would have that evening. An earnest, intelligent Christian said to me, “I have seen six today who found peace last evening, and a great many were deeply impressed. We are counting upon a great blessing tonight.” “That’s right,” I replied, but I questioned if my own heart was up to such expectations. I felt strengthened, however, and lifted up, too. No sooner was the door open than the people rushed in, and filled the place.
The prayer meeting commenced immediately. Several godly, earnest men of the place, and some warm-hearted young converts, were present and took part. One young man prayed with peculiar fervor and unction, many were weeping, another and another prayed, with a word of exhortation and a hymn coming in between. Near ten o’clock while one was praying, a remarkable wave of divine power seemed to roll over the meeting. It was indeed a wave of richest grace, from the shoreless ocean of eternal love; and which carried back to its source the happy fruits of its gracious mission. All hearts were touched. Boys and girls, old and young, began to pray aloud for mercy. The praying brothers, and all around the desk where I stood, were weeping and sobbing heavily. At one moment nearly all that were in the room were overcome. Indeed, I would have pitied the one who was not. Still, it was quite different from the striking and screaming in the north of Ireland. There was no physical prostration. They wept much, and prayed above their breath, some aloud. So you may imagine the thrilling effect of such a scene. I believe it would have awed and silenced the boldest infidel.
After a little while, when the people began to quiet down, and the workmen were able to resume their work, we commenced individual conversation with them. The Lord had indeed been working in hearts, and He soon gave us the joy of gathering fruit into His garner. Upwards of a dozen boys and girls confessed, without a seeming doubt, that they had been brought to God. But the day alone will declare the blessed fruits of that evening. And that will be the best and safest time to know it all. We then sung,
“Salvation! Ο the joyful sound!
What pleasure to our ears! “
with the chorus,
“Glory, honor, praise, and power,
Be unto the Lamb forever;
Jesus Christ is our Redeemer,
Halleluiah, praise ye the Lord.”
It was now half-past eleven, and however unwillingly, it was high time to separate. You must imagine the affectionate good-byes. Some of the poor women had all their children with them, having no servant to leave them in charge of, and we had about a six-mile drive to my brother-in-law’s, which, by the good hand of our God upon us, we reached safely, and I may add, filled with praise and thanksgiving to Him from whom all blessings flow.
We had a very pleasing interview with Mr. Gall, of Edinburgh, on our way back, on Saturday, and heard from his own lips a most interesting history of the revival movement in connection with the Carrubbers Close Mission. It is now published. There is, doubtless, a great and blessed work of God’s Spirit, in connection with that mission. It resembles, in some points of view, the great work in the Wynds in Glasgow, though very different in others. We found that great and glorious work in the Wynds as fresh as ever, and dear Mark M’Coll preaching from his famous stone pulpit, to large congregations every Lord’s day evening. Some say five thousand, some seven. Morally and socially, the poorest of the poor, and the vilest of the vile. Immediately after preaching, the people are invited into the church for the prayer meeting, which holds about 1,500, and is instantly filled. May God deepen and extend that blessed work.
Ever most affectionately yours in Jesus, until He come.