We have a most blessed work going on in the Mearns here. It is just Ireland set down at our own door. Conversions counted by tens and twenties at Laurencekirk, Fordoun, Mary-kirk, and now I hear of it going on to Bervie. Meetings at Laurencekirk nightly, many souls in deep distress under conviction of sin, and many already enjoying peace. It first began in its public manifestation at some of the open-air services of our dear brother Johnston. Souls struck down by the arrow of conviction, and the wounded healed by the balm of Gilead. —Extract from a Letter. From Volume i, The Revival Newspaper p60
That young woman's face was beaming with such joy as I never in all my life saw. We all sat and listened to her in deep astonishment. So full was she of the Spirit that, for about two weeks, she could not stay in her house. She went through the village telling everyone she met or saw to come to Jesus' and get the happiness she felt. Many thought her mad, but she said, I didn't care, so great was my love for souls.' Her sister was then brought under the Holy Spirit's influence, and when I saw her she was very happy, but there was in her case nothing of the great joy felt by her sister. Her husband was also stricken, and was in a sad state for some days. An extraordinary outpouring of the Holy Spirit has just taken place and is still being experienced, at Bervie, a small but "royal" borough on the sea-coast between Aberdeen and Montrose. Like many other places which God in his sovereignty has been pleased of late to make the special theatres of his wonder-working grace, Bervie has long been remarkable for spiritual coldness and deadness. Its inhabitants are principally weavers and fishermen; many, especially among the former, being avowed infidels. It was not till about the second week of September that the general and striking awakening seems to have manifested itself at Bervie, of which I now proceed to give you an account from a private letter recently received from a lady now on a visit at the Free Church Manse:—
During the absence of your brother at Aberdeen (for eight or ten days)," she writes, "conversions took place among some of the most indifferent characters. Prayer-meetings have been held every evening for some weeks past, and inquirers spoken with at their conclusion. Many stay, some of whom are under deep concern about their souls. An interesting young woman,.. a servant here, had lately been giving dissatisfaction, on account of being longer than she ought to have been in returning ¬when sent out on errands. The reason of this however, have just discovered. The poor girl was under deep conviction of sin and was mourning and trying to get comfort. So when she went out, she often stayed to speak to others who she thought might be useful to her. But at last she has found peace, and is now very earnest in trying to bring young com¬panions to the Saviour, and many have come and, I am per¬suaded, will come to Jesus in this place.
"I was walking one day when I was here before (some few months ago) along the shore, when I saw a woman whom I thought I would join and speak to about her soul. I found that she was a regular attendant at the Baptist chapel. I had a good deal of religious conversation with her. On my calling on Mr D. the other day (the pastor of the Baptist church), I found that this woman had been stricken down lately at a prayer-meeting, and was for some time after so physically prostrated as to require medical attendance. After a while, however, she found peace in believing in Jesus, and rejoiced with great joy, telling everyone how sure she now was of salvation. I lost no time, on hearing this, in going to see her. It was growing dark when I called at her cottage; but as soon as she heard my voice, she flew out, threw her arms around me, and embracing me, pulled me in and began to tell me how clearly she now saw all that I had said to her; and that she was rejoicing in salva¬tion through Christ alone. She had been a professor for many years, but seems never to have been really converted till lately. Much of her experience, which she told me, was very edifying and remarkable, but too long for me to write. She was going on Monday to start for Australia, with her husband and children, willing to live or die, now that Christ was hers. On Sabbath evening both parlours at the Manse were crammed almost to suffocation, with persons all seeking advice about their souls, along with some Christian people who came for the purpose of united prayer. Some prayed and sang in our room, while Mr C. (the Coast Missionary) spoke to inquirers in the other: they stayed till about ten o'clock at night. One poor woman I felt much for. She said, she felt her heart so hard and dark, and, though earnestly seeking, could get no comfort. After she had gone, I ran down the town to tell her a text that occurred to me, that I thought would suit her case, and might be blessed to her. She was pleased to receive me into her little room. I left her, and she continued to pray over the word until near one o'clock in the morning, when Rom. viii. 1 came with power to her heart and gave her peace which she has enjoyed ever since. United prayer-meetings are being held every day alternately, in the Free church and the Baptist chapel."
Further accounts of this movement at Bervie, I may perhaps, be able to forward next week. Meanwhile, I remain yours faithfully in the Lord. G SMALL.
From Volume i, The Revival Newspaper, p91
At the mouth of the river Dee and within the boundaries of the city of Aberdeen, lies the erstwhile fishing-village of Footdee Fifty yearis ago this village consisted of two large squares of small, red-tiled, white-washed houses, contained some four score families, and possessed about twenty fishing-boats. Eight houses formed a side to, each of the squares, which were named North (or Fittie) Square, and South (or Torry) Square. The village hall, used as a day-school, had a, length of two houses-namely, fifty feet - and could barely be outwardly distinguished from the surrounding houses. The villagers were wild, impulsive, and superstitious, and, in relation to God and His Gospel, lived in heathen darkness.
Donald Ross was appointed in the end of July, 1858, the first secretary and superintendent of the North East Coast Mission, whose sphere was to extend along two hundred miles of a coast containing 57 towns and villages. Blessing from on high attended the labours of its godly and faithful missionaries, and Mr Ross's first annual report contained such sentences as "At Bervie, Gourdon, Downies, Cove, St. Combs, Inverallochy, Cairnbulg, and Broadsea the blessing has descended; waters have broken out in the wilderness and streams in the desert. At the present time there are hundreds crying, "What must we do to be saved?" Seven hundred copies of the Scriptures have been disposed of during this year.
The Mission's founder, Mr Rosie, had in 1859 been appointed missionary to the Bombay Harbour Mission. The report containing the above-quoted words reached him in India a few days before his death, and was read by him with mingled joy and awe. Donald Ross continued at the head of the Mission for twelve years, during which time he witnessed, and was the chief instrument in, three noteworthy works of grace in Footdee~those of 1861,1862, and 1869.
THE REVIVAL OF 1861.
On a Sunday afternoon in 1859 the free and artlless way of salvation was preached in the open air within the squares of the village for almost the first time in its history. The preacher, Donald Ross, made then a housie-to-house visitation iof the people, and found only one Christian - John Main, a young ship captain, who had come home to die. Main, who had, some years previously, been translated from darkness to light in Sunderland, had prayed long and earnestly for the entrance of the Gospel into his native village. He passed away a month biefore the first awakening in Footdee in 1861. Donald Ross continued to preach at regular intervals, at least once a fortnight, throughout the whole of the year 1860 'to audiences of three or four- generally children- without seeing any fruit of his labours.
Indeed, the fisher-folks despitefully used him, and he would often cry out, while preacriing in the open air, with a sympathy born from above, "Cold Footdee! Cold Footdee!" During this time he prayed regularly for a storm to the intent that the fishermen would be kept at home. Towards the end of January,1861, the storm did come. The schooner "Mary," of Fraserburgh, lay windbound in Aberdeen harbour. Her captain, Wilson Summers, was an earnest Christian of but ten months' standing, and, having previously become acquainted with Donald Ross at Fraserburgh, was delighted to help his friend in the work of proclaiming the Gospel in Footdee. The singing by Mr Summers and one of his sailors of Wesley's hymn, "Behold the Saviour of mankind," with chorus, "O, the Lamb, the bleeding Lamb, the Lamb upon Calvary," attracted about twenty fisher-girls into the village hall. The intimation was given out that a meeting would be held on the morrow if the " Mary " still lay windbound; and she did continue, providentially, to lie in harbour for ten days. On the second night the audience was doubled. Between two and three hundred villagers gathered on the third day to hear the singing and the preaching, which were at once simple and powerful. The windows of heaven soon opened in blessing; the village was inundated; and the Spirit of God brooded over the face of the waters. Probably about a tenth part of the dwellers in the village during the months of February and March were delivered from out of the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of the Son of God's love. Mr Ross watched over and nourished these his children in the faith with a jealous care, and, out of men and women who could barely read or write, there arose men - such as Andrew Allan, Geo. R. Masson, Andrew Baxter, and Alexander Caie - who became earnest preachers, of the Gospel of God's grace, and women who sang the "songs of Zion" with rare feeling. Mr Ross filled their hands with work. The men "opened the meeting" nightly in regular rotation. The women travelled much with him to such southern fishing villages, as Burnbanks, Cove, Findon, and Portlethen. At Cove and Findon there was real spiritual blessing, similar in intensity to that experienced in Footdee. The' "songs of Zion" were often sung to the "world's tunes," and Mr Ross, would occasionally remark to his noble army of travelling songstresses, "Girls, it's a pity we cannot take all the devil's music from him." It may be here'said that Mr Ross journeyed in those days from one coast town to another on a small pony.
From, 'Donald Ross, Pioneer Evangelist,' pages 134-9.
The meetings took place in the Free Church which is approximately where marked. I do not think it is there anymore.