In 1859 Coleraine was very, abundantly blessed of God, and through the events of that stirring time the Fair Hill and the Town Hall must be associated with revival work for many generations to come in the minds of the inhabitants of the town.
Since that time many children of God of all denominations have, without ceasing, called upon Him for another season of refreshing. Quite recently expectation ran high when we heard of all that God was doing in other places by Messrs Moody and Sankey. And while we were deploring that we were to be denied a visit from these honoured brethren, two evangelists, Mr and Mrs Leadbeater came quietly into the town and invited to a meeting in the Town Hall. The spacious building was filled and some of the watchers of Zion believed they heard the sound of the abundance of rain.
The untiring earnestness of our brother Leadbeater, the lucid and impressive gospel statements of his wife, at once commanded attention, A week of meetings was then arranged for and many believers were revived and sinners led to Christ.
The Congregational Chapel was then offered and accepted and ever since the beginning of September, night after night, from 200 to 400 persons of all denominations have gathered to hear the word.
The Sabbath evening meetings in the Town Hall have also been maintained, and from 700 to 900 persons of all classes, including many who were attending no church, came, and these hundreds have been moved as if swept by the winds of God, while our friends have held forth the cross of Jesus.
There seems no abatement of interest. Rather the numbers increase and the solemnity of the meetings deepens. Almost every meeting is the birthplace of souls. Many scores have professed conversion, and almost everywhere we meet with the anxious. Many of the cases are deeply interesting. Some who, through a long life, have been regular churchgoers, now say they never saw the truth before. Some who attended no place of worship, but revelled in wickedness, are clothed, and in their right mind. Some whole families have been converted. In one case the children were having family prayer in the absence of their father, a converted man when one began to cry for forgiveness, and then another, until all found rest after two hours of crying and tears.
In another case a whole family of grown-up young people, except their father; in another, a father and three children; and in another, the three servant-men in a farmhouse near the town. The aged and the young, from ninety to nine, are rejoicing together. Seldom have we heard the word of God so fully and so clearly presented. The movement is quite unsectarian. Every church in the town has been benefited by it, and numbers of all denominations work in it.
There has been no attempt to prolong the meetings, so as to keep the young people out of their homes till an untimely hour. Promptly at ten o'clock the place is cleared, though sometimes, in their joy, many would like to linger longer.
'The Christian," December 10th, 1874.