1814-5 Ebenezer, Llangefni and other churches, Anglesey. 600 added in two years under CE. ‘In the year 1814, a very pleasing revival took place in the church of Ebenezer, when eighty members were added in the course of a few months! The Lord was pleased, out of the abundance of his mercy, after much wrestling in prayer, and ardent longings after the enjoyment of divine influence, to bestow upon us the dew of heaven; which occasioned great awakenings, conviction, and concern to take place among the people throughout many neighbourhoods in Anglesey. One remarkable instance is worth being recorded :
This relates to Mr Hugh Jones of Feillionen, who had filled the office of deacon of the church, with honour, almost from its first commencement. He was wise and discreet in his judgment; peaceful, soft, and tender in his disposition. At the beginning of the revival in July,1814, on a Saturday evening, he was in a private meeting of the church, and was observed to pray and wrestle with God with much more than his usual importunity, ardour, and holy fervour; intreating the great Head of the church, in the language of his own promises, to pour out his Holy Spirit on the pastor and members of the church, and to carry on the work newly begun, like a spreading flame of fire throughout India and the whole world. He prayed especially for the young converts until all hearts were melting, and streams flowing from all our eyes; and a cordial Amen attended his requests, like hammers beating nails into a sure place. But little did we think, when sweetly melted under these flames of holy desire, that he who was expressing them, was to spend the next Lord’s Day in the heavenly Jerusalem, among the spirits of just men made perfect. That night he retired to rest at an early hour, and rose again before the dawning of the day; but when the family rose soon after, to their great astonishment, they found him upon his knees in a praying posture; but his soul, like the bird of Paradise, had escaped from its cage of clay, and sped its flight far above the sun, into the presence of his dear Jesus. It is presumed he commenced prayer, by intreating the blessing of God upon the work of the day; and ended it by bidding farewell to the world, and sin and sorrow.’ [Christmas Evans, ‘Early Records of Baptist Churches’ in GCE iii. 628 [originally from the Baptist Magazine, February 1817]]
‘After Mr Robert Williams had been in this place [Brynsiencyn] some years, working hard, and to a degree successful, Mr Christmas Evans desired him to come and take care of the church at Ebenezer, Llangefni, while he would be away from home, collecting towards the debts of the chapels. Though it was not easy for him to leave Bryn[siencyn], as one of the first field of his ministerial labour in the gospel of the Son of Man, he could not refuse to accept Mr Evans’ request, to such an important cause; and at the same time considering that he would be able to visit the friends at Bryn[siencyn] now and again, to care in part for things there, and to keep the religious stirring alive in the few brethren there. The cause in Ebenezer was remarkably low at that time—the members had lost their religious zeal and appeared very careless of religion and its accompaniments, and the hard-working and gifted brother, Mr C. Evans, lamented much because of it. This disheartened Mr Robert Williams greatly, which is easy to comprehend, as he though of going there; but as a brother so worthy as Christmas Evans asked him to come, and feeling for the cause in such a narrow chasm, he agreed to his request, and he went to try to fill up the breach at the time, at Ebenezer. In the meantime, he noted, there was not any use him preaching in the evenings in the middle of the week, as only a few came to hear him, Christmas Evans, “and how” he said, “can I expect them to come to hear me?” But Mr Evans was a man of great faith, and able to encourage the cowardly, when he saw it as a good way:— “O No,” he said, “you keep to the preaching, and I’ll keep to praying for you.” This brave and believing statement of Mr Evans was a special means of encouraging Mr Williams, and he cast himself into his work with an unexpected degree of confidence and bravery, by continuing the preaching in the midweek evenings as well as on the Sabbath. And on one evening, in the middle of the week, a revival so powerful and general broke out, at before the end of the meeting at Ebenezer, many had fallen on their knees, praying, and there was a great cry thoughout the people for mercy for their souls, and evident signs that the Spirit of the living God was applying the ministry to the hearts of the hearers for their salvation; and by the time Mr Evans returned from journey to the South, the congregation had increased greatly, and there were new subjects applying for baptism, and becoming disciples of Jesus Christ, and he in heavenly rapture cried out, “Where have these come from to me?” and the two godly brethren rejoiced together in the success of the Church of Christ, and the salvation of souls. In the body of that year about 40 to 50 were added to the church. “Despise not the day of small things,” but confidently preach the word earnestly, in season and out of season, waiting for the breath of God to blow and quicken the dead who lie in trespassess and sins: remembering that he is able to bless a midweek meeting, and that he has done this many times before, to the conversion of many sinners.’ [William Morgan, Byr Gofiant; neu Hanes Bywyd y Diweddar Mr. Robert Williams, Gweinidog y Bedyddwyr yn Rhuthyn, Caergybi, 1847, pp.8-9]
This information was kindly provided by Geraint Jones
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