The readers of the Revival will be pleased to hear of the blessed work the Lord is now doing in this place, and the neighbouring villages around. For some months past things have been in a dead, lifeless state, and the churches were mourning over this sad state of things, and praying that God would revive his work. It pleased the Lord to send his servant, our dear brother John Vine, amongst us, and soon it was evident for what purpose He had sent him. Crowds flocked to hear him, not only in this village, but from adjacent villages, so that the chapel would not hold one half the people and were obliged to throw open a building which would hold three times the number. The Lord graciously poured out such a spirit of hearing that this place was speedily filled and the numbers have continued for the last few weeks without lessening. But the most pleasing part is that God has owned and blessed His Word in the salvation of sinners. One evening, eight professed to rest upon the finish work of Christ, and since then several more have declared themselves on the Lord's side. The greater part of the blessing has fallen on the families of the Lord's people, especially Wilnecote, a village about 1 mile and a half from here. House after house has been blessed. Numbers have come to hear the Word of life who would have not gone to a place of worship for years.
Mr Vine has another method of inviting the godly to come under the gospel by reading aloud, the Word of God in the open air, through the streets and pressing them to come. We have no doubt a great deal of good is done by the simple reading aloud in the highways such passages as these, “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “There is none righteous, no not one.” “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”... We believe, if the servants of Christ would adopt that plan, wherever they went, of reading the Word out loud, great blessing would follow.
Brother, Vine's labours have also been blessed in Baddeley, Griesley in Derbyshire and Tamworth in Warwickshire.
"The Revival," July 30th, 1863.