The Free Church congregation of Pulteney-Town has been visited with refreshing droppings of the Spirit of Grace.
During the last fortnight about thirty have been convinced of sin, and come to tell their distress of soul to their minister. Seven or eight have during that time found peace. Many of them passed through deep anguish of soul, being unable to sleep for nights. There has been much solemnity in the services of the sanctuary. On Sabbath, the 15th January, a man and his wife cried out simultaneously and continued to weep aloud during the forenoon lecture. One or two others were also awakened in church that day. During a congregational prayer meeting, on the evening of Thursday following, there was also loud weeping, and many more weeping silently, and several were awakened that night. Some were awakened also on Sabbath last (the 22nd). The next evening a congregational prayer meeting was held for thanksgiving for this visitation of Divine grace, and at the close eight or nine waited under distress of soul to speak to their minister. The usual ministry, without any extraneous help, has been used in the work.
25th Jan., 1860.
"The Wynd Journal," February 4th, 1860.
The work of the Lord continues to spread in the Free Church congregation here. Up to this week the work was confined to adults, but it has now begun among the children in a remarkable manner. On Monday (the 5th February) the teacher of the Congregational School sent early in the forenoon requesting Mr Stevenson to come immediately to the School, as a number of the children were in great distress about their souls. It began in the following manner;— At a prayer meeting in the church on Sabbath evening, Mr S read some revival intelligence containing an account of three striking conversions. Early on Monday forenoon a little girl in the school began to speak of these cases to her companions, and immediately those who were listening to her began to cry aloud about their sins. When Mr S. arrived and addressed them, the concern spread rapidly, and soon there was loud weeping in all parts of the school. It had become a Boachim. When dismissed, they went home weeping, and when asked by their friends the cause, one said, for the load of sin on his soul - another, for Jesus christ to come to his soul - another, for fear they should be taken and he left, with other similar replies. About a dozen boys held a prayer meeting together before going back to school in the afternoon. They have had evening meetings of their own for prayer every night since. The boys' meeting numbers above thirty, and the girls' above fifty. The meeting in this way to pray together has been quite a spontaneous movement on the part of the children and has taken their friends by surprise. Truly it may be asked regarding these little ones, "Who are these that fly as a cloud? and as doves to their windows?"
10th Feb.
"The Wynd Journal," February 18th, 1860.