Seion Welsh Baptist Church - Blaenau Ffestiniog (1905)
At Pwllheli, the atmosphere here made one forget the world completely. Even apart from this, the prayers there were wondrous. Having spoken for about half an hour at the first meeting, we saw a young woman on her knees, but unable to find words. Beside her was a young girl with her arm around her neck, saying in her ear, "the words will come now." Thereupon she broke out and prayed one of the most wonderful prayers. This caused a large number to follow her, and the place became almost too terribly divine to remain there. A number of the most respectable women of the place came forward for the first time to pray publically that day, and they drew the heavens down. Just as wondrous were the sisters' meetings in Blaenau Ffestiniog. I heard prayers there that I will never forget. The richness of their language, the warmth of their hearts and the excellence of their thoughts were exceptional. At Llanfairfechan the Wesleyan chapel was almost full at 2 o'clock on the day I was there, and in some senses, this was the most wonderful meeting I have ever attended. Twenty to 25 of the women and girls prayed, and almost every prayer was fit to be published. As regards the richness of their thoughts, taking everything together, never have more wondrous things fallen on my ears. Finally, jubilation broke through the whole chapel, and a great number prayed at the same time. The influence was so irresistible that I and my brothers in the ministry could do nothing but weep copiously. We felt we were on the boundary between eternity and time, and that there was only a very thin veil between us and the heavens. A remarkable thing about this meeting was that a young woman said at the beginning that wondrous things were to take place before the end of the meeting. And so it was. If the Spirit of God ever held a meeting completely in his hand, then this was it. Although it was seething with emotion, yet not one person lost control of her feelings. The feeling that filled the meeting threw up ideas whose preservation would empower the ages [to come]. At Colwyn, we had some very blessed meetings of the sisters. They threw themselves easily into the service and their great work had a large part in moving the whole town and bringing such a number, over 100, to the churches in a few days. The sisters' meeting in Penmaenmawr became too enthusiastic for me to be able to say very much there. The prayers were truly rich and appropriate and heavenly in their tone. In both the meetings, I had with the sisters in Llandudno I was very much pleasantly surprised. We hardly expected an expression of feeling in such a fashionable town. However, I found things quite to the contrary. I have never heard such weeping aloud on the part of so many people as in the first of the two meetings. The great feature of the prayers here was that most people were weeping and praying at the same time. Although they burst into tears, yet they were able to continue. Some wept aloud, or wailed; others prayed while they wept, some sang, and the others enjoyed divine blessedness. This meeting reminded me of the birds singing on a sun-kissed, dewy summer's morning Oh, blessed meeting. It must surely give rise to very great things. The meeting the following day was quite similar, but the weeping was not so prominent. The meetings of the sisterhood in the North are so wondrous and divine that it would pay one to walk 200 miles to experience one of them. Women from the ages of 8 to 70 and 80 take part. Hymns are recited in them that we, the comparatively young people, never heard before; the richest verses of the Bible are recited.
Goleuad - 3rd March 1905
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224568/ART13
Blaenau District – Independents 287, CM 267, Baptists 106, Wesleyans 68 = 728 Festiniog Sion. The meetings in several of the chapels during the week reached their climax. Revival preaching services are held continually in the neighbourhood.
From, 'The Wrexham Advertiser', 18th March 1905.
Additional Information
Yn Mhwllheli, yr oedd y naws yma yn peri i ddyn i anghofio y byd yn llwyr. Heblaw y naws hwn, yr oedd y gweddiau yn rhyfedd yno. Wedi siarad am rhyw haner awr yn y cyfarfod cyntaf, gwelwn wraig ieuanc ar ei gliniau, ond yn methu cael geiriau., Yn ei hymyl yr oedd geneth ieuanc a'i braich am ei gwddf, ac yn dweyd yn ei chlust, "fe ddaw geiriau yn awr." Yn y fan torodd allan, a gweddiodd un o'r gweddiau rhyfeddaf. Parodd hyn i nifer mawr i'w chanlyn, ac aeth y lie bron yn rhy ofnadwy o ddwyfol i fod ynddo. Daeth nifer o wragedd boneddigeiddiaf y lie ymlaen am y tro cyntaf i weddio yn gyhoeddus y dydd hwn, a thynent y nefoedd i lawr. Nid llai rhyfedd oedd cyfarfodydd y chwiorydd yn Mlaenau Ffestiniog. Clywais weddiau yno nad anghofiaf hwynt byth. Yr oedd cyfoeth eu hiaith, gwres eu calonau, godidogrwydd eu meddyliau yn cithriadol. Yn Llanfairfechan cafwyd yn agos llond capel y Wesleyaid am 2 o'r gloch y dydd yr oeddwn yno, ac ar rai ystyron hwn oedd y cyfarfod rhyfeddaf y bum ynddo erioed. Gweddiodd tua 20 i 25 o'r gwragedd a'r genethod ac yr oedd bron bob un yn rhai y gellid eu hargraffu. O ran cyfoeth meddyliau, y rhai hyn oedd y gweddiau, a'u cymeryd oll gyda'u gilydd, rhyfeddaf ddisgynodd ar fy nghlustiau erioed. Yn y diwedd torodd yn orfoledd drwy yr holl gapel, a gweddiai nifer mawr yr un pryd. Mor anorchfygol oedd y dylanwad, fel na fedrwn i a'm brodyr yn y weinidogaeth wneud dim ond wylo yn hidl. Teimlem ein bod ar y llinell rhwng tragwyddoldeb ac amser, ac nad oedd ond llen deneu iawn rhyngom a'r nefoedd. Peth hynod am y cyfarfod hwn, oedd i eneth ieuanc ddweyd ar y dechreu, fod pethau rhyfedd i ddigwydd cyn diwedd y cyfarfod. Ac felly y bu. Os bu Ysbryd Duw a chyfarfod erioed yn llwyr yn ei law, hwn oedd efe. Er ei fod yn berwi gan deimlad, nid oedd cymaint ag un wedi colli llywodraeth ar ei theimladau. Taflai y teimlad lanwai y cyfarfod, syniadau allan ag y byddai yn nerth i'r oesau eu cadw. Yn Colwyn, cafwyd cyfarfodydd chwiorydd tra bendithiol. Ymdaflent yn rhwydd i'r gwasanaeth a bu eu gwaith mawr a rhan helaeth mewn symud yr holl dref, a dwyn y fath nifer, a thros 100 i'r eglwysi mewn ychydig ddyddiau. Aeth cyfarfod y chwiorydd yn Mhenmaenmawr yn rhy frwd i mi allu cael siarad ond ychydig ynddo. Gwir gyfoethog a phriodol oedd y gweddiau, a nefolaidd oedd eu naws. Yn y ddau gyfarfod gefais gyda'r chwiorydd yn Llandudno siomwyd fu yn ddirfawr o'r ochr oreu. Braidd y disgwyliwn fynegiant o deimlad mewn tref mor ffasiynol. Eithr yn hollol wahanol y cefais bethau. Ni chlywais y fath wylo uchel erioed gan nifer mor fawr ag yn y cyfarfod cyntaf o'r ddau. Nodwedd fawr y gweddiau yma oedd, fod y rhan fwyaf yn wylo a gweddio yr un pryd. Er tori i wylo, medrent fyned ymlaen. Wylai rhai yn uchel neu dolefent; gweddiai eraill dan wylo, canai rhai, a mwynhai y lleill yn ddwyfol ddedwydd. Yr oedd y cyfarfod hwn yn fy adgofio am yr adar yn canu ar fore gwlithog, hafaidd, haul belydrog. O, fendigedig gyfarfod! Rhaid fydd iddo esgor ar bethau rnawrion iawn. Bu yr un y dydd dilynol yn bur debyg ond nid llawn mor amlwg yn ei wylo, Mor rhyfedd a dwyfol yw cyfarfodydd y chwiorydd yn y Gogledd, fel y talai y ffordd i gerdded 200 o filldiroedd i gael un o honynt. Cymer rhai o 8 oed i 70 ac 80 ran ynddynt. Adroddir hymnau ynddynt na chlywsom ni, y bobl gymharol ieuainc, hwynt erioed; ceir ynddynt adroddiad o adnodau cyfoethocaf y Beibl.
Goleuad - 3rd March 1905.
http://papuraunewyddcymru.llgc.org.uk/en/page/view/3224568/ART13