Soar Welsh Baptist chapel, Penygraig - Evan Roberts (1904)
The afternoon meeting was held at Soar Chapel and here the rush for the building was as great as that experienced anywhere. The building was totally inadequate to accommodate the vast crowds which sought admission, though special efforts were made so that every, nook and corner should be utilized. As on previous days, the attendance included people from all parts, including the Rev. J. M’Neill, who took a keen interest in all the services. The proceedings were immediately commenced by someone starting one of the old well-known Welsh hymns, and once the singing was started there was no intermission to the service of song and prayer. An address was given by the Rev. K. Behasmilian, the Armenian who has so closely followed the revival lately. ‘Prayers and praise followed. One man prayed for the mothers of Penygraig whom he had seen on the doorsteps that day with babes in their arms. There were some most affecting incidents, and a glance around disclosed the fact that a large section of the congregation were in tears, and strong men might be seen weeping unrestrainedly. Not withstanding this, however, a strange note of triumph pervaded the whole service, and Mr Evan Roberts’s appearance was the signal for an outburst of “Diolch Iddo.” Mr. Roberts was not allowed to speak much; the fervour of the people was not to be suppressed. Miss Annie Davies struck up, “Fi, fi, i gofio am danaf, fi,’ with infinite tenderness; the congregation joined. A young man got up in the audience. He was crying bitterly, and with great earnestness he told how he trembled for the coming holidays and besought the prayers of the people to enable them not to fall to the temptations incidental to Boxing Day festivities. The evangelist at once administered comfort and engaged in earnest prayer, and his passionate entreaties on behalf of the young men were punctuated with loud “Amens.” and the concluding portion of his prayer was lost in the strains of the music of the audience, who sang and sang, and prayed and prayed. By this time there was an intensity of feeling which was most profound, and as the tide rose higher and higher, there was something awe-inspiring about the whole. Miss Annie Davies, with tear-stained face, sweetly sang the love song of the revival, and when she came to the words referring to the death of Christ she broke down, and the audience sympathetically took up the refrain, and, after recovering a little of her self-possession, she broke forth with “Pwy all beidio cofio am dano?” (“Who can help remembering Him?”). Men and women, boys and girls, cried and sang, and laughed with joy; there was no reserve. Then a measure of relief was brought through a young man singing tenderly and plaintively under the gallery. A Sheffield minister then related how a poor woman in Leeds had her prayer answered. She had prayed for her ungodly husband and brother. On one Sunday night she was praying God to save both, and the following morning she was overjoyed to hear from both that on that very night they had been converted. In conclusion, he explained that he was going to talk to over 2,000 people at Sheffield on the following Sunday about this revival, and he besought the prayers of the congregation for the great Midland town. The request was immediately complied with by the Rev. J. M’NeilI, who, after praying for the salvation of Sheffield, remarked: “We have heard of this” (referring to the revival) “being called a debauch of emotionalism. If it is, O Lord, may we never be sober anymore? If it is debauch, then there is no sobriety In Heaven where we are going to.” Again came prayers from all quarters, and Mr Roberts essayed to speak time after time, but, as is his custom, he invariably and readily gave way to others. The evening meeting was held at Pisgah Chapel.
From, 'The Western Mail', 22nd December 1904.
Additional Information
The church has been converted.