WICK
The lengthy and tedious journey from Nairn to Wick occupied nearly all the daylight hours of Wednesday, and there remained a very brief period for rest before the evangelists found themselves face to face with a magnificent assemblage of over 2,000 human beings in the Old Free Church of Wick. It is a great square structure used now only in the summer season for meetings of fishermen, of whom so many repair this port to pursue their hazardous and uncertain calling. Mr Sankey had never visited Caithness before, and there was much evident expectation as to this part of the service. The singer was in excellent form, notwithstanding the long, weary journey, and the two songs he sang resounded with wonderful effect through the wide spaces of the building. Mr Moody's address on the qualifications for effective service was a very wise and helpful keynote to the Mission. There is no space to enter on details of the work on the succeeding two days, but, as we have already stated, the breaking down among the people under the preaching and the song was very cheering. There were large after-meetings in the new Free Church each evening, and many souls professed to enter into light and liberty. The people who live in this northernmost corner of Scotland are largely of Scandinavian extraction, and show a distinct contrast to the Ross-shire folks in freedom of utterance with respect to religious emotions and convictions. Special Gospel effort also has been much more common. This tends to familiarise the people with the aims and methods of such work, and breaks down the high walls of distrust and icy reserve that prevail among the Highlanders pure and simple. At the closing meeting - a very crowded one — on Friday evening, many throughout the great building spoke out right manfully, and said that, by the grace of God, they purposed being present at the marriage supper of the Lamb. The second meetings were divided up into third meetings for men and for women, where Mr Sankey, Mr Robertson, of Edinburgh, and other workers were kept busy till a late hour. The Christians who were not accustomed to inquiry-room work stayed in the large building and joined in prayer for a present blessing on the seekers in the adjoining church. There were two afternoon Bible Readings, and these were, as always, seasons of much stimulus and refreshing to believers. The Wick work, so well begun, is to be kept up by a series of meetings, which Mr Merton Smith will conduct. The little band of earnest young men in the town look forward to these meetings with much hope, as they look back on the visit of the American friends with unfeigned gratitude.
From, "The Christian," December 24th, 1891.
WEDNESDAY
Soon after 8 o’clock, the evangelists had left Thurso and were steaming southward towards Golspie, a little town that lives under the shadow of the Duke of Sutherland‘s fine castellated mansion at Dunrobin. A meeting had been convened here at 11:30 in the Drill Hall. The evangelistic party, reinforced at Helmsdale and Brora ‘en passant’, alighted at the Dunrobin private station and made a hurried tour of the Castle grounds, that look very beautiful in the sunshine, even at this period of the year. A goodly company had gathered for the meeting. Mr Sankey sang and Mr Moody delivered his sermon on “Sowing and Reaping,” one of the most effective in his repertoire for breaking down and producing conviction of sin. Some parts of this discourse had a special application to Golspie that could not fail to be recognised by all who are cognisant with the facts of recent history in high social circles. Mr Moody also took occasion to administer another severe “whack” at the whiskey traffic. This sermon affords the best possible opportunity for telling whiskey sellers that apart from the general religious and temperance point of view, they cannot afford to carry on the infernal trade. If they ruin other men’s sons by what they vend, someone else will certainly ruin some son or a relation of theirs. All through Scotland there had been instances of this coming to light. Through some hitch in the arrangements, only a single meeting could be given to Golspie, but the one will not be forgotten. Rev Dr Joss and Rev John McKenzie, of the Established and Free Churches, were both present and showed much friendly interest in the work. Mr McKenzie was present the following day at Brora and Helmsdale and got a good share in the blessing that flowed all around.
From Golspie, the Evangelists retraced their steps to Helmsdale where two meetings were held – in the Drill Hall in the afternoon and in Mr Grant’s fine new Free Church in the evening. There were good attendances and the Word, both spoken and sung, was with power
THURSDAY
Three services again today. In the morning Mr Moody and several friends proceeded by train to Brora, where a meeting was held in Mr Murray’s Free Church. The message of the evangelist on repentance was sent home with marvellous force and tenderness and the hearts of the people were reached. Returning to Helmsdale, Mr Moody was only in time to take his place in the pulpit of the Free Church, where he preached on the Divine love. Mr Sankey charmed everybody by his rendering of “My ain country” and “Behold what manner of love.” The closing meeting at Helmsdale was large and a great throng pressed into the Lecture Hall for the after-meeting. The process of drawing the net does not seem to answer in Helmsdale; though there was evidently a good deal of impression among the people, they lack the courage to manifest their interest in any tangible way. Perhaps they have not been educated at all in that direction, or there may be causes for it that do not appear on the surface. The fact abides that, though the preaching was as much in the demonstration of the Holy Ghost as at other places, the responses were far below those of any other place visited.
FRIDAY – CHRISTMAS DAY
So far as Mr Moody was concerned this was the crowning day of the week. Mr Sankey was feeling the need of rest and went on to Elgin to prepare for the work of the Sabbath. Mr Moody had resolved to give Christmas Day to work. The weather in the north was so beautifully fine that the idea was suggested that he might drive along the coast instead of going by train. Accordingly, an early start was made. The day was lovely and the drive was much enjoyed. It lay uphill and down dale, over the Ord of Caithness, down into Berriedale, a seat of the Duke of Portland, where a brief halt was made. In the space of 15 minutes, two prayers were offered, a psalm sung, and Mr Moody had explained the plan of salvation with several illustrative stories. Then the journey was resumed and about noon Lybster was reached. Here Mr Grant of Tain had gone two days before and was taking hold of the work, which had gone on in a very encouraging way since Mr Moody’s previous visits. On very short notice, a large and most interesting meeting was held, showing a great advance in warmth of feeling as compared to the first gathering. Wick was reached soon after three, the drive having extended to nearly 40 miles. A Bible reading was held in the Free Church and a mass meeting at night in the large old building where Moody had preached a week before. There was some joyous reaping done in the after-meeting and Mr Moody had no occasion to regret the retracing of his steps. Mr Merton Smith is meeting with a good deal of encouragement in his work of following up.
Early next morning, Mr Moody left Wick and travelled south, reaching Elgin, after a short break for refreshment at Inverness, soon after sundown.
From, "The Christian," December 31st, 1891.
This is probably the New Free Church, now a shop. The Old Free Church was destroyed.