William
Willis’ Testimony.
I was saved –“born again” – during the Great Welsh Revival of 1904-1905. The exact date was February 19th 1905. I was sitting in the front seat of the gallery of a Baptist Church.
A young woman sang a solo just before a famous evangelist gave the message. I cannot even tell you his text or recall one word of the sermon he preached. Before the solo ended I was heart broken. I can only remember one line of the solo. The Holy Spirit took those few words to bring deep conviction of sin to my heart. The words were “Tell mother I’ll be there.”
From my seat in the gallery I looked down and saw my father, a godly man, and my mother, a saintly woman. In that moment the Holy Spirit spoke to me. He said “You will not meet your mother in Heaven, - you are not saved!”
I was cut to the heart for I knew it was true! The preacher, the Rev. John McNiel, was preaching, but I heard not one word. I only felt that if he did not stop soon, and give me the opportunity to confess my sins, receive God’s forgiveness, and accept Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour, I would drop into Hell! So real, so great was the conviction of sin I experienced. And today I thank God for this.
The sermon finished of course, and the preacher invited sinners to come to Jesus. In response I raised my hand, and the next thing I knew my dear mother was kneeling beside me and mingling her tears of joy with my tears of sorrow for my sins.
After the service my Sunday school teacher took me to his lodgings. He gave me some good advice and prayed with me, after which I went home. What a night that was! There was joy in heaven and joy in my home, because the Good Shepherd had found the sheep that was lost. Even today, after so long a period of time, I can still see all that took place in my home that night, - and it moves me deeply.
Some years later I visited Wales and met a young man who was the minister of a Presbyterian Church in the Rhonda Valley. He invited me to visit his church, which I did. One morning we were sitting in his study talking about the Great Revival of 1904-1905. I had been told by the friends who had introduced us, that this young minister was a friend of Evan Roberts, - his closest friend.
Suddenly I remembered this, and felt sure that he could tell me something I had always wanted to know. Turning to him I said “Sidney, tell me what was the secret of Evan Roberts and the Welsh revival?” He thought for a few moments and then he replied: - “Some of us young men, including Evan, were longing and praying for a revival. We used to go up the mountainside and there we prayed. Almost always Evan would quietly steal away and go further up the mountain, and there continue to pray. Our prayer meeting ended and the others would go to their homes. But I would go to find Evan.
I knew where to go, and I would find him lying on the ground, his face covered by his hands, the tears trickling through his fingers, and he would be crying out ‘ Lord, break me, break me!’ Night after night he prayed that prayer, and God answered him and broke him. THAT is the secret of Evan Roberts and the great revival, which swept multitudes into the Kingdom.”
Evan Roberts and my friend Sidney worked together as miners in one of the Welsh coal pits. They were both studious young men, and both aspired to be ministers. Meanwhile they were lay-Preachers in some of the smaller local churches. Evan was sitting in the pulpit of his own home church one Sunday morning, waiting for the service to begin, when a young woman, moved by the Holy Spirit, unannounced, arose and began to sing. Suddenly, the very atmosphere was charged with the sense of the presence and power of the Holy Ghost. People began to weep, some prayed, some cried out “God have mercy upon me!” A man moved out into the aisle, threw up his hands and began to cry out for mercy.
Evan Roberts sat still in the pulpit, his head bowed and his face covered by his hands. He knew that prayer was being answered. The revival, for which he and his friends had long prayed, had begun!
That little church was never closed for two years1 By day and night it was filled with people, many of whom were under deep conviction of sin.
Naturally the news began to circulate, and other churches opened their doors, which remained open as long as the revival continued. Soon all of the ministers and churches were drawn into the great movement of the Spirit of God. Denominational barriers were broken down for it was clear to all that this revival was of God. Ministers worked together, day and night. They prayed together. A heavenly harmony prevailed! The revival was characterised by deep conviction of sin. This was not the result of preaching, for often there was no preaching! It was the result of PRAYING!
Evan Roberts himself did little preaching. Yet even in churches he never entered the revival continued.
The Holy Spirit was everywhere convincing and convicting of sin. Down in the darkness of the coal mines strong men would suddenly begin to weep and cry out in agony. One very wicked man, a notorious sinner whose mouth was filled with blasphemy, who cursed with almost every breath he drew, was suddenly convicted of sin, and fell to the ground, crying out; - “God! Have mercy on me!”
Some of the men, only recently saved themselves, gathered around him and prayed as best they could.
The shift ended, they helped him to the pit face, and from there to the nearest church where he found Jesus. It was a common sight to see miners hurrying to the nearest church without going home to change their clothes, or even to wash their faces, so great was the conviction of sin that was upon them!
In the first six months of the revival 150,000 newly converted men and women applied for membership in one or other of the churches. Revivals fill churches. Even formerly almost empty churches. In Wales it also emptied public houses, theatres, gambling dens and houses of prostitution.
Many of the owners of such places were forced to close their doors because of lack of customers. They had become bankrupt! A Holy Ghost revival closes houses of sin and shame and fills houses of prayer!
Believe it – for we have seen it! Oh that we might experience such a revival today!
But we must be willing to pray the price. Are we willing?
We all know that the Welsh are great singers. During the revival they hills and valleys of Wales rang with the sound of praise and thanksgiving. It was the common practice for the miners to sing as they went to the coalface or walk home after a days work. Prior to the revival they mostly sang worldly songs, but during the revival they say sang such hymns as John Newton’s “Amazing Grace” or - and this was the great favourite – “Guide me oh Thou great Jehovah” to the tune of Cwm Rhondda. If you have never heard a group of Welshmen singing this you have missed a most moving and inspiring experience! Think of what it must have sounded like by men who had just been saved from the pit of corruption! Or Toplady’s great hymn, “Rock of Ages”, sung by men who knew that Jesus had brought them out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and had set their feet upon a Rock. Psalm 40:2
The people of Wales – men and women – now knew the meaning of the promise of God: - “Therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:5
God, in His infinite mercy and His matchless grace had given them “beauty for ashes, the oil of jot for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3
Let me say what MUST be said before we close this simple record of a great and glorious work of the Holy Spirit. Reading God’s Holy Word recently, in the 6th. Chapter of Genesis, a statement made in verse 4 seemed to suddenly take on a new meaning for me.
“There were giants in the earth in those days” In the days of the Great Revival there were spiritual giants in Wales. Pulpit giants! Men of stature! Men who were great orators, great preachers.
The Welsh were proud of their preachers - and justly so! But when God planned the Welsh revival he did not choose one of these great preachers! He chose a young coalminer, obscure and inexperienced.
A young man I in whose heart He created a burning desire for a genuine revival. A young man who had a vision and a burden for souls. A young man who prayed and wept. A young man who was willing to be humbled and broken!
What has this fact to say to us today? It is important to ask!
Are we willing to listen to what God is saying to us?
That such a revival is needed today cannot be denied! But a revival costs!
It cost Evan Roberts his life. The burden was great! His body broke under the strain.
After two years he became very sick. He passed from the scene. He went into obscurity. No0ne, not even his family heard from him! God. it seems, had raised him up for one reason, to lead the greatest revival Wales had ever experienced.
It all began when, in prayer on the mountainside, he wept and cried
“Lord! Break me! Lord break me!”
So we repeat A revival costs!
In closing, let us look at a few Bible verses.
First Isaiah 66:9 “As soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth children.”
To many Christians this is all too familiar. They know the meaning of the word ‘Travail”.
Yet they know nothing of it as an experience as it relates to the spiritual realm!
Hence prayer for a revival have not been answered.
There are numerous Scriptures that throw light upon this subject.
For instance, in Psalm 78:41 we read:- “They limited the Holy One of Israel”
The Holy One is limited today by the selfishness, indifference, inconsistencies, pride and lack of vision and prayerfulness of Christians. Their lack of willingness to be humbled and broken.
There is another verse in 2 Chronicles 7:14 which is very familiar to Christians today
We hear it often quoted: -
“If My people which are called by My Name shall humble themselves and PRAY, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
What a wonderful promise! But please go back to the previous verse 2 Chronicles 7:13
“If I shut up heaven that there be no rain.”
Such a tragedy presupposes that there is something wrong!
God means His people to live under blue skies and an open heaven. If the door of heaven is shut, and supplies are cut off, it is because there is sin somewhere among God’s people! And that calls for deep self-humbling and confession of wrongdoing.
If this is forthcoming then we can claim the promise…. “I will heal their land.”
America is sick! Every Christian should realise this and be concerned! This should lead us to search our hearts and to ask God to show us if there is even the slightest thing within us which grieves His Holy Spirit and hinders the mighty working of His healing power.
Can we make this our fervent prayer?
Just as I am, and waiting not
To rid my soul of one dark blot.
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot
O Lamb of God, I come … I come!
When the Church of Jesus Christ – and by “the Church” I mean those who are “born again” of the Spirit of God, - “shall humble themselves and pray” and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, which means renouncing every questionable thing, confessing and forsaking everything that grieves Jesus - however small - and ask Him for forgiveness – And then pray that He will create within them a clean heart and fill them with His Holy Spirit, the promise will be fulfilled.
Or, as Paul prayed for his young helper Timothy, asking Him to make him “a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use. Only then can we be in the place where we can pray and receive answer from God.
God is looking for clean channels through whom He can work, and whose prayers he can answer.
Will you offer yourself to Him now? Will you say from your heart….
“O Lamb of God … I come”?