20. England Again

England Again The meeting and visit in Calcutta occurred in the fall or winter following the 1910 Sialkot Con- vention. The next spring, March, 1911, John Hyde started ’home as the physicians would say a "dying man." He had arrived in India in the autumn of 1892, less than twenty years before. But surely they were nineteen beautiful years! When he arrived in England, he went to visit some friends in Wales, intending later to attend the Keswick Convention. While in Wales he heard that Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman and Mr. Charles M. Alexander, on their world-wide evangelistic tour, were holding a meeting at Shrewsbury. With two of his friends he went to the opening of this campaign. During the first stay of three days a friend writes: "We greatly enjoyed the services, but we realized that there was some great hindrance, and this was felt especially at the meeting for ministers."

"After that service we saw that the burden had come upon Mr. Hyde, and as we were leaving the next day he asked whether we could engage his room at the hotel for the following week. He was preaching on the Sunday at another place; but he intended returning early Monday morning to take up the burden of prayer for Shrewsbury. To those who knew him, it was apparent that the load was weighing very heavily upon him. The faraway gaze, the remarkably sweet pathetic pained expression, the loss of appetite, the sleepless nights, all went to prove this."

Here is Dr. Chapman’s letter:

"God has been graciously near to us in all these long journeys around the world, and we have learned some things which have increased our faith. First, more than ever before we believe in the Bible as the authentic Word of God.

Second: We believe in prayer as never before. I have learned some great lessons concerning prayer. I know that all great revivals are born of prayer. At one of our missions in England the audience was extremely small—results seemed impossible—but I received a note saying that an American missionary was coming to the town and was going to pray God’s blessing down upon our work. He was known as ’The Praying Hyde.’ Almost instantly the tide turned. The hall was packed, and my first invitation meant fifty men for Jesus Christ. As we were leaving I said:

’Mr. Hyde, I want you to pray for me.’ He came to my room, turned the key in the door, dropped on his knees, waited five minutes without a single syllable coming from his lips. I could hear my own heart thumping and his beating. I felt the hot tears running down my face. I knew I was with God. Then with upturned face, down which the tears were streaming, he said: ’Oh God!’ Then for five minutes at least, he was still again, and then when he knew he was talking with God his arm went around my shoulder and there came up from the depth of his heart such petitions for men as I had never heard before. I rose from my knees to know what real prayer was. We be- lieve that prayer is mighty and we believe it as we never did before."

Mr. Charles M. Alexander related to Mr. Hyde’s sister Mary further particulars about this meet- ing. Not only did Dr. Chapman meet John Hyde, but Mr. Alexander was present also. And the three of them spent almost the whole day in conference about the meeting. Then later the other workers were called in, and a long time was spent in prayer. After that the Spirit was present in the meetings in such power that all barriers were broken down and sinners were crying for mercy and being saved all over the house.

Mr. Hyde had a helper in intercession furnished him in the person of Mr. Davis of the Pocket Testament League, and the two, being kindred spirits, became very friendly.

Mr. Hyde remained there for a whole week and then went back to his friends in Wales. The fol- lowing day he was seriously ill and could scarcely speak, but he smiled and whispered: "The burden of Shrewsbury was very heavy, but my Saviour’s burden took him down to the grave." The manner in which John Hyde prayed as referred to in the above quotation—that is of paus- ing between petitions or expressions is also referred to by another writer: "Right on his face on the ground is ’Praying Hyde’—this was his favorite attitude for prayer. Listen! he is praying, he utters a petition, and then waits, in a little time he repeats it, and then waits, and this many times until we feel that that petition has penetrated every fibre of our nature and we feel assured that God has heard and without doubt He will answer. How well I remember him praying that we might open our mouth wide that He might fill it (Psa 81:10). I think he repeated the word ’wide’ scores of times with long pauses between. ’Wide, Lord, wide, open wide, wide.’ How effectual it was to hear him address God, ’O Father, Father.’ " A lady who was for years a missionary in India writes to The Remembrancer, "I remember, dur- ing one of the Jubblepore Conventions at the noon-tide prayer meeting I was kneeling near to him, and can never forget how I was thrilled with a feeling I cannot describe as he pleaded in prayer: ’Jesus— Jesus—Jesus!’ It seemed as if a baptism of love and power came over me, and my soul was humbled in the dust before the Lord. I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Hyde again in England, when on his way to America. How his influence still lives."