08 - The Effects of the Revival

Chapter 8 THE EFFECTS OF THE REVIVAL The effects of the revival in Wales were astonishing. For example, the correspondent for The Liverpool Daily Post reported in December, 1904, that there had been no arrests for drunkenness in Rhos since the revival had started. The earnings of the workmen, instead of being squander­ed in drink and vice, were now bringing great joy to their families. Outstanding debts were being paid by thousands of young converts. Restitution was the order of the day. The gambling and alcohol businesses lost their trade and the theatres closed down from lack of patronage. Football during this time was forgotten by both players and fans, though nothing was mentioned from the pulpits about the evils of football. In this country which had a general reputation of being "football mad", the train for taking the crowds to the international trial match was found to be almost empty! The people had a new life and new interests. The famous singing festivals of Welsh culture which were always so popular in the land somehow in these won­derful days sickened and died. The trained professional vocalists of Wales became singing "Sankeys" and "Alex­anders" who came forth now with such hymns as Throw Out the Lifeline while the glory of God filled their souls. Even the few concerts which remained usually closed with both singers and audience singing together the songs which had become popular during the revival, such as "Tell Mother I’ll be There", "Ride in Triumph, Blessed Jesus", "Who is a Pardoning God Like Thee", etc.

Political meetings were cancelled or abandoned. They seemed completely out of the question since nobody was interested. The political leaders, even from the parliament in London, abandoned themselves to the revival meetings.

One of the most significant results was that the old church prejudices were broken down. The man-made denominational barriers completely collapsed as believers and pastors of all denominations worshipped their majes­tic Lord together. The quarrels of local Christians were healed. One of the outstanding features of the revival was the confession of sin, not among the unsaved alone, but among the saved. All were broken down and melted before the cross of Christ. The revival and the effects which followed in its wake could not be kept local. Revival is like a prairie fire which carries all before it. It breaks out here and there in the most unexpected places, to the amazement of everyone. It is not surprising then that the mighty fire which engulfed the nation of Wales soon spread to different parts of the earth. Visiting preachers and ordinary believers who had come to see the sights of "the burning bush" returned home to start fires in their own church, mission field, and city. God’s people all over the world began to shout for joy. As was to be expected, the first to feel the fire of revival were the Welsh-speaking colonies in America and else­where. In far-off India the fire swept through the Welsh mission fields. All of Britain as well as the Continent began to he invaded for Christ by scores of evangelists, pastors, Bible teachers, and even laymen who had either been converted or had "caught the fire" in Wales during the revival. I myself have labored with some of these blessed men of God and know that even to this day the work still stands. One preacher, for example, whose life was revolutionized took the revival fire to a Scandinavian country where today there is at least one hundred churches flourishing as a direct outcome of his ministry. Rev. and Mrs Rees Howells are examples of evangelists who took the fire of God to the mission field. They saw God work in an amazing way in South Africa, and returned later to found the Bible College of South Wales in Swansea from which missionaries would go to the ends of the earth. A young Latvian student from Spurgeon’s College in London broke away from his classes on hearing of the fire of God in Wales and made a bee-line to Swansea. There he caught the flame. The Spirit of God came upon him mightily so that when he returned to his beloved Russia he carried the flame of revival to that land. As I labored with this man for many years I was conscious of the lasting effect of the Welsh revival upon his ministry. Not only did he lead tens of thousands to Christ, but he vas instrumental in building some two hundred churches in Eastern Europe. The year 1905 will never be forgotten in the history of the English Keswick Convention. It came to be known as "The Welsh Week" as many young pastors came from Wales to tell what God had done in their churches. In one meeting of three hours there was not a break in spontaneous praise, confession, and worship. Friday night was an outstanding occasion when E. W. Moore was giving a message from 1Co 3:11-15 on THE ORDEAL OF FIRE, dwelling on the necessity of building upon the right foundation with purified materials - the possibility of the Christian himself being saved while his works are burnt up by the fire of God.

Dr R. B. Jones writes of this message:

I felt God’s refining fire go through me, revealing the wood, hay, and stubble of work and motive. When I arose to speak, so humbling and overwhelming was this conviction that when called upon to lead in prayer and address the meeting, it was quite involuntary that I should first of all make my confession. I did so and asked others who, like me, had felt conscious of God’s direct dealing, to stand with me before God as those who, then and there, besought Him to refine us now that worthless material might not accumulate against the coming "Day of fire". The invitation was so responded to that the whole tent full of people rose as one man! Not one word of the proposed address carefully prepared for this clos­ing meeting was ever delivered. It had been my inten­tion to speak on "Praying in the Holy Spirit". As Prebendary Webb-Pebloe well said, "GOD HAD NO NEED FOR THE SERMON AS HE PROPOS- ED GIVING AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE THEME INSTEAD!"

I stood there on my feet for about 2 1/2 hours witness­ing the Holy Spirit’s working. God moved in wholly unexpected ways and no one could think of interfering. IT IS QUITE OBVIOUS THAT HE HAD SET ASIDE CHAIRMAN AND SPEAKER AND WAS BOTH PRESIDING AND SPEAKING HIMSELF. A strange hush of God was on the meeting. The service closed with a great burst of adoration to our wonderful God as we sang, "All hail the power of Jesu’s Name and crown Him lord of all"!