Evan Roberts
and the Welsh Revival of 1904
Part One
In one of his daily readings on the
text "The night also is Thine" (Psalm
74 v16), C. H. Spurgeon reminds
believers that " Gloomy seasons of
religious indifference and social sin
are not exempted from the divine
purpose. When the altars of truth are
defiled, and the ways of God
forsaken, the Lord's servants weep
with bitter sorrow, but they may not
despair, for the darkest eras are
governed by the Lord, and shall
come to their end at His bidding.
What may seem defeat to us may be
victory to Him."
During times of declension in the
history of the church, the best
consolation and encouragement for
Christians is the sure knowledge
which inspired John Morison to write
the verse:
"Long hath the night of sorrow reigned,
The dawn shall bring us light:
God shall appear, and we shall rise
With gladness in His sight."
It is such confidence in God's unchanging faithfulness and power which drives His
people to pray more earnestly and to strive more obediently to serve Him until He is
pleased to grant another gracious outpouring of His Spirit.
When God in His sovereign providence moves in reviving power, as He did in Wales in
1904, secular observers tend to look for rational explanations, but those who experience
the mighty workings of the Holy Spirit have no doubt that a divinely supernatural
intervention is taking place. Similarly while contemporary accounts of the revival often
regard its dramatic suddenness as inexplicable, those who had longed and yearned and
prayed for the return of God' s favour have the spiritual discernment to see the events of
1904 as His astounding answer to their pleadings.
LOOKING TO GOD
This was indeed the experience of Christians in Wales at the end of the 19th century who
had witnessed the rapid spread of worldliness and humanist ideologies, despite the
progress made in some areas by agencies such as the Forward Movement. In the religious
literature of the period before 1904 there were frequent expressions of concern over the
deadness affecting the churches. Amongst the examples quoted by Dr. Eifion Evans In
his book "The Welsh Revival o f 1904", the following are typical: " a spirit of error fills
the air, so that a silent subconscious influence on the minds of men attracts them away
from the living God," (Evan Phillips, Welsh Presbyterian Moderator 1900); " while the
church sleeps the enemy busily sows tares among the wheat, and nothing short of an
outpouring of the Spirit from on high will uproot them, and save our land from becoming
a prey to atheism and ungodliness," (Y Drysorfa, Nov.1902). "The authority of the Bible
and the fundamental truths of Christianity are being weighed in the balance of reason and
criticism as though they were nothing more than human opinions," ("Y Cyfaill
Eglwysig", Dec. 1902).
The recognition that God alone could provide the answer to this sad state was admitted
by some church leaders of the day and it was gradually reflected in the increased
fervency of their prayers both in private devotions and in public worship at churches in
Carmarthen, Neath, Bridgend, Dowlais and the Garw, Llynfi and Rhondda valleys. The
other characteristic features of their prayers were the greater sense of burden for the
unconverted multitudes and the deeper longing for the Holy Spirit to descend upon them.
A small number of ministers including W.S. Jones, W.W. Lewis and Keri Evans (all of
Carmarthen), O.M. Owen (Penydarren), David Evans (Bridgend), Cynog Williams
(Aberdare), W.N. Williams (Ammanford) and R.B. Jones (Rhondda) had independently
experienced God' s power transforming their preaching in the years immediately
preceding 1904 and it was through the ministries of such men that Joseph Jenkins of New
Quay and John Thickens of Aberaeron were challenged over the spiritual needs of their
congregations.
LISTENING TO GOD
Jenkins, conscious of his own inadequacy and poverty of spirit, pleaded for the anointing
of the Holy Spirit upon his life and God granted him such boldness and power that his
ministry began to enjoy much blessing. Together with Thickens, he arranged a series of
"conferences" in various churches in the area which started in January 1904 and which
were led by some of the preachers already being used by God. In the following months an
intense longing for the baptism of the Holy Spirit was felt by many attending the
meetings so that when Seth Joshua, the itinerant evangelist of the Forward Movement,
arrived in New Quay in September, he recorded in his diary, " I have never seen the
power of the Holy Spirit so powerfully manifested among the people as at this place just
now.
In the following week Joshua had engagements to conduct services at Newcastle Emlyn,
before attending the next "conference" at Blaenannerch, and it was during the meetings at
the former place that he again experienced the first "mercy-drops" of blessing. Several
years earlier Joshua had felt " it laid upon his heart to pray to God to go and take a lad
from the coal-mine or from the field, even as He took Elisha from the plough, to revive
His work". That prayer was to be answered by God in the next few days at Newcastle
Emlyn and Blaenannerch in such a remarkable way that the lives of thousands were to be
transformed as a new and glorious awakening swept through Wales.
When Seth Joshua began his week of meetings at Newcastle Emlyn in September 1904,
for the first few days there seemed to be none of the blessing he had experienced during
the previous week in New Quay. Then on Tuesday 27th he recorded in his journal, "A
large number were blessed this evening. Some students received blessing and confessed
salvation. The Lord will certainly move this place. The yearning is here among the
people".
Joshua had a deep sense of assurance that God would soon reveal His mighty power and
the students he mentioned were from the local ministerial preparatory school conducted
by John Phillips. It was amongst these young men the Holy Spirit was already at work,
for on the following day one of them named Sidney Evans became stirred by the
conviction that although he was preparing for the ministry, he had not fully yielded
himself to Christ. After much striving and heart-searching, Evans was moved to declare
openly his complete submission to the Saviour in the evening meeting and as Joshua
noted later that night, "Souls were melted and many cried out for salvation. Praise the
Lord for this evening service".
But the working of the Holy Spirit was not confined to Joshua's meetings at Newcastle
Emlyn. Another student, Evan Roberts was present at the service on Tuesday evening,
but on the following day he had arranged to attend the two-day "conference" at
Blaenannerch together with a party of his fellow students. Roberts was already twenty-six
years old and had only just begun his first term of ministerial training at Newcastle
Emlyn. His comparatively late entry was due to his reluctance to undertake a formal
course of instruction which he felt might quench his zeal, and because of this he had
worked for more than ten years as a collier and then a blacksmith. From his boyhood in
his home chapel of Moriah in Loughor, Evan Roberts had known a compelling desire to
honour God in every aspect of his life and to serve Him faithfully. This had increased to
the point where he was constrained at last to leave his employment and prepare for the
ministry. In explaining his decision to a friend, Roberts wrote,
"... On examination I find the following motives constrain me: (1) The passionate longing
of my soul for ten years which I cannot quench... (2) The voice of the people of God... (3)
God's infinite love together with the promise of the Holy Spirit. Last Sunday night while
thinking about the greatness of the work and the danger of my dishonouring God, I could
not but weep. And I prayed that the Lord should baptize you and me with the Holy
Spirit". This letter and other writings by Roberts at the time revealed a characteristic
which was common to many who were seeking God so earnestly, namely that the deep
longing of their hearts was inseparably linked with an unshakeable confidence that a
visitation of the Holy Spirit would be granted. This willingness to take God's promises on
trust and to look to Him to honour His Word was also experienced by the prominent
leaders in the religious awakenings in Wales of 1859 and 1735.
GOD DRWAS NEAR
Another experience which Evan Roberts shared with those in earlier revivals was an
overwhelming sense of God's presence drawing near to him. This moment of intimate
communion was granted to Roberts in the spring of 1904 and can be best described in his
own words.
" One Friday night last spring, when praying by my bedside before retiring, I was taken
up to a great expanse - without time and space. It was communion with God. Before this I
had a far-off God. I was frightened that night, but never since. So great was my shivering
that I rocked the bed, and my brother, being awakened, took hold of me thinking I was ill.
After that experience I was awakened every night a little after one O'clock. This was most
strange, for through the years I slept like a rock, and no disturbance in my room would
awaken me. From that hour I was taken up into the divine fellowship for about four
hours. What it was I cannot tell you, except that it was divine. About five o'clock I was
again allowed to sleep on till about nine. At this time I was again taken up into the same
experience as in the earlier hours of the morning until about twelve or one o'clock... This
went on for about three months".
By the time Roberts began his studies at Newcastle Emlyn, the process of preparation
wrought in his heart by the Spirit was almost complete. In the sovereign providence of
God, the meetings led by Seth Joshua which took place during the second week of term
continued this work to the point that on the opening day of the Blaenannerch conference
Roberts described his spiritual condition as " waiting for the fire to fall". The main
sermon that day was preached by Rev. W.W. Lewis of Carmarthen on the text " among
whom ye shine as lights in the world," (Phil. 2 v15) and his message was endued with an
unction which Rev. John Thickens, the organiser of the conference, believed could only
have been God-given.
POWER FROM ON HIGH
The party of students including Evan Roberts arrived on the second day in time for the
early morning session which was again led by Lewis. The meeting was closed in prayer
by Seth Joshua and as he implored God to have mercy upon them and make them
submissive to His Will, Evan Roberts felt one phrase of the prayer burning In his heart -
"0 Lord, bend us". The words remained indelibly impressed on his mind throughout the
interval for breakfast and afterwards when the meeting was resumed, the power of the
Holy Spirit became so compelling that Roberts fell to his knees in tears. The truth of
Romans 5 v8, "But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet
sinners Christ died for us", flooded his whole being and caused him to plead with God to
bend him to His will. After this he experienced a profound sense of peace, followed by a
feeling of great " compassion for those who must bend at the judgement". Finally, in
Roberts' own words, "the salvation of the human soul was solemnly impressed upon me. I
felt ablaze with a desire to go through the length and breadth of Wales to tell of the
Saviour" .
After that " most terrible and sublime day" at Blaenannerch, Evan Roberts was
irrevocably committed to serving God in whatever way he was called. His life was in
God's hands and the flood of revival blessing was about to be released.
A WORK OF GOD
In the days following the Blaenannerch Conference in September 1904, the compelling
power of the Holy Spirit which had been so manifestly revealed at the meetings, filled the
life of Evan Roberts to such a degree that he was barely aware of time passing. The hours
he spent in Bible study, prayer and worship seemed to be but brief moments as feelings
of joy and peace flooded his soul at the thought of what God had in store for him. In a
letter to a friend, he wrote, " Before I came to Newcastle Emlyn I thought it would be
hard to put aside the long hours of fellowship with God, but I have been pleasantly
surprised. If I found pleasure in the exercise before, I now have the purest joy upon earth
... I cannot. tell how happy I feel, because God is at work so powerfully in my life".
Roberts wanted to be ready to launch out whenever God called him and he therefore
invited a group of young co-workers from New Quay and Newcastle Emlyn to help in
taking the gospel to every part of Wales. At the same time he found that God was
graciously preparing him for the tasks ahead and he wrote, "I have received three great
blessings: 1. I have lost all nervousness. 2. I can now sing all day whereas before I was
hindered by some physical impediment. 3. I had become as hard as flint even though,
remember, the supreme desire and sole aim of my life was to serve God - but, praise be to
God, at Blaenannerch I was bent low, so low that I had to cry out 'Praise Him!' How easy
it is to give thanks now!"
THE POWER OF GOD
It was also during these weeks that Roberts experienced heavenly visions of a mighty ingathering
of souls to the number of one hundred thousand and he was given the assurance
of faith to claim this as a promise which God would not deny. Roberts soon began to
know yet more of the mighty power of God in his life and ministry. During a meeting at
Capel Drindod in Cardiganshire he was deeply constrained that all present should give
honour and praise to the Saviour and he poured forth with prayer which transformed the
service in such a manner that one of the congregation recalled later, "It burst through to
the hearts and consciences of many, Christ was glorified from that moment: it was an
extraordinary meeting. For Roberts the experience did not end with the close of the
service. He found it was impossible to sleep when he returned his lodgings, and wrote in
awe in his journal, "The room was full of the Holy Spirit. The outpouring was so
overpowering that I had to shout and plead with God to stay His hand."
Although Roberts was busily occupied with the services in surrounding districts of
Cardiganshire, it was the people of his home church at Loughor who were laid on his
heart with a conviction which he knew could only be attributed to the Holy Spirit. The
time of preparation was over and at the end of October he wrote to his friends in New
Quay informing them of his decision; " I am this morning about to return home for a
week among the young people. The reason for this is that the Holy Spirit wills it ... I
implore you in the name of our Lord Jesus to remember us especially at Moriah,
Loughor. Meetings will be held every night for a week. Ask all the young people to
remember us."
The prospect of commencing a work amongst his own friends and relations could easily
have daunted the young evangelist, but he could not forget the visions of vast multitudes
of people rushing towards the never-ending torment of hell while God granted a season of
grace during which a hundred thousand would be saved. It was this conviction which
sustained Roberts throughout the revival which followed, as he later testified, "Full of the
promise which that vision conveyed, I went to Loughor, and from Loughor to Aberdare,
and from Aberdare to Pontycymmer. And what did I see. .? The promise literally
fulfilled."
The initial doubts and uncertainties which greeted his return home were not easily
overcome but Roberts secured the co-operation of the ministers at Moriah and Pisgah in
Loughor and at Libanus in Gorseinon to hold a week of meetings in their churches. From
the start he stressed that the experiences which he and his companions had known at New
Quay, Newcastle Emlyn and Blaenannerch were due entirely to the power of the Holy
Spirit coming upon them, and that his deepest wish was that the people of Loughor
should be blessed with the same visitation of the Spirit. To that end Roberts made it clear
that all unconfessed or hidden sin had to be brought before God for forgiveness and
cleansing in the blood of Christ before the Holy Spirit would be granted in their lives.
The second necessity was submission to the baptism of the Spirit in complete and
unquestioning obedience.
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
These conditions were consistent with God's promises given in the Biblical teaching on
revival and on the first night at Moriah any who were unwilling to submit to the Holy
Spirit were allowed to leave the meeting. As a result only the seventeen young people
remained with Roberts as he led them in worship and prayer for nearly three hours,
pleading that God would graciously break down any hardness of heart which might be
holding them back. One by one, the small group which included Evan Roberts' brother
and three sisters, felt the convicting power of the Spirit coming upon them as they began
to confess their sins, to plead for mercy and to magnify the Saviour in prayers of
rejoicing and praise.
The meeting confirmed that Roberts was not mistaken in the assurance he had felt in
Cardiganshire that God would not confine His blessing merely to that area. Though he
admitted to further moments of doubt over the need for such meetings in Loughor,
Roberts knew that he had to continue until revival had come in all its fulness. He had
intended the meetings should last for just one week, but as each night passed, the sense of
God's presence grew so strong that those present were reluctant to have the services
concluded, and a few remained behind to continue in prayer when the rest went home. By
friday the attendance included worshippers from numerous congregations in the town,
and twenty remained to pray until 11.30 p.m. Roberts wrote, "...we could have gone on
all night... I believe there is to be a blessed revival in the near future." The "mercy drops"
that had been experienced at Loughor were indeed but the forerunners of the showers and
then the floods of blessing which were to follow.
As the week of meetings at Loughor in November 1904 came to an end, Evan Roberts
had to consider whether to continue them or to return to his studies at Newcastle Emlyn.
Preparation at college lay close to his heart, yet Roberts knew he could not desert the
work at Loughor while the Holy Spirit was so evidently present in the meetings. His
dilemma was partly resolved by the invitations he received to conduct further services in
Gorseinon, but more importantly by the still greater signs of blessing which attended the
meetings.
Congregations were increasing every evening, services were continuing for four or five
hours as people were moved to plead for mercy and pardon, and men remained behind
afterwards until the early hours of the morning, praying that the Holy Spirit might work
on amongst them.
Roberts felt there was no other course but to hold a second week of meetings, not
confined to Loughor however, but including Libanus and Brynteg chapel in Gorseinon
where the blessings of revival were also being experienced to some degree.
Without any advanced publicity to advertise them, the services were so well-attended that
by the following Wednesday people were standing in the vestibule listening through the
open doors of the church. Roberts claimed no credit for himself for the remarkable
drawing power being displayed, as he wrote the next day in a letter, "It is enough to know
that God filled the place. Keep praying fervently. The Kingdom is bound to succeed in
spite of what anyone says or does."
The next evening the service was held at Brynteg church and many people went straight
from their places of work in order to be in good time for the commencement. An account
by a newspaper reporter who joined the meeting two hours after it started, was published
in the Western Mail on Saturday 12th November, giving his impression of the occasion:
"The meeting at Brynteg congregational church on Thursday night was attended by those
remarkable scenes which have made previous meetings memorable in the life history of
so many of the inhabitants of the district. The proceedings commenced at 7 o'clock and
they lasted without a break until 4.30 o'clock on Friday morning. During the whole of this
time the congregation were under the influence of deep religious fervour and exaltation.
There were about 400 people present in the chapel when I took my seat at about nine
o'clock. The majority of the congregation were females ranging from young misses of
twelve to matrons with babies in their arms. Mr Roberts is a young man of rather striking
appearance. He is tall and distinguished looking, with an intellectual air about his clean
shaven face. His eyes are piercing in their brightness, and the pallor of his countenance
seemed to suggest that those nightly vigils are taking their toll on him. There was
however no suggestion of fatigue in his conduct of the meeting. There is nothing
theatrical about his preaching. He does not seek to terrify his hearers, and eternal torment
finds no place in his theology. Rather does he reason with the people and show them by
persuasion a more excellent way. I had not been many minutes in the building before I
felt that this was no ordinary gathering. Instead of the set order of proceedings to which
we were accustomed at the orthodox religious service, everything here was left to the
spontaneous impulse of the moment. The preacher too did not remain in his usual seat.
For the most part he walked up and down the aisles, open Bible in hand, exhorting one
encouraging another, and kneeling with a third to implore blessing from the throne of
grace.
A young woman rose to give out a hymn which was sung with deep earnestness. While it
was being sung several people dropped down from their seats as if they had been struck,
and commenced crying for pardon. Then from another part of the chapel would be heard
the resonant voice of a young man reading a portion of the scripture. While this was in
progress there came from the gallery an impassioned prayer from a woman crying aloud
that she had repented of her ways and was determined to lead a better life henceforward.
All this time Mr Roberts went in and out among the congregation offering kindly words
of advice to kneeling penitents. He would ask them if they believed, the reply in one
instance being, "No, I would like to believe but I can't. Pray for me". Then the preacher
would ask the audience to join him in the following prayer: "Anfon yr Yspryd yn awr, er
mwyn Iesu Grist, Amen" (Send the Holy Spirit for Jesus Christ's sake, Amen). This prayer
would be repeated about a dozen times by all present, when the would be convert would
suddenly rise and declare with triumph, "Thank God I have now received salvation, never
again will I walk in the way of sinners". This declaration would create a new excitement
and the congregation would joyously sing:
Diolch iddo, diolch iddo,
Byth am gofio llwch lawr.
I suppose this occurred scores of times over the nine hours that the meeting was
protracted. A very pathetic feature of the proceedings was the anxiety of many present for
the spiritual welfare of members of their families. One woman was heartbroken for her
husband, who was given to drink. She implored the prayers of the congregation on his
behalf. The story told by another woman drew tears to all eyes. She said that her mother
was dead and that her father had given way to sin, so that she was indeed orphaned in the
world. She had attended the meetings without feeling her position, but on the previous
day, while following her domestic chores, the Spirit had come upon her bidding her to
speak. And she did speak, her address being remarkable for one who had never spoken in
public before. Yet another woman made public confession that she had come to the
meeting in an attitude of idle curiosity but, that the influence, of the Holy Ghost worked
within her, causing her to go down on her knees in penitence. It was now long past
midnight, but still there was no abatement in the fervour of the gathering. Fresh fuel was
added to the religious fire by Mr Roberts who described what had appeared to him as a
vision. He said that when he was before the throne of grace he saw appearing before him
a key. He did not understand the meaning of this sign. Just then, however, three members
of the congregation rose to their feet and said that they had been converted. "My vision is
explained", said Mr Roberts ecstatically. " it was, the key with which God opened your
hearts" .
One of the most remarkable utterances of this remarkable night was that of a woman who
gave a vivid description of the vision which she had seen the previous evening: "I saw",
she said, "a great expanse of beautiful land, with friendly faces peopling it. Between me
and this golden country was a shining river, crossed by a plank. I was anxious to cross
but afraid that the plank would not support me. But at that moment I gave myself to God
and there came a great wave of faith and I crossed in safety".
At 2.30 o'clock I took a rough note of what was then proceeding. In the gallery a woman
was praying and she fainted. Water was offered her, but she refused this, saying the only
thing she wanted was God's forgiveness. A well known resident then rose and said that
salvation had come to him. Immediately a thanksgiving hymn was sung, while an English
prayer from a new convert broke in upon the singing. The whole congregation then fell
upon their knees, prayers ascending from every part of the edifice, while Mr Roberts gave
way to tears at the sight. This state of fervency lasted for about ten minutes. It was
followed by an even more impressive five minutes of silence, broken only by the sobs of
strong men. A hymn was then started by a woman with a beautiful soprano voice. Finally
Mr Roberts announced the holding of future meetings and at 4:25 o'clock the gathering
dispersed. But even at this hour the people did not make their way home. When I left to
walk back to Llanelly I left dozens of them about the road still discussing what is now the
chief subject of their lives. They had come prepared with lamps and lanterns, the lights of
which in the early hours of darkness were weird and picturesque."
The press report also contained references to interviews with Evan Roberts which give an
indication of his views on what was taking place at that time.
"At the close of the remarkable service, I had a short interview with Mr Roberts. This
was at the unearthly hour of 4.30 a.m., after I had gone through a unique seven hours
experience. In answer to my question Mr Roberts said that the only explanation of what
was now taking place in Loughor was that the Spirit of God was working among the
people. Recently death in a very terrible form has come home to the people of Loughor in
the wrecking of the express train, and I inquired of Mr Roberts whether that might
account for their readiness to receive the message. He did not, however think that was at
all likely. Asked as to whether he intended devoting himself entirely to mission work in
the future, Mr Roberts said that in that matter he was in the hands of God."
"In the course of a conversation with our representative on Friday afternoon, Mr Roberts
said that he believed we were on the verge of one of the greatest revivals that Wales had
ever seen. All the signs of this were present. It was time for us to get out of the groove in
which we had walked for so long. He himself was converted twelve or thirteen years ago
and ever since then he had been praying for the Holy Ghost to come upon him. That it
had come he was certain. It was one thing for a man to be converted and quite another to
receive the baptism of the Spirit. The meetings they had had were glorious experiences.
When they opened a meeting they had no idea when it would conclude only one thing
could be said, and that was that it would not conclude until some definite point had been
gained. Asked how many converts had been made, Mr Roberts said that he did not call it
conversion, nor did he believe in the counting of heads. Some people had said that he was
doing good work. It was not his, however. He was simply an instrument in the hand of
God, and he wanted man to receive the joy of religion, as he had found it. Our fathers had
their religion and too often it made them gloomy In those cases the joy of religion had
never been experienced."
The meetings led by Roberts on the following two evenings were again favoured with
mighty movements of the Holy Spirit, and he was convinced that he should continue the
work at Loughor while God was granting such extraordinary blessing. He wrote to
Sidney Evans in Newcastle Emlyn informing him of his decision not to return to
ministerial school and added, "Perhaps we shall have to go through the whole of Wales.
If so, thank Heaven! What a blessed time! I am perfectly content and blissfully, happy
with enough work from morning till night'
Within two days Roberts received an invitation to preach at Bryn Seion chapel in
Aberdare and he accepted without delay. God was indeed calling him to go through the
whole of Wales - for the work of revival was only just beginning.
When Evan Roberts accepted the invitation to conduct the Sunday services at Bryn Seion
chapel in Trecynon, Aberdare on 13 November 1904, he was firmly convinced that God
intended to bless that area even though there had been no previous signs that revival was
impending. Such was his assurance of imminent blessing that he promptly arranged
further meetings for the following week in several chapels in Trecynon and sent for a
group of his friends from Loughor to assist him. His boldness was soon justified, for on
the first evening after an unpromising opening, the meeting took a remarkable course
which was fully reported in the "Western Mail" of 15th November.
"Modest almost to the point of despair was the beginning made by the Evan Roberts
revival mission at Trecynon on Monday evening, and the omens pointed to orthodox
quietness rather than the exuberance of emotional fervour which has characterised in such
a remarkable degree the revival services at Loughor. When the service was timed to
commence at Ebenezer chapel the empty pews were more numerous than the people and
there was a coldness in the air which boded ill for a successful meeting. Those that know
Trecynon, a little village which nestles on the borders of Aberdare, with its traditions of
religious zeal, will be most surprised to know that Ebenezer was not besieged on such an
occasion, and, perhaps at the same time, they will best appreciate the remark of a village
stoic that "the fair at Aberdare was a powerful counter attraction".
Instead of finding an eager throng outside of the chapel (writes one of our
representatives), I was surprised to see only some half-dozen groups of miners and their
wives and sons gathered together just as is their wont on the occasion of the ordinary
weekly prayer meeting. Later in the evening the reason for this sparse attendance became
obvious. The service had been started so early that workmen had not been given
sufficient time to go to their homes from their work and change their working clothes for
those they considered better fitting a religious service. While the few who had seated
themselves in the chapel awaited the arrival of the young revivalist, an elderly man seated
beneath the gallery offered up a prayer, and a young man who was seated in another part
of the building recited the words of the popular Welsh hymn, "Disgwyl rwyf hyd yr
hirnos" the last two lines of which were being repeated when the five young ladies from
Loughor who have played so prominent a part in the mission with their speech and song
walked up the aisle and seated themselves on the 'set fawr'. One of them possessing a
sweet mezzosoprano voice of singular tenderness sang 'Happy Day', and the early
coldness was already beginning to thaw under the influence of the intensifying fervour
with which the refrain was sung and sung again.
The melody was in full swing when Mr Roberts took his seat beneath the pulpit. Before
uttering a word he approached the old man who had been the first to pray, and grasped
his hand. The building by this time was filling rapidly. Evan Roberts looked pale but was
full of animation. While another hymn was being sung he walked up and down the aisle,
swinging his arms and clapping his hands. At times he gave a short, sharp spring off his
right foot, and smiled joyously on the people around him. There was no conventionality,
no artificiality or affectation in his manner. The expression on his open, attenuated and
distinctly intellectual face was that of a man with a mission, and reminded one of so
many portraits to be found in Welsh homesteads, of men who were leaders in the two
previous religious revivals in Wales.
Speaking in Welsh, he discarded the stereotyped preface so commonly in vogue among
preachers in the principality, and straightaway declared the faith that was in him. He had
not come there, he said, to frighten them with a discourse on the terrors of everlasting
punishment. His belief was that the love of Christ was a powerful enough magnet to draw
the people. That was his own personal experience and he had found a joy which was far
beyond human expression. No one but the true believer knew what it was like to have a
light heart and unalloyed happiness. Denominationalism did not enter into his religion.
Some people said he was a Methodist. He did not know what he was. Sectarianism
melted in the fire of the Holy Spirit, and all men who believed became one happy family.
For years he was a faithful member of a church, a zealous worker, and a free giver. But
he had recently discovered he was not a Christian and there were thousands like him.
It was only since that discovery that a new light had come into his life. That same light
was shining upon all men if they would but open their eyes and hearts. Reverting to
sectarianism, he said that whilst sect was fighting against sect the devil was clapping his
hands with glee and encouraging the fight. Let all people be one with one object, the
salvation of sinners. Men refused to accept the Gospel and confess because, they said, of
the gloom and uncertainty of the future. They looked to the future without opening their
eyes to the infinite glories of the present. They talked of the revival of 1859, why? There
would be perpetual revival if men would only keep their hearts open instead of closing
them to every influence. If anyone had come there that evening to make an impression,
he advised him or her to refrain. Unless they felt that they were moved to speech or song
let them keep their peace. He did not come there to glorify himself. Glad tidings had
come to Loughor regarding a mission among gipsies in their encampment near that place.
The soul of a gipsy was of no less value than that of any other human creature.
Such was the substance of Mr Roberts' address. He spoke for an hour and a quarter under
evident restraint and in a quiet confident style. He made no attempt at rhetoric and was
never at a loss for a phrase or a word. Those who might have come to scoff and did not
remain to pray must, at any rate, have been deeply impressed by the profound earnestness
of the young man, and there is no doubt his absolute sincerity and conviction.
Immediately he had resumed his seat two elderly women rose simultaneously, one
speaking in Welsh the other speaking in English. The voice of her who spoke the latter
language rang out clearly and a common thrill trembled through the assembly as a breath
of wind runs across the sea. Her last words were, 'I love my master because I know what,
He has done for me, and then she fell back in the pew. A young woman came forward
with the Bible in her hand and was preparing to read when Mr Roberts asked the people
to sing "Duw mawr y rhyfeddodau maith", the stirring words of which were repeated
several times. After reading a portion of scripture the young woman knelt down in prayer,
and an impassioned fervour spread into all parts of the crowded chapel.
After some more singing led off by one of the five young ladies from Loughor, an elderly
man gave some reminiscences of the great revival of 1859. "I am a child of that revival",
he said. He told his hearers how in those stirring times publicans took down their
signboards, how people gathered in the woods and the open fields to worship.
Speaking for the second time, Mr Roberts said that policemen in Loughor were having an
easy time, and the publicans deploring the loss of customers. He knew of one young man
who had left a public house with the remark, "I am going to hear that lunatic" meaning
him (Mr Roberts).That man came to the service and left a penitent convert. Another man
had suddenly dropped on his knees in front of a pint of beer inside a Loughor public
house.
During the remainder of the night men and women broke forth in prayer and song, and a
meeting that had opened so coldly was in a white heat of religious enthusiasm before the
last word had been said."
By the time the meetings at Trecynon came to an end, there were many other places in
Wales where the Holy Spirit was powerfully at work and Roberts realised that careful
discernment was required on his part to ensure that he went wherever God wanted him to
be. The revival was continuing to spread in South Cardiganshire where his friend Sidney
Evans and ministers such as Rev Joseph Jenkins had busily engaged in conducting
meetings in a widening circle of towns and villages from Cardigan to Tregaron. Similarly
the area around Loughor was experiencing intense spiritual awakening and when Rev.
Jenkins fulfilled a preaching engagement at Ammanford on Sunday 6th November he
found the response so encouraging that he immediately arranged further meetings for the
following week. It was during these gatherings that the prayers for a visitation of the
Holy Spirit were answered as conversions occurred nightly. A week later a mission
previously arranged by the Forward Movement of the Calvinistic Methodist church was
due to begin in the town and after the first meeting, the leader, Seth Joshua noted "There
is a wonderful fire burning here. The ground is very prepared, thank God." The Sunday
services conducted by Joshua were some of the most remarkable he ever experienced and
he wrote of them, "Even in the morning a number were led to embrace the Saviour. In the
afternoon the blessing fell upon scores of young people" while in the evening, "Numbers
confessed Jesus, but it is impossible to count".
At the same time places in North Wales were experiencing the touch of God's power,
particularly at Bethesda where a mission led by Rev Hugh Hughes was mightily blessed,
the Nantlle valley which became the centre for the evangelistic outreach of Evan Lloyd
Jones, at Rhos where Rev. R.B. Jones held a mission which resulted in a flood of
conversions, and even in small villages such as Egryn, near Harlech where Mary Jones
the wife of a local farmer was greatly used in bringing over seventy of her neighbours to
faith in Christ.
Evan Roberts was not directly associated with many of the events taking place in Wales
and claimed no credit for them, for he well-knew that the out-pouring of grace was from
God alone and he trusted that the Holy Spirit would guide him to the places of God's
choosing. As a result when he left Trecynon, he felt constrained to visit the Garw valley
and hold meetings at Pontycymmer, Pyle, Bridgend and Abergwynfi where he even
visited the coal-mines early in he morning to speak to the miners coming up from the
night shift who were not able to attend the usual evening services.
The following weeks saw revival breaking out in place after place and sweeping through
towns and valleys in a manner that defied human explanation and confounded sceptics of
all kinds. To the criticism and opposition which were raised against he revival, Roberts
wisely refrained from replying and neither did he associate himself with places where he
believed counterfeit movements were at work. He had always recognised that one day the
tide of blessing would recede and he continued urging people to pray for God to work on
until February 1905 when he felt compelled to rest from he intense activity which had so
completely absorbed him since the previous November. There is good season to believe
that in Wales alone the 100,000 souls for whom he had entreated God, had been added to
His kingdom, while the consequent effects of the revival spread to many other parts of
Britain and into the wider context of church and missionary development throughout he
world. In his foreword to the book 'The Welsh Revival of 1904' by Eifion Evans, Dr
Martyn Lloyd-Jones stated that it was his hope and his prayer that reading about the
events of that time would "lead many so to realise anew and afresh the glory and the
wonder of the power of God that they will begin to long and to yearn and to pray for
another 'visitation from on high' such as was experienced in 1904-05".