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So it was, in this simple country place, the longing for the fullness
of the Spirit reached its maturity, after 15 years of earnest prayer.
This was a never-to-be-forgotten service for Evan Roberts and the whole
ofWales; Blaenanerch's great meeting, he thereafter called it.
The man who was to later marry his young sister Mary was Evan's closest companion at the school. One midnight after walking in the garden in communion with God, he came into the bedroom with a holy light on his face that astonished young Sydney. "Evan, what has happened to you?"
"Oh, Syd, I have got wonderful news for you. I had a vision of all Wales being lifted up to heaven. We are going to see the mightiest revival that Wales has ever known - and the Holy Spirit is coming just now. We must get ready. We must have a little band and go all over the country preaching."
Suddenly he stopped and, with piercing eyes, he looked into his friend's face. "Do you believe that God can give us 100,000 souls now?" he asked.
Sydney Evans had entered into a glorious experience with the Lord, himself, and heartily agreed with all Evan had told him. He was 21 years of age at this time, and Evan Roberts was 26.
One Sunday as he sat in the chapel at Newcastle-Emlyn, Evan could not fix his mind upon the service and ever in his mind arose in a vision the Sunday school room in his own church at Loughor. There, sitting before him in the pews were his old companions and many other young people. He shook himself impatiently, trying to drive away the vision, but in vain. In his inward ear, he heard a voice saying, "Go to these people."
Suddenly, he said, "Lord, if it be Thy will, I will go."
The whole chapel then became filled with light so dazzling that young Evan could only faintly see the minister in the pulpit. He was deeply disturbed and wanted to make sure that this vision was of the Lord, and so he consulted with his tutor who encouraged him to go.
To my mind, this return of the young prophet to Loughor is the most thrilling of the whole story of the Welsh revival, as I have heard it first-hand from the lips of his sister Mary and others of his family. His mother met him at the door and exclaimed in great surprise, "Where have you been? Why are you not at school? Are you ill?"
"No."
"Then, why have you come back home?"
"Oh, Mother, the Spirit has sent me back here to work among our own young people at the chapel at Moriah." Then turning to Dan, his younger brother, he said, "You shall see that there will be a great change at Loughor in less than a fortnight. We are going to have the greatest revival that Wales has ever seen."
Evan immediately went to his pastor and asked permission to hold services for young people. On this night, after the evening adult prayer meeting, he invited the young people to stay behind as he wanted to speak to them. Alas! Sixteen adults and only one little girl remained behind. This was the first "revival service" in the strict sense of the word, for Evan Roberts to conduct.
Although at a loss to understand the strange ways of Evan, his mother and his two sisters, Sarah and Mary, with their brother Dan, attended. He began to explain in a very quiet voice his object in coming home. He was simply obeying the Holy Spirit, and here at Moriah he believed large numbers of young people were going to be saved. And, above all, a mighty revival was coming to Wales! Thus began the most eventful meetings in Wales, lasting from Oct. 31-Nov. 12. Such two weeks have never been known in Wales since 1859.
Who can despise the "day of small things?" God's chosen instrument was not discouraged with the difficult beginning.
This is copyrighted material from James Stewart's book Invasion of Wales by the Spirit through Evan Roberts,PO Box 6068, Asheville, NC 28816. available from Revival Literature,
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