Cardiff; but owing to many unfavorable circumstances, his success was far
inferior. During the first year, however, he reduced the chaos around
him to some incipient order; and was enabled, by the payment of a
mortgage upon the church, to save it from sheriff’s sale. He employed a
Mr. Edwards to travel into England, Ireland, and Scotland, and make
collections for this purpose. Mr. Evans was already known extensively,
as the author of the celebrated Specimen of Welsh Preaching, which had
been translated into English, and published in many of the periodicals,
eliciting universal admiration. Mr. Edwards had this piece reprinted,
and distributed the copies wherever he went, thus making known the pastor
of the church for which he solicited pecuniary aid.
Though the aged servant of God saw few conversions from his labors in
Caernarvon, the seed which he sowed in tears upon that sterile soil has
sprung up since his decease, and others have gathered the harvest. The
Baptist church there has experienced a gracious revival, and many of the
new converts attribute their salvation, under God, to Christmas Evans.
While in Caernarvon he penned in his journal the following pious
reflections: “I have been thinking of the great goodness of the Lord unto
me throughout my unworthy ministry, and now, in my old age, I see the
work prospering wonderfully in my hand, so that there is reason to think
that I am in some degree a blessing to the church, when I might have been
a burden to it, or rather a curse, by which she might have been induced
to wish me laid in the earth, that I might no longer prevent the progress
of the work. Thanks be to God, that it is not so! though I deserve no
better; yet I am in the land of mercy. This is unto me according to the
manner of God unto his people. My path in the valley, the dangers, and
the precipices of destruction upon which I have stood, rushes into my
thoughts, and also the sinking of many in death, and the downfall of
others by immorality, and their burial in Kibroth-Hattaavah, the graves
of inordinate desire; together with the withering, the feebleness, and
the unfruitfulness of some through the influence of a secret departure
from God, and of walking in the hidden paths that lead to apostasy.”
PULPIT POPULARITY.
Mr. Evans’ popularity in the pulpit was never greater than during the
last few years of his life. His descriptive powers, which were
transcendent from the first, improved to the day of his death. His
services were always solicited at the anniversaries of the Missionary and
Bible societies in Caernarvon, and the mayor of that town once made him a
handsome present for a temperance speech which he delivered there.
In 1834, he preached at the Holyhead association. His text was Heb. vi.
18. There were many seamen present; and beautifully did the preacher
describe the believer’s hope, “the anchor of the soul;” and eloquently
did he set forth the necessity of its having, not a bare rock, but a rock
covered with clay—not abstract divinity, but “God manifest in the
flesh,”—in order that its hold may be “sure and steadfast,” securing the
Christian against spiritual shipwreck amid the many storms of the World!
The last association he ever attended in Anglesea was held in the same
place, in 1837. On that occasion he preached from Col. ii. 14, 15. This
sermon was one of the most effective he ever delivered. “The powerful
manner,” says one of his friends “in which he described the enemies, who
were like unicorns and strong bulls of Bashan, and all the little
elves—the great roaring lion, together with all the hosts and
principalities and powers of hell, death, and the grave, giving way when
Christ cried, ‘It is finished,’ was indescribably grand and majestic: one
might have thought that the scene was actually before the eye, and that
Jesus could be then seen laying hold of the powers of darkness, casting
them forth, and making a show of them openly.”
INTERESTING LETTER.
We insert in this place an interesting letter written during Mr. Evans’
residence at Caernarvon.
“Beloved Brother: * * * I write to you, August 5, 1836, in the
seventieth year of my age, and in the fiftieth of my ministry, after
conversing much with ministerial brethren, earnestly desiring to see
our associational union brought into action by representatives of the
churches, with a view to promote a determination,—1. To bear each
other’s burden more efficiently in the denomination to which we
belong. I lament the deficiency in this point, and ardently wish to
see it effectually remedied. 2. To watch over and promote a holy
conversation among all the members and all the preachers in a more
efficient manner, to prevent persons of unbecoming conversation from
obtaining privileges in any church, when they have been excluded in
another, for that would occasion spots and blemishes to appear on the
bright countenance of the ministry. The associational union, in
which all the churches of the same faith and order join, should be a
defence of the independence of the churches through their
representatives: it should also operate as a sort of check upon
independency, lest it should become opposed to the general good, and
frustrate the co-operation of the whole body. _That they may all be
one_, is the motto.
“Respecting church discipline. We cannot be certain that we are
doing right by administering the same punishment to all offenders,
even for the same offence; for the general character weighs heavily
in the balance of discipline. Also a distinction should be made
between the seducer and the seduced; and between being overcome, or
falling into sin, and living habitually in sin, and following it as a
slave following his master. The denial of Peter, from weakness, and
without previous deliberation, was very different from the betrayal
of Judas, and his intentional selling of Christ. The different
characters of Saul, king of Israel, and that of David, required
different treatment in discipline on account of their offences. The
Lord’s discipline upon Saul was that of a rod of iron, but upon David
the correcting rod of a father, for his good, that he might be a
partaker of his holiness.
“There are two things, brother, which we ought to avoid in the
exercise of discipline. 1. We should avoid too great severity on the
one part, and 2, too much leniency on the other part. Wisdom is
necessary here to distinguish the different characters, those who
require severity, and those who claim tenderness: the two are to be
found blended in the principle of evangelical discipline. A
difference is to be made betwixt some who may have been companions in
the same crime; snatching some of them as brands from the burning.
The ground of the distinction lies in the different amount of guilt
which subsists between the seducer and the seduced.
“I have witnessed danger, and have sustained some harm myself, and
seen harm done in churches, by exercising tenderness towards some
persons, in the vain hope of their reformation. Receiving verbal
testimony or mere fluent acknowledgments from their lips, without
waiting for fruit in action also: some having been often accused, and
as often turning to the refuges frequented by them. I never
exercised tenderness towards such as these, without being repaid by
them afterwards, if they had opportunity. Shimei-like, they would
curse me after having shed the best oil of tenderness on their heads.
There are some in the Christian church like Jezebel; and there are
some in our congregations like Joab, the son of Zeruiah, that you can
scarce discipline them without rending the kingdom, until they become
ripe for judgment; for they hardly ever repent, more than did Joab
and Shimei; they are ultimately suddenly broken, without any danger
to the church from their fall.
“I perceive that the Scriptures make a difference between one that
falls into sin, and one wallowing in it; between one overtaken by a
party of marauders, and dragged into the camp, and made drunk at
supper, and one like Judas, going to the party, and being secretly
one of them, having pistols as they had: such are hypocrites. I have
many times been the advocate of the fallen, and in a variety of
instances have observed this operating beneficially for the church.
Sometimes I have found those who had been spared upon their own
verbal contrition, blessing God for his long forbearance of them, and
also their spiritual brethren, who had in a manner set their bones;
as the Scripture hath it, ‘Restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness.’
“We should be careful that discretion and love be in exercise, though
in strife and contention it be not always an easy matter to do this.
When the beasts of dissension get loose from the caravan, Satan
sometimes drives them through the streets of Zion, that they may
enter the houses of the inhabitants; and like the lioness that
escaped from the keepers at Shrewsbury, and attacked the foremost
horse in the carriage; {53} so contentions frequently attack the
leaders, in order to stop the carriage of the ministry as it travels
on in the labors of the pulpit. In the midst of the noise of strife,
the man of God must raise his voice to heaven for courage and
tenderness, so that the oil of Christ’s love to the souls of men may
be found in the oil-flagon of reproof, which is poured on the head;
for if anger and revenge enter in, they will drop, like the spider in
Germany, into the pot, and that will prevent the salutary effect of
the oil, because the poison of wrath is mixed with it. The
righteousness of God cannot be fulfilled in this manner in the
discipline. O! brother, who is sufficient for these things, without
constant help from heaven? How awful is this place! This is the
house of God and the gate of heaven—and here is a ladder by which we
may climb up for help; and a school in which we may learn how to
conduct ourselves in the house of God.
“You cannot but be conscious, brother, of the great difficulty there
is not to speak unadvisedly with our lips, as did Moses whilst
drawing water for the rebellious Israelites. The rebellion of the
people had imbittered his spirit, so that his obduracy stood like a
cloud between the people and the tenderness of the Lord, when he was
showing mercy upon them by giving them water. Moses upbraided their
rebellion instead of showing mercy, as the dispensation of God now
required; a dispensation which contained in it a secret intimation of
the great mercy to be shown by the death of Christ on the cross.
Their strife was the cause of imbittering the spirit of Moses, yet he
should have possessed his soul in patience.
“There are two things, brother, which you should observe: First, you
will be called upon to attend to causes of contention; and you will
find persons so hardened, that you will not be able to obtain weapons
in all the armory of God’s word that will terrify them and make them
afraid of entering their old haunts. Such are persons without faith,
and without the fear of God and the love of Christ influencing their
minds; and though you warn them of the consequences of their
contentions, that they are likely to deprive them of the privileges
of the house of God, and thus forfeit the promised land, yet they
stand unmoved, nothing terrified, for they value the flesh-pots of
Egypt and their livelihood there, more than the manna and the land of
promise. You cannot frighten them by speaking of the danger and loss
of the immunities of the church below, or that above; Esau-like, they
will sell their birthright as Christian professors for a mess of
pottage. A man who has no money is not afraid to meet with robbers
in the wood; but the individual that has gold to lose will be
cautious and watchful, lest he should be robbed of his property. On
a night of great storm, when ships are broken to pieces and sinking,
a person who has no share in any of them will not tremble or feel any
concern on their account. Thus there are some men concerning whom it
is impossible to make them dread going out among the rapacious beasts
of backslidings, and no storms can keep them in fear. Their spirit
is one with the marauders, and they have no care, for they have
nothing to lose in the tempests that blow upon the cause of the
religion of Christ. These are the tares, or the children of the
wicked one, in the church.
“Secondly, for your own encouragement, brother, I remark that you
will have to attend to the exercise of discipline, and to treat with
persons that may be alarmed, and made to tremble at the word of God,
and not rush on presumptuously in their evil course. These are
professors who possess white garments, and the gold of faith, and
eye-salve from the unction of the Holy One. These individuals are
rich in faith. They are afraid of revolutions and upsettings of the
constitutional order of the new covenant, for they have funds
invested in the stocks of God’s kingdom. They are afraid that any
storm or rock of offence should come in the way of the gospel ship,
for their treasure is on board of it, and they have an interest in
it. They dread the thought of walking unwatchfully and licentiously,
lest they should be robbed of their riches, and forfeit the
fellowship of God in prayer, lose the light of his countenance, and
his peace in the means of grace, and lest they should be deprived of
their confidence in the merits of Christ and a good conscience. They
have denied themselves, and have pulled out the right eye, lest they
should not be acceptable before God. They dread harboring in their
bosoms the old guilt and former doubts. They are cautious not to
give a night’s lodging to such miscreants as anger, revenge, lust,
and things which are of the earth; for they know that these are
robbers, and if they have any indulgence they will steal away the
_title-deeds_ of assurance to the inheritance. They are well aware,
also, that they will sustain the loss of a pure conscience, which has
been purged by the blood of Christ, and which, as a golden chest, is
a preserver of our confidence immovable unto the end. It is
possible, brother, to manage and discipline such professors. They
have something to lose, consequently they will not flee from their
refuge, lest they should be destroyed. _Keep that which thou hast_.
David lost for a season the enjoyment of the above blessings; but he
was cleansed with hyssop, had his spirit renewed, and his riches were
restored to him by faith’s view of the Messiah, for which he vowed to
sing aloud for ever and ever. He prayed, after this, to be delivered
from presumptuous sins, lest he should be imprisoned a second time by
a party so wicked and detestable. May the spiritual gift be kindled
in you, brother. Grace be with you for ever and ever.
“Affectionately,
“CHRISTMAS EVANS.
“_Caernarvon_, _August_ 5, 1836.”
TOUR THROUGH THE PRINCIPALITY.
In April, 1838, when Mr. Evans had been about four years in Caernarvon,
the church under his charge received notice to pay up the £300 yet due on
their house of worship. He took a tour through the principality, to
collect money for this purpose. Before he set out, he wrote a circular
to his brethren, which was published in the Welsh Magazine. We make the
following extract:—
“The term of the lease of life has expired in my case, even three
score and ten years, and I am very much afflicted. I have purposed
to sacrifice myself to this object, though I am afraid I shall die in
the journey, and fear I shall not succeed in my errand for Christ.
We have no source to which we can now repair, but our own
denomination in Wales, and brethren and friends of other communities
that may sympathize with us. O brethren, pray with me for protection
on the journey—for strength and health this _once_, on occasion of my
bidding farewell to you all—pray for the light of the Lord’s
countenance upon me in preaching, pray for his own glory, and that
his key may open the hearts of the people to contribute towards his
cause in its present exigency. O help us, brethren,—when you see the
old brother, after having been fifty-three years in the ministry,
now, instead of being in the grave with his colleagues, or resting at
home with three of them who are yet alive—brethren Lewis of
Llanwenarth, Davies of Velin Voel, and Thomas of Aberduar {56}—when
you see him coming, with the furrows of death in his countenance, the
flowers of the grave on his head, and his whole constitution
gradually dissolving; having labored fifty years in the ministry in
the Baptist denomination. He comes to you with hundreds of prayers
bubbling as it were from the fountain of his heart, and with a
mixture of fear and confidence. O do not frown upon him!—he is
afraid of your frowns. Smile upon him by contributing cheerfully to
his cause this once for all. If you frown upon me, ministers and
deacons, by intimating an _irregular case_, I am afraid I shall sink
into the grave before returning home. This is my last sacrifice for
the Redeemer’s cause.”
In this journey, he was cordially received everywhere by the churches,
and very successful in raising money. At no former period of his life
was his popularity so great as now. Wherever he preached, the place was
thronged at an early hour; and frequently multitudes remained without,
unable to obtain admittance.
MONMOUTHSHIRE ASSOCIATION.
During this tour, he attended the Monmouthshire Association, and preached
his last associational sermon. In his introduction, he described a man
whom he had seen in Caernarvon, throwing a few beans to a herd of swine
that followed him, and thus enticing them to the door of the
slaughter-house, where they were to be slain; and said that, in a similar
manner, with one temptation after another, Satan allures deluded sinners
to the very gates of hell, where they are to be tormented for ever and
ever. He spoke of the gospel on the day of Pentecost, as a great
electrical machine; Christ turning the handle; Peter placing the chain in
contact with the people: and the Holy Ghost descending like a stream of
ethereal fire, and melting the hearts of three thousand at once!
Perhaps no sermon that Mr. Evans ever preached evinced more vigor of
intellect, more power and splendor of genius, than this; and seldom, if
ever, had he a more perfect command over the feelings of an audience.
But the effort was too much for him, and he was afterward confined to his
room by illness for a week.
LAST SERMON, SICKNESS, AND DEATH.
Following this indefatigable man of God, we find him, on Sunday, the
fifteenth of July, notwithstanding his late illness, at Swansea,
preaching like a seraph, on the Prodigal Son in the morning, and in the
evening on the words of St. Paul—“I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ,” &c.
The next evening he preached in the church at Mount Pleasant. He said he
had taken his pulpit model from the day of Pentecost. He described the
event of that memorable day, as a great naval battle between Emanuel and
the Prince of Darkness. “The captain of our salvation” sent out twelve
little boats to engage the whole fleet of hell. For a time all was
enveloped in fire and smoke, and the issue of the day seemed doubtful;
but when the conflict ceased, and the cloud cleared away, it was
ascertained that the twelve little boats had captured three thousand of
Satan’s ships of war.
When the preacher sat down, he said, “_This is my last sermon_.” And so
it was. That night he was taken violently ill. The next day he lay in a
partial stupor, taking but little notice of his friends. The third day
he seemed somewhat better. On the morning of the fourth day, Thursday,
he arose and walked in the garden. Toward evening he sunk again, and
grew worse during the night. At two of the clock on Friday morning, he
said to his friends:—“I am about to leave you. I have labored in the
sanctuary fifty-three years; and this is my comfort and confidence, that
I have never labored without blood in the basin”—meaning, evidently, that
he had not failed to preach “Jesus Christ, and him crucified.” After a
few more remarks of a similar character, he repeated a Welsh stanza,
expressive of his firm trust in the Redeemer; and then, as if he had done
with earth, and desired to depart, exclaimed in English—“GOOD-BYE! DRIVE
ON!” He now turned over, and seemed to sleep. His friends tried to
rouse him. It was too late. The angelic postillion had obeyed the
order. The chariot had passed over the everlasting hills.
Thus died Christmas Evans, at the house of his friend, Rev. Daniel
Davies, in Swansea, July 19th, 1838, in the 73d year of his age, and the
54th of his ministry. His life was blameless, and his end was peace.
“This honor have all his saints!”
FUNEREAL SORROW.
His funeral took place four days after his death. Never before was there
such a funeral in Swansea, never such a concourse of mourners. The
people came in crowds, and wept their way to the grave as if they had
been following the bier of their father. The melancholy tidings of his
departure spread through the principality, and the fountains of sorrow
were everywhere unsealed. In Anglesea, especially, the grief was deep
and universal. There he had spent more than half of his ministerial
life, and hundreds owned him as their father in Christ. The Baptist
pulpits were all clothed in mourning, and funeral sermons were preached
throughout the principality.
PORTRAITURE.
PERSONAL APPEARANCE.
MR. EVANS was a good-looking man, nearly six feet high, and well
proportioned. His intellectual faculties, phrenologically speaking, were
amply developed. He had lost one of his eyes in his youth, but the other
was large and bright enough for two. It had a peculiarly penetrating
glance; and when kindling under the inspiration of the pulpit, added
wonderfully to the effect of his eloquence. All his features were
expressive of intelligence and love; his whole bearing, dignified and
majestic; and the blending of great and amiable qualities in his
character commanded at once the reverence and the confidence of all who
knew him.
MORAL AND CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
From the time of his conversion to the day of his death, Mr. Evans
exhibited a consistent and exemplary piety. Though he several times fell
into darkness and doubt, and lost a portion of his burning zeal, he never
forfeited his place in the church, or tarnished his Christian name. The
uprightness of his deportment was acknowledged by all his neighbors; and
those of other denominations, differing widely from him in creed and
custom, always accorded to him the reputation of “a holy man of God.”
But his piety was never ostentatious or austere. Modesty and humility
were among his most prominent qualities, and a high degree of Christian
cheerfulness characterized his conversation. However low, at times, his
religious enjoyment, he was always careful to walk with becoming
circumspection before the world, that the cause of Christ might suffer no
reproach through his imprudence.
SOCIAL DISPOSITION.
Mr. Evans was naturally of a quick and irritable temper; but Divine Grace
subdued his constitutional impetuosity, made him “gentle toward all men,”
and clothed him with “the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit.” He was
eminently social in his feelings, and took great delight in the company
of his friends. It cost him no effort to render himself agreeable in any
society. In the cottage and the mansion he was equally at home, and the
unlettered peasant and the erudite philosopher were equally interested by
his conversation. He never had any children of his own, but was always
remarkably fond of the children of others. After discoursing for an hour
on the sublimest topics of the Christian faith, in a style befitting
their importance, to the great delight, and often to the amazement of all
who heard him, he would descend to the relation of some pretty story, in
a manner so affectionate and familiar as at once to win the hearts and
enlighten the minds of half a dozen bright-eyed little creatures, grouped
around him like Peter Parley’s scholars in the picture.
READING AND STUDY.