Hayle, 1857-58.
While meditating upon my present position, and wondering what I was to
do next, I received an invitation to take charge of a district in
another part of the county, near the sea, which suited my health. Here
there was a large population, which gave scope for energetic action;
and, moreover, the people were careless and Godless, and, as such, were
not preoccupied with other systems. So I thought it was the very place
in which I could begin to preach, and go on to prove the power of the
Gospel.
With the invitation, I received an exaggerated account of the wickedness
of the people, and was told that the thinking part of them leant towards
infidelity, and that some of them were actually banded together in an
infidel club. All this, however, did not deter me from going, but rather
stirred me up so much the more to try my lance against this gigantic
foe. I had learned before now to regard all difficulties in my work as
the Lord's, and not mine; and that, though they might be greater than I
could surmount, they were not too great for Him.
There were two large iron factories here, besides shipping. Many of the
people employed were drawn from other parts of England, and were what
the Cornish call "foreigners." They had no love for chapel services, or
revivals, and no sympathy with Cornish views and customs; so not having
a church to go to, they were left pretty much to themselves.
With this attractive sphere before me, I gave up my living and work in
the country, and accepted the curacy at l. 120 a year, with a house
rent-free. My rector was a dry Churchman, who had no sympathy with me;
but he seemed glad to get any one to come and work amongst such a rough,
and in some respects unmanageable, set. He had bought a chapel from the
Primitive Methodists for Divine service, and had erected schools for
upwards of three hundred children. These he offered me as my ground of
operation, promising, with a written guarantee, that if I succeeded, he
would build me a church, and endow it with all the tithes of that
portion of the parish.
Here was a field of labour which required much prayer and tact, as well
as energetic action. In accordance with Scriptural teaching, "I
determined to know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified." I made
up my mind that I would not begin by having temperance addresses for
drunkards, or lectures on the Evidences of Christianity for the infidel,
but simply with preaching the Gospel.
One thing that simplified my work very much was the fact, that the
people were spiritually dead. I used to tell them, that in this free
country every man is accounted innocent till he is proved to be guilty,
but that in the Bible every man is guilty before God till he is
pardoned, and dead till he is brought to life. In one sense it does not
matter very much whether a man is an infidel, a drunkard, or anything
else, if he is dead in trespasses and sins.
It is of very little consequence in what coloured raiment a corpse is
shrouded; it remains a corpse still.
Taking this position positively, I avoided much religious controversy,
to the disappointment of many eager disputants, who longed to ventilate
their views. 'I told them plainly, that whether they were, right or
wrong, my business was with the salvation: of souls, and my one desire
was to rescue the lost: by bringing' them to Christ.
Hitherto I had been to places where the Lord had previously prepared the
hearts of the people, and therefore it had been my joy to see a revival
spring up, as if spontaneously; that is, without the ordinary
preparation by the people of the place. These extraordinary
manifestations of God's power and love; and they showed me what He could
and do. Now that I was somewhat more intelligent on the subject, He sent
me forth to prepare and work for similar results.
Hayle was to all appearances a very barren soil, and the people I had to
labour amongst were greater and mightier than myself. They already had
possession of the ground, and were perfectly content with their own way.
Moreover, they did not desire any change, and were ready even to resist
and oppose every effort which was designed to ameliorate their
condition, or to change their lives. In this undertaking I knew and
understood that without prayer and dependence upon God to work in me and
by me, my mission would be altogether unavailing, I therefore looked
about, and found some Christians who consented to unite in pleading for
an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We agreed to pray in private, and also
met together frequently during the week for united prayer. Finding that
many of the petitions offered were vague and diffuse, I endeavoured to
set before those assembled a definite object of prayer. I told them that
the work was not ours but the Lord's, and that He was willing and ready
to accomplish it, but that He must be inquired of concerning the work of
His hands. Also, in order that our prayers should be intelligent and
united, I put before them the fact, that the people we had to work
amongst were lost; not that they would be lost by-and-by if they died in
their sins; but that they were actually lost now. It is true that many
were quite ignorant of the way of salvation, and were also unconscious
of the power of the enemy who held them captive; and besides, they loved
their captivity too well; but all this would be overcome in a moment,
when they were once enlightened by the Spirit (in answer to prayer) to
see and feel themselves lost. No one could be more ignorant than the
jailor at Philippi, but as soon as he was awakened he cried out, "What
must I do to be saved?" (Acts 16:30).
I showed them that the work we had to do was clearly set forth in
Scripture (Acts 26:18), and that the order in which it was to be done
was also made manifest. We must not begin with giving instruction as if
the people were merely ignorant; but rather by awakening or opening
their eyes to see that they were in a lost and ruined condition. Then
they would appreciate being turned "from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins"
(Acts 26:18). I strove earnestly to show them that until people had
received forgiveness of sins, our work was not complete. We made this
our definite aim, and prayed about it with clear expectation. Under the
shadow and influence of this prayer, I began to preach to the people;
not to believe, but to awake and see their lost condition; that is, to
repent, that they might believe the Gospel.
At first there were very few people in my congregation, but by degrees
more came, and listened attentively to the Word. After preaching for
four or five Sundays, I asked the people during my sermon, what in the
world they were made of; for I was surprised at them! They came and
listened to God's truth, and yet did not yield themselves to Him. "Are
you wood, or leather, or stone? What are your hearts made of, that God's
love cannot touch or His Word break them?" I then invited the anxious to
remain for an after-meeting, when I said that I would converse with them
more familiarly; but they every one went away.
I returned to the vestry,' feeling somewhat dejected, but still hoping
for better days. As I opened the door to go home, two men ran away like
frightened boys, but it was too dark for me to distinguish who they
were.
That next morning it came to my mind that I must go round to the people
and ask them what they were thinking about? I had done so from the
pulpit; now I would go from house to house and do the same. I went first
to the school, and finding that several children were absent, I took
their names and determined to go after them, in the hope of reaching
their parents.
The first house I called at was a mistake, and yet it was not. I knocked
at the door, and said, "Does Mrs. W-- live here?"
The woman who opened it said, "No, she lives next door."
I apologized for disturbing her, and was going away, when she said,
"Will you not come in for a few minutes?" I assented, and going in, took
a seat. Then I asked her name, and whether she went to church.
She replied, "To be sure I do. Don't you see me there every Sunday?"
"Then," I said, "did you hear my question last evening."
"Yes," she said, "but I was afraid, and ashamed to stay behind. But I do
wish to be saved; I have been wretched for more than a week."
It was very easy to lead to the Saviour of sinners one whose heart was
so prepared. She soon found peace, and became one of my most useful and
steadiest helpers.
Her neighbour next door, was by no means so ready to receive the truth,
and I had to supply another argument altogether. Eventually, she also
found peace in believing; though not for some weeks.
From this house, I visited several others, and in all of them had
serious dealing with individuals about their 'souls' salvation. Then I
set off to see a man I had often observed in church; having noticed the
anxious look with which he always regarded me during the sermon. I found
him at home, and, on entering his house, he said, at once, "I know what
you are come for. Wait a little, sir, please to sit down;" and before I
had time to say a word, he went upstairs. In a few minutes he returned,
with a shilling in his hand. "There," he said, "there it is; that is my
contribution for the Indian Mutiny Fund."
I thanked him for his offering, and promised that it should be given to
the treasurer. "But," I added, "to tell the truth, I have not come about
that, but to see you. I want to speak to you about your soul."
He sat down, looking, as I thought, most unhappy. Then he said,--"Last
night my mate and I made up our minds to speak to you in the vestry;
but, just as we were coming to the door, you opened it, and we ran
away."
"Yes," I said, "I heard you."
"Well, after that, we came home, and prayed the Lord to send you to us:
and here you are!"
"Thank God for the answer to prayer. Now then, what can I do for you?"
He told me that he was born of respectable parents in Germany; but that,
for his bad ways and bad habits, they had sent him to this country to
work for his bread; that he had taken the pledge several times, and
broken it again and again, though he had prayed and done all he could
think of; but it was to no propose.
"If you had stayed last night," I said, "I might have helped you. How
did you come to break your pledge?"
"Oh," he said, "it came to my mind that when I signed, I was only
thinking of beer and spirits, not wine; so I took some, and it flew to
my head; and soon I was as bad as ever."
"Now," I said, "you have renounced wine and all; have you?"
"Yes, I have."
"Well then, will you give your heart to God also?"
In course of conversation it came out, that this man's first impressions
were effected some years before, by a dream, or vision of Christ on the
cross. He was passing by, but, somehow, turned to look at it; when, to
his surprise, he saw that the eyes of the figure were looking at him. As
he approached, the figure appeared to be standing on the ground, and
beckoning, when a sudden fear came over him; he stopped, and the vision
faded away. Ever since that time, he had felt that Jesus was the Friend
he needed; and that nothing less would satisfy him.
Unfortunately, too many, like this man, stop at a critical point of
their history; and, often, the crisis is not prolonged for them, as it
was for him.
A long time ago there was a sinner arrested by a similar vision. He
says, in a hymn which he wrote, giving a description of it:--
"I saw One hanging on a tree,
In agony and blood,
Who fixed His languid eyes on me
As near the cross I stood."
He continues,
"My conscience felt and owned its guilt;" and when he did so, he
received a second look, which spoke forgiveness to him, as distinctly as
the first look brought him under conviction.
I charged this man to make his surrender, and to own or acknowledge
himself the sinner for whom Jesus died. On doing so, he obtained
forgiveness and peace, and has since, by grace, been enabled to live a
happy, consistent, and devoted life, and has been a blessing to many
souls. No sooner had he found the Saviour, than immediately he began to
plead for and with his friend James. I know not what passed between
them; but that same evening he brought him to me with a heart prepared
to receive Christ. We had only to point him to Jesus, and encourage him
to thank God, when he realized the truth in his own experience.
So that Monday I rejoiced over five people brought to the Lord; and then
the work began in real earnest. Every week after that, remarkable
conversions took place, besides many ordinary ones. Some of these,
including the one just mentioned, are described at length in tracts, and
are also published in a volume entitled "Building from the Top, and
other Stories;" but, notwithstanding this, a brief allusion to them in
this narrative may not be out of place, being so particularly connected
with the work here.
A woman called me into her cottage one morning as I was passing by, and
told me of her son, a steady young man, though still unconverted, for
whom she had prayed continually ever since his birth. She said, when he
was a very little child, she heard him one night sobbing and praying in
his room--"O Lord, save me up for a good boy!" She thought this was in
answer to her supplication; but as he grew up he became thoughtless and
careless, like too many others of his age.
"Some five or six months ago," she said, "he had a dream or vision, and
saw you so plainly that he pointed you out to me, among other clergymen,
and said, 'Mother, that man is to be our minister one I saw him a little
time ago, in a dream, as plainly as I see him now; I know that is the
man.' We did not know who you were then, or where you came from, and
never saw you again till you came lately to this parish to be our
minister.
"Last night," continued the mother, "after he returned from church, my
William was very unhappy and restless; and in the night I heard him
crying and praying aloud for mercy, in great distress. He told me this
morning, when I asked him about it, that he dreamt that the last day was
come, and that the world was on fire: and he began immediately to try to
pray, but could not; yet he went on trying till he heard some one laugh
out at him, and say, 'Ho! ho! my boy, you are too late!--ho! ho!--too
late! I have got you now---you are too late!' This frightened him so
much that he woke up, and getting out of bed, began on his knees to pray
in earnest for the Lord to have mercy on his soul."
Being much interested in the young man, I begged her to send him to me
in the evening. She did so; and when he arrived I frankly told him what
I had heard about him, and particularly about his distress and prayer
the night before.
"Your mother has prayed for you for years; and when you were a little
boy you prayed the Lord to save you: last night, again, you were
constrained to cry for mercy. These are all tokens of God's good
intentions and purposes towards you. Can you trust Him?" As he hesitated
(for so many like to feel something before they make the venture of
faith), I continued, "These tokens are better than feelings, for they
are facts and sure signs by which you may know that the Lord is calling
you."
We may well understand that it was not long before the Lord, who had so
marvellously opened his eyes to see his sins, enabled him by the same
Spirit to see Jesus as His Saviour, and to rejoice in the forgiveness of
his sins. Then I asked him to sit down again, for I was curious to hear
about the dream or vision which he had had some months before he ever
saw me.
"William," I said, "did you ever see me before I came to this parish?"
"Yes," he replied, "I saw you once in a vision, more than six months
ago!"
"Do you mind telling me about it?"
After a little hesitation, he answered, "I often dream things. One night
I dreamt that I was walking on a wild barren common; there were many
bare places where people had cut turf, and there were prickly
furze-bushes about. I knew there were some did open mine-shafts there,
for people sometimes fell into them at night; but I was walking along
without thinking of danger, and was not afraid, though it was dark, and
I was alone. I don't know how long I went on like this, but next I found
I was walking with you. I could see you very plainly, just as if it had
not been dark, and you were talking about Jesus and His love to sinners.
I liked your words very much, and was so taken up with them that I do
not know when it became light; for now I could see the rough common, and
a path, and we were walking in it. Going along this path, we came to a
wall, and I could not go any further; but you walked on as if there were
no wall. Presently you stopped, and, turning to me, said, 'Why don't you
come on?'
"I answered, 'I cannot.'"
"Why not?"
"Because there is a wall here."
"No," you said, "there is no wall--it is an open door."
"I was surprised at you saying that, for I feel the wall and see it."
"What would you do if there was no wall? Do that. It is not a wall, but
a door," you said; "walk forward!"
"When I ventured forward I found your were true. It was, indeed, an open
way, leading into a beautiful garden. I was very happy, and said, 'Whose
garden is this?'
"You answered, 'It is the Lord's, and you are to dress it and work in
it."
"Then I saw the Lord Himself. He came forward, and bidding me welcome,
said that you should teach me for three years. Then I awoke."
From this extraordinary narration I gathered three things for myself.
First, that God intended me to come to this place.
Secondly, that I was to labour here for three years.
Thirdly, that I was to teach the people not to wait for feelings, but to
act upon the Word of God.
This last intimation was so clearly signified by William's dream, that
it came upon me with striking force. I had been speaking on this very
subject more than once, and had ventured so far as to say that I thought
this delusion about waiting for feelings was from the devil, to hinder
the work of God in the soul. It certainly did hinder us, very much; and,
moreover, it was most distressing to see people, who were manifestly
impressed under the power of a present God, waiting for Him; because
they did not feel some token, which they had set their minds upon. Day
by day souls were being given in the Church, and also in the cottage
meetings; so that I could not help seeing that the Lord had begun to use
me again. Some came to the meetings who had been awakened under the
ordinary preaching of the Gospel; some because others brought them; and
some out of curiosity. One of the latter cases I will mention.
A married woman, N. R--, heard people talking of the work which was
going on. It seemed to her to be such a strange thing in connection with
a Church minister, that she came to a cottage meeting to judge for
herself, without the remotest idea of being converted. God's ways are
not as ours; while she was listening, the word reached her with power,
so that she was convicted and converted, and came out of that cottage a
rejoicing believer, lost in wonder, love and praise. She was indeed
strikingly and manifestly changed, and did not hide it. It was such a
joy and surprise to her that she could not help telling every one. Out
of the abundance of her heart her lips spoke to tell of the loving
kindness of the Lord.