Llanfair P.G. - Evan Roberts (1905)



Llanfair P.G, Monday.— To-day Mr Evan Roberts brought his highly successful mission in Anglesey to an effective close in Llanfairpwllgwyngyl, a place which has already attained no little celebrity in connection with the present revival. When Glamorganshire was beginning to be generally stirred by the revival its fires were already burning fiercely at Llainfair P.G, and Professor John Morris Jones has already borne public testimony to its remarkable influence upon what would under ordinary circumstances be deemed unpromising material.

Tomorrow the North Wales mission will be brought to a fitting close by the enormous meetings for Anglesey and Carnarvonshire organised to be held at the Carnarvon Pavilion. These will be the largest meetings ever addressed by the revivalist, and so great is the attendance expected to be that no fewer than 500 stewards have been requisitioned from the churches of the two counties to take charge of the arrangements inside the great pavilion. The quarrymen have long looked forward to this occasion, and have for some time past been daily working overtime to enable them to claim Tuesday as a special quarry holiday. Though Evan Roberts proceeds thence to Bala to address the students, his formal mission in North Wales will practically terminate with these great meetings at Carnarvon.

The Llanfair open-air meeting to-night had been preceded by crowded prayer meetings in the chapels during the day. The weather was more propitious than it had been for some days, and the fact that this was his last meeting in Anglesey had drawn an unusually great and sympathetic crowd to the meeting. The preliminary proceedings were characterised by exceptionally fervent prayers from a number of well-known converts of the present revival, whose presence on the platform brought forcibly home to the minds of the most thoughtless the immense influence the present revival has already had in unexpected quarters…

Two hours after the meeting had been in full swing the revivalist, accompanied by his sister and Miss Annie Davies, together with Professor John. Morris Jones and the Rev. John Williams, mounted the platform, their appearance being the signal for a renewed general outbreak of prayer. Evan Roberts on rising said: "The Spirit of the Lord is here today resting upon this meeting. You have prayed that this meeting shall crown the whole that have passed. Beware lest you by hardening of heart should prevent the free working of the Spirit," As he spoke the missioner was deeply moved, his tears flowing freely as he stood before the vast crowd. He then completely broke down, and bowing his head on his outstretched arms on the table broke into a passion of tears to an accompaniment of women's sobs and wailing, this being followed by a fresh outburst of prayer from the crowd more general than any which preceded it.

The Rev. John Williams after this had proceeded for some-time, and seeing that some were being carried away by their feelings, called for the singing of hymns, and then was witnessed the remarkable scene of the voice of prayer overcoming and rising above the united singing of a crowd numbering many thousands.

As soon as he could obtain a hearing Mr Williams addressed the crowd. He said:—

"This is the pleasantest meeting we have had in Anglesey. This was impressed upon my heart by the first sight I caught of this great crowd. It touched our hearts. It may develop into general glorifying of God or it may turn into great travail of soul. The Holy Spirit knows what to do with us. Pray, ye people, for the general downpouring of the Spirit upon this crowd.” And then the storm of prayer swept afresh through the crowd. Strong men were convulsed with sobs like the weakest women in the place, many of the latter being so overcome as to have to be supported by those surrounding them. This storm affected the platform as strongly and as generally as it did the crowd below, Evan Roberts remaining the while with bowed head, silently praying.

The wild scene was brought to a close by the spontaneous action of the crowd breaking out into jubilant singing of

"Y clod ymawl,, y parch, a'r bri ,

Fo byth i anw'n'Harglwyddni."

The meeting was then tested, several converts being recorded, some of them being evidently well-known characters, for their neighbours broke out into enthusiastic shouts of "Diolch Iddo" and "Glory" when their names were announced.

From, 'The South Wales Daily News', 4th July 1905

Additional Information

I do not know where the meeting was held.


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