Muthill (1742)



About the same time, this wondrous work of the Lord extended to the parish of Muthill, in Perthshire. Mr Halley, the minister, gives the following account in a letter addressed to Mr Robe, dated March 1743. "The work of God is going forward in this parish. Many seem truly awakened to a sense of their condition, as connected with eternity. All those with whom I have conversed, appeared to be touched to the very quick, the arrows of the Almighty shot to their very hearts; trembling like the Jailer, crying out against sin, and breathing and thirsting after a Saviour. My bowels were moved for them and, I hope, the bowels of a compassionate Redeemer were yearning over them when they were with Ephraim be­moaning themselves. As a token for future good, a pray­ing disposition among the people not only continues, but is upon the increase. Thirteen Societies for prayer have been recently instituted and a new one is about to be established. I cannot express how much I am charmed with the young people. They have now three prayer Societies. The members of one of these made me a most agreeable visit upon the first Monday of the year, a day which young people especially usually spend in mirth and folly. Upwards of forty attended and continued in prayer and other exercises till about ten at night. And oh! to hear the young lambs crying after the great Shepherd, to hear them pouring out their souls with such fervour, with such beautiful expressions, with such copiousness and ful­ness, did not only strike me with admiration, but melted me into tears. I wished in my heart that all contradictors, gainsayers and blasphemers of this work of God, had been where I was that night." In a subsequent letter, Mr Halley thus writes—"The concern in hearing the word still continues, though not with such a noise and outcry­ing as formerly. And though the public awakenings are not so discernible as they were sometime since, yet few Sabbaths pass, but there are some pricked in their hearts, and with great anguish of spirit, crying, What shall we do? A law-work is still severe and of long continuance with many, but the Lord is supporting, helping to wait and keeping them thirsting after relief in Christ."