Siloam Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel (1904)



At the evening meeting held in the Methodist Chapel there was a crowded attendance, and overflow meetings were announced in two other chapels in the village. Evan Roberts told the story of how the Revival reached him. He said that one evening, while at Loughor, he walked from his home down to the post office, and on his way passed a gipsy who saluted him with, "Good evening, sir." The word "sir" went straight to his heart, and he asked himself why, in acknowledging the kind salutation, he had not said, "Good evening, madam." From that moment he had felt that his heart was full of Divine love and that he could love the whole world, irrespective of colour, creed or nationality. The world was changed to him now. At one time the spiritual world was far away and dim in the distance, but now it was more real than the earth itself. He knew when people were praying for him in distant places. He could hear them. Some time ago he was talking to Sidney Evan's father, and in the course of the conversation he could hear a woman praying on his behalf in another town. There was no mistake about it. Mr Roberts again emphasised the absolute necessity of implicit obedience to the Spirit. As a prelude to the Revivalist's address, Dr Cynddlyan Jones delivered a stirring oration, in which he recalled some of his experiences of the revival of 1859-60. He said he had followed the course of the present revival from its inception and noticed that the Spirit was the burden of the praying, singing, and speaking, and it was right that the attention of all the Churches of the world should be directed to the work of the Third Person in the Trinity. In the Person of Christ, God was on earth for 33 years, and at the end of that period ascended whence He came. As soon as He ascended to Heaven the Holy Spirit descended to earth. The Church was the home of the Holy Spirit and since the days of Pentecost, "Cynddylan" compared the Holy Spirit to electricity in the air. There were occasionally natural conditions which made the electricity manifest itself in the form of lightning, and so with the Holy Spirit. The thunder which followed the lightning he compared to the responses in the Churches. In the revival of 1859-60, he remembered David Morgan, the father of a young minister whom he was glad to see there that evening. The hymn which had the greatest effect in that revival was: "Y Gwr a fu gynt o dan hoelion Dros ddyn pechadurus fel fi." The same influences at work in the revival of today as in that of 1859. The Churches had been sleeping too long, and he rejoiced to see his dear young friend, as the instrument of God in Heaven, stirring them out of their lethargy. Let them not be afraid to shout and rejoice. Sinfulness had been making noise enough for twenty years. One English critic, in writing his impressions of a Welsh revival, had sarcastically referred to the Welsh people as "jumpers." This roused the ire of Daniel Rowlands, who replied in a letter with the words, "I prefer men who jump to men who sleep in the service of the Master." Let them not be afraid of proclaiming Christ, and pay no heed to formality and ceremony. This revival was an uplifting cataclysm in the history of the Church in Wales. Within a few minutes after resuming his seat in the pulpit "Cynddylan" rose again and said he had translated the Welsh hymn to which he had referred, and he recited the following translation, which was the work of only two or three minutes: The Man who was nailed for sinners, Who suffered for sinners like me, Himself drank the cup of our sorrow, Alone on Mount Calvary. Thou Fount of Love everlasting, Thou home of the counsels of Peace, Bring me to the bonds of the Covenant, The Covenant that never will cease. The hymn was sung in Welsh and English, and the refrain repeated again and again. A leading part was taken in the singing by Miss Annie Davies, Miss Mary Davies, and Madame Llewellyn, and the service throughout was impressive and full of touching scenes. From, 'The Western Mail', 16th December 1904. It was turned five o’clock before this joyful service was over, and before six o’clock there was a packed congregation in the neighbouring Siloam Calvinistic Methodist Chapel; for, in spite of the secrecy of Mr Roberts’s movements, the feeling had arisen that the evangelist would be there. Presently, Mr Evan Roberts came in, and with him the singing evangelists. “Diolch Iddo” was sung to “Bryn Calfaria,” instead of the more familiar “Caersalem,” and then “Gad i’m deimlo” to the same tune. Madame Kate Morgan opened a second phase of the service with a sermon in song – “Someday the silver chord will break, And I no more shall sing,” Given in earnest, expressive, devotional spirit. Mr Evans delivered a long and animated discourse – fresh, vigorous and earnest, holding the closest attention of the congregation. He deplored that, according to the rules of social life, people could speak about everything but religion. The order should be reversed. Religion should be first and foremost. He personally felt that he could not meet his Saviour with a smile and tell, “Oh, Jesus, Thou hast made thy best for me, and I have made my best for Thee.” In concluding his address Mr Roberts suggested that the present time saw the beginning of the fulfilment of the prophecy of the prophet Joel that in the latter days God would pour forth His spirit upon all flesh. Afterwards, someone prayed for the descent of the Holy Ghost on Hafod. A young lady from the congregation gave a prose recital of the glories of the future life, rendered solemnly and impressively, and with a tender refinement. The singing evangelists led the singing repeatedly, a notable example being Miss Maggie Davies’ “Yet there is room,” sung in Welsh. Her concluding words, “Oh, enter, enter now,” brought to her feet Miss S. A. Jones of Nantymoel, the lady who addressed the afternoon congregation with such moving effect. “Now! Now!” were her emphatic opening words, taking her cue from the hymn, “Enter now, even while you are here. There will be a time when you cannot enter. It will not be altogether like Heaven if even one of us is left behind.” “Shall we meet beyond the river,” as a natural sequence, was beautifully sung by the congregation. Mr Roberts had left the Chapel sometime before, but there was no check to the torrent of prayer, no stint to the sweet incense of praise.

From, 'The Western Mail', 17th December 1904.

Additional Information

I believe this was the church mentioned on the 16th, it definitely was the one mentioned on the 17th. The church has been demolished.


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