We are permitted to print the following extract from a letter:-
How very much I wish you were with us in Tyree these blessed days! The like of this awakening was never seen in Tyree. I thought I would never see anything like Moody's meetings, but the meetings here are fully equal to them in proportion to the number of people. Fancy, on a busy harvest evening, Balmartin Chapel is filled at 5 o'clock, the hour of service being 7. In the
meetings of inquirers there are from sixty to eighty who remain each night, anxious to be spoken to about their souls. Never home any night before 12. From 500 to 600 attend meetings every night. The doors and windows are left open, to let the people outside hear. The whole island is moved. This is evidently the harvest of the Lord.
D. M'FARLANE.
BALINOE, TYREE, Sept. 3, 1874.
On arriving at Tyree I called on the Baptist minister (Rev. M'Farlane), who kindly granted me the use of his church for evangelistic services. On Sabbath I preached for him in the forenoon and in the evening the first evangelistic meeting was held. The church was crowded to the door. The Rev. J. M Farlane, Tiree. and the Rev. D. M'Farlane, Tobermory, took part in the services. The people were most attentive, and the power of the Lord was manifested in their solemn and anxious demeanour. The number of inquirers was large. I, along with the two ministers, held meetings in this church every night for three weeks. and the Lord poured out such a blessing on our labours that it might truly be said there was no room to receive it. The number of people who, seeing the gracious result attending the preaching of the gospel among their neighbours, now began to come to the meetings was so great that the place would not hold them. We therefore applied to the Rev. Mr Campbell, parish minister, for the use of his church, which was considerably larger, and he kindly granted it. The first Sabbath morning we met in this church there was a congregation of about 800 persons. Such a large meeting was never known in this place before, and the services were greatly blessed. To specify individual cases of anxious inquirers would occupy too much time. I trust to do this more particularly at the next meeting of the Society. It may suffice to say that my time was daily fully occupied with these meetings, and in visiting from house to house, conferring with such, and pointing them to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world. I believe I am safe in saying that not less than 300 persons professed to have found the Lord during the last few weeks. The fruits of the labours of these weeks will. I have no doubt will increase and Tyree will henceforth occupy a very different in the Christian world than it has done in the past. All praise and glory to the Lord! It was of great import that I had learned to sing the hymns used at the revival meetings in Greenock and Glasgow. They were soon taken up by the people, and will, I am sure never be forgotten. It will be needful, however, to have
some copies of such hymns rendered into Gaelic, and printed. From the chief village, we went to the east end of the island, where we held similar meetings, and an impression was made that will not soon pass away. From all quarters the people came to hear the gospel, and it was no uncommon thing for them to leave their work in the harvest field at 5 o'clock, and travel long distances to be at our meetings.
One old man, upwards of seventy, spoke to me. He was under deep conviction and could not believe that, atter spending
a lifetime in the bondage of sin, he would be accepted, but, by the grace of God, he is now rejoicing in the liberty wherewith Christ maketh His people free. This is a case where Christ really manifested His power to save to the uttermost, - a hoary-headed sinner turned to God, and now seeking to glorify Him after spending the best of his days in the service of sin.
The Lord has indeed been working mightily in this place, which encourages us to increased dilligence. We are still carrying on
the good work energetically, several ministers having come to our assistance from the neighbouring islands and also from the
mainland. The Baptist minister has rather taken up a denominational position of late by baptising some of the converts, and in consequence the other ministers do not now work along with him, I think it is a great pity he should have broken up the unanimity which prevailed so long and with such marked success.
ALEXANDER M'NEILL.
"Times of Blessing," Jan 7th, 1875.
I do not know where the church was.