The Revival in Wales by W. H. Meredith

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Aug 22, 1907

The Revival in Wales

By W. H. Meredith

W. H. MEREDITH

Because so many have expressed a desire to have me write something concerning the Welsh revival, I will endeavor to do so, praying that the thoughts written may lead some souls into the path of truth.

First, let us read a few texts of Scripture which will serve for a foundation, for the Word of God must be a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. Ps. 119: 105.

“Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. They also do no iniquity: they walk in his ways.” Ps. 119: 1-3. “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth.” Verse 142. “Thy word is true from the beginning.” Verse 160.

From these texts it is clear that the word, the law of God, is the standard of righteousness; and when a work of reform takes place anywhere, it ought to cause those who profess to be reformed to have greater reverence for, as well as to conform to, this law.

That many false teachers and professed reformers should arise and deceive many, so that if it were possible the very elect would be led astray, is clear from the following texts: “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.” 2 Peter 2: 1, 2. “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” 1 John 4: 1. “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” Matt. 24: 24.

We are also told by the apostle Paul, in his second letter to the Thessalonians, that, just before Christ shall come the second time, Satan will work “with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believe not the truth.” 2 Thess. 2: 9-12. We are also told that “Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be” transformed as the ministers of righteousness.” 2 Cor. 11: 14, 15.

With these words of God before us, we are forced to the conclusion that Satan will use all his wisdom and power to make his work so like the work of God that professed followers of Christ may be deceived, and will even call the work of Satan the work of God. But as Christians, we are exhorted to “try the spirits,” and not to believe every spirit; so we will endeavor to test the spirit of the Welsh revival by the standard given us in the Word of God. “To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” Isa. 8: 20.

I had the opportunity of attending two meetings where the revival was at its height, and I can honestly say that I never again want to see such actions in any place set apart for the worship of God. At last I obtained a good position in the gallery where I could see the greater part of what was going on. The whole scene was a perfect pandemonium. No one seemed to have control of the meeting. The pulpit was filled with ministers who looked on, and knew not what to do. All around were men and women in the attitude of prayer, but screaming and shrieking as they spoke. Some were singing, others were talking, and it seemed as if each was trying to outdo the other. I saw young women move about the audience, put their arms around young men, and after a few moments the young men would arise and profess to have accepted Christ. Perfect confusion then reigned, for many wanted to testify.

The day after I attended the first meeting, I had a conversation with a minister who was, he said, baptized with the Holy Ghost in that same meeting. He had never known what this meant before. I spoke of the great need of calling the attention of the people to what the Bible said. I was told that I would have perfect liberty to do as I liked in the revival meeting, and he urged me to come the next night. I went, but if it were possible, the confusion was greater than before, and I saw no room for earnest appeal to God’s Word. The next day a young man who had also been baptized with the Holy Ghost (?) was asked why he did not read the Bible more, and he said, “We want no Bible now; we have the Spirit.”

In these meetings I saw not only irreverence for God’s house, but an absolute transgression of the command, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” 1 Cor. 14: 40. Here it was made very manifest that the god of these people was not the God the apostle spoke of when he said, “God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all

churches of the saints.” 1 Cor. 14: 33.

A friend of mine attended a meeting. He had not been there long when a young lady came to him, and asked him if he had accepted Christ. In order to test the young lady, he asked, “What does it mean to accept Christ?” “O! just confess him,” came the reply. “But what do you mean by confessing Christ?” “Well, just confess him; that is all.” The poor lady knew no experience of change of heart. She, however, sent the evangelist to my friend, and the conversation began in a similar way as above. My friend now asked, “If I confess Christ, does it mean that I must stop sinning, and give up evil habits?” “O, yes!” said the evangelist; “you must give up all evil habits.” “Must I give up smoking?” was the next question. “Well, that does not matter. You may smoke if you want to,” was the reply. “Do you smoke?” “Yes,” said the evangelist, “I smoke a little.” “Then,” said my friend, “what do you mean by giving up my sin? Does it mean that I must not transgress God’s law?” “O, yes! to confess Christ means that you must no longer break God’s commands.” “Then, ‘sin is the transgression of the law,’ and to accept Christ I must keep the whole law. What about the fourth commandment? Must I keep that also?” again asked my friend. The evangelist got up, and in the Welsh language (which my friend could not understand) asked the people to pray for him, as the devil was opposing him, and then left.

This, surely, is a denial of the Lord; for the evangelist, while urging others to believe in Christ, could not himself face the plain command. Of such the Word speaks: “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.” Prov. 28: 9.

Many similar experiences could be cited. One or two may suffice to emphasize the truth that during the revival the plain Word of God was rejected for superficial excitement and fanaticism.

At one meeting fairly good order prevailed, and some one had been speaking about standing on the solid Rock, when a lady stood up and read from the parable of building the house on a rock or on sand. Good attention was paid, and many amens were heard, as the lady went on to show that the Rock was the Word of God, and urged obedience to all the Word. But as soon as obedience to the law was mentioned, and the fourth commandment spoken of, an elderly minister jumped up, and, waving his hands wildly, shouted to the people, “Sing! Sing! Sing!” Confusion soon reigned, and no desire was manifested to hear more of keeping God’s commandments. How true the words of the apostle that “in the last days perilous times shall come. . . . Men . . . having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.”

After the revival had been in progress for some time, the meetings were generally held in the largest towns and villages. In one town large meetings were held in a Baptist chapel, it being one of the largest in the place. All denominations were present, and took part, but the Baptist minister, fired with zeal to lead the converts on to the fulness of salvation, got up in the meeting, and spoke to this effect: “Brethren, the time has surely come when we should follow the example of Christ and his disciples. These new converts are believing in the death of Christ, and are repenting of their sins. On the day of Pentecost Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said, ‘Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.’ Ought we not to preach the whole truth now, and baptize these converts in obedience to the command of our Saviour?” Immediately the other ministers who were not Baptists began to protest, and an uproar followed. An awful scene took place, which ended in division, the Baptist claiming the right to preach the whole truth, and the others saying, “No doctrines must be preached in the revival.”

A dear old lady who had learned that the seventh day was the Sabbath of the Lord, and was rejoicing in obedience, went to the revival meetings, believing that much good was being done. She thought, “Surely, God is in this, and soon the churches will come back to the commandments of God.” She worked hard to help on the revival, awaiting an opportunity to speak of the fourth commandment. She waited many months, and at last summoned up courage to call the congregation’s attention to the law which said, “The seventh day is the Sabbath.” To her great surprise and sorrow, the ministers and leaders urged the people not to listen to her, and denounced her as a heretic and fanatic. The old lady then saw the spirit which ruled, and spoke freely, making herself heard on several occasions, until she was literally turned out, and asked not to come to the chapel again.

Now as to the real results of the revival. At one of the quarterly sessions of the court, the judge commented on the new list of criminals to be brought before him. This was after the revival had been on for some months. The judge thought a reformation was really taking place, and hoped it would continue. The facts are, however, that when the next sitting of the court came, the list of criminals was the largest on record, and this right in the heart of the district in which the revival had been the most fervent. The judge now spoke of the reaction, and was surprised that the cases before him were young people, who were supposed to have been mostly benefited by the revival.

A very little time after the revival began to languish, I was speaking to the leader of a certain church, and he told me that his church received one hundred and twenty converts as the result of the revival, but only fifteen or twenty remained, and he lamented that the church was then in a worse state than before the revival. I have heard statements of this kind again and again, and the statistical reports of the churches generally show a large decrease in membership. From more than one minister I have heard the sad lament that little good came from the so-called revival. Many have their eyes open to the real condition of things, and have no hesitation in saying that the revival was not of God. Some ministers were honest enough to say so, even while the excitement was at its height. These were men of discernment, and we can but honor them for the stand they took.

Almost all will now admit that the newspapers made a good thing out of the revival. They helped materially to excite and fan the flame, and largely increased their circulation; but all that appeared in the papers was not gospel truth, and much was hidden which would have opened the eyes of the readers to the true state of things.