The Lewis Awakening, Chapter 4. Features of the Movement. What have been the outstanding features of this movement? Three stand out clearly. First, an awareness of God. To be fully realized, this has to be felt. A rector of the Church of England, referring to his visit to Lewis, said, What I felt, apart from what I saw, convinced me at once that this was no ordinary movement. I have known men on the fields, others at their weaving looms, so overcome by the sense of God that they were found prostrate on the ground. Here are the words of one who felt the hand of God upon him. The grass beneath my feet and the rocks around me seemed to cry, flee to Christ for refuge. This supernatural illumination of the Holy Spirit led many in this revival to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ before they came near to any meeting connected with the movement. I have no hesitation in saying that this awareness of God is the crying need of the church today. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. But this cannot be worked up by any human effort. It must come down. The second main feature has been deep conviction of sin. at times leading almost to despair. I have known occasions when it was necessary to stop preaching because of the distrust manifested by the anxious, and many would find expression for the feeling in their hearts and the burden of their guilty conscience. In the words of John Newton, my conscience felt and owned its guilt and plunged me in despair. I saw my sins, his blood had spilt. and helped to nail him there. Physical manifestations and prostrations have been a further feature. I find it somewhat difficult to explain this aspect. Indeed, I cannot. But this I will say, that the person who would associate this with satanic influence is coming perilously near committing the unpardonable sin. Lady Huntington on one occasion wrote to George Whitefield respecting cases of crying out and falling down in meetings, and advised him not to remove them from the meetings, as had been done. When this was done, it seemed to bring a damper on the meeting. She said, you are making a great mistake. Don't be wiser than God. Let them cry out. It will do a great deal more good than your preaching. Conclusion. Much has been said and written about the revival. Like all such movements of the past, many have praised God for it. Others have made it the occasion of bitter press and public attacks. Men have praised or blamed as it suited them. It is true, however, that exaggerated statements have appeared in the press carrying such lines as, revival sweeping the Hebrides. Revival has not swept the Hebrides. There are many parts of the Western Isles still untouched by the movement. But it is true to say that Lewis and Harris have experienced times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and wilderness has been made to rejoice and blossom as the rose. One very much regrets that, from the beginning, there were those who opposed the movement. Almost from the very first, the scar was raised, Arminianism. Here I would quote from one who though mightily used of God, did not escape the bitter opposition of the leaders in the church. I verily believe revival would have come, too, at that time if prayerful sympathy instead of carnal criticism had been shown. As in this case, so also in Lewis. Criticism was based on hearsay, never a wise procedure. If only those who opposed had gone to hear for themselves. how different the story might have been today. But facts are powerful things, and we can leave the facts of the latest revival to speak for themselves. End of chapter 4, having been read by Peter John Parisi, also known as Brian Dean. None of my audios are copyrighted. Please feel free to make as many copies as you desire, to the glory of God.