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The Lewis Awakening, Chapter
3. The Spread of the Movement. The movement that began in the
parish church of Barbas almost immediately spread to the neighboring
parish of Ness, and it soon became evident that it was not to be
confined to those two parishes. From north, south, east, and
west, the people came in buses, vans, cars, and lorries to witness
the mighty movements of God, and then to return to their respective
parishes to bear testimony to the fact that they had met with
the Savior. A gamekeeper, whose home was 24 miles from Barbos,
was so wrought upon and burdened for the souls of others that
his van was seldom off the road, and for two years, night after
night, brought it loads of men and women who were seeking for
Jesus. He was rewarded by seeing many coming to the Savior, including
members of his own family. It was therefore not surprising
that in the parish of Lox, where the gentleman referred to had
his home, a gracious movement should break out. Here the ground
was well prepared by faithful ministry, and great was the rejoicing
when sower and reaper saw the fruit of their labor in a harvest
of precious souls. Asimbarous meetings here continued
until two or three o'clock in the morning, and some remarkable
scenes were witnessed as the Spirit of God moved among the
people. An incident occurred in this
parish which is still vivid in my mind. A lorry was engaged
to convey a number of people to a meeting. The distance to
be covered was about 14 miles, and the journey would take them
around the end of a lot. Unfortunately, the lorry broke
down when they were about seven miles from their destination.
The younger of the party decided to walk, but this was too much
for the older members who very reluctantly retraced their steps
homeward. Suddenly, it occurred to them that a late meeting would
be held, and if they could secure a boat, they could cross the
lock and be in time for the midnight service. A boat was found at
the nearest township three miles distance, and on rowing across
the lock a distance of three miles, great was their satisfaction
to find a meeting in progress. It was the guidance of the Spirit
that led the preacher that night to take us his text. They also
took Shippen and Cain to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus. The men from
across the lock were seeking for Jesus. And that night they
found him. That morning, just as the dawn
was breaking and the night gave way to the rising sun, another
sun had arisen, and one of clear shining brought light and life
to men who sat in darkness. Before they set sail for home,
the congregation gathered and, led by one of the local ministers,
sang, When all thy mercies, O my God, my rising soul surveys,
transported with the view ever lost, and wonder, love and praise. O how such words, with equal
warmth, the gratitude declares, that glows within my ravished
heart, that thou canst read it there. When nature fails, and
day and night divide thy works no more, my ever grateful heart,
O Lord, thy mercy shall adore. Through all eternity to thee
a joyful song I'll raise. But oh, eternity is too short
to utter all my praise. It is not often that strangers
from other districts crowd a church, making it impossible for the
congregation to get accommodations in their own building. But this
actually happened in this parish. So great was the hunger for the
gospel that long before the hour of service, buses and vans from
a neighboring parish brought a crowd that filled the little
church of HaBas in the local congregation were content to
sit in the vehicles that the strangers had vacated. This is
the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes." The influence of
the Lewis awakening was felt in Harris. Soon, in both Tarbert
and Leverburg, a gracious movement broke out, and one interesting
feature of this blessed visitation was the place that singing had
in the meetings. Again and again, a wave of deep
conviction of sin would sweep over the congregation. and men
and women would be seen bending before the mighty impact of the
Spirit as the heart cry of penitents found expression in the words
of Psalms 130. Lord, from the depths to Thee I cry. My voice, Lord, do Thou hear.
Unto my supplication's voice give an attentive ear. Lord,
who shall stand if Thou, O Lord, shouldst mark iniquity? But yet,
with Thee, forgiveness is, that feared Thou mayst be." Bernard
was a small island off the coast of Paris with a population of
about 400. In April, 1952, it was my privilege to visit this
parish and witness one of the most remarkable movements of
the Revival. Here, as in other districts, there were men who,
on their faces before God, cried for an outpouring of His Spirit. An incident occurred that goes
to demonstrate the power of prevailing prayer and to reveal how true
it is that the Seeker of the Lord is with them that fear Him.
One morning, an elder of the Church of Scotland was greatly
exercised in spirit as he thought of the state of the Church and
the growing carelessness toward Sabbath observance and public
worship. While waiting upon God, this
good man was strangely moved and was unable to pray the prayer
of faith and lay hold upon the promise, I will be as the dew
unto Israel. This word from God came from
such conviction and power that he was assured that revival was
going to sweep the island. And in that confidence, he rose
from his knees. While this man was praying in
his barn, I myself, taking part in the faith mission convention
at Bangor in Northern Ireland, was suddenly arrested by the
conviction that I must leave at once and go to the island
of Abernia, where I found myself within three days. Almost immediately
on arriving, I was in the midst of the most blessed movement.
Again the promise was being fulfilled. I will pour water upon him who
is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground. The first few meetings
were very ordinary, but the prayers offered by elders of the congregation
breathed the confidence in the sure promise of God. Again and
again reference was made to the words of Psalms 50, verse 3. Our God shall surely come. They
did not wait long for the fulfillment of this word from God. One evening,
just as the congregation was leaving the church and moving
down towards the main road, the Spirit of God fell upon the people
in Pentecostal power. No other word can describe it.
And in a few minutes, the awareness of the presence of the Most High
became so wonderful and so subduing that one could only say with
Jacob of old, surely the Lord is in this place. There, under
the open heavens and by the roadside, The voice of prayer was mingled
with the groans of the penitents as free grace awoke men with
light from on high. Soon the whole island was in
the grip of a mighty movement of the spirit, bringing deep
conviction of sin and a hunger for God. This movement was different
from that in Lewis, in this respect that while in Lewis there were
physical manifestations and prostrations, such were not witnessed here.
but the work was as deep and the results as enduring as in
any other part touched by the revival. Perhaps the most outstanding
feature in this part of Harris was the awe-inspiring sense of
the presence of God that came over the island. The people just
gave themselves to seeking the way of life. Meetings were held
during the day and through the night, in church, in the homes
of the people, and in the open. Indeed, every gathering of people
was made a means of grace. One would like to pay tribute
to two ministers of the Church of Scotland who, in the spirit
of self-sacrifice, left their own parish and threw their full
weight into the movement. The Reverend Murdo MacLeod of
Tarbert and Reverend Angus MacKillop of Lox. The good people of this
island will forever be grateful to these two gentlemen who gave
of their best Here is an extract from a letter received from an
elder on the island. He is referring to the first
communion after the awakening. The center of the church was
reserved for communicants, but it could not hold them. This
never happened in the history of the parish before. Glory to
God. Hallelujah. The other Bernia,
also in Lewis, is one of the smaller islands of the Outer
Hebrides, with a population of about 400, fairly equally divided
between the Church of Scotland and the Free Church of Scotland. Here God had a few faithful men
and women, but a long vacancy in one of the churches did not
help the spiritual life of the community, and this was reflected
in a growing disregard for public worship, especially by the youth
of the island. It has been said that the weekly
prayer meeting indicates the spiritual temperature of a congregation,
and if that be so, Bernia had a somewhat low temperature. that
there had been indications of the working of the Holy Spirit.
And here also God had His Daniels with their windows open towards
Jerusalem, who long before the outbreak of the revival were
encouraged to believe the days of spiritual refreshing were
near at hand. One of the outstanding personalities
of the revival, the Reverend Murdo MacLennan, parish minister
of Carraway, was interim moderator of the Bernia congregation. At
his invitation, I went to assist at a communion season and began
a series of pre-communion services. The first meeting was not encouraging,
and it was decided to have a further meeting in a nearby cottage.
If the first meeting dampened our spirit, here was a site to
gladden our hearts, a crowded house with young men and women
in the majority and an awareness of God that was most subduing. That night in this cottage, God
made bare His arm and a movement broke out that was to spread
all over the island. It was here that an incident
occurred that lives most vividly in my memory. At my request,
several office bearers from the parish church of Barbos visited
the island, bringing with them a young lad recently brought
to saving knowledge of the truth. After spending some time together
in prayer, we went to the church to find the place crowded. But
seldom did I experience such bondage of spirit, and preaching
was most difficult, so much so that when only halfway through
my address, I stopped preaching. Just then, my eye caught sight
of this young lad who was visibly moved and appeared to be deeply
burdened. Leaning over the pulpit, I said,
Donald, will you lead us in prayer? There was an immediate response,
and in that moment, the floodgates of heaven opened. The congregation
was struck as by a hurricane, and many cried out for mercy.
But the most remarkable feature of this gracious visitation was
not what happened in the church, but the spiritual impact made
upon the island. Men who, until then, had no thought
of seeking after God were suddenly arrested and became deeply concerned
about their soul's salvation. One worthy elder of the free
church into whose home salvation came, referring to his native
village, said, this is the Lord's doing. His great name be praised. A contributor to the local paper
in an article referring to this movement wrote, more attending
the weekly prayer meetings than attended public worship on the
Sabbath before the revival. It was my privilege to pay a
return visit to this island and what a joy it was to find the
young converts growing in grace and witnessing in the church
and community a good confession. To listen to their words of testimony,
or to hear them engage in prayer was as cold waters to a thirsty
soul. The last place to be mentioned
in connection with the spread of the movement is the parish
of Uig. This part of the island is sparsely
populated with the villages far apart and not too well provided
with transport facilities. And if buses were not available,
vans and lorries were. And in these, the people of the
scattered townships gathered. At the beginning of the revival,
while God was moving mightily in the parish of Ness, a woman
who was bitterly opposed to the movement made the remark, why
does he not go to Ugig? That is where they need the gospel.
If by inference this woman meant that Ugig was lacking in a gospel
ministry, she was, I fear, using her imagination. Without reference
to fact, Ugig, for many years, have been favored by a faithful
and evangelical ministry. It is true that in common with
many other parishes, a spirit of indifference to the things
of God prevailed, especially among the youth, so that the
church was supported largely by the middle-aged and old. But
the faithful ministry from the pulpits and the prevailing prayers
of the people of God in the parish did not pass the notice of Him
who said, I will yet for this be inquired of by the House of
Israel to do it for them. I wish I could describe this
scene and impart something of the overwhelming sense of the
subduing spirit of God on the night that the windows of heaven
opened. The parish minister, the Reverend
Angus McFarland, was in his own pulpit and was leading in prayer
when suddenly a consciousness of God came over the congregation
and we were lifted out of the realm of the ordinary to realize
a spiritual impact that could not be explained from any human
point of view. Revival had come. The first meeting
of the evening concluded with the singing of Psalms 147 verses
2 and 3. God doth build up Jerusalem and
he it is alone that the dispersed of Israel doth gather into one
those that are broken in their heart and grieved in their minds.
He healeth in their painful wounds. He tenderly upthines." The second
meeting of this memorable night was held in a neighboring village.
All lorries and vans available were put into service to convey
the people to the place of worship. Yet many were forced to walk
miles. The distance did not matter, and at any rate, they knew that
the meetings would continue. If they were not in time for
the first, they would be sure of getting the second or the
third. So they came across the moors and over the hills, young
men and maidens, their torches flashing in the darkness, intense
upon one thing, to get peace from a guilty conscience and
refuge from the storm in their bosom, in the shelter of the
rock of ages. Today in this parish, the churches
are throbbing with young life, and the work in witness of the
respective congregations made so much easier than the new influx
of men and women ready and willing to serve the Master and the Church
of their Fathers. End of chapter 3, having been
read by Peter John Parousis, 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.
The Lewis Awakening 1949 - 1953 - by Duncan Campbell - Chapter 3 of 5
Series Duncan Campbell
The Lewis Awakening 1949 - 1953 - by Duncan Campbell - Chapter 3 of 5 - Duncan Campbell's own account of the revival written in 1954
| Sermon ID | 322101948535 |
| Duration | 15:41 |
| Date | |
| Category | Audiobook |
| Language | English |
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