15 - The Revivalist Finds His Cherith

15 THE REVIVALIST FINDS HIS CHERITH

MR. ROBERTS, like Elijah, found his Cherith. From the moment that Mrs. Penn-Lewis came into contact with Mr. Roberts, his life took a sudden turn. With indications of serious indisposition appearing upon him, drastic measures had to be taken immediately if disaster was to be averted. Rumor circulated that al­ready one side of the brain was paralyzed. Thousands of willing hearts expressed readiness to come to his assist­ance. At this point the Penn-Lewises come into prominence. Impartial persons everywhere believed that these servants of the Lord acted with the purest motive, and did so promptly because of the urgency of the case. They urged Mr. Roberts to take a complete rest and proffered the hospitality of their beautiful home in Great Glen, Leices­tershire, for the purpose.

It appears that Mr. Roberts was not enamored of the idea at the outset, because he was not clear in his own mind about the leading of the Holy Spirit. So, for some days, in spite of the imminent peril to which he was ex­posed, he waited upon the Lord. In view of what tran­spired later, it was well that this had been done.

Finally, the conviction came that "the pillar of cloud" was moving. Even then, a close friend, fully acquainted with the details, told me that Mr. Roberts obeyed the divine injunction with considerable diffidence. It is difficult to account for his tardiness to "obey the heavenly vision," when he had always insisted on implicit obedience to every command from the Lord. It is quite possible that the tender Holy Spirit gave him a premonition of coming trials.

Mrs. Penn-Lewis needs no introduction to the ma­jority of God’s children. For many years before this in­cident she had labored ardently in the harvest-field of God, the heavenly Boaz. Her books, pamphlets, and addresses had provided the much needed spiritual refresh­ment for many a fatigued, fainting laborer. She earned the eternal gratitude of many. Unrecognized by some Convention committees, she persisted in carrying out the ministry entrusted to her by the Head of the Church. That she should feel a deep interest in the young leader of the great revival was natural, especially since that mighty movement was in Wales. It was the country where she had spent her girlhood days. Moreover, she had been one of the leaders responsible for the inauguration of another spiritual movement in Wales, the Llandrindod Convention, for the deepening of the spiritual life of the churches, a convention established a year or so before the appearance of Evan Roberts. For years she had been en­gaged in teaching the blessedness of a higher spiritual life provided for the Church in the death of the Lord Jesus. This privilege procured for all believers, for all time, she had strenuously emphasized in many parts of the country. Her own Christian life had been completely transformed by a gracious infiIIing of the Holy Spirit. As an experienced and gifted worker for Christ, with a wide knowledge of the mysterious working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God’s children, she would imme­diately detect immaturity in the spiritual growth of the young revivalist. Many other mature believers were conscious of it, but wisely winked at minor theological dis­crepancies which they knew were caused by inexperience. Such expressions as "He is not here; you have driven the Spirit away by your coldness" revealed limited knowledge of the work and person of the Holy Spirit. Our Lord taught, "And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter; that he may abide with you for­ever. . . He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." How, then, could He be driven away?

Further, Mrs. Penn-Lewis had witnessed incidents dur­ing this awakening that she could not approve. To her, religious enthusiasm meant that which was of the flesh, or unsanctified, unsubordinated self, the "ego" running wild. A follower of George Fox, a professed Quaker and descendant of the benevolent, tolerant William Penn, one longed to ask what was her thought of the excesses of the early Quakers who did such a wonderful work in their generation. "Fervent in Spirit, serving the Lord" was the dictum of the apostle Paul.

Mrs. Penn-Lewis must have concluded that Mr. Roberts must be delivered from this environment, in which hours, days, and sometimes nights, were spent without respite. Everybody discussed the change that was visible even in his countenance. His fine figure was bending before the storm. Is it too much now to claim for him the honor of having served a lifetime in the course of a few brief months? So to Great Glen Mr. Roberts went, to be nursed and cared for by his generous host and hostess, in the confi­dent hope that complete recovery would be his ultimately. But the journey to restoration was to be long and tortu­ous. Nevertheless, to be in the will of God-the music and the majesty of it-compensates a thousand times for dis­comforts. Even our via dolorosas are bestrewed with the fragrant flowers of God’s promises, "My grace is sufficient for thee ... My strength is made perfect in weak­ness." So Evan Roberts went to his beloved Cherith.

________ His seclusion was so complete and the watch over him so rigid that people feared and even whispered that it was against his will. His many friends concluded that such a thing could happen to a person so reduced in health as to be unable to speak for himself. Everything around him seemed to be shrouded in mystery. Letters addressed to him were unanswered. Friends from sur­rounding districts, including myself, called at the home in the hope of seeing the revivalist for prayer, or advice, but could not. This created a strange situation. Rumors sped through­out Wales. This attitude was foreign to the nature of the revivalist, and acquaintances and neighbors flatly refused to believe that he was responsible. If this conduct had been dictated by a medical adviser, why had no public statement been made? When it was argued that the good friends attending to the needs of the revivalist were acting on the highest Christian principle, they were met with, "Let not your good be evil spoken of."

It is quite possible that Mr. Evan Roberts had concluded in his own mind that Mr. and Mrs. Penn-Lewis had been raised of God for this purpose, and for "such a time as this," in the history of the Welsh Revival. Had he be­come so spiritual in his outlook that he would not permit himself to be governed by human suggestions of any kind?

________ A peep behind the scenes in Island House, on the banks of the river Llwchwr would be worth while. There was the simple-hearted, warm-hearted Welsh mother, naturally proud of her world-famous son. Why should another care for him at this time of great danger? Her home was simple, but it was the only home that Evan had ever known until this time. From this happy home he had gone forth to stir the religious world. Every instinct in her mother-­heart would cry out for the sacred privilege of nursing her own son.

Attempts were made to force the issue by demanding admission for the family, at least, into the home of the Penn-Lewises. But Evan Roberts was adamant. Every attempt to see him was frustrated. Admission into the house was usually comparatively easy to obtain. This must be said in fairness to the host and hostess, who must have felt keenly the difficulty of the position which they occupied. Under no circumstances would Mr. Roberts permit interference with his privacy.

Finally the Roberts family decided to make a move to clear misunderstanding. Mr. Roberts and Dan Roberts, father and brother of the revivalist, made the journey from Loughor to Great Glen, just outside the city of Leicester, in the fond hope of seeing Evan Roberts. Their visit began well, for they were received in a spirit of Christ-likeness that left nothing to be desired. Every­thing possible was done to make the two visitors com­fortable and happy. There can be no criticism on that score. What followed is to remain a secret, evidently, for all time.

Mr. Evan Roberts maintained and defended his host and hostess. If there were any faults or mistakes, he frankly accepted all responsibility for them. All his de­cisions were made unaided and uninfluenced. He refused to see his father and brother. Appeals went unheeded. According to report, Mrs. Penn-Lewis made a strong effort to persuade him to discuss his situation with these members of his family, but to no avail.

Later when Dan Roberts and I stayed with mutual friends on numerous occasions, in all our conversations he exercised commendable restraint regarding his brother’s conduct. The Roberts family had been informed of the result of the Leicester visit before the return of the father and brother. Daily newspaper reports had kept them in touch with the situation. Although Mrs. Roberts idolized and idealized her son for whom the world clamored, and whom it now criticized, no word of censure was uttered by her sealed lips. Her son had brought blessing to thousands. If the mother of our Lord was aware of the angels’ mes­sage, "a sword shall pierce thine heart," this little Welsh mother must suffer too.

________ The revival was progressing in spite of criticism. All over Wales incredible things were happening. Churches continued to enroll new members by the hundred. New voices were heard assisting in the progress of the work. There was no lack of evidence regarding the reality of the mighty outpouring. Statistics appeared in the columns of the daily newspapers announcing considerable improve­ment in the attendance of miners and others employed. Because of this fact, output in factories, coal mines, iron and steel works, spiraled upward unbelievably. Of the results consequent upon the outbreak of the revival the most marvelous was the effect upon the courts of justice throughout Wales. In several towns, especially those of the seaports and mining districts, judges and magistrates commented upon the effect produced by this movement upon proceedings in their courts. Criminal calendars were reduced to a minimum. Prison wardens must have imagined that something approximating the Millennium, if not the thing itself, had happened. Twirl­ing thumbs, instead of rattling ponderous keys, was a strange experience for them. Lists of convictions dwindled to nothing. Judges had, instead of the usual long lists of cases awaiting trial, blank sheets of paper, without a single name. To celebrate the auspicious occasion, pairs of snow-­white gloves were ceremoniously handed to them, to be preserved scrupulously as a witness to future generations of the reality and blessedness of real revival. This ancient custom, so rarely performed or witnessed, had persisted within the British Isles since the birth of the legal code. For that generation to have had the honor of gazing upon such a ceremony was a privilege that would be coveted by the people of any civilized country. But the vast majority of unthinking people allowed the unusual happening to pass without lifting an eyebrow. Such indolence-who can understand or explain it? What would the nations of the world give today to witness such a sight? Courts are overcrowded, criminal sheets are lengthening daily, law-­breaking is fashionable with the multitudes. Legal author­ities are overwhelmed by the number of intricate problems, and sacred matrimonial bonds are held so loosely that their dissolution becomes a matter of little, if any, concern. After over forty years, one is constrained to declare that those revival times were wonderful days in which to live. Would to God, in view of the perilous days in which we live and the imminent return of our Lord, that a repro­duction of those times could be witnessed, so that the countless thousands around us might be gathered in be­fore it is too late, and the door forever shut!

________ With the passage of time and the removal of Evan Roberts, other men of God, representing all the denomina­tions in Wales, were called and equipped to carry on the work. Gradually, the great fervor began to die down and the time arrived for constructive work, the edification and building up of the young converts. They were be­coming more amenable, more ready to sit down in quietness to listen to the exposition of the sacred Scripture by men endowed with power by the Holy Ghost. Mr. Dan Roberts, although subdued in spirit, continued to carryon his brother’s work. He traveled constantly up and down the country, endeavoring to keep revival flame burning. In the Congregational denomination, Keri Evans rendered Trojan service in his capacity as teacher and expositor. His logical mind, reinforced by a dynamic Christian experience, made him an outstanding advocate of the principles undergirding the revival. All that he possessed was placed unreservedly at the disposal of the Holy Spirit. Dr. H. Elvet Lewis, Kings Cross, London, used his great gifts and mighty influence in the same direction, to the building up of the faith of the young converts. No one can fail to mention the name of David Evans of Bridgend. With unflagging zeal he pursued the course mapped out for him by the Head of the Church. The ministry of the Word was restored to its place of eminence among the converts. The period of unconven­tionality had expired. In all the revival meetings for which David Evans was humanly responsible, he quietly insisted upon delivering his message. Sometimes, and it happened frequently, he was interrupted by an outburst of fervor; at such times, he remained calm until the en­thusiasm ceased. For many years, evangelical and es­pecially evangelistic ministers possessing the revival touch had to be prepared for these interruptions. The Llandrindod Convention, or, as some preferred to call it, the Welsh Keswick, had its inauguration at this time. God is never behind time in His bounteous provision for His Church. In 1903, before the outbreak of the re­vival, the Convention’s first meetings were held in the de­lightful surroundings of the famous health resort. Enthus­iastic adherents of the tenets of the Keswick convention felt led to extend the influence of those great gatherings to Wales. They had experienced an urge to establish a work in Wales that would be typically Welsh in tempera­ment. Among the foremost leaders were such men as Canon Talbot Rice, A. T. Pierson and F. B. Meyer.