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The 8th of June, 1878, was a great and extraordinary day in Island House, Bwlchymynydd. It was so because on it Evan Roberts was born. In the history of the family, the neighbourhood of Loughor, and Wales as a whole, we can rightly call it the ‘Day of the Possibility’. On that day was born one in whom lay the possibility of creating a religious revolution in a whole nation, with the Spirit of God using him as an instrument. Yet, this was not known to anyone except the Divine Persons, and possibly some of the angels. And so his birth was in the manner of every child’s birth. It did not cause the inhabitants of the place to leap with joy, but angels, maybe, sang. Were they told of his future, then surely they sang and rejoiced, for they could see how much there would be for them to do in connection with him. The parents, no doubt, looked upon their newly-born babe as one who in years to come would be a help and comfort to them; but God regarded him as the embodiment of possibilities to be used in the Spirit’s hand to bring thousands to repentance. A wondrous day, truly, is the birthday of many an one. Untold possibilities come into being at the same time. On a smaller scale, the birth of every morally great man may be likened to that of Him who was born in Bethlehem. The birth in the manger in Bethlehem was simple enough and unknown to the world at large, but then, there came into existence the possibility of saving an unnumbered multitude of sinners. Through the birth of Evan Roberts at Bwlchymynydd on that day, there came into being a possibility which will be instrumental before the end of time in bringing millions to the Man who brought into being the possibility of Salvation, by the birth in Bethlehem and the death on Calvary. The result of the work of Evan Roberts will go on through the ages, and some of them will be effective in the end of the world. When his mortal part is buried, his works will go on and multiply for ever. The possibilities of every life are wonderful given favourable conditions, they will increase, and so continue their existence. As we ascend in the scale of life, the possibility increases accordingly. The highest life has the greatest possibility. On earth, man is the creature that has the highest and richest life; hence, his is the life with the greatest possibility in it. Among men we find degrees of possibility, in the sphere of mind, affections, and actions. The majority possess but average possibility, and rise to no distinction in any department of life. From this class up to those who possess the highest possibility, we have every grade of intellectual power that we can think of. Those who have the greatest possibility contribute to the world’s development in various directions. They make the world move on from the old lines in the different branches of knowledge, religion, morality, and spirituality. They cut out paths for themselves, and will not be governed by public opinion, which becomes disturbed once it sees new ground being possessed. We make bold to say that the babe who was born at Island House, Bwlchymynydd, on the afore-mentioned day, belonged to this class. He had the possibilities of a spiritual life that were extraordinary, the possibilities of a man of the highest genius in his class — possibilities, as we shall again see, of cutting a path for himself without consulting anyone save the Spirit of God. Who would think that such a possibility lay within him when a child? Did the midwife for a moment think of his tremendous possibility? No, she saw nothing in him different from other children. She would tremble to hold him in her arms did she know of his possibility and his future. Were his work with the Revival known on his birthday, many of the old saints of Loughor and of Wales would have readily gone to his parents house, saying with Simeon of old, Lord, now lettest thou thy servants depart in peace, according to thy word, for our eyes have seen one who will be used of Thee to bring Salvation to thousands in Wales. Many have been the desires, intense the prayers offered up for a Revival, but at last we have its instrument in our arms. Hundreds have journeyed to Loughor during these last months in order to see Evan Roberts, his parents, and the house where he was born; but had men known of his possibility at his birth, the visitors to the place would have been far more numerous then than now. As is His wont, with every great possibility, God hid this from all. Men wonder at the possibility when it has been revealed. This is what He has done in the case of Evan Roberts. We see his mother nurse him, a tender child, without seeing anything exceptional in him, save his loveliness. Every mother thinks her child lovely; and it is well that she does. It shows how great a mother’s affection is for her child. Hannah Roberts carries him in her arms, little thinking that she has a treasure so great. Gazing at his face in the cradle, the thought of his possibility does not enter her mind. As she rocks the cradle, far from her thoughts is the idea that in it lies one destined in less than twenty-seven years to move a nation in religion and morality. Behold two little hazel eyes brightly gazing at her, whose glance now thrills vast assemblies of men; but she does not foresee this. Lovingly does she kiss her little ones lips, little thinking that the words that would pass from his mouth and Iips would hereafter fix the undivided attention of the multitudes upon them. She is quite unconscious of the fact that the lovely face she presses to her cheek will one day be charming men with the heavenly smile that flickers across it. Far from her mind is the thought that the fat little arms that now embrace her will be waving in Welsh and other pulpits, and that multitudes will follow their movements. No, she did not dream that the little feet and knees then too weak for walking would again be gliding from place to place to proclaim the eternal gospel; and walking though the chapels to persuade some to receive Christ; to comfort others in their sorrow, and to warn many of their perilous state. Be that as it may, in the birth of our subject there was born to the nation a wealth of moral possibilities to be used by the Spirit of God to do spiritual wonders yea, things incredible to any but spiritually-minded men. Let us once again look upon him when a babe. What is there in him? Everything that has developed and will develop in him. All the germs of his powers lay in him when first he saw the light of day. Whatever the grace of God has done and wilt do with his powers, all the possibilities of those powers were in him in his childhood. Wales today can sing ‘Precious treasure was found in Island House, Bwlchymynydd, June 8th, 1878. There is reason for saying that for ages long the day of the dawn of the Revival will be commemorated, but there is more reason why the birthday of Evan Roberts should be commemorated. It was this day that made his connection with the Revival possible. Heaven looked upon the day of His birth in Bethlehem of more importance than any other day in the life of Christ. This is shown, firstly, by the great joy that was there among the angelic hosts, who winged their flight for the first to the Judean fields to sing their carol — ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men,’ secondly, the day of the Incarnation made possible the death of the Cross. The Incarnation of Christ contains the possibility of the Atonement. All that Jesus did in His life arose from the possibility that was in Him as a babe in the manger. The same truth holds with regard to the works of Evan Roberts, they are all the outcome of the possibility that was in him in the cradle. Were a serious consideration given to the fact that children possess all their possibilities at birth, parents would be far more careful in dealing with these possibilities during the first years of their children’s life. The rule is that the entire course of their lives is determined by the treatment given to their possibilities and powers during these years. When the proper time came, our subject was baptised in Moriah Calvinistic Methodist Chapel, and was named Evan John. This was the name by which he was known by the people of the neighbourhood. By today the name John is scarcely heard; he is known simply as Evan Roberts. He does not any more wish to be called John, but only Evan Roberts. We heard him say at Hirwain that he had written it for the last time. In this too, as in other things, he desires to make use of as few words as possible. His name will go down to future ages as Evan Roberts, and not Evan John Roberts.

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