A chapter each has been given to the relation between Evan Roberts and the school, his relation to his new environment, and the history of how he was filled with the Holy Spirit. This chapter will contain an account of his movements in other connections, and his correspondence during the weeks he spent at Newcastle-Emlyn.
It will be remembered that on September the Bth he went to the Grammar School, and on the 18th he received the following letter from the Secretary of the Calvinistic Methodist Education Committee of West Glamorgan —
Llety,
Neath,
September 17th, 1904
West Glamorgan Education Committee
DEAR MR. ROBERTS,
According to instructions from the Secretary of the Education Board, I have convened the above Committee to meet at Bethel, Briton Ferry, on Wednesday next, the 21st inst., in connection with the Monthly Meeting, in order to confer with the successful candidates at the August Examination in respect to their future course I trust, therefore, that you will not fail to be present.
With heartiest congratulations on your success and position at the Examination, and with best wishes,
Yours very sincerely,
B.T. JONES.
Hon. Sec.
Mr. E. J. Roberts
It was a great temptation for him to attend the Committee, as he would be passing his home in going to Briton Ferry. But instead of that he answered in a gentlemanly way thus:
Mr. JONES,
Dear Sir,
It appears to me that the Secretary of the Education Board is under the impression that I am staying at Loughor, being that you directed the letter there. I do not know whether I am expected to come up from Newcastle Emlyn to appear before the Committee at Briton Ferry. Had I been staying at Loughor, I should be pleased to do that. But being that I am staying here in school, and trying to prepare according to the requirements of the Education Board, it seems wise to inform in you by letter, being that time and money will be saved. I spoke to the Rev. Evan Phillips, Emlyn, and the Rev. R. J. Evans, Skewen, and they advised me to inform you so.
Hoping that this will satisfy you,
I am,
Yours truly,
E. J. ROBERTS
We can infer from this letter that he was bent on doing the best of his time with the school subjects.
The Secretary was kind enough to answer his letter, on behalf of the Committee, to inform him that his explanation was satisfactory.
Llety,
Neath,
September 29th, 1904.
West Glamorgan Education Committee
Dear Mr. ROBERTS,
Your letter explaining your absence from the Committee on the 21st. instant was considered by the said Committee, and was deemed satisfactory, seeing that you had lost no time in entering one of the schools recommended by the Monthly Meeting.
I have received some of the enclosed from the Education Board, with the request that one be forwarded to each Candidate within our Monthly Meeting.
The Committee wishes me to write you expressing their best wishes on your behalf.
With kind regards,
Yours faithfully,
B. T. Jones.
Mr. E. J. Roberts
Sunday evening, September 18th, he preached at Twrgwyn, but the people there were not much impressed, only by his prayer in introducing the service.
On September 20th, he received the following letter from Dan, his brother, and had it not been that he determined to cling to the school work, the letter would have induced him to attend the Education Committee in order to see them at home. —
Island House,
Loughor,
Sept. 19, ’04
My DEAR BROTHER,
Your post-card to hand safely Wednesday last, and we were glad to hear from you and Iearn that you were in good health, had a very good lodgings, and that you are making yourself at home. It is felt very strange here without you. Granny felt grieved by thinking that you were going away and she would not see you in the seat with the violin. Many ask if we have heard from you, and how you like the place. Henry Evans has gone to the hospital since week today.
We had a very good meeting at Pisgah last Monday night. Rhys Davies preached on the text — Luke IX. 23, and Mr. Evans preached from 2 Kings VII. 1, 2.
The young peoples meeting commenced successfully Sunday morning. There were 15 present. Those who took part in it were D. J. Lewis, John Thomas, Kymni; Tommy John. Pen Steps, Luther Owen Davies, and myself, and Thomas Thomas and David Davies said a word, and David Rees gave a hymn out to sing to close.
Mr. Jones preached yesterday morning on Acts I. 12 — 14. The points. —
(1) The way to the prayer meeting.
(2) The place where the prayer meeting was held.
(3) Those who were present.
He preached Sunday evening on Titus II. 14 The points —
(1) The characteristics of Christ’s death.
(2) The object of Christ’s death.
Mr. Jones is going to hold a Bible class after Monday evening prayer meetings, the children’s service before the Church meeting, and the Band of Hope is to be on Wednesday night.
A post-card has come from Smith & Son, Bookstall, Swansea, stating that the Red letter testement is out of print. They intend sending one in a few days.
Our warmest regards to you both.
I shall close now, wishing you God speed.
Your Brother,
DAN.
This letter reveals the dominating inclination of the family. Religious topics were their topics before the revival, and Dan’s notes show that he took deep interest in all the services. Respect for religion and the ministers of the Gospel is evident in the contents of the letter. The reference to the Red Letter Testament is interesting when we remember the significance of Christ’s blood in Evan Roberts’s preaching. One of the superior aspects of the family is their elevated taste in their correspondence, and the absence of all disrespectful remarks about
other people.
We shall now treat on the day after Evan Roberts was filled with the Holy Spirit at Blaenanerch, that is, Friday, September 30th, 1904. The previous day determined his fate in relation to the school work. Yet he was not ready to go home. As was suggested in the paragraph on the Effects of the filling with the Spirit, there was a great change in him. The lines given below, composed by him after the Blaenanerch Convention, fairly represent the change.
My heart was ever like a stone,
My tongue still as the grave;
But from another world there shone
A light thy soul to save
Now, I am singing all day long
The praises of His blood;
No other theme awakes my song
Like Calvary’s crimson flood.
I felt the pressure of His hand
Bending my sinful heart,
Henceforth, no power can command
My soul from Him to part.
The topic that engaged his mind this day was — how to go through the whole of Wales to offer Christ to sinners? With that intent he drew out a scheme, and on a paper among his manuscripts I found an outline of the plan, which contained three parts — (1) The probable ones to go on the mission. (2) to where, and when to go. (3) the question of costs.
He intended for ten to go on the mission, and nine of the names of the probable ones are given below, as they are on the paper. —
Maud Davies,
Elsie Phillips,
Mary C. Jones,
Miss. Davies,
Mrs. Davies, Mona, New Quay,
Florrie Evans,
Mrs. Evans, New Quay,
Sydney Evans,
Evan Roberts,
It should be noted that all these have been workers with the Revival, and some of them, such as Maud Davies, Florrie Evans, and Sydney Evans, have taken a very prominent part in the movement.
After their names the second part of the plan comes, involving these questions written in shorthand. —
Who shall go?
Where shall we go?
When shall we go?
He and Sydney Evans placed these questions on the two small Bibles they had in their bedroom, intensely expecting an answer to them. Thus Evan Roberts says on this point. — These were put on our two small Bibles in the bedroom, in the Lord’s presence. For some time we could not enter to see if there was an answer, because we feared entering the room. After having been to Blaenanerch the room had become a holy of holies unto us. Who was to go in first to look at the papers. Both of us were filled with awe at the thought. However, I had strength to look; but there was nothing on the paper. Immediately the Spirit told me — You have not a sufficient number of questions. You should have asked — shall we go. I saw at once that we had taken the whole thing into our hands, because, ‘shall we go?’ should have been the first question. This was an awful time in the history of that Friday. Sydney Evans’ fear was too great to go inside the door of the bedroom until Evan Roberts had looked at the papers. This proves that they were both serious, and that their souls were on fire for the work of saving sinners.
The next thing on the plan is the third part alluded to, namely, the scheme as to costs. Roberts intended to defray all the expenses himself, and thus he formulated this section of the scheme. He put 2s. a day for each of the ten; and found that that amounted to 140s. per week, and for 28 weeks would reach £200. He proceeds no further with the calculation. Why? because only, £200 he had in the bank. The fact that he had become willing to part with all he had earned through hard work, for the cause of Jesus, verifies his statement at Blaenanerch, that he had all on the altar.
Meditating over this plan, reading the Bible, praying and writing the letter inserted below, engaged his mind all this day. Joy fills his heart when he reflects on it, and he feels that it was one of the most important days of his life. His sister was a pupil teacher, and, therefore, he gives her the history of the school, but in the heat of his feelings he cannot but refer twice to the Blaenanerch Convention.
Ty Llwyd,
Newcastle-Emlyn,
Sept. 30th, 1904.
DEAR MARY, — I suppose that by now you are anxiously a waiting for a letter from me. I thought of writing sooner, but it has been very busy here — School work, and the meetings conducted by Mr. Seth Joshua, Cardiff. We have been for two days at Blaenanerch at a Convention. We had very enthusiastic meetings. Blaenanerch lies about 8 miles from Newcastle-Emlyn. We started yesterday morning at six a.m. It was a very fine drive through lovely scenery. As we climbed the hills we could see the mist in the valley as if it were a sea. And at one particular place it seemed as if you stood at Pem Beily and Iooked down towards Penclawdd. The air is very thin here, and it is also so pure, because there are so many hundreds of trees in the neighbourhood, and, therefore, it abounds with oxygen. I suppose you would have a word with regard to School work. We have started with (1) Latin, (2) Greek, (3) History, (4) Welsh Grammar, (5) English Grammar, (6) Mathematics.
We have Nos. 1. and 2 every morning, No. 3 twice a week. We have gone through four reigns (l) Henry VII; (2) Henry Vl; (3) Edward VI.; (4) Mary, and next time ‘Good Queen Bess’. I have bought Gills History of England. It is so concise, and it is also the book used in the class.
Welsh: We have this subject twice a week.
English Grammar: Every morning.
Mathematics: In the afternoons.
Hours: Morning — 9. 30 to 12 a. m.
Afternoon — 1. 30 to 4 p. m.
Both of us are in excellent health, and Sydney Evans wishes to be remembered to you most affectionately. He preached at Solfach last Sunday, about forty miles from here. I have been preaching also one Sunday evening since I am here at Twrgwyn.
We have very kind folk at our lodgings. We pay 3s 6d. for lodgings, washing and potatoes included. They also give freely of their own substance. It is a very clean place.
Samuel Williams (Mr. Jones nephew) has returned again to this School.
I know not what else I have to say, but I should like to know how things turn out at Gowerton.
I said at the commencement that we had ‘enthusiastic meetings’ at Blaenanerch, but I am afraid the term is too mild. I should say that they were marvellous, because the Holy Spirit was there, working wonderfully. Last Thursday’s meeting was the most awful and pleasant day of my life. The young women of New Quay were there — about 30 in number. And, oh! I should like if such a spirit should fall on the young women of Loughor. Then they would not and could not speak lightly in Church, and all their frivolities would be swept away. Will you not, Mary, pray for such a spirit. Some of these young women have been reckless characters. Reading novels, flirting; never reading their Bibles. But now what a wonderful change. In truth, this is a divine miracle!
In concluding, I wish you such a Spirit,
From your
BROTHER EVAN
Kind regards to all faithful enquirers.
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