This is from Owen Jones' Some Great Welsh Preachers
Early years — Religious impressions — Going to Bala Association — Preaching — First efforts.
Early years — Religious impressions — Going to Bala Association — Preaching — First efforts.
He was born at Brynllwyn bach, in the parish of Abererch,
near Pwllheli, Carnarvonshire, on March 6, 1774. His
parents were not very religious, but his grandfather was. He
took to the boy very much. He taught him when young
not to use bad words, and always to tell the truth, and
not to follow bad boys. He taught him also how to read, so
that he could read the Welsh language when four or five
years old ; and before he was six he could read the Bible well.
At this time even he felt deep religious impressions. He was
afraid of God ; great terrors came over him in the night, and
he often dreamt of the Judgement Day. He would never play
on Sunday. One time when he was persuaded to do so, he
was unable to say his prayers before going to bed that night,
and in the darkness, he felt keenly the piercing pangs of guilt.
He once heard a lad swearing. This was a new thing to his
ears. He thought the boy was clever in the use of such
words, and felt inclined to follow his example. He retired
into a lonely spot, into the middle of a field, and tried the
experiment and succeeded. But that instant he was seized
with such terror that he was afraid the earth would open and
swallow him up to destruction. His grandfather on Sundays
15
2^6 John Elias.
took him to the parish church in the morning, and after
the service was over there he went with him to hear the
Calvinistic Methodist preachers. It was a source of great
grief to his grandfather to see the people wandering about on
the Sunday, going nowhere and doing nothing ; and when he •
met a number of them together, he would often ask John
Elias to read them a chapter of the Bible. On one occasion,
when the preacher was long in coming, the old man actually
induced the boy to go into the pulpit and read a chapter to
the congregation. Time passed ', his years told upon the old
grandfather, and he became too weak to go into the meetings
any more. Still, the habit clung to the boy. He would often
walk ten miles to hear the first sermon on Sunday morning, and
many miles more to hear the second and third. He was not
a member of any church as yet, but he had a longing desire
to hear the Gospel from the mouths of the old preachers.
And some years passed away before he became a member.
He felt himself altogether unworthy to enjoy such a privilege.
He was afraid that he had not obtained thorough conviction,
and that he could not be a good follower of Jesus Christ.
After the service was over on Sunday night, it was the custom
to hold a church meeting. But John Elias would often go
out into the fields after the sermon to pray.
It was usual at this time for people to go from the different parts of North Wales to the Bala Association. On the Green, in the open air, the old preachers preached to the thousands around them, and the effects were often great. An Association was coming, and there was a party going into it over the mountains from Pwllheli. This was in 1792. John Elias asked permission to accompany them. It was readily granted. They assembled together at the place appointed. Amongst them was a great number of young men and young women from all parts of the country around Pwllheli. They started together for Bala. They talked of the great truths of the Bible, of the sermons they had heard, and of the experiences which they had enjoyed. At other times they sang a hymn or psalm ; and when they rested on the way one or two of the party would engage in prayer. John Elias said that during the whole of this journey he did not observe the slightest frivolity in any of the party; but, on the contrary, they were all impressed with the great fact that they were going to the Association at Bala, where they expected to have happy meetings, and to enjoy the presence of God. After arriving at Bala, they were delighted with the services, for the preaching was with great light and power. When all was over they started home again, talking on the way of what they had seen and heard. The effect of all this upon John Elias was to deepen his religious impressions, and to induce him to cast his lot with this people for ever. About this time, while walking towards Pwllheli, a great light dawned in his mind upon those words in 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, "the ministry of reconciliation." He saw such glory in the plan of God to reconcile a lost world unto Himself, " not imputing their trespasses unto them," that this doctrine of imputation was ever afterwards of great value in his sight. He felt an inclination to preach, though he had not yet joined the Church of God. It was while listening to a sermon of Robert Roberts, Clynnog, that John Elias was converted. The terrors of law and con- science came upon him. But as Robert Roberts went on, he said, "There is sufficient virtue in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse away all the guilt of sin!" This came with the light of the Spirit of God into the mind of the young man ; and with the strong emotions that came to his breast he broke out and said, "Thanks be to God! Blessed be His name for the blood of Christ! " He thought it would be of great help to him if he could get into a religious family anywhere. He heard that a preacher of the name of Griffith Jones, who was also carrying on the business of weaving, kept a man to help him. And as he knew something about the work of a weaver he made up his mind to go to Penmorfa, where G. Jones lived, to ask him to take him in. He went, and was admitted. Here he felt happy ; the only source of grief was that he was not yet a professor. A preacher one day came to preach into the house of Griffith Jones, and the neighbours came there to hear him. After the sermon was over Griffith Jones told John Elias to go with the servant to turn the hay while they held a church meeting. John Elias obeyed with a bleeding heart. He went to the field, but could not turn the hay. He did nothing but cry and roll himself with grief on the ground. In an hour or two the master came unto them, and, seeing no work done, he complained. John Elias replied, "When you told me to leave and to go and work in the field those words of the Bible came into my mind with great force : ' And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage ; and the door was shut' And I felt that to-day you did this very thing with me : you shut the door upon me and I was left out. However, soon after this, when the old man told him that he was going to Hendre Howel to a church meeting, John Elias followed, and became a member." He was then a little over nineteen years of age. After he had joined the society, Mr. G. Jones asked him to engage in prayer at the family altar, and when he discovered the light and fervour with which he performed that duty, he asked him to do it alternately with himself. In a short time they desired him to take the lead in prayer in one of the church meetings ; and then they asked him to do the same thing in a public prayer meeting. In each instance he complied, and in each the unction from the Holy One was upon him, and grace was poured into his lips. That first prayer-meeting was marked as a wonderful one, and was the talk of the neighbourhood for a long while. The people resolved to hold two or three such meetings every week, and they invited John Elias to each of them.
His love towards Christ and his fellow men increased so rapidly that he could not restrain himself from speaking of Christ to the family, to his relations, his neighbours, and all the people on every occasion, especially when returning from the services. He often spoke to the people that accompanied him until their hearts burned within them. Simultaneously, it came to the minds of many that this young man would make a preacher. His friends encouraged and advised him to exhort a little, and this he commenced doing ; he under- took this duty cautiously, gradually, and almost imperceptibly, so that he could not say exactly when he commenced preaching. They wanted him also to commence the services for the preachers that came there from time to time, and when the preacher had disappointed, they asked John Elias to say a few words. Thus he commenced the great work of preaching the Gospel ; and the word went abroad that he was beginning to preach. There was an old preacher at Llanllyfni of the name of William Dafydd {dd sounded like th in with). He took John Elias with him around the country to commence the services in the places he preached in. He had a very high opinion of the young man. " Brethren," he said, "when I am in the dust this young lad will be a great man." At Christmas, 1794, John Elias was received as a preacher in a monthly (Presbytery) meeting that was held at Eryn-yr-odyn, near Carnarvon. The event made a deep impression upon his mind ; he was only a little over twenty years old; but though young, he looked upon, the work he had undertaken with the greatest gravity and solemnity. They invited him to preach in the small places around; his fame spread abroad, and invitations came from the distant parts of the country. After he had preached a few times, the rumour travelled the country that a great preacher was rising. A sufficient proof of the nature of those services is the fact that the people in returning from them wore a solemn and sober aspect, and were unable to be light and frivolous as usual. Some who had heard Howel Harris when he preached in Carnarvonshire, said that a second Howel Harris had come ; and others said he was greater than Howel Harris. As he was so young, and as his preaching was so wonderful, people everywhere felt a curiosity to hear him. But the reception he had was not everywhere favourable ; there were not a few that were prejudiced against him because of his youth, his peculiar manner, and other things. Some of the old preachers were opposed to him. One time he had gone to Bala to preach, but after arriving there, he found that the Rev. John Roberts, Llangwm, was there before him j and the old man became very surly, and John Elias had to leave Bala that Sunday without doing much. The fol- 230 John Elias. lowing Monday, however, he was to preach in some small chapel near Bala. He started towards the place much disheartened by the treatment he had received. But, as it happened, Mr. Roberts followed him, and came into the meeting without his knowing. John Elias prayed for help from heaven with the great work he had undertaken, and that he should not be left in any way to his own wisdom ; and he preached effectively. The old man was overcome ; he was fully convinced that God was with the young preacher ; and he returned to his home, at that time in Carnarvonshire, and told the friends that were prejudiced against John Elias how they were mistaken with regard to him. At another time he was to preach at Bryn-yr-odyn, Carnarvonshire, but John Jones, of Edeyrn, was there before him, and he and some other friends were sitting together in the chapel-house awaiting the time of the meeting. John Elias came in, after having travelled for a long distance over a difficult road through the rain. John Jones frowned upon him, and the other friends followed his example ; and they did not even ask him to sit down after his long journey. However, he was not much daunted by their conduct; he pulled off his wet coat, and said he would go and commence the service. He went, and soon the old preacher followed, and took his seat behind him in the pulpit. While the young man was praying, he did his best to interrupt him in various ways. He coughed, and rolled himself backwards and forwards, and moved his feet to and fro on the floor. But John Elias went on, quite unconscious of what John Jones was doing, and he prayed with wonderful effect upon the people, and preached till they all felt that God was in the place. After he had finished the old man commenced, but he could not get on at all that evening, though a man of extraordinary power, and he soon gave up the attempt. By this he was ashamed of himself; he asked John Elias to forgive him, and ever afterwards they were the best of friends. The Rev. Ebenezer Morris heard of his fame ; and he persuaded him to come on a preaching tour through South Wales. Mr. Morris testified, after hearing him preach on this occasion, that he never saw during his experience such effects following the preaching of any man. He was only twenty years old when he came to the Montgomeryshire Association, which was held at Llanfaircaereinion. He commenced one of the meetings by reading and prayer. (Rev Humphrey) Gwalchmai, who was then but a boy, tells us that he recollects well the sober and serious appearance of the young man, and his anxious prayer for the blessing of God upon the Association. All the people around were in tears, and they trembled as if suddenly called into the presence of God. And the talk, after the Association, was not the sermons, but the prayer of the young man from Carnarvonshire.
It was usual at this time for people to go from the different parts of North Wales to the Bala Association. On the Green, in the open air, the old preachers preached to the thousands around them, and the effects were often great. An Association was coming, and there was a party going into it over the mountains from Pwllheli. This was in 1792. John Elias asked permission to accompany them. It was readily granted. They assembled together at the place appointed. Amongst them was a great number of young men and young women from all parts of the country around Pwllheli. They started together for Bala. They talked of the great truths of the Bible, of the sermons they had heard, and of the experiences which they had enjoyed. At other times they sang a hymn or psalm ; and when they rested on the way one or two of the party would engage in prayer. John Elias said that during the whole of this journey he did not observe the slightest frivolity in any of the party; but, on the contrary, they were all impressed with the great fact that they were going to the Association at Bala, where they expected to have happy meetings, and to enjoy the presence of God. After arriving at Bala, they were delighted with the services, for the preaching was with great light and power. When all was over they started home again, talking on the way of what they had seen and heard. The effect of all this upon John Elias was to deepen his religious impressions, and to induce him to cast his lot with this people for ever. About this time, while walking towards Pwllheli, a great light dawned in his mind upon those words in 2 Cor. v. 18, 19, "the ministry of reconciliation." He saw such glory in the plan of God to reconcile a lost world unto Himself, " not imputing their trespasses unto them," that this doctrine of imputation was ever afterwards of great value in his sight. He felt an inclination to preach, though he had not yet joined the Church of God. It was while listening to a sermon of Robert Roberts, Clynnog, that John Elias was converted. The terrors of law and con- science came upon him. But as Robert Roberts went on, he said, "There is sufficient virtue in the blood of Jesus Christ to cleanse away all the guilt of sin!" This came with the light of the Spirit of God into the mind of the young man ; and with the strong emotions that came to his breast he broke out and said, "Thanks be to God! Blessed be His name for the blood of Christ! " He thought it would be of great help to him if he could get into a religious family anywhere. He heard that a preacher of the name of Griffith Jones, who was also carrying on the business of weaving, kept a man to help him. And as he knew something about the work of a weaver he made up his mind to go to Penmorfa, where G. Jones lived, to ask him to take him in. He went, and was admitted. Here he felt happy ; the only source of grief was that he was not yet a professor. A preacher one day came to preach into the house of Griffith Jones, and the neighbours came there to hear him. After the sermon was over Griffith Jones told John Elias to go with the servant to turn the hay while they held a church meeting. John Elias obeyed with a bleeding heart. He went to the field, but could not turn the hay. He did nothing but cry and roll himself with grief on the ground. In an hour or two the master came unto them, and, seeing no work done, he complained. John Elias replied, "When you told me to leave and to go and work in the field those words of the Bible came into my mind with great force : ' And they that were ready went in with him to the marriage ; and the door was shut' And I felt that to-day you did this very thing with me : you shut the door upon me and I was left out. However, soon after this, when the old man told him that he was going to Hendre Howel to a church meeting, John Elias followed, and became a member." He was then a little over nineteen years of age. After he had joined the society, Mr. G. Jones asked him to engage in prayer at the family altar, and when he discovered the light and fervour with which he performed that duty, he asked him to do it alternately with himself. In a short time they desired him to take the lead in prayer in one of the church meetings ; and then they asked him to do the same thing in a public prayer meeting. In each instance he complied, and in each the unction from the Holy One was upon him, and grace was poured into his lips. That first prayer-meeting was marked as a wonderful one, and was the talk of the neighbourhood for a long while. The people resolved to hold two or three such meetings every week, and they invited John Elias to each of them.
His love towards Christ and his fellow men increased so rapidly that he could not restrain himself from speaking of Christ to the family, to his relations, his neighbours, and all the people on every occasion, especially when returning from the services. He often spoke to the people that accompanied him until their hearts burned within them. Simultaneously, it came to the minds of many that this young man would make a preacher. His friends encouraged and advised him to exhort a little, and this he commenced doing ; he under- took this duty cautiously, gradually, and almost imperceptibly, so that he could not say exactly when he commenced preaching. They wanted him also to commence the services for the preachers that came there from time to time, and when the preacher had disappointed, they asked John Elias to say a few words. Thus he commenced the great work of preaching the Gospel ; and the word went abroad that he was beginning to preach. There was an old preacher at Llanllyfni of the name of William Dafydd {dd sounded like th in with). He took John Elias with him around the country to commence the services in the places he preached in. He had a very high opinion of the young man. " Brethren," he said, "when I am in the dust this young lad will be a great man." At Christmas, 1794, John Elias was received as a preacher in a monthly (Presbytery) meeting that was held at Eryn-yr-odyn, near Carnarvon. The event made a deep impression upon his mind ; he was only a little over twenty years old; but though young, he looked upon, the work he had undertaken with the greatest gravity and solemnity. They invited him to preach in the small places around; his fame spread abroad, and invitations came from the distant parts of the country. After he had preached a few times, the rumour travelled the country that a great preacher was rising. A sufficient proof of the nature of those services is the fact that the people in returning from them wore a solemn and sober aspect, and were unable to be light and frivolous as usual. Some who had heard Howel Harris when he preached in Carnarvonshire, said that a second Howel Harris had come ; and others said he was greater than Howel Harris. As he was so young, and as his preaching was so wonderful, people everywhere felt a curiosity to hear him. But the reception he had was not everywhere favourable ; there were not a few that were prejudiced against him because of his youth, his peculiar manner, and other things. Some of the old preachers were opposed to him. One time he had gone to Bala to preach, but after arriving there, he found that the Rev. John Roberts, Llangwm, was there before him j and the old man became very surly, and John Elias had to leave Bala that Sunday without doing much. The fol- 230 John Elias. lowing Monday, however, he was to preach in some small chapel near Bala. He started towards the place much disheartened by the treatment he had received. But, as it happened, Mr. Roberts followed him, and came into the meeting without his knowing. John Elias prayed for help from heaven with the great work he had undertaken, and that he should not be left in any way to his own wisdom ; and he preached effectively. The old man was overcome ; he was fully convinced that God was with the young preacher ; and he returned to his home, at that time in Carnarvonshire, and told the friends that were prejudiced against John Elias how they were mistaken with regard to him. At another time he was to preach at Bryn-yr-odyn, Carnarvonshire, but John Jones, of Edeyrn, was there before him, and he and some other friends were sitting together in the chapel-house awaiting the time of the meeting. John Elias came in, after having travelled for a long distance over a difficult road through the rain. John Jones frowned upon him, and the other friends followed his example ; and they did not even ask him to sit down after his long journey. However, he was not much daunted by their conduct; he pulled off his wet coat, and said he would go and commence the service. He went, and soon the old preacher followed, and took his seat behind him in the pulpit. While the young man was praying, he did his best to interrupt him in various ways. He coughed, and rolled himself backwards and forwards, and moved his feet to and fro on the floor. But John Elias went on, quite unconscious of what John Jones was doing, and he prayed with wonderful effect upon the people, and preached till they all felt that God was in the place. After he had finished the old man commenced, but he could not get on at all that evening, though a man of extraordinary power, and he soon gave up the attempt. By this he was ashamed of himself; he asked John Elias to forgive him, and ever afterwards they were the best of friends. The Rev. Ebenezer Morris heard of his fame ; and he persuaded him to come on a preaching tour through South Wales. Mr. Morris testified, after hearing him preach on this occasion, that he never saw during his experience such effects following the preaching of any man. He was only twenty years old when he came to the Montgomeryshire Association, which was held at Llanfaircaereinion. He commenced one of the meetings by reading and prayer. (Rev Humphrey) Gwalchmai, who was then but a boy, tells us that he recollects well the sober and serious appearance of the young man, and his anxious prayer for the blessing of God upon the Association. All the people around were in tears, and they trembled as if suddenly called into the presence of God. And the talk, after the Association, was not the sermons, but the prayer of the young man from Carnarvonshire.
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