CHAPTER 2 GROWING POWERFUL
Education at Carnarvon — Preaching at Bryndu — Removing to Anglesey
— Striking efifects of his preaching
John Elias felt very much at this time the want of education.
He saw the great importance of it in the career he had begun.
He desired especially to know the English language. There
were some Welsh people in Manchester who supported a cause ;
they sent to ask him to come there to school, and promised
to keep him while there. John Elias asked the friends in the
monthly meeting to give him permission to go. But they
refused, and reprimanded him severely for making such an
unreasonable demand, imputing his desire to pride and ambition. Shortly after, he asked them to let him go to the Rev.
Evan Richardson, who kept a school in Carnarvon. This
they granted, and he went there. He remained with Mr,
Richardson for some months, and this was all the schooling
which he received. But he was a thorough student, and he
made very good progress during the time he was there ; and
though he did not learn anything thoroughly, yet he was put
on the right way with many things. He carried on his studies
faithfully and perseveringly after leavings and he can be said to
have been a hard student to the end of his life. "But I am
learning still," he said, when he was sixty-seven years of age,
"and I see more the need of learning and education every day."
It was during the time he was with Mr. Richardson at Carnarvon, that he first went to Anglesey. There was a monthly meeting to be held soon at Bryndu, in Anglesey. In connection with these meetings they had preaching services, as is the case still through Wales. A man from Bryndu went to Carnarvon to ask Mr. Richardson to come there to preach. He said he was unable to come, but that he had a young student in the school that would preach very well. This, however, did not satisfy the man at all; he wanted Mr. Richardson himself to come. At last he said he would come if he could ; if he could not, he would send John Elias. The meeting came, and there was great expectation for Mr. Richardson. The chapel was full of people. Just at due time, who comes in but John Elias. He went up the steps of the pulpit slowly ; after entering it, he turned his face towards the wall and prayed for a moment or two. Then he sat down, and cast one solemn glance upon the congregation. He gave out a hymn to be sung. After that, he opened the Bible, pulled out his pocket handkerchief, and buried his face in it to pray. Then he commenced reading with a clear voice ; and he read the chapter with such new emphasis, and such clear utterance, that the people thought it was a new chapter, and not the one that they had heard read many a time before. After the reading, he prayed with great fervour and absorption of mind. He preached again till they all felt that a great and new light had dawned upon them. From his youthful appearance they felt doubtful at first whether they would allow him to preach ; but before the service was over he appeared unto them as a seraph come from heaven. Soon after, he preached in several other places in Anglesey, and the power of his preaching was felt to be intense wherever he went.
In the beginning of the year 1799, he removed from Carnarvonshire to Anglesey, and in February of that year he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Richard Broadhead. She lived at the time at Llanfechell, and kept a shop there. This became John Elias's home for many years. He was fortunate in the choice of a wife. She had a very high opinion of his work, and she was ready to sacrifice everything in order that he might apply himself altogether to the service of God. She would not have him disturbed on any account after ten in the morning and two in the afternoon. No one should be allowed to see him except in a case of sickness. Four children were born to them. It seems they were very happy in their family relations. Matters did not prosper well with them for the first years. Yet they trusted in the Lord, and John Elias bears his testimony, which may be added to thousands of others, that no one that trusted in the Lord was ever disappointed. The wife looked after the business, and John Elias had all his time to devote to his great work.
Eighty years ago the condition of things in Anglesey was very different from what it is now. A cloud of thick darkness and ignorance hung over the land. Many sins were prominent, especially the sin of fornication. Drunkenness was prevalent over the island. Those that inhabited the shores plundered the vessels that were wrecked ; and smuggling was carried on on a large scale ; and their Sabbath was a disgrace to the island. John Elias applied himself to his work with great zeal; and he was very successful in his efforts to combat these evils. He preached severely and violently against the sin of fornication; and especially against the corrupt habits of the time in the intercourse of the sexes before marriage. His words fell like burning brands upon sinners ; and the tide of sin was effectually checked in Anglesey.
At that time the Lord was as if He were punishing the iniquity of the land in the ways of His Providence. There were several bad harvests, one after the other. Food was dear. Some were becoming very poor and others very rich. John Elias seized the opportunity, and preached upon such words as Isa. Ivii. 17: "For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart."
Again, he was opposed by many; but his sermons nevertheless were doing much good to the country; for many of those who had the ability were induced to remember the poor. He preached also upon the ninth and the tenth chapter of Hosea. He was firm in his belief that these hard times had come upon the country as a punishment for the sins of the people. And he preached these doctrines with terrific force. He saw signs that God was about giving the nation up to its sins, unless they repented. He described the awful calamities that had come upon the nations of antiquity, because of their crimes; he called those great catastrophes the visitations and judgements of God. But after his terrible descriptions he always pointed out the great fact that still there was hope: "'Woe also to them, when I depart from them.' Has He abandoned our nation? No; He has not! But the glory of God has removed from the place where it was. It is not now on the mercy-seat, where it used to be; it is not in the sanctuary; not in the sermons, as it was in the days of Harris and Rowlands. I cannot tell you exactly on what spot the glory of God is now, whether on the threshold or in the middle of the city, or on the mountain side, or far away on the horizon, preparing to depart for ever. I can only say that it is not now in its place. But I venture to tell you, from the meaning of this little word when that it is not yet gone; and that it is still within the reach of the human voice, if you wish to cry out." And then in sobs and tears he cried, "Shall these hard-hearted people see Thee again return into Thy sanctuary &tc They shall, says God, if they repent for their sins."
This is an instance of the preaching with which he travelled the land in those early years.
It was during the time he was with Mr. Richardson at Carnarvon, that he first went to Anglesey. There was a monthly meeting to be held soon at Bryndu, in Anglesey. In connection with these meetings they had preaching services, as is the case still through Wales. A man from Bryndu went to Carnarvon to ask Mr. Richardson to come there to preach. He said he was unable to come, but that he had a young student in the school that would preach very well. This, however, did not satisfy the man at all; he wanted Mr. Richardson himself to come. At last he said he would come if he could ; if he could not, he would send John Elias. The meeting came, and there was great expectation for Mr. Richardson. The chapel was full of people. Just at due time, who comes in but John Elias. He went up the steps of the pulpit slowly ; after entering it, he turned his face towards the wall and prayed for a moment or two. Then he sat down, and cast one solemn glance upon the congregation. He gave out a hymn to be sung. After that, he opened the Bible, pulled out his pocket handkerchief, and buried his face in it to pray. Then he commenced reading with a clear voice ; and he read the chapter with such new emphasis, and such clear utterance, that the people thought it was a new chapter, and not the one that they had heard read many a time before. After the reading, he prayed with great fervour and absorption of mind. He preached again till they all felt that a great and new light had dawned upon them. From his youthful appearance they felt doubtful at first whether they would allow him to preach ; but before the service was over he appeared unto them as a seraph come from heaven. Soon after, he preached in several other places in Anglesey, and the power of his preaching was felt to be intense wherever he went.
In the beginning of the year 1799, he removed from Carnarvonshire to Anglesey, and in February of that year he was married to Elizabeth, daughter of Mr. Richard Broadhead. She lived at the time at Llanfechell, and kept a shop there. This became John Elias's home for many years. He was fortunate in the choice of a wife. She had a very high opinion of his work, and she was ready to sacrifice everything in order that he might apply himself altogether to the service of God. She would not have him disturbed on any account after ten in the morning and two in the afternoon. No one should be allowed to see him except in a case of sickness. Four children were born to them. It seems they were very happy in their family relations. Matters did not prosper well with them for the first years. Yet they trusted in the Lord, and John Elias bears his testimony, which may be added to thousands of others, that no one that trusted in the Lord was ever disappointed. The wife looked after the business, and John Elias had all his time to devote to his great work.
Eighty years ago the condition of things in Anglesey was very different from what it is now. A cloud of thick darkness and ignorance hung over the land. Many sins were prominent, especially the sin of fornication. Drunkenness was prevalent over the island. Those that inhabited the shores plundered the vessels that were wrecked ; and smuggling was carried on on a large scale ; and their Sabbath was a disgrace to the island. John Elias applied himself to his work with great zeal; and he was very successful in his efforts to combat these evils. He preached severely and violently against the sin of fornication; and especially against the corrupt habits of the time in the intercourse of the sexes before marriage. His words fell like burning brands upon sinners ; and the tide of sin was effectually checked in Anglesey.
At that time the Lord was as if He were punishing the iniquity of the land in the ways of His Providence. There were several bad harvests, one after the other. Food was dear. Some were becoming very poor and others very rich. John Elias seized the opportunity, and preached upon such words as Isa. Ivii. 17: "For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid Me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart."
Again, he was opposed by many; but his sermons nevertheless were doing much good to the country; for many of those who had the ability were induced to remember the poor. He preached also upon the ninth and the tenth chapter of Hosea. He was firm in his belief that these hard times had come upon the country as a punishment for the sins of the people. And he preached these doctrines with terrific force. He saw signs that God was about giving the nation up to its sins, unless they repented. He described the awful calamities that had come upon the nations of antiquity, because of their crimes; he called those great catastrophes the visitations and judgements of God. But after his terrible descriptions he always pointed out the great fact that still there was hope: "'Woe also to them, when I depart from them.' Has He abandoned our nation? No; He has not! But the glory of God has removed from the place where it was. It is not now on the mercy-seat, where it used to be; it is not in the sanctuary; not in the sermons, as it was in the days of Harris and Rowlands. I cannot tell you exactly on what spot the glory of God is now, whether on the threshold or in the middle of the city, or on the mountain side, or far away on the horizon, preparing to depart for ever. I can only say that it is not now in its place. But I venture to tell you, from the meaning of this little word when that it is not yet gone; and that it is still within the reach of the human voice, if you wish to cry out." And then in sobs and tears he cried, "Shall these hard-hearted people see Thee again return into Thy sanctuary &tc They shall, says God, if they repent for their sins."
This is an instance of the preaching with which he travelled the land in those early years.
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