WHEN Harris was in the throes
of his great crisis, fighting against the temptation to Atheism, the thought
came to him sometimes that God must be a splendid Master, and that it would
be wonderful to serve Him--if he could but believe in Him. In spite of the
fact that the strong man armed had been cast out in May, he was not divested
of all his armour at once. But in December, in reading Pearson on the Creed,
the remaining roots of unbelief were completely removed from Harris's heart,
and he yielded himself and his members anew to the Almighty. By now he had
relinquished his school at Llangasty. He also gave up fasting as unprofitable;
he stopped praying from a book, and soon gave up reading, since he had no
longer any leisure.
"Now (December) a strong necessity was laid upon me, that
I could not rest, but must go to the utmost of my ability to exhort. I
could not meet or travel with anybody, rich or poor, young or old, without
speaking to them of religion and concerning their souls. Persuaded by
my neighbours, I went during the festive season from house to house in
our parish, and the parishes of Llan-gors and Llangasty, until persecution
became too hot. I was absolutely dark and ignorant with regard to the
reasons of religion; I was drawn onwards by the love I had experienced,
as a blind man is led, and therefore I could not take notice of anything
in my way. My food and drink was praising my God. A fire was kindled in
my soul and I was clothed with power and made altogether dead to all earthly
things. I could have spoken to the King were he within reach--such power
and authority did I feel in my soul over every spirit....
I lifted up my voice with authority, and fear and terror would be seen
on all faces. I went to the Talgarth fairs denouncing the swearers and
cursers without fear or favour. At first I knew nothing at all, but God
opened my mouth (full of ignorance), filling it with terrors and threatenings.
I was given a commission to break and rend sinners in the most dreadful
manner. I thundered greatly, denouncing the gentry, the carnal clergy,
and everybody. My subjects, mostly, were death and judgment, without any
mention of Christ. I had no order, and hardly any time to read, except
a few pages now and then, because of constant busyness and haste. But
when I came to the people matter enough was given to me, and I received
fluency of speech and great earnestness, although I was inclined by nature
to levity and frivolity."
His usual method was to commence by reading the Lord's Prayer, or the Creed,
or a chapter from The Whole Duty of Man, or some other book; and
then he would speak by way of exposition on what had been read, allowing
himself to be led with complete passivity under the extraordinary inspiration
which possessed him at that time. He began to speak hundreds of times without
having any idea as to what he was going to say. He would go on thus, pouring
out old things and new for two, three, or even four hours. Indeed, we have
instances of his services continuing without a break for six hours. Possibly
the meetings were briefer in this, his first campaign, but, according to
his own opinion, his ministry was never more powerful than it was then.
His highest praise for his most outstanding services at the peak of his
influence was to say that "the power of the first year has returned."
Many innocent people thought that all they heard came from a book, and he
made no attempt to correct this impression. He was very much afraid of undertaking
a work which he was not authorised to do, and so did all he could to avoid
the semblance of "preaching." Thus, for the first two years, his
practice was to go from place to place "reading." He did not make
much use of the Bible in those days. In spite of his reverence for it, for
a long time Satan worked in him a curious disinclination to use the Word
of God. Nevertheless, he often refers to certain scriptures, such as that
word in Jeremiah, "But I have made Esau bare, I have uncovered his
secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself." It would
be difficult to find a better description of his own ministry in the early
days, and indeed, to some extent, throughout his life, than what is expressed
in that verse.
The first gift he received was one of "similitudes and apt comparisons."
They were all very simple and easily understood by the dullest of his hearers.
Someone out on the open mountain having lost his way, and darkness overtaking
him. A house on fire with the door locked, and the family refusing to open
the door, etc. Such things spiritualised, flowing out scorching hot from
the speaker's heart, would leave a wonderful effect on the minds of many
of his hearers. He was very acceptable for some weeks. But as the novelty
wore away, and when he himself began to particularise, pouncing upon the
besetting sins of the age and the particular locality, some were disgusted
and others were terrified. Vicar Davies opposed him from the beginning,
and now he took advantage of his opportunity and sent him a nasty, imperious
letter commanding him to give up the work immediately and warning him that
he would lose the favour of his brother and others, together with every
hope of obtaining Holy Orders. At the same time a more friendly Justice
of the Peace advised him to beware of Puritanical zeal, and the people were
threatened that they would be fined £20 for admitting him to their houses.
It was in the face of such things that Harris's first public attack on the
ramparts of the enemy came to an end in February 1736, after lasting barely
three months.
He might have addressed his opposers in the words spoken to Eliab of old,
"What have I now done? Is there not a cause?" During these months
he wrote to his brother reproaching him with regard to his religious ideas.
He writes:
"I hope as to Religion you are not what you seem to be,
some expressions of yours return so upon me that when I am merriest they
make me serious.... I sincerely wish you would read more Divinity... .
Ye Scandalous character of ye Clergy can't invalidate their Doctrine,
Tho' some of them are contemptible Creatures, Religion must not suffer
for that. Christ's commands are as authentick now as when He was on Earth,
... I think there is a Spark within my Breast which fairly begins to kindle,
which if I shall be able to keep alive, must in its own Nature shew it
self in Time and I hope to ye publick good... . My being so long in ye
Country has given me an opportunity to make my observations on man from
ye highest to ye Lowest, and I have hardly met a man that rightly understands
what a soul is, much less its faculties: ye Rich are employ'd about their
diversion etc., ye Drunkard, Dancer or ye Huntsman is ye only Man of Repute."
It seems that much success attended his labours before the vicar's opposition
came into the open. In writing to Mrs. Parry he says:
"What gave me ye greatest Satisfaction was your non-opposition
of that Heavenly work I took in Hand which [showed] itself to all such
as were blind were it only ye success of it, and the interruption I met
in it by those in Authority, when I had Surmounted all the Reproach of
false [names] they Honoured me with, gave me great inward uneasiness,
and I desisted not out of fear of them, for that I had learnt long ago
to surmount, but least I should be said to resist Authority, or be supposed
to Commit a crime."
In a letter written to his brother, dated 29 March 1736, he says:
"God has done great Things for you and, if I could stoop
to be a Schoolboy Scholar again for a twelve-month, I see something in
myself much above my Birth. God imparts greatness often where 'tis least
expected and there 'tis the more conspicuous and greater glory redounds
to Him.... I have my share of sweets and bitters every day, but my Happiness
is within myself. Ye Private Joys of a Religious Life are rather Conceivable
than to be describ'd. That, with Content and ye Satisfaction I enjoy in
ye Society and favour of -- (Mrs. Parry?) makes me easy amidst many Waves
That beat upon me. Ye Reformation of so many People has drawn upon me
ye Envy of some mean, narrow thinking Parsons (tho' none that know me),
who endeavour to disturb my Peace as much as they can, and seem already
to dread ye Piety and True Christian Zeal of one who being not guilty
of their Practices may not be afraid to expose 'em in Time. If thereby
any good can be done.
N.B.--When I was stricken, about February, 1736, I thought I was dying,
and I could not but be joyful, longing for my dissolution."
It is not known whether this was a bout of sickness or something resulting
from persecution, but its effects lasted for some weeks. On 20 March 1736
he wrote to Mrs. Parry:
"When first I had incurred your Indignation at the discovery
of which I was not able to hide any Longer, I was fully resolved to give
you no further Room to be offended on that account, but such was ye yearning
that I felt I could not help sometimes to enjoy that happiness of seeing
you, which now I see ye folly of. My Desires were so Honourable and love
of such an uncommon nature that I own I make no Apologie for it, but to
the Contrary.... I write after having had some infallible signs of an
approaching Death and have order'd they should not be deliver'd till after
my Death and that by a Hand you can trust, tho' much I wish'd to see you,
but was afraid to raise confusion in you, and that I should part with
this world in your favour which next with God's I have always been most
desirous to retain."
Within a week he was restored to such an extent as to be able to visit Tay-y-llyn,
spending a day or two there most comfortably.
As it has been already suggested, he half-expected an appointment to a school
in Talgarth at this time. During his stay in the district the previous autumn,
Joseph Harris had visited a gentleman named Counsellor Williams, in whose
hands lay the chief control of the school. It seems that there was a disagreement
with regard to education in Talgarth at the time, and that one party was
withholding its subscriptions for some reason. As a result the schoolmaster
gave notice of his resignation, as he could not live on the reduced salary.
In order to keep the school going Counsellor Williams suggested to his visitor
that the place would well suit his brother-- that he would probably give
greater general satisfaction and gain monetary support from the disaffected
party. But the old schoolmaster was unwilling to leave when it came to the
point. Harris wrote to his brother:
"I told you in my Last ye particulars about my School
and I saw ye Councellor Since that. He seems resolv'd to turn ye Schoolmaster
away after a quarter's notice, but I don't know whether it be advisable
to come against ye Parson's approbation,... I should be glad to know if
possible,...that I may give an answer to ye Councellor, least he should
turn that man away in ye meantime and give ye School to another Master....I
am very much censur'd now for attempting (as they call it) to take away
ye poor Schoolmaster's Bread, and really it carries some guilt with it,
for twas not fair....I must see ye Councellor soon. He, I believe, would
do anything in his Power to my advantage as ye Vicar would to ye Contrary,
but still there is a Being that over rules all and in Him I repose my
present and future Tranquility."
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