I. CAMBUSLANG.
THE title of these articles is taken from Rev. James Robe’s description of the great work of the Lord’s right hand at Cambuslang in the 18th century two hundred years ago when the Spirit of God wrought so mightily in that place, Kilsyth and the adjacent districts. The Rev. Wm. MacCulloch, was the minister of Cambuslang, and in the Narrative of the Revival of Religion at Cambuslang, in a letter to a Friend it is stated that in his ordinary course of sermons for nearly a year he had been preaching on the nature and necessity of regeneration as set forth in Scripture. Some months before there was any indication of the great awakening that was to take place he noticed “a more than ordinary concern about religion” among the people. About the end of January, 1742, a petition was presented to the minister subscribed by about ninety heads of families desiring a weekly lecture. This request was readily granted and Thursday was set apart as the most suitable day. Other prayer meetings followed on other days. As already noted week-day sermons were preached on the Thursdays in accordance with the foregoing request. But though several persons came to the minister under deep concern it was not until 18th February, 1742, that a real awakening among the hearers was manifest. About fifty persons came to speak to the minister in great distress. After this numbers resorted to the preaching and so great was the desire for hearing the Word that Mr. MacCulloch had daily services. The Word blessed by the Spirit had extraordinary effect. It was reckoned that 300 had come under the power of the truth. The after lives of most of these showed it was a real work of grace by the fruits borne in their lives. The effects in the parish were seen as shown in the reformation of the lives of those who were formerly notorious sinners; cursing and swearing, drinking to excess were abandoned; a spirit of forgiveness was manifested and the people showed affectionate regard to their ministers and became more attentive on the means of grace. Prayer meetings were set up in different parts of the parish both by old and young. Great love for the Scriptures and earnest thirsting for the preached Word accompanied by a spirit of docility and tractableness in receiving instruction were some
of the fruits that manifested themselves. One naturally asks what kind of preaching brought about these wonderful effects under the blessing of the Spirit? The Narrative which is confirmed by Mr. MacCulloch gives us the answer. “This work,” it says, “has been begun and carried on under the influence of the great and substantial doctrines of Christianity, pressing jointly the ‘necessity of repentance towards God, of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and of holiness in all manner of conversation.'”
“Great pains were taken,” it further says, “to discountenance hypocritical pretences, and to warn people against what might have the appearance of enthusiasm or delusion.” The experiences of the converts were tested by the standard by which all experience must be tested and by which it must stand or fall, viz. the Word of God. The Narrative already referred to concludes in the following words: “I leave it to you to judge how far such facts make it evident that this work is from God, when, to use the words of a pious divine treating of a subject of the same nature, ‘He that was formerly a drunkard lives a sober life, when a vain, light, and wanton person becomes grave and sedate, when the blasphemer becomes a praiser of God, when carnal joy is turned into heaviness, and professedly on account of their souls’ condition; when the ignorant are filled with knowledge of divine things, and the tongue that was dumb in the things of God speaks the language of Canaan, when secure sinners have been roused with a witness about the state of their souls (Luke, xi. 21, 22), those who were ignorant can speak skilfully about religious things, and even the graceless are increased in knowledge, swearers drop their oaths and speak reverently of God: vain persons who minded no religion, but frequented taverns and frolics, passing their time in filthiness, foolish talking and jesting, or singing paltry songs, do now frequent Christian societies for prayer, seek Christian conversation and talk of soul concerns, and choose to express their mirth in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs: they who were too sprightly to be devout, and esteemed it an unmanly thing to shed tears for their souls’ state, have mourned as for an only son, and seemed to be in bitterness for a first born (Zech. xii. 10). And persons who come to mock at the lamentations of others have been convinced, and by free grace proselyted to such ways as they formerly despised.”
Many ministers, among them the famous George Whitefield, preached at Cambuslang to thousands of hearers in the open air at a place afterwards known as the “Preachin’ Braes.” The Communion services were attended by great crowds. The first communion after the Awakening was held on 11th July and was so enjoyed by preachers and people that it was desired another should be held at a short interval. Mr. MacCulloch hesitated at first but after consulting his session it was decided the Lord’s Supper should be dispensed on the third Sabbath of August. In the interval between these two Communions much time was spent in public and private prayer. “The design of these meetings,” says Mr. MacCulloch, “and the business which they were accordingly employed in, besides singing of psalms and blessing the name of God together, was to ask mercy of the God of heaven to ourselves; to pray for the Seceders* and others who unhappily oppose this work of God here and in some other parts where it takes place, that God would forgive their guilt in this matter, open
their eyes, remove their prejudices, and convince them that it is indeed His work, and give them repentance to the acknowledging of His truth; that the Lord would continue and increase the blessed work of conviction and conversion here and in other places where it is begun in a remarkable measure, and extend it to all the corners of the land; and that He would eminently countenance the dispensing of the sacrament of the Holy Supper a second time in this place, and thereby make the glory of this later solemnity to exceed that of the former.” This prayer was graciously and abundantly answered.
*Reference will be made later on to the regrettable attitude of the Seceders to the Cambuslang and Kilsyth Revivals.—Editor.
The ministers assisting Mr. MacCulloch included Mr. Whitefield, Mr. Webster, Edinburgh; Mr. Maclaurin and Mr. Gillies, Glasgow; Mr. Robe, Kilsyth; Mr. Currie, Kinglassie; Mr. McKnight, Irvine; Mr. Bonar, Torphichen; Mr. Hamilton, Douglas; Mr. Henderson, Blantyre; Mr. Maxwell, Rutherglen; and Mr. Adam, Cathcart. Four of them preached on Thursday (Fast Day); four on Saturday; Mr. MacCulloch did not remember how many preached on Sabbath; five preached on the Monday. Mr. Whitefield preached on Saturday, Sabbath, and Monday. On Sabbath evening while he was serving some tables, says Mr. MacCulloch, Mr. Whitefield “appeared to be filled with the love of God as to be in a kind of ecstasy or transport and communicated much of that blessed frame.” Various estimates have been given of the number of people present on the Sabbath—one estimate was as high as 50,000; Whitefield, however, who had greater experience of large audiences than any of the ministers present reckoned the number to be upwards of 30,000. There were 3,000 communicants gathered from many parts of Scotland and from England and Ireland. The public worship began at half past eight in the morning. The last table was served almost at sunset. The service was closed with a few words of exhortation, prayer and praise. Mr. MacCulloch says about this remarkable day: “But what was most remarkable was the spiritual glory of this solemnity, I mean the gracious and sensible presence of God. Not a few were awakened to a sense of sin, and their lost and perishing conditions without a Saviour. Others had their bands loosed, and were brought into the marvellous liberty of the sons of God. Many of God’s dear children have declared, that it was a happy time to their souls, wherein they were abundantly satisfied with the goodness of God in His ordinances, and filled with all joy and peace in believing.”
In such movements as these Satan is always busy and he is cunning enough to pass off mere emotionism as true conversion. Bodily agitation and extreme excitement sometimes may exist where there is no genuine change at all. Such manifestations have been common in revivals where the Holy Spirit is working but where it is merely carnal excitement all the spurious cases will soon go back. That there were many of this kind at Cambuslang was readily acknowledged by Mr. MacCulloch just as there was in the New England Revival in the time of Jonathan Edwards whose well known book Religious Affections was written as a counteractive to spurious emotionalism. But he would be a bold man who would condemn the work of the Holy Spirit because among the wheat chaff was present. In a future article further attention will be given to this subject and it will be pointed out how great was the care taken by Mr. MacCulloch at Cambuslang and Mr. Robe at Kilsyth not to accept as genuine conversions what were after all the mere stirring up of natural emotions.