(This short sketch of the Kilsyth Revival is by the original editor of the Diary of Dugald Buchanan) Among the many godly ministers who frequently visited Cambuslang on this memorable occasion was the Rev. Mr Robe, minister of the neighbouring parish of Kilsyth. Like Mr McCulloch, he was a man of prayer, deeply aware of the responsibility attending his office, and anxiously solicitous for the eternal welfare of his people. Every time he visited Cambuslang he seems to have returned to his own charge as if “anointed with fresh oil,” resolutely determined to know nothing among them but “Jesus Christ and him crucified.” By this time he had laboured in the parish of Kilsyth for the space of thirty years without being aware of any remarkable success having accompanied his ministrations. During that period, the parish had been visited with a severe fever, by which many, particularly of the godly, were suddenly cut off. That visitation was followed by a famine, and shortly after, in the summer of 1733, great loss was sustained by a destructive storm of thunder and lightning; but, instead of these judgments leading the people to think of God, whose displeasure they had incurred, and to seek Him “with weeping and with supplication,” wickedness seemed to increase. Mr Robe, in his narrative, testifies that no one appeared to be affected with sin, the cause of all the evils that were complained of. On the contrary, the societies for prayer declined, the love of many waxed cold, the spirit of formality seemed to prevail, and open transgression greatly abounded. In these painful circumstances the good man betook himself to prayer in behalf of his people, and continued still most faithfully to set before them life and death—the blessing and the curse. In the year 1740, he commenced a series of practical discourses on the doctrine of regeneration. He explained and applied, with all faithfulness and scriptural simplicity the nature, the importance, the necessity, the evidence of this spiritual transformation, and although these discourses were listened to with apparent seriousness, yet no visible effects followed at the time. When Cambuslang and other parishes were sharing so copiously of the Divine influence, it was matter of grief and discouragement to Mr Robe that not one of his people seemed as yet at all to be awakened. He continued to wrestle much in prayer, and still with affectionate earnestness to exhibit to his people a full and a free salvation. “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Like Jacob he wrestled; and, like Israel, he prevailed. The Lord did in due time send a “plenteous rain.” The first symptoms were the reviving of many of the meetings for prayer, the institution of some new associations, and particularly of one composed exclusively of females, from ten to sixteen years of age. These movements were hailed as the harbinger of brighter days.
Mr Willison of Dundee, “whose praise is in the gospel throughout all the churches, “being on a visit to Cambuslang, spent a few days at Kilsyth, on his way home. Being requested to preach, he did so, and delivered “a distinct, plain, and moving sermon.” from these words, “He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” Many of those who were afterwards effectually awakened, dated their first serious concern about their souls, from hearing that sermon. On the Sabbath following, 18th April, 1742, Mr Robe preached from these words—”My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” He experienced more than usual tenderness in reading the text, and could not refrain from tears. On the Sabbath immediately following, one woman was awakened to a very distressing sight of her sinfulness and consequent exposure to misery. She was observed by some in the congregation to be under great uneasiness. When the congregation dismissed, she was not able to proceed on her way home, and soon after was found in a field, crying out like the jailer, “What shall I do to be saved?” She was brought back to the minister who conversed with her for a considerable time. She said that in hearing the sermon she was made to see that she was unlike Jesus Christ, and like the devil, and altogether in a state of unregeneracy. She had strong impressions of the greatness of the wrath of God, to which, on account of sin, she felt herself liable. She parted with Mr Robe considerably composed. She continued for some time to endure occasionally, very great mental anguish, but soon after obtained sensible relief by “an apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ.” On Sabbath, the 9th of May following, five persons were awakened to a distressing sight of their sinful and lost estate. Mr Robe, and the praying people around, fondly cherished the hope that this might be but as a few drops before a plentiful rain.
And now the period of peculiar favour to this parish was come, the time that God had set. Mr Robe in his narrative states, “On 16th May, I preached as I had done for some time,” on Gal. 4: 19, “My little children, of whom I travail in birth until Christ be formed in you.” While pressing all the unregenerate to seek to have Christ formed in them, an extraordinary power of the Divine Spirit accompanied the word preached. There was a great mourning, as for an only son. Many cried out, and these not only women, but some strong and stout-hearted young men. After the congregation was dismissed, continues Mr Robe, an attempt was made to get the distressed into some barn, but their number was so great this was impossible, and I was obliged to convene them in the kirk. I sung a psalm and prayed with them, but when I essayed to speak to them I could not be heard, so great was their bitter cries, groans, and the voice of their weeping. After this I requested that they might come into my closet, one by one. I sent for the Rev. Mr John Oughterson, minister of Cumbernauld, who immediately came to assist me in dealing with the distressed. In the meantime, I appointed psalms to be sung with those in the kirk, and that the precentor and two or three of the elders should pray with them. The noise of the distressed was heard from afar. It was pleasant to hear those who had been in a state of enmity with God, despisers of Jesus Christ, and Satan’s consented slaves, crying out for mercy; some, that they were lost and undone; others, “what shall we do to be saved?”; others, praising God for this day, and for awakening them; and not a few, not only weeping and crying for themselves, but for their graceless relations. And yet it would have moved the hardest heart, that many of them, like the Israelites under Pharaoh’s oppression, hearkened not when I spoke unto them, they were so overwhelmed with anguish of spirit, because of the spiritual bondage they felt they were under. There appeared about thirty awakened this day, but afterwards I found that the number was considerably greater.
On the Wednesday immediately following this day of the Redeemer’s power, there was a sermon for the first time on a weekday. Mr Warden, minister of Campsie, and Mr McLaurin, one of the ministers of Glasgow, preached on the occasion. Nor did this movement of Divine grace soon terminate. The blessed work of conviction and conversion went on. The Redeemer did “ride prosperously because of truth, and meekness, and righteousness.” His “arrows were sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies.”
When the revival commenced, such was the desire of the people to hear the word of God, that, as has been just stated, it was found necessary to institute a week-day lecture. Wednesday was the day selected for that purpose; and on that day there were sometimes two and even three discourses. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday were appropriated for conversing with the spiritually distressed. Notwithstanding such abundant labours, Mr Robe was enabled to persevere; his bodily health suffered not, and his inward man prospered day by day. His friends sometimes tried to persuade him to relax his excessive labours, but, growing love to Jesus, intense compassion for perishing souls, ardent zeal for the promotion of God’s glory, constrained him to persevere in his arduous but interesting duties. “It soon became,” says he, “the pleasantest work in which I ever engaged. Though I was wearied when I went to bed, yet like the labouring man, my rest was sweet to me. The Lord gave me the sleep of His beloved, and I was fresh by the morning. The way of the Lord hath been my life and my strength.”
The ordinance of the Supper was, as usual, dispensed on the second Sabbath of June, and was attended by the happiest results in the experience of many. The blessed work of conviction and conversion continued greatly to increase after that solemn communion service, and it was intimated to the minister in the middle of September following, that a general desire existed among the people for another and an early opportunity of observing that ordinance. After much prayer and conference on the part both of the minister and the people, it was resolved that the death of our Lord should be a second time celebrated that year; which was accordingly done on the third Sabbath of October. The account given by Mr Robe of that interesting solemnity is truly heart stirring:—I was assisted on the occasion by the Rev. Mr McLaurin of Glasgow, Mr James Warden of Calder, Mr John Warden of Campsie, Mr James Burnside of Kirkintilloch, Mr James Mackie of St Ninians, Mr John Smith of Larbert, Mr Spiers of Linlithgow, Mr Thomas Gillespie of Carnock, Mr Hunter of Saline, Mr McCulloch of Cambuslang, Mr Porteous of Monivaird. Upon the fast-day, sermon was in the fields to a very numerous and attentive audience, by three ministers, without any intermission, because of the shortness of the day. Upon the Friday evening there was sermon in the kirk, and there was a good deal of concern among the people. Upon Saturday, there was sermon both in the kirk and in the fields. Upon the Lord’s day, the public service began about half-past eight in the morning, and continued without intermission till half-past eight in the evening. I preached the action sermon, by the Divine direction and assistance, from Eph. 2: 7; “That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus.” There were twenty-two services, each consisting of about seventy persons. The evening sermon began immediately after the last table-service, and though I desired that the congregation in the fields should be dismissed after the last service, yet they chose rather to continue together till all was over. During all the services there was the most desirable frame, and observable concern among the people, that had ever been anywhere seen. It began to be considerable, when Mr Warden of Campsie preached, and it continued and greatly increased while Mr Spiers preached, who concluded the public work of the day in the fields. On Monday there were sermons both in the kirk and in the fields. There was a good deal of observable concern; and several were brought under spiritual distress in the fields. In the evening, two ministers preached to the numerous distressed convened in the kirk. On Tuesday morning there was a sermon preached, and a discourse by another minister, containing suitable instructions and directions both to the awakened, and to those who had never attained to any sight or sense of their sin and danger. The spiritual fruits of this solemn and extraordinary dispensation of word and sacrament were truly animating. Many secure sinners were awakened, Zion’s mighty King brought the wheel of the law over them, and sent them home with broken and contrite hearts. Some who came hither in a state of spiritual distress and law-work, felt such a time of the Mediator’s power as enabled them to embrace Jesus Christ with such distinctness, as to know that they had done it. Many had the love of Christ so shed abroad in their hearts by the Holy Ghost, that they could not contain, but were constrained to break forth in floods of tears in the most significant expressions of their own vileness and unworthiness, and of the deep sense they had of the exceeding riches of God’s grace, in His kindness towards them by Christ Jesus.
(To be continued)