Perthshire’s Revival Century. 1799-1905.
During the 19th century Perth and Perthshire were richly visited by God in revival power again and again. Detailed eyewitness accounts survive which mean we can not only read about God’s deeds in Perthshire in the past but we can have our faith stirred by them today. Thomas McCrie introduces this period in “The Story of the Scottish Church” writing in 1874, “The commencement of the present century may be said to mark the water-shed where the river of the Scottish Church separates itself into two opposite channels; that of Moderatism still running on, though in a gradually lessening stream, while that of Evangelism swells into an expansive size, till it gained a decided ascendency” (p518)
Underlying unrest and tension were increasing as the evangelical wing gradually grew to become the largest group by the General Assembly of 1834 and the scene was now set for the Disruption of 1843, when the Established Church split and the Free Church was formed. “Evangelicals laid emphasis on the great Christian doctrines of sin, grace and redemption, and their aim was to awaken in their hearers a deeper religious experience. Both parties alike acknowledged the authority of the Westminster Confession as the standard of the Church’s doctrine. (A Church History of Scotland, J H S Burleigh, p 328.)
Another important underlying issue from the end of the 18th century was the growing interest in world mission. The challenge of a life impacted by revival for many meant also being caught up in God’s global purposes so we find Alexander Duff from Moulin called to almost 50 years of pioneering missionary activity in India, John Milne left St. Leonard’s in the 1850s and served God for 5 years in Calcutta at great personal cost. From the St. Leonard’s congregation, David Sandeman was to follow his hero, W C Burns to China where he died two years later, aged 32. The waves of revival power that were poured out in Perth and Perthshire in the 19th century were an expression of God’s love not just for those impacted locally but for the world.
1. Moulin. (Pitlochry) 1799-1805.
Through a passing visit of the great evangelical preacher, Rev. Charles Simeon of Cambridge, the minister of Moulin, Rev. Alexander Stewart, was converted in 1796. Here is his own account of what followed. “The novelty of the matter, and some change in my manner of preaching, excited attention. People began to think more, and sometimes to talk together of religious subjects and of the sermons they heard. Seldom a week passed in which we did not see one, two or three persons brought under deep concern about their souls, accompanied with strong convictions of sin and earnest enquiry after a Saviour.” “I trust, I can reckon truly enlightened with the saving knowledge of Christ, I find their number about 70. The greater part of these are under 30 years of age. Several are above 40, six or seven above 50, one 56 and one above 70.” The immediate effect was evident. “Swearing, profane talking, foolish and indecent jesting in great measure ceased while revelry and drunkenness at wakes, funerals and on other occasions almost wholly disappeared.” Among the converts were James Duff and Jean Rattray, the father and mother of Dr. Alexander Duff, Scotland’s pioneer missionary to India. “The fruits of the revival are being gathered in yet from the ends of the earth.” (MacRae p 132-3.) (Rev A Stewart’s letter is quoted in full in “Restoration in the Church, Reports of Revivals 1625-1839, Christian Focus. P 67-78.)
2. Aberfeldy and Dunkeld. 1801-1803. (Haldane Institute Preachers)
The Haldane Institute was formed by two aristocratic brothers from the Gargunnock area of Stirlingshire, James and Robert Haldane who, following conversion sold up their family estate in order to evangelize. They became friends of Rev. Charles Simeon and toured Scotland with him in 1796. In 1800 the Haldane Institute sent Mr. Farquarson to Aberfeldy to be a scripture reader in the district of Breadalbane. In the whole area there were no full bibles, only a few New Testaments. Ignorance was rife and opposition severe.
“Despite of opposition and neglect, he went from village to village, during the winter, reading the bible and speaking the words of salvation to all who would listen. In the spring of 1801 there was some awakening and early in 1802 . So extraordinary a revival took place that in a very short time there were about 100 persons, previously ignorant of the gospel who seemed to be truly converted. Their conversions occasioned a sensation.” MacRae p 134 In Dunkeld in 1803 it was reported that 145 people were converted by Haldane missionaries. (Children in Revival p 67.)
3. Aberfeldy. 1806.
In 1806 Mr Kennedy became pastor of the Independent Congregation. He also taught in a school while his wife taught sewing. The Rev David Campbell of Lawers described Kennedy’s ministry.
“Scarcely a sermon was preached but some new case of awakening occurred, the moaning and sobbing like a flock of lambs separated from their dams. However busy at their lawful avocations the people might have been, when the hour of prayer was come all work was thrown aside and a rush to the barn, hamlet or hillside might be seen from every corner of the glen. I have seen your father (the letter was written to Mr. Kennedy’s son, Dr. John Kennedy, Stepney) stand almost knee-deep in a wreathe of snow, while at the same time, it was snowing and drifting in his face all the time he was preaching, and the people gathered around him patiently and eagerly listening to the fervent truths that proceeded from his lips.” (MacRae p 135-6.)
4. Loch Tayside. Glen Lyon, Killin, Lawers and Ardeonaig. 1816-1819.
The famous John MacDonald of Ferintosh in the Black Isle, pictured below, who became known as “The Apostle of the North” came to preach regularly in Breadalbane up to the 1840s. Great congregations gathered to hear Rev. Robert Findlater, minister at Ardeonaig. He had been appointed in 1810 by the Society in Scotland for Propagating Christian Knowledge. The aim of the SSPCK was to set up Sabbath Schools, to teach the gospel truths particularly to children. They appointed catechists to instruct children. Findlater reported much interest among young people between 1810 and 1820. In other areas of Perthshire Sabbath Schools were set up in Dunkeld, Inver, Lochearnhead and Comrie. The SSPCK also worked to provide tracts and libraries as part of their plan to promote reading of the scriptures. In 1767 they had produced the first Gaelic Bible in order to reach the people in the Highlands and Islands, most of whom only spoke the Gaelic. The SSPCK was happy to work with any other Christians but at the General Assembly of 1799 the Established Church tried to outlaw all Christian work not carried out by their ordained ministers, including Sabbath Schools. (See Sprange, Children in Revival, p 57-62 to read about the Haldane missionaries and SSPCK.)
This is Mr Findlater’s account of the communion of autumn 1816.
“The sabbath day was the great day with us. The whole services were in the open air. I thought proper to give Mr. MacDonald the action sermon, to which he readily consented. It may be said, he came to us in the fullness of the gospel of peace. There was a vast congregation collected, between 4000 and 5000, for I spread the information far and wide. He preached 2 hours and 20 minutes from Isaiah 54:5. “For thy maker is thy husband” During the whole sermon there was hardly a dry eye. Eagerness to attend to the word preached was depicted on every countenance, while tears were flowing very copiously, and literally watering the ground. The most hardened in the congregation seemed to bend as one man and I believe, if ever the Holy Ghost was present it was there, but the general impression seemed to be a universal melting under the word.” Mr. MacDonald himself seemed to be in raptures. There were several people who cried aloud”
(MacRae p 136-7. See also Iain Murray, A Scottish Christian Heritage p 133-134.)
The work continued for about 4 years. This was before the Breadalbane clearances of the mid 19th century so the population was high at this time. People were so hungry to hear God’s word preached that they would walk for miles around the loch or cross over from one side to the other in droves.
“Glenlyon was especially stirred. Young men from the glen crossed the shoulder of Ben Lawers every Sabbath to be present at the services at Lawers or Ardeonaig. At first they went in twos or threes, but as the interest increased their numbers increased until Glenlyon became the centre of an intense spiritual revival. Mr. James Kennedy of Aberfeldy went to the Glen on October 1816 not fully knowing how the Lord had prepared the way for him and to quote the words of his son “The effects produced by Divine love were such as led all to exclaim “This is the finger of God”. Day after day, and night after night crowds assembled in barns and under the shelter of the woods to listen to those strange things that had been brought to their ears. Sometimes amid bleak winds and drifting snows, with their lamps suspended, fairy like, from the fir trees which sheltered them, preacher and people were so overcome that the service was interrupted by the strength of their emotions. Mr. Kennedy found it impossible to leave the scene of this great work for some time and his flock in Aberfeldy were left for several Lord’s days to edify one another until sheer physical exhaustion drove their minister home.” (MacRae p 139-140.)
Entire families in Glenlyon were converted and there were only five or six families in the glen which saw no family member saved.
5. Perth and Highland Perthshire 1839-1844. The main tool God used in the revival that started in July 1839 was William Chalmers Burns (1815-1868.) He was the son of the Church of Scotland minister in Kilsyth and in 1839 he was 24 and newly ordained. He was on his way to Dundee where he was standing in for his friend, Rev. Robert Murray McCheyne , who was on his famous trip to the Holy Land and W C Burns stopped off in Kilsyth to help out at his father’s communion season. (Communion then was a three or four day long weekend celebration.) Rev W H Burns had a long interest in revival and aware of the revival history of his parish he had encouraged his congregation to pray for revival since he arrived there in 1821. W C Burns preached on Psalm 110:3 and while he was preaching weeping, wailing, tears and groans broke out, along with shouts of praise and joy. Some people screamed. Others fell to the ground. The meeting continued for 5 hours. From then on there were daily services and also hundreds met in the Market Square to pray early in the morning. In September another communion was held and between 12,000 and 15,000 people gathered from the town and also from across Scotland. The spiritual and moral condition of the town began to change. Every street had a prayer meeting. There were nightly sermons. The Church of Scotland, the Methodist Church and the Congregational Church were all involved.
William Chalmers Burns then started an itinerant ministry in Scotland before going to China as a missionary in 1847 where he spent the last 20 years of his life. His life is well documented because his brother, Rev Islay Burns wrote a Memoir of his life in 1870 quoting from his journals extensively. They make exciting reading. W C Burns was part of a group of young ministers in their twenties who made a huge impact in Scotland at this time, leading into the Disruption. This was a time of religious upheaval in Scotland. The evangelical wing of the church was strong and it burst out from the constraints of the Established Church of that time to form the Free Church. Among the group of friends were Robert Murray McCheyne from Dundee, brothers’ Horace and Andrew Bonar (Andrew was the new minister at Collace, Horace was based in Kelso,) John Milne, the new minister at St Leonard’s Perth and the Rev. Moody Stuart, Edinburgh.
In 1839 William Chalmers Burns was standing in for McCheyne at St Peter’s Dundee. A work of conviction had already started among the St Peter’s congregation of around 1000, a large proportion of whom were mill workers, but now it broke out like a pent up flood. Nightly meetings were held for almost four months and while there was weeping and falling to the ground there was also a solemnity and stillness and great attention was given to the preaching from the Bible. There was opposition and criticism from the Dundee Courier. The revival spread to the Carse of Gowrie, then to Collace. At the same time Rev. D Campbell, minister at Lawers found the years 1839-1844 to be very fruitful in the Loch Tummel and Loch Rannoch area.
Blairgowrie. A “prolonged and concerted spiritual revival” (Robertson, Awakening p 96) occurred in Blairgowrie where the Rev. Robert Macdonald ministered. He was a friend of McCheyne and members of St Peter’s travelled to Blairgowrie to assist the work there. The church in Rattray and the Independent Chapel were also involved. By the end of 1840 thirty regular prayer meetings were being held in Blairgowrie. Before the revival there were none. The Independent Chapel held daily meetings morning and evening in 1841 at which the chapel became packed.
Perth. In 1838 the Rev John Milne (1807-1868) came to Perth to be minister at St Leonard’s Church. Built in 1834 the building is now the furniture auctioneers in King Street, looking towards Canal Street. Rev. Milne noticed that the congregation were aware of what was going on in Kilsyth and Dundee in 1839 and longed that revival would not pass them by. He invited William Chalmers Burns to preach in late 1839. The revival began on 31st December when a crowd gathered spontaneously at the church looking for spiritual counsel. They would not go home till 2.00 or 3.00am. The next day over 200 people sought out W C Burns for personal counsel. So it went on for some three months with two daily meetings at St Leonard’s and every evening the church was packed. On the eve of Queen Victoria’s marriage, 10th Feb 1840 there was a great firework display on the Inch and the preachers expected a poor turn out that night. However, the church was still crowded with people standing in the aisles. Children and young people were particularly drawn to John Milne and W C Burns and flocked round them. In 1840 there were over 200 people added to the communion roll at St Leonard’s and most of them were young people. (Lennie, Land of Revivals p 344.) Burns also preached with much fruit at Perth’s West Church. Many churches however barred him from their pulpits.