Great Revivals and Evangelists By JOHN H. HUNTER V. WILLIAM C. BURNS (Continued) Copyright, 1915, by John H. Hunter
HE NEXT scene o f Mr. Burns’ labors was the old city o f Aberdeen. Here he preached in several o f the churches to crowded audi
to bless, aftd called upon “all ministers, preachers and elders within their bounds, in their respective spheres, to labor more and more diligently and prayerfully in thé use o f all Scriptural means to promote the cause o f vital religion, which, needs so much to be revived among us; and they did also exhort and intreat all the private- members o f the church to study to grow in grace, to abound in all the fruits o f righteousness, and to plead more earnestly with the great Head o f the church that He would pour out o f His Spirit more plentifully upon us and bless His'appointed ordinances that the wilderness may become a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.” Thus did God vindi cate his faithful servant. AMONG THE HIGHLANDERS On closing his work in Aberdeen, Mr. Burns made an evangelistic tour through ' the Highlands. •He was a welcome visitor everywhere he went, even many “moderate” ministers welcoming this “ evangelical” with open arms and glad hearts. The churches in which he preached were always crowded and in several instances tents were pitched in which services were held during the day. He was always assisted by the ministers and at several places the ministers held services in Gaelic, so that those people who were more familiar with that lan guage than the English were also reached. At one o f these places a good old Scotch woman who was not supposed to under stand English very well sat and listened to Mr. Burns with great delight. When she was asked about how she got anything out o f the sermon in English, she replied that she could always understand the Holy Ghost’s language. Mr. Burns went through some peculiar
ences. He also held open-air meetings which scandalized some o f the steady-going folks o f the city. Nor did he neglect oppor tunities for personal work, for we find him praying with some boys on the golf links. He also held meetings at the military bar racks for the soldiers among whom he had many converts. Years afterwards when he visited Canada he found his regiment on duty in'Montreal, and more than once the men whom he had led to Christ in Aber deen saved him from the ruffianly mob o f Romanists in Montreal. His first visit to Aberdeen lasted only a few weeks, but after an absence o f some months he returned for a longer stay. In one section o f the city no less than 250 individuals came to him for personal conversation on the way o f salvation. The meetings in Aber deen were marked by some peculiar physi cal manifestations o f a character similar to those we have spoken about in earlier articles in connection with the revival in Ulster in 1859, and the earlier revivals under Whitefield and Wesley. These things, greatly exaggerated, doubtless, gave an excuse to some who were not especially in favor o f evangelistic work to bring the whole, matter before the Presbytery for investigation. Many witnesses were called, Mr. Burns himself naturally being among them. The findings o f the Presbytery were published, and while they took exception to one. or two very minor matters, gladly acknowledged th? work as a genuine work o f God, recognizing Mr. Bums as the special instrument whom God had chosen
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