Christmas Evans, the Preacher of Wild Wales: His country, his times, and his contemporariesHood, Edwin Paxton
History
Christmas Evans, the Preacher of Wild Wales: His country, his times, and his contemporaries
Hood, Edwin Paxton
Evans, Christmas, 1766-1838
Little idea can be formed of the Welsh preacher from the life of the
minister in England. The congregations, we have seen, lay wide, and
scattered far apart. Often, in Wales ourselves, we have met the minister
pursuing his way on his horse, or pony, to his next “publication;” very
often, his Bible in his hand, reading it as he slowly jogged along. So
Christmas Evans passed his life, constantly, either on foot or on
horseback, urging his way; sometimes through a country frowning as if
smitten by a blow of desolation, and at others, laughing in loveliness
and beauty; sometimes through the hot summer, when the burning beams
poured from the craggy mountains; sometimes in winter, through the snow
and rain and coldest inclemency, to fulfil his engagements. For the
greater part of his life his income was never more than thirty pounds a
year, and for the first part only about from ten to seventeen. It looks
a wretched sum; but we may remember that Luther’s income was never much
more; and, probably, what seems to us a miserable little income, was very
much further removed from want, and even poverty, than in other, less
primitive, circumstances is often an income of hundreds. Certainly,
Christmas Evans was never in want; always, not only comfortable, but able
even to spare, from his limited means, subscriptions to some of the great
societies of the day.
CHAPTER IV.
_THE MINISTRY IN ANGLESEA_ (_CONTINUED_).
Christmas Evans as a Bishop over many Churches—As a Moderator in Public
Meetings—Chapel-building and all its Difficulties to Christmas
Evans—Extensive Travelling for Chapel-debts—Especially in South Wales—The
Cildwrn Cottage again—A Mysterious Life of Poverty but of
Hospitality—Catherine’s Troubles—Story of a Hat—Wayfaring—Insatiability
for Sermons in the Welsh—The Scenery of a Great Sermon—The Demoniac of
Gadara—A Remarkable Illustration of the Varied Method of the Preacher—A
Series of Illustrations of his Power of Allegoric Painting—The Four
Methods of Preaching—The Seeking of the Young Child—Satan walking in Dry
Places—Christmas Evans in Another Light—Lengthy Letter to a Young
Minister—Contributions to Magazines—To be accursed from Christ—Dark Days
of Persecution—Threatened with Law for a Chapel Debt—Darker Days—Loss of
his Wife—Other Troubles—Determines to leave Anglesea.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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