“The English brethren had prevailed upon me to preach to them in broken
English, as it was; this induced me to set about the matter in earnest,
making it a subject of prayer, for the aid of the Spirit, that I might be
in some measure a blessing to the English friends, for there appeared
some sign that God now called me to this department of labor in his
service. I never succeeded in any thing for the good of others, without
making it a matter of prayer. My English preaching was very broken and
imperfect in point of language; yet, through the grace of Jesus Christ,
it was made in some degree useful at Liverpool, Bristol, and some other
places. I was about forty years old when I learned to read the Hebrew
Bible and the Greek Testament, and use Parkhurst’s Lexicons in both
languages. I found that, had I studied the English language attentively
and perseveringly, I should be able to overcome great difficulties; and
also, that I could without much labor in the course of few years, even in
my idle hours, as it were, understand all the Hebrew words corresponding
with every Welsh word in the Bible; and so also the Greek. I had always
before thought that it was impossible to accomplish this, for I had no
one to encourage me in the undertaking; but I found it was practicable,
and proved it in some measure, yet relinquished the pursuit on account of
my advanced age.”
NEW TROUBLES AND SORROWS.
Here we pass over several years of Mr. Evans’ history, during which
nothing of very special interest occurred, except the agitation of the
Fullerian controversy. This is a matter which requires only a passing
notice in this brief memoir. We let it sleep in silence.
Mr. Evans was now nearly sixty years of age. Infirmity, the result of
his arduous labors and numerous afflictions, began to prey upon his
system. The several congregations under his care had hitherto
constituted but one church. But the number of preaching places had now
become too great for him, in his enfeebled state, to continue his
pastoral visits and labors among them as he had done. He therefore
advised them to form themselves into separate churches, two or three
stations uniting in one. This was the occasion of a dark and dreadful
storm upon the apostle of Anglesea. Some of the churches refused the
ministers he recommended, and called others whom he disapproved. Then
arose a bitter party spirit, and a general contention, among the
congregations. Mr. Evans was severely censured, and even assailed with
the shafts of slander. Many of his former friends forsook him, and some
of those who professed to feel for him in his troubles did nothing for
his vindication. The severity of these public calamities was increased
by private afflictions. His beloved wife had gone “the way of all the
earth.” He was himself brought very low by sickness, in which he nearly
lost his only remaining eye, and seemed fast tending to his final home.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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