The young child ran up the street of the small Welsh
village.
‘He’s coming’, he shouted, ‘the one eyed man is coming!’
That was enough for the villagers to leave their houses and gather at the chapel. Christmas Evans was tall for the age he lived in. At nearly six foot, he towered over the villagers at the meeting. Staring from his one eye, his message captured the crowd. As with the rest of this latest tour of Wales, in the late 1700s, many who heard that day gave their lives to Christ and were added in to the local Baptist Church.
Christmas Evans was born on Christmas day (hence his name) in 1766. With no schooling, he worked as a farm hand until his late teens. It was then he taught himself to read, using mainly his Welsh Bible.
One of the few books he possessed aside from his Bible, was a copy of John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. It is that style of writing which gave guidance to much of Christmas Evans’ preaching.
In an age when most could not read and sermons were long and dull, Evans spoke with passion and always in the form of a story.
One time, he spoke of the world as a graveyard with high walls around about and locked and barred by big iron gates. Mercy arrived at the gates on her horse but could not gain entry. The way was blocked by the muscular form of Law. Law insisted that only on payment of blood could the gates be opened. At that, Mercy pointed to the man at her side. It was Christ holding out his nail pierced hands. The gates were opened and Mercy, leaning upon her friend Justice, entered in.
Christmas Evans (1766-1838) lived most of his life on the island of Anglesey, but preached throughout Wales, still preaching into his seventies. The loss of his eye as a result of a gang hating his preaching did not stop him. The daily pain from that wound did not stop him. The death of his wife did not stop him. And nor did a lack of income- he earned about 33 pence a week in today’s terms.
He was sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and said of his preaching:
‘A delightful gale descended upon me as from the hill of the New Jerusalem, and I felt the three great things of the kingdom of heaven: righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.’
Further Reading:
Christmas Evans - No Ordinary Preacher - Tim Shenton
Christmas Evans - B A Ramsbottom (Second Hand Only)
‘He’s coming’, he shouted, ‘the one eyed man is coming!’
That was enough for the villagers to leave their houses and gather at the chapel. Christmas Evans was tall for the age he lived in. At nearly six foot, he towered over the villagers at the meeting. Staring from his one eye, his message captured the crowd. As with the rest of this latest tour of Wales, in the late 1700s, many who heard that day gave their lives to Christ and were added in to the local Baptist Church.
Christmas Evans was born on Christmas day (hence his name) in 1766. With no schooling, he worked as a farm hand until his late teens. It was then he taught himself to read, using mainly his Welsh Bible.
One of the few books he possessed aside from his Bible, was a copy of John Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. It is that style of writing which gave guidance to much of Christmas Evans’ preaching.
In an age when most could not read and sermons were long and dull, Evans spoke with passion and always in the form of a story.
One time, he spoke of the world as a graveyard with high walls around about and locked and barred by big iron gates. Mercy arrived at the gates on her horse but could not gain entry. The way was blocked by the muscular form of Law. Law insisted that only on payment of blood could the gates be opened. At that, Mercy pointed to the man at her side. It was Christ holding out his nail pierced hands. The gates were opened and Mercy, leaning upon her friend Justice, entered in.
Christmas Evans (1766-1838) lived most of his life on the island of Anglesey, but preached throughout Wales, still preaching into his seventies. The loss of his eye as a result of a gang hating his preaching did not stop him. The daily pain from that wound did not stop him. The death of his wife did not stop him. And nor did a lack of income- he earned about 33 pence a week in today’s terms.
He was sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and said of his preaching:
‘A delightful gale descended upon me as from the hill of the New Jerusalem, and I felt the three great things of the kingdom of heaven: righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.’
Further Reading:
Christmas Evans - No Ordinary Preacher - Tim Shenton
Christmas Evans - B A Ramsbottom (Second Hand Only)
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