God's River in Spate

God's River in Spate:
the 1859 Revival in Carrickfergus

This year sees the 150th anniversary of an event largely forgotten by the general population and ignored by most history books. Yet 1859 proved to be a significant event in Irish history as it renewed and strengthened all the Protestant churches, especially the Irish Presbyterian church. 1859: the 'Year of Grace' to its enthusiasts and the 'Year of Delusion' to its critics saw the beginnings of a renewed interest in spiritual matters which brought thousands of new members into the churches. This great awakening echoed the Sixmilewater Revival of 1625 which sowed enough seed to enable the establishment of the first Presbytery in Ireland.
   This remarkable event has been the subject of a number of interesting accounts, notably The '59 Revival by the former Free Presbyterian moderator, Dr Ian R K Paisley and the republication by the Presbyterian Historical Society of John T Carson’s God's River in Spate.  The society is planning a number of events during the year to commemorate the occasion.
  The 59 Revival began quietly enough in an old schoohouse in the north Antrim village of Kells. Five men; Jeremiah Meneely, James McQuilken, Robert Carlisle and John Wallace, met together regularly for prayer. The flame they kindled hit people with great intensity.  Contemporary reports from the press of the time are remarkably consistent.  Great numbers of people packed into churches and meeting houses for hours at a time and days on end, often refusing to go home. Some would cry out in alarm during the meetings. Men and women became so plunged into deep despair that they often collapsed or swooned, convinced of their utter sinfulness and wickedness. This phenomenon was described as being 'slain in the spirit'.
  Many of these folk who came under this deep conviction of their own sinfulness then became convinced that they had been touched by the Holy Spirit and that God had given them new life, a new direction and a new Master. They were converted.
  Carrickfergus was strongly affected by the 1859 Revival. A Carrickfergus Presbytery report in August of that year remarked on the 'the present state of religious feeling and revival of religion' in the town. The Presbytery reported to Synod the next year that in the space of a year “they can truly say the Lord hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of the people, and that many souls in each congregation under their care have seen the Salvation of our God. In the month of May 'the Revival Movement'  was felt in some of their congregations and in June it reached every congregation in and within their bounds. Hundreds have been awakened – led to Christ – and give evidence of true repentance...”
    In the First Presbyterian Church in North Street a number of extra prayer meetings took place each week including one at 8 o'clock on a Sunday morning.  Prayer meetings attached to the congregation met during the week in Ellis Street, Scotch Quarter, Gill's Row and Davy's Street.  Some of these satellite meetings saw gatherings of between 30 and 80 persons. It was even reported that “the men at the saltworks met for prayer 700 feet underground.
  First Carrick church gained an extra 90 communicant members. The new Second Church at Joymount gained 140 new communicants and similar results were “witnessed in the Independent, Wesleyan and Baptist churches” in the town.
  Some of these conversions – as is often the case – did not last but the majority did. Replies to the Bishop of Down, Connor and Dromore's questionaire to his clergy reported that in some areas ther was decidedly less public drunkenness. One answer reported that “the police here have confessed they have little to do.”
  The Revival even stopped the old accusations of 'sheep-stealing' where one popular congregation attacts new members away from less popular congregations. One minister told his neighbour that “We don't steal sheep now. We grow grass.” Membership growth had become a genuine increase of new people.
  More information on the 1859 Revival can be found in God's River in Spate available from the Presbyterian Historical Society of Ireland; A Pictorial History 1859 Revival And Related Awakenings in Ulster available from the Belfast News Letter or from Nor Principalities Nor Powers – a history of First Presbyterian Church, Carrickfergus by D J McCartney which is out of print but can be found in your local library.