Chapter IV

WORK AMONG THE CHURCHES.

It soon got spread abroad that the converted gipsies were preaching Christ. I told them God had brought us out of darkness into His wonderful light, and we now wanted to work for Him. The Primitives took us by the hand first and put us on their plan, and we laboured for God all over the circuit, in the Wesleyan and Baptist mission rooms, in the ragged schools, and in the mission room with Mr. Sykes. Upwards of a hundred souls professed to find Christ that winter. At Harston a publican found Christ, and came out of his public-house. The cottage services which we held on Wednesday seemed to stir me up so that I told God that if He would give me conversions I would always witness for Him whenever the opportunity presented itself. How I prayed about that first meeting that God would bless it! I had to walk twelve or fourteen miles, and as I went along I distributed tracts, and had a good chance to speak to many about their souls’ welfare. Having reached a bylane, I stood still and began to preach to a field of turnips—getting ready for the meeting. It was a poor congregation; I could get no response; they had neither eyes nor ears; but to my astonishment there were two men the other side of the hedge that I had not seen, who had overheard my discourse. Thank God it did not prove in vain, for they came forward and thanked me for what they had heard. I went to the meeting with my heart full of joy and the little place was packed. A young man who would not go anywhere to hear the way of life came to hear the gipsy. God’s Spirit took hold of him and he was converted that night, and afterwards became a local preacher. So God sealed my labours and gave me that one soul, and he is still working for Jesus with all his heart.

Having finished our meetings in Cambridge, the friends presented us with the first Bibles that we ever had in our lives. Our final meetings were held in the very ragged school where God had convinced me of sin when but a child. Some of my children had occasionally gone to school since my conversion, and had therefore learned to read the Bible to me. Being uneducated and thirsting for the Word of Life this was marrow and fatness to my soul, a lamp unto my feet, and a light to my path. My desire to read the Bible was at this time very great, so I went alone into my van, knelt down before the Lord, and said, “O Lord, Thou hast made me, and Thou canst teach me to read Thy Word,” and God did help me, and I soon learned to spell out for myself, and so claim the promises as my own.

From Cambridge we made our way to London, calling at the Forest, as was our custom every year, and then on to Canning Town, to the place called Chevvy Island. There was always a number of gipsies encamped on this ground. On Sunday a singing band of men and women from a camp meeting came into our encampment. They were all arranged on a large wagon. We were delighted at having the people of God with us. True we were strangers to them at first, but afterwards found out that they were the Christian Mission, and were soon at home amongst them. It soon reached the ears of Mr. W. Booth that there were three converted gipsy brothers in their camp. He did not take long before he sought an interview with us; and, taking us by the hand, gave us encouragement, and said the way to keep bright and happy was to work for God. We took his advice and cast our lot in with them, and were put upon their plan as the “Three Converted Gipsies,” and were owned of God wherever we went, even to the salvation of numbers of precious souls. The outcome of the effort put forth during our short stay with the mission will only be known in eternity.

About the month of November we returned again to Cambridge, and our hearts were gladdened when we saw many still holding on their way that had been brought to Christ the previous winter. Again we commenced work for God, and gipsies, college gentlemen, and others, were seen marching through the streets singing,

“There is a fountain filled with blood,” &c.,

the outcome of which was a genuine revival. The work was so great that we had to give up working at our trades, and invitations became so pressing that we felt the call was from God, so we left our chair-caning and basket-mending and gave ourselves wholly and solely to the work of saving souls.

Our first invitation was to Biggleswade, in Bedfordshire. Mr. Sounday found us a meadow in which to put our vans. The engagement was for a week, but the work of God broke out so vigorously that we had to stay a month, and one hundred souls professed to have given themselves to Christ.

From there we went to Potton and Gamblinggay, and everywhere signs and wonders were wrought in the name of the Holy Child Jesus. Many are to be found to-day in that neighbourhood who remember the visit of the converted gipsies to the praise of God. In the midst of our work we received a letter from the Rev. Wm. Booth, wishing us to go right into the work of the Lord under the auspices of the Christian Mission. It was a matter of consideration for me, for I keenly felt my unfitness for this work; but God’s strength was made perfect in weakness. My dear brothers were one in mind with me, and after waiting upon the Lord for guidance we again started for London. On our way Mr. Booth met us at Baldock, Hertfordshire, and we talked the matter over and prayed together, and he said that after much prayer he wanted us to go to Portsmouth, and I should have to have a fiddle again and use it for God. I felt willing to do anything and go anywhere if it would glorify God and bring souls to Christ. We met Mr. Booth in London at the end of three weeks, at the People’s Hall, Whitechapel, and he told us that the bills were out in Portsmouth announcing that the three converted gipsies with their hallelujah fiddle were coming.

At Portsmouth the services were held in a large theatre, and God again owned our labours. We afterwards went to Gosport, just at the time when the soldiers were returning from the Ashantee War. Many meetings were held there and God blessed the Word, and many of the soldiers were brought to know the Lord as their Saviour. One of the soldiers said in his experience, that whilst fighting out there in the bush, his comrades falling down on either side of him, he was struck in the chest with a slug from the enemy, and had it not been for his mother’s Bible which he carried in his breast-pocket, he would assuredly have been numbered with the slain. “My life was saved,” he said; “but, blessed be God, now He has saved my soul.” We had some remarkable meetings there, and on leaving Mr. Cook presented us each with a Bible as a grateful memento of our visit.

Proceeding to Southampton with Brother Corbridge, crowded meetings were held in a large wooden circus, which would accommodate three thousand persons. At first the work was hard, and no results were seen, but we felt the Spirit of God was working. Thirteen came forward during the week, but we were so heavily burdened because so comparatively few yielded, that we went home and wept before the Lord because of their impenitence. But Mr. Corbridge cheered us and said, “We shall have them. They are feeling the smart of sin, and they are in pickle.” Thank God He came to our relief, and one hundred souls came out for Christ. And so we were kept as the specials for the Christian Mission, being sent here and there. Having been sent to Chatham, one night it looked like a mighty battle. There were soldiers and sailors, black men and white men, rich men and poor men, all on their knees, crying before God, who is “no respecter of persons.” He that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, whatever his nationality or colour, is accepted by Him. (Acts x.) One man was a greengrocer. The devil told him he would lose his customers if he shut his shop on Sunday. We told him that the Lord would make it up to him in other ways. He obtained a board, and had painted on it the words, “This shop will be closed on Sundays.” I nailed it up tight for him, and we shouted, “Hallelujah! Christ has got the victory!”

About this time the invitations were so pressing that we were led to launch out independently, depending upon God entirely. Having related our conviction to Mr. Booth he saw the reasonableness of our case, and kneeling down commended us to the keeping of our Master. I then said, “Here is the fiddle that you gave me to play. You purchased it, and you have a right to it.” He replied, “I shall not take it from you. Seeing that you are married to it, I make you a present of it to use in the Lord’s work.” We then bade each other good-bye, and from that day until now God has opened the door of usefulness to us, and we have depended upon Him, walking by faith and not by sight. “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few.”

On one occasion the Lord impressed me very much about going to Bedford, although we had received no invitation. I told my two brothers how I felt about going. They said, “It is of the Lord, we will go at once.” So we put our horses in our vans, and away we went for the town of Bedford. We had to take a place where we could stand our vans, after we had arrived in the town. We were charged nine shillings a week for the stand and nine shillings more for a field to put the horses in, making eighteen shillings, and we were not sure of a penny piece coming in; but believing as we did, that we were sent by God, we knew it would be all right. We went to see John Bunyan’s statue; and as we gazed at it we asked God to use us in that town, even as He had used his servant John Bunyan in years gone by. From there we went to Bunyan’s Chapel; and as we stood looking, the chapel-keeper asked us if we would like to see inside. We accepted his offer, and sat down in the very chair which this man of God had sat in, and asked God to give us power to do something for Him in Bedford. A brother in Christ who was standing there said, “You appear to be strangers to this part.” We told him we were, but that we were not strangers to the Lord Jesus. I told him we were known as the three converted gipsies. He shed tears of joy, and said the Primitive Methodist minister wanted to see us, but he did not know in what part of the country we were in. We went to his house, and after talking the matter over he asked us if we would commence a week’s special mission at once. We told him that was why we had arrived; and we began in the open air and sang to the chapel, which was soon crowded to the door, and the power of God fell upon us, and very many souls were brought to the Lord. Every night throughout the week God richly manifested His power in our midst, to the joy and salvation of very many precious souls. Oh, how mysterious is the hand of God! He led us and guided our steps, and blessed us there; and from that visit to Bedford sprang up invitation after invitation to visit the scenes of former labours. We afterwards went there for Mr. Usher, at the bank, and conducted services in the Bedford Hall, and God owned His Word and blessed our testimony to the salvation of not a few.

After our first visit to Bedford we left for Cambridge, to stay there for the winter, taking that as our centre. We received calls on every hand. We had an invitation to Baldock, Herts. Having put our horses in our vans we were soon on the road, making tracks for our destination. The roads were very bad and heavy. Night overtaking us we made a halt, and our horses were permitted to graze by the roadside. Before conversion we were not so particular. We found accommodation for them in someone else’s field. But now we were made new creatures in Christ Jesus, and old things had passed away. About four o’clock in the morning I was surprised at some one knocking at my front door, and saying, “Hallo, there!” I replied from within, “Who are you?” He said, “I am the policeman, and have come to take you into custody.” I said, “Why?” He replied, “There is a law made that if any gipsies are found stopping by the roadside for twelve miles round they are to be taken up without a summons or a warrant.” I told him he must be careful in this case, as we were exceptions to the rule, being a King’s children, and that the Bible said if they touched one of God’s little ones they touched the apple of His eye. He said, “I’ll wait until you get up.” When I had dressed myself and gone out, I found there were four policemen awaiting us. We were handcuffed like felons and taken to the lockup. I told them there was no necessity to put the bracelets on us, as we should not run away; but they would not heed. The journey was rather lengthy, being one mile and a half to the lockups. All the way we preached to the policemen and told them that God would bring them to judgment if they neglected the Lord Jesus Christ, and that we should be witnesses against them at the great day, and would then declare that in the name of Jesus we had faithfully warned them to flee from the wrath to come. They never responded once, but trudged on in peculiar silence. They undoubtedly had not had such prisoners in their possession before, nor such a lengthy discourse, for that night I had preached to them a sermon “a mile and a half long.” Arriving at the lockup, we were placed in the cell. We were soon on our knees in prayer, pleading with God to touch their hearts and save them as he did the gaoler of old. The Lord heard us, and the policemen wept. Then we began to sing—

“He breaks the power of cancelled sin,

He sets the prisoner free.”

The keeper said we must not make such a noise. We asked him if ever he had read of Paul and Silas having been put into prison, and he said “Yes.” Then I asked “What did they do?” He answered, “They sang praises to God;” and I replied, “And so will we,” and we struck up singing again—

“His blood can make the foulest clean,

His blood avails for me.”

They found they had a queer lot of prisoners there at that early hour. The keeper gave us some rugs to keep us warm; and his wife came down weeping and said, “Who have you got here? I have been very much troubled ever since they came”. The husband told her to make us some coffee hot, and to give us some bread and butter. Having done so, she brought it to us and I began to talk to her about her soul and about Jesus, and I gave her a little tract entitled “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin.” I told her the story of His death for sinners. She drank in every word, and there and then trusted Christ as her Saviour, and we again praised God together.

We were brought before the magistrates in the morning. We had no money on us; but we were fined twenty-five shillings each, or in default imprisonment for fourteen days. Our fines, however, were paid, and we went on our way to Baldock. We can see here that the devil wanted to hinder us in our work and mission at Baldock, but God richly blessed our visit to that place, and many were brought in who have since been working for Jesus. We told the people that we had all been locked up at Melbourne, and the news spread on every hand; but we afterwards received an invitation there, which we accepted. Our meetings were held in a meadow, and our friend the policeman was there, and several others. They were sent to keep order, as the crowds were very great, the attraction being the gipsies that had been locked up in that very town.

“God moves in a mysterious way,

His wonders to perform.”

The amount of good that came out of this singular occurrence will only be known in eternity, for the Holy Spirit of God was mightily manifest.

I have previously said that Cambridge was to be our centre. On one occasion I was very busy working in the van. It was Christmas Eve. Being much impressed by the Spirit of God to work for Him, I went on my knees in prayer. I was thanking God for His goodness to me in all my former career, and so greatly did He bless me that I began to sing—

“In some way or other the Lord will provide.”

Just then there was a knock at the van door. It was Mr. Sykes, the missionary, who came in, and shaking me by the hand said, “How good God is, isn’t He?” “He is good,” I replied. “Yes,” he said. “I have come to tell you that there are three legs of mutton for you and your two brothers.” I could not answer him for a moment, being taken by surprise. He told me the Lord had sent them, but we would have to fetch them from the grocer’s shop at six o’clock. We were there in time, and as we entered the door I saw three bags of flour standing there also. I said to my brothers, “They are ours, I feel sure.” They smiled and said, “Hold your tongue,” but it turned out so to be. We were well supplied with provisions for the Christmas, and we never knew who payed for them from that day to this. But the Word of God is verified that “no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

It will be interesting to the reader to follow me closely at this point of my story of a few details as to our missionary effort in several parts of the country, and the wonderful way that God opened the doors of usefulness for us, without any advertisement on our part. On one occasion a gentleman from Norwich came to Cambridge for a missionary meeting (Mr. Scott). Where he dined there were some who had recently given their hearts to Christ, and during the conversation over the table they told how they had been brought in through the instrumentality of the converted gipsies; and also as to the interest that still pervaded the town because of the meetings that were still being held. He desired an interview with the gipsies, and eventually they brought him to our vans, and the outcome of the interview was an invitation to Norwich.

Arriving on this battle-ground we commenced operations in the Dutch Church adjoining St. Andrew’s Hall. We were there for eight days. The crowds were very great, and the Mayor of Norwich said we should have taken the St. Andrew’s Hall to accommodate the people. Thank God, many were brought into personal contact with Christ through that mission. We returned in the year 1886, nearly eleven years after the first visit, and found many who held sweet remembrances of that time, who were still rejoicing in the hope that is set before them in the Gospel. We have repeatedly visited Norwich since, and we have no greater joy than to know that our children walk in the truth.

I remember too, with grateful remembrance, a visit that we paid to Wymondham, in Norfolk, during the ministry of Mr. Meddows (Primitive Methodist). The whole town seemed in one fervour of religious feeling. So mightily was the Holy Spirit’s power manifested that we had not much time to eat our food. Great was the cry of convicted souls, and we believe the dear Lord healed them all. More than one hundred precious souls were brought to the Lord during that mission. Here the chapel was again too small, and we had to seek enlargement. Many of the young men who sought the Lord at that time are now preachers of the Gospel—so I have learnt from Mr. Lane, a good man of God. To the glory of His name, He can keep as well as save.

We also visited Hadingham, Cambridgeshire, labouring with Mr. James Smith, the Baptist minister. God owned our labours during that week to the salvation of many.

About this time we received an invitation to Leeds, to the York Street Chapel. Here some notable characters were savingly converted, one in particular, a soldier in Her Majesty’s army. In relating his experience, he said that during a recent campaign he had been in attendance on two large guns, when the men all around him were falling in death. At that time he had never had a thought as to what would become of his soul if numbered with the slain. God was far from his thoughts then, but now he was happy and a new creature in Christ. He was then living in a street which was known as “Little Hell.” He said, “If I had died in my sin there is no doubt but that I should have been in a big hell.” His wife also said, “God has indeed given me a new husband. My home since his change is like a little heaven below.” A brother was also weeping at that meeting, and I asked him why he wept. He replied, “For joy,” for all his class had been brought to Christ. We have been to Leeds four years in succession.

It is needless to take the reader any further in my travels up and down the land—suffice it to say that God has blessed the testimony, simple as it may have been, from the lips of three gipsies. God has backed His word with power, and letters on every hand have reached us expressive of gratitude to God that ever we came that way.