Page 23 - The Foster Revival in the Margarees

ISSUE : Issue 71

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1996/12/1

greatest physical strength. The families were large in Cape Bre? ton and in not a few cases whole households' sons and daugh? ters gave themselves to Jesus Christ. There was manifest in this and in one or two subsequent services a remarkable phenomenon. It was seen that about a dozen strong men, when they arose to ask for prayer com pletely lost their motive power and in some cases fell helplessly over the pews where they were sit? ting. A number of these at the close of the service had to be caixied bodily out of the church and as? sisted to their homes. Moreover others, who when in the church did not thus manifest a lack of physical control, did lose their motive pow? er when they reached the main road and had to be assisted to their destinations. In these cases the sense of sin was overmastering and they fell to the earth almost as helpless as dead. And during all this glorious operation of the Spirit of God there was a silence that was pro? found and glorious. Neither before nor after the service were men and women seen visiting or conversing in the usual manner. Not a few of the "seekers" were so dead in earnest over their sal? vation that for days they abandoned their work on the farms and, with Bible in hand, betook them? selves to the woods or quiet pasture lands to meditate and pray. And nightly in the services some of these would announce the glad tidings, that they had "found Christ," or had "come into the light." The lat? ter was the common phrase used to express conver? sion, and was quite expressive and true to the facts. There was heard at every service these words: "I have come into the light." But the "Foster revival," as it was called, was not confined to Margaree. Several male school teachers, native of the valley, who had been teaching in neighboring settlements, some twelve miles distant, on hearing of the revival came under conviction of sin and were converted without the aid of any preacher, but as a result of prayer and reading the Bible. These new converts held services in their own communities and thus the glad tidings of salvation spread far and wide. Mr. Foster served in the Baptist Church, then in the Congregational Church, then in several other com? munities • in Big Baddeck, Whycocomagh, some twenty-five and forty miles distant, and every? where he labored many were led to Jesus Christ. From among the converts in Margaree alone it has been said that seventeen young men went forth to study for the ministry. The Baptist Church gave a unanimous call to Mr. Foster to become their pastor and he ac? cepted and remained with us for four years. That was the happiest and most prosperous pe? riod in the history of the Church. It was during these meetings that I made the great discovery of God in Christ as my personal Saviour. I shall attempt to describe it without exaggeration. my early life, while I did not talk it, yet I was in? clined to be skeptical, though at times I had a feel? ing that I should like to become a preacher. Prompt? ed by this strange desire, I used to "play church" with my sisters and brothers on Sabbath afternoons, standing on a high chair with the family gathered around me for a congrega? tion. I would announce a hymn, read a Scripture and then make a pretence at preaching. The performance was quite amusing to my audience, yet I did not think of it as funny, nor did I "play R. Foster ! of Preachers' Congratulations Ronald on Cape Breton's Magazine's 25th Anniversary It has been our pleasure to have Cape Breton's Magazine coming off the end of our printing press for most of those years. Kentvilie Publishing, like Cape Breton's Magazine, has been serving Nova Scotians for a long time. Our longevity is a result of sticking to the traditional Nova Scotia way of doing business - the customer comes first. "Just about any printing job you may need" '' Kentvilie Publishing 9185 Commercial St., New Minas Nova Scotia B4N 3G1 1-800-567-7377 Fax:902-681-0830 23

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