Many who witnessed revival in north-east Scotland in 1859-60 remarked upon the fact that the work was almost entirely in the hands of laymen. Before that time it had been rare to see a layman occupying a Scottish pulpit in ordinary dress. Of course the preaching was not entirely limited to church buildings, but many were made available, especially by the Free Church of Scotland and Independents. Some preachers were 'gentlemen evangelists'. Others, like Matheson and Turner, were of humble origin.
Duncan Matheson began his preaching in cottage meetings in Huntly, where he spent much time visiting the sick and distributing tracts. The Duchess of Gordon, hearing of his endeavours, offered to employ him as a missionary. Matheson had been supporting himself but his resources were exhausted, and he accepted her offer. He purchased an old printing press, taught himself to use it, and soon was printing thousands of tracts. Every moment was devoted to making the Saviour known.
A remarkable phase of his service was during the Crimean War. Matheson did all in his power to relieve the sufferings of the troops in the siege of Sebastopol during the winter of 1854-55. It was said "Never had the British soldier a more true, loving, and devoted friend than Duncan Matheson". His bravery endeared him to all as he distributed Bibles, Testaments and tracts. When cholera broke out, Matheson contracted the disease and was close to death. Although he recovered, his health was seriously affected.
At the close of 1857, he commenced publication of a monthly magazine, The Herald of Mercy. Every article focused directly and plainly on the great truths of ruin, regeneration and redemption. God blessed it as a means of salvation to many, and it reached a monthly circulation of 32,000. In the autumn of 1859, Mr Matheson was preaching in the towns and villages along the coast of Banffshire. His labours were specially blessed in Cullen. Early in 1860 the whole place was moved as with an earthquake. At first the awful shadow of an angry God coming in judgment fell upon many. Awakenings were followed by conversions. On one memorable night he preached in Cullen Free Church on 'The barren fig tree', when a deep solemnity fell upon the people. In another meeting held in a small Independent Chapel, Matheson preached on the text "Remember Lot's wife", and every trifler with the soul and with God was warned.¹ Once, he advised another preacher "Stick by what God has blessed to your own soul. Every evangelist has something that God has given to him as a great reality, and God uses the evangelist to carry home that truth to do his own work". He was asked "What is yours?" His reply was "Ah, mine is plain: death, judgment and eternity; and by God's grace I mean to hold by it." His preaching was "wonderfully attractive but the secret of his power lay in his deep heart-yearning over souls, and dealing with God in secret for them in connection with the sanctified wisdom and tact with which the Master gifted him as a fisher of men."²
This comment was equally true of James Turner, born in Peterhead in 1818, through whom many places on the Aberdeenshire coast were greatly blessed. His parents were poor but honest, though they did not fear God. In his youth he lived entirely without God, and the thought that he had a soul, and that there was a Heaven or a Hell, never occurred to him. At 15 years of age he was persuaded by his older brother to attend a Bible class. Later he recalled "For five long years I sat in the back seat, but I was deaf to all that was said, and my heart was as hard as a stone. I often wonder how I did not leave the class, for indeed I did not like it, but somehow or other I could not get away from it."
The Spirit of God was evidently working, and his conscience was awakened until, at length, he saw himself as a sinner in the sight of God and in danger of perishing eternally. After great conviction and distress of soul he was saved on a Monday morning, 4 May 1840.
In 1847 he began to attend the Wesleyan Chapel. He wrote "The Lord blessed my soul, and in the Light of God, I saw it to be my duty to join that people, and among them found that of which my soul was in great want, viz, help heavenward." He became a class leader and earnestly longed and prayed for the salvation of every member of his class. Whenever Mr Turner found a door of usefulness he took the opportunity to serve the Lord. He was often by the bedside of the sick and the dying, and preached a great deal in the open air. In 1853 he preached above 200 times, attended 260 prayer meetings in which a good number of souls were saved, all the while carrying on business as a cooper and herring curer. In many of the parishes south of Peterhead, for example in Collieston, Turner reaped a harvest of souls. One Lord's Day he addressed three open air meetings there, at which large numbers attended. He had great liberty in speaking, and many were convicted and anxiously inquired what they must do to be saved.
The herring fishing in 1859 was very poor, and James Turner and his brother were idle for about three months. Turner was thus able visit villages to the north of Peterhead. In St Combs, about 300 people attended on the first night. The Spirit was present, and the meeting continued till a late hour. All the next day he went from house to house, and at night preached to about 400. Again God came down in power, and the meeting was kept up until morning. Many did not sleep that night, and neither did Turner. In nearby Inverallochy and Cairnbulg his first two nights bore little fruit but, in the third meeting, the Spirit of God came down on many. The same was experienced in Fraserburgh and in villages farther along the coast. He returned quite worn out to Peterhead at the end of December 1859. About a month later, he set out on missions to Portknockie, Findochty, Portessie, Buckie and Portgordon. In Portknockie he had a very crowded Sunday evening meeting, when strong young men were smitten down and became as weak as water. This continued till morning and many were saved. During this period there was a time when Turner preached in Banff while Duncan Matheson laboured in Macduff.
The indifference in Peterhead sorely troubled Turner, and he was not afraid to pray publicly for the unconverted ministers and elders in the Kirks. In the summer of 1860 the Turners' cooperage – a fairly large place – was arranged to provide seating for about 200 people. The intention was to have meetings on nights when the fishing boats were not at sea, but soon meetings were being held every night. Sometimes there was little appearance of fruit but, at other times, the quickening power of the Spirit was evident. Despite hostility, the meetings continued for 18 months, during which that humble place became the spiritual birthplace of many souls.
James Turner had contracted tuberculosis, and suffered times of severe illness. His exertions particularly took their toll in 1859 and 60. He continued preaching for as long as he could in 1861, and encouraged others "to think of the multitudes that were passing into eternity, strangers to God, with all their sins about them, unpardoned and unforgiven."³ His last words were "Christ is all!", and thus he fell asleep in Jesus on 2 February 1862, aged 44 years. Duncan Matheson's lifespan was but a few months longer. He was called Home in 1869, also aged 44 years. Their lives were short, but well spent, when that mighty wave of revival swept through the sea-girt communities of north-east Scotland.
¹ John MacPherson, Life and Labours of Duncan Matheson, pp 187-191.
² Ibid, p 187.
³ Elizabeth McHardie, James Turner, or, How to Reach the Masses, p 38.
