Reciprocal Church History Tour

Public Domain John Wesley: he visits his mother's grave in Bunhill Fields, London. Aquatint by G. Hunt after W. Lee. Wellcome Collection.

Last week, as Mike Iliff was in London, I reciprocated his tour of Llangeitho with one of Bunhill Fields and the Wesley Museum (hence the recent list here). Besides the godly men Bunhill Fields is the final resing place also of the writer Daniel Defoe (who did come to faith later in life, I believe. Robinson Crusoe is worth reading for the evangelical content alone) and poet and painter William Blake (a Swedenborgian by persuasion). For more on the dead of Bunhill Fields, see Alfred W Light's tome, accessible here. Across the road from Bunhill Fields is the Wesley Chapel and the house in which he latterly lived. It was good to see that again. There is a little museum in the basement of the chapel. Wesley is buried behind the chapel. Both places are free to enter, the nearest tubes being Moorgate and Old Street. More here and here.

(In the picture above someone has imagined John Wesley visiting his mother's grave in Bunhill Fields).

Llangeitho

Yesterday (Wednesday) a friend here in Aber (Mike Iliff) kindly took a myself and another minister friend (Peter McKenzie) down to Llangeitho. It's only about 20 miles away but for some reason I had never been.

The main thing to see is the statue of Daniel Rowland outside the present CM Chapel. Some few things inside the chapel go back to Rowland's time too (the flagstones on the way in and a communion cup). He began ministering in the Parish Church which we also saw. That is where he is buried and there is also a pulpit there he is believed to have preached from.

The other thing to see these days is a slate plaque outside the caffi, which notes that this is where Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones lived 1904-1914 (as reported on this blog some time ago).

It was a very nice afternoon out and a reminder of the greatness and providence of God. I can recommend the bacon bap at the caffi, very nice.

The 19th century was dne by Edward Griffith. Below it are these words

Daniel Rowland ganwyd 1713 bu farw 1790

O nefoedd! nefoedd! nefoedd! Buasai dy gonglau yn ddigon gwag on i buasai fod sion yn magu plant i ti ar y ddaear!

Meaning

Daniel Rowland Born 1713 Died 1790

Oh Heaven! Heaven! Heaven! Thy corners would be sufficiently empty were it not that Zion is nursing for thee children upon the earth.

O nefoedd! nefoedd! nefoedd! was apparently a saying of Rowland.

Good Resource

There are some good resources here on Mike Iliff's blog, including the annual letters sent by Lloyd-Jones to his congregation when at Westminster. See here.