Litchfield enquirer., 1858-03-11

vival and in few weeks the next in the village, or the town, or the city. follows the example. uI-
 til tl,e whole district is awakened and aroused.
 In some instances the enthusiasm seems to have
 spread from place to place ith all the rapJiy of fire on prairie, It is belieyed, for instance that as many as a hundred prayer-ineeiings have been established in different Cities and towns throughout the cnuntry, from the single example lof pao,,-day meeting heii in this city in s,he :. Old North Dutch Church." Not all of these
 n,s e,inge held at the same time of day of even dailv- vel they have heen called into existence from the fact that this was called into existence before them.
 A similar religious feeling has not been known in this city for twenty five years About twenty- five years ago a revival of great power. which ex- cited to sympathy and ce-opera,on of great num- lbers of persons. bath church members and others.
 occurred ia New York. though its extent and results were far tess remarkable than those which
 have been already witnessed in the present state.
 Public ref Jlons meetings were then held in un- usual places, and at unusual hours. and were thronginsly attended. bat we believe that mid day pray-r-me.,ng. hei in the center of the bus mess circles of the city, and sustained largely by the most prominent business men, is novelty that was not then known. In fact, if the idea of
 such meeting had been proposed six months ago with any probably that it would soon be a,iendrd
 snt extent as io require three ronlns for the divided and everHnwino audience. it would have
 been regarded as hardly less than preprstrous
 Aud it is a precisely simiia, feeling lo that which is exhibited at these ard other reio ions
 meetings in this city. that is now spreading ihro'
 the country.
 The writer goes to give details of the progress
 of the work among churches of different denomi-
 natons-Co,. .gregational. Presbyterian Baptist, Sc.
 The following is from good Methodist authority: The Ministers of the Methodist Church in this city state that they have never known so general
 an awakening of religious feeling among the Meth
 adists as that which is now going on in this city
 and vicinity. The P1esbyterans. they say. have perhaps been even more zealous and successful in | the work than they but both denominations have
 received very large accessoGs of latc and the reyi ] val is spreading very rapidly.
 With one or two exceptions this outburst of re- 1 ligious fervor is by means recent It has been
 gradually growing in intensity for some time Con-
 versins with worthy pastor yesterday in regard to this movement, he said " The prospects are grand
 every where the people are filling the churches and
 the congregations are becoming deeply interested in the work of spiritual regeneration. And we find
 too, that the Spirit has quekened class of people
 wko were not church -goers. who never before felt
 an interest in religion Business men sea-captains
 sailors and others. who have been notoronsly ire
 ligios. are h ginning to realize that their spiritual
 'eing is destitute and undevelorcd. These men fill 1 the prayer meetings and hc me powerful iastru- ments for the salvation of others. Our daily meet ings are conducted hv clerstmen and laymcn but chiefly the latter. The principal work is accom- | plished by some means outside of church inau- ence. IL is d marked feature of the revival that
 most of these persona are led to serious thoughts
 hy other than "i have many persons said he, ''"ho come to me for advice. Men have come to me in great
 distress of mind and have found that they fail- ed to obtain peace until they had made rrstiiu- ,ion If that which they had wrougfuliy withheld. The revival in onr denomination is quite unpre- ced.ned in this city and it's vicinity. Such re- vival has never been known among the Meiho-
 dists before. In Brooklyn the good work is go- ing on 10 some ext mt We have an Association
 known as the New York Prayer- Meeting Associ- l aton which is composed of good, solid working men. Ms. Samuel Ha.s,rad. retired merchant. is it's leader They go around to different church. ss on Smrdav. and in many instances initiate the glorious work Last Sunday they went to the Se ven,h-streel Church. and held three services
 morning. afternoon and evening. The exercises consist of short prayers. hymns and exhoraions Since then the 'ivival in that church has been
 most wonderfully successful To-day they have
 taken my church (Dusne streetl, and have been
 hard at work. [rhe church was crowded through-
 out the day aud evening.l This revival is no,
 merely snprrfcial-it gn-s right down 10 the foun- dations of the popular heart. These hard times
 have set us all thinking. God grant that We may be gathers by our experience of adversty'' IN THE WEST.
 | Similar accounts are received largely from the West, and in some instances from the South.
 Multiplied rclie ieus meetings every held in the churches and a widespread and wider. ] spreading interest exists. This feeling, aud the
 efforts whicha put forth 10 retain and increase lit. are not exclusive or peculiar to any single Christian denomination. but seem to be shared equally by all And there i, one characteristic ui the revival which dtserves to be specially men, tnned.
 Extending as it does. widely throughout the West. we hear of no snch boistprous gatherings as were known in the early days of the pioneer .' camp meeting preachers :; but on the contrary,
 the meetings described being characterized if not will, genuine spiri1. ye, with high- CT moral lone and more unrxcep,onable deco. rum.
 The revival influences extend into the Episco-
 pal denomination, The Tribune says;
 "The piscoral churches do not as general tthing, court the term " revival" The ideas of the speedy and sudden conversion of muhitudes of prrs"ns-as sneh conversions are now occurring in other churches. and are welcomed by them, as evidences of the progress of religion--does no, h Armonza. and cannot be reconciipd with the TO- lions of many high-churchncn and accnrdingIy.
 in tte Episcopal churches, particularly in ihnss of
 the High Church order. a "r-yivar'- railed by that na,ne-wnuId be almost as as camp mrai-
 jug. But the Episcopal swspapers speak of an
 increased religions feeling in their churches, and of an increased nnmbrr of confirmations.''
 So much for ,he general intelligence. The indica-
 tons of growing solemn,y and attention to the concerns ot the word to come, in this community 4nd county, are such as are not to be overlooked
 nor to be observed with out devout gratitude.
 They are not the characteristics of a sect, but of inc Christian Church in all it's branches.
 e. of :,