New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-03-01
THE RELIGIOUS AWAKENING
ORIGIN and Progress Of the Work
THE DAILY PRAYER MEETINGS

tb.ft here ia sOw being manifested, in tins city, a
unu.u,l and increasing attention to religion. Aw
markedly earnest state Of feeling on tAis subject II
heeo Developing Itself ior some time past auoas 4
o,.,sss Of the community here--from the hishsssk
the Notwithstanding those out of the church q
well a. those in it. Nor has this quickened ntsrsx
:, rsligion. and this increased attendance 0,
religious meetings, been in anywise conhaed n
peculisr 10 this city; for it extends IN an equal ad
IN msny instances, in still greater degree to Il
parts of the county. The exchange newsPapsa
both religious and secular, that come TO US from "
quarters, spe ak of an unwonted revival Of regsas
feeling in their vicinity, and in the country Tar saA
near around them. In fact, sudden feUof sssas
to have seized the public mind. Everywhere me-
are crowdins to religious meetings, and the sPrt
with which the crowds are impressed, and which b.
cites them to 80 general an attention to religion al
religious services, seems to be animatins u
whole land. The revival spreads almost as
contagion. II Is everywhere expected, lie
an epidemic. A meeting is organized in oas
place, and in DAY or two sfteward another 10 ur
70 follow in the nearest neishbOrhood One church
breaks out into revival, and in few weeks the
next in the village or the town, or the city, follows
the example, until the whole district is awakened
and aroused. In some instancss the enthusiasm
,eems to have spread from place to place with ~
The rspidity of fire on prairie. tits believed Cor
instance that as many as hundred prayer-meetnN
have been established in different cities and town
throughout the country from the single example If tAs
MONDAY meeting held in this cityi the "Oh Sodh
Dutch Church." Not al Of these meetings are bad 4
the same time Of day, or even daily, yet they have
been called into existence from the fact that thh NJ
called into existence before them.
similar religious feeling has NOT been known ia II
CITY for twenty-five years. About twenty-five yN
ago revival of great POWER, which excited thssy s
patby and cooperation of great numbers OF perscaI
both church members and others, occurred 10 Men
York. though its extent and results were tar less ~
msrkable than those which have been alresdyvh
messed in thepreseut instance PubEcreigous meeting
were then held in unusual places and at unusual hours
and we're throngingly attended, but we believe A&
q midday prayer.meeting held in the center Of Tho
business circles of the city and sustained largely by hs
most prominent business men, is q novelty that VIZ not
then known. In fact if the idea of such meeting hA
been proposed six months ago, with any probsbuxy
that il would soon be attended to such an extent a.
REQUIRE three rooms for the divided and overowng %
dience. il would have been regarded as hardly ~
than preposterous. 80,
And it is precisely similar feeling to that which
exhibited at these and other religious meetings in taA
oty. that is now spreading throughout the country.
IN NEw-ENGLAND.
In New England and psrtcularlyin Connecticut ~
numbers of conversions, and Of additions to the ss
bership of the churches, are unprecedented. Since "
first great revival in -England-which was known
as the "Great Awakening" and oceuns1 b
the time of the celebrated Jonathan Edwards
there has been nothing equal to what
ow passing In fact the present reviw
il said to erceed the former-n the extent, at sst,
not in the feryor of it's work The memory Of Whtefek
ind the effects which followed his eloquent preschas
cannot but be forcibly recalled in view Of tho CRED
numbers of persons that are now everywhere profess
ing conversion and entering the church. We ere 70
ormed that there are several towns in Eew-Engsai
n which not single adult person can be found Mo
has not been converted, and become member III
church
IN THE WEST.
Similar accounts are received largely from the WNt
and in some instances from the South. Multiplied
religious meetings everywhere held in the churches
and widespread and wder-spreading interest exsA
This feeling, and the efforts which are put forth 10 n
tain and increase it, not exclusive peculiar 10 say
single Christian denomination, but seem to be shsrsd
equally by all. And there is one characteristics Of
the. revival which deserves to be specially ms.
toned. The early revivas in the West, pstrs
larry those in uncultured settlements. were marked
with degree Of unnatural and even of supernsturd
excitement which has become traditional; yet iu the
present religious awakening, extending az Il doss
widely throughout the West, we hear of no such boo
ferrous gatherings were known in the early days
the pioneer camp meeting preachers" but, on W
contrary, the meetings described being chsne.
teIzed, if not with more genuine spirit, yet wShF
higher moral tone and unexceptionable decuuu,
There seem to be new instances of such histories
and remarkable manifestations of the Divine Spin 10
at least what were st the time thought TO be sucA
as were known by the term Jerks" In all the ~
vval intelligence which we have seen--and for VI
last few months it has largely occupied the n
gious newspapers and to no small extent some OF y
seculaI-there has been but one solitary instance
this sort to remind of the olden times and the cs
grounds Of the frontier. This occurred in TennesseI
In region of zealots known as "Hsrd-Shell Bsptiss'
who were reported as having experienced convulsoa
and other violent shocks to the physical and nerves
system while assembled in an excited and oyer.sms
lated religious meeting. On the contrary the prssed
revival, it is manifested both at the East and Wed
is marked with great sobrety, and acommeoisblefe'
dom from undue excess. II gives evidence offs wea<ss
uated enthusiasm rather than wild excitement, ana~
such has better promise Of sautary effects than any
previous revival that has passed over the eorsy
OF the causes to which these unusual and n,enos~
effects may be traced, it is hardly necessary to- e.
they will be everywhere recognized IS provides
and divine. 1t may be stated that the immedne
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