Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-03-25

which nave Deen ALREADY witnessed IN the
present instance. Public religious meetings
were then held in unusual places and at un-
usual hours, and were throngingly attended;
but we believe that a midday prayer-meet-
ing, held in the center Of The business cir
Giles of the city, and sustained largely by the
most prominent business men, is a novelty
that was then known. In fact, if the idea
OF sach a meeting had been proposed six
months ago, with any probability that it
would soon be attended to such an extent as
to require three rooms for the divided and
o~verdoying audience. it would have been re-
garded as hardly less than preposterous.
And it is a precisely similar feeling to
that which is exhibited at these and other
religious meetings in this city, that is n
spreading throughout the country.
THE UMB OF DIVERSIONS.
1t is of course impossible to give accur-
ately, or even TO estimste approximately the
No. Of conversions which may be set down
as the result Of such a work. AL such re-
suits are expressed, to some minds, some
what repulsively by mere figure. The ac-
tual increase of religion in community is
not TO be measured by statistics. But to
give a partial idea of the remarkable effects
which have thus far been proceeded. it may
be mentioned that more than a thousand
conversions have been reported in cores
pondence of single religious newspaper,
for a single week. A journal of the religious
press in this city recently stated that it had
Counted seven Thousand in two weeks: and
this was merely the hunter which happened
to be given among the %"religious items" OF
only a portion OF the general newspaper
press during that time. 1t is not unlikely
that there have actually occurred in a single
,ceek, all parts of the country taken toaether,
as many as fifty thousand conversions. This
statement, surprising as it may seem, is
amply borne out by the facts.
THE EFFECT IN THE CITY.
The "Great Revival as all men call it,
is now an absorbing topic even for ordinary
conversation. The religious meetings that
arr held in various parts of tine city during
every day, are matters of common and street
talk. Notices of meetings for prayer and
other religious exercises have been publicly
placarded in many ofthe places where hand
bills are Usually posted. In MANY counting
rooms and stores, similar printed advertise
ments have been hung up, calling The atten n
ton of business men and others to the devo-
tional convocations. In addition to these,
tracts have been distributed in the cars, in
the omnibusses, and in the ferry boats,
calling he attention of the CHARGE reader
to the subject of religion, quoting passages
from the scriptures, and giving notices of
the meetings. Such tracts have even been
dropped on the pavements of the streets, for
passers-by to pick up-so that she who runs
may read.
The attendance, on the Sabbath, at the
churches, has been, for several weeks past,
unusually large. The congregations of
many churches, which have heretofore been
known quite as much by the pews that were
empty as by Il ose that were full, have OF
late greatly increased. As a general thing,
a very small proportion Of the churches,
either Of New York or Brooklyn, have beer
crowded at their former services. Usually
when the house has been three. fourths filed
or even less, it has been said that ether e
was a good congregation" while in not a
few hardly one:.fourth of the seats have been
occupied. A special occasion has ALWAYS
been needed to draw a crowded audience.
But full houses en- now be counted by
scores in either Of the cities, and particu-
larly on Sunday nights: 1t is a time for en-
couragements 70. ministers, and they are
preaching with more than usual vigor and
earnestness. A church member said a few
days since, that he had observed "that MANY
of the ministers were uncommonly wide
awake, and tina, ihey seem 10 have warmed
themselves at the general fire."
The prevalent feeling extends also among
Sunday schools. as well as among chur hes.
Many ofthese schools have, within a very
recent period, doubled, and, in some instan-
ces, tripled their membership; many con-
versions have occurred among the young
people whe attend them as scholars. In
many Of the schools, special efforts have
lately been made in order to make them
more profitable and useful, by making them
more attractive; and special services are
regularly held in some of the churches, ono
a month, for the benefit of the children con-
nected with them.
SYSTEMATIC VISITATION.
Some time ago, a plan was set on foot,
which was adopted by large number Of
churches, of various denominations in this
city and Brooklyn. for the purpose of pro-
noting attendance at divine service on the
Sabbath, by systematic vi itation of assigned
neighborhoods. Each church that entered
into the enterprise was allotted a certain
bound, or parish ,'of which it was the center,
in which eutry house was to be visited and
the religious condition of every family in
CURED into. The districts at FIRST chosen
10 be visited were chiefly poor and low
neighbors, where both The temporal and tie
spiritual desii'u'i ion ofthe people were pain
fully apparent. Parents were solicited to
go either 10 the church in the district, or to
other out of it which they might pre-
fer instead, and TO send their children TO the
the Mission, or the Industrial
In this way thousands OF persons,
of whom were formerly degraded and
have been reclaimed to a better
character and a higher socia' standing.
Gradually this scheme of visitation was ex-
Tended, So as to include the respectable and
fashionable streets, as well ss the .shigh-
ways and hedges" until finally no .pass-
was written on a brown stone front.
and Filth avenue itself was not left to be
And lroU the reports that have
been presented, the results of these efforts.
as seen among the higher classes of society,
hare been OF equal interest with those in
he lower. The number Of rich people, in
high life" who were found never to attend
any church, was enormous; though. of course
not SD large as the poor; for, not only are
our people in the majority in these times,
out in upper circles, religion is to a certain
iegree fashionable" and church-going il
AIKEN as an evidence Of responsibility"
Fn