Smyrna times., 1859-08-18
Forty Thousand People at a Prayer
Meeting.


Of the Christian era
ga great union prayer meeting in connection
with the present remarkable movement. was
held in the open air in Belfast, Ireland, on We'd
nesday forenoon, at half past ii o'clock. In
order to accommodate all parties, the use of the
spacious grounds OF The Royal Botanic Gardens
was Obtamed tor holding the meeting; and as
1t was well known that many persons from The
surrounding country were deslrUus to be pres
ent, special trains of uncommon length were
run by the different railway companies. Some
idea Of the interest felt may be Imagined wheu
we state that it is computed that no fewer than
fifteen thousand individuals arrived in Belfast,
and that from thrty-tve to forty theus- nd per
sons in all were present at the servlc,s.
The leading streets OF the town pr'>r
during midday, most remarkable asprc', PAT
tlculary after the arrival OF trains. The TO-
ways were literally thronged with we'll dre-,,.
and respectable looking people from the coun-
try-not passing along with the negligence ano
easy going Of pleasure-seeklng eXcurst"uIsrr.
but sald and solemn IN demeanor- The Young
er as well as the eldgr; and the ma lOrIll wIth
bibles or hymn books III their hands, as If y. o.
ceedlng to Sabbath services. On they passed
towards the place OF meeting, passed the gnt
terlng rows OF gorgeous shops, and throu. b lhe
fashionable thoroughfares. Thus the nting
stream-such a stream as was never brfule
witnessed in Bcast-poured onwards tor at
least two hours, along both sides Of the streets
The scene in the garden grounds $ sa,u by
the banner Of Ulster TO have been one OF the
most striking as well as impressive and ANNA
ting ever witnessed in the province. The
whole space within view from any point was as
closely packed was well possible for it to be-,
Even the branches of the trees were taken ad-
Va nta nf hv nbor. oft tb ;Yn
the audience, the most suitable situations Tor
seeing and hearing; aud while the sounds OF
praise were rising from the multitude below,
these young worshppers were beard joining ia
the song Of thankss wing. Nothing of holiday
levlty-nothlng Of the thoughlless mirth Of
youth, was manifested among these; their at.
tcntlon was as marked, and their conduct as
we'll ordered, as that OF any persons in he vast
assemblage. Both as regarded its magnitude,
and the deep solemnity and earoest spirit that
pervaded it, the meeting is said 10 have recalled
vlvldly the historic days and scenes of the sIng-
ing of the Solemn League and Covenant
The Rev. John Johnson Of TuIhIsh. Alodera-
tor OF the General Assembly OF the IRISH Pres
byterlan church, presided, and he YVES support
ed by the ministers OF the different Protestant
denominations IN and around Belfast Alter
prayer the chairman read chapter from the
Psalm; and never before IN Beltlst did so many
voices unite in such hearty accord in singing
this tuvOrlte song Of Zion. Scarcely had he
first note been raised on the platform, when It
was caught up by the Immense assemblage, the
majority of the voices combining IN Surprising
and uneXpectce harmony; and as each staDza
closed, the dying away of the cadence IN the
tar distance OF the throng had effect at once
solemn aud thrilling. Short addresses were
delivered by ministers and converts, and aso
by Mr.. William Dickson of Edinburgh, aud Alr.
Peter Drummond of Sterling. Prayers were
also offered Up, aud verses from hymns sung
AS it was impossible for the speakers on the
central platorIa TO makn themselves heard by
the whole of the vast multitude, cergymen Il nd
others scattered themselves among them, each
forming the centre of large congregaDl"n
which immediately gathered around, JON ug III
devotional exercises
At one time there were no less than twenty
of these subordinate meetings, numbering from
five hundred to one thousand each. Every here
and there throughout the immense multitude,
while the hymns or the prayer was arising on
high, persons were being struck down under
sense of deep und OverpowerIng convection of
sin. Inside OF some Of these circles there cOuis
not have been fewer than twenty prrsnns-
chiefly femalGs-a pparentI, under HE tiueHce
of spiritual Wis ion, at the same mutnrn' "a
sOme of them PROSTATE upOn the sWaru, and
others reclining upon the laps OF trIr.ds inesr
were affected IN various ways-somr rp.ng
bitterly, but silently, under deep cOnvIci,un
of SIN /; some crying plcously for mercy ann
others unable to utter word, thoroughly
were their physical faculties IN allegiance
In many parts Of the garden groups of boys
and girls, who had retired from the body of the
congregation, formed in the shrubbery little
meetings for prayer and exhortatlon among
themselves. Some of these were ragged little
boys, who had evidently belonged to the cut.
ca 81 classes. One of these cases was th,l at u
little boy, about ii years old, who, very
retired part of the garden, engaged /" prayer.
surrounded by about twenty lads of the Same
age aud class. Tns lad was, it appears,
elected by his parents, and formerly obtained
scanly livelihood by hawking ballads through
the streets and the tattered garments IN which
he as well as his companions were arrayed on
| Wednesday showed that, in that respect, theE
prospects in life had not much improved.
AT the close of the general meeting, one of
the ministers of the town, who had moved q
great deal among the juvenile population, was
surrounded by large assemblage of boys, who
ultimately formed themselves into a procession,
and marched into town, singing
20! that will be joyful
4 many of these children evidently belonged to
the lowest classes of society portion of the
procession, which divided from the rest, on az
rvng at the Pound district, ceased to sing tIll
they had passed IT'S dadgeTous precincts, and
resumed their song when they passed into
n Townsend street. The immense concourse of
people left the gardens in the most ORDERLY man.
ner-the majority of them evidently impressed
with the conviction that 1t good for them
TO have been there A few manufactures and
utner places of busnes, we're closed for the
day, in order to allow the workers to join In the
; absve service"
e O15- Mr.. Geo. Loring, the absconding Grand
Master of the Odd Fellows, in England, has
n appeared in Clifton, c. w. II will be recol-
. lecled that, before leaving ngland, he stole
y r,O nnO e a. E,nIz balon0ino IN aha n.Jo.