The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-08-20
Forty Thousand People al Prayer Meet
lag

|
presume that the numbers are somewhat
exaggerated. as other papers do not place
them higher than from twenty to thirty
thousand:
"A great union prayer meeting. IN con
nection with the present remarkable move
ment was held III the open air III Belfast.
Ireland on Wednesday forenoon, at half
past eleven o'clock In order to accomlno-
date all parties the Use Of the spacious
grounds Of the ROYAL Botanic Garacn WAS
! obtained for holding the meeting; and as
it was well known that many persons from
the surrounding country were deslrous to
! be present, special trains OF uncommon
length were run 10y the different railway
/ companies Some idea OF the interest felt
NAV be imagined when we state that 1t Is
! computed that no fewer than nit"cn thou-
! sand individuals arrived III Belfast. and
| that from th.rtv-five to forty thousand per-
sons in all were present ut the services
! The leading streets of the town. presented,
/ during midday, a most rcinarkatie aspect,
particularly after the arrival Of trains. The
! footwavs were literally thrCnged with we'll
dressed and respectable looking people
from the country not passing along with
then egiircnt and easy-rOin" ar # i'l' 4 ur"-
seeking eXcurSionists, but staid and soi' ma
I
elder: and the majority with Bibles or
I hvmn-books in their hands. a. II proceed
. inr 10 Sabbath services ON III " pa->ed to-
wards the place OF meeting. passed the
clittcriny rows of gorgeous shops, and
through the fashionable thorourhtaroS.-
Thus the living strcam-such Il stream n
was never before witnessed in Belfast
poured onward- for at least two hours, q
long both sides Of the streets.
The -c-u. in the garden grounds j.
said Ly the Banner of Ulster To have been
one of the most striking. a. well n impress
siye and animating. ever witnessed IN the
province The whole space within view
from any point was a. closely packed a. it
was well possible for it to be. Even the
. branches Of the trees wcr" taken adVan-
tace of bv numbers of the Junior members
+ of the audience a the most suitable sltua-
ton for seeing and hearing: and there,
while the sounds of praise We're rising from
the multitude below the-e young worship
,ers wcr,. heard Joining in the sony OF
thanksgiving. Nothing of holvday lcvity.
nothing Of the thoughti,.-. inrth of youth,
was manifest among these. Their atteI-
ton was a. marked and their conduct ~
we'll ordered n that OF any persons N the
4 va-ta~Scmhlage Both a. regarded IL mag
nitude and the deep -olcmnitv and earnest
spirit that r.rvaled il, the meeting l. Said
10 have recalled wildly the historic days
and scenes Of the signing OF the Solemn
Learuo and Covenant.
The Rev John Johnson, of IuliIll~h.
Moderator Of the General Assembly "t the
Irish PRESBYTERIAN Church. presided, and
he was Snnportad hv the ministers Of the
different Protestant denominations in aud
around Belfast After p'av"r the chair
man read a chapter from the Holy scrip
lures. and then gave ont the I0pth Psalm;
and never before in Belfast did 50 many
voices unite in such hearty accord in sing
ING this favorite song of ZION. Scarcely
had the first note been raised on the plat
+ form, when it was Taught -up By the i'm
mcnse aSScmhlace. the majority of the vol
T ces combining in surprising and uncXpec-
ted h1rmouy: and - each staU7I closed
the diving away Of th" cadence in the far
distance Of the throac had an ctic"t at
once solemn and thrilling. Short aidra~-
Sos wer" delivered hv ministers and con-
ver,~ and al-o lv Mr. Wm Dickson. of
Ediuhu~r. aud Mr. Peter Druumoud. of
Sterling PRAYERS were offered ~ and vsr-
So from HYMNS SUM y il Wa .mno~-ihie
for tn" speakers on the central platform 70
make themselves heard 10y the whole of
the vas, multitude. clergymcn and others
scattered themselves among them. each
forming til" ccntr" of 4 large CONGREGATION
which Immediately Gathered around Join
ing in devotional exercises.
Vt one time there were no less than
twenty oi these subordinate meetings. mum
beriur from FIVE hundred to one Thousand
each Every hc'e and there throu@l out
the immense multitude. while III" hymn
or the PRAYER was rising on high. persons
Were hriug struck down under IL sense of
deep and overpowcrin- conviction of Sin.
Inside Of some Of these circles there could
not have been fewer than twenty persons
chiefly fiemal"s-aTnarently under the
influence OF spiritual visitation II TIA" same
moment; some OF them PROSTATE upon the
sward. and others reclining upon the laps
of friends These were affected in various
ways. some weeping bitterly. but silently.
/ under deep conviction Of s.n: some cry
| ing l..teously for mercy: and others unable
to utter Il word. 80 thoroughly were their
physical faculties III allowance. In many
parts OF the garden groups of boys and
girls, who had retired from the main body
OF the congregation, formed i'll til" shrub
berry little meetings for PRAYER and eXhor-
tatiOn among themselves Some of these
We're ragged little boys. who had evidently
belonged To the outca>t CLASSES. One If
these cases was that Of Il little boy, about
eleven years old. who. in a very retired part
OF the garden. engaged IN prayer -urroun-
dcd 10y about twenty lads OF the same ace
and class. This lad was, it appears. neglect
ed by his parents, and formerly obtained
a scanty livelihood 10y Eaw king ballads
through the streets; and the tattercd gar
ment In which he as well a. lis compan-
| ions were arrayed on Wednesday showed
that, in that respect, their prospects in l;te
| had not much improved.
! AT the close OF the general meeting one
| of the ministers of the town, who has mov
| ed great deal among the juvenile popU-
| laton. was surrounded by a large asStln-
! blage Of boys, who ultimately formed them
! selves into Il procession, and marched into
| town singing %, that twill be joyful Ma
! ny of these children evidently belonged to
/ the lowest classes OF society. y portion
oil the procession, which divided from the
| rest on arriving at the Pouud district ce.ls
! ed To sing TIL they had passed lis danger
| Gus precincts, and resumed their songwhcn
! they passed into Townsend street. The
immense concoUrse of people left the gar
| dens in the most orderly manner, the ma
! ;ority of them evidently impressed with
the conviction that it was good for them
TO have been there. \ few manufactures
| and other places oi business were closed
for the day, in order TO allow the workers
| to Join in the above services.
Charles, love, won't you take me out
OF town this summer No, my pet
can tatlori it-tmes are dull; but we will
have the water cut off, the gas stopped
sleep up in the little back attic, and eat
stale peas, and not over fresh meat, and
! that will be 4 good imitation of life in the
country"
| Err Az or \ Coz .u1rII TUn Lees