Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-08-10
9ailg Sireinian.
Forty Thousand People at Prayer Moot
ing.

ing.
The Edinburgh Witness gives the suboined 40
count Of n very remar kable prayer-neetng. pro-
badly the largest ever held since tho dawn of the
Christian era.
IA great union Lrayer-meeting, in connection
with the present remarkable movement. was held
in the open mir in Belfast ireland. on Wednesday
forenoon, at halfpast eleven clocks In order to
accomm odate all parties, the use ot tho spacious
grounds Of the Royal Botanic Gardens was obtain
ed Tor holding the meeting and as it was well
known that many persons from the surrounding
country were desirous to be present, special trims
ot uncommon length were run hy the different
railway companies Some idea of the interest felt
may DO imagined when we state that il ia comput-
ed that no fewer than fifteen thousand indivdiu-
ais arrived in Belfast. and that from thirty .Gvo to
ior,y thousand persons in all were present ut the
services.
The leading streets or the town presented. dur.
ing midday, most remarkable aspect. particular
ly after the arrival of the trains. The iootwuys
were literally thronged with wel-dresscd and re-
sneetable 'o"king people from the couniry-not
passing along with the negligence and cnsy going
OF pleasnresceking cxcurs'nists, but stnid and
solemn IN dcmranor-the younger ns well Rs tho
elder; and tho majority with Bibles or h hymn. books
in their hands, il proceeding to Sabbath servi-
ees On they passed towards tho place of meet
ing. passed the glittcrng rows OF gorgeous shops,
and through the fashionable thoroughlarcs. Thus
the living strcam--such II stream ns was never be-
fore witnessed IN B"lfast-pourcd onwnrds for nt
irast two hours. along both sides of the streets.
''The scene in the garden grounds il snid by the
Banner Of Ulster to have been one Of tho most
striking aswel as impressive md nnimnting ever
witnessed in thcprovincc. The whole space with
IN view from any point was as closely packed ns
1t was well possible for il to le Even the branch
csofthe trccs wer" taken advantage of by numbers
of the juniour members Of the auliance. as the
ia Itnu lr han
and thoic, while the sounds Of praise were rising
from the multitude below, these young worshipers
were hcntcd joining III the song Of thanksgiving.
Nothing Of holiday levity-nothing ofthc thought
less mlrth OF youth-was manifest among these;
their attention was marked. md their conduct
as wei! ordered that of any persons in the ynst
assemllage' Both IA regarded its magnitude. .nnd
the deep soemnity and earnest spirit that pcrvad-
ell It, the meeting is said to have recalled wildly
the historic days and scenes oi the ginging Of tho
Solemn League and Covenant
"Thr Rev. John Johnson of Tullilish. Modera-
tor OF the General Assembly of the Irish preslyte
flan Church. presided mud he was supported by
the m nisters Of the different Protestant dcnomina.
tons in around Belfast. After prayer, the chair
man read chapter from tho Holy Scriptures. and
then gave out the Tooth Psalm; and never before
in Belfast did so many voices unite in such hearty
accord in singing this favorite song of Iion.-
Scarcely hnd tho first note been rnised on the
Platform, when it was caught up bv the immense
nssemblage, the mn ority OF the voices combining
in surprising and unexpected harmony and az
each stanza closed, the dying away of the cadence
in tho far distance Of the thrnng had mn effect mt
once solemn aud thrilling. Short addresses were
delivered 10y ministers and converts, and also by
MIR. William Dickson If Edinburgh, and Mr.. Pc
ter Dfummnnd Of Sterling. Prayers were also Of
ferel up, and verses from hymns sung. As it was
n,rossible for ,hespenkcrson ON the central platform
L. n,pke Themselves beard by tho whole Of the vast
multitude, clergvmeu aud others scattered them.
selves nm"ng them. each forming the centre OF Il
lhree e"ngr' CATION which Immediately gathered
around, joining in devotional exercises.
AT one time there was no less than twenty of
these subordinate meetings, numbering from five
hundred to one thousand each Every here and
there throughout the immense multtuie, while
the hymn or the prayer was rising on high. per
sons were being struck down under sense of
deep and oyerpowering conviction Of Sin. Inside
o! some of these circles there could not have been
fewer than twenty persons-chiehy iemales--ap-
parcntly under the influence Of spiritual vsiin-
ton, Mt the same moment: and some of them
PROSTATE upon the sward, and others reclining
upon the laps Of friends. These affected in
various ways--some weeping bitterly. but silent
ly, under deep conviction Of sin some CRYING
pitcously for mercy; and others unable to utter u
word, so thoroughly were their physical faculties
i'll abeyance In many parts of the garden groups
of boys and girls who had retired from the body
of the congregation, formed in the slrubhery little
meetings for prayer and exhortation among them
selves. Some of these were ragged little bows.
VIII, had evidently belonged totlc ou,cnst classes
One Of these cases was that ofn little hov about
eleven years old, who. in very retired part Of
the garden engaged in prayer, surrounded by
about twenty lads Of the same age and rlass.--
This lad was. it appears. neglected by his pa
rents. and frmerly obtained a scanly livelihood
by hawking ballads through the streets. and the
tattered garments in which he m well az his com.
panions arraved on Wednesday showed that.
in that respect. their prospects in life had not
much improved
AT the close Of the genera! meeting. one of
the ministers Of the town, who has moved q great
deal among the juvenile population. surroun-
ded by lurge asscmbage of boys. who ultimate
ly formed themselves into procession and march
cd into town, singing
%! that will be joyful
Many of these children evidently belonged to the
lowest classes of society. A portion of the pro-
cession. which divided from the rest. on arriving
at the Pound district, censed to sing till they had
passed its dangerous precincts. and resumed their
song when they passed into Townsend strort'--.
The immense concourse Of people left .he gardens
in the most orderly manner-the majority Of them
evidently impre ssed with the eonvicti, n tint it
was good for them to have been therr.' a few
manufactures and other places "f business were
closed for the day, in order to allow the workers
to join in the above services"