, 1861-01-05
THE NATIONAL FAST.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES YESTERDAY.

ITS OBSERVANCE IN CHICAGO.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES YESTERDAY,
| TIE EXERCISES III ogR CHURCHES.
THE CLERGY ON THE CRISIS:
Prayers for our R11er4 and the Nation
They RuIc.
1t certainly seems healthy change in pub
lie sentiment, when confession is made by
the President Of our Nation that there may be
aomething after all, in national affairs, suita.
bic to furnish theme for pu1pIts and
pzoyermectlngs. We used to be told
oY the highest authorities in Democracy, that
political preaching and political prayers were
chief evil amoug us, and Of sufficient ma.nl-
tude to evoke thunders from the senate
Chamber, and solemn protests in Presidential
slessagea, and it is no remote page in our his
tory that bears the grave rcbnkc to the
"thrce thousand clcrgymcn.''
We have come. upon new state Of things.
when the highest Of our Public Functionnrics
confsrcroo ron,, s,,s.. sr-t.~..,.N 80 aoo lue
ent horn,n so,t-. ,s;,,;s. 49, - .N"n,, ~ +.
toa3low that subjects for prayer and preaching
may be found less remote In history than an
cient Babylon and Judca, and nearer than Bor-
rioboola Glla, and Patagonin.
The National Fast Day in this city yesterday
was very generally observed by the religious
public, and very full notes are appended Of
these services in Numbers of our churches.
In tue city at large there was little. however.
as also the Fcderal Courts, and there vas no
meeting Oh Change. thouch probably 1,af, If
convened it vou1d haye becn one of thc ,o,st
solemn gatherings of the dav. The streeta
were busy rs usual and under the inf1uenccs
of good siciehinc and q clear cold atnosnhcre
a liberal use WIS made Of livery aud priyate
establishments. Still very larrc number of
our citizens turncd aside from their usual ayo.
cations for portion Of tho day at least. md
assembled in their several places Of yorshin.
where the exercises, under the fnauencc Of thu
alarming aspects of the tf,nes werc or nm i'm.
pressivc and Interesting CHARACTER. With 4hic
this preface we proceed TO scparatc mention
Of some Of these gatherings.
FIRST coNGREGATIoSAI cnr,Rcu.
Rev. w. n. P,,fton the n,z+or ~ +,;a rh,,o,,
oue of The most nrnm1nent ,n M We ~;
r;,fon f,s m txr, sncccss,ro ,,aa.a;.,s o.
baths made esncc,o, refs,cnca =, ou- St,
affairs. Sabbath bcforc ,aat In rhoso ,,,s thass~
!" Po1ye7 TOR Ru,e7s" md m Inst s,,,,,,t,, u17,
,sudd.nu.s. of Re4yz,aion.n from ~ to~t o.
Chron., 20, 60, "And the thing WIS done srd-
dcnly.n showing bow God advance. H. ,o,,..
on earth. IIavinar fhrs in , n.,e,-o ,,,+;a;,..
ted the themes surrcste,, for veetcr5,r ~
public service was 3c1d in tbc MI, ,4i,onae ~
room, but large and ruftv ,ttc,t,ed .r,~o.
meetings were held ot II i n ordopu
1t 1ts last cyeniue the occasion of Tho ,,su,,
Church prcnaratorr Lc,trrr 3gr p,,to,
preached from Il. 50,h c,,.. 7f,.t xarsc ~.
theme being: Directions to tbosa Win ~ l.,
Gloom by rrasou of trials ncrso,,1 ,,d n..o
ri, or the services at this ehnrcf, ,restera.,
as a whole it NAV hc sa;d that bo,, l., ,,,,to.
and people there was hcto,,cncd , -oco,n,tto,
Of the workings of rroy;donca in n-cs,nt
rTFSlHfnf Ynyr%n
bcred and in feeling and impressive terms IN
ylcw Of the 1,irl trusts atout to t,c c,,n,,ft~
ted to him.
srro>rn nprepx-rr,,,.~, c-,.
.,u:.as - w ,'.,sN - 'e.'"' >nufeues
e,aN.4 c',. e.osA ~ anlo" SUI
IVY :" ~ W ~ 4eeDs 'etA1u enuftne 1nc
pas''e' N.Y. H. fa11etson' led the exercises,
'u 1.v' ~ ~, appfol's".e prayer os Mr- '.'e'
."~ 49,. .n.a ,n sa.uts' he'' M1.
o""3, ~ 'ao A'A'o ticsos'etaan ehufeh,
e'Ao tn1s was al oceasto'e 'n which our Ill
1sss's a.'u a'so.o.e "el'en"enec n1'on toa
e -'u,',., o 80 'N' oeuoI a'la o"n-
80 - "u1ea ~ '"c su'1ou'ls'eo, mA cou4d
DAu sonA.o,. 4., ~ ,l' assurance '''at "oo pus'
ro..s ~ '".' n.''vn ''nu - LIS enesen people
"uu.a " ".eon'n''Sueo' ae WIS aplc 10 "afd
"" u'e.>ese1'' "'u eat' eo uSl'ose VI ln1s tue
w. .! ao' 80 n'a'use n' ~ ao'anee INC sio1y
-. MA 10 WELL tneRelofc, tnas tne
u"s e1'ieo tuc peopc tosetaef, and
~ tneiu ~ p''ns' tnel1 case before
tAln' "no - ootn aus anu Wiling TO deliver
Us OUT OF an our ffonoles.
Acs. Ar. dickinson said 1t Was an indication
LOT sooo "Aen 1he frcslaent' dlstfnsfsng his
own "lsaom, ana 1hat OF those by whom be
IS surFoonaed, recommended the Christians Of
INC n"tion 10 nflns 1oc matter directly to the
Anua'te one lnis very 1act gl:es us right
70 nope that TOD Will hear and answer the
prayers OF his people. Mans wisdom, the
counsels OF the wise ones Of the land were all
at iault Tic praying Of Christians will have
q good effect upon those who do not pray.
Thousands Of Christians in all the s1ava States