New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-11-20
THE REVITAL MEETINGS.

Last nights meeting closed inc eiOiIs OF
Messrs. Moody and Sankey in Brooklyn. From
beginning to end these meetings have been
crowned by unexpected success. The interest
felt in the services has continually accumulated
with their progress, and the size of the audiences
has uniformly increased. Nothing III secular
affairs seemed capable of drawing Oft the in
terest excited; not even all election when
reused the citizens of Brooklyn to throw oil
political yoke that has oppressed them Tor
years, and concerning which large and excited
assemblages were summoned by tOrch-ligllts
and fireworks and a superior class OF public
speakers. The first of the revival meetings,
on Sunday nearly four weeks ago, brought
together enormous crowds. These audiences,
it was surmised, might have been attracted
largely by curiosity. But the novelty soon
wore off, and yet the weekday meetings at
a. IN. and H. p. N. overlooked, and had to be
accommodated in neighboring churches. The
"ovcrflow meetings" continued as feature
of the work to the last. In the second week
a woman's prayer-meeting followed the morn
ing service, and a Bible meeting was held
in the afternoon, preceding the regular even
ing meeting; the additional gatherings were
about rs largely attended as the others 10
all these was added young mems meet
"ing," held at night after the evening service,
to accommodate clerks and other persons de-
tanned by business during earlier hours and
"lnoliirv meetings. were also held i'll the adj
Joining churches; and still there was no falling
off in the crowds that could not even find
standing room.
II is difficult to estimate the numbers that
have been present at these exercises. Count
ing in tho overflow meetings the audiences
must have included, especially toward the last,
from $4,000 to 10000 per day; perhaps
a higher estimate would be nearer the
fact. Different expedients were employed to
change the class of Neutrality-suspicious.
that would have been fatal to less absorbing
interest. TO many of the meetings at the Rink
church-gOers were not invited; indeed, they
were asked to stay away, and admission was
only procurable on tickets Obtained by the
statement that they were TO be used by the
unconycrtcd and not by church mem
bcrs. While 1t is impossible to OBJ
tain statistics on this point, the diff
forcnt appearance of the audiences OF sue
cessiye nights was evidence that they were
not, in the main, the same people. 1t Is per
haps safe to estimate that hundred thou
sand men and women have been at least once
present, but Of those that went once II large
proportion were eager to go again.
No attempt has been made to record the
number of conversions. The work that has
been done il TO be regarded as chiefly pre-
paratory. In this respect the present wave Of
religious feeling differs from those which have
swept over the country in previous years The
effect is a. yet an awakening rather than a
revival With the departure If MessrS. Moody
and Sankey, a great responsibility falls upon
the shoulders OF the pastors and churches OF
Brooklyn. Upon their efforts and those of their
leading church members depends the issue
whether the men and women who have been
aroused into thinking of their spiritual needs,
shall have their newly awakened feelings
warmed into religious life OF be suffered
to sink back into their old state The
conversions which flow from these meet
ncs will thus take place for the most part
within the shcltcring arms of the churches and
not in the wild excitement of special revival
gatherings la this very fact there is the good
prospect that the seed which actually springs
up will he carefully tended.