Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1875-04-29
Another Evangelist in Our Midst.
White Indefinitely Detained in
Chicago.
lie Writes an Epistle to the Meetings
at Nashville.
The Exposition Building ThrOnged
Yesterday and Last Night.
The Number of Inquirers Increasing
Mr.. Bliss Holding Special
Services Elsewhere.

day morning az ~ CLOCK anu ne services
for one hour. The exercises were very in
teresting, and considerable interest was
manifested by the young ladies. The ex-
ercises consisted in singing and praying
and brief addresses. This hour is set apart
every Wednesday for devotional exercises
by DIR. Ward. In the afternoon thirty or
forty of the pupils attended the Bible read
ing, marching in procession from the Semi
nary to the Exposition building and re-
turning in the same manner.
NOON PRAYER MEETING.
There was a larger attendance at the
prayer meeting yesterday than at any for
mer noon meeting, and there seemed to be
deeper interest felt blythe audience. Em-
barrassment seems to be giving away, and
persons in the audience speak out and tell
their experience more freely than they have
heretofore been doing.
The meeting was conducted by Mr.. Bliss,
assisted by some of the ministers with
prayers and voluntary remarks. A number
Of songs were sung and several requests,
written and verbal, were announced. Mr..
Bliss remarked that as he entered the
bQilding he was requested by a gentleman
to pray for his brother. He also said that
the meeting was fee for n one TO testify
in behalf Of Christ. The case had been
ably argued for several days past aud Jesus
had been on trial in the city of Nashville.
A large number of persons rose for
prayers and then a young man handed in
a written request asking prayers for his
mother. Prayers were requested for the
Young men Of the city and country and
also for the town of Franklin.
The last request wa made by Rev. 4. p.
Graevs, an Evangelist from New York, who
has just finished some very successful re-
vival work in Georgia, and will 90 to
Franklin to-day, where he intends holding
a series of union meetings.
Rev. Z. J. Duncan in a few touching re-
marks offered an appeal to the old men Of
the city, who scared and bruised in the
heated battle Of life and sin, were now
verging on the grave and eternity, unpre-
pared for the Joy in store for the pure in
heart. lie then offered a prayer in their
behalf.
Mr.. Bliss said that this line of thought
had suggested to him the grave and i'm
pOrtant duty of praying more frequently
for those aged fathers aud mothers who
were out Of Christ. He then sang a song
very appropriate to the remarks just made,
entitled "The FruitleSs Fig Tree" He
wrote the word "IpraiSe'' on the blackboard
and requested the audience TO write upon
slips of paper the words "What is Christ to
US -" the blank 10 be filed with some
word commencing with a word correspond
ing with the letters in "Praise" and after
another song the audience dispersed.
CHOIR REHEARSAL.
The choir had a rehearsal at half past 3
i rFa1,sl- NTH M Rlicc ac laaHar and snvaral
old and new hymus were practiced.
iii B READING.
The attendance at the afternoon meeting
was very large, there not being less than
twenty-five hundred persons present. In
| compliance with the request to URng words
containing the letters in praise several
persons submitted their written cOntribU-
tiOns, and a number Of verbal es9yOo. ~
were made by persons N eo''SI,
After the usual number of Sji
prayers, Dir. Bliss read several texts H.,
the Old and New Testaments, relative to
singing songs Of praise. He said that miu-
isters would sometimes say, in the course
of religions services in their churches, "Let
us unite in singing the hymn" number so
and so, and persons would rise aud join in
these solemn songs Of praise TO God, and
then, after leaving the church, would en-
gage in every kind Of sin. He desired to
enter his protest against such sacrilegiOU
singing. He had rather hear the
deacon in the church start the w
and break down a half AZ
fore be finished it, than 10 have per-
SONS singing in the choir that
were not personally cOnsecrated to
God. Mr.. Bliss expressed himself as
being in favor of dancing, when it was done
in the right way, but when it was done in
questionable places and in the darkness Of
night, which was the time for sleep, and
carried into bad company, he would have
bis opinion and they could have theirs.
The specimen of American singing, he
said, was such as 81 feel, l feel, l teel like
a morning star" which song had swept
from Maine TO Mexico, was not the right
kind of singing. II was d~ishOuOrable to
God, Injurious to the service and not at sli
Cody music. If he undertook to search
the piano racks in many Of the houses in
Nashville, he yeDtured TO say that he would
find a large number of songs that would
make the young ladies' faces blush 10 hear
sung at these meetings. Toeir parlO-s
should not be d~eSecrated with the infamous
trash that has been spread broadcast over
the land. He closed by reading the Sth
verse of the 4th chapter Of Revelations,
which he said had reference to solo sing
ing, the 18th verse Of the 9TH chapter had
reference to choir singing, and the 14th
verse Of the same chapter to congregational
singing.
The meeting was soon thereafter brought
10 a close.
Sermon Last Night.
Another large crowd filled the ExpOsi-
ton building last night, there being fully
four thousand persons present. The inter
est manifested was equally as great as at
any former meeting. The man whose time
is occupied at his place Of business during
the day; the mechanic, whose subsistence
depends upon his daily labor; the man Of
the world, who strOlls the streets and gen
orally seeks places Of amusement rather
than something which will give him eter-
nal pleasure; the wealthy and the pOOrwere
all there last night, and it was evident that
the work Of conviction has been steadily
going on.
After several hymns and prayer DR..
Baird announced that the evening services
would be conducted by DR.. A. p. Graves,
of New York, who had been engaged in
the South for the past few months in a
very successful work of evangelizatiOn.
Mr.. Graves read a scriPtural lesson after
which he offered a fervent prayer that this
place might be witness TO the salvation Of
many souls.
''All Hail the Power of Jesus Name
was sung, aud Mr.. Graves stepped forward
and commenced the delivery of 3 very elO-
quent discourse from the seventh verse of
the first chapter Of the first Epistle General
Of John: "The blood of Jesus Christ, His
son, cleanseth us from all sin"
He said he was a strangertO the audience
and had never seen the city Of Nashville
before yesterday. It pleased God TO take
away his father to a better land when he
was but nine yea Of age, and he became
a very wicked and wretched youth. Some
time afterward he went to live with a
Quaker family, and confessed that he gave
them great trouble and anxiety. He then