Connecticut western news., 1891-01-07
CANAAN, CONN. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY

be anything like it in the next thirty centuries. Talk about your Black Fri daysl It was Black Saturday, Black Sunday, Black Monday, Black Tues day, Black Wednesday, Black Thurs day as we'll as Black Friday.
 This nation in it's extremity fell help less before the Lord and cried for par don and peace, and upon ministers and laymcn the power from on high de scended. Engine houses, warerooms, hotel parlors, museums, factories from 12 to 1 o'clock while the operatives were resting, were opened for prayers and sermons and inquiry rooms, and Burton's old theatre on Chambers street, where our ancestors used to as semble to laugh at the comedies, and all up and down the streets, and out on the docks and on the deck of ships lying at the wharf, people sang, "Au hail the power of Jesus name," while others cried for mercy. A great mass meeting of Christians on a week day. in Jayne's hall, Philadelphia, tele- graphed to Fulton street prayer meet ing in New York, saying, What hath God wrought2' and telegram went back, saying, Two hundred souls saved at our meeting today" ..-.
 A ship came through the Narrows into our harbor, the captain reporting that himself and all the crew had been converted to God between New Or leans and New York In the busiest marts of our busiest American cities, where the worshipers of Malnmon had been counting their golden beads, men began to calculate, What shall it profit man if he gain the whole worll and lose his soul2" The walters in res taurants after the closing of their day's work knelt among the tables where they had served. Policemen asked consent of the commissioners of police to be permitted to attend religious meetings. .a
 At Albany members of the New York legislature assembled in the room of the court of appeals at half past 8 o'clock in the morning for prayer and praise Printed invitations were sent out to the firemen of New York saying
 Come as suits your convenience best,
 whether in fire or citizens dress, but come! come!" Quarrymen knelt among the rocks. Fishermen knelt in their boats Weavers knelt among the looms
 Sailors knelt among the hammocks. Scboolmasters kneltsmong their classes. A gentleman travelling said there was
 line of prayer meetings from Omaha to
 Washington city, and he might have added line of prayer meetings from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast, and from the St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico.
 THE REVIVAL OF 1857.
 In those days what songs, what ser
 mons. what turnings to God, what re-
 citals of thrilling experiences, what prod
 igals brought home, what burning tid ings of souls saved, what serfdoln of sin elnancipated, what wild rout of the 1 forces of darkness, what victories for 1 the truthl What millions on earth
 and in heaven are now thanking God for 1857, which, though the year of 1 worst financial calamity, was the year 1 of Americas most glorious blessing!
 How do you account for 1857, it's spirit ! ual triulnphs on the heels of it's worldly l misfortune2 It was what my text calls the power from on high. .. That was thirty three years ago, and l though there have been in various
 parts of the land many stirrings of the oe1
 awakening. Does it not seem to you
 that we ought to have and may have l the scenes of power in 1857 eclipsed by
 the scenes of power in 1891? The cir cu1nstances are somewhat similar 1 While we have not had national panic
 and universal prostration as in 1857,
 there has been a stringency in the
 money market that has put many of
 the families of the earth to their wits
 end Large commercial interests col 1 lapsing have left multitudes of em- | ployes without means of support. The
 racked brains of business men have al
 most or entirely given way. New illus trations all over the land of the fact l that riches have not only feet, on l which they walk slowly as they come but wings on which they speed when | they go Eternal God! thou knowest 1 how cramped and severe and solemn a l time it is with many. And as the | business ruin of 1857 was followed by
 the glorious triumphs of grace, let the
 awful struggles of 1890 be followed by
 the hallelujahs of nation saved in
 1891 .t Brethren in the Gospel ministry! if
 we spent half as much time in prayer
 as we do in the preparation of our ser 1 mons nothing could stand before us. l We would have the power from on high as we never bad it. Private mem l bership of al; Chris!endom! if we spent half as much time in positive prayer l for this influence as we do in thinking
 about it and talking about it, there 1 would not be secretaries enough to | take down the names of those who 1 would want to give in their names for l enlistment. We would have hundreds of cases
 like those recently reported when a
 man said to an evangelist: II am a lost
 sinner. Pray for me. My wife has
 been professor of religion for years,
 but knew she did not enjoy religion,
 and I said if that was all there was in
 religion did not want it. But for the
 last few days she has looked and acted
 in such an elevated and glorious spirit
 that cannot stand it away from God.
 I want the same religion that inspires
 her." Comel Come! all through the
 United States, and all through Christen-
 dom, and all around the world, let us