THE REVIVAL IN IRELAND by J. Clarke

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 6, 1859

THE REVIVAL IN IRELAND.

By J. Clarke

It is not only proper to understand as far as we can what is going on in the world, but it is our imperative duty, in order that we may stand prepared for the events that await us. The signs of the present times do presage events, solemn and important.

Among the strange and sudden movements that characterize the present time, none are more significant than the religious movements of the past two, and the present years.

That a religious excitement has passed over our land, that tens of thousands have been added to the nominal churches within a year or two, is familiar to all. What the character of this movement is, time will soon determine.

The New York Tribune of Aug. 27, 1859, gives a report of a work going on in the north of Ireland, said to be the most wonderful of any religious movement in the church's history in modern times.

The work is characterized by a union of all sects, as in this country last year. Prayer-meetings are established, multitudes attend at all hours of the day and evening, and on all days of the week. As many as 40,000 people assembled in the city of Belfast at the Botanical Gardens for prayer on one occasion, and spent the day in religious worship.

People are struck down in a moment. In one case fifteen individuals were struck down while a man was praying with great earnestness. At another place while one prayed that the Holy Spirit might descend as with fire, a flash of lightning which filled the building at the moment, struck the congregation with awe; and trembling with terror they prostrated themselves upon the floor. Out of 700 there were one hundred convicted.

There are uncommon and singular phenomena attending this work, which characterize it more or less everywhere. Persons are struck in a moment with the most overwhelming sense of sin and danger. This is sometimes followed by entire prostration of bodily strength, and in all cases by the most acute anguish. People are borne out of these meetings in numbers, some fainting, some moaning heavily, some shuddering in every muscle, some in spasms and in fearful agony, crying for mercy. All classes, high and low, rich and poor, young and old, participate in the movement, and for the time a revolution seems to be taking place in morals among the people.

The above brief gleanings from the Tribune, show that a powerful agency is at work on the other side of the great waters. Those understanding the close of prophetic time in 1844, the cleansing of the sanctuary, and the work of our high priest in the time of the end, may be able in a measure to account for these novel proceedings. "The wise shall understand." Thank God for the precious promise.

The close intimacy this work has with the popular current, ignoring the Sabbath, ignoring the prophetic periods, and its popularity, with its secular turn, the union of men of different denominations, who will soon contend for what they call non-essentials, as we shall see, all speak significantly of the nature of the work.

Consider Spiritualism, with its accompanying evils, consider these modern revivals, which have terminated so abortively in this country, consider the world's false peace, so pregnant with future wars, in connection with the message of the third angel, and the light that emanates from it, and how clear it all looks. Have we not been apprised of this state of things, even before the event came? If so, may we not receive the truth and practice upon it? Surely the event is near at hand. J. CLARKE.