WHY DID the FIRE FALL IN 1857?

WHY DID the FIRE FALL IN 1857?
-Compiled by David Smithers

The climax of the awakening came in 1857. Noonday prayer
meetings were started in New York, Philadelphia and other cities.
Then the movement spread with lightning-like speed throughout
the land. In Philadelphia it is said that three thousand people
attended the noonday prayer meetings, and in Chicago some
two thousand were in attendance day by day. In one of Mr.
Finney's meetings in Boston a man arose and said: I am from
Omaha, in Nebraska. On my journey East I have found a
continuous prayer meeting all the way. We call it two thousand
miles from Omaha to Boston; and here was a prayer meeting
about two thousand miles in extent." The entire country was
stirred by these noonday prayer meetings.

Rev. John Shearer in his book on "Old Time Revivals" said: "In
answer to the Church's united cry, ascending from all parts of
the land, the Spirit of God in a very quiet way, and suddenly,
throughout the whole extent of the United States, renewed the
Church's life, and awakened in the community around it a great
thirst for God. When the Church awoke to the full consciousness
of the miracle, it found that from east and west, and from north
and south, the whole land was alive with daily prayer meetings.
And it was in these daily united prayer meetings that the great
majority of these conversions, of all ages and classes, took
place. The divine fire appeared in the most unlikely quarters.
A large number of the elderly were converted and gathered in.
White-haired penitents knelt with little children at the Throne
of Grace. Whole families of Jews were brought to their Messiah.
Deaf mutes were reached by the glad tidings, and though their
tongues were still, their faces so shone that they became
effective messengers of the gospel. The most hardened infidels
were melted, some being led to Christ by the hand of a little child."

Continuous Prayer

C. H. Spurgeon commenting on this great move of the Spirit said:
"In the City of New York at this present moment, there is not, I
believe one single hour of the day where Christians are not
gathered together for prayer. One church opens its doors from
5 o'clock till six for prayer; another church opens from six to
seven and summons its praying men to offer the sacrifice of
supplication. Six o'clock is past, and men are gone to their
labor . Another class find it then convenient - such as those,
perhaps, who go to business at eight or nine - and from seven
to eight there is another prayer meeting. From eight to nine
there is another, in another part of the city, and what is most
marvelous, at high noon, from twelve to one, in the midst of the
city of New York, there is held a prayer meeting in a large room,
which is crammed to the doors every day, with hundreds standing
outside. This prayer meeting is made up of merchants of the city,
who can spare a quarter of an hour to go in and say word of prayer
and then leave again; and then a fresh company come in to fill
up the ranks, so that it is supposed that many hundreds assemble
in that one place for prayer during the appointed hour. This is the
explanation of the revival!"

Prayer: A Divine Attraction

Samuel Prime in his book "The Power of Prayer" described the
effects the revival had upon New York City, "The prayer-meeting
became one of the institutions of the city. Christians in distant
parts of the country heard of them. They prayed for the prayer-
meetings. When they visited the city, the prayer-meeting was
the place to which they resorted. The museum or theatre had
no such attractions. Returning, they set up similar meetings at
home. The Spirit followed, and the same displays of grace were
seen in other cities, and in the country, that were so marvelous
in New York. So the work spread, until the year has become
remarkable in the history of the Church. This revival is to be
remembered through all coming ages as simply an answer
to prayer."

-Source-

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