York Street Presbyterian Church (1859)



"This meeting had not been announced in any pulpits on last Sabbath except York Street, neither had notice of it been given in any newspaper yet, before the hour of the meeting on Thursday evening, the church was crowded in every part. Precisely at half past seven, the appointed hour, the Rev. Mr Hamilton and Messrs. McQuilken and Meneely, two members of the church at Connor, entered the pulpit. Mr Hamilton stated to the congregation that it was evident that many of those who desired to join in the religious worship of the evening, could not be accommodated in the church.

"Thus, it was the garden at the rear of the church which was opened, and one of the friends from Connor addressed those who could assemble there. The immense crowds in front of the church immediately entered the garden, which had been covered with forms from the school rooms and by the young men of the church. The meeting in the open-air which occupied nearly the entire large garden, the property of the congregation, was opened with praise and prayer by one of the elders. Mr Hamilton, having opened the meeting in the church by singing the 126th Psalm and by prayer, said that the meeting would be addressed by two members of the church of Connor — a church in which he had laboured for the first ten years of his ministry — a church which was very dear to him. He had known these friends when they were children and rejoiced to see them in his present congregation telling the works of God, where he had first ministered the Word of life.

"One of them had given himself to the Lord about two years before. When he heard 'the Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come," he sought to obey the Divine command by saying to others 'Come.' He taught at a Sabbath School class. The Lord gave him another young man of like spirit to be a fellow labourer. They met for prayer. Another joined them, and another, and another. They prayed for the Sabbath School classes — that the Lord would bless the Word for the salvation of the children. They had not long continued in this exercise 'til they saw their prayers answered in one and another of their scholars. This encouraged them greatly. They increased their labours and their numbers saw their prayers answered in one and another of their scholars. This encouraged them greatly. They increased their labours and their numbers increased until, while they wished not to be seen, their work grew up into public notice.

The addresses were full of solid gospel truth, with much unction and delivered with much earnestness — nothing flimsy and nothing to awaken mere feeling. They were highly Calvinist — humbling to the sinner and glorifying to the Saviour. Mr Hamilton announced that there would be a meeting for prayer in the lower school-room of the church, the next morning at half past seven where there had been a meeting at the same time on the previous morning. He stated that there had been a prayer meeting in the school room by the young men of the congregation for a considerable time, and another held by the elders in the session room every Saturday evening. It was gratifying to him that both of these meetings had begun, and carried on, without any suggestion on his part, but rather entirely by the elders and young men themselves. After singing and prayer, the immense congregation separated at twenty minutes past nine."

"The Banner of Ulster" Saturday, 4th June 1859

Additional Information

I do not know where this church was. It was bombed in during the war.


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