San Francisco County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter 13 1900
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Book Title: History Of The First Pastorate Of The Howard Presbyterian Church

XIII.

  THE home life and activity of the church in 1856 was not so much disturbed by
the civil commotions as might be supposed.

  But when, in the latter part of the year, things quieted down, spiritual life
took on a brighter aspect. And as the year closed, and the new year 1857 opened,
the religious condition among us was far more hopeful than it had ever been.

  At the same time, a thorough study of the Bible was carried on, and the
Sabbath school had a corps of earnest and faithful teachers. The pupils were
encouraged to commit to memory the answers in the Shorter Catechism by the offer
of the gift of a handsome Bible to every one who should recite them all
correctly at one sitting.

  These Bibles were furnished gratuitously by a Christian gentleman of Brooklyn,
New York, who made the same offer to all the Sabbath schools in California, and
hundreds of Bibles were earned and distributed in that way.

  With us it promoted greatly the serious study of the Bible, especially among
the older pupils. And the memorizing of the catechism gave definiteness and
point to that study, the result of which appeared later.

  The entire year 1857 was given to undisturbed Christian service.

  Civil affairs were now in a very satisfactory condition. Public confidence was
restored, and the attention of Christians was more than ever concentrated upon
religious work.

  A deep interest was taken in the college school in Oakland, which, in its
growth, was now approaching the time when the college itself must be organized.
  To prepare for this, it was necessary that a wider co-operation in the
institution and its plans should be secured, as well as an intelligent
constituency gathered to its support.

  To this end, I carefully prepared and preached several sermons, giving the
reasons why Christian people in a new state should see to it, at any sacrifice,
that the young were provided with the means of higher education, under the
pervading influence of the Christian religion.

  The officers and leading members of the congregation enlisted heartily in the
support of every measure deemed necessary to. prepare the way for organizing the
college. It may be said truly that the church adopted the college as one of the
objects of its earnest and persevering support, and its members gave generously
to its funds.

  There was a right hearty enthusiasm in this, as was seen in the large
attendance of the members of the congregation at the examinations and public
anniversaries of the school in Oakland.

  As we approached the year 1858, all the church services increased in interest.

  The pastor's Bible class was full of interest, and the Sabbath school was
larger than ever. The prayer-meeting services were full of spiritual life, and
there was no need of urging attendance upon them. In the early spring of 1858
came the wonderful religious revival all over the East! Even the daily papers
from there were full of it. I got a copy of the New York Tribune one day, on the
arrival of the steamer, and, on opening it, found an entire page and a half
filled with accounts of it.

  I was so surprised to see this in the Tribune, that I remember having stopped
on the sidewalk, near the Plaza, and read it through, for I could not wait to
get home. Of course all Christian hearts were stirred, and the hope sprang up at
once that our churches and all the people might share in the wonderful blessing.
  One of the statements in the Tribune was this: —

  " Mid-day prayer-meetings of business men are held in the heart of New York
every day, attended not only by religious people, but by multitudes of others.
And what is true of New York is true, also, of other cities, east and west."

  The New York Commercial Advertiser said: — .

  " Never before during the life of the present generation was a religious
movement less open to ridicule or exception of any kind."

  News of a similar kind continued to come as the year advanced, and its
influence made a profound impression here, and in all our California towns. In
this city, a daily -noon prayer-meeting was commenced in the Young Men's
Christian Association rooms early in April, and by the 15th of the month the
attendance had risen to one hundred. Members of nearly all the churches took
part in these meetings, and a popular interest was awakened in them that
continued through the year.

  There came a request from a group of some twenty men, living in a section
outside of the city, none of them professors of religion, asking that a meeting
might be appointed in their neighborhood, and that some Christians would come
and pray with them.

  Christians from abroad, who were in the city, attended our noon
prayer-meetings, and some of them wept for joy at the scene which those meetings
daily presented.

  Our church services were filled with new life. Preaching the gospel then was
so easy and delightful. Additions to the churches on profession of faith soon
began to take place.

  At our communion in August, 1858, we received eleven of our choicest young
people as a beginning.

  And so the work went on through the year, the most favored in the history of
the state hitherto.

  Nor were the benevolent activities of the church diminished. On the contrary,
together with another church it almost literally supported and carried along
churches that had lost their houses of worship by fire.

  The social life of the church was by no means forgotten. The Pacific of
December 2, 1858, mentions a reunion in the pastor's parlors on Thanksgiving
evening, saying that "it was a large company, and one of the most enjoyable
entertainments of the season."

  In February, 1859, the pastor preached two discourses, reviewing the ten years
then past since his arrival in California, and describing the condition of the
churches and of church-work after the lapse of the ten years. This was done,
more especially, to convey, "by their publication, to Christians at the East a
true idea of the progress of the work they had maintained here, and to show them
the urgent necessity of a still larger outlay of means to support and enlarge
it. Meantime some of the young men of our church opened a Sabbath school in a
building situated near the corner of Harrison and Third streets, where many
people were living without any means of religious instruction.

  Others joined in similar work in Hayes Valley, and later on in one or two
other places.

  Out of these beginnings in the teaching of the Word, churches have grown, and
stand to-day holding forth the Word of Life to all around them.

  So manifest was this Christian activity, that The Pacific remarked, in August,
1859, "The power and efficiency of the Howard church now rests largely with the
young men who have recently joined it, and who are throwing themselves with such
energy into its work."

  Among the additions to the church this year were Captain Albert Hall and his
wife, Mrs. Matilda Hall, who joined on confession of their faith on April 12th.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

THE HISTORY OF THE FIRST PASTORATE OF THE HOWARD PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 
1850-1862

BY REV. SAMUEL H. WILLEY
THE FIRST PASTOR

SAN FRANCISCO: THE WHITAKER AND RAY COMPANY (INCORPORATED)
1900

COPYRIGHT, 1900
BY
SAMUEL H. WILLEY


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