San Francisco County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter 9 1900
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Book Title: History Of The First Pastorate Of The Howard Presbyterian Church

IX.

  BUT as the winter of 1854-55 went by I found myself completely worn down by
overwork.

  There was little or no opportunity for relief in those days. Ministers were
few and far apart, and all were confined, each to his own work. There were no
such things as "vacations" for any one.

  I had been in continuous service — such as I have described — for over four
years and a half, and was pretty nearly worn out. The doctor, as well as other
people, said I must have relief in some way. But how? That was the question.
First, as to the pulpit. There was a recently arrived home missionary, Rev.
Edward S. Lacy, who had gone to Crescent City, which was coming into note as a
growing town, to see whether the way was open there for the planting of a church.

  When he arrived in California a few months before, he came from the steamer
directly to my house.

  That first grasp of his hand won my confidence, and began a friendship that
grew into intimacy, and continued to the end of his life.

  He preached for me at least once before he left for Crescent City, and I saw
clearly that he was a rare and able minister.

  He had written me that it was somewhat doubtful whether things were then ripe
in that field for the establishment of a church, with any prospect of
self-support. On learning this, it occurred to me that possibly he might be
willing to leave that field, at least for some months, and take my place, and
let me go East and seek to recover strength, both of mind and body.

  I had been in California over six years. I had left home to come here only a
few months after my graduation from the theological seminary.

  My experience at home had been only that of a student. I had a great desire to
meet the men of my time, hear ministers preach, see how they conducted various
services, attend important meetings, find out how our far-off California was
viewed as a missionary field at home, and how it would seem to me, looked at
from that standpoint.

  And then I wanted to see old friends, — those, especially, who, six years
before, had bade me good by with such a deep interest in my untried undertaking,
and who had continued to manifest that interest in every possible way as years
went by.

  And so I wrote to Mr. Lacy, stating the circumstances, and asking him if he
would come and take my place for a few months, if I could find the way open to
go East with my family. He replied that he would certainly come, if it would
give me the relief I needed. Then I consulted the session, as well as other
members of the church and congregation, and the plan was approved by all, and
their co-operation was promised.

  The secretaries of the Home Missionary Society were written to, and a new
arrangement was made for their agency here.

  My resignation of editorial duty on The Pacific was accepted on condition that
I should be a frequent correspondent while away.

  And so, at last, all obstacles in the way of the plan seemed to be overcome,
and preparations for the journey were entered upon in earnest.

  They were completed when the sailing-day arrived, and on April 17, 1855, we
went early aboard the steamship Golden Age, in order to meet those who might
come to see us off. And they came. It seemed as if the whole congregation came,
and a great many other friends from the city, and we started on our journey well
assured of the affection and prayers of Christians, and the confidence and
esteem of citizens generally.

  We reached New York on Sabbath morning, just in time to attend church.

  Leaving my family at the hotel, I borrowed a hat — for my steamer-cap was not
quite the thing — and hurried to Dr. Adams's church, of which I had been a
member, and where I had so many warm friends. I was a little late, and the
service had commenced. But, quietly taking a seat, it made my heart beat with
joy to hear again the familiar voice of the pastor, and see all around me the
friendly people from whom it had been so hard to part some six years before.

  When the service was over, such welcomes and greetings as they gave me, pastor
and all, were worth the journey.

  My first duty was to attend the meeting of the Presbyterian General Assembly,
which was held that year in St. Louis, as commissioner from the Presbytery of
San Francisco.

  When that was over I was at liberty to go where I pleased. The entire summer
was spent in travel, in visiting old friends in their several fields, in
attending commencements at several colleges, also missionary conventions and
meetings of synods, and other literary and religious gatherings. One thing I
remember with peculiar interest. Young people in my congregation, and some
others, had asked me, if possible, to go and see their parents and home
families, and explain to them our California life.

  This I did, so far as I could, and it was a revelation to me. I never
understood before, as I did then, the depth of home love and solicitude for sons
and daughters beginning life in a far-off and almost unknown country. And it
introduced me to many new acquaintances, who ever thereafter were most valued
friends.

  The summer passed quickly, and when the autumn came we were anxious to return
to our California home and work.

  For myself, I had gained new and larger views of the importance of that work,
and many new ideas as to methods of carrying it on, and I felt almost impatient
at the prospect of the long journey that we must take before they could be put
in practice. I felt well and strong, and eager to meet my people and my
ministerial associates here, and share with them the toils and the joys of the
work before us.

  We were favored in our journey home, and arrived on New Year's morning of 1856.

  We received a most cordial welcome. Nothing was omitted by the people that
would give emphasis to it.

  I found the affairs of the church in excellent order.

  Rev. Mr. Lacy had proved himself a supply far more than satisfactory. The
church had prospered in all its departments of work while in his charge.

  And his ministry during my absence introduced him so favorably to the good
people of the city, that he was almost immediately called to the pastorate of
the First Congregational Church, where he was eminently successful in his ministry.

  This made him my near neighbor, and we were intimately associated in the
ministry here in the years that followed.

  My work in the ministry from this time on was given much more exclusively to
my own church and congregation than in the earlier years.

  It was now so large in numbers, and so well organized, that it could take its
part in all the departments of service belonging to the denomination and to our
local Christian and educational undertakings.

  But its first responsibility was its own up-building and enlargement in
spiritual life, and to secure this the concentrated energies of the pastor were
plainly required.

  It was under this conviction that I took up my work anew. My study stood close
by the church. There I spent my mornings, and the door was locked on the inside.

  Two sermons were to be prepared for the Sabbath.

  Notes taken during the journey had to be reviewed and opinions examined.

  New books brought home awaited a careful reading. Very soon a group of
studious young men proposed a Bible class to meet for instruction in my study
every Sabbath afternoon at three o'clock.

  On consultation, they chose to take up the Book of Job, and afterward Acts and
Revelation. This called for special study, and they all engaged in it. They were
regular in attendance, and punctual almost to the minute.

  I knew and felt that a great deal depended on the results of these lessons on
the members of that class, and I sought to prepare for it in that spirit.

  Afternoons I gave to visiting; calling on those, especially, who were sick or
in any special trouble, and calling on strangers, also, particularly those who
had been seen in the congregation, or those who had children in the Sabbath
school, or those in the outskirts who seemed to be alone and without friends.
The frequent changes in residence made plenty of this afternoon work.

  Great importance was attached to the midweek prayer-meeting, and this was
uniformly well attended, and the members of the session and others habitually
took part.

  The Sabbath school was always large, and full of live interest. And even now,
after wellnigh fifty years, I meet those who tell me that they were members of
that school, and that they have not forgotten the instruction received there.

  It is only a few months since I received a letter from a woman whose home is
in a mining county, and whose children and grandchildren are living around her,
telling me how vivid was her memory of that school, to which she belonged when
she was a girl, naming her teacher, an excellent gentleman, and asking me to
tell her if he is yet alive.

  The church was positive in its principles, its doctrine, and its character,
and yet it joined heartily with all other churches in the city that stood for
the Christian life and morals.


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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