St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1881-03-11
The Religious Awakening in Cali
fornia.

nian of February IL on Floods i'll Cal !
ifornia,r leaves a somewhat wrong i'm
preston. 1t says, "To day Thursday |
is appointed as fast throughout the
state, although it is expected the worst
of the flood is over" Both statements
were true. California has had flood,
aud she has had a fast,-but the two
had no connection. There are doubtless
many in California who would bethink
themselves of praying when the floods
were coming; but tho vast majority
would think about raising the levees
and passing debris Bills" to counter
act the evil results of hydraulic mining,
which has been gradually raising the
beds of the rivers. The "powers that
be- in California do not proclaim fasts.
They do not think much about de-
pendence OH a Higher Power, anyhow.
They vigorously exclude all religion
from the schools. SO suspicious are
they on this point that when his excel
lency, Gov. Perkins, was asked by DR..
Dwinell of Sacramento to nominate a
Christian man to fill a vacancy in the
Board of Regents of the State Univer-
sity, he was answered, that probably
the Legislature would not confirm such
n nomination.
But we had the fast nevertheless.
Another Power is making Himself felt
in California. His honOred servants,
Messrs. Moody and Sankey, are stirring
the people around San Francisco Bay
in a way they have never before been
stirred. 1t was this that called for the
Day of Humiliation and Prayer on Feb.
II. 1t was felt by Christian workers
that the good work would be deepened
if such day were observed by the
churches-and the result seems to justi
fy the expectation.
l have seen in Eastern papers only
meagre accounts of the work that is be-
ing done by the Master on the Pacific
coast this winter. do not know how
it compares with Mr.. Moody's work in
of God is working nightly here. The
evangelists and their aids have now
been here over three months, and the
work seems to be widening and deep
ening. They commenced in DR.. Stones
church in San Francisco, and after la
boring a week or two there, came to
Oakland for while. There has been
no large tabernacle erected, but they
have gone to the different churches in
the two cities, Congregationalist, Pres
byterian, Methodist, Baptist, and have
been lighting fires all around. Wherev-
er they go there are crowds of eager
listeners, and many inquiring the way
of salvation. After working week or
two in one church they go to another,
leaving the fire burning behind them,
and faithful men to watch it. Mr..
Moody's generalship is very conspicu-
Gus here. He has with him, beside Mr..
Sankey, Mr.. Hallenbeck, a temperance
worker, Mr.. and Mrs. Stebbins, and
others. Just now he has his aids scat
tered, and meetings are going on in
four or five places every night. Last
Friday night heard Mr.. Moody in the
largest church in Oakland, DR.. Nc
Leans, which was crowded with some
1000 listeners, and hundreds went away
because there was no room, no, not so
much as about the door" On Sunday
he had a service for women alone in the
afternoon, and in the evening the large
church was again crowded with men.
One week there were services at p.
IN. for four successive days, and one of
the large halls in San Francisco was
filed to overlooking. There were mer-
chants, bankers, insurance men, clerks,
stock brokers, gamblers, libertines, in-
idels, scoffiers, Jews. They were ad-
mitted by ticket, and many were deep
ly impressed.
The churches were never so full as
now. Many backsliders have been re-
claimed, and l do not suppose there is
any part of the country where there are
so many OF this class as here. Hundreds
have already been added to the church
es, and old faiths have been rekindled
There seems great unanimity among
the churches, only one Presbyterian
minister so far as / know holding aloOf
because, forsooth Mr.. Moody has moi
been ordained.
One of the most interesting features
has been the work in Oakland. Messrs
Moody and Sankey went there for 8
few afternoon meetings when they first
came, and then left the work to the city
pastors. 1t did not stop, but increased
Messrs. Hallenbeck and Stebbins were
with them for awhile, and for weeks
union meetings were held five or siI
evenings each week, with great encOur-
agement. All classes of society were
deeply moved; many drunkards were
reclaimed scoffers silenced; backslid-
ers restored.
Now the work is spreading all oveI
the state Men and women have come
to the cities from distant towns,