USA > California > San Francisco County > San Francisco > The retrospect. A glance at thirty years of the history of Howard street Methodist Episcopal church of San Francisco > Part 10
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ences, and when the heads of the household fall by death, the family altar will not fall into ruin.
As an ally in your parental priesthood and ministry we urge you to use the pub- lic means of grace. We believe in the Sunday School, and rejoice in the work it is doing. Let it have your confidence- your sympathy-your support-your co- operation-your prayers-and your pres- ence. If there was ever any opposition to Sunday Schools it has given way before the manifestly good work they have been doing in all the years since Wesley said : "Who knows but some of these schools may become nurseries for Christians ?"
There is, however, an evil which must be guarded against. In some places the chil- dren generally neglect to attend the preach- ing services. The Sunday-school is all in all to them, and they seem to consider it as " the children's church." They regard the preaching service as intended solely for grown-up people and not at all for them. and they stay away from it. It is not diffi- cult to foresee the result of this neglect. These children will soon be too old-in their own opinions-to attend the school as scholars, and unless they have already
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formed the habit of attending the preaching service, they will drift away from all church influences.
As yet the evil is confined to certain lo- calities. But it is an evil which is spread- ing, and ought to be promptly checked. For the Sunday school is certainly not a substitute for the public ministrations of the Word. Teaching in the class is a good thing, but preaching includes teaching and something more. The orator is more than an instructor. Both parents and teachers should use their influence, and even their authority, if they have any, to bring the children to the public service in the house of God. If the child cannot attend both the preaching service and the Sunday school, then the preference should be given to the former. On this point our convic- tions are deep and clear.
Certain it is that the founders and first promoters of Sunday schools never dreamed of drawing away the children from the regular public services of the church.
And now we say, as Dr. Vincent and oth- er eminent and enthusiastic Sunday school authorities have said and repeated : " If children cannot attend both Sunday school and public worship, it is in every way bet-
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ter for them to attend the latter. It is now the hour in their lives when their most pow- erful, determining, and persistent impres- sions are received. The habit of associating the Sabbath with ideas of special sanctity, of regular attendance upon the sanctuary, of the importance of public worship, is now to be formed.
" If this habit is not formed, we shall see what we do now see in the instance of num- bers of Christian families-a most extraor- dinary looseness of sentiment and habit in reference to the Sabbath and the instruction of the pulpit."
As akin to family religion and its main- tenance in the home and in the hearts of the young, let me call attention to the sub- ject of
POPULAR AMUSEMENTS.
The secular press is employed in publish- ing and puffing them without discrimination as to moral character and tendencies. Some other churches as well as our own are concerned about them, because of their bear- ing on the religious life of their younger members. The initiatory precept of Chris- tianity is self-denial ; and the General Rule of our Discipline forbids the "taking of
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such diversions as cannot be used in the name of the Lord Jesus." But the grow- ing laxity among Christian professors in re- gard to worldly amusements, and the plaus- ible but fallacious apologies by which they seek to defend them, led our General Con- ference to define more specifically what is meant by "Sinful Amusements !" And hence, we find in the new Discipline, under the head of " Un-Christian and Imprudent Conduct," the following specific items, viz : Dancing, playing at games of chance, attending theaters, horse races, circuses, dancing parties, or patronizing dancing schools, or taking such other amusements as are of questionable moral tendency. It is a painful reflection that it should have been deemed a necessity to incorporate this de- tailed enumeration in our Discipline.
What renders the subject one of deep concern to all true Christians, and to parents who value the proper training of their chil- dren, is, that these amusements come to us in many instances under auspices and with such sanctions as to give to them the char- acter of respectability, or they come in the name of charity, or as appreciative returns for public benefits. Billiards, cards, dances, charades and tableaux scenes are counted re-
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spectable, because they are introduced into private families which are reckoned as re- spectable. Balls are gotten up in the inter- est of some asylum, or some charitable in- stitution ; some fireman's or military com- pany ; and these make their appeals to the better fellings of our nature, because of ser- vice rendered or to be rendered. Worst of all is the fact, that some churches and members of Protestant churches take such low views of the nature of Christianity as to imagine that these things are at all con- sistent with the Christian name.
With God's word in one hand and the Meth- odist Discipline in the other, let us resolve that by our example, as well as our teach- ing, we will endeavor to develop a correct and healthful sentiment among our people on this subject, so that in respect to amuse- ments, as well as in regard to morals and religion, the church may stand forth as the light and leader of the world.
And let none forget their covenant ob- ligations taken at baptism, " to renounce the devil and all his works ; the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh, so as not to follow or be led by them "; and your agreement on becoming a member
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of the church-to keep all our rules of holy living.
In considering the home life and its in- fluence upon the character and destiny of its constituency, let us call your attention to one of the potential agencies of this age in formation of character -- the
LITERATURE OF THE HOME.
In doing so, we would earnestly urge upon your attention the value and claims of the religious publications of our church. An active, aggressive church must have an intelligent membership. We are sure you can not fill the measure of your usefulness as Christians, unless you read not only the publications of the secular press, but the periodicals of our church as well. And fur- ther, the only safeguard for your household from the dissipating, demoralizing influence of vicious reading, is in the abundance of pleasing, profitable and Christian literature which our church so abundantly provides for you.
In your general reading, do not accept what first comes to hand, but carefully se- lect that which will most tend to your soul's health and comfort. See that your Sunday
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school and families are properly supplied with the literature of our own church. Other churches furnish much valuable read- ing, but our own home-born Methodist writers have a peculiar aptness for stat- ing and teaching the doctrines of free grace. Take special pains to induce your children to read only good books, and to reject as poisonous and destructive the low and cor- rupt literature of the day. Purchase and read our approved Methodist standard works, that thereby you may become rooted and grounded in the faith of the Gospel.
I can find no better presentation of the importance of this admonition than is couch- ed in the language of the pastoral address from the Bishops to our last General Con- ference :
" Parental supervision of the literature of childhood and youth is of equal import- ance with jealous watchfulness over the companions allowed to them. We fear that thousands of parents know very little of the reading of their children, and they allow unchallenged, loose, and even lieen - tious literature the freedom of their homes, which poisons the thoughts, perverts the in- agination and depraves the hearts and lives of the children of the church. We should
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know what they read by providing freely the choicest publications at our command. Money expended thus is money saved, with purity retained and integrity added. Our own publishing houses will amply sup- ply this demand. The duty assigned to our pastors, superintendents, and Sabbath school committees, to decide what books shall be used in our schools, if faithfully performed, would protect our libraries ; and we fear that a neglect of this supervis- ion has admitted improper reading there- to in some instances."
CONCLUSION.
And now, let me conelude this already too lengthy address as I began it, by assur- ing you that to meet your obligations you need the joyful and abiding witness of the Spirit that you are wholly the Lord's, and that your will is in complete harmony with the will of God, and that the blood of Jesus Christ eleanses you from all unrighteous- ness. And we gladly assure you that it is the duty and privilege of every child of God to lay hold, by faith, of the exceeding great and precious promises of God's word, so as to become " complete in Christ," and " be
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filled with all the fullness of God." For this is the end of our ministry among you, " the perfecting of the saints," " the perfect man," " the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ," " whom we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." " And this we pray, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and in all judgment. that ye may approve things that are excel- ent, that ye may be sincere and without of fense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are of Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." " For what is our hope or joy or
crown of rejoicing ? Are not even ye in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming ? For ye are our glory and joy." And now, brethren, we commend you to God and the word of his grace which is able to build you up, and to give you an inherit- ance among all them that are sanctified.
Affectionately your pastor,
F. F. JEWELL.
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ADDITIONAL MEMBERS.
The following names have been added to the record of present members, since the form containing the record was printed, viz :
MAGGIE NELSON. W. S. CLARK, M. D. E. L. PAULDING, M. D. EMMA F. BUGBY. C. WILL BEERS. ARZELIA BEERS.
MARY B. QUIGG.
HENRY STINGER.
TIMENIA CONANT. CORNELIA PERRY.
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