New York City Circa 1857

Relevant Text: Ezra 10:1 (underlined)
Full Text: Ezra 10; Acts 10-11

Police | It was summer 1857. The NYC Municipal Police Force was massively corrupt under Mayor Fernando Wood. So Albany shortened his second term and created the Metropolitan Police Force. But Wood refused to vacate. He and the Municipals occupied City Hall. Police feuding continued throughout the summer until the Metropolitans – with the National Guard – defeated the Municipals and forced Wood to submit. On July 2, courts upheld the Metropolitans’ jurisdiction [1].

Gangs | Two days later, gangs began rioting. Battles raged on Bowery and Bayard. Bloodshed covered Mulberry, Elizabeth and Baxter. Gangs looted and pillaged neighborhoods. Shopkeepers, pedestrians and residents were all fair game. It only lasted a week, but it was intense and total anarchy.

Banks | Then came the financial crisis. The recession got worse on August 24, when the NY Branch of the Ohio Life Insurance and Trust Company failed. Railroad bonds were embezzled, routine transactions ceased, major stocks fell 10%, and depositors demanded gold. Thankfully, a gold delivery from California was expected. On September 12, however, a hurricane destroyed that shipment and fifteen tons of gold sank into the ocean. A month later, the Panic of 1857 took effect and the NY banks were closed from October 13 through December 12.

Revival | In this chaos, God raised up Jeremiah Lanphier – a middle-aged tradesman whose church had relocated uptown. On September 23, he and six others met for noontime prayer on Fulton Street. Fourteen met the next week and twenty-three the week following. By mid-November, over 10,000 businessmen were “confessing sin, getting saved, [and] praying for revival” [2] – like Ezra’s account: “While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and children, gathered to him out of Israel, for the people wept bitterly” [3]. Thousands were being saved and mercy ministries were being opened, e.g., The Bowery Mission, The Salvation Army. There were no lead preachers or famous speakers – just humble men hungry for God. They prayed. He moved.

Prayer | Lord, Lead us in a season of repentance, confession and prayer so that we are awakened to a desire for more holiness. Today, as we live in the midst of uncertain times, we bow before you in humility and pray for our church, our city and our nation. Let us be faithful in small prayer meetings and leave the work of revival to you. Amen.

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Footnotes