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Profusely Illustrated witi, reproductions from Original Photographs and Rare Old Prints 3graph^ • "i^l^'Jing several Authentic Portraits of Mr. Moody, some of which are here published for the first time. THE BRADLEY-GARRETSON COMPANY, Limited TORONTO, ONT. BRANTFORD, ONT. nn 285585 COPVRIOHT, lOOO W. E. SoTJM. MAXV OK THB lI.r.tI«XHATIO.V« ir. THIS BOOK ARB MADE ^ROM OOPVR,OHT PHOToonArHs. A^-i, AX.I. P^Rso^a AKK WAR^Bn ^OT xo RBPRonncB ™^ PREFACE. NUMEROUS invitations have come to me recently, to write concerning the life and work of D. L. Moody, all of which were declined. I have, however, accepted the invitation of the publishers of this volume for several reasons. First. Because they have made it possible for me in so doing to make a generous contribution to some benevolent or educational Avork, which I may select, my hope being that I might in this way contribute to the work for which Mr. Moody gave his life. Second. Because very many friends have urged upon me the propriety of my so doing ; they presented it to me as a call to duty as well as a privilege, they told me it was a golden opportunity to speak of his life to many people who might not read the particulars of it elsewhere, and I was convinced that a subscription book would reach thousands of homes, which might not otherwise be iniluenced. They told me that my work as an evangelist made it fitting that I should write of him, who was known as the greatest evangelist of the generation. Third. I write because I loved him, and I felt that I might in this way pay tribute to the most consistent Christian man I have ever known. I am confident that there has not been in these latter days a man who was more truly filled with the Holy Ghost than he. In view of all this my contract was made with the publishers^ and it was made before I knew what other books might be written; but even then I was assured by those who knew that my book had a field of its own, and could not be considered as in competition with any other, for I would write from an entirely different standpoint. (v) VI PREFACE This book is sent forth with the prayer that God may make it a blessing to its readers everywhere. It is my purpose, in using such facts as I may legitimately claim, to present Mr. Moody, not only in his early life, and tell the story of his conversion, but to present him as a public character, as a man of God, as a Prince among evangel- ists, and give to my readers such a view of him as may not be found in other books. He was a man of great faith in God, and of mighty power in life and in prayer ; he was a devout student of the Bible, he was a great preacher, and he moved men as it has been given few men to do. He reached more people during his lifetime than any other man, possibly in the world's history. He was, in the judgment of a distinguished Scotch Christian, the greatest educator of his day. He had a victorious life, and a triumphant death. It is the purpose of this book to give a review of all this, in as personal and practical a way as possible. Letters have been written me by many of his old friends, giving me even a better knowledge of him than my more than twenty years' acquaintance could afford. So I write with pleasure, and thanking God that it is my privi- lege. He was the best friend I have ever known, and whether I think of him as a preacher, and a great leader of men, or just as a humble follower of God, in his home as I frequently saw him, he was the most thoroughly consecrated man, and the most Christ-like of any one I have ever known. Among those who rise up to call him blessed, I thank God I stand. ^^-;j(:^^ New York, January, igoo. N. B. I desire to record my grateful appreciation of assistance rendered me in i)reparinp, this book by Rev. Ford C. Ottman, and other friends. J. W C. LIST OF CHAPTERS AND SUBJECTS. CllAl'TEK. I. INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ... ''""' Early Aaiuaintance with Mr. Moody— A Most I'rofound Influencc-A Master in Moving Mcn-Thc Power of (Jod on H.s AVork-The I.ast Picture of the Evangelist-Professor Drummond on Moody. II. NORTHFIELD, Northfield Not a Modern Town-The First SettlerslThe Second Settlement-After the Revohition-The House in Which Moody was Born— The Character of the Town. III. MR. MOODY'S EARLY LIFE, The Death of His Father-Mrs. Moody's Strugg'lelinddents from Moody's Early Days-His Rudimentary Edr -ation-De- parture from Home— Looking for Work. IV. HIS MOTHER, A Picture Never To Be Forgotten-His Mother' s'siessingl Her Puritan Ancestry— Her Conversion— D. L Moody's Tribute to His Mother— Verses She Had Marked. V. HIS CONVERSION. First Acquaintance With Mr. E. I). Kimball-Just Ready for the Light-Mr. Moody's Probation-Admitted To the Church —A Changed Life— He Seeks His Future In the West. VI. SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK, g Preparation for Future Work -Recruiting For the Church and For Sunday Schools— The School on " the Sands "-Muscu- lar Christianity-The North Market Mission-President Lin- coln's Visit— Incidents of the Work. (vii) viii LIST OF CHAPTERS AND SUBJECTS Pa. VII. rnK YouNd p,:r:N's christian association and Tin: CHICAGO AVENUE CHURCH . loo First work with the Young Men's Christian Association— The Illinois Street Church — Elected President of the Young Men's Christian Association — Dedication of the New Build- ing—A Creat Religious Centre— The North Side Taber- nacle—Development of the Chicago Avenue Church. VIII. GIVINC; UP BUSINESS 109 Moody as a Commercial Traveler — "God will Provide " — He Gives Up Business— His Means Exhausted— Friends Come with Unsolicited Aid— Marriage— His Wife and Her In- fluence — Mr. Moody's Family. IX. MOODY AND SANKEY Mr. Sankey's First Singing at a Moody Meeting— A Sudden Proposition — .\ Street Service — Mr. Sankey Joins Mr. Moody— The Effect of Mr. Sankey's Singing— A Blessed Partnership. 122 X. EVANGELISTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, SCOTLAND IRELAND AND 139 XL XIL XIIL The Discouraging Outlook— Sunderland — Revival Fire Kin- dled at Newcastle— Edinburgh— The Work in Scotland Con- tinued—The Evangelists go to Ireland— The Return to England — Various Meetings — The London Revival. EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE UNITED STATES ... 158 The Gospel Campaign in Brooklyn— The Campaign in Phila- delphia — The Great Meetings in New York — Glorious Enthu- siasm for the Lord — In Baltimore, 1878. MR. MOODY IN TWO WARS. .175 The Sanitary and Christian Commissions— Mr. Moody's Zeal — Experiences from the War— The Revival at Camp Douglas— Work in the War with Spain — On Sea and Land- Striking Illustrations— " God Keep Us From War. " THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD, 190 A Blessed Town— Northfield Dear to Mr. Moody — Mr. Moody's Love of Nature — Dr. A. J. Gordon — Rev. F. B. Meyer at Northfield— A Star In the Midnight Darkness. LIST 01' ClfAI'TI-.RS AND SUIiJELTS W CiiAi UK xrv. Tiir; n kT.'ihiKi.n schools ''^03 M.irvcloiis I'ldiic.-ilioiial Work— 'I'lic Ik'gimiinj^s of Norlliriclcl SL«niinary— 'I'lircc- Croat iMids in View— .Mt. Hcrmun— The Northfichl Training School. XV. TIIK NOkTIIKIHLI) CONFERKNCK AND'ilU; STIM)I'\T VOLLrNTEKi-lS, __ ' ''5 Various I'.ihlc Conferences— Tlic Pre-ICmincnce of Northfiekl— The Beginnings and the Crowth of the Conference— 'I'he Student A'olunteers— Missionary Interest Awakened. XVI. THK CHICACO IMBLi: INSTITUTIC, 3,^ The Need of tlie Institution— The Practical Nature ..f tho Work— Touching Reciuests f(jr I'rayer~-The Rev. R. A. Torrey — The \\'omen's Department. XVII. THI^: ^VORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN, ^ ^^ The First Meeting— Mow Mr. IVIoody Vivified the Work— The Reports of Co-Workers— The Monday Conferences- Meetings For Children. XVIII. THE LAST CAMPAIGN 257 Mr. Moody (Joes to Kansas C:ity— The Great Convention Hall— Inspiring Oitening Services— The Ileginning of the l-nd —Mr. Moody Preaks Down— Pack to Northfield. XIX. MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST 269 D. L. Moody an ICvangelist in the Truest Sense of the Word— Especially Adapted to His Work— His Dread of Notoriety— His Views on Sudden Conversion. XX. HIS BIBLE . . 2?,2, A Book More Than Precious to Him— The Advice of Harry Moorehouse— Mr. Moody'o Ideas Concerning the Way to Use God's Word. XXI. HIS CO-WORKERS 209 Ira David Sankey— Paul P. Bliss— Major Whittle— Henry Varley— John McNeill — George C. Stebbins— Ferdinand Schiverea— H. M. Wharton— R. A. Torrey— A. C. Dixon- Henry Drummond— G. Campbell Morgan— George H. Mac gregor— F. B. Meyer. >: LIST OF CUArriiRS AND SU/iJECTS XXII. TIIRi;!; CHARACTKRIS'IIC SKRMONS 307 (Ihuractcristit s i)f the 'I'hrcc Sermons — (lod's Love — The Kxcuscs of Men — Reaping Whatsoever We Sow. XXIII. Ills I!i;ST II.IAJSTKA'riONS :;46 The Kcrvor of His Klo{[iicnce — " I,et the Lower I.iyiUs IJe Hurning" — " For Charlie's Sake " — A Penalty Necessary — Calling on (lod — One Year's Record. XXIV. RKVIVAI, CONVKNTION'- 367 A 'I'ypical ('onvcntion — What is ICvangelistir Service ? — We ^Vnnt New Hymns — Apt Replies to Questions. XXV. HOW TO STUDY THK BHU-E, 376 A Characteristic Bible Reading — Helpful Auxiliaries to r.il)le Study — Jesus the Key to the New Testament — The Fou Gospels — Six Things Worth Knowing — How Christ Dealt With Sinners. XXVI. HIS CRKKD— THRFiE CARDINAL TRUTHS 396 His View Concerning the Word of God — The Second Coming of Christ — The Work of the Holy Ghost — A Blessed Experi- ence. XXVII. THE FUNERAL, 414 Mr. Moody's Last Moments — A Triumphant Passing Away — Inmeral Services — Addresses by Dr. Scofield, Dr. Weston, Dr. Chapman, Bishop Mallalieu, Mr. Torrey, and others. XXVIII. ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY LOVED TO SPEAK AND WHERE HE WAS BURIED, 439 Mr. Moody's Remains Taken to Roundtop — A Place of Blessing — Roundtop Particularly Identified With Mr. Moody. XXIX. MEMORIAL SERVICES, 456 The Great Meeting in New York — Impressive Addresses — Estimites of Mr. Moody by Dr. Greer, Mr. John R. Mott, Mr. C utting, Dr. Buckley, and others who knew and loved him. (.'IIAITI'I'. xx\. xxxr. xxxii. xxxiii. xxxiv. usr or UfAPTHRs and sunjHcrs ,„• AJ'I'RKCIAriONS nV KMINKNT FRri:.\[)S, ' V. Testimony t.. Mr. Moody's WoiuUnnl l'crso,K.li,y_Tl,c oi.in ions of Pron.incnt Men who Knew lli,„ and His Work-Thc Universal Regard in Wliich He Was held. KDlTORIAr. ESTIMATKS OK HIS CHARAf.TKR rmportant Tribntes from the Secular and Religions' I'ress- Ml ''^ Men iCager to Adn.it Mr. Moody's Creatncss-What Ho Accomplished fur the liettorment of Mankind. THK PKRSONAl. SIDF OK MR. MOODV, Personal Characteristies-His Hold Upon \\\. Kriend^His ^'' ithness'"^ '""' ^'"^'""^ l^indliness. Modesty and Unself- I'KRSONAL REi\HNISCKNCES OK 1) I, MoODV Hy Rev. H. M. Wharton. D.I). An Kstimatc of Mr.' Moody '^^ based on intimate association with him and long knowledge of his work. *=• A MONTH WITH MR. MOODV IN CHICAOO HyKevHM Wharton. D.D. Mr. Moody as He Appeared to one of his Prominent Co-Workers during the World's Fair Campaign. "The Biggest Human I Ever Knew jj By Henry Drummond WERE once asked what on the human side were the eftective ingredients in Mr. Moody's sermons, one would find the answer difficult. Probably the foremost is the tremen- dous conviction with which they are uttered. Next to that are their pomt and direction. Every blow is straight from the shoulder and every stroke tells. Whatever canons they violate, v.hatever faults the critics may find with their art, their rhetoric, or even with their theology, as appeals to the people they do their work with extraordinary power. If eloquence is measured by its effect upon an audience and not by its balanced sentence and cumulative |, ' ^-^^ then there is eloquence of the highest order. In sheer : ,n .iveness Mr Moody's has few equals, and, rugged as his prea..mg may seem to some, there is in it a pathos of a quality which few otators have ever reached, and appealing tenderness which not only wholly redeems it, but raises it not unseldom almost to sublimity. In largeness of heart, in breadth of view, in single-eyedness and humility, in teachableness and self-obliteration, in sheer good- ness and love, none can stand beside him. (xiii) "The Last of the Great Group." Hy Nkwki.i. Dwight Hillis, WHEN long time hath passed, some historian, recalling the great epochs and religious teachers of our century, will say, " There were four men sent forth by God ; their names Charles Spurgeon, Phillips Brooks, Henry Ward Beecher and Dwight L. Moody." Each was a herald of good tidings ; each was a prophet of a new social and religious order. God girded each of these prophets for his task, and taught him how to " dip his sword in Heaven." In characterizing the message of these men we say that Spur- geon was expositional, Phillips Brooks devotional, Henry Ward Beecher prophetic and philosophical, while Dwight L. Moody was a herald rather than teacher, addressing himself to thecom- mon people — the unchurched multitudes. The symbol of the great English preacher is a lighted lamp, the symbol of Brooks a (laming heart, the symbol of Beecher an orchestra of many instru- ments, while Mr. Moody was a trumpet, sounding the advance, sometimes through inspiration and sometimes through alarm. The first three were commanders, each over his regiment, and worked from fixed center, but the evangelist was the leader of a (lying band who went everywhither into the enemy's country, seek- ing conquests of peace and righteousness. Be the reasons what they may, the common people gladly heard the great evangelist. (xiv) Moody as a Prophet. By Rf.v. F. ]>,. Meyer, I!. A. GOD'S best gifts to man are men. He is always sending forth men. When the time is ripe for a man, God sends him forth. When for a moment the race seems to be haltmg in its true progress, then, probably from the ranks of the common people, rises he who leads a new advance. " There came a man sent from God." Yes, God constantly sends men. But the greatest gift is a prophet. When New Testament times dawned the touch of the priest had lost its power forever, but around those times prophets have gathered-John the Baptist, Savonarola, Luther, Latimer. White- field, W^esley, Spurgeon, and it is not fulsome flattery which in- cludes the name of Moody. What is a Prophet? A prophet is one who sees God's truth by a distinct vision • who speaks as one upon whose eyeballs has burned the Light of the Eternal, and, thus speaking, compels the crowd to listen • he .s one whose strong, elevated character is a witness to the truth m which he believes and which he declares. These are the three necessary conditions of a prophet. It matters not in what diction he speaks, whether in the rough, unpolished tongue of the people, or in the choice, well-balanced language of the schools A man who possesses those three qualities is i prophet, and has a mission from God. Such a one was Moody. XV XVI MOODY AS A PROPHET There were certain traits in the prophets and in John the Bap- tist which we recognize also for the most part in Moody. For in- stance, the prophet generally rises from the ranks of the people. Again and again from the common people have been supplied the leaders of men. Those in the upper grades of society, from whom we should naturally expect the most, would seem very largely to have worn themselves out with luxury and self-indulgences. His- tory is full of the stories of prophets who came from a lowly stock. And Moody was the child of humble New England parent.,. His father died early, and Moody's boyhood was spent face to face with privation. He had to fight his way from the ranks oi the people. We have to thank this fact for the strono- common sense which dis- tinguished him. Moody had the practical insight to humor which belong especially to those who toil upon the land. And this man, with his close relationship to the life of the people, came to be able to hold ten thousand of them spellbound in the grasp of his power- ful influence. Taught of God's Spirit Again, it will generally be found that a prophet is not learned in the teaching of the schools. John the Baptist received his college education in the desert, amid the elements of Nature. These were his great kindergarten, in which his soul was prepared for its great work. When men go to the conventional colleges they learn to measure their language with the nicest accurateness. Was Moody's lack in this and in similar directions a loss to him ? Nay, he was taught of God's Spirit. He bathed himself in a book, in that one volume which is in itself a library, the intimate knowl- edge of which is alone sufficient to make men cultured. There is often a brusqueness about the prophet. We see that in John the Baptist. He was not a man to be found in king's courts. Without veneer, brusque, gaunt, strong, he lived and X p) 09 a t" z o w o •»] D 3 o o o o X •«) 1^ r p S ► at id MOODY AS A PROPHET xvu labored. Moody partook the same chai'acteristics. It is not unlikely, however, that he assumed a certain attitude of brusque- ness because he felt afraid of being made an idol of the people. Having seen the evils of popularity, he wished to avoid them. To timid, friendless women, to individual sinners, he was wonderfully gentle and kind in manner. Amongst his grandchildren, whose simple playmate he became, he was tenderness itself. The brusque- ness belonged only to the rind, to the character which had known deep experiences. Moody had very distinct experiences. The manner of his conversion led him to expect immediate decisions in the souls of others. Under his Sunday school teacher's influence he had been led on the moment to give himself to Christ, and he looked for others to do nothing less, nothing more tardy. His Baptism ok tiik Holy Ghost Again, the prophet has known a touch of fire. Mr. Moody once told me that a number of poor women in Chicago who heard him speak said one day, "You are good; but there is something you have not got ; we are praying that it may come." Later, one afternoon in New York, he was walking along, when an irresistible impulse came upon him to be alone. He looked around. Where could he go? What was to be done? He remembered a friend living not far away. So into his house he rushed, and demanded a room where he could be alone. There he remained several hours, and there he received the baptism of the Holy Ghost. When he returned to Chicago and began to speak, the godly women who had spoken to him beforetime said, "You have it now." And the wonderful ^^ower which Moody henceforward exercised over his fellow-men he owed to thnt touch of fire. It never left him. People were attracted. What happened when he XVUl MOODY AS A PROPHET visited England, happened wherever he went. The prophet had the real ring about him. He dealt with things as they are. There was genuine greatness of heart in Mr. Moody, and it constantly triumphed over sect differences. When his mother died three years ago the Roman Catholics of the neighborhood asked that they might be pallbearers. A prophet, of course, has his message. His office is not so much that of teacher or preacher as of herald. He sounds the alarm and cries "fire." With Moody it was not repentance because of hell-fire. The love of God was his proclamation. And how he could speak about that ! I have seen him break down, as with trembling voice and tears in his eyes he pleaded with men for the love of God's sake to be reconciled with Him. A prophet is hum- ble. In this respect Moody was true to the type. He seemed the one person who did not know there was a Moody. He did not know half so much about himself as the newspapers told. This is true greatness. And now he has gone. My world is very much thinner. A great tree has fallen. One more throbbing voice is silent. Spurgeon is gone. Moody is gone. The voices are dying. Listen to-day to the voice of the Son of God. >rophet had are. 'ody, and it lother died lood asked ■ «s not so ounds the :e because ''d how he 1, as with -n for the -t is hum- emed the • did not This is iner. A > silent. Listen REV. J. WILBUR CHAPMAN, D.O. u I CHAPTER I. Introductory Chapter DO not know whether I dare say what I am now about to speak to you. I asked a brother minister this afternoon, and he would not take the responsibility, but after thinking it over I w.:il say it. I believe if Christ had actually lived in the body of our dear brother and had been subject to the same limita- tions that met him, h^j would have filled up his life much as I). L. Moody filled up his, and for that reason I say, after the most care- ful thought, I had rather be D. L. Moody lying dead in his coffin than to be the greatest man alive in the world to-day." This remarkable tribute was paid by Dr. H. G. Weston, of the Crozier Theological Seminary, Chester, Pa., and when he had finished it, there was a wave of sympathetic expression and approval which swept over the entire audience, and his remarkable utterance was greeted with quiet Amens and suppressed sobs. I question if this generation has known a man who was more Christlike than D. L. Moody, That he sometimes made mistakes his best friends will allow, but that he was ready to undo these mis- takes when they were made, and to make acknowledgment when that was necessary, all who knew him well will testify. Early Acquaintance With Mr. Moody I have heard his name since infancy. First of all from my mother's lips when I was a child. For it was at that time his name was bemg spoken with approval by ministers and Christian (17) i8 INTROnUCTORY CHAPTER workers, and also at that time that the newspa[»ers were making frequent reference to his increasing usefulness and power. I am naturally a hero worshipper. There are certain names that have always stirred me and certain personalities that have ever been my inspiration. No name, however, has ever been more sacred among the names of men than that of Moody, and no char- acter has ever so taken hold of my very being, as his. When first I felt called to preach the Gospel, I determined there were certain men whom I must hear. In my list of names 1 had Henry Ward Beecher, and I shall ever recall with grateful appre- ciation the opportunity of hearing him in the Plymouth Church when his text was : " Except your righteousness exceed the righ- teousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom." And when his prayer reminded me of nothing so much as the running of a mountain stream over the rocks as it hurried on its way to the sea, I came away feeling that I had had a great privilege, not only in hearing Mr. Beecher preach, but in being lifted up to Heaven by his prayer. iM A Most Profound Influence The second name in importance on my list was that of Dr. John Hall, and possibly the deepest impression of my life was made, when he was preaching from the text in I. Timothy iv : 6: "Thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ." He closed his sermon by leaning over the pulpit and saying, " I have only one supreme ambition, and that is that I might close my ministry here and have you say concerning me, " he was a good minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ," and I came away saying that I had had such an uplift as rarely comes to a young minister. Written in large letters on my list was the name of Charles H. Spur^eon, and it has ever been the regret of my ministry that INTRODUCTORY ClfAPTER 19 If Dr. was V : 6: his one here the had before it was jj^iven to me to cross the sea, God had called him to cross over into the better land. But of all the names written, none stood out so plainly as that of D. L. Moody. I had somehow made up my mind from what I had heard of him, and from what the newspapers had printed of his work, that he was to move me more mightily than any other man in the world, and I bear glad testimony to the fact that the after-years proved my expectation to be true. He exerc'sed the most profound influence over me from the very first moment I met him, an influence which only increased with the passing years, and still abides, although he is in the presence of his God. At The World's Fair Mkktings in Ciiicaco In the providence of God I was frequently with him in ser- vices ; notably, at the World's Fair Meetings in Chicago, when he was not only the genial host of the workers with whom he was sur- rounded, but was the leader of a great force of Christian ministers and laymen, commanding the city for God with as great genius as ever an officer commanded and led his soldiers against the enemy on the field of battle. He invited me to be with him in Pittsburg in 1898, and one of the most tender memories of my life is that which I have of him in connection with the meetings held in the Exposition Building. I saw him in frequent conferences when I was pastor in Phila- delphia, when his great heart yearned over the cities in the East, much as did the heart of the Master when looking down upon the City of his love, he said, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem !" I was with him in the special campaign in New York, when from early morning till late at night in the Grand Central Palace, he not only preached himself, but had called to his assistance workers and friends from many other cities. 20 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER i 1 It was my great privilege to be frequently at Northfield where Mr. Moody showed not only his great heart, but his great power as a leader as in no other place in the country, and inti- mately as I knew him, and devotedly as I loved him, I never came in contact v/ith him that my heart did not beat a little faster and my pulses throb a little more quickly. Moody Conducting Meetings I used to love to watch him in the meetings he conducted. His eyes were always open to take in the most minute detail of the services, and things to which other men would be blind he was ever seeing. I frequently almost lost the message he was giving in my admiration for the messenger. While he was sitting in the first part of the service, he would make a dive into his pocket, take out a little piece of paper and write a message to some of his work- ers, put down an illustration or record something which was to be the seed thought for a future sermon. Sometimes you would scarcely think he was noticing what was going on, and suddenly he would be on his feet announcing a hymn, and while he could not sing himself, yet he was superb in his power to make other people sing, " Isn't that magnificent " he would say, as voice after voice took up the great chorus. " Now the galleries sing, that is my choir up in the gallery, now show the people what you can do ; now the men, now the women, now altogether," until it would seem as if greater singing one had never heard in all his life. He was ever on the alert in every service. I have heard him many times relate, however, one instance to the contrary, when George O. Barnes was being greatly used in evangelistic effort. Mr. Moody had taken him around to several appointments, and the evening service came so quickly upon them that they did not have time to eat anything except a hasty lunch which they took INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER 21 somewhere together, the principal article of which Mr. Moody said was bologna. When Mr. Barnes arose to speak in the evening, the room was very hot, and Mr. Moody said that that, together with the lunch he had taken, made him very drowsy; he pinched himself to keep awake, but at last he fell asleep. Mr. Barnes did every- thing he could to arouse him, and when he had failed he stopped preaching, and Mr. Moody said, turned to his audien^^e to say, " This is the first time I ha\e ever seen D. L. Moody defeated, but the devil and bolcgna sausage seem to have gotten the best of him." I have heard him tell it over and over. No one enjoyed a joke better than himself, even though he might be the subject of it. He seemed to know what the people wanted and what they would take, and the things that other men would turn away from he would present with great power. I remember a meeting in Albany, New York, years ago, when short conferences were being held through the country by Mr. Moody and his co-workers, when he turned to Dr. Darling, then of Sch«^nectady, now of Auburn Seminary, and said, " Doctor, tell them the story you told me this morning ; " and then the distinguished preacher gave an illustration which he might have thought too simple to use in a crowded assem- blage, but which swayed the great audience. A Master in Moving Men He was a master in moving men. I can shut my eyes now and see him, with tears rolling down his face, as he plead with men to turn to Christ ; sobs breaking his utterance as he told of the love of God to men and of God's special love to himself. He was as sincere a man as ever stood on the platform to preach, and it was for this reason that people of all classes and grades believed in him, When the New York Dailies csime out with great headlines V n V 23 INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER saying, "Moody is dead," a Jew in one of the courts turned to a friend of mine to say, " He was a good man," and when his death was being discussed in one of the great clubs in the City of New York, a man who was an infidel said, " I think he was the best man this generation has known, and if I should ever be a Christian I should want to be one just like Moody, if I could." There were times when he was more than eloquent, when every gesture was a sermon. Who can ever forget his description of Elijah going up by a whirlwind into heaven. When carried away by the power of his own emotions, he lifted his hands while his audi- ence seemed to be lifted with him, and raising them higher and higher, 1 can hear him say the words, " Up, up, up, I can see Elijah going, and I see heaven open to receive him as he rises." The impres- sion on his audience was profound. A Blessing To Have Known Him To have known him at all was a blessing, but to have known him with any degree of intimacy was one of the rarest privileges of a minister's life. I w ild not say that I knew him better than other men, for hundreds knew him far more intimately and for a far longer time than I , but if love, since I have known him, cap. make up for the years in which I was not acquainted with him, then these recent years with their increasing admiration and love will give me the right to speak and write. Dr. Pi°rson says concern- ing George Miiller, '* A human life filled with the presence and power of God, is one of God's choicest gifts to His church and to the world." "Things which are unseen and eternal seem, to the carnal man, distant and indistinct, while what is seen and temporal is vivid and real. Practically, any object in nature that can be seen or felt is thus more real and actual to most men than the living God. Every INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER ,, man who walks with God, and finds Him a present help in every time of need; who puts His promises to the practical proof and verifies them in actual experience ; every believer who with the key of faith unlocks God's mysteries, and with the key of prayer unlocks God's treasuries, thus furnishes to the race a demonstra- tion and an illustration of the fact that ' He is a Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.' " Death Has no Terror to Me " " George Muller was such an argument and example incarnated in human flesh. He was a man of like passions as we are, and tempted in all points like as we are, but who believed God and was established by believing ; who prayed earnestly that he might live a life and do a work which should be a convincing proof that God hears prayer and that it is safe to trust Him at all times • and who has furnished just such a witness as he desired Like Enoch he truly walked with God, and had abundant testimony borne to him that he pleased God. And when, on the tenth day of March 1898, it was told us of George Muller that 2 r/i • I n n H O •») > C/l H z o 73 H X 3 S p p s ?5 X •■I s 50 S o o D •< o > r r w D H s p] ^ s o c/i H ts n > c H c r 0) H 7) PI PI H z H X P) o » r o i! I ! CHAPTER 11. Northfield IT is pleasant to think that tlie privile^re should have been given to Mr. Moody of absorbinj^- his oailicr traininjr and of associat- ini,r his later work with so charmini«- a place naturally as Northfield. God's children are not denied the fair, the beautiful thin^^rs of Nature. It is just like our Heav(Mily blither to ir\vc the best to one who walked so close to Him as did this d(;ar friend. Those of us who knew Mr. Moody well remember how he loved Leautiful thini,r.s. The sonjj^ of the br(K)k was music to his soul ; the comino^ of the leaves and flowers of sprino- was a parable ; and his own dear Northfield was beloved by him to th(i eml. He' was perfectly happy when drivint; about throu-h the beauties of the surrounding country. In view of hi:-. love for Nature;, and the unusual beauty of his early environmc;nt, it is, perhaps, not surprising that the first doubts to assail the faith of the boy Moody, after his conversion, were pantheistic. He himself has relati'd how a pantheist approached him and told him of God as Nature, and how it troubled him. But his doubts resolved themselvt^s into a firner belief in Nature, not as God, but as God's handiwork. N')KTnFIKLl) IS NOT A MoDEKN ToWN Its elms whisper a long story of days when men who sought to worship God in freedom of conscience martyred themselves^y denial of the comforts of their homes in the old world and faced ^ (351 36 NORTHFIELD V ^ the terrors of bitter want and of crafty savage foes in the wilder- nesses of New England. Long before this particular spot in the valley of the Connecticut was occupied by the white man, large tribes of Indians dwelt there, living upon the fruits of a generous lowland soil and the trophies of the chase. The streams abounded in shad and salmon. The plenty of fish gave the place its Indian name, Squakheag, which signifies, in the Indian tongue, a place for spearing salmon. Wigwams clustered on nearly every knoll and bluff, and along the banks of the river ran the narrow trail of the aborigines. A little way back from either side the river, and following its windings, extends a range of hills. Brush Mountain, one of these hills, was regarded by the Indians with a superstitious \n;iicration, as the abode of their Great Spirit. Did not his breath come forth every spring, from a cleft in the rock, and melt the snow ? To-day the traveler who climbs Brush Mountain will be shown an opening whence comes a blast of air, warm enough in the winter to keep the snow from accumulating in the immediate vicinity, Thk l-'iRsr Sktti.ers In 1669 a small pa. ty of whites, following the trail along the Connecticut northward from Northampton, came upon the laruls of the Squakheags. The natives had suffered severely a few ye.'.rf before from the raid of a large party of Mohawks, who had come from the West, laying waste their fields and destroying their villages To the eyes of the white men the land seemed very fair. About Northampton the tillable soil had been quite completely taken up, and the Squakheag region seemed to offer a good situa- tion for a new settlement. As the Indians were not unwilling to part with their lands, a petition was made to the General Court of NORTHFIELD 37 Massachusetts by thirty-three settlers, for permission to purchase the land from the Indians. The permission was granted on the condition that not less than twenty families should settle there within eighteen months after the lirst move. The settlers took up the land in 1673, and for two years lived in amicable relations with their Indian neighbors. Then, when King Philip's war broke out, the Squakheags were moved by the rude eloquence of the chief's emissaries to take part in the uprising. One morning they attacked the whites in the fields, killing many, and driving those who remained to seek refuge within the stockade. The position of the sixteen families in the fort was perilous. A n^lief expedition from Deerfield was ambushed while on the way, and fled home with great loss. Another company succeeded in reacliing Northfield and rescuing the beleaguenxl ones, who left the settlement and returned to their former homes. The Second Settlement Not for seven years did the proprietors of the land take steps towards its re-occupation. Then about twenty families rt:turn(;d. 1 louses were built along a main street, and were protected by two forts. In 1688 eleven Indians, sent on the warpath by the I*"rench in Canada, murdered six persons in Norihfield, and so alarmed the; rest that more than one-half left the settlement. This so weak- ened the town that it was abandoned by those who remained. The final settlement was made in 1713, and Northfield now prospered, although in 1723 it was again exposed to attacks from savages, who had been incited to make depredations upon the New England villages by the French Governor of Canada. It is said that men were then able to harvest their crops only in armed parties of forty or more. A fort was built a few miles up the river, and a I hi 38 NORTHFIELD cannon was placed there, that its voice miirht give warning of the approaching enemy. I'eace came after the deatii of the Governor of Canada. The existence of the iiamlet continued for a long time precari- ous, for it was an outpost among the settlements, and therefore; especially exposed to danger from the savages. During the Trench and Indian War Northfield was in constant terror. Thereafter such dangers gradually disappeared, and time was given to develop the natural resources of the place. Northfield sent her quota to take part in the War of the Revolution, nor did she hesitate to assert the principles of liberty, even to the extent of forcing her parson, against his first desire, to omit from his prayer the usual petition for blessing on " his majesty," the King of Great Britian. AfTKR THK RFA'OLUriON After the war the town rapidly acquired a certain culture. A hotel building, erected in 1798, was purchased by a company of citi- zens in 1829, and made into an academy which did honorable service for education during many years. About this same time the town was deeply affected by the wave of Unitarianism, which was then spn^ading throughout New England. Schisms arose in the village church, and a new parish was formed. Northfield lies where three States meet — Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, just south of the Massachusetts State line is the village, scattered for the most part along the main street, two miles long and 160 feet wide, on the east side of the river. Ou either side of the street is a double row of elms and maples, which have grown old with the village until they bend their lofty heads over the quiet roadway like the nodding guardians of some useless post. Savage; neighbors are no longer near to enforce an alert sentinelship. iIlL^ aM. villaL;e .■;■>* * k u CO CO < S d (I) fa X oi o z H <» < Ed > Q O O s h O U u < a. S H iiiiiaiiiLi NORTHFIELD 41 CO < S Q h S H fli O z H < Ed > a o o s o u u < 0. s H IK Several roads cross this avenue, and all lead to scenes purely pastoral. Flankinjr the main street are dwellings, for the most part set well back among their lawns and fragrant gardens. These homes were built to last. They seem as substantial to-day as when they were built, although many of them are very old. The house occupied by Mr. William Alexander, for instance, has been in the hands of his family for one hundred and fifteen years. The present-day tendency to flock to the large cities has somewhat affected the younger generation of Northfield's old families, but the elms nnd the old houses are still there to perpetuate the atmosphere of old New England days, and better than all this the town has been so sanctified by the labors of her own best-known son that she will be remembered as the home of good works long after pompous cities have crumbled. His Birthplace Mr. Moody's birthplace is a plain, small farm-house, which still stands on the hillside. It looks upon one of the country roads, which winds up from the main street in an easterly direction. The building is two stories high, with green blinds, and is protected from the sun by stately trees. There is one tree, of especial majesty, under which Mr. Moody is said to have planned some of his tircatest sermons. The home in which Mr. Moody and his family were domiciled after his work had so broadened as to make necessary a larger house than the homestead, stands near the north end of the town, and is not far from his mother's house. It was purchased for about $3,000. A plain, roomy building it is. From time to time, as the requirements came up, Mr. Moody had additions built to the house, until it spread out its arms with a suggestion of hospitality most inviting to the visitor. The building fronts upon 4^ NORTIIFIliLD the main street. Mr. Moc'y's study is on the first floor, only a few steps within from the entrance. The atmosphere of the house, with its simple but substantial furniture, sus^gests the home of a man who desires to shape his environment to make it suit his work. Till", CoNCKl'TlON OK NoKTIIl'IKLI) SkMINARY When Mr. Moody returned to Northfield after his evangel- istic tour of Great Britain, he went home to Northfield to rest. With his eyes sharpened by travel, and with his usual alert observ- ance of the needs of those about him, he conceived a plan of making possible education for girls who were born to *he unstimu- lating routine of farm life. The germ of Northfield Seminary lay in this concejjtion. In 1878 Mr. Moody purchased the first sixteen acres of land toward the two hundred and seventy acres which are now owned by the Seminary. Mr. H. N. F. Marshall, of Boston, was a guest of Mr. Moody at that time, and the decision to pur- chase the land was arrived at with the advantage of his advice. As he and Mr. Moody came to a decision, the owner of the land walked up the street. They invited him in, asked his price for the sixttiMi acres, paid the money, and had the papers made out before the owner had time to recover from his surprise. Work was begun on the building the following year. It was intended to establish this school as a high-class seminary for girls. When it was opened in 1879, twenty-five pupils entered. At first they studied and recited at Mr. Moody's home, the first dormitory not being opened until 1880. Bonar Hall, the second dormitory, was burned a few years later, but Marquand Hall was opened in 1885. Other buildings have followed. At present the school possesses seven dormitories, a library, a gymnasium, a recitation hall and an auditorium. LkL NORTlIFIHI.n 4J The l)uiklin<'S have Ijccn erected with a view to artistic effect as well as atle(|uate, accomodations, and aild much to the beauty of the situation. I'roni the sloi)es of the school grounds, one looks up the river valley to the distant ij^reen hills of Vermont and New Kampshire, while the placid river meanders throut^di fertile fields which show rich with the fruits of the farm. Well built roads wind through the grounds ; shade trees and grou[)s of shrubbery have been set out. Moreover, the land yields practical returns as a farm under the supervision of Mr. Moody's brother. Six horses and fifty head of cattle ])el()ng to this school farm, and from ten to fourteen men are constantly em[)loyed. The school now numbers about four hundred pupils, its graduates being admitted to Welles- ley, Smith and other high-grade institutions, Tiiii Mr. IIkkmon Sciiooi, For Hoys When Mr, Moody was conducting his earliest mission work in Chicago, he laid close to his heart a plan to provide some day a school where bo)s could secure training in the elementary branches and the Bible. With this still in mind he purchased, in 1880, two farms of 115 acres each, with two farm-houses and barns. They were situated on v/hat was known as Grass Hill, four miles from Northfield Seminary, and in the town of Gill. This school was in- corporated as the Mt, Hermon School for Boys. The present build- ings include five brick cottages, a large recitation hall, a dining hall and kitchen, Crossley Hall and .:Mlliman Science Hall. This school now numbers about 400 students, and here, as at the Seminary the industrial system is a prominent feature, but at Mt. Hcimon nearly all of the work of the farm and house is done by the boys. The auditorium of the Northfield Seminary was built in 1894 and was planned by Mr. Moody for the use of the summer confer- qnces. It seats nearly 3,000 persons. A grove of white birches i i i :•: 44 NORTHFIELD on a hillside back of the Seminary becomes, during the summer meetings " Camp Northfield ", where young men spend their sum- mer outing periods. Henry Urummond describes somewhere his first astonishment at finding this little New England hamlet with a dozen of the finest educational buildings in America, and of his surprise when he stopped to think that all these buildings owed their existence to a man whose name is perhaps associated in the minds of three-fourths of his countrymen, not with education, but with the want of it. TllK ClIAKACTKR OF TlIK ToWN The eastern part of the town has of late years become known as East Northfield, and has its separate Post Office and stores. New streets have been laid out and new houses have been built. Northfield, in fact, is coming to be known as a summer resort, but not of the usual type. Frivolous recreation gives way there to sane occupation and wholesome exercise. Intemperance, the use of tobacco, card playing and dancing have no place there ; but the heart of nature is opened to those, who, with minds bent upon the best things, seek her reverently. Northfield then is both a typical New England town and the result of the individual impression of one man's life. All that is best in American culture is there epitomized, and the elms and the hazy hills and the homes of by-gone generations are witnesses of the regenerating inlluences which can be brought into play through the devotion and singleness of purpose of one man. CHAPTER III His Early Life D WIGHT LYMAN MOODY was born in the town of Northfield, Mass., February 5, 1837. He was the sixth of seven sons who, with two daughters, made up the family of Edwin and Betsy Holton Moody. The father had acquired a little farmhouse and a few acres of stony ground on a hillside just without the limits of the town, but the whole was encumbered by mortgage. Mr. Moody worked as a stonemason when the oppor- tunity was afforded, using his leisure time to till his farm. The burden of his responsibilities proved too heavy; reverses crushed his spirit ; and, after an illness of only a few hours, he died suddenly at the age of forty-one years, when Dwight was only four years old, leaving a large family unprovided for. A Sudden Upheaval of the Family Young as he was, the picture impressed on the boy's mind by this sudden upheaval of the household, consequent upon his father's death, remained vivid. He did not forget the desperate feeling ^ which must have seized the family in that crisis ; nor did he ever forget the wonderful fortitude with which his mother met the situa- tion. Only a month after the death of the father two posthumous children were born — a boy and a girl. Neighbors advised Mrs. Moody not to attempt to face the harsh conditions now confronting her. " Keep your twin babies, but bind out your other children," they urged. " It will be so long before they can be of any real (45) 4''> //IS /wlR/. Y L/I'E 1 11 service to you that tlu;ir inaiiUcnance just now will be a greater burden than you slioukl assume." Hut Mrs. Moody was not tl.e woman to be daunted by circum- staiices. The idea of separatinj^ from her children was not enter- tained. She took upon herself the task of snatchinjj^ some tribute money from an unwillini,^ soil, and of brini^nuLj up her children to wholesome manhood and womanhood — how well she succeeded is shown by the results. Onk Calamity Ai-tkk Another One incident of this early period proved a severe blow to the bereaved family. The oldest son, upon whom the mother was planninj^^ to place considerable dependence, ran away from home. Mr. Moody in later years related this incident and its sequel in the followinir words : " I can L^nve you a little experience of my own family before I was four years old the first thinj^ I remember was the ..v.uth of my father. He had been unfortunate in business and failed. Soon after his death the creditors came in and took everything. My mother was left with a large family of children. One calamity after another swept over the entire household. Twins were added to the family, and my mother was taken sick. The eldest boy was fifteen years of age, and to him my mother looked as a stay in her calamity, but all at once that boy became a wanderer. He had been reading some of the trashy novels and the belief had seized him that he had only to go away to make a fortune. Away he went. I can remember how eagerly she used to look for tidings of that boy ; how she used to send us to the postofifice to see if there was a letter from him, and recollect how we used to come back with the sad news, ' No letter.' I remember how in the evenings we used to sit beside her in that New England home, and we would talk HIS EARL y LIFE 47 about our fatlier ; l)ut the nionicnt *lu; name of that l)oy was men- tioned she would hush us into silence. Some nij^hts when the wind was very hi^h, ami the house, which was upon a hill, would tremble at every gust, the voice of my mother was raised in prayer for that wanderer who had treated her so unkindly. I used to think she loved him more than all of us put together, and I believe she did. On a Thanksgiving day — you know that is a family day in New England — she used to set a chair for him, thinking he would return home. His BkoTiiKk Home Again "Her family grew up and her boys left home. When I got so that I could write, I sent letters all over the country, but could liiul no trace of him. One day, while in Boston, the news reached me that he had returned. While in that city, I remember how I used to look for him in ev ry store— he had a mark on his face — but I nev(ir got any trace. One day while my mother was sitting at the door, a stranger was seen coming toward the house, and when he came to the door he stopped. My mother didn't know her boy. He stood there with folded arms and great beard flowing down his breast, his tears trickling down his face. When my mother saw those tears she cried, ' Oh, it is my lost son,' and en- treated him to come in. But he stood still. ' No, mother,' he said, ' I will not come in until I hear first that you have forgiven me.' Do you believe she was not willing to forgive him ? Do you think she was likely to keep him standing there. She rushed to the threshold, threw her arms around him and breathed forgiveness." The Moody family were Unitarians. D wight had the early advantages of Christian training, attending, as soon as he was old enough, the church in the village, where the Rev. Mr. Everett was pastor. In his interest in the efforts of Mrs. Moody to earn a livelihood for her large family, Mr. Everett once took.Dwight into i! i w9 I ! !i 48 HIS EARLY LIFE his family for a time, in order tliat he might attend school, making return for this privilege by running errands and doing chores. It may seem strange that a Unitarian training should have fostered a temperament which afterward became, in its expression, so puri^ly evangelical. By way of explanation, it is said, that Mr. Everett was nut one of those who questioned the divinity of our Saviour. Unorthodoxy had not as yet affected this church. The Bible as the Word of God, Jesus as the Son of God, the Church and its Sacraments — these were accepted beliefs of this country pastor. Dwight also had the benefits of reliirious training in the home. Mrs. Mootly early taught her children to learn passages of Scrip- ture and verses of hymns. These she would recite at her frugal table, and the children would repeat them after her. Incidents From Moody's Early Days When Dwight was about six years oh , an old rail fence one day fell upon him. Me could not lift the heavy rails. Exhausted by his efforts, he had almost given up. " Then," as he afterward told the story, " I happened to thir.k that maybe God would help me, and so I asked Him ; and after that I could lift the rails," Another incident, which Mr. Moody has related, seems to have made so profound an impression upon his youthful mind that its influence in preparing his heart for the Gospel message cannot have been slight. He himself has related the story in these words: "When I was a young boy — before I was a Christian — I was in a field one day with a man who was hoeing. He was weeping, and he told me a strange story, which I have never forgotten. When he left home his mother gave him this text : ' Seek first the kingdom of God.' But he paid no heed to it. He said when he got settled in life, and his ambition to get money was gratified, it DWIGHT L. MOODY, Iriiiii a phutnKraph lakcn in ISosimi just ufter he left 1 line to niakt his way in tlie wurlii. i'holii;;rapht'(l friini a picturf hant;^"»; in ''"• lio"-"' "f Mr>. Kill, Mr. Mixuly's only ilannhtcr. HIS EARLY LIFE Ji would be time enough then to seek the kingdom of God. He went from one village to another and got nothing to do. When Sunday came he went into a village church, and what was his great surprise to hear the minister give out the text, ' Seek first the kingdom of God.' He said the text went down to the bottom of his heart. He thought it was but his mother's prayer following him, and that some one must have written to that minister about him. He felt very uncomfortable, and when the meeting was over he could not get that sermon out of his mind. Again • Seek First the Kingdom of God * "He went away from that town, and at the end of a week went into another church, and he heard the minister give out the same text, 'Seek first the kingdom of God.' He felt sure this time that it was the prayers of his mother, but he said calmly and deliberately, ' No, I will first get wealthy.* He said he went on and did not go into a church for a few months, but the first place of worship he went into he heard a minister preaching a sermon from the same text. He tried to drown — to stifle his feelings; tried to ;^et the sermon out of his mind, and resulved that he would keep away from church altogether, and for a few years he did keep out of God's house. ' My mother died,' he said, ' and the text kept coming up in my mind, and I said I will try and become a Christian.' The tears rolled down his cheeks, as he said, ' I could not ; no sermon ever touched me ; my heart is as hard as that stone,' pointing to one in the field. I couldn't understand what it was all about — it was fresh to me then. I went to Boston and got converted, and the first thought that came to me was about this man. When I got back I asked mother, • Is Mr. L living in such a place ? ' ' Didn't I write to you about him ? ' she asked. 'They have taken him to an insane asylum, and to every one who 52 HIS EARLY LIFE goes there he points with his finger up there and tells them to seek first the kingdom of God.' There was that man with Ins eyes dull with the loss of reason, but the text had sunk into his soul — it had burned down deep. O, may the Spirit of God burn the text into )our hearts to-night, When I got home again my mother told me he was in his house, and I went to see him. I found him in a rock- ing chair, with that vacant, idiotic look upon him. As soon as he saw me, he pointed at me and said : ' Young man, seek first the kingdom of God.' Reason was irone but the text was there. Last month, when I was laying my brother down in his grave, I could not help thinking of that poor man who was lying so near him, and wishing that the prayer of his mother had been heard, and that he had found the kingdom of God." It is doubtful, however, if young Moody had experienced any re 1 religious feeling up to the time of his conversion in Boston. He was a boy like other boys — unlike the majority, too, in his imperious will, his indifference to obstacles, his boundless energy. He was as fond of mischief as the average boy. The influences of a farm-boy's life, tempered though they were by the forceful direc- tion of a devoted mother, were not calculated to cultivate in him a taste for the finer things of life. His passionate outbursts of temper are still remembered by those who early came into contact with him. His profanity is a matter of his own record. Still, he was doubtless in this regard merely a type of his environment. The notable thing about the boy was his force; ; he bore in his endowment great possibilities for good or ill. His Early Education Perhaps only twelve terms at the district school constituted Dvvlght's early education. A smattering of "the three R's," a iittle geography, and the practice of declamation made up the sum HIS EARL Y LIFE 53 of his learning. The truth of the matter seems to he that he did not study faithfully. It was only during his last term that he began to apply himself with diligence, too late to make up for what he had lost. His reading is described as outlandish beyond descrip- tion. With his characteristic tendency to jump directly to the heart of a question, he nev^er stopped to spell out an unfamiliar word, but mouthed his sense of it without full dependence upon his training, or made up a new word which sounded to his ear as suitable as the original. Of his experiences as a schoolboy Mr. Moody has given the followincf in his sermon on " Law versus Grace :" "The Law Party and the Grace Party" " At the school I used to go to when I was a boy, we had a teacher who believed in governing by law. He used to keep a rat- tan in his desk, and my back tingles now [shrugging his shoulders] as I think of it. But after a while the notion trot abroad amonf the people that a school might be governed by love, and the dis- trict was divided into what I might call the i^w party, and the grace party ; the law party standing by the old schoolmaster, with his rattan, and the grace party wanting a teacher who could get along without punishing so much. " After a while the grace party got the upper hand, turned out the old master, and hired a young lady to take his place. We all understood that there was to be no rattan that winter, and we looked forward to having the jolliest kind of a time. On the first morning the new teacher, whom I will call Miss Grace, opened the school with reading out of the Bible and prayer. That was a new thing and we didn't quite know what to make of it. She told us she didn't mean to keep order by punishment, but she hoped we would all be good children, for her sake as well as our own. This 54 HIS EARLY LIFE \ I made us a little achamed of the mischief we had meant to do, and everything went on pretty well for a few days ; but pretty soon I broke one of the rules, and Miss Grace said I was to stop that night after school. Now for the old rattan, said I to myself ; it*s coming now after all. But when the scholars were all gone she came and sat down by me, and told me how sorry she was that I, ivho was one of the biggest boys, and might help her so much, was setting such a bad example to others, and making it so hard for her to get along with them. She said she loved us, and wanted to help us, and if we loved her we would obey her, and then every- thing would go on well. There were tears in her eyes as she said this, and I didn't know what to make of it, for no teacher had ever talked that way to me before. I began to feel ashamed of myself for being so mean to any one who was so kind ; and after that she didn't have any more trouble with me, nor with any of the other scholars either. She just took us out from under the Law and put us under Grace." Departure From Home The circumstances which led up to the departure of young Moody from home have been variously stated. He had come to the age of seventeen. In those days a boy of seventeen was sup- posed to be ready to enter upon the serious business of life. New ambitions were arising in Dwight's heart. Mr. Edward Kimball, who afterwards led the boy to the Lord, is perhaps as well informed of the circumstances of his life in Boston as any man now living. He gave the facts as he was familiar with them at the time of Mr. Moody's death. " To tell the story correctly," said Mr. Kimball, " I must go back to Thanksgiving day forty-five years ago. A Thanksgiving family dinner party was assembled at the Moody home, which was on a farm a mile and a half from Northfield, Mass. At the table, HIS EARLY LIFE %% among others, were Samuel and Lemuel Holton, of Boston, two uncles of the Moody children. Without any preliminary warning young Dwight, a boy of about seventeen, spoke up and said to his uncle Samuel : " Uncle, I want to come to Boston and have a place in your shoe store. Will you take me ?" Despite the directness of the question, the uncle returned to Boston without' giving his nephew an answer. When Mr. Holton asked advice in the matter from an older brother of Dwight, the brother told his uncle that perhaps he had better not take the boy, lOr in a short time Dwight would want to run his store. Young Moody Looking For a Job " Dwight was a headstrong young fellow v/ho would not study at school, and who was much fonder of a practical joke than he was of his books. His expressed desire to go to Boston and get work was not a jest that the boy forgot the day after Thanksgiving. The two uncles were surprised when one day in the following spring Dwight turned up in Boston looking for a job. His uncle Samuel did not offer him a place. Dwight, when asked how he thcnght he could get a start, said he wanted work and he guessed he could find a position. After days of efforts, and meeting nothing but failures the boy grew discouraged with Boston, and told his uncle Lemuel he was going to New York. The uncle strongly advised Dwieht not to iro, but to sneak to his uncle Samuel again about the matter. The boy demurred, saying his uncle Samuel knew perfectly well what he wanted. But the uncle insisted so that a second time the boy asked his uncle Samuc^.l for a place in his store. •' * Dwight, I am afraid if you come in here you will want to run the store yourself,' said Mr. Holton. ' Now, my men here want to do their work as I want it done. If you wane to come in here and do the best you can, and do it right, and if you'll ask me 5« HIS EARLY LIFE wlicn you don't know how to do anything, or if I am not here, ask the bookkeeper, and if he's not here one of the salesmen or one of the boys, and if you are willing to go to church and Sunday school when you are able to go anywhere on Sundays, and if you are willing not to go anywhere at night or any other time which you would not want \\\v. or your mother to know about, why, then, if )ou'll promise all these things, )ou may come and take hold, and we'll see how we can get along. You can have till Monday to think it over.* " ' I don't want till Monday,' said Dwight ; I'll promise now.* And young Moody began to work in his uncle's shoe store. " A remark the boy's uncle made to me afterward will give an idea of the yoimg man's lack of education at this time. The uncl(3 said that when Dwight read his 'Bible out loud he couldn't make anything more out of it than he could out of the chattering of a lot of blackbirds. Many of the words were so far beyond the boy that he left them out entirely when he read, and the majority of the others he mangled fearfully." CHAPTER IV His Mother DEVOTION to his mother was a duty and a privilege second only to devotion to his God, in thj mintl of Mr. Moody. When at home in Northfield, he never failed to look in upon his mother in her cottage early every morninir, to give her a hearty greeting, and to see that she was provided with every com- fort and many luxuries. When away, no matter how. many times a day he preached, nor how many informal meetings he personally conducted, a letter was posted to his mother at frequent intervals in which she was told at length of the success of the meetings. A Picture Never to v,k Forootten During the last years of her life, when failing health prevented her from attending public worship, the devoted son never forgot the aged mother, and he often arranged lor her to hear the noted speakers and singers of the conferences. There is one picture associated with Northfield I can never for- Ufet. It had to do with one of the summer conferences. Some one had been asking about Mr. Moody's mother, and he had spoken to a few of those A\o gathered about him and said, " We might have a little service just at her .louse on the lawn, for she is not able to be out;" and so a number of distinguished Christian workers gathered just outside her window, sang the hymn she loved, prayed God's special blessing upon her and her distinguished son, and then (57) ' : I ! 58 HfS MOTHER one aftor tlio otiicr si)ok(! some word of appreciation of their visit to NortlificKl. I was staiuliii};^ just by Mr. Moody's side, and 1 heard liini say to one of his frientls, " I always thought she had such a beautiful face," and as he looked at her the tears started in his own eyes, rolled down his cheeks, and he said with much (^motion to a distinL,Miishcd luiglish Christian standini^ by his side, " I think she has been the best mother in tht: world." His iMothkk's Hlkssin(; Once again when many young men were gathered from all over th(; east(;rn part of our country in the World's Students' Confer<'nce, Mr. Moody said: "You know my mothc^r is an old lady. She is too feeble to attend these UKMlings. She is deeply inter(;sted in this work, and sh(! has praycil earn(,'stly for its succ(!ss. I want her to hear some of you sj)eak and sing. We are goljig up the mountain this aft(.;r- noon to pray for the baptism of the; Holy Spirit. Mcu^t me at my house at three o'clock. We will have a little service tiuire, and then 1 want you to go on to my mother's home, and I want somci of you to speak, and we will all sing. " I want you to rec(Mve my mother's blc;ssing before w(^ go to the UKHmtains to pray, for n(;xt to the blessing of (iod I place that of my mother." The thr(M; hundred anxious pilgrims who gathered on Mr. Moody's spacious lawn that afternoon, and who, after a brief servic( of song and prayer, journeyed on to the mother's cottage and later to thi; mountain top, presented a picture nt^ver to be forgottcMi by the members of that company. Much that is here written is his own words concerning her. *' I have an old mother away down in the Conntxticut Moun- tains," Mr. Moody used to .say, "and I have been in tiie habit o/ HIS MOTHER 6i jroint( to scu her every year for twenty years. Suppose I ^o there and say, ' Motlier, you were very kind to nie wb<;n I was younj,' — you were very j^^ood to me ; when father died you worked hard for us all to kee[) us together, and so I have come to see you, because it is my duty.' Then she would say to me, ' Well, my son, if you only come to see me, because it is your duty, you need not come aj^ain.' And that is the way with a great many servants of God. They work for Mini, because it is their duty — not for love. Let us abolish this word duty, and feel that it is only a privilege to work for God, and let us try to remember that what is done merely from a sense of duty is not acceptable to God." And so it was. Year after year, in the very heat of those spiritual campaigns which brought him prominently before the peo- ple of the two continents, Mr. Moody would slip away regularly to the spot where, amid the serene surroundings of the Northfield hills, his mother sat with her thoughts upon him and his work, praising God who had permitted her boy to become the instrument of so much blessing. Hek Puritan Ancestry Betsey Holton, the mother of Dwight L. Moody, was a descend- ant in the fifth generation of William Holton, one of the first settlers of Northfield. In fact, this ancestor was one of that committee of the General Council of Massachusetts which laid out the plantation of Northfield, after it had been purchased from the Indians in 1673. The marriage of Betsey Holton to Edwin Moody united two strains of old Puritan blood. Doubtless this lineage accounts in no slight degree for the restless energy and dogged earnestness of the son, Dwight. " I always thought that Dwight would be one thing or the other," the dear old woman once remarked. Where others had failed to see, she had early recognized the hardiness of the boy's character. t ( 63 mS MOTHER — a hardiness which she must have seen through its very kinship with her own. For her schooling had not been easy. Left a widow with nine children, a small house, and an acre or so of heavily mortgaged land, she had taken upon her womanly shouldo;s the full responsibility of bringing up her family. Tilling the ground, and doing odd jobs for the neighbors, she continued to scrape together enough to keep her children fed and clothed, although the margin between plenty and want was frequently so slim as to bar out comfort. There were times when no food seemed forthcom- ing ; but a Providence whose care extends even to the sparrows did not permit the burden to become too heavy for this widowed mother, although her resources were often taxed to the utmost. Young Moody at the Vili.agk School Every day she taught the children a little Bible lesson, and on Sundays accompanied them to the Unitarian Sunday school. They '.vere sent, too, to the village school. Dwight was as loth as the average young boy to endure the discipline of the school-room. It is not hard to picture him " with shining morning face, creeping like snail unwillingly to school." But the wise mother knew. Seeds were being scattered in the fertile heart and mind of the boy : and if they did not seem to sprout at once, perhaps it was for the very reason that they had not been sown in a shallow soil. The Rev. Dr. Theodore Cuyler, when he first met Mrs. Moody, turned to her son, and said, " I sec now where you got your vim and your hard sense ! " Others remarked the same resemblance of the son to his mother. I speak of this merely to make it evident how much he owed her. However completely she came into sympathy with her son's work in later years, at the outset of his labors his mother did not give him her sanction. She herself was a member of a non- HIS MOTHER 63 evangelical church. For a long time she did not even hear her son preach. How he finally not only convinced her of his fitness for his work, but also became the means of leading her into the higher life has been related by a close friend of the family in the following w^ords : His Mother's Conversion "In 1875 he returned to his home in Northfield to preach, shortly after coming back to America from one or his great London successes. The family still lived on the old farm, and still drove to town to Sunday meeting in the old farm wagon, just as they used to do in the days gone by. Most of the members of the family were going to drive to town that morning to hear Dwight preach. The mother startled a da ,hter by saying to her: " ' I don't suppose there would be room in the wagon for me this morning, would there ?' " No one had ever thought of the mother unbending and go- ing to hear her son. " ' Of course there will be room, mother,' said the daughter. "And the mother was taken down to the church with the rest. Mr. Moody preached from the fifty-first Psalm, and prer^ched with a fervor that was probably inspired by the presence of his mother. When those who wished prajer were asked to arise:, old Mrs. Moody stood up. "The son was completely overcome, and, turning to H. F. Jacobs, now of Chicago, said with emotion, 'You pray, Jacobs, i can t. When he returned to Northfield after some evangelical tour, Mr. Moody would invariably drive directly to see his mother, to receive her welcome, even before joining his immediate family. Sitting in her sunny room the kindly, k(;en, old lady would give to her son kernels of sound wisdom with the blessing of her approval. 1I 1 (>A II/S MOTHER She vviis pcnuitteil to remain in tliis world until her ninety- first year. When at the last she bei^an to sink, it was not thought by those about her that th(-:re was any immediate danger, and Mr, Moody, who was at the time contlucting services in a distant city, was not informed as to th(; state of her health. But tow^ird the close of a week of meetinj^s tlu: evangelist grew restless. He felt a strange intuition that his presence was needed at liome, and, f()r no other reason, he canceled his cniiiairement and started for North- field. He arrived in time to receive her blessing. At his mother's funeral, acting upon an imi)ulse, Mr. Moody delivered a touching tribute to her memory. Mrs. William R. Moody had concluded her song "Crossing the Bar," when the evangelist rose from his place with the family, and, bearing in his hands the old family Bible, and a worn -book of devotions, came forward. Standing by the botly of his mother, he said: His Trihutk k) His Moiiikk '* It is not the custom, perha{)s, for a son to take part m such an occasion. If I can control myself I would like to say a few words. It is a great honor to be the son of such a mother. I do not know where to begin ; I could not praise her enough. In the first place my mother was a very wise woman. In one sense she was wiser than Solomon ; she knew how .0 bring up her children. She had nine children and they all loved their home. She won their hearts, their affections, she could do anything with them. " Whenever I wanted real sound counsel I used to go to my mother. I have traveled a good deal and seen a good many mothers, but I never saw one who had such tact as she had. She so bound her children to her that it was a great calamity to have to leave home. I had two brothers that lived in Kansas and died there. Their great longing was to get back to their mother. My HIS MOTHER 65 brother who died in Kansas a short time ago had been looking over the Greenfield papers for some time to see if he could not buy a farm in this locality. He had a good farm there, but he was never satisfied ; he wanted to get back to mother. That is the way she won them to herself. I have heard something within the last forty-eight hours that nearly broke my heart. I merely men- tion it to show what a character she was. My eldest sister, her oldest daughter, told me that the first year after my father died she wept herself to sleep every night. Yet, she was always bright and cheerful in ihe presence of her children, and they never knew any- thing abui. it. Her sorrows drove her to Him, and in her own room, after we were asleep, I would wake up and hear her praying, and sometimes I would hear her weeping. She would be sure her children were all asleep before she would pour out her tears. It is A Crkat Tiiixd to Havk .Such a Motiihu " And there was another thing remarkable about my mother. If she loved one child more than another, no one ever found it out. Isaiah, he was her first hoy ; she could not get along without Isaiah. And Cornelia, she was her first girl ; she could not get along with- out Cornelia, for she had to take care of the twins. And George, she couldn't live without George. What could she ever have done without George ? He staid right by her through thick and thin. She couldn't live without Cieorgc. And Edwin, he bore the name ol her husband. And Dwight, I don't know what she thought of him. And Luther, he was the dearest of all, because he had to go away to live. He was always homesick to get back to mother. And Warren, he was the youngest when father died; it seemed as if he was dean^r than all the rest. And Sam and Lizzie, the twins, they were the light of her great s i s HIS MOTHER n i e s S s a a « K 3 a « B p o 0. M a > •I ■a a a * o ■a M >«* J < >• Q O O S H X H to less than a loaf of bread. Some one came along hungry, and she says, ' Now, children, shall I cut your slices a little thinner and give some to this person ?' And we all voted for her to do it. That is the way she taught us. •' ' She is not afraid of the snow for her household ; for all her household are clothed with scarlet.' " She would let the neighbors' boys in all over the house, and track in snow ; and when there was going to be a party she would say, 'Who will stay with me ? I will be all alone ; why don't you ask them to come here ?' In that way she kept them all at homo, and knew where her children were. The door was never locked at night until she knew they were all in bed, safe and secure. Nothing was too hard for her if she could only spare her children. I Honor Her for the PuNisiiMr.NT I Got "The seven boys were like Hannibal, whose mother took him to the altar and made him swear vengeance on Rome. She took us to the altar and made us swear vengeance on whiskey, and every- thing that was an enemy to the human family ; and we have been fighting it ever since and will to the end of our days. " My mother used to p'^nish me. I honor her for that. I do not obje^ct to punishment. She used to send mc out to get a stick. It would take a long time to get it, and then I used to get a dead stick if I could. She would try it and, if it would break easily, then I had to go and get another. She was not in a hurry and did not tell me to hurry, because she knew all the time that I was being punished. I would go out and be gone a long time. When I came in, she would tell me to take off my coat, and then she would put the birch on ; and I remember once I said, * That doesn't hurt.' She put it on all tlie harder, and I never said that the second time. And once in awhile she would take me and she would say, 'You know I would rather put this on myself than to 73 HIS MOTHER put It on you.' I would look up and see tears in her eyes. That was enough for me. *' What more can I say ? You have lived with her and you know her. I want to give you one verse, her creed. Her creed was very short. Do you know what it was? I will tell you what it was. When everything went against her, this was her stay, ' My trust is in God. My trust is in God.' And wlien the ncMghbors would come in and tell her to bind out her children, she would say, ' Not as long as I have these two hands.' ' Well,' they would say, 'you know one woman cannot bring up s(;ven boys; they will turn up in jail, or with a rope around their necks.' She toiled on, and none of us went to jail, and none of us has had a rope around his neck. And if every one had a mother like that mother, if the world was mothered by that kind of mothers, there would i^e no use for jails. '• Here is a book (a little book of devotions) ; this and the Bible were about all the books she id in those days ; and every morning she would stand us up and read out of this book. All through the book I find things marked. " Every Saturday night — we used to begin to observe the Sabbath at sundown Saturday night, and at sundown Sunday night we vv^ould run out and throw up our caps and let off our jubilant spirits — this is what she would give us Saturday night, and it has gone with me through life. Not all of it, I could not remember it all: ' How pleasant it is on Saturday night When I've tried all the week to lie good.' " And on Sunday she always started us off to .Sunda) school. It was not a debatable question whether we should go or not. All the family attended. *' I do not know, of course, we do not know, whether the departed ones ar j conscious of what is going on on earth. If I HIS MoruER 73 knew that she was I would send a message that we are cominij after her. If I coultl, I believe I would send a messa^^e after her. not only for the family, and the town, but for the Seminary. She was always so much interested in the youn^*^ ladies of the Seminary. She seemed to Ik: as young as any of them, and (,'nti;red into the joys of the young people just as much as any one. I want to say to the young ladies of the Seminar), who acted as maids of honor to escort my mother down to the church this morning, that I want you to trust my mother's Saviour. " I want to say to the young men of Mt, Hermon, you are going to have a great honor to escort mother to her last resting- place. Her prayers for you ascended daily to the throne of grace. Now, I am going to give you the best I have ; 1 am goin,, to do the best I can ; I am going to la) her away with her face toward Hermon. "She Was Fkuk as Sunlight" " I think she is one of the noblest characters this world has ever seen. She was true as sunlight; i nevei knew that woman to deceive me. " I want to thank Dr. Scofield for the comforting words he has brought us to-day. It is a day of rejoicing, not of regret. She went without pain, without a struggle, just like a person going to sleep. And now we are to lay her body away to await His coming in resurrection power. When I see her in the morning she is to have a glorious body. The body Moses had on the Mount of Transfiguration was a better body than God buried on Pisgah. When we see Elijah he will have a glorious body. That dear mother, when I see her again, is going to have a glorified body. [Looking at her face] God bless you, mother ; we love you still. Death has only increased our love. Gool reproof. That was enoutjh -their eciuaniniity was restored immediately. I fjui* Uy handed Moody my own book, open at the rijjrht place, and took his. I did not sup|)ose the boy could possibly have noticed the L,danc(;s e\chanL,^ed between the other boys over his itjnoranc*', but it siM-ms from remarks in later years that he did, and lu' saiil in reference tn my little act in exchanv,dn^r books that h<' would stick l)y the fellow who had stood by him antl had done him a turn likt; that." This Sunday school teacher was not one of the ordinary type. Merc literal instruction on Sundaj' did ncH satisfy his idt^al of th(i teacher's duty. lie knew his boys, and, if he knew th(Mii, it was because he stndit'd th<;m, becaiisi; he became .'ic(|uainted with their occupations and aims, visitinj^ tlurm tlurin^ th(; wri-k. It was his custom, mort^over, to find opportunity to K'^'*- '° '^'^ boys an opportunity to use his experience in seeking the better things of the S[)irit. The day came when lu; resolved t(j speak to young Moody about Christ, and about his soul. Just Rkadv kok riiK Licht *' I started down town to Holton's shoe store," says Mr. Kim- ball. -" When I was nearly there, I began to wonder whether I ought to go just then, during business hours. And I thought maybe my mission might embarassthe boy, that when I went away the other clerks might ask who I was, and when they learned might taunt Moody and ask if I was trying to make a good boy out of him. While I was pondering over it all, I passed the store without noticing it. Then when I found I had gone by the door, I determined to make a dash for it and have it over at once. I found Moody in the back part of the store wrapping up shoes in 6 i 7<5 HIS CONVERSION paper and putting them on shelves. I went up to him and put my hand on his shoulder, and as I leaned over I placed my foot upon a shoe box. Then I made my plea, and I feel that it was really a very weak one. I don't know just what words I used, nor could Mr. Moody tell. I simply told him of Christ's love for him and the love Christ wanted in return. That was all there was of it. I think Mr. Moody said afterwarc' that there were tears in my eyes. It seemed that the younjj^ man was just ready for the light that then broke upon him, for therj al onevj in the back of that shoe store in Boston the future great evangelist gave himself and his life to Christ." Many years afterward Mr. Moody himself toUl the story of that day. " When I was in Boston," he said, " I used to attend a Sunday school class, and one tlay I recollect my teacher came around behind th(i counter of \\\v. shop I was at work in, .end put his hand upon my shoulder, and talked to me about Christ and my soul. I had not felt that I had a soul till then. I said to myself : ' This is a very strange thing. Here is a man who never saw me till lately, and he is weeping over my sins, and I never shed a tear about them.' But I understand it now, and know what it is to have a passion for men's souls and weep over their sins. I don't remember what he said, but 1 can feel the pow(,'r of that man's hand on my shoulder to-night. It was not long after that I was brought into the Kingdom of God." 1 I ArruES for Admission into tiik Church. One of his first steps after his conversion was to apply for admission into the Mount Vernon Church. It is frequently stated that after his a[)plication for member- ship in the Mount Vernon Church, he was looked upon so unfavorably as a candidate that he was kept waiting for a year before he was granted adnn'ssion. It has also been said, that even r ^ HIS CONVERSION 77 after his acceptance by the church his remarks in the church meetings were so far from edifyiny^ that his pastor was obliged to suggest to him, tiiat he could serve the Lord much more acceptably by keeping silence. While there is a foundation of truth in these statements, they must not be taken too literally. Mr. Moody was undoubtedly at that time ignorant of many of the most im[)ortant reasons of his profession ; but I )r. Kirk's church was a revival church, and his spirit was not such as to deny the opportunities of grace to any one who deserved thtnn. The Rev. Dr. James M. Buckley, editor of the Christian Advocate, has written quite exhaustively on this matter. 1 le has said : " Those sympathizing with his | Dr. Kirk's] peculiar work, gathered about him. Among them were such men as Julius Palmer, the brother of Dr. Ray I'almer, the authc^r of 'My b'aith Looks Up to Thee;' ; he was one of the d(,'acons, ancl all the rest had the same sympathi(^s. Mr. Kimball was not only Mr. Moody's Sunday school teacher, and, as Mr. Moody expressly informed us, the means of his conversion, but was also ont> of the examining com- mittee. Ihit the Mount Vernon Church did not receive a p(M*son who could not furnish evidcMice that he was converted, even if he was perfectly orthodox in doctrine. TrCK b^ VI DENG k. "About the time Mr. Mooily was converted, a young man came froin .Scotland with a letter from a Presbyterian church. He could repeat the Shorter Catechism, answer all doctrinal qui^stions glibly, but wluMi he was asked of his [)osition before God as a sinner and his conscious rt^lation to Christ as a Saviour, he knew nothing of it and made no re{)ly, except that 'such questions were never asked him before'. He confessed that he had simply 'joined * I r- 78 HIS CONVERSION because he was advised and expected to do so. This young man wa- advised to wait, and bretliren were appointed to try to arouse in liim a consciousness of his need of a Saviour and of a work of <(rac(;, and to point him to the Lamb of God, About the same time, a youni^ woman applied who was wholly in the dark on 'doctrines'; tender, tearful, hesitating, distrustful of herself, she could not tell why she thought herself a Christian, but could only say that she loved Christ and the prayer meeting. One of the committee said, 'Do you love God's people because they are His?' Fler face brightened, and she said, ' O, sir, is that an evidenci; ?' 'Yes.' ' Then I am sure I have that if I have no other, for I love to be with Christians ai' y where.' She was promptly received. His First Examination " When Mr. Moody appeared for {\\amination, he was eighteen years old. He had only been in the Sunday school class a few weeks ; he had no idea and could not tell what it was to hv. a Christian ; even wlicn aided by his teacher, whom he loved, he could not state what Christ had done for him. The chief question put to him was this: 'Mr. Moody, what has Christ done for us all — for j'ou — which entitles Him to our love ?' The longest answer he ffave in the examination was this : ' I do not know. 1 think Christ has done a great deal for us, but I do not think of anything particular as I know of.' "Under these circumstances, as he was a stranger to all the members of the committiM\ and less than a month had elapsed since ho began to give any serious thought to the salvation of his soul. they deferred recommending him for admission to the church. But two of tli(> examining committee were specially designated to watch over him with kindness, and teach him ' the way of God more perfectly '. V ! I n >c )n \v ly le ?* ?' 211 'W a lie in ill lie ist lie cc 111. :h. to I of a o 01 a X H z Z u Pi a MS X u O H >< Z o cu > OS < z o m CO s a o 06 o z q 0. s o o a Oi a HIS CO is' VERSION 8i of a 3 CO Cd S H Z Ml X u o H > z o a. > z o m a> § rominent as an evangelist, he expressed iiis gratitude to one oi the officers of the church for the course j)ursu(.'tl, and said his conviction was that its inlluence was favorable to his ^^rowth in grace. He also said he was afraid that pastors and church officers generally were falling into the error of hurrying new converts into a profession of religion. To a person of our ac(iuainlance Dr. Kirk himself referred with the deepest grief to these; imputations upon the Churc'- and declared them to be without foundation in truth ; as well he night, for if there ever existed a man in New England who was frt^e from thc^ spirit of 'staid and stiff New England orthodoxy ', it was I3r. Kirk. " As for the suggestion to say but little in jirayer meeting, we have little doubt that some one suggested that, for i\lr. Moody has told us of his utte*" ignorance of the evangelical system. He was converted, he ' wished to do his duty ', he said, ' whatever came to his lips', knowing nothing about its consistency or inconsistency; but he acted on John Wesley's rule, ' I3o every religious duty as you can until you can do it as you would.' " Mr. Moodv's Lifk in Boston One of those who knew Mr. Moody at the time of his con- version was Mr. Charles B. Botsford, of Boston. Shortly after the death of Mr. Moody, Mr. Botsford related what he knew of the life of Moody in Boston. " I distinctly recall my first interview with Mi . Moody, early in 1856," said Mr. Botsford. " It was at the close of one of the Monday evening religious meetings of the Mt. Vernon Association 82 HIS CONVERSION I of Younij Men, formed several years before by Dr. Edward N. Kirk, for tb.o b^enefit of youiiL,^ men of his cluirch and n^rregation. Antedatinjj^ tlie Y. M. C. A. by several years, it continued a vigorous life for several decad(;s, and proved of great value. "A literary meetiniv alternated with a devotional meeting. It was at this, his first attentlance, at one of the latter, that, in a broken and trembling way, he earnestly stated his purpose to turn over a new leaf and leail a Christian life. When the meeting was over I took him i)y the hand and conducted him for the first time to the rooms of the Y. M, C. A., in the old 'Fremont Temple, to attend, as was m)- custom, the 9 o'cl(K"k prayer and conference meeting. Moody spoke, but much more zealously than grammatic- ally, and he continued to be an active participant in the meetings from week to week. *' Li;T TlIK LkAVEN Wt)KK " " After a time.', one of the most cull- led members complained to Mr. Moody's uncle, a shoi: dealer on Fremont Row, between Brattle and Hanover streets, that his nephew was altogether too zealous and conspicuous in the Y. M. C. A. meetings, saying that he wished in some way to have the zealot restrained. When con- sulted about the matter I said: 'No, let the leaven work!' The world knows what Mr. Moody has since done, in, by and for Y. M. C. A.'s, to say nothing of his other work. " In the meantime I had taken Moody to a Sunday morning devotional meeting, that I was accr -.tomed to atteml, in the vestry of Dr. Neal's [Baptist] church, where the Boston University now stands. At thai meeting, also, with its strong sectarian atmos- phere, Moody spoke, and so stumbled in absolute disregard of the Pilgrim's English, that, in embarrassment, I bowed my head on the rail of the seat before me. He continued there, also. HIS C ON VliRSIi )N 83 '* It was from this cluirch, later, that a good sister, more zealous to steady and guard the ark of the Lord than to encourage unlearned young men to become leaders in Israel, went to Mr. Holton and said : ' If you have any interest in or regard for your nephew, you had better admonish him not to talk so much, for he is makini'^ a fool of himsi;lf.' Hut still the leaven worked, 'May 4, 1856. Mr. Moody united with the Mt. Vernon Church, when; lu; was a member of Mr. Kimball's class in the Sunday school. 1 ie was not a constant atti;ndant of the miil-week devotional meetings of tin; cluirch, for, as he expressed it, he did not 'have liberty ' there in his utterances, and, naturally enough, perhaps, for the atmosphere of the meetings was strongly intel- lectual and positively sj)iritual, with such leaders as Deacons Palmer, Kimball, I'inkerton and Gushing, with Dr. Kirk, at the close, to deei)en and seal the impression." A CiiAN(;i;i) Lii'K Concerning his relations to the Mount Vernon Church, Mr. Moody afterward said : " When I fu'st became a Christian, I tried to join the church, but they wouldn't have me, because they didn't believe I was really converted." A number of years afterward, Dr. Kirk was attending the anniversary of the American Board of Commissioners for I'^jreign Missions, which was held that year in Chicago. He was enter- tained by Mr. Moody, the man who as a boy had come into the light, in some measure, under his inlluence, and he preached on Sunday in the pulpit of his former parishioner. When he returned to Boston Dr. Kirk called upon Mr. Moody's uncle, Mr. Holton, and said: " I told our people last evening that we had every reason to be ashamed of ourselves. That young Moody, whom we thought did not know enough to belong to our church and Sunday I ; 84 HIS CONVERSION school, is to-day exerting a wider influence for the Master tnan any other man in the great Northwest." Speaking of his experience in passing from the hfe of sin to the life of religion, Mr. Moody once said : " I used to have a terrible habit of swearing. Whenever I would get mad, out would come the oaths; but after I gave my heart to Christ, He took the oaths away, so that I ilid not have the least disposition to take God's name in vain." At another time, when waited upon by a journalist, who asked him for a sketch of his life, Mr. Moody said : " I was born in the flesh in 1837; I was jjorn in the Spirit in 1856. What is born of the flesh may die ; that which is born of the Spirit will live forever." How Moody Rkvknged Himsklf UroN the Dka-on The Rev. Dr. Savage, of Chicago, used to tell of the vay in which Mr. Moody revenged himself upon one of the deacoiu; who had been instrumental in keeping him waiting for admission to the church. Mr. Moody's action was, of course, good-natured, for he not only bore no malice, but, on the other hand, was thankful for the wisdom which liad recpiired of him some sane understanding of his own state before he was allowed full fellowship with God's people. The earnest incpiirer finds only a stimulus to further search when his own unfitness is made clear to him. To return to the story. It was during the London campaign, ilnd in the midst of one of the great mcttings in Exeter Hall, nlr. Moody, whose sharp eyes never missed a detail in the great audiences which he faced, saw, away back under a gallery, his old friend, the deacon. The good man was traveling at the time, and had come to the meeting largely out of curiosity. Mr. Moody said nothing until toward the close of the service Then he suddenly HIS CONVERSION 85 exclaimed : " I >oe in the house an eminent Christian gentleman from Boston. Deacon P., come rii^ht up to the platform ; the people are anxious to hear you." The deacon was far from eaj^er to accept this hearty invita- tion, but he found that there was no alternative. So, mounting tile; platform, he bej^an to speak. 1 le told of having been ac<|uainted with Mr. Moody during the evangelist's early life — of the fact that they had been members of the same church. Here Mr. Mooily suddcidy inleiTupted : "Yes, Deacon, anil you kept me out of that church for six months, because you thought I did not know enough to join it. ' I'ln vie.acon, at last succeeding ir. making himself heard ai)ove thv roar of laughter which greeted Mr. Mooily's sally, retorted that il was a i)rivil( -« to »v\y church to receive Mr. Moody i\\ all, eVen though with considerable trepida- tion, .md after lou^ endeavor to know him thoroughly. How iik Ri.i'AVs His Oid .Suni>av School TEACH^:R A number of years after his own conversion Mr. Moody found an opi)ortunity to repay his old Sundav school teacher in kind for the help which Mr. Kimball had given to him. After a service in lioston a young man came to Mr. Moody and introduced him- self as a son of Mr. Kimball. " I'm glad to meet you," said Mr. Moody. "Are you a Christian?" The young man admitted that he was not, and Mr. Moody inc[uired of hini as to his age. "I am kjcventeen," was the reply. "That was just my age, when your father led me to the Lord," said Mr. Moody, "and now I want to repay him by leading his son to Christ." The coincidence in age made an impression on the young man. After a brief conversation, he promised to surrender his heart to the Saviour, and a short time afterward Mr. Moody received a letter from him, stating that he had found what he had sought. I 86 I/JS CON VERSION After liis reception into the Mount Vernon Church, Mr. Moody remained in Boston for about five months. The restraint of his conservative surroundings lay heavy u[)on him. He yearned for freedom -freedom to think, freedom to speak, freedom to work. He must have had sonu: consciousness of the yreal intuitions, the great feelings, which were struggling in him to burst forth into bloom, and he must iiave n^aiized that the soil of staid Boston was not stimulating to such a growth. He had come into a new life ; his forc(;ful nature was not the kind to wait for circumstances to develop it. He required broad opportunity. Hi-: Skkks His Futukk in tiik Wkst His unrest finally decided him definitely to seek a future in the West. His mother, it is said, did not api)rove of the move, dreading, as do all good mothers, the change which would take her son farther from her, and possibly fearing the dangers of a new environment which might not prove wholesome. Any dread which she may have felt was afterward proved to have been ill-founded. Securing a letter from his uncle, Mr. Moody set out for Chicago in September, 1S56, and entered the Western Metropolis with small store of earthly gooils, but with a large fund of buoyant hope and energy, and a devoted purpose to serve his Divine Master. I CHAPTER VI. Sunday School Work WHEN yoiin^f Moody arrived in Chica^'o, lie prcsciUi-d a letter wliich his uiule had ^nven him to Mr. W'iswall, a shoe dealt;r on Lake Street. The l)oy was not altoi;{lh< r a prepossessiiitr candidate for a position. He was boisterous and unc(juth, and it was with many misy;i\ nij^s that Mr. W'iswall took him into his store His employer's decision, ho\v(\< r, was fully justified hy the jouni;- man's work. It was not lon^- lufon; youn<^^ Moody had the reputation of hein^ the best salesman in the employ of the firm. He especially deli<^hted to take in IkuuI customers who were unusually difficult to deal with, and. while h».' never over- ste[)[jed the line between honesty and deceit in liis Inisiness dcalin^^s, when it came to a contest of wits he was almost invariably victorious. Goon Pki:par.\ti()N roR Futi;rk Work It was not lonir before the irrowth of Mr. W'iswall's business led him to open a jobbing tlepartnunt. Mr. Moody was promoted to a situation in the new d.epartment, and in this wider op[)ortnnity for the exercise of his business faculties, he continucil to win approval as a valual)le assistant. His work took liim to the rail road stations, hotels and other business places in search of customers, and doubtless did much toward wideninj^^ his accjuaint ance, and adding to his experience in dealing with men. The acquirement of practical knov/ledge of the best way to approach mer was a wonderful preparation for the great work of his laf^.- years. 87 V^. w; IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1^ ^ II 2.2 ? ^ IIIIIM 1.4 1.8 1.6 V <^ 0*^^ w Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) •72-4903 S. •s^ \ :\ \ «^\^\ '4^ ^ 0^ I 88 SUNDAY SCHOOL WORK A number of Mr. Wiswall's clerks slept In rooms in the store buildinL,^ an arrangement which naturally led to a fraternal inter- course. It is said that in the evenings these young men made it a habit to enter into debates upon the live questions of the day- - and sometimes even questions which were not living issues. Politics, theology, business, all supplied topics to these young orators, and fre([uently discussions became very enthusiastic. The slavery {|uestion was often mooted. My Moody was, as might be expected from iiis vehement nature, an earnest participant in these debates. Unembarrassed by the limitations placed upon him by lack of education, he plunged boldly into whatever subject was under discussion, and generally made his point. In theologj- the main subject of debate was the old, old question, foreordination versus free will. Mr. Moody had developed strong Calvinistic tendencies, and he found a worthy opponent in one of his fellow clerks who, by bringing up, was a Methodist. The question of amusements was also taken up. Mr. Moody was strongly averse to any frivolous form of amusement, or any amusement which seemed to him frivolous. The story is told that he came into the store one night from some relicrious meeting:, and found two of the clerks engaged in a game of checkers. He dashed the checker board to the ground ; then, before any one could protest, dropped upon his knees and began to pray. It must not be thought, how- ever, that he was entirely averse to healthful sports. On the contrary, rough games and practical jokes were a keen delight to him. Recruiting for the Church Shortly after his arrival in Chicago, Mr. Moody united by letter with the Plymouth Congregational Church, of v.hich Dr. J. E. Roy was at that time pastor. It was a hospitable church, and Mr. Moody was not slow to find an opportunity to exercise his ii n • 2 £ «W "°» ^w o i»8 ?2:>i) eSh G«>c •> B 9 0*0, , S 5 CO a r " 13 M *< 2 w 2 S CO •Sv-.> ?-eting began to wane. To increase this interest inipre\ssed Mr, Mooely as his iluty. His abilities were Soon recognizeil by those in charge of tht; work, and he was ap[)ointed chairman of the \'isiting Conunittee to the sick and to strangers, ilis work in behalf of the noon nieetinst breeze," antl under his inlluenci: the institution became free and popular, iUul its inlluence was e.xtensively widened. His abilities were es[)ecially eminent In raising money, but of the thousands of dollars he secured he would take nothing for himself. lUlO "g other schemes devisetl by him was one which federated the mission schools of the city uiuler the Association, and brought them under the care of the stronger churches. The report of the first year of iOO THE YOUNG MJCN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATJON lOl the work of liis coinniilttc on \isitati(Mi ^ivcs the number of families visitetl as 554, ami tlie anunint of money used for charitable purposes as $2,350. Meanwhile, the growiny^ streno^^th of the North Market Mission taxed the ingenuity of the young superintendent to pre.viiK; n»om for its exi)ansion. He set himst-lf Ut work to si-ctire a suitable edi- fice, ami, collecting" personally about $20,000, saw a neat chapel rise in Illinois Street, not far from the old North Market llall. This was in 1S6;. Mr. Moodv had ever aitm-d, as the converts of the Mission gri'w in number, to rt'comnuMid them to regular church homes, but an increasing unwillingness on thi^ part of the converts to leave the inlluenci'S of his pi rsonal presence seemeil to necessitate the organization of a regular church to be made ui) of the converts of the Mission. TuK IiiiNois Siki:i:r Ciiukch "The Illinois Strei't CMiurch " was tlu-refore organized iindei Congregatit)nal auspices. Members were baptized and reciMved into the church by regular pastors t>f other Congregational churches, but the communion service was conductetl by Mr. Moody without rt^ference to establishetl forms. 1 le was the pastor of the church, although he never receiveil ordination. I'or this re;ison, probably, the church, although organiziul by Congrega tionalists, was not reckoneil a Congregational Church. Its disci- pline and confession of faith were made up with the end that no true lover of the Lortl shouKl be kept from the felU)Wship of this Christian band by any non-essential of doctrine or observance. The membership of this church in the beginning was imicpie. Almost every communicant had bi-en rescued from degradation by the work of the Mission. \wi\ it was a workinc congrej/ation. Labor was so divided that every member had something to do, and every night saw some service in the chapel. The meetings 102 THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION \ i j seemed to be a continuous revival. Boundless energy and great physical strength, with the constant dwelling of God's spirit in him, alone enabled Mr. Moody to bear up under the great strain. At times he would find himself completely exhausted and almost ready to give up, but a few hours of rest or a slight change of occupation generally sufficed to put him very quickly on his feet agam. Two Hundred Calls in a Day The story is tcld of how he made two hundred calls on New Year's Day. " At an early hour the omnibus which was to take him and several of his leading men was at the door, and, with a carefully prepared list of residences, they began the day's labor. The list included a large proportion of families living in garrets and the upper stories of high tenements. On reaching the home of a family belonging to his congregation he would spring out of the 'bus, leap up the stairwr.ys, rush into the room, and pay his respects as follows : *' ' I am Moody ; this is Deacon De Golyer ; this is Deacon Thane; this is Brother Hitchcock. Are you well? Do you all come to church and Sunday-school ? Have you all the coal you need for the winter ? Let us pray ? ' And down we would all go upon our knees, while Mr. Moody offered from fifteen to twenty words of earnest, tender, sympathetic supplication. " Then springing to his feet, he would dash on his hat, dart through the doorway and down the stairs, throwing a hearty * good bye ' behind him, leap into the ' bus, and off to the next place on his list ; the entire exercise occupying about one minute and a half. •' Before long the horses were tired out, for Mr. Moody insisted on their going on a run from one house to another ; so the omnibus was abandoned, and the party proceeded on foot One after anothet ■' THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 103 of his companions became exhausted with running upstairs and down- stairs, and across the streets, and kneehng on bare floors, and get- ting up in a hurry ; until, reluctantly, but of necessity, they were obliged to relinquish the attempt, and the tireless pastor v/as left to make the last of the two hundred calls alone. He returned home in the highest spirits to laugh at his exhausted companions for desert- ing him." The next year Mr. Moody went on foot through another such day — reminding his friends that on the previous New Year they had often felt obliged to leave the * bus before reachinir a house, lest the sight of the vehicle should hurt the poor they visited, as an apparent waste of money. Elected President oe the Y. M. C. A. The increase of the work of the Youne Mesi's Christian Asso- ciation during the Civil War called for increased accommodations. Mr. Moody's success with his Mission, and his well-known energy and boldness, led to the proposal that he be elected president of the Association. His lack of learning and his bluntncss caused considerable opposition to his election, but he received a small majority. A building committee was immediately organized. Mr. Moody's plan was to organize a stock company, with twelve trus- tees, who should erect and hold the building in trust. The stock was to bear "^x^ per cent, interest, from the completion of the build- ing, and the interest on the stock was to be paid out of the rentals of such portions of the building as were not needed for the use of the Association, and also from the rent of the great Hall. The excess of the rentals over the interest was to be used to buy up the stock, at par, in behalf of the Association. Mr. Moody succeeded in placing the stock to the value of $ioi,ocx>. 104 THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION I I i 1 The new building was erected in Madison Street, between Clark and La Salle Streets. The large hall had a seating capacity of three thousand. There were in the building a large room for the noon prayer meetings, a library, offices, etc. The hall was dedicated September 29, 1867. The report of the treasurer, Mr. John V. Farwell, on that occasion, showed that the entire cost of land, building, etc., was $199,000. Stock had been subscribed to the amount of $135,000; $50,000 had been loaned on mortgages. The remaining indebtedness was at once cleared up by sub- scriptions. Dedication of the New Building Among the speakers at the dedicatory service was Mr. George H. Stuart, president of the United States Christian Commission. His address sketched the history of the Association, and described the possibilities that were open to its efforts. The effect of his speech was marvelous. It seemed as if the words of this great Christian man had loosened the heart-strings of every individual in the large audience. The hall was still unnamed, but on Mr. Moody's nomination it was christened "Farwell Hall," in honor of Mr. John V. Farwell. Under the management of Mr. Moody, Farwell Hall became very popular. The daily noon prayer meeting was so well attended that occasionally the one thousand seats in the prayer room were not sufficient to hold the people, and it was necessary to adjourn to the large hall. Monday evening a special meeting was held for strangers. Every noon Mr. Moody would go to the street in front of the hall a few minutes before the meeting, and endeavor to send within as many of the passers-by as he could approach. Then, as the clock struck twelve, he would hurry up the stairs and take his usual seat, near the leader, where, if the meeting seemed to THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION 105 drag or to require a stimulus, he would take it in hand and do everythin^^ necessary to animate it. Mr. Moody began to be known in Young Men's Christian Association work throughout the United States and Canada, and his services were in frequent demand for conventions and revival services. Four months afte'' its dedication, Farwell Hall was burned, in January, 1868. Mr. Moody did not lag when this catastrophe overtook the enterprise in which he was bound up. Subscriptions were ojjened immediately, and most of the original stockholders came to the front with renewed support. On the old foundations a new Farwell Hall was erected. It was dedicated In 1869, to an only too brief period of noble service for the Master. A Great Religious Centre Mr. Moody continued president of the Association for four years. He then declined re-election, but consented to act as vice- president, with Mr. J. V. Farwell in the chair. The Sunday evening meetings in the new hall were wonderful. Mr. Moody would there preach the same discourse he had delivered to his congregation in Illinois Street in the morning. Such throngs attended these evening meetings that they came to compose, with one exception, the largest protestant congregation in Chicago. The sermon was followed by an intjuiry meeting. Farwell Hall soon became a great religious centre. That its success as an institution was clue in large degree to Mr. Moody cannot be doubted. His energy made possible the erection of the first structure ; his perseverance called forth the second, plxcenix- like, from the ashes of the first ; his devotion filled the prayer meetings ; his faith led hundreds to a changed life ; and his direct- ness, his singleness of purpose, prevented any deviation of the I i 1 n ! io6 THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIAllON work from the paths of Cliristian helpfulness. The second Far- well Hall went down in the jj^reat fire of 1871, but its work still lived. Mr. Moodj' used to give an incident of his last service in Farwell Hall on the ni living, and were greatly astonished at the result of the investiga- tions. Discovering his poverty, they insisted upon supplying him with the necessities of life. From this time on, trust in God r.iviKC, UP nr/s/jv/^ss "3 always hrouglit Mr. Moody an answer to his iiccils. This iUh:s not mean that h(; was ucvit tricil, hut simply that, takini; ) K 7> K o o "3 •< oi S 2 z o V) I' B t c B D 5' III. ', 1' 1 i R MOODY AND SANK'EY 127 foned to do by the density of the crowd, he announced that he wocld hold another meeting at the Academy of Music, and invited the crowd to accompany him there. Arm in arm with Mr. Moody, Mr. Sankey marched >'own the stret^t singiny^ hymn after hymn as he went, the crowd followin^^ closely at their hcc^ls. Mr. Sankey has since declared that this was his first experience in Salva- tion Army methods. The meetintj in the Academy of Music was necessarily brief because the convention was soon to come together, oddly enough to discuss the ([uesticMi, " How shall we reach the masses?" and as the delegates came in Mr. Moody, with a short prayer dismissed the meeting. Mr. Sankkv Joins Forcks With Mr. Moohv Although deeply affected by the power of Mr. Moody's inspir- ing message, Mr. Sankey was still undecided. He went home to talk the matter over with his wife, and to her the proposeil partner- ship seemed, at that time, an unwarranted and injudicious step, but after several months, the induence of Mr. Moody's invitation still working in him, he went by request to Chicago and spent a week with Mr. Moody. F"or several days they worked together in church, in Sunday school, in saloons and drinking dens, joining their gifts of speaking and singing to bring light to the discouraged and the sinful. When the week was over, Mr. Sankey had decided. He sent his resignation to Hugh McCulloch, who at that time was Secretary of the Treasury ; another veteran of the War was given his place in the Internal Revenue Service, and Mr. Sankey joined forces with Mr. Moody. This was about six months before the great Chicago fire. When that tidal wave of flame overwhelmed that part of Chicago where Mr. Moody's work was especially located, and destroyed his church and his home, the evangelist's plans were for a time completely disarranged, and he went for a tour in the i28 MOODY AND SANKEY r:.i Eastern States, while Mr. Sankey returned to his home in Penn- sylvania. But when the new tabernacle sprang from the ashes of the old, the two brethren once more beij^an their labors, takinij up their lodsjina-s in anterooms of the irreat roueh building-, and throwini;^ themselves heart and soul into the effort to brin_i( the unfortunate people to Christ. This work in the roui]^h chapel amouij^ the ruins was sii]^nalized by a great revival. While Mr. Moody was on his second visit to Great Britain in itS72, Mr. Sankey took charge of the meetings. Mr. Moody had gone more especially to attend the Mildmay Conference in London. When h(^ returned, he found that Mr. Sankey had received an especial bajitism of the Holy Spirit, and that the blessings of his work had been increased a thousand fold by the responsibilities wliich had been left with him. Mr. Sankkv l*\)i,:.(nvs Mr. Moom' to I''n(;[,.\M) It was about this time, possilily under the inlluence of this second tri[) to b-ngland, that Mr. Moody decided upon that third tour which was to bring to Grt^at Britain a spiritual regeneration such as hatl not been knovn since the; da)'s of John Wesley. Mr. Mootly .'.aid to his co-worket, " You have often pro[)ost tl that \\v. make an evangelizing journey togethe*^' ; now let us go to Kn gifts were similar to his ow.i, a cotulition which might lead to dilTiculties, while if he went with Mr. Moody he would have his own work to do entirely separate^ from the work of MOODY AND SANKEV 129 Mr. Moody, although coinpiementary to it. So atteiuled by his little family, he trustfully set forth with Mr. Moody and his family, June 7, 1873, o" ^ journey of four ihousaml miles. The joyful, prayerful singing of the Gospel hymns by Mr. Sankcy was a revelation of unexpected truth and grace to the people of the British Isles. In Scotland especially, the masses were moved by him. With an indescribable impulse, the cautious, distrustful followers of John Knox, worshippers who for genera- tions had l>een accustomed to reject as uninspired all other services of praise than their own rude version of the rsalms, now listen''d with delight to the music which fell like a blessing from the lips of the most gifted Christian sintrer of the time. he of Sankkv's Singing i\ Eimnhurgh One of his hearers has thus described the impression made by Mr. Sankey's singing in Fulinburgh. " Mr. Sankey sings with the conviction that souls are receiving Jesus between iine note and the next. The stillness is overawing ; some of the lines are more spoken than sung. The hymns are etjually used for awakening. none more than 'Jesus of Nazareth I'asseth Hy '. When you hear the ' Ninety antl Nine ' sung, you know of a truth that down in this corner, up in that gallery, behind that pillar which hides tin; singer's face from the listener, the hand of Jesus has been finding this and that and yonder lost one to plact; them in His foKl. A certain class of hearers come to the services solely to hear Mr. Sankey, and the song draws the Lord's net around theiu. We asked Mr. Sankey one day what he was to sing. He said, ' I'll not know till I hear how Mr. Moody is closing.' Again we wen^ drivincr to the Canongate Parish Church one winter nifrht, and Mr. Sankey said to the young minister who had come for him, ' I am •^hinking of singing 'I am so Ciiad ' to-night. '()!' said the I30 MOODY AND SAN KEY young man, ' please rather sing 'Jesus of Nazareth.* An old man told me to-day that he had been awakened by it the last night you were down. He said, 'It just went through me like an electric shock.* A gentleman in Edinburgh was in distress of soul, and happened to linger in a pew after the noon meeting. The choir had remained to practice and began, ' Free from the Law, O, Hcppy Condition.' Quickly the Spirit of God carried the truth home to the awakened conscience, and he was at last in the finished work of j"sus." Sankey's Favorite Hymn Mr. Sankey's hymns were gathered from a hundred sources. A great many of them are to-day known by every child in the land and are remembered by many other persons as means of grace in their own conversions. Of all his songs the favorite was, " The Ninety and Nine". This beautiful hymn has an interesting little history. While Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankcy were in the Highlands of Scotland they were subjected to some criticisms because Mr. Sankey's music was so much of a deviation from the established music of the Scotch churches. Anxious not to offend the prejudices of any in the multitudes whom they were meeting, Mr. Sankey cast about him for a song which might satisfy not only the hearts, but the ears as well of the rough shepherds of the Highlands. One day in the corner of a newspaper he found the words of " The Ninety and Nine". They had originally been printed in T/ie Christian, of Boston, Mass., and were reprinted in England in The Rock. The melody came to him like an inspiration. The first time he sang it, it was not even written out. It is natural that a song like this should have ap- pealed to the shepherds of Scotland, to whom its sentiment came with an especially pleasing force. It became their favorite among Mr. Sankey's songs, and when he went to Ireland and England it ;a MOODY AND SAN KEY 131 was called for more, and appreciated more, than any other song in his collection. It was also said of the results of Mr. Sankey's singing, "The wave of sacred song has spread over Ireland and is now sweeping through England, but indeed it is not being confined to the United Kingdom alone. Far away on the shores of India, and in many other lands, these sweet songs of the Saviour's love are being sung." "He Sang the Gospel" It was not alone the novelty of his method that aroused interest in Mr. Sankey's songs to such a high degree. He possessed a voice of unusual purity and strength, and even when facing a great congregation of seventeen or eighteen thousand people, could make every word which he uttered so distinct that it was heard on the very outskirts of the throng. His vocal method has been criticised, undoubtedly with justice, but it can be said that, whether his method was correct or incorrect artistically, it was at least effective. Patti at her best could not move hearers with her sing- ing in the way that Mr. Sankey won the hearts of his audiences. He literally, as he himself proclaimed, " sang the Gospel ". This phrase, novel as it was, was criticised by many staid conservatives in the matter of religion, but its truth cannot be questioned. If it were not true how could it have been that so many should have been led to Christ through the influence of that marvelor> singing. An English journal has told of a little girl only ten > rs old who had listened with delight to Mr. Sankey's singing. " O I" she said, " How I love: those dear hymns I When 1 ».m gone, mother, will you ask the girls of the school to sing the hymn. • Ring the bells of Heaven < There is joy to-day, For a soul returning from the wild ; See the Father meets him out upon the way, Welcoming his weary, wandering child.' " tZ9 MOODY AND SANKET • The night before her death, she said, " Dear father and mother, I hope I shall meet you in Heaven. You cannot think how bright and happy I feel," and half an hour before her departure she exclaimed, "O! mother, listen to the bells of Heaven, they are ringing so beautifully." She closed her eyes awhile, but presently she cried again, "Hearken to the harps, they are most splendid; O ! I wish you could hear them," and then, " O ! mother, I see the Lord Jesus and the angels. O, if you could see them too ! He is sending one to fetch me !" About five minutes before her last breath she said, " Lift me up from the pillow ; high, high up ! O ! I wish you could lift mc right up into Heaven !" Then doubt- less conscious that the parting moment was at hand, " Put me down again, quick," and calmly, joyously, l)rightly, with her eyes upward, as if gazing upon some vision of surpassing beauty, she peacefully breathed forth her spirit into the arms of the ministering angels whom Jesus had sent for her. How can we measure what the voice of the sinijer had done for that little oirl. A NovELTv IN Religious Work An innovation in Mr. Sankey's singing was the use of the parlor organ to accompany himself. Wherever he went this little instru- ment was placed upon the platform for his use, and it is doubtful if he could have found anything more effective for his accompaniment. Criticised it was, for, like "singing the Gospel," it was a novelty in religious work and, therefore, was frowned upon by those who felt that established methods should never be violated. It was even charged that he had been sent to England by a firm of organ maker;^ who paid him a large salary on the condition that he use their organs in his services. This charge was denied both by the organ makers and by Mr. Sankey, and it does not seem likely that a man, who by agreement with Mr. Moody, turned over a fortune MOODY AND SAN KEY 133 in royalties on books of song to charitable and religious purposes, would stoop to accept such an unworthy tribute. At a children's meeting in PIdinburgh in 1874, Mr. Sankey related the following incident : " I want to speak a word about singing, not only to the little folks, but also to grown people. Dur- ing the winter after the great Chicago fire, when the place was built up with little frame houses for the poor people to stay in, a mother sent for me one day to come to see her little child, who was one of our Sunday school pupils. I remembered the little girl very well, having often seen her in our meetings, and was glad to go, A Little Girl's Testimony She was lying in one of the poor little huts, all the property of the family having been destroyed by the fire. I ascertained that she was beyond all hopes of recovery, and that they were waiting for the little one to pass away. ' How is it with you to-day?' I asked. With a beautiful smile on her face, she said, ' It is all well with me to-day. I wish you would speak to my father and mother.' * But,* said I, ' are you a Christian ? ' ' Yes.' ' When did \ou become one t ' ' Do you remember last Thursday in the Tabernacle when we had that little singing meeting, and you sang, 'Jesus Loves Even Me.?' ' Yes.* * It was last Th'irsday I believed on the Lord Jesus, and now I am going to be with Him to-day.' That testimony from that little girl in that neglected quarter of Chicago has done more to stimul'ite me and to bring me to this country than all that the papers or any persons might say. I rememl)er the joy I felt when I looked upon that beautiful child face. She went up to Heaven, and no doubt said that she learned upon earth that Jesus loved her, from that little hymn. If you want to enjoy a blessing, go to the couches of the bedridden and dying ones, and sing to them of Jesus, for they cannot enjoy these meetings as you do, and you will get a great blessing to your own soul." 134 MOODY AND SAN KEY V A A story is told of ayoun^^ Hiijhlanclcr who had lived far from the Lord for so long that his pastor had come to believe that the truth could not touch him, but one day he was found deeply awakened. When asked what had brous^ht about this change in his feelings he said that it was the result of hearing his little sister sing "When Ho romclh, when lie comcth To makf up His Jewels." During the great revival in Scotland, a certain writer said, *' Perhaps not a week has jjassed during the last year in which we have not had evidence that the Lord had directly used a line of one of these hymns in the salvation of some soul." Wonderful SriiuTUAi- Returns Mr. Moody's preaching, Mr. Sankey's singing — how indisso- lubly these two are associated in the minds of millions of people ! And how wonderful were the spiritual returns that this partnership brought ! Often Mr. Moody's words would bring a sinner to the point of conviction, and then the tender pathos of Mr. Sankey's singing would let a great flood of blessing into that sinner's soul, and the softening influences would work until he would cry out in his joy, " I am saved !" And, on the other hand, when a meeting had just begun, and away back in the farthest corners men were sitting who hatl come in a scolTing mood, or out of curiosity, to hear the evangelists, the preliminary song of Mr. Sankey would rouse the attention of those persons, and they would try to get nearer the platform, and by the time Mr. Moody was ready to speak, they would have forgotten why they had come, in their eagerness to hear the preacher's message. Mr. Sankey's singing was as direct in its appeal to the in- dividual as Mr. Moody's speaking. Their was no sentimental I z o Q z o H u < < s (if CO D O X < OS u o H << u a a X H o z X u < 0. >< a o o s oi >^^ MOODY AND SAN KEY 137 z o Q Z o H U tid < S >< < s bf tn 3 O s < b) 0. o < U OS o u X H z o z £ < u OS 0. > a o o s S clap-trap about cither, in spite of the charge which we have fre- quently heard to that effect against the *' Gospel hymns ". Music, of all the arts, is now in the highest development. John Addington Symonds in his story of the Renaissance tells us that the form of art in which any given generation finds the most perfect expression for its ideals of beauty depends upon the nature of the religious feeling of that generation. Thus, the mysticism of the mediaeval Church was typified in the symbolism, the lofty aspiration of Gothic architecture ; the rich formalism, the sensuous comprehen- siveness of the Church of Rome in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries established the ideals and led to the feelings which were spread in glowing colors upon the canvasses of the greatest painters the world has 'ever known; while, in present times, the develop- ment of religious life to a plane of lofty hope, brotherly love, and a consciousness of salvation has found its highest expression in music. A Blessed Partnership Music comes from the heart in a way that words cannot ; there are times when its appeal is resistless, and so, for nearly thirty years, to the sound sense of Mr. Moody's words, illumined as they were by the refiection of a great heart, was added the appeal of Mr. Sankey's song. Surely this partnership was blessed beyond our comprehension. It has been wonderful the way Mr. Sankey's song has been carried beyond the mere locality of utterance. An illustration of the way m which it heralded and accompanied the Gospel message as sent out from the words of his brother evangelist is found in the letter of a traveler who was going from England to France in 1875. " It has been perfectly delightful," he says " to find traces of the work everywhere. While waiting at I heard a porter filling the whole station w^ith the * Sweet Bye and Bye.' As he came up to 138 MOODY AND SAN KEY my carri;iL,fe, I was struck with his hriL,^ht, cheery face and spoke to him. The man's face glowed wlien he talked of Mr. Mootly and Mr. Sankey. * * * Sunday afternoon at — , I was alone; in the reading room and began to sing to myself one of ' the hymns '. Pnjsently the door creaked, and on looking up I saw that a whole bevy of maids had gathered and were listening attentively. It was so unlike what foreign servants would do, I felt sure that they must be English, and I knew that if I moved they would run away, so I sang on as if I had not seen tiiem. Then an old gentleman came in, and on my stopping, said, ' C) ! don't stop, but please sin 'The Home Over There'. He went on to tell that he had been sitting gloomily in his room when he heard a Sankey hymn. How one is taught every day that one's 'times' are not in one's own hands! I wanted to sing for my own selfish gratification ; but I was shamed by being shown how it might be used, for others came in after, and a band of us sang * Hold the Fort', a specially neces sary command it seems when traveling abroad." 'i cmai>ti<:r X. Evangelistic Work in Eni^land, Ireland and Scotland WHEN Mr. Moody arrived at Liverpool, June 27, 1873, he set foot upon luiglish soil for the third time. His former trips had been brief ; now he had come with a determina- tion "to win ten thousand souls for Christ." The first word received on landing was disappointing^. He learned that the two friends who had invited him to England, the Rev. Mr. Pennefather, rector of the Mildmay Park Church, in London, and Mr. Cuthbert Bainbridge, an eminent Wesleyan layman, had recently died. A third invitation had been given by Mr. George Bennett, Secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association in York. TiiK Outlook Not Encouraging "' Mr. Moody telegraphed to Mr. Bennett announcing his arrival and readiness to begin work, but the reply stated that there was so little religious warmth in York that it would take at least a month to get ready for the meetings. Mr. Moody, however, was not afraid of the prevalent spiritual frost. He telegraphed to his friend, " I will be in York to-night," and at 10 o'clock in the even- ing arrived in that city, unheralded and unknown. The outlook was not encouraging, but Mr. Moody sent for Mr. Sankey, who had gone from Liverpool to Manchester, and the meetings began at once. Only eight persons attended the first meeting. The other meetings on this first Sunday betrayed a X40 E VANG lit, ISTIC WORK IN HNCU.AND, ETC. B' somewhat wider interest, but durin^^ the following week the con- gregations were very small indeed. The second week was marked by some improvement, and before the month was over, in spite of the coldness manifested bv thu ministers of the place, the work had madi.'a considerable impression. The in([uiry m<'etings were an innovation in luiglish services, but they grew in favor and became more and more an important instrument of spiritual success. The number of converts at York was in the neighborhood of two hundred. The work closed with an all-day meeting, beginning with an hour for conversation and prayer and continued with an hour for praise, a promise meeting, a witness meeting, a Bible lecture by Mr. Moody, and finally a communion service. The meetings were chiefly held in chapels, the evangelist preferring not to go to public halls for fear of seeming to neglect the iXgu- larly established forms of worship. SUNDKKLANI) After attending some of Mr. Moody's meetings at York, the Rev. Arthur Rees, a liberal IJaptist clergyman of Sunderland, invited the American evangelists to come and help him in his work. Accordingly Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey began meetings in Mr. Rees' chapel, Sunday, July 27th. Here, as at York, coldness had to be delt with, and moreover the evangelists had been heralded from the scene of their first labors by criticism rather than by praise. Still from the first large congregations attended the meetings, although there is little doubt that the early motive of attendance was curiosity. Gradually the people of Sunderland awoke. In order to avoid the appearance of sectarianism, Mr. Moody had the meet- ings removed to the Victoria Hall, though overflow meetings were generally conducted in various chapels. EVANGELliiTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. 141 Even after tlie power of the Spirit took hoKi of the people of Sunderland, ministerial criticism of tlie cvani^elists' course increased, but Mr. Mooilywas not without fri(Muls. None of the attacks troubled him so \o\\g as the Holy Spirit was manifi;sted in the meetini^s and people were bcin*; converted. At the close of the month the results were not what he had hoped for, but it is interesting^ to note that Iou^l; after the evanij^elists had left, and when news of the j^^reat work of God throu[^di them in Scotland came back to Sunderland, the city was stirred profoundly, and moved to genuine revival power, NEWlASri.K By invitation of the Rev. David Lowe, Mr. Moody went from Sunderland to Newcastle-upon-Tjiic;, spendini; a few clays in Jarrow on the way. lie was ijritetetl at Newcdsiie by Mr. Thomas Bainbridge, a brother of one of the friends who had invited him •"o En'dand. At Newcastle the fire was kindled which was to mi^ditily move Great Britain. Ministerial op[)osition was overcome, five of the principal chapels of the town being offered for the services. Mr. Moody accepted the use of the Rye Hill Baptist Chapel, a large edifice, and within a fortnight crowds were turned away for want of room. All the neighboring towns and villages felt the spiritual impulse, and in response to recjuests hundreds of meetings were held outside the city by multiplying assistants of the evangelist. Mr. Moody, in order to prevent the exclusion of the uncon- verted by the crowds of Christians who attended the meetings, now began to divide his congregations into classes, giving tickets of admission to the various services. Meetings for merchants were held in the Assembly Hall ; meetings for mechanics were held EVANGELISTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. at the 1 yne Tlicatre, and in each instance the size of the crowds usually necessitated three or four overllow meetings. The name and residence of every inquirer was made a matter of record, and in order that assistants in the inquiry room should be more fitted to the purpose, tickets were issued to clergymen and other men of practical experience in Christian work, that they might help in the great work of leading souls to Christ. At first most of the con- versions were amoncr the educated classes, but afterward the work becan.e more general. The noon prayer n.eetings which had been commenced previous to the arrival of Mr. Moody, by way of pre- paration, had grown to remarkable proportions, while Mr. Moody's afternoon Bible readings drew even from the ranks of busy merchants and professional men. Two whole-day meetings or conferencLS were held. During the last week of the meetings, the Jubilee Singer^ began their connection wiJi the work. As a result of this month's work, hundreds of converts were received into the churches, and the whole North of Entrland was aroused. Scores of Christian workers were sent out to carry the good ." 'ings to the remoter distrius, and the stimulus to the various churches proved unprecedented. Mr. Mood) and Mr. Sankey now moved toward Scotland, holding on the way brief, though successful, series of meetings in a number of small cities. I h EniNUUKGII. To unue!'stand the inlluence of the labors of Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey in Scotland, it is important to know something of the rise and progress of her Christian character. This takes us back to the Reforn»ation, to the Christian organization of John Kno.x. In ail subsequent r.^nigglcs Scotland realized that the work of the Reformers had had much to do in fostering the zeal and spiritual Independence for which her people were ever distinguished. I \ EVANGEUSriC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. 143 I H)vvn to the close of the last century the Hght of the Reformation slione clearly, but an eclipse came, and it was not until the appear- ance of the brothers James and Robert Haldane that the sun again burst forth. These men, with Mr. Simeon, an evani^elical clergyman of Cambridge, were Scotland's first great evangelists. In ten years they established more than one hundretl imlependent churches, providing also for the training of ministers. The next era was the disruption of the Church of Scotland in 1843. This, strangely enough, prove-tl to be the beginning of Christian union, for non-conformist brethren offered to the ministers who had given up their livings and entered the V'ree Church of Scotland tlu; use of their ciuirches for half of every Sunday. Thenceforward there was one body in Christian work, Mr. Moody's meetings commenced late in November in the b>ee Church Assembly Hall. r>om the first no place in lulin- burgh could contain tht; crowds. Three or four of the largest halls and churches were constantly in use, and even then it was necessary to come to the place of meeting an hour or two before the nppointed time in order to be sure of admittance. The con- verts were numbered by thousands. The awakening among the nominal church members could hardly be described. As an e.\- ample of the thoroughness of the work it is stated that at one meeting, composed of sixty-six young men. sixty were converted before they left the place. The watch-night meeting, which closed the year 1873. was perhaps the most remarkable service that had ever been held in Edinburgh, b'or five full hours a great .audience, many of them obliged to stand, praised God and gave their testimony to the work of His saving grace in them. The Christian Conference on January 4th was attended by about 150 ministers; such a 14-1 EVANCRI.ISriC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC mcciini^^ had ncvi r been seen in Edinburgh before. The fare- well nicetini^f was held in the fields on the slope of Arthur's Seat, thtTc bein;^^ no 1)uildinL( which could accommodate the multi- tudes who wished to join in the last service of their brethren from America. .\s a result of the work in Edinburgh fully 3,000 per- sons were received into the churches. Thk Work i.v Scotland Continukd. ]'>(;in lulinburi^di Mr. Moody went to Dundee, January 21st, and for sevt^ral wt;eks the visitations with which the Holy Spirit had l)K^ssed other cities came to this old stronghold of Scottish faith. The; meetings bei^an at Glasgow on February 8th, Three thou- sand .Sunday-school t('achers surrounded the evangelists in the City Hall at the first meeting. An hour before the time for the ser- vices such a crowd had assembled that four larcje churches in the; neighborhood were filled by the overflow. Mr. Moody had been in (jlasgow in 1S72, when he had attracted no attention ; now from the; start the revixal work exhibited a power almost unparalleled. 'X\\v. Glasgow noon prayer meeting had been commenced tluring the week of prayeT for .Scotland, which was held in Edinburgh a month before the evangelists went to Glasgow. This preparation was not in vain. At first, church-going people were affected. Then th(; hand of God touched tlie great masses of the population who were without the fold. Meetings were held in tht: streets and scjuares of the city ; fathers and mothers met to pray for the conversion of their children ; children's meetings were also held. The great con- ference of Christian workers at the Kibble Crystal Palace in the Botanic Gardens, April 16, renewed the vigor of all departments of home missionary work in Scotland. ires of on- thc ;nts ijl \ ' DWIGHT L. MOODY— Photograph from the piiinting nresenlecl to him by his English fripiuH in 1884, This photograph was made by our photographer at the home of Mr. Moody, at Northfield, the day following the funeral, Deicmhcr 27, 1899, ; EVANGELISTIC WORIC IN ENGLAND, ETC. M7 The last meetings were the greatest of all. Goini^ to the evening service the carriage of Mr. Moody was almost blocked by the dense throngs which surrounded the Crystal Paluce, and, seeing the multitudes, the evangelist determined to preach from the carriage, as there were more without the building than within. Those inside the palace, learning of the change c ' program, im- mediately joined the throng outside, and the service which followed was one of wonderful efifect. At the close of the discourse, Mr. Moody invited inquirers to meet him at the palace, and this great audience hall was filled. Large numbers gave themselves to Christ. It was at Glasgow that Henry Drummond was drawn to this great evangelistic movement. While in Glasgow the evangelists made several brief excur- lions to neighboring cities. The Tour in the North About the middle of May, Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey, after a 'tnree days' visit to Edinburgh, went northward through Scotland, stopping in Perth, Montrose, Aberdeen, Inverness, and in some other towns. To the very end of Scotland, to John'-o'-Groat's house, the evangelists went, meeting crowds of people at every .'"iopping place, and holding service after service, generally in the rpen air. At Aberdeen 12,000 to 20,000 people attended the out- r'/oor services ; at Inverness the meetings were held at the time of ^he annual wool fair, and many were reached who had been spend- ing their livc^ beyond the reach of the churches. On returning from the north, farewell meetings were held in some of the places where the evangelists had labored. The Evangelists go to Ireland Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey had received invitations from many different quarters, and they now decided prayerfully that the 148 EVANGELISTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. greatest opportunity before them lay in Ireland. Accordingly they bade good-bye to Scotland, and on September 6th, held the first meet- ing in Belfast, at Dougal Square Chapel. The second meeting was held in a lar^^er church, while the evening neetinf; was ad- journed to a still larger place of worship, with seating capacity for about two thousand persons, which was only about one-quarter of those who tried to gain admission. In fact, in Ireland the at- t('ndance upon the meetings was but a repetition of the crowded following which had sought to come under the spell of the Ameri- can workers in Scotland. On Monday a noon prayer meeting was commenced, and thiat, too, had to be adjourned to a larger building. It became necessary here, as in Scotland, to divide the audiences, so that men's meetings, women's meetings etc., etc., were held. There were several great open air meetings. On one occasion two hundred young men gave themselves to Christ. The evangelists had been invited to Londonderry by a com- mittee of the Young Men's Christian Association, and there they went for four days, beginning October nth, holding a number of notable meetings, and returning to Belfast on the 15th, to hold their farewell services there. The final inquiry meeting at I)e]fast was attended by about 2,400 persons, admitted by ticket ; 2,150 con- verts' tickets were given before the close of the eveninir service. DuiU.IN. The difficulty of finding a place large enough for the meetings had led Mr. Moody to name to the brethren at Dublin, as a condi- tion of his coming, the engagement of the Exhibition Palace. This condition was met ; the Palace was engaged, and on October 24th, Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey arrived in the Irish capital. There were in Dublin only about 40,000 Protestants, our of a population of 250,000, but the denominational line was EVANGELISTIC WOKh' IN ENGLAND, ETC. 149 frequently crossed by the work of the evangelists. Indeed, so deep was the encroachment of the revival upon the Roman Catholic population, that Cardinal Cullen felt himself called upon to interdict the attendance of his llock upon the Pro- testant meetings. In spite of this, many Roman Catholics were converted. Mr. Moody was unable to see why the line be- tween Roman Catholicism and I'rote. tantism should be observed in his work any more than the lines between different Protestant denominations. The fact that a man had a soul to save was a sufficient call to enlist his energies. At Dublin, the Bible readings were, perhaps, valued more than any other of the services. One unique meeting was held for the soldiers of the garrison of Curragh, who attended in large numbers and were won by the stories and the earnest logic of the speaker. An organized society of Atheists tried their hand at opposing Mr. Moody by introducing their members into the inquiry meetings, but the scheme was discovered, and the intruders were not allowed to enter into debate or useless conversation. The thoroughness with which the hearts of the Irish people were touched was evidenced by their 1'berality in providing funds to meet the expenses of the meetings. ^1,500 were required, and 5,000 or 6,000 of the leading citizens of Dublin were invited by circular to contribute. There were only two instances of per- sonal solicitation, but the money came in so rapidly that it was difficult to keep track of it. Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey did not work for pay ; they took whatever the Committees on P'inance in the various cities where they were conducting services regarded as a suitable remuneration, — this in spite of the inevitable criticism made by opponents of the movement that the evangelists were " in the business for the money they could get out of it ". H 150 EVANGfUJSTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. Dublin was merely the center of the revival interest. All over Irehind the spell was so powerful, that the mere announcement in a village that some man who had been to the Dublin services would tell what he had seen there, was sufficient to draw a great crowd. The nieetings closed on November 29th, after a conference of three days, which was att(Mid(!d by about 800 ministers. The meeting for converts on the second day of the conference called together about 2,000 [)ersons. When their labors ended, Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey went once more to Kngland, this time not unheralded. In Ireland, as in Scotland, the spirit which they had aroused continued to manifest itself in many increasing results. Thk Kvancklists Rktukx to England The first meetings of the new campaign in England, were held at Manchester. Within a week it was said, " Manchester is now on fire." The services here were not marked so much by that joy- ful spirit which had characterized the evangelism of Scotland and Ireland, as by a solemn earnestness, and the influence of the meet- ings proper was extended in a great many practical ways throughout the city and its environs. An important result in Manchester was the impulse given by Mr. Moody to the Young Men's Christian Association movement. He held one meeting after which a large collection was given toward a new building for the Association, and this sum proved the nucleus of more than ^30,000 which was ultimately raised for the purpose. Nearly 500 names were added to the roll of active mem- bers of the Association. SnKFFiKi-i) AND Birmingham Meetings were held in Sheffield, beginning on the night of December 31, 1874. It was not easy to arouse the unimpressible metal workers of Sheffield, and at first considerable disappointment RVANCfEUSTIC WORK IN ENGLAND, ETC. 151 was felt in the results ot' the services, but it was not lonijf before the power of the evan()!,. Mr. Moody came to Liver})Ool as an old friend. As the city contained no hall large enough for his puq^oses, an immense tem- porary structure, called the Victoria Hall, had been erected. It held abo It 10,000 persons, and tlu; expense of building it was met by volunvary contributions, no direct solicitation being made. This was the f rst hall erect(Kl during th(; campaign especially for revival services At the first mei^ting two-thirds of the congregation were young men. The noon prayer meeting was sometimes at- tended by 5,000 or 6,000 persons, liighteen services were held each week in the Victoria Hall, and the Gospel was also carried into the streets and byways, and missiona.y services were held in warerooms md in stables, as well -^s in the open. It was during one of the Liverpool meetings, that Mr. Moody gave a remarkable exhibition of his organizing abilities. A great meeting was being held and the theme for discussion was, I 152 r.VANCr.LISTlC WORK /N i:h'C,r.ANI\ ETC. "How to reach the Masses". One of the speakers expressed the opinion that the chief want of tiie masses in Iav(;rpool was the institution of cheap housc-s of n.-freshincMit to counteract the saloons. Wh(!n he had nnisiied. Mr. Moody asked him to continues speakint; for ten minutes lonja^r, and no sooner w.^s this time; up when Mr. Mood) sprant^^ to his fc^et and announced that a company had l)e(Mi formeti to carry out the ol)jects the speak(;r had advocateil ; that various Lr(;ntUMnen liad taken 1,000 shares of £\ eacii, and that the subscrij)tion lists would he open until the end of the meetint^. The capital w is leathered before adjournment, and the company was soon lloated, beinj^^ known as " The British Work- men Company, Limited". It has not only worked a revolution in Liverpool, but has i)aid a handsome dividend as well. Duriuij^ the month at Liverpool, tlie number of persons con- verted, or awakened, ran into the thousands. '\\\v. incpiiry rooms were invariably crowded. TiiK LoxDox Revival. "If I come to London," Mr. Moody had said, "you will need to raise ^"5,000 for expenses of halls, advertisinL,s etc." " We have ;^io,ooo already," was the reply. This shows the sj)irit in which the efforts of Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey in the Metropolis of the world were anticipated. The work of preparation had been carried on by able committees. Preliminary daily prayer meetings were crowded. It was decided to attack the city in the four quarters. The meetinors be■■ n a id (0 01 < (d (4 M h EVANGELISTIC WORK W ENGLAND, ETC. 157 i am not prepared to deny that many who were awakened or converted during- Mr. Moody's labors ia Great Britain went back to their former walks soon after the immediate presence of the evangelists ceased to be felt ; nor will I deny that much of the work inspired by his efforts crystallized into conventional and narrow forms ; but I believe from the bottom of my heart that the movemc.it blessed Britain as she had not before been blessed for one hundred years, and I know that tens of thousands of persons became better men and women for the effect (.f Mr. Moody's words upon them. Through this man God led men to read their Bibles, to live honestly, to rid themselves of besetting sins, and to place their faith in Christ as a personal Saviour. !i CUM'TliR XI. Evanizelistic Work in the Uniifd States 'f-> ON his Return from drcat Hrilain, Mr. Moody went to North- liulcl, there to spi-ml sonic little tiiiu: nstinLi at his old home and e'njoj-ini;" the comiKinionship of his relatives. It will be readily understood that althoui^h he had L,fone from the Unitetl States two years before known to very few, the wontlerful results of his labors in Great Britain had made his name a house- hold word, and his fellow-coimtrymen awaited his active work in this country not only with curiosity (which it must be atlmitted was lelt by a lari>e both' of unbelievers and indifferent ones) but also, many of tlu^m, with a tlcip conviction that the Lord had raised him up to lead the people in a great religious awakening. Gosi'Ki. C.\MiAi(iX i.\ Brooklyn' The Gospel campaign in the Tnited States began at Brooklyn, on Sunday, October 2.], 1875. The skating rink on Clarmont Avenue, with its seating capacity of six thousand, was secured for the use of the services. Preliminary wt)rk had been con- ducted in lirooklyn according to the system which Mr. Moody invariably insisted u[)on, so that w4ien he took u[) the work in person, almost everything was already in full swing. A chorus of two hundred and fifty voices had been organized to lead the music. Interest accumulated with the j)rogress of the services, and the si/.e of the audiences uniformly increased. Nothing in secular affairs seemed capable of ilrawing off the public attention, not 158 EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE UNHEl) SIAThS J 59 even an exciting ilrciKi.i. wiiii iis public iiKctings antl lorchligj-jt. processions. Thr wry !irst nH.i:tin<.^s brought tt)getlier enormous crowds. These ;uitlirnc(.:s, it was surmised, might have been attracteil by curiosity ; but the novelt)' soon wore off, and yet the weekday meetings at 8 a.m. and 7.30 1. m., overlloweil and had to bi: accommodatetl in neiiriiboring churches. The " overllow meetings continue-d as a fratiin; of the work until the; last. In the second week, a woman s prayer meeting followei^l the morning service, .md a P.ible reading was held in the afternoon, beside the regular eveni.ip iiu;eting. i se additional gatherings were almost as largely attended as the others. To all of these was ailded a young men's meeting held at night afur llie evening service to accommodate the clerks and other persons detained by business during the earlier hours, and in(iuir\- meetings were also held m the adjoining churches. Still there was no falling off in the crowds who could not find even standinir room. . ?'s Din-i;Ki:\r Aim-eakanci: or iiik Audikniks It is difficult to estimate the numbers who attended during the meetings. Counting in the overflow meetings the audiences must have included, especially toward the last, from fifteen thou- sand to tw(.'nty thousand {)er day IV-rhaps a higher estimate wculd be nearer the (act. As in dreai Britain, dilYerent expedients were emi^loyed to change the class attendance, — exi)edients which would have been fatal to a less absorbing interest. To many ot the meetinirs in the Kink church-goers were not invited ; indeed they were asked to stay away, and admission was procurable only on the statement that a ticket was to be used by some unconverted person. The different appearance of the audiences on successive nights \vas fair evidence that they were not composed of the same people. ji fi: ■ IS 9RH i6o EVANGEIJSTIC UORK IN THE UNITED STATES The effect of the Brooklyn ineetinL^s was an awakening rather than a great conversion of non-chiirch-«;oers, and prepared the churches for greater activity. As in Engkind, the first work of the evangeUsts fell somewiiat siiort of that which was to follow. No attempt was made to record the number of conversions, although they were by no i icans few. A feature of the work was the hearty and undivided support of the churches; at one p ayer meeting nearly one hundred ministers were present. During these meetings Mr. Moody sounded tliv. keynote of his theory, if such it may be called, of bringing about a great religious awakening. ' He said to 1 lenry Ward Heecher, " There is no use attempting to make a deep and lasting effect on masses of people, b;:t every effort should be put forth on the individual." The meetings closed November 19th. At the final service the building was crowded almost beyond its limit, while the streets were filled with thousands of persons who were disappointed in their endeavor to get in. CaMI'AIGX in rilll.ADKLl'HIA From Brooklyn Mr. Mootl)' and INlr. Sankey went to Philadel- phia and began their meetings in the old Pennsyl'-'nia Railroad depot at Thirteenth and Market Streets, now occupied by Mr. John Wanamaker as a great mercantile establishment. The depot was situated in a dull and uninviting neighborhood, comparatively deserted by night, and not very well lighted, and when the suggestion was made that the property might be tempo- rarily renovated for an auditorium until the railroad company should find a purchaser for it, there was considerable derision ; but President Scott, of the Pennsylvania Railroad, had a hearty and large way of doing things, and he told the men who were giving their interest to the proposed meetings, that they could have the use of the property ai the rate of one dollar per year, provided they were ready to get EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE UNITED STATES i6i out at a month's notice when the company should effect a sale. It happened, however, that just about this time a Philadelphia mer- chant, Mr. Wanamaker, was laying plans to develop his busi- ness on a broader scale. He made the Pennsylvania Railroad Company an offer for the old depot, and became its purchaser ; but, before proceeding to occupy it, he consented that the interior should be reconstructed temporarily for the revival sTvices, of which he had been one of the chief projectors. PkKPAKATOKV AKKANllIiMliNTS About forty thousand dollars was spent in reconstruction and equipment of the building. Chairs were provided for about ten thousand persons, which leaves out of count the space upon the platform occupied by a chorus of six hundred singers. The expenses were met by voluntary contributions. Three hundred Christians were chosen to act as ushers while a like number of workers were selected to serve in the three inquiry rooms. The original intention had been to engage the Academy of Music, but this was overruled in favor of the depot, largely because of the suggestion that the novelty of such an auditorium would alone draw thousands of people. The first day it rained ; moreover the burring of Market Street bridge, the night before, had stopped the streetcars running on the chief thoroughfare to the place of meeting. Still the great improvised tabernacle was filled by an audience of 10,000. In Philadelphia, as elsewhere, Mr. Moody began by seeking to arouse the Christians to a sense of their responsibility. On one occasion, he spoke of the '* dumb people in the churches who had said nothing for Christ for ten or fifteen years ", and of the " dwarfs who had not grown since they were converted ". On the second evening, a young men's meeting was conducted in Arch Street f ! f "I f 11 ^ t62 EVANCELISTIC WORK IN THE UNITED STATES I Methoilist Church, by Mr. John W;uiamakcr. With a few excep- tions the cler*j^y of the: city took hearty interest in all the services. Many of them, whose ac([iiaintancc with Mr. Moody's methods was based entirely upon vaj^nie report, had lookeil forward with dread of st:nsational metiioils, but the (piiet yet thorough way in wiiich Mr. Moody i-ntered ui)on liis work brougiit to these doubters a feeling of i^ratified disappointment. ( )n November 26th, the mornini^ prayer meeting had an attendance of S,ooo. A Methodist minister said, " If we hail a humlred Moodys and Sankeys in the country all the Protestant sects would unite within ten years. " Vakii-.in ok .SuiijKi rs I )is(Iisski) The last evening service of the eighth week was attended by more than 13,000, while many thousands were turned away. The regular meetings ended January 16th. However, a convention for clergymen and Christian laymen was held January 19th and 20th; these developed more especially into services of praise. At the first meeting of the convention about 1,000 ministers and lay delegates were present. Mr. Mood)' spoke tirst on " Evangelistic Services ". This was followed by "How to Conduct Prayer meetings"; " Inc^uiry Meetings — Their Importance and Conduct", and "The Training of Young Converts anil Lay Workers". On the follow- ing (.lay the subjects discussed were, " iiow Should the Music be Conducted in the Lord's Work?" "llow to ICxpound and Illus- trate the Scriptures " • " How to Get Hold of Non-Church-Cioers " ; and "Our Young "^.len -What More can We Do for Them ? " In the evening. Mr. Moody spoke on "Daniel". I mention these subjects to give an idea of the variety of thought which made the convention so helpful. Mr. Moody said that in all his experience thus far he had never seen such services as these in Philadelphia. For fifty mileJ. around the city the country sent recruits, and EVANGELISTIC WORK IN THE UNITED STATES 163 the total attendance tlurini' tlu- nine weeks was estiniateil at about 900,000. As a thank-offering a large sum was ra'scd, amounting to about $127,000. The total expenses of the meetings were in the neighborhood of $30,000. After the evangelists had departed chairs and other articles which had been in use at the depot were sold at auction ; the chair in which Mr. Moody had sat brough $55, as did also M. Sankey's chair. The principal emj)loy- ment of the great thank-offering collection was to iielp the IMiiladel- phia Young Men's Christian Association complete its new building in time for the Centt;nnial Exposition, which began the same year. The meetings in Philailelpiiia established Mr. Moody's leader- ship of the Lord's activt: army in the United States. His clarion note had no uncertain sound. .M'l Till-: Gkkat Cami'AI(;\ in Nkw Yokk After leaving Philadelphia Mr. Moody look his family to I'lorida and rested for a time before entering on the great campaign in New York. But preparations in the metropolis were busily going on. Gilmore's Concert Gartlen, which had formerly been known as Barnum's Hippodrome, was rented for the services, $1,300 being paid weekly for its use. The meetings in the Hippodrome began I'^ebruary 7, 1876, at 8 1'. M. More than $15,000 had been exjiended on the building to make it completel)' serviceable. The crowds were handled b\- 500 ushers; a choir of i,Joo singers was [placed under the order of Mr. Sankey ; several hundred Christian workers gave their services to the incjuiry rooms for iiu[uiry work. There were, for work with the unconvertetl, each day two general directors and sixteen Christian leaders ; each leader had twelve to fourteen helpers, so that in each of the seven inquiry rooms there were usually two leaders and twenty to thirty helpers. At the first meeting 7,000 persons were 164 liVANGHLlSTIC WORK IM Till'. UNtTKD SIATHS j)rcscMit ill tlu; main hall, and .j.ooo others atu luliu;.; ihc oxcrllow incetinLT, wiiiic si.-vcral thousaiul wi-rr Ufl in the sirci is. The scr- vice was fittini^ly opcneii with siitMit i)ray(i-. What that inovciiicnt inaiiiju rated for \e\v ^'o^k can luvir hi: estimated. l)nrini; the' hrsL wrek of s land. TlK'n- was so little of the sensational abuiit the meotini^rs that \\ narrative concerninL; them may st-cm mono- tonous, for the reason that one service so mu( h resenihled thi; others. In eacli was manifested i Uenst; earnestness for souls, ;ind glorious (enthusiasm in the work of the Lord, It is not necessary to tell of all the c^reat series of meetintjs which Mr. Moody conducted, .\fter leavint,^ New N'ork he w«'nt b\ wa) of Augusta, Ga., X.ishville, Tenn., Louisville, Ky., .St. Louis, Mo., and Kansas City, Mo., to Chicait^o, and in all these cities his labors were blessed with great results. I lis greatest meet- ings in Chicago, however, were nf)t Iield until ( )ctober, 1S76, a date from which they continuted for some time. The campaign in Boston began in the last of January, 1877. \\\v. Boston nie<;tings, like thost; in other cities, were a wonderful demonstration of God's power. The assistance of the late Dr. A. J. (ionlon and Miss Frances L. W^illard was especially helpful. Interest was so great that a daily paper, The 'rabrrnacle, was published to fur; her the work. Lver\' home in iioston was visiteil by Christian workers. L\ l>.\i;riMC)ui': 1,878 I'rom this time Mr. Moody's activity seldom ceased. One tour was followed by another, .mil hardU' i city or town of any great imj)ortance in tliis country has faileil to receive through his help a renewal of interest in spiritual affairs. The meetings in Baltimore in 1878 were marked by such notable results that I feel that possibly an account of thein will most fittingly close this chapter concerning Mr. Moody's (;vangelistic work in the United States. After all there is space to do little more than indicate the general nature of his services to the Lord. i I 1 68 I'.V iNGia.lSriC WORK in riir. IfNlTED stat/is III the moiuh of October, 1S78 the scrvict^s Inoan in Haiti* more. Mr. Mocnly luul received a pressini; invitation to visit Clevelaii.l, hut before he would j^ive his answer he felt led to visit Baltimore. On his arriv.-d he called into ccnmsel som(! of the leading laymen of the cit)', and after talkincf th(! matt(T over with them, he was confident that Ciod wanted him in that city. It was no half-hearteil service, and, when he came to do his work, he brouj^ht to bear upon the city when; he labored all his own personal inllu- ence, and the blessinj; .also of the presemce of his family. So, temporarily he removed from Northfield and came to dwell in Bal- timore. A committee of JaymcMi was selected to h.ive ch.arL^e of this work. The co]iimitt(!e was as follows: Dr. James Carey Thomas. Dr. P. C. Williams, Gm. John .S. Berry, Mr. O. .S GritTuh, Mr. HtMiry Taylor, Mr. Georyje W. Corner, and Mr. A. M. Carter. I'^vr.Kv Kv.\\(;ki.icai. Df.nomin.ation Rki'ukskntkd The followins^ notice; one day apfieared in the daily i)apers : ■' D. L. Moody will conduct meetin<,^s for Christians at the Mount Vernon PIar(^ M. E. Church, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week, at 4 r. m. Subj(xt : " The Holy Spirit." The meetings in this church were simply prej)aratory to the great work which was yet t^) follow. Every evangelical denomination in the city was represented. Special mcxitings for men were held in the Associate Reformed Church, and noontlay meetings were held in the Maryland Insti- tute. There were some notable; experiences in these meetings. Several gamblers were sesated in one of their accustomed haunts one evening when it was suggested as a joke that they go to hear Moody. The j)ro[)Osition was agreed to. The meetings were b(Mng held at that time in St. F\aurs M. E. Church, South. At the close of the meeting Mr. Moody startt^d towards the gamblers ; they i:\\\NGlil.ISTIC WORK IX T///- rNIT/.P ST ATI'S iintiicilia tcly arose lo leave; tlu' luiildm'.''. I Ic calh reachinj^ wh(;n the incpiiry meetint; was announced, Mr. Moody started down the east side aisle when; this man was sittinjLlf. As he approach('d him he said, " I am £jlad to see you, I hav(; heen lookintr for you several wi-eks," "Why, you don't know me, Mr. Moody," said the man. " \'es I do," he answered, "you are one of thos(; L^amhlers I saw out at Dr. Cox's church." The man rulfilled his promist; to ("jod hy acce[)tin!^ Christ for his Saviour ; gave a wonderful testimony of Ills savinij; power, and was instru- mental in tlu; conversion of many others who had \n\v.n !.'amblers like himself. "!Ik Coim.I) No'i' WvKS iiii: I.mi-kkssiov " One j^reat feature of Mr. Moody's work had always heen tiie sim^inLC, the; wisdom of which may Ik; seen in the following: WhiK; he was holding services in the Monument Street M. ]•'. Church, 1 man addictt;d to drink and with no thought of God attended one of tlu; me(;tings. lie was much impressetl with the singing, particularly with one hymn, " C(Miie, (), Come to Me." He heard the announcement for the; day meetings, anti he determined to attend. As he entered the church Mr. Bliss was singing the hymn above mentioned. The man bought a hymn book that he might 'K [\ !l ^m I70 *iVANGRUSTIC WORK IN THE irNITED STATES read the hymn for Ij'mselt", antl testified that he had no peace. Finally he burned the book, but he could not burn the impression that had been made by the Spirit. He then drank the harder, but could not drown the impression. Time passed on ; one night he wandered into the Methodist Church, and as he did so he heard them sins^ing again, "Come, O, Coir*^ to Me," and there that night he obeyed the call and accepted Christ. The hymn was number eighty-eight (88) in Gospel Hymns, No. 3. Mr. Moody always .qpoke of him after that as No. 88. During the meetings at Broadway M. K. Church, a pickj)ock('t entered the meeting for the purpose of relieving some one of his gold watch, which he was not long in doing ; after procuring his prize;, he started to leave the church but was unabh; to do so, for those who were in had to remain, and those who wen; out could not get in ; he was therefore led to listen, was much impressed with the sermon, and stayed for the intpiiry meeting, where he accepted Christ as his personal .Saviour. The next day the door bell of the parsonage was rung, and when the servant answered, she found no one, but tied to the knob of the door was a package. This when opened was found to contain a gold watch and chain, and with it a note stating the facts, and asking that it be returned to the owner, which was done. The repentant thief gave his name and address, but asked that he might be forgiven, as God had forgiven him. "Do You Want This Saviouk" Dr. Leyburn's church (Associate Reformed), wht^re the meet- ings, for men only, were held at 4 i'. m. v is the scene of many new births. 0"ie day a man who had lost all through drink and who had brought his family to the verge of starvation, was asked by an unsaved man to go to hear Mr. Moody. At first he ridiculed the idea, but finally said, " Can a fellow get warm there ?" (his feet F.VANGlii.lSriC WORK IN THE UNlThP STATES 171 being out of his shoes). On biinj^^ assurc-il that he could, he went. He was ushered to the third seat from the front. Mr. Moody took for his text Matt. 1:21, " Thou shalt call his name Jesus for he shall sav(; his pt'ople from their sins." The man said to himself, "That is what I neetl, somt: oik; to save nu; from my sins ; 1 have been tryinjj^ to save myself, and havt: matle a miserable failure." When Mr. Moody had fniished his talk, he looked straiL,du at the man, and said, "Do \()u want this Saviour?" He answered, "I do." Turnini^r to one of th(; workers, Mr. Moody said, "(lo talk to that man." In a little while the worker said, " \\ ould you lik(; rne to pray with you '{' The man replieil, " That is just what I have been wantini:^ you to do cvc-r since you iia\<' been here." Ww workcT prayed, and a familiar exprc^ssion with that man afterward was, " I left my sins in th<; thinl pew of Dr. Le) burn's church." He became a j^reat worker for Christ, and is now a preacher of the Gospel. *'\\'ii.\r Til INK \v. oi' Christ" In this sanu' church a physician who was an infidel, attended the services, simply throuL,di curiosit)'. Mr. Moody's text was, "What think ye of Christ?" The next day he att(;ntled atjain, and Mr. Moody spoke on " Walkini,' with (iod '. lie bcj^^an an invt.'st illation to find if such a |)eison did really live. This must be done outsidt; tin; Word of C»od as he di help nic 1»<- a better man. " They did so, that hein*; the lirst ])rav(r ever oltcred l>y him in his h.omc ; when he arose his wife said, •'Tod, if yoii h;i\<' maiie uj) xonr mine' to he a Christian I will he one too ;" anil they holh took the-ir stand for Christ th(; sanif da\-. And no one who visited that home aftor that day, would doul)t that Christ had an ahitlin^ place there. In July, 1S96, his wife took h. I lall. 1 hav<- seen him in my own church, and in oilu:r place's, literally l Mount \'ernon Church, where nearly ei^dit months before he had begun the meetings. On the evening of m EVANGliLISTfC WORK IN THE UNITED STATES May 2*^111, aft(>rth<' usual mrctin;.; of thr converts in the Y. M. C. A. room-;, coiuluctcil by \i. \V. Bliss it was [)roi)Oseil that the entire company .l,'^*) in a body to Mr. Moody's house on Lanvale street. He was to l<>ave the next day, and .all wanted to show their love in this siin[)ly way. On reachin-.,^ his house they san^;, "He will hide us". Mr. Moody appeared ami spc!:e loving words in sajiuL,^ L^ood-bye. One of the company then sani;:, "There's a land that is fairer than day". Mr. Aloody then offered a fervent prayer and said ^ood-bye. The next day he left for his home in Northfield. : V. t. '(.' [o Is a It in CHAPTKR XII Mr. Moody In Tw.) Wars s \ X /'''"-N t''^" ^'V'il War Idokc out Mr. Mood)' was one of the Y y biisic'sL mtii in Chicago. I hu N oung Men's Christian Association work, and his Mission were occupying his time fully, Init he and his associates were not slow to see the grciit opportunity which the army camps afforded to reach tlirong', .if men who were not easy to ajjproach under normal c(.)nditions. Not ItMU'- after the connnencenu.nt i>f hostilities there lanie into heinf two oreat organizations, tlu; .Sanitar\' Conunission and tlu: Christian Commission -the one to look after ilu' physical wt.-lfare, the other to look after the spiritual welfare of the soldieis. 'I'liii .Samiaun a Ml CiiixisriAN Commissions. The Sanitar\ Commission was the r<,;sult of tht; feilt;raiion of the so-called " SoKlii:rs' Aid .Societies", which had iiuliviihially alreatly accom[)lished imich gc»oil. .\i tlu; outset tht: Governnunt had not ai)pro\'ed o'i these societies, fearing the effect of their operation u[)on the disci[)line of the troops, but, as their \alue became more apparent, and after the)' hail bi'en coi\solidated in one general organization, the field widen^^-d until the .Sanitar)- Cora- mission ranged in importance along with the Government Medic.d lUireau. The Christian Commission nas })rojected by a ct)nvention, held in Norfolk, V'a., November H), i8()i,ann of thousands of nuMi who luul answered tlu:ir country's call. Mk. M(i()|>\ 's /i:.\i ihe C!hi(-;;'^o \ Oun;^ Men's Chrisiian .\sso( iation was .)ne of many whose indivithial c'llorts in behalf of tlu: soUlii-rs led to the con\ention which form.d th< Christian C'onunission. The devo- tional committee, o( whicli Mr. Mood)' was chairman, bes^an to work, "nimetliately after the second call for \()luntet;rs, when tlu- great rende/Aous of Cam[j Dou'^las was cistablished near tlu- southern limits of Chicairo. The committee was on the Ljround at the arrival of the first regiment, and began prayer meetings at once. Religious literature was givt;n out among the: soldiers, and .Sunday services were established when; thciy coul.. i:asily be; attended by the soldier's. The work S[)read so rapidly that the committee was obliged to send out a call for assistants. One hundred and fifty men, clerical and lay, responded, and eight or ti;n nu;etings were held every evening in the differc;nt camps. During the w.ir the AssociaticMi h(;ld mon; than i,50co sc;rvices in or near Chicago. The Association Cha[)el, built at Cam[) Douglas in October, io6i. was tlu; first cam[) chai)el erected. MR. MOODY IN TWO WARS 177 Solflicrs wno wtn- coiuciud at (\uni» Dtmglas Nvt-iit to the fniiit, and prcstntlv a «"all cum.' U> Chicatro to send Christian workers u^ iho Union lines. Mr. Moody an.swered this invitation in person, l>ein*r the first rei,adar arm\Mleles near I'Ort Donelson Mr. Moody's idea of the- l)(;st treatment for dying soldiers was to carr\' in them the <'lad titlinL-'s of salvation ami to lioint out to them the open gates of Heavr-n, He maintained that the adminis- tration i>f physical comforts was comparatively an unimport;iint matter When death is a (juestion of md)' a few hours and he whom the dark ansa-l is claimin'r is far from the p.ith of ri can?' I said, 'The l^ord Jesus Christ can — He came for that purpose.' He shook his heatl and said, 'He can't save me ; I have sinned all my life.' And I .said, * But He came to .save sinners.' I tliought of his mother in the North, and I knt;w that she was anxious that he should die right, aiul I thought I'd slay with him. I prayed two or three times, and repeated all the j)romises I could, imd I knew that in a few hours he would btigone. I said I wanted to read him a conversa- tion that Chri.st had with a man who was anxious about his soul. I turned to the thirfl chapter of John, His eyes were riveletl on me, and when 1 came lo the I4ih and 15th verses, he caught up the words, ' As Moses lifted up tlu; si:rpent in the wilderness even so must the .Son of Man be lifted up ; that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal lifa He stopped me and said, ' Is that there t I .said, 'Yes, ' and he asked me to read it again, and I tlid s(j. He leaneil his elbows on the cot and clasped his hands together and said, ' That's good ; won't you read it again ? ' Hk Entekei) nil-: Kingdom oi- God " I read it the tiiird time, and then went on with the rest of the chapter. When I finish* tl, his eyes were closed, his hands were folded, and there was a smile on his face. O ! how it was lit up ' What a change had come over it ! I saw his lips cpiivering, and 1 leaned over him and heard, in a faint whisper, ' As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eter nal life.' He opened his eyes and said, ' 'rii4f's ejiough ; don't read I MR. MOODY IN "WO WAKS 179 J i any mort:.' He lingered a few hours, and tlien pillowed his head on those; two verses and went up in one of Christ's chariots and took his seat in the Kingdom of God. " You may spurn God's remedy and peiish ; hut I tell yuu God don't want you to perish. He says, ' As I live I have no plea- sure in the death of the wicked.' ' Turn ye, turn ye, for wiiy will »e ? A CiiKisriA.N Soi.dh K " After i\\v. terrible hatlle of I'ittshurg I-andinj;, W^:- w«rf taking the wounded ilowii tlu ICnnessiH; River ti) a hvispital. I said to sr mt; of the Christian Conunissijui, ' \Ven\ust not let a \\\.\\\ die on the boat without telling him of Christ and H«Mven.' \ i>ii kn<>u the cry of a wt)unded n»ai\ is ' W^ater I Water ! ' As we jiassed along from t>ne to another, giving iheUV water, Ae tried to tell them of the water of life, of \vl\it h, if the)' would drink, they would never die. I came to one man who hail about as fine a face as 1 cvtr saw. 1 spoke to him, but he did not answer. 1 went to the doctor, ,ind ;>aid : ' Doctor, do )ou think that man will recovtT?' ' No; he lost so much blood bijfore we got him t)(f tht; field that he faintetl while wt; were amputating his leg. He will never recover.' I said : " 1 can't \\\A out his name, and il seems a pity to l(;t him die without knowing who h<: is. Don't you think we can bring him to "■' ' '\ow may give him a little brandy and water,' said the doctor • 'that will revive him if auvthin'.'' will.' " Ti'Mj. Mv MoiiiKk 1 DiKi) 'ruusriNi; i\ Jksus" " I sat down beside him, and gave him brandy and water every now and then. While I was waiting I said to a man near by : ' Do you know this man ?' ' O yes, that is my chum.' ' Has he a father and mother living?' ' He has a widowed mother.' ' Has he any brothers or sisters ? ' ' Two sisters ; but he j§ |)^e only son.' ' What ii 1! '^"■^''-' l8o MR. MOODY IN TWO WARS is his name?' 'William Ciarki;.' I said to myself that. I rouM not let him (lie \vitlu)ut ''('tti'iU' 'i incssam; for that mothtM*. I'nscntly In: opciUMl his t yts, ami I said : ' William, do \<)ii know whi-rt: you artr ? ' He looked around a little da/ed, jiid then said: ' ( ), )«s ; I am on iny vayhometo mother.' ' Ws, \<>u are on xonr \va\' home,' I said; 'hut the doctor says you won't reach \'our earthly home. I thou_i^''ht I'd like to ask yon if yon had an)' messaLje for your mother.' His f.ice liuht(,'d ii)) with an iniearthly j^low, as he saiil : ' <), \es; tell my mother tiiat I dietl trusting- in |esns.' it was oni; of the .sweetest things ! ever luru'd in m}' life I Presently, I said : ' Ain- thinj^ else, William?' With a heauliful snn'le lie said, ''!(;!! my mother .and sisters to \^v. sure, and meet me in Ilea\<.-n;' ami he closed his eyes. lie was st)on un< onscious a;^fain, ami in a few hours his soul took its lliidu to join his Lord and Master. riit; I'uisdx l)(i()ks ()|'Km;jj " It was my privilege to 140 to kichniond with General (irant's ami)'. Now just lei us picture ;i scene. There are a thousand poor captives, and they are lawful i:aptives, prisoners in Libby Prison. I'alk to some of them that haxc l)een there for months, and hear them tell their story. I have wept for hours to hear them tell how they sutk^reil, how the\- could not hear from their homes and their loved om;s tor loni; inteivals. and how sometimes they would <4et messages that their loved oti<,'s were dvinu', and they could not get home to be with them in their dyin^" hours. Let us, for illustration, picture a scene. One beautiful day in sprinL,^ they are thert! in the prisoti. All news has been kept from them. They have not heard what has been jj^oini^ on around Richmond, and I can imagine one says one day, ' Ah, boys, listen ! I hear a band of music, and it sounds as if they were playing the old battle-cry of tlie Republic. It sounds as if tiiey were playing the 'The Star \A/R. AfOODV IN J iro WARS Itl Sp.iuiHrfl r>ann«r ' I-oULf may ii wav<; oVr the land <;f tin; fn:(: and the lioiiu: of the l)rav'«; !' And the heartsnf the pDor fellows Ijcjj^in to leap for joy. ' I belie\i; Kichinnnd is taken. 1 helievo they are coiiiinj^ to deliver lis;' and evt;ry iiiaa in that prison is full of joy, and by and Ity the sonnd cotncs n<'arer and they see it is so. It is the IJniun ;niny ! Next thi; doors ftf the prison are iinlocked ; they Hy wide open, ami those* thousands of men ar»: s«.;t fret;. Wasn't that good news t'- them i^ Conld there have been any betici news ? Theyarf! ont of prison, out of bondai^e, delivered. Christ canu; to proclaim liberty lu the captive." RKMINISCliNCKS OK A VlIThRAN A veteran of ilu; war lells the following story, which, while its nnporiance is slight . gives an idea of the interest aroused by Mr. Moody's work. "The death of Mr. Moody calls to m\- mind the first time I ever saw or heard of him It was .it Murfreesboro, Teim.. in the spring of iS6:.', when ("ieneral Rosecrans was preparing his army for an advance on TuUahoma. Moody cami; there under the auspices of the Christian Commission. 11 is preaching re-sulted in fjuite a revival in a number ol regiments and brigades, and caused considerable excitement and great interest. General Alexander McDowtill McCook who commanded one of the corps, liecame much intt:rested in the work There was something of a rivalry betvvc.'en a number of re''iments as to which furnishetl the most recruits to Moody's Christian artny. They told a story on Colonel Fred Knefiler, of an Indiana regimiMit. who was an enthusiastic admirer and defender of his regiment and did not propose to allow it to play sc;cond to any reginu;nt in the army of the Cumberland. "One day an officer of another regiment came over and related in the ht;arin<,f of < lolonel Knefiler that the evening before r I p ■'^> ^ .o^A^^ «> IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ,,f Colonel Fred's rei^dnient by some twelve or fifteen. The Colonel immediately summoned his adjutant and in his extremely German broLHie- — made more broken bv the excite- ment uiuler which he labored - ordered him to detail fifteen men and have thein bapii"*-! wichout delay." The Revivai at Camc Dout;LAs Mr. Moody was at Shiloh, at Murfreesboro, with the army at Cleveland and Chattanoora ; he was one of the first to enter Richmond with Grant's army, devotini^ himself there to the soldiers of both nrmies without discrimination. But the greatest Christian work with which he was connected during the war was the revival among the Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas. This camp, originally used for the instruction of Union recruits, was trans formeil into a prison at the time when about 10,000 rebe' captives were sent there after the taking of Fori Donelson. The burden of the souls of thi'se men lay heavy on Mr. Moody's heart. One day he secured a permit to visit them, and gave it to the secretary of the Young Mtm's Christian Association, himself accompanying him in the thouorht that as assistant to the other he might enter the lines without a question. The guard refused to let both the men in on one pass. Mr. Moody exhibiting in vain the can of oil which he was carrying to furnish ligiit for the service. But the officer of the day, who overheard the conversation and came up to investigate, recognized Mr, Moody and took him to headquarters, where through the exercise of his official influence the young missionary was given a pass to go in and hold meetings for the prisoners whenever he might choose. A few minutes later Mr. Moody and his friend, Mr. Hawley, began their first meeting for the prisoners Deep interest was MR. MOODY IN TWO WARE i«3 manifested from the start. Meetings wen; hole' in the prison camp thereafter every afternoon and evening. Cireat nnmbers were soundly converted, and they were organized into a Yoimg Men's Christian Association. As large an opportunity as possible was given them for Christian culture, in this revival work a great many Christian ministers antl laymen assisted. What He Dm for thk Prisoners The report of the Army Committee for the year 1865 shows a distribution of 1,537 Bibles, 20,565 Testaments. 1,000 prayer books, 2,025 hymn Ijooks, 24,896 other religious books, 127,545 religious newspapers, and 43,450 pages of tracts, besides 28,400 literary papers and magazines. The Camp Douglas chapel was erected at a cost of $2,300, and a soldiers' library and reading room were furnished by the Association, in a building erected by \\\v. Christian Commission. This was all in addition to the regular home work. An employment bureau was established this year, chiefl}' for the benefit of the many wounded soldiers who were continually applying to the Association for assistance. Situations were found tor 1,435 men, 124 boys, and 718 girls, besides transient ('tiiploy- ment for many persons who were unable to get out to service. All this work was due in large part to the consecrated zeal of Mr. Moody. He never would be limited to a certain line of opportunity, but always took advantage of every chance to do something for his Master. His work during the Civil War exempli- •fied all those qualifications of his which shone through his later and more extended efforts, and it was for him, moreovtM" practically the first recognition he received outside his own city of Chicago. More than thirty years passed by before the United States again found itself in arms. Like the Civil W^ar, the War with Spain was undertaken for the relief of an oppressed people. The 1.^4 ^fR. MOODY IN TWO WARS opportunity for :i Christian campaign in tlu^ army camps was as great in 1898 as in 1861, perhaps greater, and the organized forces of Christian workers wen; much more efficient at the outset in the later year. This increased efficiency in Christian organization, wlio shall say in how much it was due to Mr. Moody's service during 'the long interval ? In iiu'. War W^rrii Si'ain April 25, 1898, three days after the President's first call for volunteers, the International Committee of the Y<^ung Men's Chris- tian Association met in New \'ork City to discuss the situation, and decided to undertake immediatelv a work amon^r the soldiers and sailors. The organization had the machinery necessary for the undertaking. In nearl)' 700 cities throughout the country there were local associations ; these in the several states were united in state organizations, with state committees and state s(.'cretaries, and were finalK' all 1>ound together in an international organization, with its international committee, sub-committees and secretaries. Accordingly, in order to promote united effort and to secure effective co-o])eration, the international committee ap- poiuLed a sub-committee to organize and supervise the work, its official title lieing " The Army and Navy Christian Commission of the International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associa- tions." The work of the Commission was divided into three depart- ments : the Executive, for general supervision, with Colonel fohn j. McCook as chairman ; the Cieneral work, for the direction of the social, physical and regular religious effort, including the Bible classes, with C. W. McAIjmu as chairman ; and the Evangelistic department, for the promotion of evangelistic effort in the different camps, with 1). L. Moody as chairman. The Evangelistic department through Mr. Moody kept > < O e2 p o &o Sn go CO 'J S ° 5s 'I o I. n I .i •■ ',!. THE SriKlTUAl. SIDE Or i^ORTUl'lELD »93 Northfu'ld Is a typical New Fiv^laod town. It consists practi- cally of one l()iv.( street, on cilher side of which stand stately ehns, their branches meeting overhead and forinin,L; an arcli, which lias ever increasiu!^- l)i;auty for the lovers of the ([uaint old town. It has ever been a very winsome place both because of the fact that it is so far removed from the bnsy hum of cities as to make it rest- ful, and also because here within the boundaries of the town so many people have seen themselves to be out of t<,)uch with God and have come to know llini in all Mis fulness, and thus have entered the life of blessinir. N()kriii-ii;i,i) Dkau to Mr. Moody But Northfield was dear to Mr. Mooily for more reasons than one, and 1 am (juite sure that he never thought of it, that there A^ere not more than a hundred reasons why it should be much to him. Me used to say that when the train left Greentiekl, which was not far away from his own home, he found himself so im[''i- tient to be with his loved ones that it was impossible to sit still, and so he would frequently walk up and down the aisle of the car until he was safely home. The center of Northfield, to the pihj^rim journeying'' thither from all i)arts of the world, was the home of Mr. Moody himself, and the visit to that home, and a vision of it, both within and without, furnished one of the best comments on his life. Here dwelt a man through whose hands millions of dollars had passed, and practically none of it, though he had the best of right to a portion of it, both legally and morally, was turned aside to give him what the world would count luxuries. Tens of thousands of homes are more beautifully and expensively furnished, but there was an air about this heart of Northfield which one detected the moment he crossed the threshold of the home — an air not of necessity 194 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD associated with tapestries or pictures or paintings or furnish- ings ordinarily found in the homes of the rich, but which ever comes, when Christ is the unseen guest and the head of the house, Is TT Any Woxdek That iik Lovkd Nortiifield? The old home was much to the Great Evangelist because it was his home. It was associated with his early struggles with poverty, with his father and mother, so dear to him, with his own immediate household, bound to him, it would seem, with ties stronger than those that ordinarily unite the members of the family ; with the students whom he loved and whom it was his delight to help to gain an education, It was the scene of the be- o-innino- and the irrowth of the Bible Conferences, which have yearly increased in inlluence and power until the wdiole Christian world acknowledges its indebtedness to God for this fountain of blessin^^ There, at Mt. Hermon, the site of the boys' school, was started the Student Volunteer movement, which has been used of God to send hundreds of young niQU and women to foreign fields, and influenced hundreds more who now stand waiting for an oppor- tunity CO go. Is it any wonder that Mr. Moody loved Northfield ? We love it too because il is associated with his triumphs. " Tri- umphs over the obstacles which stood in the way of his buying back his old home which had been lost by his father's failure in business. Triumphs over the discouragements that stood in the way of his giving an education to boys and girls who were poor, as he once had been ; discouragements that would have defeated any other man, and at last the scene of the triumphant and victorious endinn- of his life and his glorious entrance into Heaven when he said, " Earth is receding. Heaven is opening, God is calling, and I must go." ' THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD 195 t Northficld is known tlirouohoiit the world also bccausti of the celebrated people whose names and words are interwoven in its latter day history. But whoever has visited Northfield in the past, or whoever may turn his face thither in the future, no name, how- ever great it may be, can ever outshine his of whom we write. He was the gentlest, the kindest, the noblest Christian man it has ever been o'ar good fortune to meet. One of the most familiar Northfield pictures was 1). L. Moody sitting- on the little porch in front of his house early in the morning hailing [)assers-by in whom he might have some special interest, directing this one, giving an order to another one, ur.til he would have transacted half a day's business when others were just rising from their beds. I can hear his voice now as I write, as it sounded out one morninij not later than 5.30 o'clock, when I heard him calling, "Chapman, Chapman," and, looking out of my window of Weston Hall, saw him sitting in his buggy ready for a drive, and then for an hour and a half we rode up through his favorite glen past Dr. Pierson's summer home, and the site where later Drs. Mabie and Torrey were to build. His Great Love of Nature His love of nature was manifest in every turn of the 1, . " Look at that," he would say, and before us was a beautiful picture of a run- ning stream and bending boughs of trees, through which the morn- ing sun was breaking. " Listen," he would exclaim again, and the whole of the forest on either side of the road seemed vocal with the song of birds. " Lsn't it beautiful," he would say over and over. To take a morning ride with D. L. Moody was to see God in all nature, but most of all was to feel His presence in the remarkable personality of the man who sat beside you, impressing you by his every word and gesture with the fact that he was abso- lutely surrendered to God. 196 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD It always seemed to me that Iils favorite meal for guests was breakfast. Happy that man who had an invitation to this feast of the day, for he could then see D. L. Moody at his best in his home life, and bow with him about his family altar, forth from which streams of blessing- had gone to the very ends of the earth. Northfield is associated with certain other people whom Mr. Moody was wise enough to call to his assistance and help. First and foremost would be Major D. \V. Whittle ; for next to Mr. Moody, as a preaching evangelist, stands Major Whittle, a man of plain speech and solid piety, whose words have been already owned of God to the awakeninir of thousands of souls. CD Major Whittle is a native of Vermont, is about sixty-three years of age, and when Mr. Moody first met him was a resident of Chicago, where he was converted, and united with the First Congregational Church, under the pastorate of Rev. W. W. Patton, D. D Major Whittle was employed in the office of Fargo & Co.'s Express until the breaking out of the war, when he enlisted a company in Chicago and joined the army as a captain of infantry. During his army life he maintained his Christian profession, and for a long time kept up a company prayer meeting, At the close of the war he returned wdth the brevet rank of major, aiid soon after v/as offered a situation as business manager of the Elgin Watch Company, with a salary of five thousand dol- lars a year, which he accepted. His work as superintendent of the West Side Tabernacle Sun- day School, a mission opened by the first Congregational Church, was greatly blessed, and for some time before his entrance upon the work of an evangelist his services were in considerable demand ;is a Bible reader and helper in revivals of religion. THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD 197 At length feeling called of God to a wider field of Christian labor, he resigned his pr.rition, with its ample salary, and gave him- self wholly up to Christ, trusting in Him for direction and support Major Whittle is laid aside at Northfield now, his very presence in the old town meaning a blessing to many. His ministry too has been a benediction to all with whom he has come in contact. I question if a more godly man lives to-day than this honored servant. Dr. a. J. Gordon Next in importance, possibly, would be Dr. A. J. Gordon, the honored pastor for so many years of the Clarendon Street Baptist Church in Boston. Mr. Moody relied much upon him, often did the great evangelist dwell upon his readiness to do any service, to take any place, to stand in any gap. " I cannot thank you enough," he wrote one summer, when his absence had thrown the whole charge of the Conference upon Dr. Gordon, " for your great help at Northfield. All the letters I have got from there speak in the highest terms of your generalship. " I know of no one who could have taken your place. " // ivill now answer tJie question ' What is going to become 0/ the work wJien I am jsone ? ' " The presence of such men as these made Northfield a heavenly place in its atmosphere. Mr. Moody never displayed greater wisdom than in his selec- tion of men to aid him in his Conferences. " One of the interesting features of Dr. Gordon's later ministry at Northfield was the evening baptism in the lake which has, since his death, been called after his name. These services were of great solemnity. The assembled people, the soft singing in the eventide air, the majestic baptismal formula ' Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?' igS THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTIIFIELD the face as it had been the face of an anjj^e', the broken waters, and the resurrection chant at the end — these thin'^s can never be for- gotten by those wlio stood by tlie water's edge." Rev. F. B. Meyer of London Certainly no one has ever visited Northfield wlio has made a deeper impression by his ministry, than the Rev. F. B. Meyer. He Is now the minister of Christ Church, London, having succeeded in that historic pulpit Rev. Newman Hall, D. I)., but he is known in this country, because of the fact that he has led, by the direction of the Spirit, thousands of people into the joys of the surrendered life, and Mr. Moody will doubtless hear in Heaven words of appreciation of the fact that he ever secured Mr. Meyer for his Northfield work. Time does not [)ermit in t!iis connection to mention the names of MacGregorand Morgan, Andrew I\Iurray, Dr. Webb-Peploe and hundreds of others of the real leaders in the Christian world to-day They have counted it an honor to visit Northfield and give the very best of their thought to help carry on a movement which was mani- festly of God. There are many special incidents which have made Northfield blessed in its memory. One is related by Mr. George C. Need- ham, of the sainted A. J. Gordon of Clarendon Street Church. " Dr. Gordon, unlike some Christians, believed there was something always beyond. This he ever sought to attain. Some years ago, during the; first Northfield convention, he was desirous to secure what he yet needed as a saint and servant of Christ. Toward the close of those memorable ten days, spent more in prayer than in preaching, my beloved friend joined me in a mid- night hour of great heart-searching and in-filling of the Spirit. He read with peculiar tenderness our Lord's intercessory prayer of John xvii. The union of the believer with Christ and the Father. THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD 199 as taught by our Lord in that chapter, called out fervent c:xclama- tions, while with deep pathos he continued reading. During united prayer which followed, the holy man jKHired his soul with a freedom and unction indescribable. I never heard him boast of any spiritual attainment reached during that midnight hour. Soul ex[)erionces were to him very sacred, and not to be rehearsed on every ordinary occasion. But I have no doubt that he received then a divine touch which further ennobled his personal life and made his ministry of ever-increasing spirituality and of ever-widening breadth of sympathy." h. Star in the Midxicht Darkness One incident connected with my own Christian experience can never be effaced from my memory. I was seated in my country home reading the accounts of the Northfield conferences, b.Tore I had ever thoutrht of attendini: the same, when one sentenc' in an address delivered by Mr. Meyer arrestee! my attention. Il was concerning the life of surrender, and the sentence was as follows : " If you are not willing to give up everything to God, then can you say, / am luilling to be made willing'^' It was like a star in the midnight darkness of my life and led to a definite surrender of myself in October 1892. But after that there v/ere still some dis- couragements and times of depression, and stantling one morning very early in front of Mr. Moody's house v/ith the Rev. F. B. Meyer, I said to him, '' Mr Meyer, what is my difficulty ?"' I told him of my definite surrender and pointed out to him my times of weak- ness and discouragement, and in a way which is peculiar to himself he made answer, " My brother, your difficulty Is doubtless the same as the one I met. Have you ever tried to breathe out six times without breathing in once ?" Thoughtlessly I tried to do it and then learned that one never breathes out until he breathes in, that his breathing out is in proportion to his breathing in ; that he 200 THE SPIRITUAL SIDE OF NORTHFIELD makes his effort to breathe in and none to breathe out. Taking my hand in his, my distinguished friend said, " it is just so in one's Chris- tian life, wc must be constantly breathing in of God, or we shall fail," and he turned to make his way to Mr. Mood)''s house for breakfast while I hastened up to my room in Weston Hall thanking God that I had had a message better to me than any sermon I had ever heard. Such incidents as these in the lives of thousands of ministers make Northfield a place delightful to visit and Northfield meetings a benediction. A very wealthy family, the father and mother of which had been frequent visitors at Northfield, could never induce the young ladies of their home to go with them, their idea of a Bible confer- ence being such that they considered it a poor way to spend a vacation ; but one summer, because of the description of the beauty of the scenery, they consented to go. They were seated one morn> ing on the piazza of the Northfield Hotel with Mr. Meyer, when something in his cori\ersation led them to say that they would hear him preach that morning. The power of God came upon one of the )'oung ladies and she returned to her room only to fall upon her knees and definitely yield herself to God. She returned to her home to engage most actively in Christian service. Shortly after her return she was taken ill and died, and before her death she called her mother to her room to say to her that she wanted her to call to her room, before the funeral, every girl whom she had ever known intimately and socially and to tell them that in the little time she had known Christ fully she had had more joy than in all her social life put together. This is but one incident among thousands that could be related concerning the influence of Northfield. Is it strange, therefore, that many who love it can say as the Psalmist said of Zion, " Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Northfield. " f >< ■s o a >< a iS a Q Z D O Qi O > Oi < z s u 01 o ij h X H Oi O z CHAPTER XIV. The Northfield Schools A FAVORITE aphorism with Mr. Moody was, that "it is better to set ten men to work than to do the work of ten men ", and his institutions were every one of them founded with this idea in mind. He everhi'd a great desire more thoroughly to ec^uip young men and women that they might more properly do the work to which God had called them. In one sense Mr. Moody was not an educated man, for, so far as the schools were concerned, he had the scantiest equipment for his life work. This was always a source of sincere sorrow to him, and he determined that others should not meet this difficulty if he could prevent it, yet in the very widest sense he was most thoroughly educated, and it was entirely fitting that Professor Henry Drummond should speak of him as "one of the greatest educators of his day." His Truly Marvelous Educational Work There is really no greater proof of Mr. Moody's breadth of mind than that he should have started these different institutions. I think he is the only evangelist in this country that has ever, to any great extent, concerned himself with such matters, and since he is easily the greatest evangelist that this country has produced in modern times, it is all the more remarkable that in the very prime of his life, and at the time when he was really at the height of his success as an evangelist, he should give so much of his strength to educational causes, {203) 204 THE NORTIIFIRLD SCHOOLS If thcro cvtr has been :i (.lis[)osition to criticise Mr. Moody's latter day evaiiLjclistic clfurt, such criticism should .Iways be made in the liL,dit of his truly marvelous educational work. Pe. sonally I do not thinic that he is rightly a subject for unfavorable criticism in his last efforts alonir evanLrelistic lines, for whenever I lieard him, even to the very last, he always seemed to have a special anointing of (lod upon him. But I have heard men say that his special efforts in his last days were not to be compared with the work of his earlier ministry. However, let me repeat again, that if to his evangelistic work you add his educational interests, then each succeeding day of D. L. Moody's life was greater than the day that preceded it, and he was at the very zenith of his power when God called him home. He knew that the object of Christianity was to make men and women better in every way, and fit them, not only with all their heart but with ail their mind to serve their God and their country, so he founded these institutions for the turning out of such characters. Henry Drummond has said, " his pupils should be com- mitted to nothing as regards a future profc;ssion. They might become ministers or missionaries, evangelists or teachers, farmers or politicians, business men or la /yers ; all that he would secure would be that they should have a chance of becoming useful, educated, God-fearing men and women." But he would help them if he could to fill these [)ositions to the glory of God. NoRTiiKiELi) Made His Permanent Residence On his return to America from Great Britain, Mr. Moody went with his family to the home of his boyhood days. He decided to make Northfield his permanent place of residence, and he settled down to enjoy a period of rest before he formed new plans for work. It was a time of real preparation for the future, THE NORTIIFIELD SCHOOLS J05 and the history of to-day i)rov(.:s that God was as truly spoakln-^ to him then as to Moses when He was alone with him on the mountain. Durinjr journeys overthc hills about his native town, hi? met many of the farmen." daughters, bri.L,du, intellii,'ent girls, with ambitions ex- lending beyond the routine of the farm-house drudgery. They appealed so strongly to him that he conceived the plan of a school where such girls, possessed of moderate means, might receive a careful training in the IMble and ordinary English branches. This was the seed thought, and out of it has grown the Norlhfield Semi- nary, Mt. Ilermon, and the Northlield Training School. PURCHASK OK GkOlIM) AND Ol'KMXO oF TIIK ScilOOL It has been said that this educational idea was not alone D. L. Moody's. A brother, not now living, Samuel Moody, an active, in- tclli<^ent man, had long desired the establishment of a High School in his native place, and frequently talked of it. There is still another thinrr that should be mentioned. At this time Mr. I). L. Moo ly was deeply interested in the education of a young lady cousin, whom he afterward sent to Wellesley College. This cousin, Mi;,s Fanny C. Holto",; died in I'ebruary, iS.'.; but lier character, inllu- encc and helpfulness had a most ini[)'!rtanL relation to th(> Mrjgin of the Northheld Seminal y and to its entire history. In iScS/, Mr. Moody held meetings in Boston, and there met Mr. H. N. V. Marshall, who was intimately connected with the founding of both schools. It was Mr, Marshall who made the first purchase of ground for the school. In 187S, Mr. Marshall first visited Northfield, and this visit led to the above-mentioned purchase of the sixteen acres of ground nearly opposite Mr. Moody's house. In 1878 and 1879, while Mr. Moody was working in Baltimore, Mr. Marshall again joined him, and the project of the school for young ladies was further 2o6 THE NORTHI'IIU.D SC//OOLS discussed. A second lot of j^rround was piirchastid adjoining the first, and on this the first recitation building was erected. In 1879, during the summer, Mr. Moody altered his own house for the accommodations of the pupils. A long wing, adjoining the hous(!, was divided into ten rooms for the accommodation of the students. November 3, 1879, the school opened, not with eight or ten pupils, as they had dared to hopt:, but with twenty-five, and until the reci- talioi. hall was finished, In December, the pupils studied in Mr Moody's own home. Miss Harriet \V. Tuthill came as the first teacher and principal of the school. The price chargeil to every pupil then, as now, was but $100, and applications came pouring in from all [)arts of the country. TiiKKF, Great Ends ix View In this work of education there were three great ends which occupied Mr. Moody's thought in addition to the natural educa- tional advantages. The first had to do with a better Biblical educa- tion, and his great object was to help and encourage them, and fit them in the best way for a happy and useful life, to bring them in close contact with the Fountain of Life, from which they might draw freely for all their needs. The second end in view was to meet the demand for trained women who would devote themselves to mis- sionary work, either at home or abroad, but more particularly among the poor of the great cities. But a third object in founding the school was that the buildings which should be erected for pur- po s of education should be available during the summer and va- cation months for another use. They could be used for gatherings of persons who delighted to study the Bible, and also to confer concerning matters touching the Kingdom of Christ. Mr. Moody lived long enough t.r> see these three ends more than fulfilled, and THE NORTIirilU.n SCHOOLS 207 (Hcal miinljcrs of Noim'f uujincii tlu; coiimtry ovi-r l)l(^ss God that he Wu.i ('V('r used to inaimuraU; sucl\ a work in their In^half. On tht: first day of April, 1S80, ^^roiiiul was broken for l£a;t Hall, and on the first of October the huildinj^^ was finished. It Lecainr the honu; for sixty-three students. When tlu; Hall was opened Mr. Moody said, "I would like to i^dve this Hall a motto, and let it alsf) 1)(.' the motto of the school. Isaiah xxvii : 3 : 'I, the j.ord do krcp it; I will w.itcr it every moment; lest «//;' hurt it. I will k(;<'|) it ni"lu and da\'.' " Wlu-n this remark was made he con: mit"'d the huildin;^^ and school, in a special prayer, to the con- tinu;il service and ne/cr-failin;^^ can; of (iod. CoNSTANTI.V IVCKKASIN'C, The second year of the Seminary bejj^an. with Hast Hall well fdled, and a lai'L^e number of day scholars, while the third year opened with ev(,Ty room that was obtainable more than crowded. Not only was this building- used, but while Mr. Moody was absent in Great l)ritain, his own house was i^Iven up entirely to the use of the school. The school has always been much like a home, and the spirit of happiness and harmony, which is the; real s[)irit of Christ, has always prevailed. The fourth year of the Seminary began with a new dormitory. The buildinij^ was named P>onar Hall, in memory of the visit made to Northfield by Dr. Andrew Bonar. This structure was after- ward destroyed by fire. The school was constantly increasinj^ in numbers and widening its influence. In 1SS5, Marquand Hall was formally opened. At the same time was celebrated the eightieth birthday of Mrs. Betsey Moody, and the forty-eighth birthday of her son D. L. Moody. In 1886 the corner-stone was laid of another dormitory, holding forty-five pupils. It was finished in the summer of 1887 at a cost of $25,000, and bears the name of Weston Hall. 12 2o8 THE NORTIIFIULD SCHOOLS It was this Hall that was set apart for the use of the New York Presbytery at the last meetiriir of the Northfield Conference. In the spring of 1887, the Talcott Library was built, the gift of James Talcott, of New York, a trustee of the school, and the Rev. Mark Guy Pearse, of England, made an address on this occasion. But even though the buildings were constantly increasing, and were not at all small in their dimensions, each succeeding year found them fiHed to overflowing, until in the ninth year there were 252 boarding- pupils and eighteen teachers. Present Condition of the Seminary In the judgment of many of his friends D. L. Moody never performed a more important service than when he gave to the world the Northfield Seminary. Other buildings than those mentioned above have been erected, until to-day the school possesses jis many dormitories as any girls' school in the country. In addition it has the Skinner Gymnasium, and the new Auditorium built by Mr. Moody in 1894, ^o accommodate the increasing crowd at the summer conferences. The buildings all possess a wide degree of artistic beauty. Thci 270 acres belonging to the Seminary show good results from the time and nioney expended on them. The hillside, once so desolate, is covered with a beautiful turf. Well built roads wind through the grounds and from ten to twenty men are kept constantly employed. The entire production of the farm, with the exception of a few apples, are used by the farm or the school. While the price of board and tuition at the Seminary from the outset has been $100 a year, as before mentioned, yet it must not be supposed that this pays for the education of the girls. In point of fact it covers not more than one-half the running expenses of the school. Th(! other half Mr. Moody became responsible for, and he toiled day and night, early and late, that he THE NORTHFIELD SCHOOLS 209 might make ihe education of these girls possible, and the schools a success. I am very sure that no one could ever invest his money better than to help in the memorial endowment fund which is now being solicited throughout the country, that Mr. Moody's work may be perpetuated and grow in increasing usefulness. Mt. Hekmon The plan for a school where boys could have a training in elementary English branches and also the Bible, really dates back to Mr. Moody's mission work in Chicago, and he never abandoned his purpose. Four miles distant from the Young Ladies' Seminary, on the opposite side of the river, the Mt. Hermon buildings, composing the Mt. Hermon School for young men are to be found. While the plan was conceived earlier it was carried out later than that of the Northfield Seminary, but it is not to be placed second in point of influence ; side by side these two institutions have come along together to positions of iniluence and power. In 1880 the ground for Mt. 1 lermon was purchased. Through the generosity of Mr. Iliram Camp, Mr. Moody was fortunately able to secure his farms, and subsequent purchases have put the boys' school in possession of more than 700 acres of ground. The price of board and tuition is the same as at the girls' school, and it was Mr. Moody's plan to have the work of the house and the farm performed by the boys themselves. For two years the school num])eretl not more th...i twenty-iive boys, the ages ranging from ei^^ht 10 ei^diteen. Two farm houses served as dormitories and a small building was erecteil to servo as a schoolhouse. It was soon decided that better results would be obtained by admitting only older boys, and the minimum age of admission was made sixteen. In 1882 five brick cottages were built, four of which were used as 210 THE NORTIIFIRLD SCHOOLS dormitories, and the mitlclK: oiu- designed to servo as a kitchen from which the meals were carried to the other buildiiiL^s. Since then there have been added a three-story recitation hall, dining hall and kitchen, Crosslev Hall and Silliman Science Hall. Mt, Ilermon _L,nves a ij^ood education to ])0)'s who have hecMi deprived of earlier atlvanta;^a;s, and who cannot attend nion; expen- sive schools. The industrial system of Alt. Hernion tcMids to exclude undesirable students. In their spare time boys are allowed to do overwork, for which they are [)aid. Many of the students rei'iaiii at Mt. Hermon throu_o-hout tlu; )car because the)' have no homes, or bc'cause they desire to earn mone)'. During" the vaca- tion pr.pils pay three tlollars a week for boartl. However, this is not paitl in money but in work. TiiK Tm)1'('ationai, 1'lan i\ Moum' Hi;RMf)x The educational plan in Mt. Hermon, as in all other insti- tutions associated with Mr. Moody's name, centres around the Bible, and the results are apparent in the large number of students engaged in hor;u^ ami foreign missionary work. People sneered in the beidnninf at the idea of an uneducatt^tl evangelist teacliing the youth anyia, ng about education, but as the buiklings rose; one; after the otiier their sneers soon changed to astonishment, ;uid now one only hears wt)rds of praise for this noble work. Mr, Moody had the most supreme faith in God as touching this educational work at Northl'ieltl. He kncnv that God had laid it on his heart, and was [xM-suaded that He would help him to carry it through. I remembe'r his telling at one time an incid(Mit which had to do with the completion of one of the buildings. They w^^re out of money, and the work could not go on unless the money should be provided, so he made his way u[) to his study, wrote the H O Z m a > r r o JO B o JO tn > O z > r r o & i. tr V •c a. er E n > e & §. THE NORTHFIELD SCHOOLS 213 n strongest lettt:-* he coukl lo a great business man, and told him tliat he must have several thousand dollar:, at once. When the letter was finished he put it on a chair before him and (;ot down upon his knees to jjray Ciod that this hotter should accomplish the object he liad in mind. The letter wtmt on its way and reached the business man in his liomc as he sat at the breakfast table. He read it with indifference, and then for some reason read it the second tinu^ with a little bit of interest. For some reason he could not ex[)lain he read it the third time, and then went to his library and wrote a check for the full amount, saying in the letter which accompanied the check, " for some reason unaccountable I am unable to get away from your recjuest, and I send you my check as you desire. I am sending it to you from my home for fear that I might change my mintl when I reach my place of business." Convincing Incidicnts Incidents like this could be multiplied without number, and when one looks at Mt. 1 lermon, studies its great buildings, familiar- izes himself with the number of lives that have come forth from the school to make the world better and brighter, and then studies the whole of Mr. Moody's plant, his first impression is one of wonder and admiration, the second a feeling of gratitude that he has an object lesson proving the truth that, if God only has His way with His own, the day of miracles is not past. I wish 1 might put into this chapter an appeal to philanthro- [lists everywhere to support the work of this man who was sent from God. I am persuaded that the blessing of God will be on one who in any way answers the appeal sent forth. There is a third institution at Northfield which should not be overlooked. On Friday, June i, 1888, "The Northfield" was opened to the public. It is a fine hotel, designed expressly to meet ai4 THE NORTHFIELD SCHOOLS the D'oedsof the many who annually visit Northfield, who attend the Bummer conferences, or as friends of the two schools It was opened with an overflow of guests. It was at this hotel that the friends of Mr. Moody gathered on the night preceding his funeral and the evening following it, and it is in this hotel that the Moody Training School for Women meecs. Till-: NoKTiiFiKi.i) Training School In his work in Chicago, and in his evangelistic work throughout the world, Mr. Moody had learned to appreciate the especial influ- Ciice of women in mi'.istering to the poor. He also found that it svas almost impossible to secure the right standarel of women to do the work he had in mind. Sometimes their influence was marred by inexperience, more frequently by lack of training. He deter- mined to start a training school, which city churches and mission fields could draw upon, not for highly educated missionaries, but for Christian women who could be trained especially in Bible knowl- edge and domestic economy. The Northfield Hold was an eyesore to Mr. Moody because it was empty from October to the cml of March. He determined tliat this should not be so, and in 1890, ilu-. I'lrst term of the train- ing sc' )ol began ther^;. I'^ifty-six students took up residence at once, and the next year the numbers were quite doubled. In addi- ion to systematic Bible study, the pupils are taught such branches A domestic economy as will make them useful in their work with die pocjr, and they are especially instructed in preparation of foods for tlie sick. It seems an incredible thing that a man without education hims(!lf, as the world speaks of him, should have been used of God to establish a work which in many ways is the wonder of all who see It, but it is an illustration of the fact, that we can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us. CHAPTER XV. The Northfield Conference and the Student Volunteers THIS is a (lay in which God is using in a very remarkable vv.".y what is known as the Bible Conference. In many parts c f the country there are annual summer gatherings of Chris- tian people for the study of God's Word. I'he number is rapidly increasing, and the growth of some of these conferences is really remarkable. In a sense, at least, the Noithfield Conference which came out of the heart and the deep study of D. L, Moody, is responsible for them all. Various Bit.lk Conferences There has been annually, until within the past two years, a gathering of earnest, active Christians at Niagara, on the Lake, and some of the most widely known Bible students in the country have gathered there to consult together concerning the things of the Kingdom. The teaching at this conference has been largely along dispensation lines, and the prominent truth presented in all th'^ir ser- vices has been the return of the Lord, while, the majority of the teachers at Northfield have not only accepted, but strongly advocated the truth known as the "blessed hope". Still Mr. Moody had one characteristic which impressed itself on all his associates. He would not exalt one truth at the expense of another, and so Northfield has not been known as the place where any particular line of truth was promulgated. If any exception could be taken to this statement ^t 2l6 THE NORTH FIELD CONFERENCE would be in favor of those truths which contribute to the deepen- ing of the spiritual life. Another widely known Bible Conference, which is certainly in existence because of the influence of Northfield, is the Winona gathering at Winona Lake, Ind. ] "or five years the Christians of the Middle and Western j-,tates in increasing- numbers have irathered there for the same kind of work that was done at Northfield. Mr. Moody has ever contributed to the effectiveness of the Conference by sending such speakers as the Rev. G. H. C. MacGregor, the Rev. G. Campbell Morgan, the Rev. l'\ B. Meyer, and the Rev. J. G. Cunningham. The gathering has increased from thirty-five, the first year, to more than 1,500 at the last annual meeting. I desire personally to say that Winona owes to Mr. Moody more than it can <;ver repay. The Kkswick Movkment One of the most celebrated conferences abroad is that which meets in the early summer at Keswick, a town of Cumberland, England, on the south bank of the Greta, twenty-four miles from Carlisle. The first convention was held in July, 1875, ^"^^ was only for the purpose of experiencing a fuller spiritual life. It has been thought by many that the Keswick movement stood for the promotion of the doctrine of " sinless perfection ". This is most untrue. It does stand for the very highest type of Christian living, and in every way stands for the exaltation and manifestation of Christ in the life. There are six successive stages that ought to be indicated in connection with Keswick, for they have widely influenced the Northfield teachers, especially those from abroad. They are named in the order of their importance. 1. The definite and immediate abandonment of every known sin or hindrance to holy living. ^ ! THE NORrHFIEI.D CONFERENCE 217 I I 1 2. The abandonment and renunciation by faith of the self- life, or the life, that centers in self-indulirence and self-dependence. 3. The immediate surrender of the will in lovin<; and com- plete obedience to the will of God, separation for the purpose of consecration. 4. The infilHnir of the Holy Spirit, or the claimino; of the believer's share in the Spirit's pentecostal gift of power for service. 5. Hie revelation of Christ as an indwelling presence in the believer's soul and daily life, and as his actual Master and Lord. 6. I3eyond these there is always a sixth and last stage of teaching — the privileges and victories implied in this higher or deeper life, such as the rest life of faith, power over sin, passion for souls, conscious fellowship with God, growing possession of promises, and prevailing p:ayer and intercession. The Pre-eminknck of Nortiieield The basis of all this teaching is, as is very apparent, the con- viction that the average Christian life is too often grievously des- titute of real spiritual power and is essentially carnal ; and that it is the duty and privilege of every child of God to enter at once into newness of life, and to walk henceforth in the power of Christ's resurrection. Rut Northfield is pre-eminently, in the judgment of many peo- ple, the most important gathering of Bible students in this country, if not in the world. Thousands of lives have been transformed, by the power of the Conference, and one of I - most notable gather- ings in its history was that of last year when the entire Presbytery of New York met and were assigned to quarters in Weston Hall, attended regularly the services, and came back literally filled with the Spirit of God, the result being that the whole city of New York has seemed to feel the touch of the power that rested upon them ; and there is scarcely a Presbyterian Church in the city that has not 3l8 THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE had remarkably lar^c additions as eitlicr a direct or indirect result of this last summer Conference. However much Mr. Moody's friends may have to say of him in meetings in other places, it is certainly true that he was at his best in Northfield at the Conference. There was no more inter- ested listener in all the audience than he. He was ([uick to notice the impression the speakers made upon the [)eo{)le, and while he was never what could be called a flatterer, yet when those whom he had invited to be; present helped the people he was the first one to express his appreciation. As a rule he was at all the gather- ings. TlIK BKUINNI\(i CI' MIIK CoNFKRKNCKS A description of the Northfield Conterences necessitates refer- ring once again to the Round Top services, one of which is described in another chapter. These meetings were held in the evening, at the sunset time, and the iniluence upon all who gath- ered there was simply profound. I question if there is any work that Mr. Moody was engaged in throughout the world in which he was more interested than the Northfield Conference, a brief siory of which ought to be given. The Northfield Conferences began in 1880. Early in September the buildings of the Seminary were thronged with three hundred visitors. Among those who came was a delegation from Great Britain. The first conference continued for ten days. The spirit of the meeting was largely devotional, the doctrine of the Holy Spirit being largely dwelt upon ; and the result was very impressive. There was at that time no large auditorium in which the various meetings could be conducted, so a large tent was pitched behind East Hall, and there the exercises were held. The culmination of the conference was pentecostal in its power, and the spiritual THE NOKTUl-IEl.n CONFERENCE 219 rcfrcshinj^ vvhicli came at that time to many believers is still mani- fest in whatever they tlo. In ()ct()lx;r, 1S81, the second convocation hej^an, continuing ihroiigh the month. The Rev. 1 )r. .\nclre\v Honar, of (ilas^ow, Scotland, was the [)rincii>al speaker, and amonL;" tlie others who par- ticipated were Dr. Geor^^e 1'". Pentecost, Dr. A. J. Gordon, Dr. James 11. lirooks, I )r. ]{. 1'. Goodwin, Mr. Gei)ri(e C. Needham, and Major W^iittle, besides many others whose names ha\e since come to be esi^ecially associated with Ncjrthlield work. There was j^reat variet)' in the services. TIk; s[)irit of the second conference was less devotional than the first, but was j^aven more to doctrinal and practical study, Most of the meetings were held in P.ast Hall, but in the afternoons the conference mtt in the Congregational Church of the village, and occasionally in the open air. The intc^r- est deepened throughout the month. ■ How TuKv M.wi', Grown Shortly after this Mr. Moody went to England, and in his absence no summer conferences were held at Northfield for three years, and it was not until August, 1885, that the third convoca- tion was held. Mr. J. E. K. Studd of Cambridge University, England, gave a fine impetus to the meeting, c.nd Mr. Jolin B. Gough delivered during this month one of his last :iddresses. Dr. A. T. Pierson and Dr. A. J. (cordon also helped to make the meet- ings signal in their iniluence. And so, year after year, the Northfield Conferences have o-rown in interest and attendance. The new buildin^rs which, from time to time, have been erected for the educational work of the Seminary have much increased the facilities of entertainment for visitors, .?.nd the new auditorium makes it possible to assemble a great thrc -ig under cover. Still there are many who think that the open-air 320 THE NORTITFIF.LD CONFERENCE services luive been more sliimilatin^^ ami 1 Ipful than any of the others. The speakers have been ilrawn, as formerly, from the l)est, and it is a privilej^^e indeetl to recrive throip_jh association with such men the best fruits of their own experiences. It has alwa\'s seemed to me that tiu: genius of Mr. Moody shone mort; in his manas^e- ment of the summer conferences than in any other iletail of his work, and his earnestness and his devotion were eve-r so imprt.-ssed on all the services that no one could jj^o away from a nu-etino^ with- out carryinj^^ with him a blessin^^ Mr. Moody's educational ideals, which in their practical forms are visible to the visitor to the con- ferences in the noble buildings which crown th(.' Northfield hills, were epitomized in the work of the summer conferences. t The Studknt V(M,n\TKi-:RS Some time in the .spring of iS86, with his customary foresight and intuition in regard to what might advance the Kingdom of Christ, Mr. Moody called to his side Mr. L. 1). Wishard, then college secretary of th(; International Committee of the Young Men's Christian Associations of the Unitetl Statt.s and Canada. As a result of the conference; between these two men, Mr. Moody invited each of the College Young Men's Christian Associations of the country to send a delegate to spend a month at Mt. Hermon in July of the same year, to study the l^ible and methods of Christian work adapted to college students. This invitation was accepted by 250 students, from about ninety different college associations. The meetings continued from July 7th to August 2d. The pro- gram of each day was as follows : I'rom eight o'clock in the morning the men considered informally for an hour some phase of College Association work. At ten o'clock all met and listened to addresses from noted speakers from abroad. Some time was also given to those who desired to ask practical questions, and these WJVM^. ■■I*^^ I \ \'^-' \ rf.V r ^1 ■ - ^ h-:^^ fe, '"^aa!* -^irv, . \ '■' A-< --^ ■'■ > ■ .^^\ 1^: .V'<^- w e •3 a >> •o o o I u u a •a a d Si) d" o ■a d O ■J X 6 > X a z o o Oi o 0. S < u a J u h X OS O z < Ed fj > b] CO t THE NORTH FIELD CONFERENCE 223 • I were answered by Mr. Mood)- in his usual clear, direct manner. In these meetings, as elsewhere, Mr. Moody was able to exercise his wonderful ability to associate with himself :i corps of prominent liible scholars and teachers. A large number of Christian students were present who had decided to devote their lives to the work in foreign missions. These naturally met together 'v\ a common fellowship, and their earnestness and devotion made from the outset a dee[j impression on all. Their a|)peals on behalf of the claims of missionar)' work on educated Christian joung men also madt; a profound im[)ression, and many students were then antl there led to express a willingness and a desire to enter upon work in the foreign field. Missionary Interest Awakened The interest awakened was fostered by two young men, Messrs. Wilder ami l'"oreman, who were led sjjcedily to devote a portion of their time as students to deepening and widening this work among the students of the college'; not represented at Mt. I lermon. This in brief, then, is how the Student Volunteer move- ment was born ; it came into being in connection wilh the first Christian Student Conference ever held at Mt. I lermon, where Mr Moody's school for boys ruul \()ung men is situated. Like many another thing for which Mr. Moody opened the way, if he did not actually originate it, the Student Volunteer movement has grown almost bej'ond comprehension. It assumed organization in 1888, ami has become a recognized factor and power in the missionary life of the Church throutrhout the workl, as possibly no other single movement. Hrielly stated, the four-fold purpose of the organization is : b'irst, to awaken and foster among all the Christian students of the United States and Canada, intelli- gent and active interest in foreign missions. Second, to enroll a 224 THE NORTHFIELD CONFERENCE sulhcicnt number of pro[)crly (jualificd student volunteers to meet the successive demands of the various missionary Boards of North America. Third, to help all such as pledge themselves to foreign missionary work to i^reivare for their life work, and to increase the co-operation of th(;s(i young- workers in developing the missionary life of home; churches. Fourth, to lay an equal burden of responsi- bility on all students who are to remain as ministers and lay workers at home, that they ma}' actively promote missionary enterprise by intelligent advocacy, gifts and prayers. The Volunteer movement is not a missionary board. It never has sent out and never will send out a missionary, for it is simply a recruiting station. As in so many other ways, the wisdom of Mr. Moody in calling to his side such men as L. D. Wishard, C. K. Ober and John R. Mott, of tlie International Committee of the Young Men's Christian Association, was soon manifest in the progress of the movement, and these men have had much to do with tlie rapid increase of the work during these last years. The Grow'ih ok thk Work Some conception may be gained ot the prodigious strides which the organization has made when it is known that it already has made itself felt in more than i.ooo institutions of learning. Then it should ])e remembered tliat in many of these, perhaps more notably in state, professional and inde])endent institutions, the subject of foreign missions was d(\alt with for the first time when the representatives of the student volunteers began to extend their efforts. It is safe to assert that where one student gave this subject caret ul consideration before the movement bef their fellows on the jKirt of the students, as a secondary inlluenco of this movement is without any doubt one of the great evangelistic tendencies of the century. At least indirectly, it may be traced to Mr. Moody. One of the most wontl(;rful things about the Student Volun- teer influence has been its effect upon the students of other lands. Ten years ago the organization for the United States and Canada was the only student movemenl in the world, employing the volun- teer methods, but now there are student volunteers in Great Britain, 736 THE NORTIIFIELD CONFERENCE Scandinavian countries, Germany, iM-ance, Australasia, South Africa, China, India and CeyU)n. All tlic organizations express their imlebtedness \.o tiio Ainc;rican l)ranch for the helpful and practical intluenct; it exerted in the formative [)eriods of the Avork. It is exceedingly significant that even th<; students of mission lands havt; joined hantls with the; stuilents of Christian lantls in a ileter- mined effort tt) preach the Cospel to all mankiml. In August, 1895, there was formed in the historic Vailstena Castle, on the shores of Lake Vcttern, in Sweden, a World's Student Christian I'Vtleration. There were prescMit official representatives from America, Great 1 Britain, Germany, Scanilinavia, and Mission lands. Mr. John R. Mott, in his "Strategic Points in the Workl's Concjuest," says, " Never sinc(! the Warthurg sheltereil the great German Reformer, while lu; was translating \\\v. Uihle for the; com- mon people, has a mediaeval castle served a purpose fraught with ijreater blessin;/ to all mankind." A FedKRATION' for TIIH WoRLD Since tlu> formation of this fc-deration It has bee n entered by the representatives of iive other countries, India, Ceylon, South Africa, China and Japan, so that practically all the countries, having anything like a student volunteer movement, arc; now banded togetiier. The first convention of the World's Stud(>nt Christian l'\'dera- tion was lu^ld in the United States, in July, 1S97, in conjunction with tlu; annual conference of the American and Canadian Intercol- legiate Young Men's Christian /Vssociation, at Northiield. In addi- tion to the 600 students who had come together from 136 universi- ties anil colleges, there were present students and Christian work- ers from twenty-five other nations or races. Special meetings were held o ' Round Top, the spot which is now especially consecrated Till-: NORTH IIELD C().\ ll- lU'NCIi 2-7 to Mr. Moody's memory. Rouiul Top is not l(>ss srunil Ix'causc ii is tlu: place: when; more; sLudcnts have (ledicalcd their lives to the extension of Christ's rcdi^ion than an)' otlur place in the worhl. Says Mr. Mott, " Da)- after da\- at sunset, the hundreilsot didcgates from the emls of the earth met on this sacred mountain to lift their e)-es and look f:u- heyond the heautiful Connecticut valle\' and the tlistant ;;reen mountains upon tlu; yrc-at harvest lields of the. work!, and lin_i;erand listen to burning messages from their fellow students, telliny of the triumphs of Christ among their own people, and the need of more men in the n-gions l)t:yond." Pu.wKR IV 'rwi'NTV-oNic Lancu;ac.ks The Federation thdegates attended not only the large special meetings over which Mr. :\Ioodv [jresidcd, hut also the conferences for the discussion of methotls. One afternoon a pilgrimage was HKule to Mt. 1 lermon, which, as th(> reader will reuKMiiber, is si>veral miles from Xorthfiekl on the otlu:r side of tlu; river The «jroves and hills ami river l)anks about Mt. Hermon ar(> <.acrcd, for it was her(> that the Student \'olunteer movemcMit came into existence in 1886. Some who had attended that first wonderful meeting were prescMit to recount the experiences of those first days of blessed surrender. Before' the delegates left Mt. Hermon, Mr. Moody calleil them together for the consecrating of the grounil that had been set apart as a site: for a chapel. In a representative meeting this plot was ileilicatetl to God's service. Then the ilelegates offered prayer in twenty-oni> different languages, and yet there: was no oon- fusion of le)ngues, for all we;re brought together in their common, love e>f the Master. What will be the re:sult of this movement we can only con- jecture, for it is yet in its infancy, but it is significant to note that already it has brought together Christian students in all the world «3 228 THE NORTHflHLD CONFERENCE as never before. It has made the various student movements acquainted with one another. It has organizc;d six great national student movements, and has facihtated tlie organization of two others. The last conference of thci Federation was held in Eisenach, at the foot of the famous Wartburg, in Germany, and was attended by students from twenty-four countries. Nearly 400 years ago, in the castle which still crowns that storied mountain, a monk made a consecration of his talents which blessed the world as it had not been blessed before for many centuries. When Martin Luther came down from that sacred hill he broutjfht with him a Bible for the people. The perverseness of the generation did not lead him to dash his tablets to the ground as he descended, but instead they went out through the land and gave men almost for the first time an insight into the true teachings of our Lord. How fitting it is that on this spot, hallowed by the memory of the great reformer, the flower of the young men of to-day should pledge themselves to devote their lives to carrying to all the cpiarters of the globe the blessed Gospel ! i ! I CHAPTER XVI. The Chicago Bible Institute THP: Chicago Bible Inst'tiite is one of the crreat monuments which Mr. Moody has left for himself. That it was born ir. prayer is proved from the words of an address which Mr. Moody made at one of the last meetings of the World's Fair cam- paign : " Little we thought, when we prayed some three; or four years ago for a Bible Institute near the church, that we should have any such opportunity to preach the Gospel to the world as wc; have had these last six months. We should not have been able to do the work Vvci have done during these past months but for th(; Insti- tute and the three hundred workers who had gathered there from every part of the country. No matter at what point the work has been started, we have had force enough to carry it on. I believe that it would have been utterly impossible to have carried on this work without the help of the Bible Institute. It may he that God raised it up for such a time, even as Esther was raised up for the time of her country's peril and need." Till-: Nkkd of Tirr, Ixstithtiox The need of an institution of this kind became evident to Mr. Moody as he went about, holding evangelistic services in various places. There was constant difficulty in getting persons who were able to deal directly with incpiirers or who were trained sufficiently in the knowledge of the Word of God to point the soul to Christ. In every meeting there would be great numbers of the poor and of the outcast whose hearts would be reached by the message, and 229 1% 230 Till': CHICAGO lUnLF. INSririJTE I 1 ! ! vvlicn then: wasuny !.n"('at numhcr ofsucli in(|iiircrs it was ([uite Impos- sible for him to deal jxa-sonally with thtnr. .ill. On one; occasion, Mr. Moody said, " C")nt; of the great jnirposes we have in view in the l^)ible Institute is to raise u^) men and women who will put their lives alongside the life of the poor and the laboring classes, and luring the intluence of the (iospel t) bear u[)on them." Out ol a little Mission Sunday .^ichool, which had been organized by Mr, Moody. [rrew the Chicago Avenue Church, and it was in this church that th(! Hrst steps wvwi taken toward th(; founding of such an institute ,is Mr. Moody had in mind. In the sjjring of i SS9, the Chicago [•Ivangelization Soci(!ty came; mto existence, and Mr. Moody was its -prcisident. I'Vom the: ex[;erimeiit made at the churcli it was clearlv tlemonstrated tliat it would b. ■ possible to have a llible In- stitute conductetl on practical lines in thi; City of Chicago. Ground and buildings near tlu; church were purchased, and the organization was effected in October, 1S89, when the Institute opened for re.gular work. TiiK Bkoixxino At the beginning something like; eighty students were enrolled, fifty of them being w\(\\\ and thirty women. Three hoiist;s had been already purchased by the Institution, and another brick struc- ture was at once begun, which was tinislu;d tht; following year. The attendance during tliis year was three times as great as the in-st year. The students came from all parts of the world. They held religious opinions of every type, and they came to the Institute with different objects. Some of them int(;nded to continm: their studies after leaving the Institute; others ex[)c:cted to enter Immexllately upon active; work when the)' left. Indeed, there were many pastors of churches, who came there in order that they might increase their knowledge of practical ways of working in their own churches. I 1 i ; B je o o o •< o JO < z o H o 50 > z D D > C o X H M s ► H o z 03 Ik: z w p) CHE CHICAGO lilliLE INSTITUTR 233 Perhaps in no institution of tiic country would tlicrc be manifest a more intense zeal for work than would be found tlu:re. The main object of tht; institution was both j)ractic:d and ;:iniple ; It was to [dve all the students a thorough working knowledge of the Scrip- tur(,'s, in order that they might be (■([iiij^ped for personal Christian work, and at the same time have their own spiritual lives stimulated. There are, in all, accommodations for about three hundred students. The two departments are kept separate except at the time of lectures, when all come together in the lecture hall of the main building. . TllK OlJJKCr IN ViKW One is not a guest at the Institute for any great length of lime without discovering the object which the Institute has in view. He will see here 200 or 300 bright and earnest Christian young men and women from all parts of the world. As a rule, they come from that class of people which the Institute is training them to helj). They have no fortune back of them, few of them have had the advantages of an education beyond that afforded by the common schools. They come there with strong convictions that God has called them to some special service which needs special training such as the Institute can g-ive them. One feels the influence of the spiritual atmosphere which pervades the Institute as soon as the door is opened to receive him, and, if he were si)ending some little time amoniT these young people so consecrated to their work, he could not come away without having received great personal blessing. The Ordinary Routine The ordinary routine of the Institute is systematic and orderly to a high clesjree. The hour for breakfast is seven o'clock. All take part in asking God's blessing upon the food, for grace is 2.H run CHICAGO /..nLE institute "sung" and not "said". When the breakfast is finished tht; chairs arc; pushed l^aclc from the tables and a short exposition is made of the Scripture chosen for the morning devotions. As a rule this Scripture is read by Mr. John H. Hunter, who has a general over- sight of the men's department ; if not hy him, then by some out; of the visiting lecturers who is living temporarily at the Institutt.'. At eight o'clock they assemble for prayer, and at nine o'clock the young men and young women assemble together for the hrst lecture of the day. From ten to eleven o'clock the time is given to thorough instruction, under competent teachers, in vocal and instrumental music. The second lecture hour is at eleven o'clock, and dinner at 12.30. At four o'clock in the afternoon comes the fourth lecture, and the evenings are invariably taken up by the students who are assigned to various places for practical work. It would seem to be one object of these students to bring theory and practice close together, for as in the morning they are shown where to find the Scriptures which would point the way to Christ, they ar^ in the evening sent out with those same Scriptures to make a prae tical application of them upon the unsaved. Thk Practical Natukk of the Work The practical part of the education which is given to those who study here is of the most important character. Every student is required to do a certain proportion of practical work each week that he is in the Institute. Sometimes he will be obliged to visit the homes in some section of the city designated to him. At other times he will be obliged to organize and carry on cottage prayer meetings. Then, nearly all the missions of Chicago are supplied more or less by students from the Institute, Children's meetings are held, industrial schools are also carried on, and in almost every case where students are sent to conduct meetings THE cnic,n;o iiiiii.E iNsrirvrii 235 they arc obli^ctl also to hoUl in([uiry iiu'otin^s, so tliat tlu-y j^rt hold not only of tluorits, but also arc shown how to put tiicsc theori(!S into operation. The course of study is most varied, thou<,di the main object constantly adhered t(. is tiiat all the studiMits may ^(\X. a thorou^di knowlcdt,a! of th(; Word of Got! and be tauj^dit how they may skill- fully apply it. The doctrines of the Scriptun^s are studied in a thorouj^h and careful manner. Several books are taken u[) and an analytic study made of these. I'^ach year some of the best known Bible students of the country are brouy methods, while the poor mothers ha\'e their bodies refresheel and th(;ir souls brought into contact with a higher s_)ir!tual plane. Then they are invited also te) the great .Sunday aftt;rnoon Bible class, "to which they come, and again the children arc taken care of th.: :* REV. R. A. TORREYi Superintendent ot the Moody Bible Institute. THE CHICAGO BIIiLh: INSTITUTE 243 in the primary departments. Often they can be induced also to attend the evenin^r service, and all these tremendous results are being achieved, home and character being transformed by this noble band of young v^omen who have given up their whole lives to consecrated service of this kind. Development of thk .Student's Character The ol>i''ct of the Institute is not altot^ether defmed by, or bmitcd to, the study of the Bible or practical Christian work. There is another ilesign, namely, that the character of the students themselves may Ix; developed on spiritual and symmetrical lines. Many a one has come to the Institute with little conception of the possibilities lying within himself, or of the possibilites of service lying without liiin, who her';, under the spiritual influence of the home, has had thes(^ things dawn iipcHi him and has gone forth with some wide and noble plan of action. No wonder that this Institution, with its noble aim and its already accomplished good, was the joy and delight of Mr. Moody's heart. It means the perpetuation of that work to which he had consecrated his own life ; it means that after him will be raised up generations of men and women who will, so far as God will give them strength, do what he has dont% by putting their lives along- side the lives of the poor and wretched and miserable and outcast. No man in all the world has so closely touched the lowly class(is as did Mr. Moody. It might almost be said of him as it was said of his Master, " The common peojile heard him gladly," and his great design iii the cstablishini-- of the Bible Institute was that it might ever be in the interests of the common people. In the mten:sts of the common people it lias l)een and doubtless will contiiuie to be, lor whatever of training may be gained by the students is immedi- ately utilized, not in the behalf of the rich, but in behalf of those 244 THE ClflCAGO DllU.E INSTITUTE whom sin has inarRul. antl who arc in special need of personal sympathy such as they can give Nowhere in all the world will there stand a whiter monur^ent to the memory of Mr. Moody than this ree, was sinking, and we rolled there for two day? helplessly. No one on earth knows whnt I passed throup-h at the diought that probably my work was finished, and that I would never again have the privilege of pr(\'ich- ing the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; and on that first dark night iihrr 245 246 THE WORLirS FAIR CAMPAIGN the accicUiU, I made: a now ihal. if Ciocl woiikl lot im: live, antl briiit,^ hk; back to iXmcrica, I would y\) back to Chica_L;(>, and at this W'orkl's I*'air, preach the: Gospel with all the powc;r lie would g'wc \\v\. And (iod has made it [)ossiblc for mc to keep that vow durin;^' the [>ast live months. It seems as if I went to the very j^ates of Heaven durinL,^ that two days on t!ie sinkint^ sliip, and God per- mitted me to coiiK; hack and [)reach 1 lis Son a little lonj^'r." After landin*; on these shorc:s he wc:iu to his Northfield homc^ and havin;^ brou^iit the: students of Alt. liermon and Northfield toL,''ether at six o'clock in the morninL;', he said to them, "If )'ou have any reiprd for me, if you lov(,' me, pray for me that God may anoint me for th(> work in Chicai^^o ; I want to be filled with the Spirit that I ma)' prc:ac]i the; ( jospcd as I never preachetl it before ; we \v;i.nt to see the salvation of God as we have nvver seen it before." Not only to the students of N(--. thfield and Mt. I lermon did he emphasize the importance antl value of prayer, but he insisted ii[)on it in other directions so th.'vt in all re_i,Mons there v/as risin;.^ continuous prayer that the blessing- of God mig-ht be poured out upon the unsaved masses which would throng- the streets of Chicatro. TiiK First Mi-.ktino of tum Cami'aic.n. It was a most fittins^ thin'j- that the first meeting- of this cam. paign should be held in the Chicago Avenue Church, known as Moody's church. On the first Sunday of May, which was bright and beautiful, a oreat con<:re^ether in the church and waited patiently for the appearance of the evangelist. He caiue in, followed by Mr. Sankey and otluM" distinguished leaders. When the time arrived for Mr, Moody to speak, he took for his theme the elder brother in the story of the prodigal son. If, in his description, he pictured the elder brother as the meanest man on I THE WORLD'S lAlR CAMPAIGN »4> ^ i earth, and unworthy of ;i father's love, on tlie other hand he showed how graciously r.o.l received those wht), through repenting of their sins, turned back to Iliin. The yearning of his own heart that the lost sinner might be found, was a key note, and gave the characteristics of all the sermons that were subsequently [)reached by Mr. Moody and his co-workers in this campaign. All were animated with the one spirit, that Christ might be presented lovingly, earnestly, and persistently as the friend of sinners. The vast number of those who accepted the invitation Invariably offered, shows how God set His seal to simple testimony of this character. A Maukmi) CiiAUAcrKUis'i'i.* OF His Faith. Afternoon services were hekl in this same church, and again there was another crowil to hear Mr. Moody, who spoke on the subject of Praise. Me had such a full assurance that God would send ;'. wav(i of blessing over the city that his heart was filled with praise in anticipation of it. The invariable desire on the part of Mr. r^Ioody to praise God with liis whole heart for anticiiiated blessings was one of the marked charactc:ristics of his faith. This is as ran^ as it is beautiful, ruul it v.as the theme of that afternoon meeting. At \\\\A\\. the church was thronged again, while services were also held in oth(.;r places. Special meetings in dilferent parts of the city were also conducted by the students of th(; Institute. So passed the first da)- of the great campaign in Chicago. The sins and sorrows of the city la\' like a heav\' burden on Mr. Moody's heart, and it became evident, as his pkms matured, that his design was not m r^'ly to rc:ach tiie nniltitude of slnmgers wht) were pouring into the c!t\-, but that lu; might also iniluence the citizens themselves. The moral condition of the city was beyond description. Sunday was the great holiday of the week ; all the places of amusement were open ; the worst features of a Sunday 248 THE WORI.DS FAIR C/1MPA/GN 111 on the Conlinent won: observctl, and nothiiij^^ but the outpouriiij^ of the Holy Spirit could check the tide. It is no cas)' matter to plan and carry into execution the details of a great campaign like this, ])ut Mr. Moody was in per- fect command of the situation. He spent hour after hour waiting upon God, and God in response opiiuid door after door of opjjor- tunity. Difficulties vanished as they were approached, and wh tt had seemc:d to be utterly impossible was accomplisiicd. As the days went by the magnitude of the work was \'ery much increased. The great buildings wen: securetl in different sections of tht: city, theatres, halls, chinches and missions were opcmed. The large circus tent of I*"orepaugh was also secured. Five other great tent tabernacles wt:rc: moved from section to section, and sometimes great crowds assembled in the open air. Speakers were assigned to these places, and day after day for months there went out a testimony for God sucii as perliaps no other city of the world has had. SoNf'., A Featurk of the Meetings Mr. Moody had surrounded himself with a company of men with whom it was one of the greatest ])rivileges to be associated. The men most used of God in evang listic work went there, as well as a large number of others who had been gifted with the power of Gospel singing. The singing was one of the strong features in all the meetings, and contributed largely to their success. Mr. Moody always made the most careful arrangements for the song services in connection with the meetings. Indeed the singing was a feature of no small importance in all these meetings. Where it was possible, great choirs were organized under skilfull directors, and these, together with great congregations who were once wvought up into the spirit of praise, would fill the buildings with such music as is rarely heard. Wherever Mr. Moody conducted Tirt- WORT.D'S FAIR CAMPAIGN 249 cvangelistfc servic«;s lu' |.aicl the same careful tliouglu to the ser- vices of praise, and tlu- nu'etin*,^s in the Chicago canijjaign will by many be remembered best for tht; laugnirici'iU sinvarely an evening passed that such news was not brought in to the great joy of Mr. Moody. God had so singularly owned the work from the beginning that scarcely a meeting passed with- out some being led by the Spirit of God to a definite surrender of themselves to His service. It was a privilege to look upon Mr. Moody's face when these reports were brought in by different speakers. When the last one had reported, the meetings would close with praise and prayer. No one who was privileged to attend these after-services in the Institute will ever forget the delight- ful fellowship of these godly men. They had come from all parts i 1 i5o y///; WORLD'S FAIR CAM PA J GN of the world. Thf^y had bc^cn most largely used of God, and were men of wide and varied experiences. The evening woukl be spent, not merely in the giving of reports of the special services from which they had *:ome, but other things drawn out of past experi- ence woukl 1^' brought in, scj that one would feel that he was in some speri'il way connected with the carrying out of Ciod's j)urpose, as he miLlht listen or contribute soniethin*/ to these nieetinos. By reason of the work connected with the meetings them- selves, the men might come in very much exhausted, \'et, after such a meeting as has been spoken of, there would come a sense of "'. new baptism of the Spirit, and \\\ their waiting upon God tlu;re would be a renewal of strength for whatever service might lie before them. Till-: ]\l()M)AV CoNFKREXCF.S In accordance with the custom of the Institute, Mondays were set aside as dajs of conference and rest. Air. Mood)' would meet the workers from all parts of the city and put to tliem (questions as to the results of the week's work. These meetiuLTs, 1)\- reason of the sui:'j"estions and com;nc;nts that were offered, wert; not only deep!)' iiUer("Sting, Init also exceedingly proiitable. Mr. Moody himself would [)ut ([uest ons to those who h;id been conduciin , the meetings. 1 le would in([uir(.; abcnit the progress of the work, ask the numbtM- of pt:ople that had been j)resent, and Iiow many of them had made u[) their minds lo serve tlie kord Jesus Christ. He woukl also want to know tlie different nationaliti(;s that might be representetl, as to the proportioti of th(; working men and of the poor, desiring to learn, if possiljle, how many of those attending were reprer.enlatives of visitors to ihe \\\)r!d's Fair. Tlien these workers would be asked lo give their opinion as to the value of the meetings comj)ared with others which had been held by these same workers at other places. Questions of this kind, i s_ were pent, from v:peri- ^•as in ■[)Ose, :tings. theia- r such ■\ new would them. s were d meet ions as ason of 3t only Moody :in^ the irk, ask lany of Christ. it might tl of the :it'.nding TVien , to the !en held lis kind, AN AUTHENTIC PORTRAIT OF D. L. MOODY, fn.m a photo- graph taken ill Paris, uiid luaiieil to one of our author^i, I ir. U, M.Wliartuii, by Mrs. Moody. THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN 253 and answers given by tniincd and skillful workmen, would bring out the most useful sui^ijfestions. It was also discovered that at the tents, congregations were a thousand or more at the evening services, and perhaps half as large in the day services. These audiences were made up \v-^\. only of Protcistants but also of Roman 1 Catholics. In s(jme sections, the neighborhood being almost altogether Roman Cafholic, perhaps more than threofourths of th;' great audiences would belong to that faith. In sonie of the tents were larij-e numbers of workingmen who woidd sit with intense interest expressed in their faces, and when the invitation was 1 iveji, indivicii.uls among these would make decision for Christ. As a 1 0, all the churches in the immediate vicinity of the tent meetings were in perfect sympathy with the work, the ministers attending tht; meetings and sitting on the platform, auJ the largest number of workers were secured from these churches. Mektincs For Chti.dren Some of the most interesting reports were made concerning the chikh-cu's meetings. Oftentimes Sunday school teachers would be drawn to these meetings where they v.'ould find their classes assembled, and in many instances, if the members of the class were not reached, Sunday school teachers would be, and those who had not hitherto made a profession of faith would come out definitely for Christ in these . cetinLTs. In all the sections where these meetings were held, the spiritual power of the neighboring churches was intensely magnified. The prayer meetings of the local churches grew in attendance, and the Sunday services were far better attended than ever before. It was most interesting ;i!so to hear the reports of the men who had charge of the great meetings in the theatres. Sometimes, as for example at the Empire Theatre, nearly the whole congregation 1 i 254 THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN would consist of men only, and a very large proportion of these men would be not only out of work, but drinking men. For these, temperance meetings were held, and hundreds of pledges were signed by these men, while hundreds of others yielded them- selves alton-ether to Christ. Great Throngs at the Meetings While there were large audiences at nearly all the services, some of them reached enormous proportions. Dr. J. Munro Gibson, of London, who was associated with Mr. Moody in his campaign, said on returning to London, "While the F"air grounds were quite dcF.crted on Sundays the churches were full. There was little use trying to get into the churches where Mr. Moody or Mr. McNeill preached uiiicss you went an hour or two before the time, but even with only a preacher of ordinary abilities the church would be filled, not only in the morning but also at the evening service, and it is not an easy thing to secure a good attendance for evening ser- vices in Chicago." It was not only on Sunday nights, but on week nights as well. Many of the great buildings were thronged long before the hour of opening. At the Haymarket Theatre, in West Madison Street, where Mr. Moody was to preach, a great throng would stand in the streets long before the doors were opened, and when they were opened every available inch of space would be filled in an almost incredibly short time, and those who failed to gain entrance would be directed to some place for an overflow meeting, to which, however, they could by nt) possibility be induced to go until assured that Mr. Moody would speak there. Perhaps the most extraordinary meetings in point of number, were those held in I'orepaugh's circus tent, and those in Tattersall's Mall. When Mr. Moody was arranging to secure the use of the mammoth tent, he had difficulties in making an agreement with the THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN aS« \ and manager, who expected Sunday to be his great day in Chicago, but he was finally prevailed upon to allow him the use of it for Sunday morning, reserving Sunday afternoon and evening for his show. When these arrangements were being made, one of the circus men contemptuously asked him if he supposed it would be possible to get an audience of 3,000. What must have been his surprise when, arriving on the scene Sunday morning, he found assembled a vast congregation of 18,000 people, whereas the attendance at the circus in the afternoon and evening was ^,0 poor that the perform- ances had to be given up altogether on Sundays. This was perhaps the greatest throng that attended any one service. After an hour of singing by the great choir and congregation, Mr. Moody spoke from the text, " The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." His whole being seemed to be under the control of the power and Spirit of God, and never perhaps did he speak with so much earnestness as to this vast multitude. Encoukacjino Features of the Work It was at this service that the pathetic incident happened where a little child was lost, and Mr. Moody taking the little one in his arms made an effort to discover the parents. As the anxious father made his way toward the platform, Mr. Moody, still- holding the child, said, with tears streaming down his cheeks, "this is what Jesus Christ came to do, he came to seek and save sinners, and to restore them to their heavenly I uther's embrace." It was a most solemn service and will never be forgotten by any one who had the privilege of attending. Toward the close of the meetings Mr. Moody said, "We have to-day everything to encourage us, and nothing to discourage us. This has been by far the best week we have had. The Gospel has through this agency been brought to 150,000 people during the ■ n ii 256 THE WORLD'S FAIR CAMPAIGN ^ i I i week. I have never seen "reater cacrerness \.o licar the word of God. The largest lialls arc too small for the crowds that come to many of the services. One nii^ht, for instance, on my way to the Fair Grounds, I beheld one of the most beautiful sig-hts I have ever seen on earth. It was awond(;rful display of fireworks aiitl illum- inations, tens of thousands of ])c;o[)le gazing on the scene. It seemed useless to ex[)ect anyone to come awa\" from that scene and sit down in a tabernacie to hear the Gospel ; but the house was filled, and we had a blessed meeting. The following nights though cold and rainy, with a damp, uncomfortable room, the people crowded in until every inch of s[)ace was occupied. I thank God that I am living in Chicago to-day ; these have; been the happiest moments of ni)- life ; what a work Me has givtm us to-day ; what encouragements 1 le has ^iven us ; how I le has blessed us. Per- haps never in your life will some of you have an opportunity to do as much for (Christ as now. Though it rccpiired a vast sum of money, Mr. IN'Ioody was equal to the occasion, and raised every dollar. Northfield was deepl)' in- terestfxl in the work, ami contributed largely. The work being pre- sented by Dr. Gordon, (^f Iniston, a contribution of about $10,000 was sent to Mr. Mood)' from Northfield after Dr. Gordon's a[)peal. Mr. Moody himself had great skill in getting good collections. When he had to leave the Haym;u'ket Theatre, he said to the audience, " How many people btdieve we ought to go on ? Just lift your hands." And when they had their hands up, he said, " Now put them down deep into ) our pockets, and help us to carry it on." No work of this kind can be measured in terms of money. I am sure that in the days to come tliere will still be great harvests gathered from this s(nving, and this World's Fair campaign will doubtless be numbered among the greatest ever conducted by Mr. Moody. CHAPTER XVIII. The Last Campaign THE last public appearance of Mr. Moody was in Kansas City, Missouri. He began a series of meetings there November 12, 1899. I'Larlier in the autumn a meeting of the ministers of the evangelical churches had sent an invitation to the great evan- gelist to captain a religious campaign in the young and vigorous western city. The j^reliminary discussions of the jjroposcd meet- ings afforded proof of the confidence reposed in Mr. Moody by many men of many minds. About him the religious forces of the city crystallized with enthusiasm. His name was a power, making for Christian unity. The executive committee of ministers repre- sented the Presbyterian, Methodist. Episcopal, Congregational, Christian, Methodist ICpiscopal, South and Baptist denominations. How riiK ]':\i'KNsi:s Wkrh Defravkd. When the laymen were informed of the proposed meetings they sent word to the ministers that they would raise the funds neces- sary to defray all expenses— a pledge that was abundantly fulfilled. .Several of the Lirge business establishments announced that they would pa)- for one day each the rental of the hall where the meet- ings were held. The general gratification over the coming of Mr. Moody was a splendid testimonial to his recognized leadership in soul-winninof. Mr. Moody arrived in the city on Saturday morning, in readi- ness to inaugurate the campaign on the day following. Immediately (257) n I 258 THE LAST CAMPAIGN after breakfast he wei.t with members of the local committee, to have a look at Convention Mall, the mammoth building where the meetings were to be held. He stood upon the stage and tried his voice. He was more than satisfied with the result, declaring that he had come 1,500 miles from New York to find the best hall he had spoken in in this country. The hall had been dedicated only in February of that year. It has a seating capacity of between 15,000 and 20,000. In the interior there are four floors command- ing the stage, and here the famous evangelist in his last meetings preached the Gospel to some of the largest audiences ever reached at one time by his voice. Mr. Moody's Large Hum/vN Intl vEST. One secret of Mr. Moody's hold upon the public was illustrated by a characteristic conversation on the occasion of his first visit to Convention Hall. He had a lar(je human interest, even in secular movements and institutions. One of the reporters of the party said to him : " Do you know, Mr. Moody, how this building was put up? Do you know what it means to this city?" "No," said Mr. Moody, " I supposed some wealthy man owned it." *' Kansas City owns it, " was the answer. " Nearly every man and woman, and hundreds of children contributed to its building, and own stock in it. It was built by the gifts of the poor, as well as of the rich. It was built voluntarily by the people, and not by taxes. And it stands to-day as it stood the day it was finished, without a dollar of debt." At once Mr. Moody was intensely interested and demanded the story of the building. It was given him "That is the sort of thing that annihilates anarchy," said Mr. Moody, in a burst of enthusiasm. " When I laid eyes on the hall, I said that there was no other such hall in this country. But now that I know the f >,^: THE LAST CAMPAIGN ?59 sentiment and feclini,' that have been put into the hall, I know there is no other such buil(lin<^ in tlie world. Do you know that when men are induced to unite as this city has united, where all classes of people behave as if they had common interests, a ^^reat lesson has been taught. The value of your hall, it strikes me, is not in dollars and cents, but in its moral significance. I did not believe that such a thing could be done in this generation. It has never been done before." It was this cordial sympathy and hearty appreciation of everything that influenced or manifested the life of a community that made tlie people feel that Mr. Moody was one with them, and upon this common i^round of vantaire he ly well. At first, I am told, there was some difference between the Methodists and Presbyterians in the manner of their singing. The Methodists sang fast, and the Presbyterians sang slow. The result was peculiar. But we ha^'e taught them to pull together pretty well now." Another feature of the singing that pleased Mr. Moody was an Old Men's Quar- tette, which sang several times. The happy faculty possessed by the evangelist of securing desired action on the part of a vast audience, was shown in this first meeting in connection with the singing. The hymns to be used were printed in sheet form, and were in the hando of the audience. The noise made in handling them threatened to drown the 26o Tim LAST CAMJ'.UC.N t~< speaker's voice. Just before lu; l.)t;L;;ui liis sermon Mr. Moody said: "All who have sheet hymns please hold them up high." At once 5,000 hands wen: u[iliftcd, holdinj^^ the rustling sheets of paper. The ed'cct was that of a Chautaucjua salute. " Now shake them," he said. They all ilid, anil tlu.- result was an indescribably noisy confusion. " Nov.' sit on tlu;m," he said, with a laugh. "I only wanted you to s(_'e what a noise' tlicy would make, if you kept handling them." The result of this felicitous ailmonition was a reign of silence. TIk; servi'^e. was to begin at three o'.-lock, but befort; that time the great auditorium was 'illetl, and it was necessar}' to close and lock the doors. Several thousand people were turned away. At night an o\erllo\v meeting crowded tlu: Second Presbyterian Church near by, and gri;at crowds of people went home, unable to i-et into <'ither m( ctin-j-. There li.'.d been nolabh.- i/atherinLTS in tlu; great Convention liallon former occn ons, but even the dedication services, with the attraction of S jusa's IJand and the appeal to civic pritle, failed to bring together such a throng as that assembled to hear the man of i'iOi\ prc^ach his \A.{\\\, direct (Jospel. It was the greatest meeting in point of attendance in the history of the Mississip[)i \'alle)". It was evidence o[ the fact tliat, as some one has ^riid., '" man is incurably-, religious," and of the further fact, that tliere is attractiveness in ihe messa'a; of a recognized ambassador for Christ. I)i;i:i' KiiKcT OF nil': ()i'i:.\i\<; Si-rmo.ns. The subject of the opening sermons, afternoon and ( vening, was the same, '' Sowing and Reaping." Mr. Mo..)d\' looked down into the thousands of U[)turned facc;s, and amidst intense silence, began the deliver)" of his last series of sermons by saying: "In after years, as yoi go by this building, I want you to remember this text that I am going to read to you. I pray that God will '^ a I Moody jh." At hccts ol )vv sliakc; 3cribaljl\' \\;\\. " I you kept n was a :hat tiir.c lose and va). At ibytcrian itiablc to "•s in llu: :dicalion 1 to civic nblcd to was tlic of the )m(' one ict, that )assador •vennig, d down silence, l; : " In nv nibcr iod will RECENT PICTURE OF MR. MOODY IN HIS ROAD WAGON. It »as «iih ihi> vvaK<.n that tlic iKitfil priacliir wriil tci market, anil ••iiiinlnni-. nut tin- '•liuli lit- at thr ilt |.nt .mil liaiilnl tin iii 11)1 111 111' 1 l"iarilini;-liiiu-i>.. AUDITORIUM HALL. Main building of tht- Northtield tichooU '¥ THE LAST CAMPAIGN 263 write it on every heart. It appeals to men and women of ever)' sort and condition ; to ilic priests and tlu; ministers ami the reporters: 'lie not (letei\cd; ('lod is not mocked: for \vh:itsoever a man sowetli, that ^iiiall lie al.-.o reap. I'Or he that soweth to his flesh shall of the llesh it-ap eorruption ; hut he that soueih to the Spirit shall of the S[)irli n-ap life evt-rlastin^.' " 'Then followeil such a sermon as has won 'housaiuls for Christ. i'erse, tliri:ct sentences, freii^diteil with ((juvictiny- truth, were ilropped deliber- ately from his lips. He was the master of tiie assemblies. The people i.nt in rapt attention, and ui)on their f:ices could be traceil the effects of varying' phases of thought. Toward the close the preaclu;r made an ai)peal, tender as a )'oung mother's love, and unnoticed tears fell from thousands of eyes. In solemn sileiu-e, at the last, the benediction dismissed audiences whose souls had been stirred to deepest tlei)ths. Ai'I'i:ai,s to riii; Un( onvkutki) The meetings on Monday fulfilled the expectations aroused liy Sunday's services. I'ollowing the evening sermon an afier-meeting was held in the Second Presbyterian Church, just across the street from Convention I I:dl. The church was crowdetl, many standing. As Mr. Moody took his [)lace, the oUl hymn, "Just as I am," was sung, and then, with no i)reamble, he began one t)f his face to face dealings with intpiirers. In a sim[)l':, conversational way, he jjre- sented the truth, just as though he were sitting- by the side of each one before him. lie closc^d with an effective incident from his army experience, illustrating his a[)[)eal. Then the evangelist paused a moment. The churcli was still. The ticking of the clock could be distinctly heard. Then he sj)oke : "Will any one say he will trust Christ ? If so, say ' I will'." He paused, l)Ut no n.-ply came, and tluMi again he put the question Sx( I i' 264 THE LAST CAMPAIGN {[iiictly, " Who will say he will trust Christ ?" A moment of silence again, and far back in the church tl.ere came a low. but firm, response, " I will." At the sound Mr, Moody advanced quickly to the edge; of the i)latform, and with his e)es questioned those: before him. The responses carne fast and faster, and in a few minutes full\- lift\' had said " I will." The after-meetln<'" on Tues- da\' cx'eninij; was a repetition of the one the nii-ht before. It was marked by the conversion of one >:\ the most [)rominent business men of the cit)'. Mis action, which was wuhout reserve of any sort, made the timid confidenl, and the result was ilecision on the part of many. TlIK Hkc.INXINC ok TMK K\|) On Wednesday came the tirst indications (^f a break-tlown. The great strain of speaking twice a da)' in so large a Iniilding as Convention Mall beijan to tell on Mr. Mooih'. After the ni'dit meeting he told the minislt^rs thai he was ahiiost exliausted ; that lu" must have some rest, antl that it would be iuipossible fv)r him to leail the incpiirers' ineeting ii\ \.\\(i c hurch. I Ii> u'ent iit once to his room at the Coate's Mouse, that he might re:, t uul l.)e ready for the Lrreat meeting's of the next day. On Tluirsdav afternoon he s-ave signs of exhaustion, though anything like a total physical collapse was not apprehendiil. To a sym[)atlu;tic inquiry on the part of one of the city ministt:s(;d he had the joy of hearing Hterally thousands give testimony to the fact that he had led them to Christ. A little before the middle of t'le eighteenth century began what may be called the First Era of Revivals in this country, part of a riMigious movement that affected and moulded in a most re- tnarkal)l(; mann(;r the entire Rnglish-sp'.tiking world for three- quarlc-rs of a century. The headers of this movement in England were Whitefield and tlie W(^sl<;3's. '\\v.\ lead(;r in AnKM'ica was Jonathan Edwards. Rkmakkaiu,e Revivals in America * " I'lie second Era of Revivals iii this country dates from about 1797. Among the honored leaders in the earlier phase of the movement were Dr. Edward Dorr Grltfin and President Dwight, as:;ociated with such men as the- elder Mills. In ifs later phas(!, in what may be called the sup[)lement to the Revival of 1797, the revivalists Nettleton and b^innc^y were prominent." It is an inten^sting fact in revivals that they frequently succe(Hl some great calamit)'. It was so with the wonderful work of grace known as The Revival of 1859. The churches, to an alarming extent, were characterized by indifference and conformity to the world. Speculation was rimning rife, and men were entering recklessly in the race for riches. As n natural result, frauds and fail- ures were very common, and in a ilay the most fanciful dreams would perish and millionaires would become paupers. But God was working in it ;ill, and as a direct result there was a call sent forth to the Christians of the Nation for united prayer, and the result was the mighty awakening. i " The Church in America and Us haptlsms of fire." hy 1). S Gregory. ^/7 10 D. L. MOODY SPEAKING IN COOPER UNION HALL, NEW YORK. IN 1896. " I want yi>ii t.. pray carneslly l.>r the Itxt I tried to t.n.u cnit ytstcnlay. It has ^unc intu »" »"" morninn ,.«p.-rs J,.sttt.e tevi ; no inatur al...ut tl.u- ..rm-.n.-' Whatsuever a man sowelh thai MM shall he reap." There will be millions of jieople see that text tu-day.' II i! I t -if ■11 " «-. MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST 273 Its history can never be known perfectly. It is written in Hea- ven, and when we stand there we shall know the full story. But no history of revivals in this <;eneration would l)e complete without due consideration beintj^ )[Mven to the man whose nami- is a houseiiold word, and who has been a blessinij to Christians through- out the world. Mr. l)wi_)nathan lulwards was a mighty logi- cian, and his great theme was T/i^ soi'en'ig'niy of Goils Grace in the Salvation of Sinners. His sermons stirred the souls of men to their very dejuhs, and sometimes resulted in remarkable outward manifestations of feel- ing, as when, during the preaching at Knfield, of the sermon enti- tled '' Sinners in the Hands of an Angry (iod,' the audience rose up in agony to cry out for mercy. George Whitelield was an orator of great power. Intli'ed, many of those who heard Whitefield regarded him as the most elo(iuent of men, ami the traditions of the r(,'mark;d)le effects produced, not only by his sermons but by the very tones of his voice, are still handetl down. Dr. Asahel Nettleton was very different from <:ither of the two just mentioned. The following general estimate of his life has been given by some one : 'i 274 MR, MOODY AS AN EVANGEIAST Dr. NL'ttlcton's lifo was marvelously useful and helpful. I iK'Vcr heanl tlv opinion cxprcssL-il that he was either a great or a very learned man ; but I never heard those who knew him inti- mately (question his j^oodness. Me was a most godly man, serious, circumsi)ect, discreet, and gifted with rare discrimination, enabling him to know and read men, and greatly aiding him to ada[)t himself and his instructions to men in their various moods, with their dif- ferent pecidiarities, prejudices, conditions, and prepossessions. Me had power to prevail witii God and man. Mis rare success is not to be attributed to his greatness, nor to his native sagacity, nor to the haj-py c(jmbination of gifts constitutional or natural, nor to everything combined in him, so much as to his holiness. He walked with God, knew and trusteil God. I.ie had a mighty faith. He found out how much God loved men, and he was brought into sympathy with God for the salvation of men. His p(*rception of the guilt and doom of sinners was intense and absorbed him. He was a man whose religious development Would lead him to cry out while prostrated on the cold ground at the midnight hour, " Give me souls or I die ! " Ch.\rlks G. Finney Charles G. Finney was still another type of man, but few irif^n have been more mightily used of God than he. Sometimes he could proceed no farther in the service tiian the reading of his text when the power of God would fall upon his audience and scores of people would profess conversion. But with all their greatness none of them outshine Dwight L. ' Moody, who stands out among all men as God's chosen instrument to show what one consecrated layman may accomplish when fdled with the Holy Ghost. He was mightily moved when Henry Varley, the English evangelist, said to him as they were visiting at a friend's house MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST VII tojjcthcr in Eiv^land some years ai,'o:"It remains for tlie world to sec what the Lord can do with a man wholly consecrated to Christ." Mr. Moody soon returned to Anierici, hut those wortfs clunjj; to him with such [)Ower that he was induced to return to England and commence that wonderfid series of labors in Scotland and En«.jland. Mr. Moody said to Henry X'arley on returnini^ to l*!n ^ :i ^ I w ) m 276 .7/A'. A/0 any as an evangelist A distinguished southern Presbyterian minister writes me the following, which illustrates my thought. " I first knew Mr, Moody in Louisville, Kentucky during a great campaign that he was conducting there. I first had some conversation with him in regard to some work which we were I setting on foot at the time. I found him a most sympathetic listener, and wonderfully helpful, but the moment any allusion was made to his own work, and what great things it was doing for Louisville he instantly shifted the conversation. An Emhakrassing Incident " After the work had been in progress for some days, and the great Tabernacle on Broadway had been crowded from day to day, and at every meeting, an incident occurred which troubled me greatly, and which I did not fully understand until many months later. The after-meeting was held one morning in the Warren Memorial Church. At tlie conclusion of the service a great many workers in the meeting tarried for a moment of conference. A gentleman approached Mr, Moody, ' See this group of ladies on the right of the platform, they are among our prominent women of the City, and supports of our movement, both with their means and their personal work. They have not yet had the pleasure of shaking hands with you, and they have tarried for this purpose.' 'Where are they?' asked Mr. Moody. The gentleman pointed them out, r.aying, ' I wall tell them you will see them in a few moments.' And in a little while I saw Mr. Moody reach under the pulpit stand for his little felt hat, go out a back door, and taking a cab, drive to his hotel. " The ladies waited for some time, and finally left with the greatest feeling of indignation, and many, of them, declaring that they would not again be seen in the meetings, and work with a :;f ■■H'f. MR, MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST 277 man who could be so rude. I confessed i war puzzled myself, and did not know what explanation could possibly b(^ offered for the strange action. " Some year or so after this I was in Chicago with him on the platform. Again a woman came to the foot of the stair, and said she wished to see Mr. Moody. ' He was used of God for the sal- vation of my husband, I want to shake hands with him, and tell him how grateful I feel toward him.' I said, 'Why certainly, wait and I will see that you have the privilege of seeing him,' when finally I called his attention to her, and when she had given him her reason for wishing to shake hands with him, without one word he turned and left her. Again, I thought, here is a type of the same thing we saw in Louisville. I comforted the poor woman as best I could. Guard Against Flattery " A few days later in his conference with young men, he spoke of how we should guard against flattery, and how many strange things we had to do, to prevent the devil's getting a hold upon us. After this conversation I told him of the injustice I had done him in my mind, in the incidents above alluded to. His explanation was very brief, but equally satisfactory and to the point. ' If I had shaken hands with those women, I wouldn't have been half through before the devil would have made me believe that I was some great man, and from that time I would have to do as he bid. " I was present with him in a meeting for a month after this time, and studied him in the light of this explanation, and no one thing has ever helped me more to explain his closeness to God, anti his humility of Spirit than the facts alluded to." His messages had no uncertain sound, concerning the Gospel. He believed that men were lost without Christ. He told the story of the mother who came into the Eye Infirmary in Chicago J 278 MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST and said : '* Doctor, there is something wrong with my baby's eyes." He described how the doctor took the child in his arms and carried it to the window, looked at the eyes only a moment, then, shaking his head, gave the child back again to its mother. " Well, Doctor, what is it ?" she said. " Poor woman " he replied, " your baby is going blind ; in three months' time he will be stone blind, and no power on earth can ever make him see." Mr. Moody told how the mother held the baby close against her heart and then fell on the floor with a shriek, crying out, " My God ! My baby blind ! My baby blind!" On Suddln Conversion I can see his face now as he said, the tears rolling down his cheeks : " Would to God, we might all be as much moved as that when we know that our friends are spiritually blind as well as lost ! " Because he believed this, he preached as he did, and it was this spirit that literally drove him to Kansas City to preach his last sermon, and then turn his face home to die. He believed in instan- taneous conversion ; he had no patience at all with the man who thought he must grow better to be saved. He once said : " When Mr. Sankey and myself were in one place in Europe, a man preached a sermon against the pernicious doctrines that we were going to preach, one of which was sudden conversion. He said conversion was a matter of time and growth. Do you know what I do when any man preaches against the doctrines I preach ? I go to the Bible and find out what it says, and if I am right I give them more of the same kind. I preached more on sudden conver- sion in that town than in any town I was in, in my life. I would like to know how long it took the Lord to convert Zaccheus ? How long did it take the Lord to convert that woman whom He met at the well of Sychar ? How long to convert that adulterous woman in the temple, who was caught in the very act of adultery ? •I ■I MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST 279 How long to convert that woman who anointed His feet and wiped them with the hairs of her head? Didn't she go with the Word of God ringing in her ears, ' Go in peace?' " He was a master in the conduct of evangelistic meetings. I v/ell remember, during the recent Armenian massacres, some one interrupted him in one of his services, saying, " Mr. Moody, I want to ask permission to present a petition, and to ask the people to sign it. This petition is tc be sent to the President of the United States, asking him to take some action which may help to stop this dreadful slaughter of innocent people." The man who made the request, was of considerable promi- nence, and many a leader would have yielded to his entreaty. A Better Plan But Mr. Moody was always true to his convictions, and said, " My friend, I have a better plan than you'-s. I always believe in approaching any difficulty by the way of the throne of God. Will some one lead us in prayer?" It is sufficient to say that there was no petition presented, and everybody was satisfied, that his was the better way. He was at his best in the Inquiry Meeting. He knew just what Scripture to use, and it was a rare privilege to be anywhere near him when he talked with one who wanted to be a Christian. He was never easily discouraged ; circumstances that would greatly hinder others, had no effect upon him, except to lead him closer to Christ. Mr. William Phillips Hall, the Business Men's Evangelist, relates the following : In Mr. Moody's early evangelistic career, he began a series of meetings in a church across the sea. There was nothing remarkable about the first service except that it was formal and cold. In the evening the attendance had increased, and when the invitation was ' 28o MR. MOODY AS AN EVANGELIST given to those to stand, who desired to express an interest in their souls' salvation, so many istood that the evangelist feared they had not understood his invitation, so he gave it again more plainly, only to have a larger number siand. And when the after-meeting was called, there was a most remarkable manifestation of the power of God, and it was the beiziiminj/ of a ^reat and memorable work of grace. An Incident From His Early Career One of the members of that church went home to tell an invalid member of the family, that two Americans, by the names of Moody and Sankey, had conducted services in the church that day. The invalid burst into tears, and reaching for her purse took out a piece of an English newspaper, which contained the large announce- ment that D wight L. Moody and Ira D. Sankey were being greatly used of God in Chicago. So she had read it and had cut it out of the paper, and from that moment began to pray that God would send those two men to her church. I have heard Mr. Moody relate the incident myself and then say : " I believe when the rewards are given out in Heaven, that that invalid woman will share with us in the glory and honor of that grand campaign." No one this side of Heaven can ever estimate the number of people he won to Christ in his evangelistic services. It has been estimated that he preached to millions. It is safe to say that he must, under the power of God, have led hundreds of thousands to a decision. in their hey had ily, only ini^ was ower of work ol tell an ames of lat day. )k out a nounce- i being had cut lat God nd tl icn en, that lonor of mber of as been that he lands to i : I rt V ! I ^^ S S*ewrit0 «/iflU rSALMS. XCT.-.\CiV. Follii,if.tlh.-:,l,an,l OrPrrLiil,;, XT- . rSALM XCI. JnjR that dweUiitli' in tho • .. ^ <>f Um Mm! IIi«h, «h*ll ^kbide uodar tliu • T'«. ns. ». . I '* ''^'' "til''i'<"i«* "l"!!! flnuriili III,,, r f li.i ^ • "— '• '■ in [.cluinoii. — .. « •hwlow* of llw Almiabtr. .wr of^th« i>>Bn, ffe if tnr -fortmi: my Uotij iu 2 I irill nfligOi aiid ntr liim will I trait. & Sofwiy' b« (ImU dolirrr tlico fmm V % thf UHtfo of ths fowlvr, ami (torn tlie N^ iioiwnqe pOTtiience. • . \ 4 ilo •>ibII cover tbco with his fenthnrs, u and unilor hia irinc!i uluilt Ihou tru^t : hit \ truth Jihall he Hi/ »liii>kl and buckler. % 6 'I'Uou* fhnh not be nfraid for tlifl ^«ik tnrror br nixht, uor for tho arrow Ih-il ^ (liilhbydny. J Aof for the pc!ilil«n™ tinl walkpth J> in rlarlini<«.i, nor for tho limtruct iuii that 3 na»ti)tli Mt iidoiiiliij'. -^ 7 A thouKiml »huU fiill at thy map, unil ■fN ten tlioiiswiml «t tliv nuht hanJj l/iit it \ tJmll not oomc iiidh thei'. X8 Only* with Ihino cyc» «halt thou bc- % hi)l,l, Hiiil 8CC tho ri'ivardof the wii'keil. ^ 9 jji'i'iiu.i'j Ihdu haat made Iho JjORn, i\ fv/iicA it my refuge, teen tho Most Jlijjli, . y tliy habitation, «,. ^" There" shall no otiI befall thoo, ncilhcr ^'^fliall any plneue oituo nigli Ihy ilwclliiig. ^ II For* ho »hall i;ire h'la iinKeU chni-KO •J over lliee, (o keep tbco in aU thy woys. 5 12 They shall bear llico up iu their hands, v\ K'st thou .^h thy loot ORniiist a Bf ouo. ' « i""> - P .3 Thou' shall tread uiwii the lioa and 'Joli-jn ^S « adder ; tho yuuni; lion and tho dragon .»haU thou trample under foi't. ^ 14 HeoiBso lie hath set hij lovo upon' huu : l^rUl uulh kucwn fiMgf. I Vt. 57. 1. yffrfft. wp>. 131. 7. > D«. i-i. «. /Zap. 3. ». t U. 62. 7. Bo. 10. n. «P».121.»,8. I r>. 4s. a. tfrom then. »Pr.9.2S,26. 1 1'«. IW. 0. oUn. 13. It. 1(8.21.27. • fr. 13.31. ^to Jntgth oftt'itfft i'«. 23. «. • Jtnt. I. 6. I) OoJ 0/ (• Hu. IS. 3.>, Na. 1.2. ».ii'P» rwlh, P». hll. 1. »Joli5. 25. in Iuai!QMr)hiiulC3finaiT»ri!irraini» I's.u.ji xcrr. _■ k PMho or SoDj; For tho Ssbliath ilay, J.T' it a good thing to giro (lumk-* unto tho LoiiD, and to aing praises' unto thy name, O Most Hiyh of our (Jml. 1 1 They nhnll ■till hrinit fiirlh fruit in „i,i B^e J Itiey »h!iU he fnt and Y lliiuri-hii.i! . I.'i To »hi'w that tho l.ouu in iiiirii-iii . ' I* my rc>;k,« and there i a n o mi riul.t..! iiii»neip I'SAi.ivr xuiir. Jlll-,» l.oui) rtiitnethj ho ii rlollnv! with miije-.ly: tli.' l.oiiii i. ctcthc'd wjii, i-treii^!!!!, Khtrru-ith In- Imlh Eirile.1 him cell: llie wwH also ii stablithed, th,ii \t cannot be nunfd. 2 Thy lliMii,>« /.t eitnblished «of oU • (hou itrl IroMi cviTliistimj. ;i The II.hmIs have hi'icd up, O [.d the llouda have lilUil up their voiii' lloodx ht't up their ware^. 4 The' Loiii) on hiV-h i, nii«hli,r than (he noise uf many waters, vex, (/i. iNvr.M xciv; 11 ^-^.Pf\.j^i'.xl., lo whr.inf TfllRcftneo beonttehi ( L..„], to whom ven,vnnro b■hm^'e(h, »shiw (hvteif. rT„l,-n 5 „^..''"'' ",^ Ihyseli; thou judw of tho I. r 1 -. '^"^'"i = '■•-""'H''' " '•enard to the pr.>ud. 1 4.., j.-i.so. i,o„ lou^ ,,,^11 „,^, ^.j^,j|^^| triumph ? 4 /fojp /yH7 bhall ther uttcf and upeak hnril* thiiiKs 'i ami rU tho workers of im- iiuity boast thenueives? .T They break In pieco!> thv pciiv'.e, O JiOliii, and allli.t thino lieritniie'. Jade IS. • In. (J5. 21. • I>. ». 2. X Unijth of ditji). •Fr.3,a. 22, l. » r». !i2. 0. Hu. ;). u. » I'». 117. I. II Ki.4. II. « line. ,<,!. 21 Hull. :». 12. « I.-0. 3. 23. /I ia Mff 2 To shew forth Ihy lovingkindnees in I '"'.v*'*. the muruins,' and thy raithfumeiis <* every nislif, 3 upon an. instrument of ton strinas, and upon tho psaltery; 'upon tho ti.taiii| tliin. 7 When' llio wie|«;d spri.wn* llicj bfrwi, and when nil iho work'. r floiiri»ll, it it (hat lln'y nlwlt lio de- •trojwl for c»(* : S Jiut (Iviu, IiOiti), aft ntiiH liigh fur .. J tpivrmote. «l ^ » F Ix»ii«, for, ^^ lo, thine <•uenfl^■• %h»\\ ixiriali! all* ihe worker* of inoitiitr ahsU M Matterwl ; ' 10 Jliii mr horn thalt tliou otali liki; , U» komivf. an unU.'orA r I ihall bn mi- j w oink J'^^viui fimh *r,t,r •1 Oil RUiM miimimi »mi minx ear* Klaiii X heu mtuMr* of uw wiek^l tiwt rt<^- up : Ji nrranaNrm ■■•• * I'r. 2 t HI n't with Ihf h'lrp, !• I (.'.). 3 10,20 Tf Ifn,' n- in, \',: !i. le,. WJobn. 17. I'r. 3. II. lleUf.,t. f u. M, ;», Un. ii.:ii. /I."**. U. 2i. ».> II 1,1 1/ I'l.r.t II, .20 Mol. 1,1. p Iwi >!/f»r, *M»».7. SI. U'a l-'t I.-.' rt'ir, i/Mi.-l/jr. » I'.. W 1« I2IV 1.31. l.»..liaJ *) i"l'« «l f..«. .'•■. I J, I, - U 1.1 I, asw G They slay the widow ami the str.iiiser, uiiil murdiT Ihe latbrrles^. 7 i'et theysiiy, 'l!ie l.oni) s!i;ill jupf see, lu-ilher -!i:ill Ihi' tJod olMaeob reuarj if 8 l'n',Ur''lanil,'' ye bnili-K aiiinti;; the' people; ainl, //'■ tixil.s when ivlll )e he \vi«e? I Jie not "luill he t;ive lii:n re ..alii t,a' 't flWll yd lie* lh;if plant. d I'le ear, ^Iia heart' lie that rornud (ho eve, ii.it "ee? 10 II.' thai eliriMiTlh the li.-ath.>ii.» shall Hi-.l he eiiiT.c'l ? he* tli,it le.i.heth man kniiwledk'e, \lu:ll Hot hi- hnnir ! 11 The I.iiitii kninvi'tii Ihe thoughts of lan, th.it Ihey itre' vanity. 12 lilessc.l'' i.? the nwin wliom' them •lmi«leiiesl. O I.t luia [out 111"! jy I.IW; n ' lial thin! ni ive«t Iho 'lays ol' a.hi-r.oty, ,V.'il r.>r \\n- wl.'k.-.l. It Kor' llie 1 .i!!l> will P.'t list .(|V hid t.eople, neilher will lie f.irr.iie hm ui> liinlimee: 15 Hut jiiilKiiieiit chnU reliini uitlo rik-lileMii-^iiei lirar^ i> dinii t' li! Will) mil ii»,' ev)h|..i'r.>'i' or wuo ttRaiu,>l l';e W.iilji'r' i; I'li'e*"' the I my ton! had "iilm.. IH \Mieii I nail fhr im-ri V, i> Lmii .1 I nil the m ruht 111 11. v.p f.ir toe a;aiu»t Ihe wiU ^tau.l up fer'tiie 111 im.iuitv ? •ini h 1,1 l.rrn my '.elp, t dwelt IU (deni.i*. , M» iiHit* »lip|wthj held me ii|», Ul In lliii imiltiluitn »)' mir lltowhit wiUnn itxt lliv ronil\>ri»^ ihliiitit inv jiowt. '.11 Mil) I the iliruim of inii)uit^ har* fell.n'lhtii With iht*. »ihi«h» trMurtk Hii». hirf by a Uw? ) I III! 11 —■■tli ■■■^'■■'-••■■■-'■'^'^■■^■^•' A PAGE PROM MR. MOODY'S BIBLE, containing the 91st Psalm with his origiual annotations. It was from this page that Mr. Moody preached his famous " Life and Death " sermon, apd it is also from this that he spoke to the passengers on board the steamship Spree in November, 1892, while crossing the Atlantic from London to New York, when it was thought that the steamship was about to founder. Photograph wat taken by permission of Mrs, Fitt day before the funeral. CHAPTHR XX His Bible MR, MOODY loved his I'.ible. lie knew it so wc:ll that his eyes and fnis^rers could find any passa;.r<; that he wantcMl from Genesis to Revelation, and it mattered not how hur- riedly he was speaking', it was as easy for him to fuid th(; t(."xt lie wished as for the master musician to find the nnir.9, on the key- hoard of a piano, and yet, he tells us himself that, whtm he fust entered the Sunday-school class in Boston, he did not know the difference between the Old TestauKint and the New. MoRF, Than i^kr,<.:ious to Him The Bible as a book was more than precious to him. His own Bible was a storehouse of richest treasure. He was never heard even by his closest friends to make a play on Bible worc.s and phrases, and he vvas always cpiick to rebuke those who did. He really had no patience at all with the so-called hi'^dier criticism of God's word. He was one day approached by a newspaper reporter who asked for some word from him re^^ardino^ the higher criticism. " I'm not up to that sort of thincr," he said, with a twinkle in his eye. "You see, I never studied theology, and I'm precious glad I didn't. There are so many thiniJ-s in the Bible that everybody can understand that I'm going to preach about them until they are exhausted, and then, if I have any time left, I'll take up the texts I don't understand." "Aren't you ever asked to discuss difficult passages of Scripture?" was the inquiry. "Mercy, yes/' 283 284 ms niBLE w I t answered Mr. Moody, " almost every day, but I always answer people just as I have answered you, and tell them that there is satisfaction and consolation enough in the promises of the Saviour, all that anybody can want. The single verse, ' Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest,* con- tains all the theology and religion that I need, or any other man or woman." The page taken from the Bible he studied, and giving \\i a picture of his notes made on the ninety-first Psalm, is but an illustra- tion of the entire book. Almost every page contained an illustration or reference to an incident which shed light upon the truth of God. A V.M.UAr.LK Advice Years ago Harry Moorehouse, the English Bible reader, said to him whil'i visiting his church in Chicago, " If you will stop preach- ing your own words and preach God's Word, you will make yourself a great power for good." This prophecy made a deep impression on Mr. Moody's mind, and from that day he devoted himself to the study of the Bible as he had never done before. He had been accustomed to draw his sermons trom the experiences of Christians and the life of the streets, now he began to follow the counsel of his friend, and preach the Word. His first series of sermons on characters of the Bible was prc^iched during the summer before the Chicago fire, and at once attracted great attention. He also began to compare Scripture with Scripture. "If I don't understand a text," said his friend Moorehouse, " I ask another text to explain it, and then, if it is too hard for me, I take it to the Lord and ask Him to explain it for me." This method Mr. Moody adopted, and this was one of the secrets of his power. He was mighty in the Scriptures, and spoke as with authority from God. n/s nnu.E 285 answer there is laviour, Me, all St,' con- er man ij^^ \\2 a illustra- stration of God. •, caicl to prcach- 1 make I a deep devoted before, erienccs 3 follow ble was at once cripture s friend it is too or me." secrets as with He had a large lil)rary at his house at Northficld, much of which had been presented to him by admiring friends ; but it is safe to say that there are not half a dozen books in the world, besides the books of the Old and New Testaments, of which he could giv(! the names and a general outline of their contents ; hence there was room in his head for God's Word, and with it he kei)t himself con- tinually full and running over. His method of Bible study was like tlie m(;thod of a humming bird studying a clov(;r blossom. I'Vom the cells of sweetness down into which he tlirust his questions and his prayers, he brought up the honey which God has stored away ; he reveled in the profusion and preciousnessof the promises, like a robin in a tree full of ripe cherries. It was enjoyable just to see how heartily he enjoyed the Word of God, and almost convincing to see with what absolute faith he clung to it for his own salvation, and with what absolute assurance he urged others to do the same. To Mr. Moody the Word of God was food, drink, lodging, and clothes; he climbed by it toward Heaven, as a sailor climbs tht; rigging ; it was an anchor to hold him ; a gale to drive him ; it was health, hope, hapj)i- ness, eternal life. Comments ox Hope and Faith It was by his loving, prayerful, trustful study of the Scrip- tures that he had acquired his skill as a practical commentator. Take, as a specimen of his off-hand comments, this from one of the Bible readings on Hope : " Hope, is the anchor of the soul. Now none of you ever saw an anchor but was used to hold something down. It g( es down to the bottom of the sea, and takes hold of the ground, and holds the ship to it. But this anchor, this hope, is to hold us up: it enters within the veil; it takes hold of the throne of God." On the text, " Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God," he said : " A great many people are mourning < I I ' 386 ///s ninLF. llu'ir want of f.iith ; but there is no wonder that they liaven't any faith ; they ilon't stntly tiie Word of (iod How do you suppose you an; to have faith in Goil when you don't know any- ihinu^ al)out Him ? It is tliosc who haven't any ac([uaintance with ("lod that stuml)l(^ and fall ; but those who know Hini can trust liini and lean heavy on 1 lis arm. If a man would rather read the Sunday Mcwspa[)ers than read (lod's Word, I d' n't see how Christ is ,L,^oinjjr to sav(! him. There is no room in him for the Gospel when h{* has filled himself with the newspapers. I'^or years I have; not touched a .Sunday newspap(;r, or a weekly relij^dous paper (;ither, on Sun- day. Souk,' jxiople lay aside those relij^ious pap(;rs for Sunday reading, but that is not a good way. Let us lay aside all other reading for one day in the week, and devote ourselves to the study of God's Word. But you say, ' O, we must study science and literature, and such things, in order to imderstand the Bible.' What can a botanist tell you about the ' Rose of Sharon ' and the ' Lily of the Valley ' ? What can the geologist tell you about the ' Rock of Ages'? What can the astronomer tell you about the 'Bright and Morning Star ' ? Gkt Rid of Douin's " A good many people are asking, ' Will this work hold out ?' Now I am not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but there is one thing I can predict, and that is, that every one of these young converts who studies his Bible till he learns to love it better than anything else, will be sure to hoKd out ; the world will have no charms for him. What all these youne converts want is to be in love with the Word of God ; to feed upon it till it comes to be sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. "One day when my old employer, C. N. Henderson, was send- ing me out to make some collections, he gave me some notes on which he had made some private marks. Some were marked ' B'. .1 4 -oin^r I HIS niiii.E 2H7 hiul, and I was to jj^ct an)thiiV4 I coulil for llu-m. ( )tlu'rs were markc-'cl 'I)', doiihtfiil ; I was to '^v\ all the sixurity I coiiUl. And others wert: marked ' (i ', good, and these 1 was to treat acconlingly. Now people take Ciod's notes or proniisi;s, and sonic of theni they mark ' B ', because they don't helicve in then\; others they mark ' D ', Ix'cause they don't fei'l sure of them ; hut if tiie-re happens to be one which has bi:en fulfilled to tlieinselves, that one- they mark ' (i '. " Now that isn't the way to treat Ciod's promises. N'ou ought to mark every one of the-ni (i () () -I), good. Heav(;n and earth shall pass away before any one of the-m shall fail. If we could only get these Christians out of Doubting Castle, how rich they would l)e, and what a work of grace there might be. (), these Devils, Ifs ! When shall we ever get rid of them ?" Mr. Moody's liible was a real storehouse of treasure. Every page of it was marked — almost every vers(i had some special illus- tration connected with it, so that he had only to open the book to have a perfect flood of light upon its pages. It was for this reason that he was always helpful and always interesting. The following is one of his most characteristic statements, and really was the beginning of my marking my own Bible. He always practiced what he preached, and he advised other people to mark their liibles because it had been such a blessing to him : " When the preacher gives out a tt!Xt, mark it ; as he goes on preaching, put a few words in the margin, key-words that shall bring back the whole sermon again. By that plan of making a few marginal notes, I can remember sermons I heard years and years ago. Every man ought to take down some of the preacher's words and ideas, and go into some lane or byway, and preach them again to others. We ought to have four ears — two for ourselves and two for other people. Then, if you are in a new town, and have nothing else to say, jump up and say : ' I heard some one say so 10 2S8 ins BIBLE i! I I and so ; ' and men will always be glad to hear you if yoii give them heavenly food. The world is perishing for lack of it." He had many references to the twenty-third Psalm; this is one of the best. "I suppose I have heard as many good sermons on the twenty-third Psalm as on any other six verses in the Bible. I wish I had begun to take notes upon them years ago when I heard the first one. Things slip away from you when you get to be fifty years of age. " With me, the Lord. " Peneath me, green pastures. " Beside me, still waters. " Before me, a table. " Around me, mine enemies. " After me, goodness and mercy. " Ahead of me, the house of the Lord. "' I)l(^ssed is the da),' sa)s an old divine, 'when I'salm twenL\- three was born ! ' It has been more used than almost any other passage in the Bible.' " Mr. Moody was ne\'i,'r more interesting, than when giving his Bible readings. He could hold his great audiences spellbound with his plain, practical, and yet powerful interpretations of the Scrip- ture. He had no use at all for the so-called Jiighcr criticism. \t one of the last conferences held in New York, he saitl to a company of ministers : "I don't see why you men are talking about ' two Lsaiah's ; half the pc^ople in the country do not know that there is one Isaiah vet; let's make them know about one, before we beoin to tell them about two." The last conversation of any length, that I had with him, he must have talked for half an hour, concerninor his absolute confi- dence in the liible and his growing love for it. lem S-i this is ■1 ^rmons Bible. 1 3 heard ;l to be \ m M' CHAPTER XXI. His Co-Workers R. MOODY was a great q^encral not only in faculties of organization, but also in his shrewd choice of the right men for the ricrht work. Thus, from the beginning of his labors, he associated with himself the most competent assistants, and it is by no means depreciatory of his own (efforts to saj' that his success was in no small measure dependent upon those who he^lpcxl him. It is not depreciatory, I say; for one of the greatest gifts is this ability to choose worthy hel[)ers. Napoleon coulil not conduct in person all his campaigns, but he surrounded himself with a staff of generals so brilliant in their abilities that the}' were able to help him maintain his prestige for fifteen years. Ira David Sankev. In speaking of Mr. Moody's co-workers, I realize tha v '^ is obliging me to leave out the names of many who are ''^ j of mention, so I have endeavored to confine my choice to those whose names are most prominently associated with his work in the ears of the public. One name is indissolubly connected with Mr. Moody's, and of its bearer I would speak first. Ira David Sankey was born August 28, 1840, in the village of Edinburgh, in western Pennsylvania. Mis parents were Methodists. His father was well-off in worldly circumstances, and in such good repute among his neighbors that they repeatedly elected him vav.mr ber of the State Legislature ; he was, moreover, a licensed exh .rter in his own church. (289) 290 HIS CO-WORKERS \ I From childliood Ira war, known for a joyous spirit and trustful disposition. Tlic gift of singing developed in him at a very early age. Reared in a genial, religious atmosphere, liked and respe:ted by all who kncv; him, he lived on, till [)ast his fifteentl year, before he was converted. His conviction occurred during a series of special services, and after a week's hard struggle he found peace in accepting jesus as his Saviour. Soon afterward he joined the church, and, about the same time, his father having removed to Newcastle, he entered the Academy at that place. The young man liad de- veloped from his gift of song a rich talent of eXj)ression, through his v/onderful voice, of the b.ymns of the church. After his con- version it became his delight to dc;vote this precious gdft to the ser- vice of the Lon.1, and it was his continual prayer that the Holy S[)irit would make use of the words sung to the conversion of thos(> Vv'ho flocko'l to the services. Ik'fore he attained his majority, he was nn- pointed superintendent of the Sunday school, which contained more thiUi 300 pupils. His singing of Gospel invitations in solos dates from this time. The faith of the singer was rewarded with repeated Ijlessings. A class of seventy Christians was committed to his charge^ a rc^sponsibilit)' which made liim a more earnest student of the Bil)K! The choir of the congregation also came under his leadership. Elsewhere in this book is described the meeting between Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey ami their subsequent labors together. It is sufficient to add concerning Mr. Sankey that his gift is still used in the service of his Master. Paul P. I3liss There are many who still remember the shock to Christian workers throughout the country when on the niglit of December 29, 1876, Mr. Paul P. Pliss and his wife i)erished in the terrible railroad accident at As'itabula, Ohio. They had been spending H ^- Z o c CA a p) c a to r pj H > o S B JO (0 n p ■ a t^ 0-5 So n a a - o • O-o- a a f2 4 & S- 8. i;i I! it 'ffl HIS CO-WORKERS 293 the Christmas hoHdays in Pennsylvania, and, leaving their little ones at the house of a relative in Avon, N. Y., set out for Chicago to help Major Whittle in the revival work which was following the o-reat meetings of Mr. Moody in that city. After they started on their journey, Mr. Bliss telegraphed to Major Whittle, " We arc fToiuL^ home to-morrow." They did eo home — to their home above. P. P. Bliss, like his associate in Gospel songs, Mr. Sankey, was a native of Pennsylvania. In early life he had few opportunities for culture, but, through a noble nature, God helped him to a place of great usefulness. He was married young, and through the inlluence of his wife, who was possessed of deep religious principles, was converted and led to consecrate his <:ifts to the service of his Master. Moving to Chicago, he united with the First Congrega- tional Church, where, for many years, he was leader of the choir and superintendent of the Sunday school, also becoming widely known by his work in musical conventions. His voice was a rich baritone. As a composer he will long be remembered ; he was the author of many of the best known Gospel songs, such as, " Hold the P'ort." "What Shall the Harvest Be," "More to Follow," "Only an Armor Bearer," " Let the Lower Lights be Burning," " Pull for the Shore," etc. ALvjoR D. W. Whittle When Major Whittle entered upon revival work Mr. Bliss decided to give up business and accompany him. During the years 1874-6, they traveled together through the West and South. Mr. Bliss devoted his share of the royalty from the Gospel Songs, a sum amounting to more than $60,000, to rharity ; this in spite of the fact that he had no private fortune. During the last three months of his life, in connection with Major Whittle, he held revival services at Kalamazoo, Mich., and afterward al Peoria, III. 294 HIS CO-WORKERS The voice of this sweet singer still lives in his songs, for those who heard him will never forget the pleading, tender, sympathetic quality of his voice. No singer in the history of evangelistic work has made a deeper impression on the Christian world. Major D. \V. Whittle was for many years a well-known business man of Chicago. His prospects were large, and he had won a wide reputation for integrity and ability, when he gave up everything that might be counted of worldly advantage to enter upon evangel- istic work. He was known, in earlier years, in his connection with Mr. Hliss. His career during the past few years is well known to the public ; for a long time he has been one of Mr. Mooay's valued helpers, and the tie between the two men was cemented the more closely by tlie marriage of Major Whittle's daughter, Mary, to Mr. Moody's son, Mr. W^ill R. Moody. Major Whittle is especially at home in the inquiry room. The exercise of marvelous tact, and the use of excellent judgment, make his personal instruction clear as well as convincing, and his sympathy and love for those whom he tries to serve are unmistak- able. Of special value were his services during the recent war with Spain. He toiled when he was too weary to preach, but always with that zeal which has so commended him to churches everywhere. I do not think I have ever known a more godly man. I never think of him without blessing. Henry Varlev. Mr. Varley was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1S35. In boyhood his health was poor, and he came especially under the influence of his mother, who, although she died when he was only ten, gave him from her own strong nature and training the founda- tions of good character. HIS CO- WORKERS 295 It was not long after that lie began to live in London, barren v)f worldly possessions and condemned to very many trying experiences. At fifteen he was converted, and scarcely a year later made his own first public address in the large Sunday school of the John Street Church, with which he had united. From this time various services yielded occasion for the development the gifts which the Lord had placed with His young servant. He was only nineteen when he secured a business partnership, but in 1854 he went to Australia to the gold fields. There he would preach on Sundays, and about the glowing fires in the even- ings would lead his rough comrades to approach their Father's throne in prayer. He did not succeed as a miner, and soon returned to Melbourne. In spite of flattering business offers he went back to London, where, in 1857, he married a daughter of his friend and former employer. Mr. Varley then purchased a large busi- ness at the West End of London, where for many years he resided. His position as preacher to a regular congregation began in 1859, and the spirit of revival soon appeared in his meetings. The Free Tabkrxacle Opened In 1862 was opened the Free Tabernacle, Notting Hill, to the erection of which Mr. Varley had consecrated the first ^1,000 he ever made in business. In a short time 600 or 700 believers were gathered into the fellowship of this church. For twenty years Mr. Varley was the pastor of this people. The building was enlarged later to make room for hundreds who had been clamoring unsuccessfully for admission. It is now known as the West London Tabernacle. In 1868 Mr. Varley disposed of his large business and gave him- self up entirely to religious work. From that tim.e his revival efforts throughout the world are common knowledge. His work n Melbourne, Australia, in 1877, ^^i^^ never be forgotten, and his 296 HIS CO-WORKERS services in New York filled the Ljreat Hippodrome in Madison Square. In 1883 he resigned his pastorate in order to devote his whole strength to evangelistic work. It was Mr. Varley, who suggested to Mr. Moody, that God was waiting to find a man through whom He might speak to the world. On the day when Mr. Moody receives his reward, Henry Varley will have no small share in it. John McNeill Visitors to the great World's Fair at Chicago will never forget the great midday meetings conducted in Central Music Hall by the Rev. John McNeill. He is a Scotchman of the true type, as one writer says, with a converted soul, a granite mind, and a great big loving heart. Essentially, he is a man of the people and has no use for ecclesiastical formalism. In his introduction to one of the volumes of Mr. McNeill's sermons, the Rev. Dr. A. T. Pierson says ; " Some men, like their Master, cannot be tied ; John McNeill is one of thcMii. He needs no introduction. On both side., of the sea he has won men as any man will win them who thinks and speaks in dead earnest. There is a great difference between having to say something and having something to say. He has shown that he has much that is worth saying, and therefore much that is worth hearing. Those who read his sermons will not need to be told that the man who followed Dr. Dikes at Regent Square, is a free, fresh, truthful, helpful preacher." It was found in Chicago that some people were forgetting the World's Fair in their great desire to hear John McNeill speak at Central Music Hall. He is considered by many to be the greatest preacher that has ever come to our shores from abroad. He is a delightful man socially, and wins all to him, as they hear him talk in hjs own inimitable way. HIS COWOIiKHRS 297 Daniel R Towner was born in Rome, Bradford County, Penn- sylvania, March 5, 1850. As a boy he began the study of music with his father, who was a teacher of music, and at nineteen he began to teach singing classes. From 1873 to 1875 most of his time was devoted to conducting musical conventions and institutes. In this work he wa:, eminently succesful. In Cincinnati, in iS(S5, Mr. Moody held a scries of meetings. Mr. Towner was assisting in the music, and the evangelist saw in him a man whose services would be invaluable. From that time Mr. Towner was associated with the work of Mr. Moody. Ht; ' as a baritone voice of wondi^r- ful power and compass, and his heart is in the work. As a com- poser of Gospel music he ranks among the best. Mr. Towner is a most accomi^lished musician, and his voice has a sweetness about it that is never lost, even under the stress of continuous and exacting service. Gi-:oRGE C. Steiiiuns Another singer who is known wherever the Gospel message is carried by song is Mr. George C. Stebbins. He is a native of New York State, and was born February 26, 1846, of Christian parents, the hallowed influence of whose lives is in his work to-day. At twenty he took charge of a choir, and also taught singing school for several years. At twenty-three he was converted. In 1869 he moved to Chicago and was soon employed by the Thirst Baptist Church to lead the choir. During this time he met Mr. Moody, and often sang with Mr. Sankey and Mr. Bliss, who were his per- sonal friends. Goin^ to Boston for the further culture of his voice, he was employed in Dr. Gordon's Church, the Clarendon Street Chapel, where he remained one year, when he went to Tremont Temple as director of music. Becoming more deeply interested in the evangelistic work, he joined the rank of singing evangelists, and on the death of Mr. Bliss was called upon to aid Major Whittle \\\ iijH IJ/S CO- WORKERS S; in Chicaj,nj. I''or a lonj^^ time he was associated ith Dr. George F. Pentecost. He accompanied Mr. Moody to California, a. \ was with him in 1892 in closing his work in Great liritain. Mr. Steb- bins wrote many of the best known songs in the Gospel Hymns, among others, "Saviour, Breathe an Evening Blessing," "Must I Go and Empty Handed," "The Home-land," etc. But I doubt not he will be longest known as the author of " Saved by Grace." Mr. and Mrs. Stebbins sing together beautifully, and of all my own assistants none have been more helpful than these sweet singers. Ferdinand Schiverea. As a younger man Ferdinand Schiverea was an actor, but he was led providentially to attend a meeting which Mr. Moody was conducting in Brooklyn. There the Spirit of God took hold of him mightily. For days he had no rest, but finally the light came. He went at once to his mother with the news and she said, " I have asked God for this, dear child ; I have given you to God, and He has just done what He said He would, if I only would believe." The first effort of Mr. Schiverea was to lead his brothers to Christ. He then reached out for the neighbors, and every night for months held services of prayer in a small rear room in his poor home. During all this time, and for four years, he worked in a large furniture house, packing goods for shipment. The first work that God especially blessed him in was in Brooklyn, where for twelve months he held meetings nearly every night. He has labored in the principal cities and towns of the United States, as well as in most of the important cities and towns in Canada. In Toronto alone he held twenty different series of meetings. Mr. Schiverea is particularly strong in his ability to reach the masses ; he is now in the very midst of his useful life, and his " love abides in strength." There is a future of increasinp; usefulness before him. HIS CO-WORKERS 29«> He was a particular favorite with Mr. Moody, who never lost an opportunity to say a kind word about his work. H. M. WllAKTOX. Of the men who stood very close to Mr. Moody, none was more highly esteemed by him, than the subject of this sketch. They came together first in a southern city where good words concerning Dr. Wharton had been spoken to Mr. Moody by the people of the city, and he did with him what he frequently did with many others — called him out of the audience and insisted that he should preach, and then announced that he would conduct subsequent services. I first saw these two men of God together in the days of the World's Fair, when Dr. Wharton always sat on Mr, Moody's right. He is an inimitable story-teller, and Mr. Moody's sides would shake and the tears run down his face as Dr. Wharton would tell some of his southern experiences, or recall some of the events of his boyhood days. As, for example, when he told one morning, v/hich happened to be his birthday, of his great delight in the workmen that were digging some ditches near his boyhood's home. A large number of Irish- men were in the company, and young Wharton had been punished for staying too long in their presence. He had been designed by his family to preach, and after the punishment he declared that he would not be a minister, but surely intended to be an Irisimian. I can see Mr. Moody laugh now, as the story was told. Dr. Wharton is a magnificent preacher, and one of the best evangelists in the country. He has made himself poor in taking care of orphan children both at Luray and in other places, and the blessing of God //ill surely ever abide upon him. Mr. Moody considered him one of the most skilful workers in the after-meetings he had ever come 30O HIS CO-WORh'/iKS in contact with, and to iiis ability in this direction I bear luarty testimony. R. A. ToKKEY Mr. Torrcy was born January 28, 1856, in Hobokcn, N. J. At fifteen he entered Yale ColleL,^c, and four years later the Yale TheoloL;ical SiMiiinary, whence he was j^aaduated in 187S. During his last year in the Seminary he worked for six weeks in the Inquiry jom in Mr. Moody's meetins^^s in New Haven. In 1882 he rcsi<^nu;d his charge and went to (icrmany for a year of study. Returning in 18S3, he accejjti'd a pastorate in Minnfai)olis, becoming later the superiiUcMident of the City Missionary Society in that city, and after a time founded an independent people's church. Several years later he acce[)ted the invitation Lo become superin- tendent of Mr. Moody's Bible Institute, entering on the charge in 18S9. Most of the phenomenal success of the Institute is due to his wise administration. He was very close to Mr. Moody during the later years. No man, really, had Mr. Moody's confidence more comi)letely, and justly so, for no man could ever be more loyal to another than R. A. Torrey to I). L. Moody. A. C. Dixox. Dr. Dixon is a typical southerner, fiery, intense, dramatic, elo quent. His father was a frontier preacher, and the son was con- verted and joined his father's church when eleven years old. At fifteen he entered Wake Forest College, and after graduation de- cided to study law, but the need of some country churches in his neighborhood persuaded him .to accept the min'-;tryof different congregations. During nine months he baptized 100 converts. After an incumbency of three years in a small church he entered upon a new charge in Ashcville, N. C, where, within three months of his aggressive ministry. 250 persons were converted. Three-and- r hearty n. N. J. :\vi Yale OurinjT^ : inquiry 1882 he f study. .'CominJ b. O ? X u > (I) .■■,. S CQ ■V 4 h ■V > b) A Qi HIS CO-WORKERS 303 n .'i-half years later he was elected president of the Wake P'orest CoHcl^c, but he declined tlie election, accepting instead the pastor- ate of a large Baptist church in Baltimore. His church began to expand, and soon a large tabernacle had to be erected to acconinio- date the crowds who pressed forward to enjoy his ministry. Later he was called to [Brooklyn, where he has already won a high position as preacher and pastor of his church. Dr. Dixon is a man of deep convictions. The Bible is to him the book of life. He is a man of pray'M', a believer in the Holy Spirit, tend(M- and gentle in deal- ing with in([uirers, ever beseeching sinners *^() become reconciled to God. Mr. Mooily was devoted to hi"i, and had the greatest conti- il;MU(; in his ability. Henry Drummond. Th(^ death of I lenry Drummond a fcnv years ago took from the world a gentle, ministering spirit whose inlluences had been turned to Ciiristian work by the hc:lp of Mr. Mootly's meetings in Glasgow, twenty-six years ago. What this ont; man, who was led to the Master by Mr. Moody, accomjilished in his too brief period of ser- vice, it is impossible to estimate, but his forceful words, and the example of his shining life have l)een an inspiration to thousands. He was born in 1851, in Sterling, Scotland. He was well (uiucated, and prepared himself for the ministry. His culture was wide Science unlocked her doors to him ; advanced thought had no terrors for him, nor ditl these work any insidious undermining of his faith. When Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey were conducting their great mission in Scotland, Heniy Drummond felt the burden of their inessaije and became an earnest assistant at the meetiui's. He v/as one of X.\\v. band of helpers who followed in Mr. Moody's wake, and aided in continuin*": the work which the evangelists had beuun. In later years he traveled widely, visiting the Uniteil Stati >, and spending some time in East Central Africa. In 1877 he became if 1 404 HIS CO-WORKERS lecturer on Natural Science in the Second Free Church College in Glasgow. He was, the author of a number of important books, most of which tended to disabuse the public mind of any supposed conflict between science and religion. Acquaintance with him was a great stimulous to his friends. Several times he worked with Mr. Mooily, and his opinion of the great evangelist was apparent in the words he uttered a few weeks before his death in i'^97. He said, " Moody was the biggest human I eve/ met." And D. L. Moody was heard to say again and again that he loved Henry Drummond. G. Campbell Morgan. Mr. Morgan was born December 9, 1863, at Tetbury, Glouces- tershire, England. He was of nonconformist ancestry, his father being a Baptist minister. The young man was educated at Chel- tingham, and at twenty was appointed to a mastership in the Jewish Collegiate School in Birmingham. Three years later he abandoned his profession of teaching to become an evangelist. He went to Hull to hold services for two weeks, but they proved so successful that they ran for many months, and he finally left, in 1887, or» account of ill health. He continued his evangelistic work, however, and at last became pastor of the Congregational Church in Stone, in 1S89, and in 1S91 pastor of the Rugeley Con- gregational Church. In 1893 he went to Westminster Road Church at Birchficld, a suburb of Birmingham. It was in 1896, while pastor of this church, that he first went to the United States, and visited Northficld. In 1897 he became pastor of the New- court Congregational Church, Tollington Park, London. He visited Northfield in 1897, 1S98 and 1899. ^^^' Moody had the greatest delight in Mr. Morgan's ability. He had him travel through many of our cities in September and October of 1899 HIS CO-WORKERS 305 The last time I ever saw Mr. Moody was when he was sitting on the platform with Mr. Morgan. George H. Macgregor. Mr. Macgregor was born in Scotland thirty-six years ago. Mis father was a minister. The boy attended the University of Edinburgh and New College of Divinity in the same city, and even before he completed his theological studies he was called to a church in Aberdeen, in 188S, gaining experience which proved invaluable. In 18S9 he visited Keswick, and under the influences of the dwellers on that consecrated ground came into a closer walk with God. In 1S91 he was invited to the Keswick platform. Mr. Macgregor bears in his style all the evidences of his fine culture, a culture which, like that of Henry Drummond, is consecrated to the Work of God. His zeal is inspiring. As a winner of souls ho is not excelled. I do not think any one has ever visited Northfield who was really more helpful to the people than Mr. Macgregor. He is a most charming man, and as thoroughly consecrated as any one I have ever met. F. B. Meyer. Mr. Meyer began his ministry twenty-seven years ago, In Richmond, Surrey, England, even before he had completed his studies, which he was then carrying on at Regent Park College; hut after his gradua ion he went as assistant to the Rev. C. M. Uirrell, of Pembroke Chapel, Liverpool, and later transferred his interests to York, where, during the meetings of Mr. Moody and Mr. Sankey, in 1873, the young minister was profoundly stirred by the message of the American Evangelists. Mr. Meyer is best known, aside from his spiritual literature, as pastor of Christ Church, West London. This great institutional house of God was completed twenty-two years ago to perpetuate the Surrey Chapel I' 306 //IS CO-WORKERS work of Rowland Hill. Mr. Meyer followed Dr. Newman Hall in this pastorate. Dr. Hall was the successor of James Sherman, who, in his turn, succeeded Mr. Hill. It is doubtful if any other church in the world employs so wide a range of activities as Christ Church, London. Mr. Meyer's name is known wherever the English language is spoken, and Bible students everywhere are devoted to him, for his own as well as his work's sake. '■ h CHAPTER XXII. Three Characteristic Sermons IF one has known Mr. Moody for any great length of time, there are three sermons which doubtless would come before his mind as being more intimately associated with the great evangelist than any other sermons he has preached. The first has to do with the love of God. The second, with the excuses of men. The third, with his special appeal made to men in every part of the English speaking world on " Sowing and Reaping." Characteristics of thk Three Sermons The first sermon is remarkable because for a long time Mr. Moody felt called to preach the law, and was constantly crying out, after the manner of an Old Testament prophet, against sin, but under the influence of Harry Moorehouse, as suggested in another part of this volume, he seemed to come out from under the power of law into the power of grace, and his preaching was altogether different. His sermon on the excuses is very characteristic of him, and one has but to shut his eyes as he reads, to see the greatest evan- gelist of the generation pleading with men, as he alone could do,— now moving his audience to tears, and then almost instantly having them convulsed with laughter, but as a result of it all, lead- ing multitudes to Christ. The third sermon is one which a host of men throughout the world will ever remember. It was the first sermon I ever heard :i 17 297 3oS THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS him preach. Under the power of it, I saw my own heart as never before, and under the power of the Holy Ghost, as manifested in the preacher's sermon, I began to feel the power of Christ to make me clean. The sermons follow in the order mentioned : GOD'S LOVE I have often thought I would like to have but one text; and if I thought I could only make the world believe that God is love, I would only take that text and go up and down the earth trying to counteract what Satan has been telling them — that God Is not love. He has made the world believe it effectually. It would not take twenty-four hours to make the world come to God, if you can only make them believe God is love. If you can really make a man believe you love him, you have won him ; and if I could only make people really believe that God loves them, what a rush we would see for the Kingdom of God ! Oh, how they would rush in ! But man has got a false idea about God, and he will not believe that He is a God of love. It is because he don't know Him. Now, in Paul's farewell letter to the Corinthians, in the 13th c.iapter, 2d Corinthians, he says : '* Finally, brethren, farewell. Be perfect. Be of good comfort. Be of one mind. Live in peace", and the God of love" — he calls Him the God of love — "and peace shall be with you." Then John, who was better acquainted with Christ, telling us about the love God has for this perishing world, writes in this epistle, in the evening of his life, these words : •' Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and every one that loveth is born of God and knoweth God, and he that loveth not knoweth no God, for God is love." We built a Church in Chicago a number of years ago, and we were so anxious to THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS 309 make people believe that God is love, that we thoiip in his heart that the way of the transgressor is hard. On the other side of that bridge it is written, " The Bridge of Sighs; " and over that the young men pass every day, and every one of them will testify that that portion of the Bible is true where it says the way of the transgressor is hard. So don't give that as an excuse. There is another class that say, '* I believe that. I believe the most delightful service in the world is serving Christ. That is not my excuse, but my excuse is this : There are so many things in that Bible that are dark and mysterious. I don't understand the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. If I could understand the Bible on reading it through once, I could accept the invitation ; but there are so many dark and mysterious things that I cannot accept the invitation," and so we find a good many giving the Bible 18 . 323 rilREh: CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS as an excuse. I contend there is no book under the sun that has been so misjudLjed as the Bible. Of all the skeptics and infidels I have ever met. I have yet to meet the first one that has read the Bible throujj^h from beginning to end. Now, if a book comes out and you have not read all of it, and you are asked your opinion of it, you say, " I have not read it through yet, and don't like to express my opinion until I have more cartjfuUy read it." But peo- ple are not afraid of expressing their opinion of God's book after having read a few chapters, and because they don't understand what they have read, they condemn the whole. I have a boy about say four or five years, and I send him to school to-morrow, and he comes home, and I ask him, " Willie, can you read and write and spell ? Do you understand all about geometry? Have you finished your algebra?" "Why, papa," he says, "why do you talk that way? I have been all the time trying to learn what A, B and C are." " What ! " I say, " have you not finished your education ? I will take you right away from that school if you have not." Now there is just as much re; > in my doing that as there is in a man's taking up the Bible tma condemning it before he has studied it, and that excuse that these men are giving that they cannot accept the invitation because they don't understand the Bible, will not stand before Christ's tribunal. When they go up and stand before the Lord they will say, " I was very anxious to accept the invitation to be at the marriage ser- vice of your Son, but there were many things in the Bible that were dark and mysterious, and so I could not accept the invitation." That excuse sounds very well here, but up there you can't tell tha^. You will be speechless when you stand before God's bar. " Well," says another, " my trouble is not with the Bible, which I believe in from end to end, nor do I have any trouble about that other excuse about serving Christ; but the trouble I i THRER CIJARACTERISTIC SERMONS m have is in seeinjj so many hypocrites, and I am not goin^ to join the Church, there are so many hypocrites. I know a person who cheated me out of $5. and that same person prt;tends to he a Christ- ian, and so you must not ask me to associate witii hypocrites." Well, I say, if you don't want to associate with hypocrites, you had better j^^et out of the world as soon as you can. You will find one hundred hypocrites outside of the Church where you will find one in it. If you don't want to associate with hypocrites, you had better accept this invitation at once. If I ever find a man who is a hypocrite, and betrays the cause of Christ, it only makes me want the love of Christ all the more, and I want to serve Him all the better. Because this or that man is untrue, is it any reason that I should like less the cause they betray? That is no excuse either, then. It is a personal, an individual matter with you. Sup- pose almost all men on the face of the earth are hypocrites, it is no sign that I or you should be so. Is that any reason why you should not become Christ's follower ? There is a young inan over there who says, '* Mr. Moody has not touched my case at all. My trouble is different. I would like to become a Christian, but if I become one, I am afraid I won't hold out." That is a very common excuse. We have it in the inquiry room every night. " There is no one in New York that feels more anxious to become a Christian than I do," said a young man the other ni Christianity, I want it." And the boy went back and prayed with his father, and led him to Christ. \ -o you see you cannot give any excuse for not coming to Jesus, so accept His invitation this hour and be saved. But there is another excuse, and a good many of the young people give it. I have no doubt many of these little boys and girls here say, " I don't want to be a Chrisiian, for if I do, I shall have to be gloomy." I know that was one of my excuses before I was converted. I thought if I bjicame a Christian, I had got to put on a long face, and walk on through the world, looking neither to the right nor to the left, and have no more joy until I got into the other world. In other words, that Christianity was to make me sad and gloomy and despondent. But no ; that is not religion, for religion should make you happy and joyful. See this man on the to in ic. md not mir \is ; on the the me for the so PI to s w •< to 90 PI 90 PI o PI s o p) THREE CHARACrERISIlL SERMONS I2ii way to execution. A pardon from the Governor is put into his hands, and the poor man goes home to 'lis family. Do you think that is going to make him gloomy ? That is what the Gospel is. A pardon comes from the throne of Meaven, and that is not going to make us gloomy, is it ? If a man dying for bread is given bread, ■is that going to make him gloomy? That is what the Gospel is — bread to the soul. If you give water to a man dying of thirst, a clear draught from the spring, isn't that going to make him happy? Christ is the water of life. My friends, it does not make people gloomy. It makes people gloomy to want Christ. There are many who profess Christianity that don't have a living Christ in them, and those are the people who are gloomy. But when Christ is with us a living well of water gushing up, it is a living well of glad- ness. And so, little boy, little girl, young man, young maiden, don't give that for an excuse. Don't say, " I will not accept of this invitation because it will make me glocmy and sad."' That is not the experience of the true Christian. If you want to see a person truly happy, with a joy that the world does not know anything about, you must go to those that have be(Mi Christ's, and have caught the spirit, for He brings us joy and true peace and happi- ness. Then another thing. There are a great many men that want to come, and they say, " Wait until I am a better man, and then I will come." I never knew a man to be saved that came to Christ in that way. You cannot make yourselves any jjetter. You can- not cleanse yourselves. Every day and hour that you are staying from Christ you are getting worse instead of better. The very act of your staying away is a sin, and so instead of trying to get better, and get ready to come, just come as you are and be clothed with the garments of salvation. He will clothe )ou with His own right- eousness. I noticed when our war was going on, men used to come: ▼ 334 THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS to enlist, and the man who came with a fine suit of clothes on, and the hod-carrier in his dirty garments, would both have to take off their clothes and put on the uniform of the Government. And so, when men go into the Kingdom of God, they have to put on the livery of Heaven. You need not dress up for Christ, because He will strip you when you come and put on you the robes of His righteousness. My friends, you cannot stand before God in your own righteousness. Come to God as a poor beggar, and He will have mercy upon you. I heard some years ago of an artist who wanted a model for the Prodigal. He went to many institutions and prisons, but could not get a man who suited his ideas of the Prodi- gal. One day, however, while walking down the street, he met a poor mi; jrable tramp, and he suited the artist's eye, so he asked him if he would be willing to sit for his portrait. The tramp said he would, if the artist would pay him for it. The artist promised and '^Jk. a day and hour for him to come. At the appointed time, when the artist was sitting in his studio, the man came in, but he was so well dressed, the artist didn't know him, and told him he had no appointment with him. When the beggar told him the cir- cumstances, the artist said, " What ha /e you been doing ? " "Why, ' said the man, " I thought if I was going to sit for my portrait, I would get a new suit of clothes." " Ah," said the artist, " you wont do ; I wanted you just as you were." So, when you go to Christ, go just as you are, with all your rags, your filth, and your sin, and He will receive you. I don't care how bad you are. He came for that purpose, and there is not a man or woman in this hall to-night that is so bad that Christ would not have you if you will only come. You may be a thief, a drunkard, a libertine, polluted with sin, and corrupt as the devil would have you, and yet the Lord Jesus Christ THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS 335 will receive you if you will just come, and come without delay, just as you are. But I need not go on enumerating excuses ; if you drive a man from behind one excuse, he takes immediate refuge behind another. If you drive him from that, he gets behind another like a flash. You cannot exhaust exc? ses. They are more numerous than the hairs upon your head. I will tell you what you can do with them. You can take them up and bind them in one bundle, and mark it, " Lies, lies, lies," in great big letters. God will sweep away those refuges of lies. It is only a question of time. By and by you will be left without an excuse. He that believeth not, will be without God, without hope, without excuse. Do not think of giving excuses here. If you have any excuse that you call good, if you have any excuse that you think will stand the light of eternity and of the judgment day, if you think you have any excuse that God will accept, do not give it up for anything I have said. Take it into the grave with you. Let it be buried with you, and when you come before Him, tell it out. If not, then give your excuses to us here to-day. It is easy to excuse yourself into !; 11, but you cannot excuse yourself out of it. It is easy to take a seat here, and to make light of everything you hear, and go away laughing and scoffing at the whole thing ; but ah, it will be terrible to stand before God without an excuse. One of the most solemn things in Scripture is that not one of these men that were bidden to the feast of the Lamb and refused should taste of the supper. That is to say, that God would excuse them, taking them at their word. It will be a terrible thing to be excused from that feast. Do you really want to be excused? Is there a man or woman here that will say honestly that he or she would willingly be excused ? Why not accept of the invitation now? Let the plough stand i.A the I ';l 33^ THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS furrow, let the oxen stand in the stall until you accept the Invita- tion. Let your business go until this question of eternity is settled with you. It is better for you to press into the Kingdom than it is for you to attend to any other duty. That is the first thing. A man must first attend to the soul's salvation. If your wife won't go, leave her at home. If you cannot get your family to join you, go alone. Make up your mind* that to-day you will be up and pursuing that one object. If your companions make light of it, let them do it. It is Christ that invites you. Did you ever stop to think who will be there ? Not one who has washed in the blood of the Lamb will be missing on that occasion. I would rather have my heart torn out of my body here on this platform, and go from here right straight to Heaven and be with Him at last, than live a hundred years and lose that opportunity. I want to be at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. I want to sit with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. I want to be in the presence of the King of Kings Do not make light of it. I can imagine some of you saying, " I never yet got so low that I have been willing to make light of religion and serious things." Let me ask you : Suppose a man invites me to his house. Suppose he sends me a note and invites me to dinner with him, and I read it and simply tear it up or throw it aside and pay no more attention to it. Is not that making light of it ? How many will thus walk out of this hall, and make light of everything they have heard ? Suppose here we just write out a refusal of the invitation. " To the King of Heaven : While sitting in the church on a beautiful day, January, 1899, ^ received a pressing invitation from one of Your servants to be present at the marriage supper of Your only begotten Son. I pray Thee accept my excuses." Now, who would come forward and take a pen, and dii^ it in the ink and put his name to that ? I can imagine you saying, THREE CI I ARACr ERISTIC SERMONS 337 •' Let this right hand forget its cunning and this tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, before I would be guilty of such a thing ; ten thousand times, No !" But I will tell you what you will do. You will get up and go out and make light of the whole thing. Let us write out an acceptance : '* To the King of Heaven : January, 1899. While sitting in the meeting, I received a very pressing invitation from one of Your messengers to be present at the marriage supper of Your only begotten Son. I hasten to reply. By the grace of God I will be present." Who will sign that ? Will you say from the depth of your heart, " I will do that ?" Some one up there says, " Yes, I will." I'hank God for that ! Why should not the one person speak for the whole audience ? REAPING WHATSOEVER WE SOW " He not deceived : God is not mocked: fur whatsoever a man soweth, that siiall he also reap. For he tliat soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption ; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." — Galati.ins, 6tli Cliapter, 7th and 8th verses. It is very easy for us to deceive ourselves and one another, and there is a good deal of deception in the world. But you cannot deceive God. When we try to deceive Him, we are thinking all the time that He is like us. We are told in Jeremiah that "the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked." Any man who leans on his own understanding will be deceived. How many times have we deceived others, and because we succeeded in doing so, thought we could deceive God ; but we cannot do it. You may mock us, but whatever you do in that way, don't mock God. I was reading some time ago of a young man who had just come out of a saloon. He had mounted his horse. As a certain deacon passed on his way to church he followed the deacon and said, 338 THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS I " Deacon, can you tell me liow far it is to hell ? " The deacon's heart was pained to think that a young man like that should talk so lightly ; he passed on and said nothing. When he came round the corner to the church he found that the horse had thrown that young man, and he was dead. So you may be nearer the judg- ment than you think. Now, in the first place, a man expects to reap. That is true in the natural world. Men are sowing and planting, and what for ? Why, to reap. And so it holds true, you will find, in the spiritual world. Not only that, when he sows he expects to reap more than he sows, and the same that he sows. If he sows wheat, he doesn't expect to get potatoes ; if he wants wheat, he sows wheat. If a man learns the trade of a carpenter, he doesn't expect to be a blacksmith. It says in the 5th chapter of Mattiiew : " Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be com- forted. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy." See how God has dealt with the nations. See if they have not reaped what they sowed. What has become of the monarchs and empires of the world ? What brought ruin to Babylon ? Why, her king and people would not obey God, and ruin came upon them. What has become of Greece and all its power ? It once ruled the world. What has become of Rome and all its great- ness ? When their cup of iniquity was full, it was dashed to the ground. What has become of the Jews ? They rejected salva- tion, persecuted God's messengers, and crucified their Redeemer, and we find eleven hundred thousand of them perished at one time. O, my friends, it is only a question of time ! Look at the history of this country. With an open Bible our forefathers planted slavery ; but judgment came at last. There is not a family North or South that has not to mourn over some one taken from them. Instead of that war humbling us, hov defiant we became. Look and see how crime has increased during thj (he siuiicuts iu tump. HOTEL NORTHFIELD. V&ed a& home of the Northfield TrainiDg bcboul iu winter. THREE ar.ARACTERISTIC SERMONS 343 I tried to liclp a poor man in IMiiladcljihia \\v. had been in prison, and I could not help but try to lift him up. lie lu^traycd my confidence, so we don't know whom to help. Now suppose here is a father; he has got a boy who has gone out and stolen some money. His conscience is thoroughly roused, and he goes and confesses it. ** Yes, my boy," the father says, " I will forgive you, but you nuist go and conf(!ss it." H(! don't want to do that, but he mvist do it ; he has got to reap what he has sown. Do you think God would punish Jacob and his own children and let unbelieving sinners go unpunished ? Do you think the ten thou- sand rumsellers of New York are not going to be punished ? I would not take the place of one of them, if you gave me all the world. Look at that little, weak, pale, thin girl, only six or seven years old ; she went into a saloon and went to the bar and said to the saloonkeeper : " O, sir, don't sell papa any more liquor, for we are starving." The rumseller ordered her out. You think there was no God to witness that? O, there is a just God yonder, and men are going to be gathered there to givt; an account of their stewardship by and by. Do you think that libertine who has gone and lied to that lady, and then ruined her and lied — do you think he is going unpunished ? He may escape the law on earth, but he will be tried "t God's bar, bound hand and foot, and cast into hell. There is a day of grace now. He will forgive you the sin, though He will make you reap what you sow. He will give you your eternal life, if you will only come to Him and confess your sin, and is it not the very best thing you can do to come to God to-night ? While preaching this sermon in a western city, and saying over and over the text, ** Whatsoever a man sow, that shall he also reap," one man in the audience was deeply impressed. He sought Mr. Moody at the close of the sermon, and when he could speak to I 344 THREE CltARACTERISTlC SERMONS him, he said, " I am a defaulter. I have taken a great amount of money from my old place of employment in the State of Missouri. I have a wife and three children, and under your sermon to-night I have been convicted. Now what must I do ? The penitentiary faces me if I return to Missouri." Mr. Moody said to me, when the man came to me I was on the eve of telling him instantly to go back and confess his sin and pay the penalty, but when I thought of my own wife and three children, I said, let me think about it until to-morrow, and then see me at my hotel. I met him next day at the hotel, and as soon as he entered my room, he said, " The question is settled. I have decided to go back." Sometime after- ward when he had been sentenced to the penetentiary, he wrote me a letter in which he said that he had gone back to his old home ; had stolen into the city in the night-time and after the children were asleep, had gotten into his house. He desired to spend a few days in fellowship with his wife, and he knew, if the children were aware of his presence, that the law would come down upon him, and so he lamained hidden in his own home. Each night, when his wife would put the children to bed, he would stand near the door of an adjoining room and listen to their prayers and innocent talk. Final- ly he said, " Mr. Moody, I heard my little boy say, ' Papa ''oes not love us any more ; he has gone away, and he never writes us. I am sure he doesn't love us,' and Mr. Moody," said he, " I thought my heart would break, but it is true, ns you have said, I am reaping what I have sown." He confessed h's sin ; was sentenced to the penitentiary and was pardoned out, after some little time of pen.il servitude. Mr. Moody was one day giving this illustration in the State of Missouri, and he said, " Some people have been disposed to ques- tion the truth of this." When he made that statement, a gentleman THREE CHARACTERISTIC SERMONS 345 arose in the audience and said, " I am a former Governor of the State of Missouri," It was Governor Francis, who was speak- ing. " I can vouch for the truth of all Mr. Moody says, for I par- doned the man out myself." " But, in the sad story of the broken- hearted man," said the great evangelist, " we have a perfect illustra- tion of the text. ' whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.' " CHAPTER XXIII. I M His Best Illustrations R. MOODY was a master in the use of illustrations. He' saw in everything on which his eye rested somethinor, that would make the Word of God more easily understood. What other men would pass by, he seized upon, and, under his skillful touch, told in his inimitable way, it became powerful in illustrating the statements of the Bible. His illustrations always moved him, and for that reason they took firm hold upon his hear- ers. I have, again and again, seen the tears roll down his face as he would tell some touching story of a father's love for his child, or give some wonderful picture of the passing of a saint into the presence of God. There are those who criticise the use of illustra- tions in sermons, but Jesus used them, and was ever and again saying, " Whereunto shall I liken it." and would then tell the story of a prodigal son, or a broken-hearted mother, or a demoniac boy — " and the common people heard him gladly " Thk Fervor of His Ei,()(jub:nck The Honorable James A. Mount, Governor of Indiana, thus writes of him : " I unhesitatingly pronounce Dwight L, Moody the greatest preacher of the century. Classical scholars and literary critics may not agree with this estimate. Mr. Moody did not preach to please the ear, but to save the soul, yet he moved thousands to repentance by the fervor of his eloquence and the earnestness of his appeal. 346 HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 347 ;st cs to ds of " He had a message from the Holy Spirit to dying men, and with love to God and love to men he delivered that message. More enduring than if perpetuated by marble shaft will be the name of Moody, for it is embalmed in the memory of loving hearts whom he led out of darkness into light, and from the power of sin to sal- vation throup^h faith in Christ. ' He being dead yet speaketh'." And whatever may be given by men as the secret of his power as a preacher, all will agree in this, that his superb power in the use of illustration, contributed, in no small degree, to his ability to hold ana to sway the millions of people to whom he preached. The follow! Pfr illustration I have often heard him use : It is said that Whitfield once preached a sermon, in the midst of which a sudden thunder storm of terrific force burst upon them, and, taking advantage of the'fetorm to illustrate the Judgment, the effect of his preaching was profound. A request was sent to him to print the sermon for distribution ; he agreed to do so on condition that the thunder storm be printed with it. To appreciate D. L. Moody's illustrations you should have seen his audience moved by them, and you should have looked up into his face, all aglow with the power of his message, as I have done in the use of my story here given. The following are only a few of the hundreds he used when I have heard him preach : Infidel Books People read infidel books and wonder why they are unbelievers. I ask, why do they read such books ? They think they must read both sides. I ask, if that book is a lie, how can it be one side? It is not one side. Suppose a man tells lies about my family, and I read them so as to hear both sides ; it would not be long before some suspicion would creep into my mind. 18 348 HIS ILLUSTRATIONS f I said to a man once, " Have you got a wife ?" "Yes, and a good one." I asked : " Now what if I should come to you and cast out insinuations against her ?" And he said, " Well your life would not be safe long if you did." I told him just to treat the devil as he would treat a man who '.vent around with such stories. DOJBTS I remember laboring with a man In Chicago. It was past mid- night before he got down on his knees, but down he went, and was converted. I said : " Now, don't think you are going to get out of the devil's territory without trouble. The devil will come to you to-morrow morning and say it was all feeling ; that you only imagined you were accepted by God. When he does, don't fight him with your own opinions, but fight him with John vi. 37 : "Him that Cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.' Let that be the "sword of the Spirit." "The struggle came sooner than I thought. When he was on his way home the devil assailed him. He used this text, but the devil put this thought into his mind : * How do you know Christ ever said that after all ? Perhaps ihe translators made a mistake.' Into darkness he went again. He was in trouble till about two in the morning. At last he came to this conclusion. Said he : ' I will believe it anyway ; and when I get to Heaven, if it isn't true, I will just tell the Lord / didn't make the mistake — the trans- lators made it.' Let the Lower Lights be Burning A few years ago, at the mouth of Cleveland harbor, there were two lights, one at each side of the bay, called the upper and lower lights ; and to enter the harbor safely by night, vessels must sight both of the lights. HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 349 These western lakes are sometimes more dangerous than the great ocean. One wild, stormy night, a steamer was trying to make her way into the harbor. 1 he captain and pilot were anxiously watching for the lights. By and by the pilot was heard to say, " Do you see the lower light ?" " No," was the reply : " I fear we have passed them." "Ah, there are the lights," said the pilot ; "and they must be, from the bluff on which they stand, the upper lights. We have passed the lower lights, and have lost our chance of getting into the harbor." What was to be done ? They looked back, and saw the dim outline of the lower lighthouse against the sky. The lights had gone out. " Can't you turn your head around ?" " No ; the night is too wild for that. She wont answer to her helm." The storm was so fearful that they could do nothing. They tried again to make for the harbor, but they went crash against the rocks, and sank to the bottom. Very few escaped ; the great majority found a watery grave. Why ? Simply because the lower lights had gone out. Now with us the upper light is all right. Christ himself is the upper light, and we are fhe lower lights, and the cry to us is, Keep the lower lights burning; that is what we have to do. TiiEV ARE Old Enough. I have no sympathy with the idea that our children have to grow up before they are converted. Once I saw a lady with three daughters at her side, and I stepped up to her and asked her if she was a Christian. "Yes, sir." 1 350 HIS ILLUSTRATIONS \i Then I asked th(* oldest dauc^hter if she was a Christian. The chin began to quiver, and the tears came into her eyes, and she said i *' 1 wish I was." The mother look(;d very angrily at me and said, " I don't want you to speak to my children on that subject. They don't under- stand." And in great rage she took them away from me. One daughter was fourteen years old, one twelve, and the other ten, but they were not old enough to be; talked to about religion ! Let them drift into the world and plunger into worldly amusements, and then see how hard it is to reach them. Many a mother is mourning to-day because her boy has gone beyond her reach, and will not allow her to pray with him. She may pray for him, but he will not let her pray or talk with him. In those early days when his mind was tender and young, she might have led him to Christ. Bring them in " Suffer th(; little children to come unto Me." Is there a prayerless father reading this? May God let the arrow go down into your soul ! Make up your mind that, God helping you, you will get the children converted. God's order is tc the father first, but if he isn't true to his duty, then the mother should be true, and save the children from the wreck. Now is the time to tlo it while you have them under your roof. Exert your parental influence over them. " For Charlie's Sake." Some years ago at a convention, an old judge was telling about the fnighty power Christians summon to their aid in this petition 'for Christ's sake;" "in Jesus' name;" and he told a story that made a great impression on me. When the war came on, he said, his only son left for the army, and he became suddenly interested in soldiers. Every soldier that passed by brought his son to remembrance ; he could see his son in him. He went to work for 01 H n o w •fl w s EE en M !' ,! i 1 -^MT. "3^ HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 353 soldiers. When a sick soldier came there to Columbus one day, so weak he couldn't walk, the judge took him in a carriage, and got him into the Soldiers' Home. Soon he became president of the Soldiers* Home in Columbus, and used to go down every day and spend hours in looking after those soldiers, and seeing that they had every comfort. He spent on them a gieat deal of time and a great deal of money. One day he said to his wife; " I'm giving too much time to these soldiers. I've got to stop it. There's an important case coming on in court, and I've got to attend to my own business." He said he went down to the office that morning resolved in future to let the soldiers alone. He went to his desk, and then to writing. Pretty soon the door opened, and he saw a soldier hobble slowly in. He started at sight of him. The man was fumbling at something in his breast, and pretty soon he got out an old soiled paper. The father saw it was his own son's writing. " Dear Father : — "This young man belongs to my company. He ha^- lost his leg and his health in defense of his country, and he is going home to his mother to die. If he calls on you, treat him kindly, ''For Charlie's Sake.*' " For Charlie's Sake." The moment he saw that, a pang went to his heart. He sent for a carriage, lifted the maimed soldier in, drove home, put him into Charlie's room, sent for the family physician, kept him in the f9.mily and treated him for his own son. When the young soldier got well enough to go to the train to go home to his mother, he took him to the railway station, put him in the nicest, most comfortable place in the carriage, and sent him on his way. " I did it," said the old judge, "for Charlie's sake." ,r 354 HIS ILLUSTRATIONS Now whatsoever you do, my friend, do it for the Lord Jesus' sake. Do and ask everythiujj in the name of Him "who loved us and gave Himself for us." A BkAUTIFUL LlKlKNl). There is a beautiful tradition connected with the site on which the temple of Solomon was erected. It is said to have been occupied in conunon by two brothers, one of whom had a family, the other had none. On this spot was sown a field of wheat. On the evenin^^^ succeedinj'^ the harvest — the wheat having been gathered in se[)arate shocks — the elder brother said to his wife : " My younger brother is unable to bear the burden and heat of the day ; I will arise, take of my shocks and place with his without his knowledge." The younger brother being actuated by the same benevolent motives, said withm himself ; "My elder brother has a family; an* I have none. I will arise, take of my shocks and place witn his." Judge of their mutual astonishment, when, on the following day, they found their respective shocks undiminished. This trans- pired for several nights, when each resolved in his own mind to stand guard and solve the mystery. They did so ; and on the following niglu they met each other half-way between their respcc- tive shocks with their arms full. Upon ground hallowed by such associations as this was the temple of Solomon erected — of the world ! Alas I in these days, how many would sooner steal their^ brother's whole shock than add to it a sinirle sheaf ! '* DiNNA Ye Hear Them ?" During the Indian mutiny, the English were besieged in the city of Lucknow, and wjre in momentary expectation of perishing at the hands of the fie ids that surrounded them. A little Scotch HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 355 lassie was in this fort, and, while lying on the ground, she suddenly shouted, her face aglow with joy : '• Dinna ye hear them comin' ? dinna ye hear them comin ' ? " Hear what ? " they asked. " Dinna ye hear them comin ? " She sprang to her feet. It was tiie bagpipes of her native Scotland she heard. It was a native air she heard that was luring played by a regiment of her countrymen marching to the relief of those captives, and these deliverers made them free. Oh, friend, don't you hear the voice of Jesus Christ calling to you now ? ** Throw tiii'; Reins to Christ " An interesting story is told of Professor Drummond. Me was staying with a lady whose coachman had signed the pledge, but afterward gave way to drink. This lady said to the professor, " Now this man will drive you to the station ; say a word to him if you can. He is a good man and really wants to reform ; but he is weak." While they were driving to the station, the professor tried to think how he could introduce the subject. Suddenly the horses were frightened and tried to run away. The driver held on to the reins and managed them well. The carriage swayed about, and the professor expected every moment to be upset, but after a little the man got the better of the team, and as he drew tiiem up at the station, streaming with perspiration, he exclaimed : '* That was a close shave, sir 1 Our trap might have been smashed into match- wood, and you wouldn't have given any more addresses." *'Well," said Professor Drummond, "how was it that it did not happen ?" "Why," was the reply, "because I knew how to manage the horses.'' 35« H/S ILLUSTRATIONS "Now," said the professor, "look here, my friend, I will jrive you a bit of advice. Here's my train cominj^. I hear you have been signinjjf the pledge and breaking out again. Now I want to give you a bit of advice. Throw the reins of your life to Jesus Christ." And he jumped down, and got into the train. The driver saw in a flash where he hatl made the mistake, and from that day ceased to try to live in his own strength. A Rkmarkahlk Picture Some years ago a remarkable picture was exhibited in London. As you looked at it from a distance, you seemed to see a monk engaged in prayer, his hands clasped, his head bowed. As you came nearer, however, and examined the painting more closely, you saw that in reality he was squeezing a lemon into a punch bowl. What a picture that is of the human heart ! Superficially examined, it is thought to be the seat of all that is good and noble and pleasing in a man ; whereas in reality, until regenerated by the Holy Ghost, it is the seat of all corruption. "This is the condem- nation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light." "He Is My Brother" A fearful storm was raging, when the cry was heard, " Man overboard ! " A human form was seen manfully breasting the furious ele- ments in the direction of the shore ; but the raging waves bore the struggler rapidly outward, and ere the boats could be lowered, a fearful space separated the victim from help. Above the shriek of the storm and the roar of the waters rose his rending cry. It was an agonizing moment. With bated breath and blanched cheek, every eye was strained to the struggling man. Manfully did the brave rowers strain every nerve in this race of miTcy; but all their HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 357 efforts were in vain. One wild shriek of despair, and the victin) went down. A piercing cry, "Save him, save him I" ran^^ throiij^h th«j huslied crowd ; and into their midst darted an a^ntated man ; llirow- ing his arms wildly in the air, shouting, "A thoiisantl pounds for the man who saves his life!" but his staring eyes rested only on the spot where the waves rolled remorselessly over the perished. He whose strong cry broke the st'llness of the crowd was ca[Hain of the ship from whence the drowned man fell, and was his brother. This is the feeling we should have in the various ranks of those bearing commission under the great Ca[)tain of our salva- tion, " Save him ! he is my brother." The fact is, men do not believe in Christianity because they think we arc not in earnest about it. When the people see that wc are in earnest in all that we undertake for God, they will begin to tremble ; men and women will be inquiring the way to Zion. A Fragrant Act There is a preacher in Edinburgh, but I never think of him as a preacher, although he is one of the finest preachers in Scotland. There is just one act associated with that man that I will carry in remembrance to the grave. There is a hospital for little children in Edinburgh, and that great minister, with a large parish and a large congregation, goes one afternoon every week and sits down and talks with those little 'children — a good many of them there for life ; they are incurable. One day he found a little boy, only six years old, who had been brought over from Fife. The little fellow was in great distress be- cause the doctors were coming to take off his leg. Think how you would feel, if you had a little brother six years old and he was taken ofif to the hospital, and the doctor said that he was coming forty- eight hours afterward to take off his leg ! ■' I 358 HIS ILLUSTRATIONS Well, that minister tried to comfort the boy, and said : " Your fatlier -.^^ill come to be with you." " No," he said, " my father is dead ; he cannot be here." " Well, your mother will come." " My mother is over in Fife. She is sick and cannot come." The minister himself could not come, so he said, " Well, you know the matron heic is a mother; she has got a great big heart." The little chin began to cjui^cr as th;_ little boy said : " Perhaps Jesus will be with me." Do you have any doubt of it ? Next Friday the man of God went to the hospital ; but he found the cot was empty. The poor boy was gone : the Saviour had come and taken him to His bosom. One little act of kindness will often live a good deal longer than a most magnificent sermon. Calling on God Some old divine has pictured Peter preaching on the day of Pen- tecost. A man pushed his way through the crowd, and said, " Peter, do you think there is hope for me ? I am the man who made that crown of thorns and placed them upon Christ's brow ; do you think He will save me ?" " Yes," said Peter, " ' Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' You area 'whosoever;' if you call He will hear your cry. He will answer \ our prayer and save you." The man might have cried then and there, and the Lord saved him. i\nother man pushec^ his way up and said to Peter, " I am the man who took that reed out of His hand, and drove it down upon that cruel crown of thorns, sending it into His brow; do you think He will save me ?" HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 359 "Yes," said Peter, "He told us to i^o into the world and preach the: Gospel to every creature, and He did not mean any to be left out ; salvation is for you. He did not come to condemn men ; He came to get His arm under the vilest sinner and lift him up toward Heaven." Another man, elL»owin<,^ his way throuLjh the crowd, pushed up to Peter, and said, " I am the Roman soldier who took the spear and drove it to His heart, when there came out blood and water; do you think there is hope for me ?" "Yes," said Peter, "there's a nearer way of reaching; His heart than that ; ' whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' " And the Roman soldier mi»^ht have cried then and there, and mij^ht have ol)tained forL,nveness and salvation. If the Lord heard the cry of those Jerusalem sinners whose hands were drippinij with the blood of the Son of (iod if He heard their cry and sav(.'d them, do you not think he will hear your cry and save you ? A PkNAI.TV NEtESSARY A person once said to me : " I hate your God ; your God demands blood. I don't believe in such a Ciod. My God is merci- ful to all. I do not know your God." If v'ou turn to Lev. xvii. ii, you will fmd why God demands blood : " Vox the life of the llesh is in the blood ; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls ; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the souls." Suppose there was a law that man should not st(;al, but no penalty was attached to stealing ; some man would have my pocket- book before dinner. If I threatened to have him arrested, he would snap his fingers in my face. He would not fear the law, if there was no penalty. It is not the law that people are afraid of; it is the penalty attached. 36o HIS ILLUSTRATIONS Do you suppose God has made a law without a penalty What an absurd thing it would be. Now the penalty for sin is* death ; " The soul that sinneth it shall die." I must die, or get somebody to die for me. If the Bible doesn't teach that, it doesn't teach anything. And that is where the atonement of Jesus Christ comes in. Grip of Promise Mr. Moody once told me that he was conducting meetings in Scotland, passing through an inquiry meeting he saw two little girls crying as if their hearts would break. He stopped long enough to ask them their difficulty, and one of them replied that she wanted to be a Christian. The great evangelist took his Bible and, opening it at the fifth chapter of John, the 24th verse, he asked her if she could receive that, and, with her face brightening, she said she thought she could and would. The next night, passing through the same room, he saw the same two girls upon their knees, and one of them crying bitterly. He was greatly perplexed, and, coming near enough to hear their conversation, he heard the child of the nigh before saying to her companion, " I say, lassie, you do just as 1 did, grip a promise and hold on to it, and he will save you, for he saved me." And this is true not only for the Scotch girl, but for every one who will simply take God's Word and trust Him fully. One Year's Record The following illustration of Dr. Gordon was much loved by Mr. Moody. Very tiny and pale the little girl looked as she stood before those three grave and dignified gentlemen. She had been ushered into the Rev. Dr. Gordoi.'s j.tudy, where he was holding counsel with two of his deacons, nd now, upon inquiry into the nature of '! !l ins IL L USTRA TIONS S^ >• a o o S » s u. o z u < H X 0. < OS o o H O X 0. H Id X H her errand, a little shyly preferred the request to be allowed to become a member of his church. " You are quite too young to join the church," said one of the deacons, " you had better run home, and let us talk to your mother." She showed no sign of running, however, as her wistful blue eyes traveled from one face to another of the three gentlemc;n sitting in their comfortable chairs; she only drew a little step nearer to Dr. Gordon. He arose, and with the gentle courtesy that ever marked him, placed her in a small chair close beside himself. " Now, my child, tell me your name, and where you live?" " Annie Graham, sir, and I live on K Street. I go to your Sunday-school." *• You do ; and who is your teacher?" " Miss B . She is very good to me." *' And you want to join my church ? " The child's face glowed as she leancnl eagerly towards him, clasping her hands, but all she said was, '* Yes, sir." " She cannot be more than si': years old," said one of the dea- cons, disapprovingly. Dr. Gordon said nothing, but quietly regarded the small, earnest face, now becoming a little downcast. " I am ten years old ; older than I look," she said. " It is not usual for us to admit anyone so young to member- ship," he &aid, thoughtfully. " We never have done so ; still — — " *' It may make an undesirable precedent," remarked the other deacon. The Doctor did not seem to hear, as he asked, " You know what joining the church is, Annie ?" " Yes, sir ; " and she answered a few questions that proved she comprehended the meaning of the step she wished to take. She ! '1 3^4 ffIS ILLUSTRATIONS had slipped off her chair, and now stood close to Dr. Gordon's knee. •' You said, last Sabbath, sir, that the lambs should be in the fold ." " I did," he answered. " It is surely not for us to keep them out. Go home now, my child. I will s':e your friends and arrange to take you into membership very soon." The cloud lifted from the child's face, and her expression, as she passed through the door he opened for her, was one of entire peace. Inquiries made of Annie's Sabbath school teacher proving satis- factory, she was baptized the following week, and, except for occasional information from Miss B., that she was doing well, Dr. Gordon heard no more of her for about a yrar. Then he was summoned to her funeral. It was one of June's hottest days, and a-^- the doctor made his way along the narrow street on which Annie had lived, he wished, for a moment, that he had asked his assistant to come instead of himself, but as he neared the house, the crowd filled him with won- der ; progress was hindered, and as pt.'rforce he paused for a moment, his eye fell on a cripplc;d lad crying bitterly as he sat on a low doorstep. " Do you know Annie Graham, my lad?" he asked. " Know her, is it, sir ? Niver a v/oek passed but what she came twice or thrice with a picture or ^ook, mayhap an apple for me, an' it:-; owin' to her an' no clargy at all that I'll ever follow her blessed footsteps to Heaven. .She'd read me from her own Bible whiniver she came, an' now she's gone there'll be none at all to help me, for mother's dead an' dad's drunk, an' the sunshine's gone from Mike's sky with Annie, sir." HIS ILLUSTRATIONS 3^'5 A burst of sobs choked tlic boy. Dr. Gordon passed on, after promising him a visit soon, making his way through the crowd of tear-stained, sorrowful faces. The doctor came to a stop again in the narrow passageway of the httle house. A woman stood beside him drying lier fast-falHng tears, while a wee child hid his face in her skirts and wept. " Was Annie a relative of yours?" the doctor asked. *• No, sir ; but the blessed child was at our house constantly, and when Bob here was sick she nursed and tended him, and her hymns quieted him wh(;n nothing else secMned to do it. It was just the same with all the neighbors. What she's been to us no ont; but the Lord will ever know, and now she lies there." Recognized at last, Dr. Gordon was led to the room where tlic child lay at rest, looking almost younger than wh(Mi he had seen her in his study a year ago. An old bent woman was crying aloud by th(^ coffin. " I never thought she'd go afore I did. She used to run in regular to read an* sing to me every (,'vening, an* it was her talk an' prayers that made a Christian of nu;. You could a'most go to Heaven on one of her prayers." " Mother, mother, come home," said a young man, putting his arm around her to lead her away. " You'll see her again." " I know, I know ; she said she'd wait for me at the gate," she sobbed, as she followed him , "but I miss h(;r sore now." A silence fell on those assembled, and, marvelling at such testi- mony. Dr. Gordon proceeded with the service, fettling as if there was litth; more he could say of one whose deeds thus spoke for her Lovinij hands had laid flowers all around th(^ child who had lead them. One young girl had placed a dandelion in the small wa.xen fingers and now stood, abandoned to grief, beside the still form that bore the impress of absolute purity. The service over, again and 366 ms ILLUSTRATIONS ngain was the coffin lid waved back by some one longing Tor one more look, and they seemed as if they could not let her go. The next day a good-looking man came to Dr. Gordon's house and was admitted into his study. " I am Annie's uncle, sir," he said simply. •• She never rested till she made me promise to join the church, and I've come." Dr. Gordon sat in the twilight, resting, after his visitor had left. The summer breeze blew in through fhe windows, and his thoughts turned backward and dwelt on what his little parishioner had done. "Truly a marvelous record for one year. It is well said, Their angels do ever behold His face." CHAPTER XXIV. Revival Conventions IN the early days of Mr. Moody's evangelistic experience, frequent revival conventions were held, when questions were asked by the people and answered by the j^reat leader, as a result of which hundreds of Chrisl<,\n workers were instructed in the special conduct of evangelistic servicen, anil many minis,- ters went out to do I he work which the) felt thi mselvrs before unable to ijcrfonn. No wiser counsel was ever j^iven. 1 remem- ber in one of iheae couwUiions. Mr. Moody spoke as follows: WllAr IS KVANGI-.LISTIC SkRVICK? '* Some one said to me, ' What do you mean by evangel- istic services ? Is not all service evangelistic ? And what do you mean by preaching the Ciospel ? Arc not all services in the churches and all meetings preaching the C>ospel ? ' " By no means. There is the greatest difference. There are really three services in every church ; at least there ought to be ; there is wor- shipping God ; this is not preaching the Gospel at all. We come to the house of God to worship at times when we meet around the Lord's table. Then there is teaching, that is building up the church, but it is not preaching the Gospel. Then there is the proclaiming the good news to the world, that is, to the unsaved ; that is really Gospel preaching. Now tiu: cjuestion we have before us is how can these services be conducted to make them profitable ? Well, I should say first of all, you must make them interesting. If people go to sleep in church, they certajnly need to be rousecl up, and if 20 ' ' 367 3^3 REVIVAL CONVENTIONS one method fails, try another, but I think we ought to use our common sense in all this work. We talk a great deal about this, but I think it is about the least sense we have, especially in the Lord's work. This preaching to empty seats don't pay. If people do not come to hear us, let us go where they are, and I have come to this conclusion, that if we are going to have successful Gospel meetings, we have got to have a little more life in them. Life is found in singing new hymns. For instance, I know some churchi s that have been singing about a dozen hymns for the last twenty years, such hymns as " Rock of Ages," "Jesus, Lover of my Soul." These hymns are always good, but we want a variety. We want n(,'w hymns as well as old ones. Wii Want Nkw Hymns I find it wakes up a congregation tremendously to bring in now and then a new hymn, and if we cannot wake them up by preaching, let us sing the Gospel into them. I believe the secret of John Wesley's success was that he sent every man to work as soon as he was converted, and if people cannot speak, let us make them siuiT. Then, again, the question is asked as to whether we ought, in holding revival services, to change the minister every evening ? I fre(|U(Mitly receive letters telling me about special meetings, how the people turned out well, but there were no results, and I found out that they had a Methodist minister one night, a Baptist minis- tt;r another, an Episcopal minister another, a Congregational minis- ter another, in order to keep all denominations in, and the result was, they preached everybody out of doors. One man gets the people .'dl interested, and just at the point where he needs to con- tinue his own ministrations, another steps in, he goes out, and the people frequently go out with him. Then these meetings REVIVAL CONVENTIONS 3'>'> ou^^ht to be made short. I fnul a j^Tcat many arc kilK.cl l>ccaus«' they are too lonJ,^ The minister speaks five minutes, and a minis- ter's five minutes is generally ten, and his ten minutes (juite often twenty, and the result is often ionj; sermons drive people out of the spirit before the meeting is over. When the people have they are glad to go home, and ought to go home. Now, you send the people away hungry and they will want to come back. There was a man in London who preached in the open air until cveryhody left him, and somebody said, *' Why did you preach so long?" anil h(! said, " 1 thought it would be a pity to stop wiiile anybody was listening." It is a great deal better to cut right off. Then the peo- ple will want to couk; back. TiiF, Most Ait Rkpmi:s to Qukstions At this point, Mr. Moody paused for (juestions, and he was always at his best when answering these questions in such services. He had the ketmest mind and the most ai)t replies possible;. Q: — Would you start a mt;cting where ihv.rv. is no special interest in the church ? Mr. Moody: — Certainly I would. So many jjeople are saying to-day that they are waiting for God to favor Zion, and th(; fact is God has been waiting to favor Zion ever since Penti;cost. They have no calendar in Heaven. God can work one month as well as another, and he is always n^ady when we are reaily. Q: — Suppose a minister is inten^sted, and tht;re is no special feeling among the people. Would you call in outside help ? Mr. Moody: — That is a very important question. If I were a minister in a community or a church, and could not get more than one or two to sympathize with me, I would just get them around to my study, and v/c- would pray and go forth in the name of the #. ^'^1 ^.^, o. ^ rT V2 /: or' % »^> ^^^A IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 t^l ■it I.I 112 25 2.2 2£ 1.8 1.25 1.4 Photographic Sciences Corporation // 4 4- /. Ki 23 WEST MAIN STHEET WEBSTER, N.Y. U580 (716) 872-4503 '6•^'*'"^.1^ 1 ■ 6^ I 370 REVIVAL CONVENTIONS li I Lord, and say, " We are go\ng to have a meeting." Three men filled with the Spirit of God can move any town in this country. Q: — Suppose the congregation is alive and the minister is dead? Mr. Moody: — Then let the congregation go on without the minister. Q: — Suppose the minister wont permit them? Mr. Moody: — He cannot prevent it. A man that wants to work for God can do so ; nobody can stop him. Q: — Suppose there is a difficulty in the church which cannot be removed ? Mr. Moody: — I do not know of anything that is too difficult for God. The trouble is we are trying to remove these difficult'es ourselves instead of going to God in prayer. Q: — Why was it the Lord Jesus could not do anything at Nazareth ? Mr. Moody: — On account of their unbelief, but that was the world, not the Church. Q: — Is it best to put the test question in a church, asking those who are anrious to arise, or rather to go to another room ? Mr. Moody: — I think so. If any man is going to be saved, he is going to take up his cross, and if it is a cross, I would like to ask him to do it. What you want is to get them to do something they dont want to do, and it is a great cross generally for people to rise for prayer, but in the very act of doing it, they are very often blessed. I do not think I should attempt to have meetings without the inquiry-room. People are impressed under the ser- mon, but what you want is to deal with them personally. Here and there one is converted under the sermon, but for every one converted under the sermon, hundreds are converted in the inquiry- room. id S o D 09 •o ir c C. D REVIVAL CONVENTIONS o7l Q: — Do you advocate "anxious seats?" Mr. Moody: — I would rather call it seats of decision ; but in union meetings you know we have to lay aside a good many of the different denominational peculiarities. The "anxious seat" is known to the Methodists, but if we should call it that, the Pres- byterians would be afraid, and the Episcopalians would be so shocked that they would leave, and I find in the union meetings, it is best to ask them to go right into the other room, and talk to them there. Q: — What would you say to a person who replies, " I can be a Christian without rising for prayer " ? Mr. Moody: — I should say, most certainly he could, but as a general thing, he won't. Q: — What method would you recommend to get people on their feet to testify for Christ ? Mr. Moody: — In the first place, I would bury all stiffness. If a meeting has a formal manner, it throws a stiffness over it, so that it would take almost an earthquake to get a man up, but if it is free and social, just as you would go into a man's house and talk with him, you will imd people will appreciate it and get up. Q: — If the world has got in and is stronger than the church, what then ? Mr. Moody: — Then I would organize another church. The mistake in all this is in taking unconverted people into the v.hurch. We really must be more careful. Q: — How far is it wise to encourage young converts to laboi with inquirers in the inquiry-room ? Mr. Moody: — I always encourage them. I believe a man who has been a great drunkard, for instance, and been reclaimed, is just the man to go to work among his class. REVIVAL CONVENTIONS Q : — When a man feels he must preach the Gospel, and the church doesn't want to hear it, must he go out ? Mr. Moody : — A great many have got the idea that they can preach the Gospel, when they cannot, and some have got the idea that they cannot preach the Gospel, and they can to a certain class, and then they are just the ones to speak in that church. Now, I have tried that. When I was first converted, I thought I must talk to them about Christ, but I saw they did not like it, and finally they came and told me, I could serve the Lord better by keeping still. Then I went out into the street, and God blessed me, and I got to preaching before I knew it. If the people don't want you, don't force yourself upon them. Go out and preach to the ragged and the destitute. Then some question was asked about the inquiry-meeting, in the conduct of which Dwight L. Moody was a master. To this inquiry Mr. Moody made answer : " If the ministers would en- courage their members to be scattered among the audience, to never mind their pew, but sit back by the door if need be, or in the gallery, where they can watch the faces of the audience, it would be a good thing. In Scotland I met a man who, with his wife, would go and sit among the people, as they said, to watch for souls. When they saw anyone who seemed impressed, they would go to him after the meeting and talk with him. Nearly all the con- versions in that church during the last fifteen months had been made through that influence. Now, if we could only have from thirty to fifty members of the church, whose business it is just to watch for those who are impressed, and lead them into an inquiry meeting when the pastor announces it, the results would be magnificent. The best way in our regular churches is to let the workers all help pull the net in. When the people have come into the after-ser- vice, let some one who knows his Bible sit down beside them and REVIVAL CONVENTh >NS 375 give them God's Word. I have very little confidence in the rnan who simply states his own experience, for, as a rule, that experi- ence might discourage the one to whom he speaks, but if he points out God's Word, the Spirit is pledged to apply that word to the seeking soul, and the result is salvation. It is an awful thing for a man to preach a sermon on coming to Jesus and then dismiss his audience without giving them a chance to come. Instruct your people in the knowledge of God's Word, and teach them how to explain that word to the man who is saying, " What must I do to be saved i*" CHAPTER XXV. How to Study the Bible No more interesting services were ever conducted by Mr. Moody than his Bible Readings. I remember riding on the train with him at one time, and as we came into New York City, where he was to conduct a service, I said to him, " let me see your Bible," he had it in his hands, turning over the leaves, he laughingly replied, "Oh, no, if I should give you this, you would have my sermon for to-night, and then you might preach it before I could." And yet no one was more willing to give help to others than Mr. Moody. He was always receiving from his friends, but he was ever giving to them in return ; and as for myself, it has been difificult for me to preach without saying, " Mr. Moody said this," or " I once heard Mr. Moody say," and I have ever found that illustrations on which he had set his seal of approval, were received by all classes of people as authentic. Mr. Moody was peculiar in this, that however many times you might hear him say anything it never lose its freshness, and some- how you felt that you were hearing it for the first time. The following is a characteristic Bible reading — the theme being one, in which he was always at his bes^ : A Characteristic Bible Reading In Ephesians,5th chapter and i8th verse, we are commanded to be filled with the Holy Ghost. A person who is full of the Holy Spirit deals much with the Scriptures. One of the things we lack in the present day is more Bible study. I think this nation 37^ HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE 377 is just waking up to the fact that we have had a famine. It is not the man now that makes a fine oration in the pulpit so much as it is a man that expounds the Word of God that \vc need. A boy once asked another boy how it was that he cauj^ht all the pigeons th.ir Arere in the neighborhood. He said : ' Well, I tell you, it is b^ -ause I feed them well.' If you feed the people well they will come ; and people have got tired hearing a little more or less elo- quence. The preachers have hitherto used the Bible merely as a text-book. They have taken their texts out of the Bible, and they have gone all over Christendom for their sermons. The result is that our churches are weak in spiritual power. But it is beginning to improve already. The churches are not now hunting after a man that will make a grand oration, so much as they are for a man that will unfold to them the Word of God. That is what the people want. If they can only get back to the Word of God, then we will have not just here and there a revival, but we will be in a revival all the time. The church will be constantly in a revived state. It is those Christians that are feeding on the Word of God that are revived all the while. There is something fre.>h about them, and people are glad to hear them talk. "That Book Made me a Good Man" As we come to study this Word of God, we want to keep in miud that it is the Word of God, not the Word of man ; and that as the Word of God, it is true. I think the colored man was about as near the truth as one need be, when some infidel came to him and told him the Bible was not true. ' That Book not true ? Massa, I was once a murderer, and a thief, and a blasphemer, and that Book made me a good man. That book must be true! If it is a bad book, it could not make such a bad man good.' That is argument enough ; we do not need anymore. Look around us; 378 HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE if a man becomes a profligate, he begins to talic against the Bible ; if he is upright he takes it as a lamp to his feet. We are never afraid of a man that tries to live according to the teachings of this book. This book is God's Word, and it will stand. Over the new Bible House recently built in London, England, are written these words, ' The Word of the Lord endureth forever.' That building will pass away, that city may pass away, like Babylon and Nineveh, and other cities that once flourished, but the Word of God shall endure forever. Not one word that God has spoken shall fall to the ground. We want also to bear in mind that the Bible is not a dry, uninteresting book, as a great many skeptics try to make out. They say, ' We want something new ; we have outgrown that' Why, the Word of God is the only new book in the world. All that the newspapers can do is to tell of things as they have taken place, but the Bible will tell of things that will take place. We do not consider the Bible enough as a whole. We just take up a word here and a word there, and a verse here and there, and a chapter here and there, and never take it up in any systematic way. We, therefore know very little about the Bible. I will guarantee that the bulk of Christians in America only read the Bible at family worship ; and you will notice, too, that they have to put in a book-mark to tell where they left off the day before. You ask them an hour after what they have read, and they have for- gotten all about it. Of course we cannot get much knowledge of the Bible in that way. When I was a boy I worked on a farm, and I hoed corn so poorly that when I left off I had to take a stick and mark the place, so I could tell next morning where I had stopped the night before. If I didn't, I would likely as not hoe the same row over again. In order to understand the Bible we will have to study it care- fully. I was told in California that the purest and best gold that HOW TO STUDY THE BIBLE zn they get they have to di,ij the deepest for ; and so, in studyinj; the Bible, we must dig deep. And there are a great many Christians walking on crutches in their Bible studying. They do not dare to examine for themselves. They go wondering what others say, what Edwards says, what the commentators say. .Suppose you look and see for yourselves. God has given you your own mind to use. If we will go to the Word of God, and be willing to be taught by the Holy Ghost. God will teach us, and will unfold His blessed truth to us. There are three books that every Christian ought to have, if he cannot have but three. The first is a Bible -one with CO > ►4 O o o < CO X o 2 o c z a PI 58 3 o z w c D PI z H 01 > z o •fl o X H X PI n > 01 PI > H 3 50 3 O o c •< o I THE FUNERAL 419 C. Needham, Prof. W. W. White, Mr. William Phillips Hall. Mr. John R. Mott, Mr. Richard C. Morse, Rev. George A. Hall, and many others talked until the evening was gone, and then retired each to feel that his was a personal bereavement, because D. L. Mocdy was dead. Wanted to see His Face Once More Special trains were run from the surrounding New England towns, and they were filled with people who wanted to see his face once more. Farmers drove from distances of twenty miles away that they might pay respect to the memory of him in whom they all believed. The students were many of them away for their Christmas vacations, but there was a sufficient number present to bear his body from the house, which had become so much a part of himself, to the church in which he was so deeply interested. At last the day of the funeral came. It was a sad company of friends that met in the Grand Central Station in New York City the morning of the funeral. There was the Hon. John Wanama- ker, who had been in close fellowship with him for years ; the Rev. A. C. Dixon, D.D., who had been as near to him in Christian work as any man in the country, who showed by every expression of his face that he was in sorrow, yet " not as others who have no hope ; " Mr. and Mrs. Jancway, of New Brunswick, New Jersey, devoted friends of the great Evangelist for years, and intimately and offi- cially connected with the Northfield work. There were very many others, but notably, there was the veteran evangelist, the Rev. Dr. E. P. Hammond, who had known Mr. Moody as long as any one in the company. It was a sad group of people that journeyed toward the little town where the devoted friend was lying dead. Many of them had not seen Northfield in winter. They had visited it when the trees were in full foliage, when the grass was green on the hill- 420 THE FUNERAL sides, and when the birds sang their joyous welcome, but at this visit all nature seemed in sympathy with the many who sorrowed because their friend was not, but rejoiced as well because God had taken him, and because of the abundant entrance given him into His presence. At last the church was reached. Special seats were reserved for the late coming friends, and the most memorable funeral service in all the experience of the most of those who knew him began. During the morning Mr. Moody's family had been with the body, which had been lying in the death-chamber since the time of death. But soon after ten o'clock the body was laid in the heavy broadcloth casket and removed to the parlor of the home, where a simple; service of prayer was conducted by Mr. Moody's pastor, th(^ R<'v. C. I. Scofif^ld, assisted by the R(!v. R. A. Torrey, of Chicago. I^'UNERAI, SkRVICKS AT TlIK ClIURCII At the close of this service the casket was plac(xl on a massive bier, and thirty -two Mt. Hermon students bore it to the Congrega- tional Church, where it was to lie in state. During the next three hours fully three thousand persons looked for the last time at the face of the great, good man. The casket was placed directly in front of the altar, and around it were banked many floral tributes. The gathering at the church for the funeral service at 2:30 was notable. Men from all walks of life — clergymen, business men, tillers of the soil — came side by side to pay a last tribute. The services were as simple and as impressive as if he himself had planned them. The voice of the loved one was still, but his presence was felt. The hymn, " A Little While and He Shall Come," was followed by the Rev. C. I. Scofield's prayer. The Rev. A. T. Pierson read the Scripture lesson from H Corinthians, iv. ii. This was followed THE FUNRRAr. 4nr by a prayer by Rev. GeorjT^o C. Noodham, after which the congre- gation sang " Filmmanucrs Land." the music being directt^d by Mr. A. B. Phillips, Professor of Music in the Northfield Institute. The Rev. Dr. Scofield then pronounced the eulogy, saying: •• ' We know,' ' We arc always confident,' That is the Chris- tian attitude toward the mystery of death. ' We know,' so far as the present body is concerned, that it is a tent in which we dwell. It is a convenience for this present life. Death threatens it, so far as we can see, with utt(!r destruction. Soul and spirit instinctively cling to this present body. At that point revelation steps in with one of the great foundational certainties and teaches us to say 'We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dis- solved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.' " There is a natural body, and then^ is a spiritual body. Hut that is not all. Whitht^r after all shall we go when this earthly tent dwelling is gone? To what scenes does death introduce us? What, in a word, lies for the Christian just across that little trench which we call a grave ? Here is a new and most serious cause of solicitude. And here again revelation brings to faith the needed word : ' We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.' " Note, now, how that assurance gives confidence. First, in that the transition is instantaneous. To be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. And secondly, every question of the soul which might bring back an answer of fear is satisfied with that one little word 'home.' " And this is the Christian doctrine of death. ' We know.' We are always confident' In this triumphant assurance Dwight L. Moody lived, and at high noon last Friday he died. We are not met, dear friends, to mourn a defeat, but to celebrate a triumph. ; i' ; 422 7,;e funeral Hn ' walked with God and he was not, for God took him.' There in the West, in the presence of great audiences of 12,000 of his fellow-men, God spoke to him to lay it all down and come home. He would have planned it so. " This is not the place, nor am I the man to present a study of the life and character of Dwight L. Moody. No one will ever question that we are laying to-day in the kindly bosom of earth the mortal body of a great man. Whether we measure greatness by quality of character or by qualities of intellect, Dwight L.Moody must be accounted great. "The basis of Mr. Moody's character was sincerity, genuineness. He had an inveterate aversion to all forms of sham, unreality and pretence. Most of all did he detest religious pretence or cant. Along with this fundamental quality, Mr. Moody cherished a great love of righteousness. His first question concerning any proposed action was : ' Is it right ? ' But these two qualities, necessarily at the bottom of all noble characters, were in him suffused an*^' 'ans- figurcd by divine grace. Besides all this, Mr. Moody w 1 a wonderful degree brave, magnanimous and unselfish. " Doubtless this unlettered New England country boy became what he was by the grace of God. The secrets of Dwight L. Moody's power were : First, in a definite experience of Christ's sav- ing grace. He had passed out of death into life, and he knew it. Secondly, Mr. Moody believed in the divine authority of the Scrip- tures. The Bible was, to him, the voice of God, and he made it resound as such in the consciences of men. Thirdly, he was bap- tized with the Holy Spirit, and he knew it. It was to him as definite an experience as his conversion. Fourthly, he was a man of prayer ; he believed in a divine and unfettered God. Fifthly, Mr. Moody believed in work, in ceaseless effort, in wise provision, in the power of organization, of publicity. THE FUNERAL 4-J3 " I like to think of D. L. Moody in Heaven. I like to think of him with his Lord and with Elijah, Daniel, Paul, Augustine, Luther, Wesley and F'inney. " Farewell for a little time, great heart, may a double portion of the spirit he vouchsafed to us who remain." The next address was by the Rev. W. \\. Weston, of Crozi«:r Theological Seminary, Chester, Pa., who said : Rev. H. B. Weston*s Address " I counted it among one of the greatest pleasures of my life that I had the acquaintance of Mr. Moody ; that I was placed under his influence, and that I was permitted to study God's words and work through him. " He was the greatest religious character of this century. When we see men who are eminent among their fellows, we always attribute it to some special natural gift with which they are endowed, some special (education th< y have received, or some magnetic per- sonality with which they are blessed. Mr. Moody had none of these, and yet, no man had such power of drawing the multitude. No man could surpass him in teaching and influencing individuals — individuals of brain, of executive power. I am speaking to some of such this afternoon. Mr. Moody had the power of grouping them to himself with hooks of steel, and many of them were good workers with him many years ; and they will carry on his work now that he has passed away. " Mr. Moody had none of the gifts and qualifications that I have mentioned: no promise, and apparently no possibiltity, in his early life ; no early promise, if he had any promise, of the life he had to lead. What had he ? There was nothing else as Inter- esting in Northfield as Mr. Moody to me. I listened to him with profound and great interest and profit, as the one who could draw la 424 THE FUNERAL the multitude as no one else In the world. He entered fully into the words, ' Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' So he fed upon that word ; his life was instantly a growth, because he fed on the Word of God, so that he might have it ready for every emergency. " All this was not for himself, but for others. He did not study the Bible for himself alone, but that he might add to his stock of knowledge. He did not study his Bible in order to criti- cise, but to make men partakers of that light which had enlarged his own soul, and that, I appeal to you, was the first desire of his heart, that other men might live. " With this one conception in his heart he dots his plain all over with buildings which will stand until the millennium. His soul was full of joy, and that definite joy finds its expression like the Hebrew prophet. I don't think he himself sang, but he wanted the Gospel sung, and I used to listen to song after song and remember all the time this was simply the expression of that joy that welled up in his heart, the joy of the Lord Jesus Christ. " You remember last summer how hopeful he was, constantly, as he compai 2d himself to ' that old man of eighty years, and I am only sixty-two, and I have so much before me to live for.' Because D. L. Moody had mastered, or the power of Christ had so mastered, every fibre of his being ; because of that completeness of consecra- tion — I hardly dare say it — were Jcsus Christ given the same body, the same mental caliber and surroundings, He would fill up his life much a£ Moody did, and that is the reason to-day that I would rather be Dwight L. Moody in his coffin than any living man on earth." The next speaker was the Rev. R. A. Torrey, who said : " It is often the first duty of a paster to speak words of comfort to those whose hearts are aching with sorrow and breaking THE FUNERAL 425 his Duld on underneath the burden of death, but this is utterly unnecessary to-day. The God of all comfort has already abundantly comforted them, and they will be able to comfort others. I have spent hours in the past few days with those who were nearest to our departed friend, and the words I have heard from them have been words of ' Rest in God and triumph.' Rev. R. a. Torrev's Estimate of Mr. Moody " As one of them has said : ' God must be answering the prayers that are going up for us all over the world. We are being so wonderfully sustained.' Another has said : ' His last four glorious hours of life have taken all the sting out of death,' and still another, ' Be sure that every word to-day is a word of triumph.' " Two thoughts has God laid upon my heart this hour. The first is that wonderful letter of Paul in I Corinthians, xv. 10: 'By the grace of God I am what I am.' God wonderfully magnified His grace in the life of D. L. Moody. God was magnified in his birth. The babe that was born sixty-two years ago — the wonderful soul was God's gift to the world. How much that meant to the world ; how much the world has been blessed and benefited by it we shall never know this side the coming of Christ. God's grace was magnified in his conversion. He was born in sin, as we are, but God, by the power of His word, the regenerating power of His Holy Spirit, made him a mighty man of God. How much the con- version of that boy in Boston forty-three years ago meant to the world no man can tell, but it was God's grace that did it. " God's grace and love were magnified again in the development of that character. He had the strength of body that was possessed by few sons of men. " It was all from God. To God alone was it due that he dif- fered from other men. That character was God's gift to a world 426 THE FUNERAL 111 that sorely needed men like him. God's grace and love were mag- nified again in his service. The great secret of his success ^vas supernatural power, given in answer to prayer. " Time and again has the question been asked, What was the secret of his wonderful power ? The question is easily answered. There were doubtless secondary things that contributed to it, but the great central secret of his power was the anointing of the Holy Ghost. It was simply another fulfilment by God of the promise that has been realized throughout the centuries of the Church's his- tory: 'Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost shall come upon you.' " God was magnified again in his marvelous triumph over death, but what we call death had absolutely no terrors for him. He calmly looked death in the face and said, ' Earth is receding. Heaven is opening. God is calling me. Is this death ? It isn't bad at all. It is sweet. No pain. No valley. I have been within the gates ! It is beautiful. It is glorious. Do not call me back. God is calling me.' " This was God's grace in Christ that was thus magnified in our brother's triumph over that last enemy. Death. From beginning to end, from the hour of his birth until he is laid at rest on yonder hilltop, Mr. Moody's life has been a promulgation of God's ever- lastinij ijracc and love. " The other thought, that God has laid upon my heart in these last few hours are those words of Joshua i. 2 : ' Moses my servant is dead. Now, therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them.' "The death of Mr. Moody is a call to his children, his asso- ciates, ministers of the Word everywhere, and to the whole Church : ' Go forward. Our leader has fallen.' * Let us give up the work,' some would say. Not for a moment. Listen to what God c W > r o iS i;,m 5' 5 » s t:?g * 5. l\\ THE FUNERAL 429 says : ' Our leader has fallen. Move forward. Moses my servant is dead, therefore arise, go in and possess the land. As I was with D. L. Moody, so I will be with you. I will not fail thee nor for- sake thee.' " It is remarkable how unanimous all those who have been asso- ciated with Mr. Moody are upon this point. The great institutions that he has established at Northfield, Mt. Hermon, and Chicago, and the work they represent, must be pushed to the front as never before. Many men are looking for a great revival. " Mr. Moody himself said when he felt the call of death a: Kansas City : * ' I know how much better it would be for me to go, but we are on the verge of a great revival, like that of 1857, and I want to have a hand in it.' He will have a mighty hand in it. His death, with the triumphal scenes that surround it, are part of God's way of answering the prayers that have been going on for so long in our land for a revival. " From this bier there goes up to-day a call to the ministry, to the Church : * Forward ! ' Seek, claim, receive the anointing of the Holy Ghost, and then go forthwith, to every corner, preach in public and in private to every man, woman, anu child the infallible Word of God." The Words of Bisiior Mallalieu. The Rev. W. F. Mallalieu, bishop of the Methodist church, said : " ' Servant of God, well done, Thy glorious warfare's past, The battle's fought, the race is won. And thou art crowned at last. ' •' I first met and became acquainted with him, whose death we mourn, in London in the summer of 1875. From that day, when he moved the masses of the world's metropolis, to the hour when 430 THE FUNERAL he answered the call of God to come up higher, I have known him, esteemed him and loved him. Surely we may say, and the world will endorse the affirmation, that in his death one of the truest, bravest, purest and most influential men of this wonderful 19th century has passed to his rest and his reward. With feelings of unspeakable loss and desolation we gather about the casket that contains all that was mortal of Dwight L. Moody. And yet a mighty uplift and inspiration must come to each one of us as we think of his character and his achievements, for he was : 'One, who never turned his back but marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph. ' " In bone and brawn and brain he was a typical New Eng- lander ; he was descended from the choicest New England stock ; he was born of a New England mother, and from his earliest life he breathed the free air of his native hills and was carefully nurtured in the knowledge of God and the holy traditions and histories of the glorious past. It was to be expected of him that he would become a Christian of pronounced characteristics, for he consecrated himself thoroughly and completely and irrevocably to the service of God and humanity. The heart of no disciple of the Master ever beat with more genuine, sympathetic and utterly unselfish loyalty than did the great, generous, loving heart of our translated friend. Because he held fast to the absolute truth of the Bible, and unequivocally and intensely believed it to be the unerrant Word of God; because he preached the Gospel rather ~ than talked about the Gospel ; because he used his mother tongue, the terse, clear, ringing, straightforward Saxon ; because he had the profoundcst sense of brotherhood with all poor, unfortunate and even outcast people ; because he was unaffectedly tender and patient with the weak and sinful ; because he hated evil as THE FUNERAL 431 thoroughly as he loved goodness ; because he knew right how to lead penitent souls to the Saviour ; because he had the happy art of arousing Christian people to a vivid sense of their obligations and inciting them to the performance of their duties ; because he had in his own soul a conscious, joyous experience of personal salvation — the people flocked to his services, they heard him gladly, they were led to Christ, and he came to be prized and honored by all denominations, so that to-day all Protestantism recognizes the fact that he was God's servant, an embassador of Christ, and indeed a chosen vessel to bear the name of Jesus to the nations. "We shall not again behold his manly form animated with life, hear his thrilling voice or be moved by his consecrated personality but if we are true and faithful to our Lord, we shall see him in glory, for already he walks the streets of the heavenly city, he mingles in the song of the innumerable company of white-robed saints, sees the King in his beauty, and waits our coming. May God grant that in due time we may meet him over yonder." Dr. Chapman's Address. The Rev. J. Wilbur Chapman of New York, the next speaker, said: *• I cannot bring myself to feel this afternoon that this service is a reality. It seems to me that we must awake from some dream and see again the face of this dear man of God, which we have so many times seen. It is a new picture to me this afternoon. I never before saw Mr. Moody with his eyes closed. They were always open, and it seemed to me open not only to see where he could help others, but where he could help me. His hands were always outstretched to help others. I never came near him without his helping me." 11 I ..r ! 433 THE FUNERAL At this point the sun came through a crack in a blind, and the rays fell directly on Mr. Moody's face, and nowhere else in the darkened church did a single beam of sunshine fall. " The only thing that seems natural is the sunlight now on his face. There was always a halo around him. ! can only give a slight tribute of the help he has done me, I can only especially dedicate myself to God, that I, with others, may preach the Gospel he taught. " When I was a student, Mr. Moody found me. I had no object in Christ. He pointed me to the hope in God ; he saw my heart, and I saw his Saviour. I have had a definite life since then. When perplexities have arisen, frori those lips came the words, ' Who are you doubting ? If you believe in God's Word, who are you doubting ?' I was a pastor, a preacher, without much result. One day Mr. Moody came to me, and, with one hand on my shoul- der and the other on the open Word of God, he said : ' Young man, you had better get more of this into your life,' and when I became an evangelist myself, in perplexity I would still sit at his feet, and every perplexity would vanish just as mist before the rising sun. And, indeed, I never came without the desire to be a better man, and be more like him, as he was like Jesus Christ. If my own father were lying in the coffin I could not feel more the sense of loss." Rev. a. T. Pierson's Address. The Rev. A. T. Pierson spoke next, saying : " When a great tree falls, you know, not only by its branches, but by its roots, how much soil it drew up as it fell. I know of no other man who has fallen in this country having as wide a tract of uprooting as this man who has just left us. " I have been thinking of the four departures during the last quarter of a century, of Charles Spurgeon of London, A. J. Gordon of Boston, Catherine Booth, mother oi rhe Salvation Army, and THE FUNERAL 433 George Muller of Bristol, England, and not one made the world- wide commotion in their departures that Uwight L. Moody has caused. " Now, I think we ought to be very careful of what is said. There is a temptation to say more than ought to be said, and we should be careful to speak as in the presence of God. This is a time to glorify God. *' D wight L. Moody was a great man. That man when he entered the church in 1856 in Boston, after ten months of proba- tion, was told by his pastor that he was not a sound believer. That pastor, taking him aside, told him he had better keep still in prayer meeting. The man the church held out alarm's length has become the preacher of preachers, the teacher of teachers, the evangelist of evangelists. It is a most humiliating lesson for the Church of God. "When, in 1858, he decided to give all his time, he gave the key to his future. I say everything D. L. Moody has touched has been a success. Do you know that with careful reckoning he has reached 100,000,000 of people since he first became a Christian ? You may take all the years of public services in this land and Great Britain, take into consideration all the addresses he de- livered, and the audiences of his churches, and it will reach 100,000,000. Take into consideration all the people his books have reached and the languages into which they have been trans- lated; look beyond his evangelistic work to the work of education, the schools, the Chicago Bible Institute, and the Bible Institute here. Thousands of people in the world owe their hope to Dwight L. Moody who was the m ans of their consecration. " I want to say a word of Mr. Moody's entrance into Heaven. When he entered into Heaven there must have been an unusual commotion. I want to ask you to-day whether you can think of m 434 THE FUNERAL \m any other man of the last half-century whose coming so many souls would have welcomed at the gates of Heaven. It was a triumphal entrance into glory. " No man who has been associated with him in Christian work has not seen that there is but one way to live, and that way to live wholly for God. The thing that D. L. Moody stood and ./ill stand for centuries to come was his living only for God. He made mistakes, no doubt, and if any of, us is without sin in this respect, we might cast a stone at him, but I am satisfied that the mistakes of D. L. Moody were the mistakes of a stream that over- flowed its banks. It is a great deal better to be full and over- flowing than to be empty and have nothing to overflow. " I feel myself called to-day by the presence of God to give eye that what is left shall be consecrated more wholly to him. Mr. Moody, John Wanamaker, James Spurgeon (brother of Charles), and myself were born in the same year. Only two of us are still alive. John Wanamaker, let us still live wholly for God." Rev. H. M. Wharton's Words The Rev. H. M. Wharton, of Philadelphia, spoke in behalf of the southern States. He said : " I am sure, dear friends, that if the people of the South could express their feeling to-day, they would ask me to say we all loved Mr. Moody ; we did love him with all our hearts. It seems to me that when he went inside the gates of Heaven he left the gates open a little, and a little of the light fell upon us all. " As I go from this place to-day, I am more convinced that I desire to live and be a more faithful minister and more earnest Christian, and more consecrated in my life. We will not say ' Good night, dear Mr. Moody,* for in the morning we will meet again." THE FUNERAL 435 As Mr. Wharton ceased, Mr. William Moody rose in the pew, and said he would like to speak of his father as a parent. He said : Mr. W. R. Moody's Tkiuute to His Father " As a son, I want to say a few words of him as a father. We have heard from his pastor, his associates and friends, and he was just as true a father. I don't think he showed up in any way bet- ter than when, on one or two occasions, in dealing with us as chil- dren, with his impulsive nature, he spoke rather sharply. We have known him to come to us and say : ' My children, my son, my daughter, I spoke quickly ; I did wrong ; I want you to forgive me.' That was D, L. Moody as a father. '* He was not yearning to go ; he loved his work. Life was very attractive ; it seems as though on that early morning as he had one foot upon the threshold it was given him for our sake to give us a word of comfort. He said : ' This is bliss ; it is like a trance. If this is death it is beautiful.' And his face lighted up as he mentioned those whom he saw. " We could not call him back ; we tried to, for a moment, but we could not. We thank God for his home life, for his true life, and we thank God that he was our father, and that he led each one of his children to know Jesus Christ." Mr. John Wanamaker's Remarks Dr. Scofield then called upon the Hon. John Wanamaker, of Philadelphia, who said : " If I had an\ words to say, it would be that the best commen- tary on the Scriptures, the best pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ, were in our knowledge of the beautiful man who is sleeping in our presence to-day. For the first time I can understand well the kind of a man Paul was, and Nehemiah, and Oliver Cromwell. I n 436 THE FUNERAL think of Mr. Moody as a Stonewall Jackson of the Church of God of this century. But the sweetest of all thoughts of him are his prayers and his kindnesses. It was as if we were all taken into his family and he had a familiarity with every one and we were his closest friends. " There is not any place in this country where you can go with- out seeing the work of this man of God. It seems to make every man seem small, because he lived so fan above us, as we crept close to his feet. It is true of every one who sought to be like him. *' I can run back into the beginning of his manhood, and there have the privilege of being close to him. I can call up personal friends that were at the head of railroads, that were distinofuished in finance and business, and I declare to you, great as their succes- ses were, I don't believe that there is one of them who would not gladly have changed place with D. L. Moody. " The Christian laborer, I believe, to-day looms up more lumi- nous than any man who lived in the century. It seems as if it were a vision when the one who has passed away stood in Philadelpliia last month, when, on his way to Kansas City, and, with tears in his eyes, he said to me with a sij^Ii : ' If I could only hold one great city in the East before I die, I think it might help other cities to do the same.' Still trusting God, lu turned his back on his home and family, and went 1,000 miles carrying that burden, and it was too much for him. A great many of the people of the sixties are quit- ting work, and if anything is to be done for God, it is time we con- secrate ourselves to Him." lOC nis his his ith- ery ose lere )nal hed ces- not imi- 'cre >hia lis city do and too uit- on- SENIOR GLEN, EAST WORTHFIELD, where Mr. Moculy iiu-t the stiuitiiis of the Senior e Inss »t ti A.M., daily durin>; the ses>iims of the M-hixil ROUND TOP. The Hill where Mr. Moody frequently held Meetings, and where he now lies burrW. CHAPTER XXVIII. Roundtop, where Mr. Moody Loved to Speak and where he was Buried THE funeral services in the church were over. In every way it was the most remarkable gatherin<^ that could possibly be imagined on any such occasion, and one friend was heard to say to another as we passed out of the Congregational Church, " I would not have missed this privilege for any consideration. My faith in God and in H' promises is stronger to-day than ever; my fear of death is all taken away. Did you ever in all your experience attend a service in which the power of God was more mightily manifest?" One distinguished man said to a brother minister as they walked in solemn procession toward the grave, " If it had been possible to repeat that service with all its attend- ing circumstances and surroundings in all the cities of the land, D. L. Moody would have been greater in his death than in his life, and thousands and tens of thousands would have been brought to Christ." A Most NotahlI': Skrvice It was a notable service because there was a spirit of victory in it all. From where we sat on the platform we could look down into the faces of those who had been bereaved, and while there were marks of tears upon their faces, yet there was such evident joy in the thought that they had had him so long, and that he had brought so much of blessing into the lives of countless numbers of people, that one really forgot that he was attending a funeral and 439 \f^ 440 ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED thanked God that he was sitting together with dear friends in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. It was notable also, because not very often on funeral occasions do the bereaved ones join in the singing of the hymns, and yet at this funeral very frequently you could sec that the lips of the members of the family were moving, and you knew they were singing the songs that Mr. Moody loved, and singing them just in the way that would have betMi pleasing- to him. A Ray ok Sunlkjfit It was notable also, because of the fact that just in the midst of the services one single ray of sunlight from the setting sun came through the window, but the only face in all the building that was touched with the glory of that streak of light was th>3 face of the man of (iod lying in his cot'tin. It was just what all could have wished for him, for to those who knew him and loved him, there wns always a kind of a halt) of glory about him, and this touch of sunlight was just a hint to us as to how his face would appear when in the better country we should see him once again with the redemption body transfigured into the likeness of Christ. I seri- ously question if any man in the; present generation ever walked closer with (iod than did Mr. Mootl)'. He was my ideal in this respect as in many others. His was a story like that of Enoch of old, and when he died we could understand it all, he simply was not, for God took him. All the funerals associated with Mr. Moody's family have ever been most touching. When his mother was carried to the tomb, she was not taken away until her son had said what only a devoted and godly son could say concerning the life of a consistent Chris- tian mother, and of her it was true as the wise man said, " Her children rise up and call her blessed." KOUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED ^4t When the chiUhtm of his eldest son, Mr. W. K. Moody, were buried, once again did he speak such words as he only was able to speak. Quite recently, at the funer.il of Irene Moody, he said the most touching words concerning his love for his grandchild, told how she had always greeted him with a smile, and then told how she had influenced his life as very few people had — no one could have said these words with such tenderness and sweetness as Mr. Moody, hut it was just like him to say them for the grief of his sou was as if it had been his own. While holding services in my Church, Krv. !>. I'ay Mills spoke concerning the funeral of the brother of Mr. Moody, as contrasted with tin funeral of Mr. Robert Ingersoll's brother, and the picture is most striking in its contrasts : A Mosr .SlklKINd PiCTUKK " It was in Jime, iovcr of my soul. Let me to Thy bosom fly, While the uearer waters roll, While the tempest still is high ; Hide me, () my Saviour, hide. Till the storm of life is past ; Safe into the haven guide. Oh, receive my soul at last. Other refuge have I none, Hangs my helpless soul on Thee : Leave, oh, leave me not alone. Still support and comfort me. All my trust on Thee is stayed. All my help from Thee I bring ; Cover my defenceless head With the shadow of Thy wing. Thou, O Christ, art all I want ; More than all in Thee I find ; Raise the fallen, cheer the faint, Heal the sick, and lead the blind. Just and holy is Thy Name, I am all unrighteousness : Vile, and full of sin I am. Thou art full of truth and grace. ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED 445 Plcntoous grace with Thoc is found — (Irace to cover all my sin : Let the healing streams abound ; Make me, keep me pure, within. Thou of life the luiuntain art, I'Veely let me take of Thee ; Spring Thou uji wilhin my heart, Rise to all eternity. With heads solemnly bowed for .1 tnoment, the benediction wa:. pronounced, and all that was mortal of I). L. Moody, the greatest evangelist of modern times, and one of the best men that ever lived was lying in the grave A Pl-ACI", or Rl.KSSING Roundtop has ever bet^n a place of blessing to the Northfield visitors. There each evening, when the conferences are in session, ds the day is dying out of the sky, IJible students gather to talk of the things concerning the Kingdom. At this point many of the young men and women of the various students' gatherings, which have been so intimately associated with Northfield, have decided their life work, and forth from this point they have gone to the ends of the earth to preach the Gospel. The old haystack at Williamstown figures no more conspicuously in the history of mis- sions than Roundtop figures in the lives of a countless number of Christians throughout the whole world. A. J. Gordon, of sainted memory, delivered some of his most telling addresses from this point. I recall one evening when he spoke of the Lord's return, and just as he finished he stood for a moment with his kindly face, all aglow with the power of his theme, and said, " I wish He might come now," and as we looked towards the west and saw the sunset glow upon everything it came to us as n regret that the Lord did not come at that instant, and that we fi 446 ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED must go clown from this mount of privilege to work and to wait, possibly through weary years until He should appear. From this point Mr. S. H. Hadley, Jerry Macauley's successor in the old Water Street Mission has told the story of his remarka- ble conversion, until people first sobbed in sympathy for him because of all that he had suffered through strong drink, and then praised God that He had raised him up such a miracle of grace and such a monument to His keeping power. Here Mr. John Willis Hacr has met the young people who were seeking to know what tlu;y must do to be used of God, and under the inlluence of tlic Spirit of God has pointed many a young man and young woman to the Spirit of God w'"«o could fill their lives and make them useful in every way. Indeed, every visitor to Northtield journeys to Roundtop, and every si)eaker at Northfield counted himself fortunate if he were permitted to gather the peo[)le about him and speak as once the Master did when He went up into a mountain. Rouxnrop Particularly IniiXTiFiEi) With Mr. Moody But Roundtop is particularly identified with Mr. Moody himself. It is situated just back of his home. It was the place where often he used to go for. meditation and prayer, and whatever it has been to friends of Northfield in the past, it shall be more sacred to them in the future, because it is the last resting place of the man whom they devotedly loved. I recall one picture w-hich can never be effaced from my memory. It was just at the close of one of the first days of the Northfield conference proper when it was announced that Mr. Moody would lead the Roundtop services, and as we were all gathered together singing, he came up. I can see him as plainly as I see my friend of to-day. He was carrying a chair in i a I s w •3 3 a 4 8 •a .13 15 I 3 a 3 -c a o u < H (0 O z >• > Q O O a H X O ROUNPTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED 449 u s •a I ■3 a o ■3 Hi 5f u 3 J ■o a o J5 4 H < H (A > > a o o s J H X a his hanil upon which he was to sit in the midst of his people. He had his old, worn Hible in the one hand, and with his face beaminj,^ with delight because so many people were there at the beginning of the conference, he said, " I will ask Mr. Jacobs to sing," and the great strong voice of the singer sounded out from that hilltop and came back to us like an echo from the hills, until some of us wondered whether we were in the body or not. *' Now, some one lead us in prayer," said the leader. " Now, let us sing," and there altogeth(;r we sang, he keeping time with his hymn-book. The hymn was " Christ Returneth " : It may be at morn, when the day is awaking, When siinliglU tlirungh darkness and shadow is breaking, That Jesus will come in the fulness of glory, To receive from the world " His own ". Chorus — I-ord Jesus, how long, how long I'.re we shout the glad song, Christ returneth TIallelujah, Hallelujah, Amen. Hallelujah, Amen. As the blessed words rolled out from the lips of those assem- bled there on that sacred hill, I remember how transported we all were with the bli.ss of that great truth, " Christ returneth !" The faces of those about me shone with joy, and there before us sat our beloved leader, the great factor of modern evangelism. He always seemed ready for Christ's coming, and I doubt if his joyful demeanor would have altered in the least, if at that moment the Heavens had opened. He was always ready because his consecration of himself to God was renewed with every breath, and attested by each suc- ceeding act in his life. When the singing was at an end, Mr. Moody opened his Bible, and said : " I have come up to-night, dear friends, in a spirit of praise and thankfulness, to give you just a few nuggets from the 45" KOVNDTOP, WlHiRli MR, MOODY WAS liUKIED mar^Mii of my Hiblt: ; you can take tlicjii clown if you like, and if i j;o too fast for you just stop inc." I stooil just behind his chair, and bc^Muninjr at Genesis he turned over the pav^es of his Bible, and (piickly I wrote tlowii wliat he had to say. The following is almost an exact report of that Roundtop meeting, and everything ri;corded here I have, at one time or another, heard him say : "Turn to Genesis and put this down," he said. Gi;Ni:sm. Adam illustrates Human nature. Cain " The carnal mind. Abel " The spiritual mind. Enoch '* Communion. Noah •* Regeneration. Abraham " I*'aith. Isaac " Sonship. Jacob. " Service. Joseph " Suffering and glory. " Now, let us go on to Exodus the third chapter, maybe you would like this. Objections raised by Moses for declining and avoiding God's call:- Lack of fitness. V. 1 1. " " words. V. 13. " " authority. Chap. 4:1. '* *' powers of speech. 4 : 10. ** " special adaptation. 4:13. " " success at first attempt. 5 : 23. '* " acceptance by Israelites. 6:12. " Have you ever noticed the seven feasts in Leviticus, twenty- third chapter ? I have long had it in my E ible. 451 KOUNDTOr, WIUIRI': MR. MOODY WAS UURIEU "Seven feasts :— 1. Sal)l)atli -Rest. 2. Passover - 1 )eath of Christ. 3 First-fruits - Resurrection. 4. Pentecost Descent of the I loly Spirit. 5. Trumpets Injratherin^r of Israel. 6. Atonement -Mourniniuj for sin. 7. Tabernacles- Christ's inchveilini; in the Christian. " Sin is an awful thin^;, let every man make a note of this Joshua 7 : Ji. "Steps in Aciian's sin : -- r . * I saw. ' 2. ' I coveted.' 3. * 1 took/ 4. ' I hit!.' Compare Hve, Gen. 3:6; Ananias, Acts 5 : i-ro. " How mean was the sin of Achan ! Me saw the Babylonish garment, and all the soldier in him withered up and he became a sneaking thief. " Here is a good thing on forgiven sin. Psalm 32. "Seven steps to blessedness of forgiven sin : — Conviction. Vs. 3, 4. Confession. V. 5. Forgiveness. V. 5. Prayer. V. 6. Protection. V. 7. Guidance. Vs. 8, 9. Joy. Vs. 10, 11. "Here are seven things God will do for the believer. I find th^m in the 91st Psalm. • I will deliver him.' Vs. 14, 15. 452 ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOOD.' WAS BURIED ' I will set him on high.* V. 14. ' I will answer his call.' V. 15. ' I will be with him in trouble.* V. 15. ' I will honor him.' V. 15. ' I will satisfy him.' V. 16. *I will show him my salvation.' V. 16. " Now 1^. us find something in the New Testament. Look at Matt. 7. "In this chaptei' we have : — Two gates — strait, and wide ; Two ways — broad, and narrow ; Two classes — many, and few ; Two destinations — life, and destruction ; Two trees— good, and corrupt ; Two fruits — good, and evil ; Two things done to trees — hewn down, and cast out • Two houses ; Two foundations — rock, and sand ; Two builders — wise, and foolish ; Two storms ; Two result?; — the one house stood, the other fell. " 1 found tiiis somewhere ; does anyone want it ? "Christ was foretold to : — Adam — as a man. Gen: 3:15. Abraham — as to His nation. Gen. 22 : 18. Jacob — as to His tribe. Gen. 49: 10. Isaiah — "^s to His family. Isa. 11: 1-5. Micah — a? to His town. Micah 5:2, Daniel — as to His time. Dan. 9: 25. Mary — as to His person. Luke i: 30. ROUNDTOP, WHEKE MR. MOODY IV, iS BURIED 453 By iin^rels— as to His date. Luke 2 : 1 1. By ;i star— as to His birthplace. Matt. 2:9. " Here is an outline for a sermon. Let the ministers put it down. Luke 10: 42. ' One thing is needful ' — the Gospel. 'One thing I know.' John 9 : 25. 'One thing have I desired.' I's. 27: 4 'One thing I do.' Phil. 3: 13, 14. 'Not one thing hath failed.' Josh. 2;, : 14. ' Be not ignorant of this one thing.' 2 Peter -, : 8 'One thing tiu'u lackest.' ^L^rk 10: 21. " Hen: is something about the Prodigal Son." Luki; 15. His contlition- -'in want.' V. 14. His conviction — ' came to himself.' V. 17 His confidence — ' I will arise.' V. 18. His confession— • I have sinned.' V. 18. His contrition — ' no more worthy.' V. 19. His conversion- ' He arose and came.' V. 20. "Turning-points in his life : — Sick of home. Vs. 12, 13. 1 lomesick. V^s. 17-19. Home. Vs. 20-24. Sequel. Vs. 25-32. "Six cases of iikmi "afar off from God: The prodigal. Chap. 15 : 13. The rich man. Chap 16 : 23. The ten lepers. Chap. 17 : 12. The publican. Chap. 18:13. The l)eggar. Cha[). iS : 40. Peter. Chap. 22 : 54. 454 ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED " God's Word gives us a picture such as we find in no other place, turn to John, sixth chapter. " Seven classes of people : I Curious. V. 2. 2. Admiring. V. 14. 3. Greedy. V. 26. 4. Skeptical. V. 36. 5. Murnuirers. V. 41 6. Scoffers, V. 52, 7. Backsliders. V. 66.. •' I have found much help in Hebrews. Note this ; — Sin is met by Atonement. Chap, i : 3. Guilt is met by justification. 2 : 9. Defilement is met by sanctification. 2 : 11.. Alienation is met by reconciliation. 2:17. Temptation is met by succor. 2:18. "Christ communicates eternity of existence to everything he touches : — His throne is ior ever and ever. Heb. i : 8. His salvation is eternal. 5:9. His priesthood is unchangeable. 7 : 24 His redemption is eternal. 9:12 His inheritance is eternal. 9 : 15. His kingdom cannot be moved. 1 2 : 28 His covenant is everlasting. 13 : 20. " The key word of Hebrews is ' better ; ' see how many times it occurs. Better hope. Chap. 7 : 19. Better Testa'- cnt. -j : 22. Better covenant. 8 : 6. Better pro ;ises. 8 ' 6. ROUNDTOP, WHERE MR. MOODY WAS BURIED 455 Better sacrifices. 9 : 23. Better substance. 10 : 34. Better resurrection. 1 1 : 35. Better country. 11 : 16. Better things. 1 2 : 24." When it was too dark for him to see, the well-marked Bible was closed, and he offered such a prayer as I have rarely heard, thanking God that He had permitted us to come to Northfield, and asking Him that He might make it more of a blessing than ever before in all its history. This is but a specimen service of Round- top, and if the trees which s'-ind there could speak, they would tell as thrilling a story of scc.ies witnessed there as has ever been pressed into human language, and now from this time on, pilgrims will journey to Northfield and to this the new heart of the old town, because in this grave lies the body of a man who yielded himself absolutely to God, who had only one supreme desire, and that was that he might glorify Him. The words of the poet certainly describe him in his life : " The strong man's strength to toil for Cl.rist, The fervent preacher's skill, I sometimes wish but better far To be just what God will. No service in itself is small, None great, though earth it fill, But that is small whicl. seeks its own. That great tvhich seeks God's will." D. L. Moody was a mighty man, because, he sought, as nearly as any man I have ever seen, to do the will of God. i I ' t 1 i CHAPTICR XXIX. Memorial Services Tl I M announcciiKMU of tin.' death of JMr, Moody was a sliock to main' ihousaiuls. Xiiincrous telcgraiiis of condolence which were sent to tlu; ])ereaved family from all the quarters of the world fxpresstd but faintly the sense of loss which affected not onl\' those who had known him personally, Ijut also a great follow- ing of those who hat.! known him only through his work. Hun- clretis of memorial services wen; held. Ihe r i; • O .1 •52 5 •^ c i. c ^£ 51: ^ r. T cr c - I ii ill: I \\ we \ ere coming along Madison Avenue at half-past twelve o'clock, going home from one of those great meet- ings in Madison Square. We had been kept there by thos*? who insisted upon getting advice from Mr. Moody, and, as we were moving along, a gentleman came up from behind and said, ' Mr. Moody, how shall I accept Christ and change my life?' He turned in the moonlight, and standing there on the corner he said a few sharply-cut, kindly words, and he put the truth so (;arn(!Stly to that man that there was no getting away from it, and the man's heart was changed from that day. " I was privileged to be with him at those great meetings at the Haymarket, London, and what struck me and suri)rised me most was the number of educated and cultivated people who came there — the large number of literary people who came there to hear Mr. Moody. The great majority of them did not believe in religion, and they came to hear and enjoy his clean-cut English phraseology. His work at Cambridge and Oxford and in the ^^2 MEMORIAL SI :R VICES universities was simply wonilerful. When he went to Oxford and Cambridj^e they determined to run him out of the town ; they did not want that kind of a man there, and before they knew him and had heard him they were utterly opposed to his methods. But his coumj^e and his straij^htforwardness conquered them, and the number of youn^ men, not only in those universities but over all the world, whose lives have been influenced for the better by Mr. Moody's work we will never know until we get into another and In.'tter world. His schools at Northfield are models of organization and thoughtfulness. I trust that they will be carried on as a memorial to him. '* What touched me more than anything else in Mr. Moody's character was his extreme modesty about himself. He was the most masterful man I ever knew ; when it came to the guidance and instruction of others, he was like a general, managing his army ; but when it came to himself he was a most modest man. I was privileged to be in the house with him during all the time of those great meetings at Madison Square. I never heard him ai)preciate himself once ; you would never have known he had anything to do with those meetings ; time after time he said to his friends : * My only wonder is that God can use so feeble an instrument as I, to do his work.' His views became broader as he grew older and his prejudices, of which he had many in his early life, were thrown off. I iiave heard him say, * I am ashamed of myself ; you know I have always talked about the extravagance and worldliness of the women in New York ; it has been the theme of many of my talks in many places, but I have been here now several days ; I have been on the East Side and on the West Side ; I have been where the schools are which these women are conducting, and I want to say that I have never known so much self-sacrifice and devotion as is shown by these women, and I am ashamed of what I have said.' I have MHAfOKIAL SER VICES 4<'^3 heard him say, 'You know that I have had great prejudice against the Roman Catholic Church, but I am ashamed of it ; I have had some opportunity of noting lately that among the churches where Christ is preached there is none where He s preached so simply and where His cross is held up as it is in the Catholic churches.' I mention these incidents simply to show how he had thrown off his earlier prejudices." The next speaker was to have been the Hon. John Wana- maker, but illness prevented his attendance, and at his request Mr. Sankcy was asked to take his place. After leading the hymn, "Saved by Grace," Mr. Sankey gave the audience an account of the funeral services at Northficid and the incidents attending that ceremony. Mr. John R. Mott's Address Mr. John R. Mott, the next speaker, one of the leading Chris- tian Association workers in the world said : ** Among some people the impression exists that Mr. Moody did not exert a great and marked influence upon thinking young men and women. This is a great mistake ; there is no class over which Mr. Moody exerted a greater and more helpful or more continuous influence than over the students of this and other countries. He was one of the main factors of that great spiritual awakening at Princeton in 1876 and 1877, resulting in the conversion of 100 young men, and marked the impulse of the movement that led to the Christian Association among the colleges of this country and Canada. When the suggestion was made that an actual conference of college men should be held, it was the influence, co-operation, and leadership of Mr. Moody that made it a fact, and the gathering at Mount Hermon in 1886, which has since convened from year to year, has extended from Northfield to other parts of the country ; until now we have some 1,200 young men from the universities and 2R .1; I ! ii. • V IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 4i. 1.0 !|K« « ! I.I 1.25 2.5 1^ ^ .,. III! - 6" 2.2 i '- 1^ lil 1-4 1 1.6 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14S80 (716) 872-4503 V life than that of these conferences. Be it understood that these are conferences, not of the rank and file of the students, but of the young men and women selected by the other students to become leaders in the organized work of Christ in the colleges and univer- sities. Yale will send this year fifty, or one hundred, young men to be leaders in the committees and Christian societies; Harvard will send a large delegation, and Princeton will send hardly less than forty. Bryn Mawr and other young women's schools will send their full delegations to take their part as leaders in the work of Christ. The Student's Volunteer Mission movement had its origin in these meetings, and under the leadership of Mr. Moody. God used Mr. Moody for the purpose, and he seemed to generate the atmosphere which created this Divine movement as projected into foreign fields. The great increase in our Bible classes from 2,000 to 12,000 within a comparatively short time is traceable directly to these annual con- ferences under Mr. Moody's leadership. There is no sign which is attended with greater promise to the Church of God than this one. " By his services to students, has the work of evangelism been most advanced. The greatest revivals ever known at Oxford and Cambridge were led by Moody. The most notable awakening at the University of Virginia was during the work of Mr. Moody. The last work among students which he performed, the last work of this description, was at the Yale revival, where twenty or thirty young men acknowledged their fnith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Who MEMORIAL SERVICES 465 can measure what he accompHshed ! Henry Drummond worked among students, and we might add twenty other name ■; ; and many of these men to-day are having access to lives and hearts of col- lege men in this and other countries for the reason of Mr. Moody's lasting inflijence upon them. " You ask me what is the secret of this influence of his amontj thinking young men and young women. I find it more espec> ially in his matchless knowledge of the human heart. After that it seems to me that his most marked influence v/as in his wonderful honesty. If he didn't know a thing he said, ' I don't know.' That gave him the intelligent confidence of the students. Then again his freedom from cant or professionalism gave them additional confidence in him. I have known students to go to his meetings in a critical frame of mind with the purpose of analyzing his methods ; I have seen them subdued, almost without exception, by his matchless sympathy and heart power. He appealed to the heroic and self-sacrificing in young men, and then there was over all this and through it all that without which his results and work would be unexplainable, the fact of his abounding fidelity and spiritual life, due to the fact that he was a God-possessed man. I find in these the secret of his great success. " It was most proper and fitting that his body should be placed at rest on Roundtop ; that one spot in all the wide world most gloriously and sacredly associated with his teachings and the influences of his life-work. " His going from us leaves a great gap; but I am reminded of the words of Henry Drummond on the death of a friend, when he wrote to a classmate : ' We must close up the ranks and work hard."' The Chairman introduced the Rev. Dr. Theodore Cuyler as one of Mr. Moody's earliest friends and co-laborers. Dr. Cuyler said : 466 MEMORIAL SERVICES " The most unique and extraordinary Gospel preacher that America has produced in this century has gone up to his resplen- dent crown. It was accorded to our Moody to meet and influence more men and women than any other man in modern times. Spur- geon, in his fearless way, spoke once a week, but Moody spoke seven times a week — to 40,000 or 50,000 souls in a week. Our dear brother was more endeared to us because he was such a thorough typical American. He had tasted of the soil, and smelt of the New Hnirland fields. \v Dr. Cuyler Compares Moody and Lincoln " If I were called on to name the two most typical Americans of the century-men who have risen from obscurity to world- wide renown — the one a brilliant statesman and the other a model preacher — I should not hesitate to name Abraham Lincoln and Dwight L. Moody. When a nation's life is to be pre- served and its liberties maintained. Almighty God calls a poor boy from the log cabin in Kentucky ; cradles him in the school of hardship and gives him the Great West for his only university, and then annoints him to lead us through a sea of blood to the Cat.aan of freedom. In like manner God called the humble farmer boy from the banks of the Connecticut, gave him as his education only one book — the book which schooled him with the spirit of Jesus Christ — and then sent him out as a herald of salva- tion. Lincoln and Moody were alike in the gift of a remarkable common sense. Neither one of them ever committed a serious mistake. They were alike in being masters of simple, strong, Anglo-Saxon speech, the language of the Bible and of Bunyan, the language of the plain people. Lincoln's heart gushed out in sympathy to all sorts and conditions of men and made him die best loved man in American history. Moody's big loving heart, I' lili i i t- 1 I; .ijji ■' ;-t. i '■\i MEMORIAL SERVICES 469 fired with a love of Jesus Christ, made him a master of human emotions, touching the fount of tears in thousands of hearts, and often bringing weeping multitudes before his pulpit. P^inally, Lincoln, the liberator, went up to his martyred crown, holding the shattered manacles in his hand. Moody, the liberator, the liber- ator of immortal souls, fell the other day as a martyr from over- whelming work — went to be greeted at the gates of glory by the thousands he had led from the cross to the crown. " Ere I take my seat, let me say what may not be known to all of you. On the Sabbath before our brother started for Kansas City he delivered his last sermon in New York in yonder Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church. In that discourse, as if already the preliminary shadow was falling, he uttered this wonderful sentence : *You may read in the papers that Moody is dead ! It will not be so ! God has given me the g'ft of life everlasting.' "Thank God, Moody is alive! Moody lives! His spirit is to-day in this hall where he lifted up Jesus. I hear that trumpet voice calling on the pastors and churches of New York to seek the seat of prayer, the baptism of fire, that shall kindle this city and set, perhaps, the nation aflame. " One other message and I am done. Our beloved brother who has just left us said : ' Five and twenty years ago, in my native village of Northfield, I planted two Christian schools for the training of boys and maidens in Christian living and consecra- tion as teachers and missionaries of Jesus Christ. I bequeath as my legacy those training schools for Jesus to the churches of America, and I only ask, I only ask that visitors to the beautiful native village where I shall slumber on consecrated ground, when they go there shall not be pained by the melancholy sight of the ruins of these schools, but rather that they shall be rejoiced by seeing them as two glorious lighthouses of the Lord beaming out 47" MEMORIAL SERVICES truth and kintlncss over the world.' My beloved brother, the answer of the Churches of God in America will be : ' We will ! We will ! We will perpetuate those training schools of Jesus as a splendid, magnificent, fervont memorial of our beloved Dwight Lyman Moody.' " Mk. R. V. CuTTINCl's RliMAKKS The next speaker was Mr. Robert Fulton Cutting. He said : "It is a good many years since I last saw Mr. Moody, in his own home, surrounded by his family, and I have been a great deal richer man since I had that experience. I do not know any man who touched me more than he did. He lacked many of those elements of elocjuence which go to make up a great public speaker. He did not have much of poetic fire, glowing rhetoric, or elocu- tionary cadence, but his manner was so direct, so straightforward, so honest, that he seemed to speak to everything human in his audience — everything that was righteous. He seemed to know mankind as very few people do. And he came to this knowledge not by exhaustive analysis, not by psychological formula:, but he seemed to be able to see into a man's heart because of the transparency of his own nature ; because he was so unconsciously honest, so perfectly frank, so courteous, that men and women showed to him what they would not show to others, because they could not hide it from him. He knew mankind, he knew what human life was, and the brilliancy of his own work shone through and through them. " I was especially impressed at the Northfield conference by one incident. Mr. Moody had been speaking at one of the meet- ings, and had gone to one of the rooms. Mr. Sankey, who will probably remember the incident, gave out as one of the hymns — one, I think, that belongs to the old Gospel Hymn Book No. 2, — 'I feel like singing all the time.' ' I only give that hymn out because MEMORIAL SERVICES 47' Mr. Moody has left the room ', he said. * I Ic won't let me sinL,^ that hymn ; he does not believe in singinj^ all the time.' So ifwas that Mr. Moody knew perfectly well that the men or women whose lives were made up of uninterrupted singing knew very little of the gravity of human life, and v is waiting for experiences which would temporarily chill them. II' gained access to the h 'arts of men and women because he dealt with ihem in a common-sense way. That is the way he completely disarmed all criticism. No man who has played so large a part on the stage of our religious history was so far above criticism as was Mr. Moody. He knew only one doc- trine — that ' God so loved the world that He gave his only begot- ten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have eternal life.' He knew only one heretic in the world, and that was the unconverted man or woman. Every man with thi: love of God in his heart was at home with him. In the midst of all his successes, what a wonderful testimony it was to that man's greatness that he never seemed to have any perception of himself. Like the great master, Michael Angelo, he always so arrani^-ed the liirhts in his life that his own shadow should not fall upon his work. He did not know himself. He knew his field ; he knew his God ; but he did not know himself, — because he forgot himself when he first made up his mind what his life work was to be. That was the source of his power. " We are going now to lay our little tributes upon his tomb. If he is gone out of our natural life, he has not gone out of our eternal memories. What he has done for us in making us richer, we will endeavor, in our way, to do for others also." The Rev. Dr. David J. Burrell, of the Marble Collegiate Church, was the next speaker. His words were : *' A good man has gone and we cannot be sorry. We cannot tcepteat the liturgy of death, ' Man that is born of woman is of 11 f : 473 MEAfORIAL SERVICES few days and full of trouble ; he cometli up as a flower and is cut down.' We are saying, ' Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and all that is within me bless His Holy Name. Bless the Lord, O my Soul, and forget not all His benefits.' It was a wonderful death, was it not ? ' Earth is receding ; Heaven is opening; God is calling.' Was he 'thinking of the poet's words : " 'The world recedes ; it disappears ; Heaven opens on mine eyes ; mine ears With sounds seraphic ring? T,end, lend your wings ! I mount ! I fly ! O grave where is thy victory, O death, where is thy sting?' "It should have been a wonderful death, for it was a wonderful life that went before it. As I have been sitting here, the words that Dr. Pierson read out of Moody's book, have been hammering at my heart, ' One thing I do ; one thing I do.' This was the domina- ting power in Mr. Moody's life, an absolute singleness of purpose. He looked into the face of Jesus Christ, who came into the world to do one thing ; and, following the Master's text, he said, ' This one thing I also do.' " I met Mr. Moody when I was a Theological student, thirty- one years ago, in Chicago. I roomed in F"arwell Hall, in which Mr. Moody preached, and his apartments were on the floor below me. The Hall took fire one morning, and burned slowly but surely through the forenoon. I busied myself in removing per- sonal effects and otherwise, until at last, driven out, I found myself coatle; i and hatless in the street. A cordon had formed around in front, but there stood Mr. Moody with a bundle of handbills under his arms ; he called me, saying, ' Take these and distribute them.' I looked at the bill. It read, ' Our Beautiful House is Burned; The Noon-day Meeting will be held at the Clark Street MEMOIUAI. SERVICES 473 Methodist Church.' I asked, ' V» here are your wife and chil- dren?' lie replied, *I saw them safe.* * And your personal effects?' * O, never mind them,' he said, 'Our meeting must go on.' This was the spirit of the man, 'One thing I do.' "We cannot better perpetuate his memory than hyco[)yini; his enthusiasm. I mean to build him a monument, please God, in my ministerial life, by devoting myself most earnestly to the Master's work. I believe I shall love the Bible better, because he loveil it so; I believe I shall honor the Holy Ghost more, because he honored Him so; I believe I shall look more affectionately upon the Face so marred, yet so divinely beautiful, because he loved it so. My brethren in the service of Christ, if we revere the memory of this man, let us do the one great thing with more earnestness than ever. It IS it "'Time wuikcth ; Let iiic work loi» ! Time undocth ; l.ct mc do ! I'lisy as time my work I'll ply '["ill r rest in the rest of Kternity. Sin workelh ; l,et me work too I Sin undoeth ; Let me do ! IJiisy as sin my work I'll i)ly Till I rest in the rest of I'^lernity I Death worketh ; Let me work tool Death undoeth ; Let me do ! Ihisy as death my work I'll ply Till I rest in the rest of Eternity.' " Dk. Dixon's Ki-o(^uent Triuute The Rev. A. C. Dixon, who for years had been close to Mr. Moody, was the next speaker. He said : " There was no need that D. L. Moody should ever perform a miracle. He was a miracle. Miracle is God at work ; and God il 474 MEMORIAL SERVICES Almighty worked through Dwight L. Mooily, who showed to the vvorKl, as it seems to me no other man has shown in this generation, the difference between inlliience and power, lie began without in- lluence ; he became inlluential through power. He did not magnify the inlluences of power and of money and of organization, education and position ; but his trust was in God, and the power of Moody's life wns God Himself at work. Jesus was not a man of inlluence ; lit; made Himself of no reputation but of powM. Paul and .Silas did not have enough inlluence to keep out of jail, but they had power enough after they were in jail to shake the doors open and walk out ; and Moody was gifted with the power that could shake the iloors open. I always felt when I left Moody, not like praising Moody, but like praising God. It seemed to me that I could feel antl see the throbbing of God, of God's love, God's sympathy, God's great-heartedness, as I came in contact with this wonderful man. He incarnated those words : ' God is able ; God is powerful, all powerful.' And God did mighty works through Moody because of his belief. He enabled God — I speak it reverently. Omnipo- tence stood helpless because of unbelief ; but God worked through Moody because he believed. I saw some time ago a great steam- engine, throbbing with power, but it could do nothing because a bolt was broken and the power was cut off. Moody furnished the bolt ; he linked himself with Almighty God, and God worked through him because he trusted in His word and in His Spirit and in His Son. " The life work of our friend was so simple. He had a heart that took him into the great assemblies, into the great cities, the great countries and the great weld, making not only a sphere but an atmosphere for Jesus. We sp(;ak of the modesty and humility of Moody ; and the philosophy of his humility, I am impressed, was this : He always stood in the presence of some great undertaking, MEMORIAL SERl'ICIiS 475 some wumlcrful uniinishctl work of Gotl, aiul the work before liiin was so h\)r that he could liardly see Moody ; lie could simply see the; work to be done and the (iod that could ilo it, and he felt hon- ored in beinj,^ the instri';nent of Ciod in its execution. HrethrcMi, he always consiilered himself as the mere instrument of ("jocI, and he never thouj^dit to take any of the glory of his work to himself. 1 am afraid that many of us are too well satisfied ; we j^ret puffi-d up witli vanity and pride, with the little bit that we have done ; we have not undertaken enough for (iod. Moody fought for evangelization of the cities and of the world, and if Ciod will lift us unto his feet anil just let us see Mini as Moody saw llini, we shall be humiliated, expecting a blessing from Mini. " I believe in the educational work established by Mr. Moody. God prosper the schools ! May Goil lead some of the millionaires to lay millions upon that altar, and do it (juickly, the more (juickly the better for the glory of God. But education with Mr. Moody was the result of evangelism, and not evangelism the result of education. Education was an incident of his life, and education was established through his evangelism ; and my prayer is that iMoody may be projected into the future, and that those schools may be supported by evangelism. Not only by wealtl y men giving their millions, but by pastors praying for them, do I hope that this two-fold work of Moody's will be continued until we shall meet him in glory. •' ' Within the next twelve months,' if Moody were standing on this platform, I believe he would say, ' Within the next twelve months we shall preach the Gospel to every creature in Greater New York.' Let that be the watch-word for 1900! The politicians can reach all the voters in three months, and I believe that Chris- tian people can reach every sinner in Greater New York within the next twelve months. We can bring the Gospel to the people III 476 MEMORIAL SERVICES in the home and on the street — the Word of God Himself — and the worlc of the Church will make God wake them up. Let us bring the Gospel to the people everywhere — in the homes, in the churches, in the theatres, on the streets. If we are to perpetuate Moody's work, it will be by taking Christ into the homes and the hearts of the people. " Remember the Word of God to Joshua, the man who was to meet danger : ' Be strong and of good courage ; ' and it needs couraijfe to meet swords and bullets. Remember God's words to Solomon, the man who was to meet difficulties in building the temple ; ' Be strong and of good courage ;' and it takes a finer fibre of courasjfe to meet obstacles than to meet bullets, it takes more real bravery to overcome the obstacles that beset the Christian's path than to climb San Juan Hill or storm Manila or Santiago; it takes more than courage to meet the obstacles and labor of carry- ing the Gospel to the millions. Moody never faltered under difficulty, because he believed his God was equal to any emergency. Listen to these words of God, ' Moses, my servant, is dead ; ari.je therefore and pass over Jordan.' " God help us to carry on the work that he laid down and do it in the strength of his Almighty God !" Till-: ClIARACTKRIZATION 15V Du. BuCKLEV The Rev. Dr. J. M. Buckley then spoke as follows : " We go to the Bible for sublime passages, and those who understand the great book go to it for strange passages. The strangest memorial note in all literature is to be found in the Bible concerning a certain king who reigned in Israel eight years, and the -pitaph proposed for him is this, 'and he departed without being desired.' us he Lte he to els to he )re Dre ns It •ry- der cv. i.je do /ho ble the ing .;',.L,,'---'A-^]?^.7^ Ti.I. ■,..->:)■ .■-..■^s(sw. ..- •-■-.■.•.,>•■ "••>..•.■' ■!:.■• -■.'.■ . .^.' ;5^.^i^«•?>4<•. ^^^^^?- S^-a»~ :i.-^i&-.;:'; M^i i^l^ 's*E .;•!*; //.^ (^3 •TSiTiK > • . r??K;, .'Wiu-^-.,. ■t-»:-..-ttj*. ••«;3'- H-«t; ■fe%^ MR. MOODY'S BIBLE showiiit; murks and aniiotatiuiis by the evangelist. MR. MOODY'S DOG. Kveryune who saw the evangelist »n the streets of Nurthtield during rcceut years vill remember this faithful dog, always at his heels. MEMORIAL SERVICES 479 *' What a contrast between such a career and that which has called us here ! Our friend died when he was most desired ; desired to maintain those wondrous Bible Conferences ; desired as a nucleus of undenominational activity ; desired to sustain those educational institutions which he had founded ; desired to raise up more workers imbued with his spirit ; desired to dart to and fro through the country to awaken communities, to snap the chains of conventionalism, to elicit and evoke the tremendous latent forces of the Church, and to unite Christians in the only way in which they can ever be united ; — by a firm and unswerving belief in the funda- mental principles of the Gospel he developed, and in active, soul- saving, consecrated labor. At this hour 13. L. Moody was called away. " To attend a meeting of this sort sometimes produces sin- gular effects. Persons are heated by the Scriptures, and by their own rhetoric, until at last one would think it a jubilation, and from a great memorial meeting in this city a gentleman retired saying, ' I was sad when I went there, but I don't know now that it makes any great difference.' According to these speeches, God is going to take care of His own work. The fact is the New Testament never teaches that we should not be sad. On the contrary, when Epaphroditus was sick, St. Paul wrote to the Philippians and told them that Epaphroditus longed after them because they had heard that he had been sick. And the Apostle said, ' indeed he was sick, nigh unto death ; but God had mercy on him, and not on him only, but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow.' The real feeling is midway between jubilation and the sorrow of the world that worketh death. It is a great loss ; to human eyes it is a dread- ful and in a certain aspect of the case an irreparable loss. " How are we going to prove that any preacher has the Spirit of God ? Will oratorical preaching, will pathetic preaching, will 48o MEMORIAL SERVICES persuasive preaching demonstrate that he has the Spirit ? Is the power of discerning spirits left in the Church ? Did not some of the most famous evangelists the world ever saw fall into the very depths of iniquity and sin ? Did not the author of that wondrous hymn, ' Come, ye sinners, poor and needy', spend twelve years in the most dreadful depth of depravity, and go mourning all his days after he emerged from it ? Have we not in our day known men absolutely to renounce the doctrines they held when they were most prosperous as evangelists, and confess with brazen face that in the very midst of their greatest efforts and success they did not believe what they were supposed to believe ? How then shall a man prove that he has the Spirit of God ? He must prove it by a long career, by a spotless reputralon, by meeting men face to face as well as upon the rostrum, and by the men who have slept with him, and traveled with him, and prayed with him, and suffered in evil report as well as in good report. These men must stand up, and be able to declare in the face of God, and in the presence of men, that this man all through this period lived as he professed, prayed as he professed, preached as he professed, denied himself as he professed. And then, if God gives such a wondrous death to that man as this, we have evidence probable and conclusive that he was a man of God. " But, my brethren, you catmot undertake to show that D. L. Moody did just what any other man could do, if he only had enough of the Spirit. Could God do as much by Peter in the same way that He could with Paul ? What kind of a speech would Peter have made at Mars Hill to the Epicureans and the Stoics ? He would, perhaps unconsciously, unless a special miracle had been wrought, have gotten himself into very great difficulty. He did it on several occasions, and had not learned better until the threshold of the crucifixion, v/hen he smote off an ear in the MEMORIAL SERVICES 481 ty. [til he excess of ill-regulated zeal. The fact in the case is that God by nature endowed Mr. Moody in an astonishing manner with regard to his mere body. There was a man in Connecticut who loved and adored Mr. Moody, and he invariably amused himself in this way, sitting in the cars. When Mr. Moody came in he would say, 'Do you know him? That is Huntington, the greatest railroad man in this country.' Never did he hear one word of question from the men who had never seen Huntinrfton. At other times he would suggest he was a Western Judge. In every case every man seemed to think it exactly right. They saw that tremendous head, monster chest, prompt, intense, direct action, a man obviously born to command. This same man invariably told people after- ward before they left him, for he was a Christian, ' No, that is not Mr. Huntington ; it is Mr. Moody ;' and their curiosity was greatly excited. But D. L. Moody never reminded any other man of another man, in the ordinary sense of the term. All tlie hutnility of Mr. Moody was before God. He never was humble in his dealings with Mr. Sankey. He never was humble in his deal- ings with any man that he undertook to deal with. If ever there was a man self-confident under God, D. L. Moody was the man. " Physically many men reminded other men of Mr. Moody. That undefinabie personality that will not show in a photograph, and cannot be painted in oil, was in Mr. Moody, and it went out of his eyes, and out of his head. He came up to me one day in a parlor car, and struck me on the shoulder and said, ' You look about the same as you did when,' — and he mentioned a long period of time that need not be repeated here. A man came up and said, 'Who was that?' Said I, 'That is D. L. Moody." 'I thought,' said the stranger, ' it was Henry Wilson,' and there was a very great physical resemblance between the Vice-President and Mr. Moody. \ I I. !■■ 483 MEMORIAL SERVICES " Then this man had what is seldom found in men indined to corpulence, — immense activity. He was more active than the average man of medium size. " He could improve, and that was one of his glories. Two hundred years from now the extreme higher critics will be trying to prove that there were two Moodys, and they will do it by getting up the language word by word, and sentence by sentence, that Mr. Moody uf J when he began in Chicago. They will make a parallel of that with the highly improved style of his later years. Some persons say Mr. Moody was not a cultivated orator. Note that passage quoted by Drummond, observe that when in London he described the ascension of Elijah several parliamentary orators arose to their feet and looked in the air after the ascending prophet. Take his sublime eulogy of Joseph of Arimathea, delivered in this house less than a year ago. Not far from yonder box sat a bishop noted for sound judgment, and he said, ' That is a piece of work any man might be proud of.' " Nearly twenty-five years ago the gentleman who presides to-day sat on the platform in the Hippodrome. A very strange scene took place in the City of New York. We hsve read the Arabian Nights* entertainment, we remember that a certain Caliph used to go about in disguise, and marvelous are the extraordinary tales told of him. But at that time New York beheld an emperor, an emperor of a great territory, which is to be in the future one of the greatest empires of the world, unless it remains permanently ^ republican. I refer to Dom Pedro, the Emperor of Brazil. He went on the platform and took the seat vacated by Mr. Dodge and sat there. Two-thirds of the audience knew who he was, but the man of the occasion was Mr. Moody, and he was preaching thv°n and there. What did he do ? Did he exhibit that fawninr and obsequious bow that many persons do when the President appears, irl la s h MEMORIAL SERVICES 483 or even a Secretary of State ? Mr. Moody never referred to Dom Pedro, but he introduced into the midst of his discourse these words: 'What will you do with Jesus? What will you do with Jesus ? An emperor cannot buy Heaven, but he can have it as a free gift,' and after he said that he paused, and Dom Pedro bowed his assent, and afterwards remarked to the gentleman who wrote the account, ' That is a man to be heard and to be believed.' " Mr. Moody was a personality. That personality is now invisible. It will disappear. You and I will remember him, and those who have seen him will remember him, but we belong to a vanishing generation. Who can go through Westminster Abbey without a guide-book, and know much about a great many that are there ? Very few. The personality of Mr. Moody will be totally forgotten, as has been the personality to a large extent of Jacob Knapp, and of Charles G. Pinney, and a great many others ; to the present generation they are but names. There is but one way to prevent the personality of Moody from entirely disappearing. It is by the perpetuation of those schools, and the maintenance of their spirit. God forbid that those schools should ever follow in the wake of Harvard Divinity School and of some others ! Mr. Moody had his prejudices, but I heard him declare that he would fellow- ship with everybody who believed himself a sinner and trusted in Christ. ' But,* said he, ' God being my helper, I never will fellow- ship a man who denies the Deity of my God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, or sneers at His atonement.' "There was a man who spent his life in traducing the Bible, in caricaturing the ministry, in making audiences as large as this, laugh at our holy faith. That man boasted that he would have his stenographer with him when he died, that none could misrepresent his last words. He had a painless death. He never had to meet the king of terrors. No man whispered in his ear, 'You are about 96 I n if il 1 ;■■ 484 MEMORIAL SERVICES to die. Does your faith sustain you ? ' He died and left the most deplorable scene of unconsolable grief that the world ever saw. Our Moody was told that he must die. What then ? O, the blessing of the manner of his death to the Church ! God showed, I believe, in a peculiar way for the Church and for him that ' Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.' There is something worse in this world than agnosticism, something worse than blank infidelity. It is the practical effects of a belief that we cannot be sure of the future. There are some hopeless words from * In a Persian Garden', that I heard sung with sweeter voices than are often heard in the sanctuary, at a private entertain- ment, and at the close a young lady was heard to say, ' Well, perhaps that is all there is to it.' " There were those in the time of Paul who said, ' Let us eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow we die.' Ah, if there were no life afterward I too would drink anything that would make me oblivious of my doom ! But listen ! listen ! listen ! ' I heard a voice from Heaven saying to me, Write : Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them.' " Farewell, beloved brother ! Farewell, stalwart friend ! Fare- well, all men's friend ! We shall see thee at last, but not in the flesh; for didst thou not thyself say, ' My body to the dust, my soul to the God who sjavc it.' " At the conclusion of Dr. Buckley's remarks, Mr. Sankey sang a memorial hymn, written by him for the occasion, the whole assemblage joining in the chorus. The ceremonies were then closed with the benediction by the Rev. J. Balcolm Shaw. CHAPTER XXX. Appreciations by Eminent Friends THE estimation in which Mr. Moody was held by his co- workers, and others who knew liim, will testify perhaps most fittingly to his wonderful personality. Many of the follow- ing tributes were written in response to i'^'juiri::s made by The Christian Endeavor World. ♦* He was a convincing example of the priesthood of the people, and led out the laity into fields of unsuspected Christian usefulness. Edwards, Payson, Caughey, Inskip, Moody: the greatest of these was Moody."— i^^j;. D. //. Moore, D. A, Cincin- nati, Ohio. " Mr. Moody was a man of the utmost sincerity, clear faith and strong constitution. He knew men, and was a man of common sense. He was a preacher, simple, direct and interesting. I believe that he gave a strong uplift to the religious life of America and Great V>x\^7i\^:'—VViUiamLatvrence, Protcsta^it Episcopal Bishop of Massachusetts. "In the most entire and utmost way, Mr. Moody exhibited and lived for and preached Jesus Christ at once God and Brother. His success in that preaching is only an illustration of the fact that such Gospel appeals to and meets a.> nothing else can, the needs of the human heart. His last words were: 'The earth recedes, Heaven opens.' Those may be our last words also if, as he did, we trust and serve his Lord, who is at once Lord and Brother."— Rev. Wayland Hoyt, D. Z>., Philadelphia, Pa. 4S5 486 APPRECIATIONS fi) ^MINEN't FRIENDS ••In Christ His life was a i^ood fii^Mit of faith. His work was a long labor of love. His death was a full triumph of hope. His memory is a strong inspiration to service. His reward is an inlicritancc of glory With Christ." —Rev. ITcnry J \vi Dyke, D. D. Nc2u York, N. Y. " He is, in my opinion, the greatest evangelist since White- field, and since thi; Apostle Paul there has been no man who has preaclied to so great a multitude and led so many to Christ. 'I'o the end of time Mr. Moody's teachings will last. The simplicity of his words went direct to the heart of common men. His con- scientiousness, his enthusiasm, his inspired common sense, his kind- ness—all made him especially fitted for his work."— AVr'. Newell Dwight Ilillis, D. D., Brooklyn^. Y. " He was, under God, the prime inspirer and director of the evan<^elistic trend, which has marked ths last third of the nine- teenth century. He has done more than any clergyman or layman of his generation in changing the style and method of the pulpit and in making it, as it ought to be, more direct, practical and sym- pathetic. To say that Mr. Moody was an uneducated man is wide of the mark. He was well educated, although self-educated, through the constant use of all the varied resources, which lay around him, for thorough and continuous preparation for his divinely designated mission. "~7?^z^. Robert Hunter, D.D., Philadel- phia, Pa. •• I have known Mr. Moody for twenty-five years, and have met him on many occasions. He was one of the purest and truest men I ever knew. He was a most thoughtful and careful student I ArncFCiArroNS nr EmNiiNT friends 489 of the Bible. He was a j^rc at friendl of yoiinj^ mi n, and his influ- ence over them was remarkable. lie was a devoted anil laborious worker, and, so far as I know, the money he received nearly all went to aid poor younj;^ men or struj^rjrlinjr colleges or churches. Mr. Moody was a remarkable reader of human nature and seemed intui- tively to understand how to apply the truth to men in kee[)ing with their disposition ;md nature. The Church of Jesus Christ has U)st one of the most effective workers it ever had in the death 0/ Mr. Moody."— i^t:'. / W. Joyce, IXI)., LLP., J^is/iop 0/ l/ie M. K Chui'ch. " Mr. Moody was a man of tender compassion and unboumled sympathy, of deep humility and aboundiny^ charity, of tirelesa energy and unllaj^ging hope, i'aith in a God who answers prayer and who can save the most hojjeless, faith in the iiible as the Word of God from the beginning to the end, faith in the present power of the Holy S[)irit, was the secret of his strong, beautiful and won- drous service." — A\t'. A'. A. Toyycy, Chica^s^o, III. " Mr. Moody has taken his place among the immt)rtals. In his own sphere his work was owned by God as truly as was that of Mr. Spurgeon in his sphere. Mr. Moody gave great prominence and power to the work of the laity. He emphasized the gentler rather than the sterner elements of the Gospel. His ministry was one of declaration rather than one of argumentation. His educational work is the most enduring feature of his unique service anil his consecrated life."— i^.u A'. S. MacArthur, D.D., New York, N. V, " In the death of Mr. Moody, the world suffers a loss which no other man's services, however invaluable, can neutralize. His speculations concerning things beyond this earth were not pecu- liarly his and were not the measure of his great worth. His value was his amazing: Sfift for identifying the whole human side of his religion with the whole human side of his life, and for kindling 490 APPKECIATIONS /.•)' EMINENT ERIENDS other souls from the fires of his mii^hty devotion. May these things live after him forever." — C/'cor^i^v IV. Cable, Nortlianipton, Mass. "My heart aches over the loss that comes to us in the death of Mr. Moody. He has always been an inspiration to me in prepar- ing hymns for gospel work ; not that he was a musician or claimetl to be, but I early learned to prize his judgment as to the value and UvSefulness of a hymn for the work What moved him was sure to move others, and what failed to do so could be safely omitted. I have esteemed it one of my highest privileges to share in preparing songs for his work, anil, now that he has gone, how lonely it seems !" y<;/w<\v McGraiiahan, Kinsman, O. " D. L. Moody believed the Hible to be the Word of God, and preached its truths with the authority of a messenger intrusted with a revelation. He believed in the Holy Spirit, and depended upon Him for power. His lovi; for Jesus was a passion ; and he loved people, good and bad, bi;cause Jesus loved them. " In the inner circle of his family and intimate friends he was as tender as a child, or geiitle as a woman, at times as frolicsome as a boy, and as cheerful as morning sunshim;. There was in him a rare union of s[)iritual fervor and common sense. His enthusiasm never ran away with his judgment. He was truly great in the Christlike sense of ministry to others." — Kcv. A. C. Dixon, D. D., Ih'ooklyn, N, Y. " The rounded fulness of Dwight L. Moody's life is answer to the oft-p^peated (juestion. Is life wortii living? It is not worth living if lived for self ; it is if lived for others. And, when I think of the countless many who have been lifted to higher things by his earnest words and self-denying life, I am sure that his life was worth living. Only the recording angel can tell the number of AITKECLUJONS /,'J' IMMINENT 1-KIHNDS 401 those who, wlu-n the news of his ileatli was teU'graphed, responded with the e\[)a;ssion, unreconleil on earth, 'Thank God for Dwight L. Moody's Hfe !' " His end was peace. I lis message to all is service. ' Whoso- ever will be chief among you let him be your servant ' The world needs a successor. Wiui will he be ? " -David J. Brewer, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, Jfashi/zj^to//, 1). C. "lie preached a positive Gospel to an age of doubt, and moved the poi)ular heart and life as no other man of the age has done, unless it be Charles II. Si)urgeon. The j,.oat i)reacher was ever true to the IJible doctrines concerning God, sin, i)unishn;ent, rei)entance, Heaven anil hell He stood firmly for the divinity of Christ and the inspiration of the Scriptures and the authority of the IJook of books. He was a large-hearteil, symi)athetic, noble, manly man. His Gospel was full of sunshine and joy. ' Ciod is love' was the magnet which he used to draw n)en to Christ and a new life. His power was due to his positive faith, his life in close touch with the spirit of God, his rare good sense, his symi)athy and love for all classes, his insight into human nature :mu1 his ability to manage men. He has shown what one can be and do who is wholly devoted to God and his work." — AV:'. 7*. //. S:eft, D./J., Chicago, III. " Very few men have been so close to the strength ami weak- nesses of humanity. He saw and ilealt with all classes --the high and the low, the rich and the poor -and as he came close to them they also were drawn close to him. This was because all believed in his love and truth, in his sincerity and absolute unselfishness. This was never shown perhaps to a greater degree than in the early life of this association, when full of faith, hope and perseverance he >,.ive to this organization that spiritualizing force which is to-day the great source of strength and vitality. s\ Kl! i 492 APPRECIATIONS BY EMINENT FRIENDS " Two of my childish recollections of Sunday are of sitting in oner of the pews of the old ' spotted church,' as it was called, and going with my father to the mission Sunday school in North Market Hall, where Mr. Moody was the chief spirit. I remember how he inspired me with confidence as a child, and how my love and respect grew with the passing years." — J. V- Farwell, Jr., Chicago, III. " Any tribute I might give to the memory of Mr. Moody would be largely influenced by personal affection as well as admira- tion, for during the well-nigh quarter of a century I have been as^^ociated with him and his work, both my love and my admiration for him have grown with the passing years, and his taking away therefore comes as a personal grief. "He combined in a most extraordinary degree great strength and force of character with great sympathy and tenderness of heart, and with these a most generous nature, always considering the welfare of others rather than his own comfort and happiness. "It may be truly said of him that ' a prince in Israel has fallen.' and those who know him best and are best able to estimate his ser- vices to his generation will say, what they believe time will reveal to all, Dwight L. Moody was one of the greatest men of the century now closing." — George C. Stebbins, Brooklyn, N. Y, *' The lines along which he won success are worthy of very care- ful attention. First, his life was a constructive force. He was in the world to build up, construct, to save. He could say, with Christ : 'I am come not to destroy men's lives, but to save them.' He dealt with the positive, the known and settled in religion. " Second, he was thoroughly sincere. He believed his messsage to be absolutely true. There was no doubt in his heart, consequently none found expression on his lips. He was evidently so honest, so true, outspoken and frank that all men were convinced that he APPRECIATIONS BY EMINENT FRIENDS 493 believed through and through every word he preached, and that he loved His fellow-men and desired their salvation above everything else ; and that he was in the work, not to satisfy a selfish ambition, or for ease or fame, but because from conviction he had to be there. " The next element of power in Moody was a childlike simpli- city that was marvellous. Me was a man of remarkable wisdom, but there was no cunning in him. He was as absolutely free from duplicity as a nian can be." — Rev. Charles C. Ear/c, Boston, Mass. "His life was spent for Jesus Christ, his Master. Self was kept back, while Christian power within was his guide. " God chose Moody, I have no doubt, because there was in his nature all the fire and enthusiam that would break out and electrify mankind. He was anxious for the souls of men. Moody was a layman, but his ministry has been as successful as any man in orders. Others have saved their hundreds, he his thousands. Moody was a born leader and was one of the greatest generals we have ever had. If he had been a soldier he would have stood sitlc by side with Grant or Wellington. " Moody unified humanity. He wanted all denominations to get together. He knew that the way to have a union was not by creeds but by work. Let us take Moody's idea of work as a unify- ing force." — Rev. George C. Lorimer, D.D.y Boston, Mass. " Dwight L. Moody was :s undeniably the most extraordinary Gospel preacher that America has produced in this century as Spurgeon was the most extraordinary that Britain has produced. Both had all Christendom for their congregations. I am glad that, like Abraham Lincoln, he never went to any college ; both formed iiheir own racy Saxon styles for themselves. *' With my beloved Brother Moody I had much personal inti- macy for twenty-eight years. He delivered his first Bible readings ., , )4 APPKRi 7.1 r/i ^NS li } ' i:i\tlNl':NT FKIfiNDS in our liuli> mission iliaju'l in llu- winlor of 1S7J. A frw int)nllis laliT, \vlu:n I was in Lomlon, lu- lamo into my room oiu- ilay and saiil, *riu«v want \\\cio stay and pivacli Iutc ; what shaH 1 do?' IMynuiek answir was, ' Coffw.' \\v went with Mr. Sankey, and lluis ho^an his worUl-widc caroi-r in Britain. "One of liis last sermons was deUvered from my old pulpit heri> iVw weeks ai,u>. 1 saiil lo him. ' Last nii;iu you were ti/ your lvsf\ .MU were niU talking to Christians. l>uteallin<; the unct)nvcrted lo jesus ; sficl- to that as lon^ as you live.' Who will he the IClisha to folK>w iMu- translated IClijah ?" A'r.-. 'I'licoiioic I.. CuyUr, PJ)., I>rook/yHs X. )'. Dwi^ht i,. ISloodv. the most ilivinely onlained Christian evaiv oelist of the nineteenth century, sleeps well, lie was oirt with i^realness all around. .X ^«;real intellect was his. \\n\ although unlearned in thi- classics and sciences, he was ileei)ly schooK-d in ti\e science of C.od and oi I lis Son Jesus Christ, whom to know ari^'ht Is life eternal. Other knowledges than this pass away, and are liable to puff up while they last. •• Mr Moody's ercatness of intellect was evidenced by the fact that his sermons repeated a thousand and more times were always as fresh and fascinating as they were at first. Only extraordinary minds can speak often on the same theme without becoming stale. He had also a great heart. He loved everything that was oood. 1 do not believe he ever felt hateful toward any man. Su- premely he loved Jesus Christ as we read of Him in the Word. Mr. Moody was as certain that the Holy Scriptures, as we have them, were fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, as he was that his pulse-beat came from his heart's throb. I recall no other one in my day whose departure and ' abundant entrance ' above have brou^dit Heaven so sensibly near. He was the friend of the whole ArpK/iaATioNS nv eminent en i ends 495 worltl, and all lands will lament the loss of his incasun^hiss influ- ence for huMian welfare." — Rci>. John l.imhay Wilhnno, I). I)., Boston, Moss. " Moody and I met for the first linu; in Cleveland, i'^asl 'I\'!i- nessiH'. It was about the middle of April, iS6.|. I was brinidn^ toi;ether my I'^ourth Army Corps. Two divisions had already arrived, and wen; " them,' said the bishop, 'and I will tell them they must not do so.' So they talked about religion for a while, and Moody'said, ' You pray, bishop ? ' • Yes, said the bishop.' ♦ Let's pray now,' said Moody, and they did, and they parted fast friends. Moody had largeness of soul while he had positivcness of faith. It would be good if we had more like liim. " No man has died in this country in years for whom there has been a wider, greater, intenscr affection than there was for Dwight L. Uoodyr— Rev. John //. Vincent, IXD., L L. D., BisJwp of the M. E, Church. " I. A man of prayer — the chief secret of his wisdom, useful- ness and success. " 2. A man of the Book — unwearied in Biblical study, he wore out several Bibles ; absorbed the very atmosphere as well as the spiritual texts of Scripture. ** 3. A man of soundest evangelical faith, with a mighty grasp of essentials in the answer to the question, ' What must I do to be saved ? ' "4. A man of extraordinary practical sagacity, organizing power, and aptness for leadership. He used to say that it was bet- ter to set ten men at work than to do yourself the work of ten men. But he was accustomed to do both. *' 5. A man of combined courage and tenderness — bold as any lion, tender as any drop of dev/. •' 6. A man endowed by his unusually powerful but balanced emotions with greatness of character, and by his caution and trench- ant common sense with strategic strength of character. •* 7. A man of commanding spiritual manliness, everywhere inspiring confidence. 1:1 " 500 APPRFCIATIONS PY EMINENT ERIRNDS ** 8. A man of remarkable business and executive talent, he was trusted by men of affairs. "9. A man working easily witli associates whose endowments filled out his own, like Professor Drummond and Mr. Sankey, the three together making a globe of capacities and aptitudes for the work they undertook. "10. A man whose career has been a spiritual link between England and America and .ill English-speaking lands. Mr. Moody has had no equal as an evangelist since President Finney was laid in his grave ; and, as he had no real predecessor like himself, so he fs not likely to have a successor. The Chicago and the Northfield schools ought to continue through his sons his unmatched work. ' I wonder,' said a young minister to Professor Park, ' that Providence can accomplish so much through a man of only moderate endow ments.* ' I wish to speak respectfully of Providence,' said Profcssoi Park, in reply, ' but I call Mr. Moody a great man.' ' I wish I had v'our shoulders,' said Mr. Gladstone. ' I wish I had your head,' said Mr. Moody, in answer." — Joseph Cook, L L. D., Boston, Mass. *' My acquaintance with Mr. Moody runs back forty years or IT. ore, when he was just emerging from business and attracting att«^ntion in Chicago by his resolute and resistless efforts in religious wojk. We came together often. My house was his home, especi- ally after the Chicago fire, when he walked out from his flame-lit hou ;e with his little family, saving nothing but his personal Bible. We were together several months at the time, and gathered the money mainly in New England for the rebuilding of the Illinois Street Mission. Soon after the fire he made the acquaintance of Mr. Sankey and founded the connection with which work in Eng- land began at York "Stretching over the years that intervened, up to Monday night, November 13th of this year, I have enjoyed the inspiration oi APPRECIATIONS liV EMINENT FRIENDS 501 his life. The freshest memory I have of him is the night above referred to, when he got off the Pennsylvania Railroad train to keep an appointment he had made with me by telegraph, to spend a short time between trains on his way to Kansas City for his last meetings. I remarked that same night, after he had left me, how heavy a burden seemed to rest upon his heart as he said again and again : ' I wish that I might be moved of God to move one large Eastern city. For I think if one Eastern city could be thoroughly revived, the others would feel the influence and be stirred likewise.' As I looked into the face of the man, whose eyes and voic(i were full of tears, it seemed as if a prophet like unto Elijah had come back again. He left behind him that night his comfortable home at Northfield and the hospitality which so many friends would have be(Mi glad to give him ; laid himself down in a sleeping-berth of a Pullman car, rattling over a thousand miles to Kansas City; and rose with a heavy load of concern for the kingdom of his Master, and under the weight of it he staggered into his grave. '* In summing up the distinctly great things of this great cen- tury no man stands out more prominently who has sp(;nt so many continuous years' in superhuman labor for the public good as Dw!ght L. Moody, the Christian American layman. Uncrowned, without title of any kind, he wears the first honors among the men who loved their fellow men." — Tht Honorable John Wanamakcr. "In D. L. Moody's death the world has lost one of the most remarkable men of the century. He was especially distinguished for his great devotion to the cause of Christianity and of preaching the gospel to the world. To me one of his most distinguishing charac- teristics was his consecrated common sense ; this, together with a burning zeal for winning men to the service of Christ, and his ability to do the work of ten or a dozen ordinary men, made him the most successful and powerful evangelist of his day. He was as tender as a 502 APPRECIATIONS PY EMINENT EA'IENVS woiiiaii, aiul yet as stroni^^ and hravc as a lion. It was my hai)py lot to have been with him for over twcMity-cigh, yc;ars, in our own country and in lands beyond the; sea; and my love and admira- tion for him increased as the years i)assed by. "The news of his death camci as a great shock, as wc had been led to believe that he was slowly Lj.'iinin<,^ ground and likely to re'cover. A week before he passed away, I went to Northfield to s{!e him, and, if possibh;, to cheer him up, but found him so weak and nervous that I decid(>d not to risk an interview, lest harm might come; to him ; and thus I failed to bid him good-by. The last time I saw and talked with Mr. ?vIoody was on the occasion of his last visit to Dr. John Mall's church in New York City. We spent most of that Sabbath day togetluT talking ovc^r the work in this country, and also the old days of our labors tog{;th(;r across the sea. lie st^emed ([uite happy as we spoke of many kind friemds with wiiom we had worked in (ir(;at Britain ; but, when I suLTirested to him that we might go once more to that country and hold a few farewell meet- ings, even for a month or two, an (;xpression of sadness came into his face such as I had seldom sec;n before, as he said, 'I should like to go, but I have a feeiling that I shall not live to cross the sea again.' This was the first intimatioii I had ever received that he had any thought that he might not be with us long. Little did I dream that I was having my last talk with my beloved friend. " It is a pleasant thought that Mr. Moody's body has been laid to rest on beautiful 'Round Top,' where he has spent so many of' the happiest hours of his life with those whc. had gathered there to hear his words of wisdom and grace. This spot might very appro- priately be called Missionary Hill, for it is believed that from it more young men and women have decided to go to foreign lands as missionaries than from any other single spot in the world." — Ira D. Sankey , Brooklyn, N. Y. CHAPTER XXXI Editorial Estimates of His Character. FEW men who have labored In the field of evangelism have won their deserved recognition so completely as Mr, Moody. Association with Mr. Moody very quickly convinced one that he stood pre-eminent among millions for his earnestness, his singleness of purpose, his unaffected piety, — for all that combina- tion of principles and faculties which went to make up his marvel- ous personality, ikit it was not necessary to be associated with him to understand in some measure his greatness. His work stands as a monument to abilities which were far above the ordin- ary. Tens of thousands of men cry out, " He helped me !" Great buildings in various parts of the country attest his foresight in educational matters, and the practical bent of his mind. His Gkeatnkss REcotiNiztii) Evkrywiiere These visible signs, this great mass of cumulative evidence of his greatness it is impossible to ignore. Even persons who were so unfortunate as not to come into sympathy with his efforts can- not refuse to recognize that he accomplished, with God's help, great things for the betterment of mankind. Here, then, I quote a few extracts from editorials in various journals, published immediately after Mr. Moody's death. The unanimity of opinion is remarkable. I doubt very much if any other great man who has died within the past few years has received after his death such a shower of glad tributes. Those 27 503 HO I S«4 EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER who have followed Mr. Moody's career know how well deserved the tributes are, and yet, how much they fall short of recognizing the full measure of his greatness. " Mr. Moody undoubtedly exerted a powerful and stimulating influence, not only on the masses but on many of those who were his superiors in birth, breeding or intellect." — The London Spectator. " Wherever Moody spoke, whether in his own country or in other English-speaking lands, ho invariably commanded attention and aroused interest. He retained to the very last of his public career the qualities which marked him from the outset as a potent preacher." — The Boston Globe. " Mr. Moody's claim to greatness did not rest on his intellectual strength, but on his goodness. The standard of his character was his unqualified and immovable faith in God and in the Bible. With this faith h'^ combined simplicity, honesty, sincerity, humility, zeal, an abhorrence of egotism, and a broad charity." — The Chicago Inter- Ocean. " His going leaves a great void behind, and the world will seem lonely without him to many in every land. His death will send a wave of sincere rorrow over millions of humanity without distinc- tion of race, creed or church. Here was a man whose soul was pure goodness, who was ruled by loftier motives than commonly govern men, whose crown was Christlike character, and men, even irreligious men, instinctively yield his memory the homage of their respect and reverence." — The Presbytej-ian Banner. '■ Mr. Moody's life teaches us that, while the Church needs schol- ars, what she needs most of all is the impulse of Christian devotion, that force which compelled St. Paul, and has compelled a thousand others in all branches of the Church on whom was laid the burden of a lost world, and who have said, ' Woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.' Mr. Moody's life was well filled out with work nobly EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER 505 ol- Icn the ,ly accomplished, and his death was the fit end of a life of faith and ser- vice. His memory is one of the treasures of the Christian Church." — The Independent. " He combined, as only his countrymen can, a remarkably keen business intelligence with unflagging enthusiasm. To the last he was very much what he had been at first ; he attempted to be no more or better ; he had no precise " views" or "opinions" about abtrusc matters ; and probably he did not himself know very well whether he was a Calvinist or not, or what were his exact theologi- cal bearings. But some gift within him, some influence which he gave out, had more efficacy with certain minds in certain moods than learning or eloquence or wit or pathos. The note of sincerity, the unflinchingly literal way in which he took things which others understood symbolically or spiritually, had a prodigious effect on people who wanted to see and hear and touch with their hands ; people by no means necessarily unintelligent." — T/ic London Times. " According to common agreement, Mr. Moody was not a great oreacher, so far as greatness depends upon and is manifested in exten- sive learning or lofty flights of eloquence. There was in his appeals to sinners that mysterious something which is expressed neither in fine phrases nor in deep philosophic reflections. His magnetism and convincing force seem to have lain in an earnestness which left no doubt, and which affected the emotions like a whirlwind. By his death the evangelization movement has sustained a tremendous, perhaps irreparable, loss." — The Baltimore Herald. " Chicago at one time claimed this mighty preacher. But when he died the whole world claimed him, so wide was the range of his evangelizing activities. He stirred the hearts of the two great English-speaking nations with his militant enthusiasm.. He was the field marshal of the hosts that cling to the belief that the Gospel itself suffices for all the spiritual needs of humanity. The moral , , , , 1: 5of> EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER effect of his life-work upon humanity was greater than that of any other man of the nineteenth century." — The Chicago Times-Herald. " Mr. Moody's strength lay in his simplicity and his earnest- ness. He has been described as magnetic, but simple earnestness always is magnetic. He had the faculty of impressing his hearers with his absolute and undeviating belief in the truth of all he said. He went straight to the point. There was no concession to oratorical effect or to literary polish. He said nothing simply because it sounded well, confining himself to straightforward, fear- less stiitements of what he believed and what he wanted others to believe, and such apparent absolute faith necessarily carried con- viction with it." — The Cliicago Evening Post. "He preached the Bible only and he lived in accordance with his preaching. For dogma, he cared little and in theology he was a tyro. He never preached over the heads of his audience. The wayfarer, though a fool, could not fail to understand him, and his £arnestness was so great and his personal appeal so forcible that every one felt Moody was talking to him alone. Such honesty, sincerity and strength of purpose could not but have their reward, and few expounders of divine truth have looked upon a harvest so rich In sheaves as his." — TJic Chicago Tribune. " He seemed to care little for any business but his Master's. It was this unflagging energy, this faith in his vocation, that brought him the confidence of men to whom like energy and faith had brought; like success in the pursuit of wealth. He combined strangely the f Id and the new. He was perhaps the last great revivalist on the old theological lines, and he was the first to use wholly ttiOdern methods ci publicity and appeal. In his earnest- ness, his unselfishness and his sanctified common sense he was one oi the most remarkable men of our generation, for whose life the world ha.i been better." — The Churchman. EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER f-.o: " What was the secret of his power ? First and foremost, it was his intense religious earnestness. He knew God. The vision of the Eternal had risen in his soul. This deep and definite experi ence was an offset to his lack of literary culture. It made him pro foundly anxious to do something for the souls of his fellow-men Nature had endowed him also with a sturdy and sober common sense. He cut no fantastic tricks, adopted no sensational methods, avoided even the appearance of smartness, and relied solely on the truth of God as spoken in plain and simple words and as vivified by the Holy Spirit." — The Nashville Christian Advocate. " The story of the outward life of such a man as Mr. Moody can be condensed after a fashion into a paragraph, and this has fre- quently been done ; but the ramifications of its influence no pen can describe, no imagination can conceive. Its effect upon theology have been its least effects ; but they have been incalculable. For though Mr. Moody has done little directly to change the theologi- cal thought of his time, he has done a great deal to inspire its religious life : and those who believe that theology must always be the outgrowth of religion will believe that his theological influence is far greater and far more wholesome, because more vital, than either he or his contemporaries have imagined." — The Oittlook. " In nearly all the great cities of this country and in many of the towns of Great Britain, the footsteps of Dwiglit L. Moody I.nve been marked by the upspringing of schools, of helpful a ^ ncies, of aids to raise the fallen, to lighten the dark places, to help human beings in all that makes for righteousness. Although a lay evangelist, he was a great preacher, eloquent, soul-stirring, convincing and ministering to others the faith that made him whole, but great as he was as a preacher, he was greater as a worker, and his works live after him, vitalized and given enduring substance b" the spirit which created them." — The Philadelphia Telegraph. W. % in III ) 5o8 EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER '* Farewell, Brother Moody ! Thousands upon thousands will mourn thy departure ; thousands upon thousands will look back to the time when they were first warned to return to the fold by the words of entreaty, while future generations will be blest by the influence of thy searching teaching of the truth as it is in Jesus. The Church will learn all too soon of the greatness of the prophetf who has left them. But all work for the Master is done under human conditions ; the man passes, his work abides. So it will be now ; Moody has ceased to live in the flesh, but he lives in his work, and the results of his wonderful teaching will be felt by suc- ceeding generations." — Christian Work. " Mr. Moody was a wonderful leader of men. Everywhere he went he set others to work for Christ. No one was so bad as to be repulsive to him, and no one was so wise or good that he did not venture to approach and use him to further his service for Christ. Thousands of waifs rescued from rags and wretchedness are useful men and women because Mr. Moody put his arms of love around them and lifted them up. He has builded many structures in many cities, where young men and women gather to work for and worship God. But his noblest monument is made of living stones builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit. His life can best be summed up in one sentence : He was a wise winner of souls." — TJie Congrcgationalist. " Mr. Moody was not only sincere ; he was intensely in earnest. He not only implicitly believed in the truth of the doctrines which he expounded, but he was firmly convinced that the acceptance of those doctrines by the men and women whom he addressed was the most important thing in the world ; that every other interest was in comparison trivial and without consequence. He believed, more- over, and he believed it in all humility, that he had been com- missioned from above to go about the world delivering the message EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER 5"^ of the Gospel. He felt himself to be a Heaven-appointed minister to convince humanity of sin and point out the way of salvation." — T/ie Pkiladelpliia Inquirer. " He commanded the respect and confidence of men of other religious faiths and beliefs, and even of the non-religious classes, by his sturdy common sense, his geniality and whole-heartedness, and by his freedom from all cant and affectation. He lived the religion he professed, and practiced what he preached. In speech and manner he was simple, clear, and direct ; he understood the common people because he was 'dways one of them in thought and feeling, and among them his greatest and most enduring work was done. The world is a far better and happier world to-day because of the life of Dwight L. Moody. He will live long in the grateful and tender memory of mankind." — Leslie . Weekly. " He never made any serious mistakes. There was no flaw in his character. He commanded an absolutely universal respect. Rich and poor, high and low, learned and illiterate, cherished almost exactly the same feelings toward him. The kind of influences which he began to put forth in Chicago forty years ago went on growing and extending to the day of his death — and to-day, as tidings of his death are borne to every part of the Eng- lish-speaking world, his influence will seem to be greater than ever. It is not an exaggeration to say that the coming century will be in certain pervasive and vital respects appreciably diff^erent from what it would have been were it not for the distinctive spiritual and moral forces which Moody imparted and put forth." — The Chicago Record. " A rugged simplicity and absolute sincerity were the chief elements in his character. No one ever detected in him a suspicion of cant. It might have been said of him, as Mirabeau said of Robespierre, ' That is a dangerous man ; he believe? every word ! 51" EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER he says.* For the * drill and pipe clay ' of the clerical profession, as Robertson phrased it, Mr. Moody had nothing but contempt, and his own unconventional ways, in the pulpit and out of it, did a great deal to break down the stilted ministerial tradition. Nor were the changes in his own style of work, as the years passed by, without great significance. From being a mere evangelist, going from city to city to address vast and emotional audiences, he became, by chief intention and main use of time and strength, a Christian educator. His educational institutions at Northfield, so remarkably planned and endowed, he regarded as the crowning work of his life." — The New York Nation. " ' By their fruits shall ye know them.' Judged thus, Mr. Moody's career takes saintly rank. Possessed of a marvelous personal magnetism, an earnestness that was irresistible, and an enthusiasm that defied the flight of time, he took his faith in Divine guidance in one hand and his faith in mankind in the other, and, so armed, hurled the full force of his splendid powers against the cohorts of evil. He could not fail. The measure of his revealed success will challenge the admiration of posterity. " * The measure of his revealed success.' But what of the unrevealed ? Its measure was never known, even to himself. It remains a mystery lodged beyond the stars He drew the scoffer. He startled the dormant conscience of carelessness, and stirred the soul of the evil-doer. He wrought blessings innumerable in garret and in mansion. He labored apart from the church, yet impelled toward the Church hundreds of thousands whom the Church had not reached." — The New York Mail and Express. " No one could visit North America within recent years with- out feeling that Mr. Moody was one of the great personalities of the continent — and that not only as an evangelist or the representa- tive of evangelical religion, nor even as an organizer of education. EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER 5fi but for his own self's sake as a man who Hved his faith, and who lived it with extraordinary force of character and wisdom. * * What I feel to be our sorest loss in the death of this great and good man is that we shall no more have his large heart and large mind in the reconciliation of those divisions of opinion among Christian men which are so strong and in some quarters so bitter at the present day. No one could have assisted reconciliation so much as D. L. Moody. Yet it seems wrong to be envious even to this extent, when we have so very much to thank God for in the influence and results of His servant's life." — Prof. George Adam Smith, in The British Weekly. " The death of D. L. Moody is an almost irreparable loss to evangelical Christianity. He was probably the greatest religious revivalist of the present century. Yet that fact hardly gives a true indication of the widespread influence he exerted over the lives of multitudes of men and women in the Old World as well as the New. Even as a revivalist he differed widely from the old-time revivalists of the last generation, who terrified the sinner into repentance by holding him over the precipice where he could see the lurid fires of the pit seemingly eager to envelop him. Mr. Moody doubtless held exactly the same beliefs as to the character and duration of future punishment as his predecessors did. But, without, perhaps, being exactly conscious of the fact, the seeming harness of this dogma was softened by his profound belief in the goodness and love of God. It was upon that thought he most often dwelt, never failing to bring it in even when he referred to the certainty of future punishment. This characteristic of his exhortations separated him widely from the revivalists of the past, and gave his teachings a much more general acceptance than was accorded to previous evangelists." — The New York Tribmie. 513 EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF I IIS CHARACTER " He was very simple, absolutely earnest, without self-conceit or pretence or cant. Me had power ; he used it with all his might according to his knowledge and his lights. Nearly all of us came in time to see that the work was good and the results very valuable ; that Moody, however he did it, took hold of the people that needed attention, stirred them up to good purpose, and brought them something that made them better. The English-speaking world long ago recognized him as a great force, and one that made for righteousness and the essentials of true religion. Not all of us are desirous to be good ourselves, but most of us are at least in favor of other persons being good. So, nearly all of us have been in favor of Mr. Moody, and respected him and his work, and honor his memory now that he has gone. He was one of the pre- eminently successful men of the century, and what he accom- plished he did without much help from education, and without favor or aid save what his manifest deserts won for his work. He simply forgot himself, and took hold. He never let go, and he never remembered himself enough to distract his attention from the work his heart was in." — Harper s IVcckiy. " Mr. Moody was not a man to whom theological subtleties had any charm. But his convictions never halted. What he believed, he believed with heart and soul. He might have been wrong in premise anil deduction, he might have been old-fashioned in theory, but in spirit he was always right and strong, and he had almost a prophet's gift in the potency of his messages. No one could long be in contact with his honesty of purpose, his unqualified self-conse- cration, his boundless zeal and prophetic spirit without being moved by these qualities. His influence was not only national, but international. He was as notable a force in Great Britain as in the United States. He possessed great personal magnetism, which, combined with his religious enthusiasm, whose sincerity no EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER 513 one questioned, gave him a power of persuasiveness which was wellnigh irresistible. " While not reckoned among the clergy, or caring to be, he was yet a powerful inspiration to the profession. He will be missed and mourned by the churches as profoundly as by the common people, who regarded him almost as their Moses. His educational work in his native town might well stand as a monument of noble achievement. But that was among the least of the things that he did in his Master's name and for His cause. He was a living Gospel, and his death, with its peace and joy, seemed to partake of the beauty and splendor and awe of a transfiguration." — The Boston Transcript. " Mr. Moody was a great evangelist, and he did a great work. An unordained and essentially popular preacher, who felt that his commission to win souls was in his love for Christ and his desire to serve Him— he reached thousands who were not likely to come under the influence of others, whose belief in Christianity he quickened from a dull acceptance of doctrine into a living power. Earnest in his own convictions, and gifted with a remarkable talent for enlisting the interest and sympathy of his hearers, he was a speaker of unusual effectiveness. Direct and simple in his utter- ances ; not always grammatical ; fond of anecdote and homely illus- tration ; emotional, sometimes to an extreme — such was Dwight L. Moody as the leader of countless public meetings. He fillet! churches and audie ice-rooms because the people believed he had a message to deliver ; as for himself; he believed that that message was of tremendous consequence. His methods have been criti- cized, but, certainly, he was not open to the charge of being insincere. His whole life was given to doing what he felt to be his highest duty. To this task he brought native ability, and a constantly increasing knowledge of the ways to make that ability count for the most." — T/ie Hartford Courant. 5H EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF HIS CHARACTER " Men arc also askini,^ the secret of Mr. Moody's power. Four words sum it up : Common Sense and Consecration. He had many striking characteristics, but through them all shone his spirit of consideration. Me was simple ; a child could understand his sermons. He believed in the power of stories ; if they caused laughter or weeping, he took advantage of the smiles or the tears to press home the Gospel message. He was a man of faith, faith in God and man. He looked for the best in men, and they responded by giving him their best. No one could hear him in private conversation or on the platform without recognizing his intense earnestness. What- ever he did, he did with all his heart, and he was able to inspire others to similar devotion. Some people called him narrow ; they little knew that, if he had used his powers in other directions, he would have been as successful in conducting a great financial ven- ture, or planning a military campaign, as he was in leading men to accept Christ as their Saviour. " Mr. Moody believed the Bible from cover to cover, and he believed in the fundamental doctrines of Christ. ' People ask me,' he said one time, ' If I believe in the "higher criticism ". How can I when I don't know what it is ? They ask me if I think there were two Isaiahs. Before taking up that (question seriously, I believe we should try to see what the prophecy itself contains. ' ' Why do you go to hear Moody ? ' said a scoffer contemptuously to a fellow club member. ' You don't believe what he preaches. ' 'No, but he believes it with all his heart, and it is refreshing to meet such a man in these days of doubt and uncertainty. ' " Mr. Moody was an optimist. Elijah on Carmel was his ideal ; he had little patience with the prophet under the juniper tree. He was a sincere man. While looked upon as a leader, his daily prayer was that God would keep him humble. To know him was to love him ; thousands of people in every part of this country EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF I I IS CHARACTER ^^'^S and in Europe, and hundreds of missionaries in foreign lands, have lost a personal friend in his death. He was a good man. and faith- fully served his generation." — The Neio York Observer. " Mr. Moody was not only reverential, but humble. He was not only humble, but tolerant. He improved very much under travel, under intercourse with able minds, and under the study of vast throngs, as so many units. The consequence was that from a lone exhorter he became a great leader, from a great leader he rose to be an organizer of much skill, and he topped both functions with that of an educator on distinct lines, at needed work, and upon a vast scale. We are regarding him entirely from the human point of view, for the purpose of this consideration, and we are noting in him exactly the qualities which would have made him successful in other undertakings. His qualities were not unusual. His use of them was extraordinary. The high purpose to which he applied them was ennobling and uplifting. The singular simplicity, candor and gentleness of his spirit were remarkable, considering the power he wielded, the inlluence which he commanded, the support which he received and the praise, whether interested or disinterested, of which he was the subject. * * * His field was the world, and to do good his religion. "He made haste slowly. He died on the heights, but he started on the plains and had a hard passage through valleys and up mountain steeps, before he walked with God. Without more than elementary education, utterly without training, destitute of experience, simply aflame with spiritual purpose, he had to vin- dicate himself, he had to create for himself a way, and he had to do so against a critical, cultivated and combined class, the reverend clergy. They did not relish an unlettered lay intruder. They were justified in their instinctive disrelish. Of most lay intruders the note is arrogance, the method burglarious, the self-confidence unabashable I' I 516 EDITORIAL ESTIMATES OF I IIS CHARACTER and the ignorance unteachable. Of this lay intruder nothing like that could be said. He was altruistic, he was modest, he was hungry to learn, he was deferential to knowledge, what he acquired he held, what he held he increased, and what he increased and made his own he mad(; also the precious possession of others. Th(^ greatest of lay workers became the master of lay workers, their monitor and their model, and this at first uneducated man estab- lished institutions for Christian instruction which taught the use of the tools of spiritual knowledge as aptly and as thoroughly as the use of the tools of any other knowledge is anywhere taught."— The Brooklyn Eagle. IS id le \c. :ir b- of ic CHAPTER XXXII. The Personal Side of Mr. Moody. H-^ was a remarkable man in all ways, not the least of which was his appearance. He was not a striking' fij^ure so far as stature was concerned, for he was rather below the average in height, but he was a marked man in a crowd, and every one turned to look at him because the very atmosphere that surrounded him was commanding. He has been likened to Gar- field, in his massive frame ; they had the same smiling features, the same facility of anecdote, and the same effect of sincerity in every- thing they said or did. Their style of oratory was almost identical, and both possessed the rare gift of captivating people at first sight. Mr. Moody was very quick at repartee. An (nteresting incident is related of his meeting with Mr. Gladstone. Heartily grasping Mr. Moody's hand the old statesman said, " I wish I had your body." Mr. Moody rei)lied, " I wish I had your head." Mr. Gladstone responded, " I mean I wish I had your lungs;" to >hieh Mr. Moody again replied, "I wish I had your brains," and wUJU hearty good wishes they parted. Personal Characteristics Mr. Moody had a wonderful voice. He could easily hold the attention of thousands, and yet in conversation there was a pathos and tenderness in his inflections that was most fascinating. He had a most attractive face ; it was kindly and helpful in its every expression. 517 I , 5i« THE PERGONAL SIDE OF MR. MOODY He was foiul of tc^llini; how his picture once tlid duty for that of Rutherford B. Hajcs. 'OurinL:^ the Mayes campaign a big Republican rally was held in I'ort Wayne, Ind. Everything was ready, when it was suggested that the meeting would be incom- plete without a picture of General Hayi^s. This brought out the tliscovery that, although around tlu^ walls of the room were hung the pictures of many v,clebrities of the day, that of Hayes was not among them, nor couUl a picture of him be fouml. One of the meinbiMs of the committee on arrangements, a sign painter, who hail a natural gift of drawing, found a copy of Karf^crs Afni^a' zinc on the table in which was a small cut of Mr. Moody. He decidetl it was enough like Hayes to make a copy from, and in half an hour he hatl a good sized sketch, and labeled the product "Rutherford \\. llayes". It was hung on the stage, and the speakers of the evening pointed t(^ it as they referred to "that st.i'usman." etc. I'^inally the joke leaked out in the crowd, and almost resulted in breaking up the meeting. Mr. Moody was informetl of the affair, antl told it tt) President Hayes. His Hold Ui-on His Friknds It has been said that he was dictatorial, somt^times extremely so, anil it must be confessed that he did insist on his own way; but then, he had stuilied his work ; he knew men, ap.d he knew what woi.id tell with them, and it was a rare thing evjr to hnd him mistaken in his judgment. But even though he was bruscpie, sometimes almost to the point of rudeness, it is a mighty tribute to the powi'r of his inlluence over men that he instinctively drew them about him. One of his luiglish friends said of him, " He may make doorkeepers of us, or even door-mats, if he likes, and we will love him," And another has said of him, "Dear old Moody ! We all love him, but some of us don't like him.' I le was, THE PERSONAL SIDE OE MR. MOODY SI9 however, the iliost tcndor-hearteil man I have ever known. Dr. George F. Pentecost has well said of him, " Intentionally he never wounded any one ; he simply lacked perception, and did not put himself in the other man's place." His heart was big enough to take in the whole world, and his sympathy with mankind was genuine. An instance of this occurrtul in New York. While he was in the midst of a sermon a baby commenced to cry, much to the annoyance of some of the autliiMice, who darted cruel looks at the innocent child and the embarrassed mother. The mother waited for a favorable opportunity to go out, but Mr. Moody told her t(^ remain where she was ; he guessed his lungs were stronger than the baby's, and if any didn't like it, they could go out. At the close of the servict^ he made the unique announcement that the ne.xt afternoon he would preach to mothers with babies in their arms, ami no one unaccompanied by a baby would be admitted. Nevt^r before was tb.ere such a gathering. The scene touched the heart of the great preaclier, and his words the hearts of the mothers. Mr. Moody said afterward that a good many of the women present must have borrowed babies for the occasion. His ClIAKMINC, SOCIAI, SiDK He was perfectly delightful socially ; he was as genial a man as I have ever known. He would laugh till the tears rolled down his face at some story which he might have heard again and again. He found his recreation in h(;lping others, for he was a tireless worker in one fonn or another, yet he was never so happy as when he was making others' burdens easier to luMr. From the very day that 1). L. Moody came before the eyes of the Christian world, the same characteristics that made him great in later days, were exhibited. He was one of the most conscientious 38 520 THE PERSONAL SIDE OF MR. AfOODY men I have ever known, and if he felt that anything was his duty, nothing in the world would make him so miserable as to feel that he must leave it undone, and nothing made him so happy as to feel that he could perform it quickly whatever the cost. If he ever wronged any one, he was the first to make that wrong right. Mr. Moody seldom preached a sermon without emphasizing the fact that true happiness and the richest blessings will never be realized by a professed Christian, if at any time he has wronged a fellow-man and has not made an honest attempt to clear up the wrong, or if he does not perform, willingly and promptly, known duties. That the great evangelist made this teaching one of the cardinal principles of his own life is clearly demonstrated by the following incident, related by him in an address to a body of students at Northfield. A SiNcajLAR Instance of His Kindliness " You can never accomplish much in your Christian life until you get right with your fellow-men as well as with God, and until you perform your duty as it comes to you. Let me give you an experience that I had a few mornings ago. I always get up early, and devote the first hour of the day to my Bible. This morning I sat down at my desk to study as usual. In a few minutes I chanced to look out of the window, and I saw a young fellow with a heavy valise on his back, walking toward the railroad station three miles away. If I thought about it at all, I thought he was one of the students going for an early train. I turned my eyes to my Bible, but, try as hard as I might, I could not fix my mind on what I read with my eyes. " I looked out of the window again. Something said, ' You ought to take that boy to the station.' I tried to persuade myself that it was not my duty. I made another effort to study, but it THE PERSONAL SIDE OF MR. MOODY 52 T was of no use. I jumped up and hurried to the stables, hitched up a horse, and drove rapidly until I came up to the boy. I took him and his baggage in and drove to the station. After giving the boy Godspeed and receiving hearty thanks for my liindness, I drove home, and went to my study. I took up my Bible, and I didn't have the slightest trouble in fixing my mind on my work." I drove with him one morning while he was making some final preparation for the coming of the students to their annual conference, when we stopped at a little patch of corn, and he said, " I hoed two rows of corn here this morning before you were up." I have never been able to get out of my mind the imaginary picture of D. L. Moody, with coat and vest off, hoeing corn at Northfield. His Extreme Modesty With all his greatness he was one of the most modest men that you could possibly find. Other men might have been turned with the flattery of the people, but extreme modesty was a striking characteristic of the evangelist's personality. His phenomenal successes in many lines left him a man devoid of all desire for notoriety and fame. Although thousands of persons would travel long distances to hear him preach, still he invariably maintained that there were any number of ministers who could excel him as a preacher, .ind he was always willing and eager to give place to others. During the Northfield Conferences, at which, in the minds of the people in at- tendance, he was the central figure, Mr. Moody seldom preached, unless to take the place of some speaker who was unable to meet his appointment, or unless urgent requests from the audience were repeatedly sent to him. Asked once why he did not speak more often at the conferences, the evangelist replied : !i 522 THE PERSONAL SIDE OF MR. MOODY " Oh, you can hear me any time. I want you to hear these noted men that I have brought from over the sea." Again, when urged to preach, he made this announcement from the rostrum one morning : " I don't want to take the time of these dear brothers who have come so far to speak to us. I have received a good many requests to preach. If you really want to hear me you will' be willing to get up early for the privilege. Meet me here in the auditorium at 7 o'clock to-morrow morning, and we will have a Bible talk together." Despite the numerous other sessions during the day, these sunrise services were continued during the rest of the conference, and each session was largely attended by those eager to catch every syllable that fell from Mr. Moody's lips. His Wonderful Unselfishness He was absolutely unselfish. During the first visit of Messrs. Moody and Sankey to Great Britain they were in need of a book of songs to use at the meetings. No publisher would bring out the book, although Mr. Moody offered to give it to any one who would print it and give him what copies he wanted to use. Finally he was compelled to have the book printed at his own expense. It has since attained a larger circulation than any other publication except the Bible, and is one of the best paying literary properties in the world. Every dollar of the profits of the book has gone to charity in one form or another. Mr. Fleming H. Revell has said : " Some years ago, some of the papers began to say that Mr. Moody was making a good thing financially of his reputation. As a rule Mr. Moody never paid no attention to criticism. He was wont to say that no two people thought alike of everything or received always the same impression. TODD B. HALL. The ccleljnitcil Iltttitive ami Kvangclist, converted in the mtet- inys condiicleil by Mr, Mmnly in I'laltiinure, in 1878. THE PERSONAL SIDE OF MR. MOODY 535 He wa3 friendly toward the public press, claiming that it was a great educator and a great power in the spreading of both secular and religious knowledge. But he was deeply grieved at this. He referred to the criticisms one day in the pulpit here in Chicago. There were tears in his eyes, and his voice quivered as he spoke. ' As I know my heart before God,' he said, ' I have never let the desire for money determine my conduct in any way. I know I am weak and sinful in mauy ways, but the devil has not that hold upon me. I have never profited personally by a single dollar that has been raised through my work. It hurts me, above all other things, to be charged with this. May God forgive those who say this of me.' " Mr. Revell added, that though Moody received over $125,000 from royalties on his work, he had never used a penny of it for per- sonal purposes, reserving it all to further his work. "Mr. Moody was a good financier," he said. " He took great care of his money, but not to save it and build a fortune. Rather he desired it to use in his work. I fully believe he died a poor man." Anecdotes of His Earlier Years of Service Dr. Edward Eggleston has told the following stories about Mr. Moody: " I have heard Mr. Moody tell how while in the Chris- tian Commission service he was propounding his thorough question to a Tennesee planter, but, as the man was deaf, the repeated vociferation of ' Are you a Christian ? ' failed to bring a reply. Turning to the black man who stood by he asked, ' Is your master a Christian ?' ' No, Massa, he is a Presbyterian.' "It was not uncommon in those days for Mr. Moody to assail suddenly a strange young man with this blank query. Of course, he soon became noted for his zeal and eccentricity. A young man from the country who had held a situation in the city for just three M 52