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DirntiBr C02^TENTS. FARLT ASSOCIATIONS . Chapter I. Chapter II. FIRST MISSIONARY EFFORTS. MR. Moody's waifs Chapter III. Chapter IV. characteristic incidents . Chapter V, alliance of moody and sankey OVER THE SEA Chapter VI. Chapter VU. HOME again . , ^ Discourse I. CHRIST seeking SINNERS . Discourse II. SINNERS SEEKING CHRIST . 1 . e . 11 . 17 . 25 . 29 . 38 . 45 . 68 Moody's thoughts . a-, . 41 THE CllOWNINO WATCH-NIGHT OF THE CENTURY . 44 PI Moody s Life and Work CIIArTER I. EAP IT ASSOCIATIONS. DwioHT Lyma; Moody — tho sixth child of Edwin nnd Betsy Moody — was born on the 5th of Febru- ary, 1837, i' .Xorthfield, Maps., in the same distiict which, a iittle rao -i^ than a century before, was the scene of the giuat revival under Jonathan Edwards. When he was only four years old his father sud- denly died. Mr. IMoody, Lnvincf geri'^rously helpctd a friend and lost much money by him, was obliged to mortgage the homestead, and all that was lefl for the support of his widow, and her nine children — the eldest but thirteen — was a little home on the mountain slope, and an acre or two of land. But Mrs. Moody was brave and persevering, and, with a little assistance from her brother in Boston tow- ards paying the interest on the mortgage, kept her little family together and above positive want. Little Dwight, though very generous, and fond of his mother, was not naturally a religious child. Prayer was his dernier restart. Once when he was crawling under a fence the MOODY S LIFK AM) WOI'.K. N ';■ rails fell down and caught liim and he could noi extricate himself. He struggled until nearly ex- hausted, then called loudly for help ; but, it being some distance from any house, no one heard him. When he did finally reach home he gave the fol- lowing account of his accident: '*I tried and tried, but I couldn't lift them aw- ful heavy rails ; then I hollered for help, but no- body came ; and then I began to think I should have to die, away ap there on the mountain, all alone. But I happened to think that, maybe, God would help me ; and so I asked Him. And after tliat I could lift the rails, just as easy." As the children grew old enough they were sent to the Unitarian Sabbath-school, in the village, about p mile distant. On Sabbath evenings Mrs. IMoody would gather her little flock around her and read to them out of the books which they brought from the Sunday-school. If the girls had been more than ordinarily troublesome, or the boys unusually disobedient, it was marvellous how these same Sunday-school books knew all about it, and would counsel, or reprove, or condemn, each spe- cial case. To be sure, it was hard for the children afterward to " find the place," when they chanced to take up the book, but they had enjoyed the reading none the less ; and, very likely, Mrs. Moody's improvised stories were quite as effica- cious in teaching her children to be good, as would have been the original ones, in these same books t.AKLY ASSOCIATIUXS. d d not y ex- being [ him. le fol- tn aw- iit no- should 1 tin, all e, God i after , re sent village, s Mrs. id her ,;■; h they » L'ls had le boys V these it, and 3h spe- hildren hanced ed the ', Mrs, effica- 5 would 1 » books I $ published by the Sunday-school Union. Some- times, when her patience was sorely tried by the rebelliousness of her children, she would go away and in secret pray for grace and strength to lead her little ones aright ; and said she, " Wlien I would come back they would all be good children again." She used to repeat a verse of a hymn, or a text of Scripture, at the table, and teach her children to say it in concert after her. Dwight worked on the farm during the sum- mer, and went to school in the winter, until his eighteenth vear. About this time he went to Bos- ton. His mother's brother offered him a position in his boot and shoe establisliment on three con- ditions : His uncle was to choose his boarding- place; he was not to go at night to any place of which his uncle did not approve; and he was to attend regularly the Mount Vernon Church and Sabbath-school. In this church he listened to a sermon which had the efifect of making him exceedingly uneasy; he thought some one had been informing the minis- ter about him and resolved not to go again. But respect for his promise to his uncle influenced him to return and the serious impression was con- tinued; though for some time he felt no particular imterest in either church or school. His Sabbath- school teacher, Mr. Kimball, considered him a very unp^'omising pupil. But upon young Moody's van- w MOODY S LIFE AND WOKK. turing, one Sunday, the question, "That Moses was ■what you would call a pretty smart sort of a man, wasn't he?" he answered the young man in a way which gained his interest and confidence. Soon after, Mr. Kimball called at his pupil's store; and, after conversing with him, asked him if he would not like to become a Christian. He answered him frankly and freely, commenced seeking the Saviour, and soon after was converted. Years after, when Mr. Moody was holding some meetings in Boston, a son of this same teacher in- troduced himself to him. Mr. Moody inquired if he were a Christian. On his replying in the nega- tive, Mr. Moody asked him, " How old are you ? " " Seventeen." "Just my age when your father led mc to Christ; and that w^as just seventeen years ago this very day. Now I want to pay him by leading his son to the Saviour." The youth was much moved. Mr. Moody prayed with him and obtained a promise from him that he would become a Christian. Soon after Mr. Moody received a letter from his old teacher informing him that his son had found the Saviour. Wishing to make a public profession of his faith D wight applied for admission to the Mount Ver- non church. The committee who considered his application for admission, recommended him to de- lay a public profession until he could more thor- oughly acquaint himself with the fundamental doe* EARLY ASSOCIATIONS. triues of Christianity, as be was lamentably unac- qiiainted with them. After six months he again presented himself, and was received into the church at the May Communion, in 1855. Being very zealous to enter the Master's service he rose, in a prayer-meeting whicb he attended soon after, and offered some remarks. When the meeting was over tbe pastor took him aside and advised him not to speak in the meetings again, but serve God in some other way. Believing himself in the rigbt, undaunted, he con- tinued to attend the prayer-meetings, making brief remarks as at first. On different occasions he met with a similar frank rebuke from many of the good people of the church, who, feeling themselves no great anxiety for sinners, could not appreciate the young convert's zealous desire to help his neighbors to the kingdom of heaven. Probably this want of sympathy first led young Moody to turn his thoughts toward the gr(?at West, where success awaited those who had bravery and etrength to win it. I 4 >\ -y^r HI CHAPTER II. FIRST MISSIONARY EFFORTS. About a year after his conversion, Mr. Moody removed to Chicago and obtained a situation in a bhoe store. A gentleman, then a clerk in this same establish- ment, says of him, "Moody was a first-rate sales- man. It was his particular pride to make his col- umn foot up the largest on the book, not only in the way of sales, but also of profits. He took par- ticular delight in trading with notional or unrea- sonable people; especially when they made great show of smartness and cunning, and thought them- selves extraordinarily wise. Nothing was ever mis- represented in the smallest particular; but when it came to be a sharpness of wit between buyer and seller. Moody generally had the best of it." Several of the clerks lodged in the store ; and one of the favorite pastimes of the young men, after the hour for closing the establishment, was to turn their place of business into a hall of debate; among the chief subjects of which were theology and amusements. Moody disliked theatres, cards, billiards, and all such amusements. It is related, by one of his fellow-clerks that cominor into tJ p i I'UtST MISSION AUY ErFOllTS. store one night after prayer-meeting, he found two of the boys playing checkers. He instantly ^/rasped the board, scattering the checkers, and dashed it to pieces; then — before at word of re- monstrance could be spoken — di'opped upon his knees and commenced to pray. He was, however, partial to athletic sports, inno- cent practical jokes, or a friendly trial of strength, and would always laugh as heartily when conquered as when victorious. Arriving at Chicago, he joined a congregational chiu'ch where he rented four pews, and kept them filled each Sabbath with young men. He attended the prayer-meetings, exhorted and prayed. Here he was presented with the same advice he had received in Boston; to leave the exhorting and praying to those who understood it. He soon found a little Methodist church where the people were more congenial, and joined a band of young men who used to go, on Sabbath morn- ings, to hotels and saloons and distribute tracts, and invite the people to divine worship. On one of his tract-distributing tours he found a little Mission School and asked for a class in it. In answer to his application the superinlendojit informed him that there were already twelve teach- ers and only sixteen pupils; but that he would be al- lowed to teach a class if he could gather it himself. He went out into the streets and by personal ap- plication succeeded in bringing in nearly a score ot II 8 MOODY S LIFE AND WORK. rough, filthy, half-uakcd urchins, and a place was assigned him. But, enjoying the position of recruiting officer better than that of teacher, ho handed his class over to another gentlemaji, and continued his work; bringing in fresh suppHes until the school was filled. Then was suggested the idea of organizing a separate school of his own, for the benefit of the lower classes. He rented a hall — used on Saturday nights for dancing — near the North Side Market, where were many Catholics and Germans, and com- menced his school among the half-starved, drunk- en, blasphemous, degrr ded mortals in this Five Points of Chicago. This school — which in one year reached to over six hundred and soon increased to a thousand — was held in this hall for six years, and has become one of the most noted in the West. In his benevolent visitations from house to house, Mr. Moody was frequently interfered with by the rougher people, and occasionally was obliged to flee for his life. It is said that upon one occasion he was cornered by three ruffians who threatened to kill him. " Look here," said he, " give a fellow a chance to say his prayers, won't you ? " They acquiesced, and falling upon his knees he prayed so earnestly for his persecutors that they, quietly left the room, and he took with him to Sun- day-school the children he came for. Mr. Moody felt that to make a school profitable, FIRST MISSIONARY EFFORTS. 3e to ible. to such a crowd of disorderly little urchins, it must be lively and attractive. He had none of the ideal appliances necessary to a modem Sunday-school. But he loved children dearly — and the more de- graded they were the more interest he seemed to take in them, and such trifles as the young urchins whistling, pulling each other's hair, turning somer- saults, or crying, "Want a shine, Mister," "Black yer boots," etc., had no power to ruffle his temper. He succeeded in persuading two gentlemen, Mr. Trudeau and Mr. Stillson, who were good singers, to come and help him. He also pressed Mr. J. V. Farwell, a prominent business man of executive ability, into the service as superintendent of the school. For the first few Sabbaths they made no effort at regular instruction, but endeavored to gain the at- tention and confidence of the childi-en by telling them stories, and singing; afterward the school was organized and conducted much in the usual way. As the mission became notorious and popu- lar, there was no lack of teachers. Mr. Moody began to be conscious of the defects in his education, and his lack of Scrii:)ture knowl- edge. He had been accustomed to read the Bible because he loved it; now, he commenced studying it, chapter by chapter, spelling out the hard words, and skipping the ones he could not master. Those who did not know him during his first efforts at evangelization can never appreciate through what •I 10 MOODY S LIFE AND WORK. ! difficulties liG has striigglod up to his present re- markable power. At a Canada convention, an old friend said of him, *' The first time I ever saw him was at a meet- ing in a little old shanty that had been abandoned by a saloon-keeper. Mr. Moody had got the place to hold a meeting in at night. I went there a little late; and the first thing I saw was a man standing with a few tallow caudles around him, holding a negro boy, and trying to read to him the story of the Prodigal Son; and a great many of the words he could not make out, and had to skip. I thought, If the Lord can ever use such an instrument as that for His honor and glory, it will astonish me. After that meeting was over Mr. Moody said to me, ' Rey- nolds, I have got only one talent: I have no educa- tion, but I love the Lord Jesus Chris*^ and I want to do something for Him and 1 want you to pray for me.' I have never ceased fi'om that day to this, morning and night, to pray for that devoted Chris- tian soldier. I have watched him, have had counsel with him, and know him thoroughly; and, for con- sistent walk and conversation, I have never met a man to equal him. It astounds me when I look back and see wbat Mr. Moody was thii'teen years ago, and then what he is under God to-day — shak- ing Scotland to its very centre, and reaching now over to Ireland. The last time I heard from him, his injunction was, 'Pray for me every day; pray now that God will keep me humble.' " i CHArTER III. MR. MOODY S WAIFS. Mr. Moody's pupils grew very much attached to him and some of them very zealous for the honor of the school. One day an urchin ^^•ho had been caught with the young evangelist's sweets — he used to carry a quantity of maple sugar around with him to entice the children — came into the school and sat down with his cap on. A lad, who had been some time a member of the mission, walking in, saw the new recruit with his cap on. He de- liberately stepped up to him, snatched off the offend- ing article and, striking him a blow in the face with it which felled him to the floor, said, " I'll learn you better than to wear your cap in this school," and marched away, to his place, with the air of one who had performed a meritorious act. One Sabbath afternoon one of Mr. Moody's eldest pupils came to him for advice. His father, a Roman Catholic, was bitterly opposed to the mission, and, every Sunday afternoon, in a drunken frenzy, would give him an unmerciful beating. He had endured this for several successive weeks. Mr. Moody advised him to pray. This he did. Upon reaching home his father came toward him T-¥ in ^ i'ii 12 MOODY 8 LIFK AND WOllK. with bircii uplifted ready to give biiii the accustomed flogging. Quietly taking oflf his coat, the boy said, "you have always been kind to me, father, when not in liquor: it is not my father which beats me every Sunday, but whiskey, so now I am going to light the whiskey." This was but adding fuel to the fire. A sh;irp contest ensued but whiskey was so badly conquered that ever after the father allowed his boy to attend the school unmolested. Mj\ Moody did not attempt the degree of order in his mission which would be necessary in an ordi- nary Sunday-school, but there was a big, bold fellow who tried his patience sorely. He could neither be entreatbd, nor frightened, nor shamed into obedi- ence, but grew constantly worse. The teachers held a consultation, and thought he ought to be dis- missed; but this was contrary to Mr. Moody's ideal of the Gospel, and they separated without arriving at any definite plan of action. The next Sunday came and with it this same burly boy more noisy than ever. There was fear that he would actually break up the school. Mr. Moody came suddenly upon the culprit in the vestibule, seized him by both arms, lifted him from his feet, took him to a class-room, locked the door and — thrashed him. This was not in the least an easy matter, for the of- fender was agile, and vigorous, and fierce, as an un • .u. 4IK. MOODY S WAIIJ* 13 tamed aniiiiiil. But Mr. Mootly proved the stroiipfe\, and when they came into the school-room the pupil was comphitely conquered and reduced to subjection. Mr. Moody said, afterward, to a teacher, " It was hard work but I think we have saved him." A gnat event in the history of this school was a visit fio'j President Lincoln. That great man left a half finished dinner, and a distinguished company, to be present at a session of ]\Ir. Moody's school. While in the carriage, on the way, Mr. Lincoln asked not to be invited to speak to the school. But upon his introduction as the president of the United States, the excitement of those rough scions of American citizenship was uncontrollable, and yielding to their enthusiastic clamoring he made a Sunday-school speech for the first and last time in his life. There was, however, nothing of religion in his address. It was not until afterward, when the weight of a nation's civil war was crushing him, that he himself learned the truth and value of re- ligion. And his gi'eat, honest nature would never allow him to stoop to speak upon a subject beyond liis experience or understanding. Afterward, when the war broke out, and Lincoln called for volunteers, sixty of these same boys en- rolled themselves in the Ai'my of the Republic. In his visitations from house to house Mr. Moody tnet very many wretched families. One Sunday morning going into a miserable attic he found the •w U il(ml)V S LIFE AND UOJiK. wife half crazy from rum, the luishand ou the \orge of (lelii'iuni tvemens, and the children half fiimished for want of food. He went out and procured them some nourislinient. Then ho talked to them on temperance, and persuaded the man to sign the pledge, a copy of which he had with him. The following Sab))ath all the family attended the mission. Passing that way, a day or two after- ward, the man called to him from the window, threw a silver coin to him and said, "I like that Sunday- school and I want to take a little stock in it." That reformed inebriate is now a Christian gen- tleman with a thriving business and a deHghtful home of his own. One Saturday night Mr. Mood}', with his friend Mr. Stillson, entered a drinking saloon and — while the men were carousing and swearing — asked to leave some religious i)a2:)ers with those who were drinking. Permission being granted they entered into conversation witli the bar-keeper, and gradu- ally learned that his father and mother were Chris- tian people. Simultaneously they asked the ques- tion, "Do your parents know that you are selling liquor?" The man was evidently touched and softened They spoke with him kindly and bade him "gooc night." They had not yet reached home when they felt that they had failed in their duty in not praying with the bar- tender. So they turned back, re-en m MIt. MOODY S WAIFS. 15 gooo tered tlie saloon, uiid asked the keeper's foryiveiiesa !or not i)rayin^ with liim. Then Mr. Moody kiHilt down and ofi'ered a prayer )f which Mr. Stillson says — " I never heard Moody pray Hke that before, it fioemed as if he was baptized and inspired by the Holy Ghost." Two weeks afterward thev met him in the street, when he told them he had given np drinking, closed his liquor saloon, and would rather die in the alms-house than have any thing more to do with liquor. One trouble, a cause of serious annoyance to Mr. Moody, was the Catholic boys brf^aking the windows of his building and disturbing his meetings. At length, when his patience was exhausted, he called upon Bishop Duggan, the Romish prelatt? of the city, and stated his cause of complaint. Sur- prised at his fearlessness and zeal the bishop prom- ised that thereafter the boys in his chui'ch should be properly restrained. Emboldened by the bishop's kindly answer Mr. Moody then preferred a strange request. He said, "I often come across sick people who are Roman Catholics. I should be glad to pray with them and relieve them, but they are so suspi- cious of me they will not allow me to come near them. Now, bishop, won't you give me a good word to those people; it will help me amazingly in my work." ii il fl lit tl I. Ill IP n; ilOODY S Lll'to, AND WOIIK. Tne bishop replied, "I will be most liappj to giv^ the recommendation if you will join the Catholic Church, you seem to be too good and valuable a man to be a heretic." " I am afraid that would hinder me in my work among the Protestants," answered Mr. Moody. " Not at all," returned the prelate. " What," said the evangelist, " do you mean to tell me that I could go to the noon-prayer-meeting, and pray with aU kinds of Christian people — Baptists, Methodists, Congregationalists, c'^ery denomination, just as I do now ? " "Oh yes, if it were necessary, you might do that." " So, then. Catholics and Protestants can pray to- gether, can they ? " "Yes." "Well, bishop, this is a very important matter. No one wants to belong to the true church more than I do. I wish you would pray for me right here that God would show me His true church and help me to be a worthy member of it." The bishop could not very well refuse, so they kneeled down together and he prayed very kindly for the heretic, and, afterward, the heretic pr;iyed earnestly for him. The bishop prohibited his wild parishioners fi'om breaking any more of Moody's iDrayer-meeting win- dows, and from that time until his decease Bishoj, Duggan was a good friend to Mr, Moody to giv^ atliolio lahle a CHAPTER IV. y work iy. 1 to tell Dgf, and aptists, Liiation, ght do j)ray to- matter. 1 more ht liere ad help so they f kindly priiyed I's from ng win- Bisho;: CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS. Gradually, Mr. Moody's heart, and thought, and time, were so given to his missionary labors that he took very Httle interest in his business and decided to give up his cherished plan of making a fortune and devote his whole time to his work. *'How do you expect to live? " inquired a fi'iend. " God will provide if he wishes me to keep on ; and I will keep on until I am obliged to stop," was his answer. He had saved about a thousand dollars but, with his numerous charities, this soon disappeared. He was at last obliged to sleep upon the benches in the Young Men's Christian Association hall because he had no money with which to pay for lodgings else- where. He slept there with money in his purse which fi'iends, not knowing his circumstances, had given him to use in his work, but which he was too conscientious to take for his own personal expenses. Since that time he has never received a salary from any individual, nor entered into any business or speculation. Yet he has never known actual want. God has cared fui' him and his family. Friends con- stantly insist upon supplying him with all the neces- sary comforts of life. 18 MOODY S LIFK AM) WORK. 'iliih At the breaking out of the rebellion a new direc- tion was given to Mr. Moody's labors. In the neigh- borhood of Chicago was a large camp where he would go, night after night, seeking to bring the soldiers under the influence of divine grace. Subsequently he was in the service of the Christian Commission, as president of the executive branch for Chicago. During the four years of carnage and death he labored and travelled indefatigably, supplying the soldiers with comforts, and pointing the dying to the Saviour. A Christian Commissioner gives the following re- sult of his teaching the soldiers faith in prayer for temporal supplies: " One night, a party of our men found themselves on a battle-field, in charge of a great many wounded soldiers, who, by the sudden retreat of the army, were left wholly without shelter or supplies. Hav- ing done their best for the poor fellows — bringing them water from a distant brook, and searching the haversacks of the dead for rations — they began to say to themselves, and one another, 'These weak and wounded men must have food, or they will die. The army is out of reach, and there is no village for many miles : what are we to do ? ' " ' Pray to God to send us bread,' said one. " That night, in the midst of the dead and dying, they held a little prayer-meeting, telling the Lord all about the case, anC begging Him to send them bread immediately ; though from whence it could CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS. 19 corao they had not the most remote idea. All ni<^ht long they plied their work of mercy. With the first ray of dawn the sound of an approaching wagon caught their ears; and presently, through the mists of the morning, appeared a great Dutch farm wag- on, piled to the very top with loaves of bread. " On their asking the driver where he came from, and who sent him, he replied: '"When I went to bed las'- night I knew that the army was gone, and I could not sleep for thinking of the poor fellows who always have to stay behind. Something seemed to say to me, " What will those poor fellows do for something to eat?" It came to me so strong that I waked up my old wife, and told her what was the matter. We had only a little bread in the house; and while my wife was making some more I took my team and went around to all my neighbors, making them get up and give me all the bread in their houses, telling them it was for the wounded soldiers. AVlicn I got home my wagon was full, my old wife piled her baking on the top, and I started off to bring the bread to the boys, feel- ing just as if the Lord, Himself, was sending me.' " Mr. Moody was on the battle-fields of Shiloh, Pittsburg Landing, Murfreesboro; with the army in many diiferent places, and was among the first to enter Richmond, where with undiminished zeal he ministered alike to loyalists and rebels. The war being ended he again gave his undivided attention to missionary' work in Chicago. He had I m^ j 1 i- w ' 20 MOODY S LIKE AX» WORK. now a commotlioiis cliapcl in Illinois street erected at a cost of $20,000 — which money he had himself collected. He was President of the Chicago Y. M. C. A., and calls for him to attend religious conven- tions and revival meetings were very frequent. But his chief work was in his own church, oue peculiar- ity of which was every member having some specified work to do. It is said that the bell in the tower — a gift from a New-York friend — used to ring every night in the week for a men's meeting, or mother's meeting, or Bible meeting, or temperance meeting, or stranger's meeting, or a meeting of some kind. One morning Mr. Moody observed a stranger standing on the corner near his church, apparently with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and going up to him and handing him a number of papers said very pleasantly, " Here, take this pile of papers and standing at that corner give one to every body that passes by." The stranger, pleased to hear a friendly voice and have something to do, took them and gave them out as directed, joined Moody's church, and has been since a most effective worker. Though bodily weariness occasionally overcame him he would recover his strength and spirits after a very brief season of rest. Col. Hammond, a friend of his, gives the follow- ing incident: " Mr. Moody came to me one Sunday, after morn- ing service, seemingly quite tired out. He threw CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS. 21 himself into a chair and burst out — 'I am used up — can't think, or speak, or do any thinjjf else. There is my meeting at the church to-night — you must take it. I have absolutely nothing left in me.' "Knowing that he never asked help uidess he needed it, I promised to take the service ofif his hands. When the time came I went down to the church, and found the house quite full. I was about commencing the service, when the door opened, and in rushed Mr. Moody, followed ' '^ a long procession of young men whom he had picked up and brought with him on an errand which, to them, was evidently a new one. " Mounting the platform with a bound, he seized the hymn-book and commenced, and from beginning to end of that service I had nothing to do but keep out of the way. " He had taken a rest of an hour or two, and then, having no care about the evening service on his mind, took up his old work of bringing in recruits, at which he was this time unusually successful. As he led them to the church some happy thought struck him, and between the street corner and the pulpit he arranged a sermon which was one of the most effective I ever heard him preach." Mr. Hitchcock, now superintendent of Mr. Moody's school, gives the following characteristic sketch of the Evangelist making two hunth'cd calls one New Year's Day: " At an early hour the carriage which was to take 'li! n MOODY S LIFE AND WORK. him and several of liis Iciicling men was at the door, and, with a carefully prepared list of residences, they began the day's labor. The list included a very large proportion of families living in garrets, and the upper stories of tenement houses. On reaching a family be- longing to his congregation he would spring out of the carriage, leap up the stairways, rush into the room, and pay his respects as follows: "'You know me: I am Moody; this is Deacon De Goly.er, this is Deacon Thane, this is Brother Hitchcock. Are you all 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, ten- der, sympathetic supplication, that God would bless the man, his wife, and each one of the children. "Then, springing to his feet, he would dash on his hat, dart through the doorway and down the stairs, throwing a hearty ' good -by ' behind him, leap into the carriage, and ofif to the next place oi? his list; the entire exercise occupying about one minute and a half. " Before long the horses were tired out, for Moody insisted on their going at a run, from one house to another; so the carriage was abandoned, and the party proceeded on foot. One after another his companions became exhausted with running up- stairs and down-stairs, and across the streets, and kneeling on bare floors, and getting up in a hui-ry ^«JLii. CHARACTERISTIC INCIDENTS. 23 until, reluctantly, but of necessity, they were obliged to reiinquish the attempt, and the tireless pastor was left to make the last of the two hundred calls alone; after which feat he returned home in the highest spirits, and with no sense of fatigue, to laugh at his exhausted companions for deserting him." One afternoon Mr. Moody was being driven by a Christian gentleman through a farming community, to a town where he was to speak at a convention and attend revival meetings. As they journeyed they came to a school-house closed for the day. At the farm-house beyond Mr. Moody stopped and in- quired of the woman if they ever had any religious meetings in that school-house. Upon her replying that they never had any meetings around there he said, " Tell every body you see there will be a prayer- meeting in that school-house every night next week." At the second house they found the teacher of the school and Mr. Moody gave the same notice to her telling her to send word throughout the com- munity, by her pupils. His acquaintance, knowing that he had an engagement for every night the fol- lowing weekj inquired of him who was to superin- tend the meetings. "You are," was the blunt reply. "I!" cried the astonished brother, "I never did such a thing in my life." " It is high time you commenced then ! I have made the appointment and you must keep it." The timid brother was forced to acquiesce, and 8, "■(I i I 24 MOODY S LIFK AND WORK. led the meetings, which was the result of a great revival throughout all that portion of the country. At a certain State Sunday-school Convention Mr. Moody's determination that every thing connect- ed with Sunday-school work, however extended, should be conducted upon a basis of strict piety, and with earnest religious exercises, in contradis- tinction to the views and more worldly purposes of some of his eminent co-laborers — gained him the severe displeasure of several prominent men at the convention. Mr. Moody's views were adopted, by a vote of the majority, and he and his friends ap- pointed upon a number of important committees. One of the opposition, in the presence of five thou- sand people, gave him a pointedly insulting question to speak upon. He accepted the challenge and spoke with ex- traordinary meekness and fervent rehgious feeling. He touchingly recapitulated his own and his fi'iends' labors for Christ, and at the end tendered the res- ignation of all honorable offices he and his friends had received. But his address had moved the mul- titude to tears, and the hearts of his enemies to deepest repentance. Unanimously, and by acclaim, they voted that the resignation should not be accepted, expressed their appreciation of him and his work, and a desire for his pardon. Never was a more melting scene witnessed in a vast audience, than when the great man offered 9> short, audible prayer for reconciliati n and peace. «r CHAPTER V. ALLIANCE OF MOOUY AND SANKEY. It was early in the year 1871 that ]\Ir. Moody first met — at a -National Convention of Young Men's Christian Associations, Indianapolis, Indiana — Mr. Ira David Sankey. This gf^ntlemaii was born in Edinburg, Pennsyl- vania, U. S., in the year 1840. He was the child of pious parents, but it was not until his sixteenth year that he experienced a change of heart. He early displayed a taste for music and, after his conversion, took an active part in promoting the efficient training of Sunday-school children in the singing of hymns. At the age of twenty he was a leader in the M. E. Church of an evening class numbering seventy or eighty, and superintendent of a large Sundav-school. Mr. Moody hearing him sing and being intro- duced to him, at the close of the meeting, after a few preHminary questions, abruptly told him he wanted him to come and work with him in Chi- cago; that he was the man for whom he had been seeking during the last eight years. A proposition to leave his pleasant home and prosperous business, and go into ^i strange city to do missionary labor — froin a man with whom he « ■9 1 5» w !iH 26 MOOJJYS LIFE AN1> WOUK. was personally unacquaiutcd, but of whom lie had heard that he was liviiifif entirely dependent upon faith in God for his daily sustenance — was rather startling, but M.. Moody succeeded in obtaining from him a promise that he would think about it and pray over it. A few evenings after they held a meeting together in the streets of Indianapolis, and with such signal success that Sankey resolved he, too, would trust the Lord and go with his new friend to labor in Chicago. Mr. Sankey 's singing has no pretension to the artistic, hig music is made subservient to the words, and in accent and tone is constantly varied to suit the words; but the hallowed sweetness and winning tenderness of many of his songs has been effectual in awakening many thousands of people. For two or three years prior to their going abroad these two men labored amicably and efficaciously, in Chicago, Pittsfield, Springfield, Philadelphia, and many other towns and cities. In October the terrible fire swept over the city. It covered a space of one mile by four. "Within the doomed precinct were Mr. Moody's school and church and the building of the Young Men's Chris- tian Association. Mr. Moody had been married in 1862, to Miss Emma C. Eevell. At the time of the fire he was liv ing with his wife and children — a boy and girl — in an elegant house, completely and handsomely fur- pished — a New Year's gift from generous friends, ALLIANCi; OF MOODY AN'D SANKKY. 27 Mr. Moody iiml his fiuuily were roused at mid- riij,'Lt to find the tire iipproiicliiii^ their dwcllinj^ and, leaving their homo ^vith all their precious prop( rty to the merciless flames, hurriedly sou^-ht shelter at the house of a friend. The only article he saved was his I3ajj(st(!r Bible. Placin<' his family beyond reach of the rafj^in 3. i III iii IHl 28 MOODY S LIFK AND WOIIK. invitation of two fjs-ontlemcn — Mr. Ponnefather, oJ London, and Mr. Baiijl)rid;^e, of Nowcastlc — to com- mence an evangelistic work in Great Britain. Tlie time selected for this missionary tour was characteristic of tlie man. His new church was in process of buildin«;:j, and his school and congregation were soon to be transferred to the basement story. Mr. Moody felt that there were many who could execute as well as he the numberless little matters incident to the erection of a new building. He left the spiritual superintendence to the members of his flock — whom he taught to be Independent in spirit as they were in name. They had occasional help from the pastors of other churches. He has had no reason to regret his faith in the ability of those in whose charge he left his work. Mr. Moody made all his arrangements to leave, seciu'ed a passage for himself and family, bade his congregation and school farewell, but to within an hour of his departure by the train had not a dollar with which to defray his expenses. A few hours before the time he was to start it oc- curred to a friend of his, Hon. J. V. Far well, who knew nothing of his straitened circumstances, that Mocdy would need some money after he reached England. Going down to bid him farewell he placed in his hand a check for $500. On the 7th of June, 1873, Mr. Moody, with hie family and Mr. Sankey, sailed for Liverpool, reach- ing there after a prosperous voyage of ten days. CHAPTER VI. OVER THE sp:a. Mr. Moody with his Bible, and Mr. Sankey with his music-book and orj^un, airiviiig in Liverpool on the 17th of June, 1873, h-ariKHl that the friends who had invited them to Great Britain were both dead. Lamenting' their loss but not disheartened, they im- mediately commenced their work. They held meetin<(.s in Liveri^ool, York, Sunder- land, Newcastle, Stockton-on-tees, Carlisle, Darling- ton, and Shields. At several of these places hundreds were influenced to come to Christ. After they reached Edinburgh three or four of the largest halls were constantly in requisition, yet dis- appointed thousands turned away from these over- crowded buildings unable to gain admittance. Dr. Blakie says, of the work in Edinburgh: " There have been some very remarkable conversions of scep- tics. Dr. Andrew Thompson told of one who, having been awakened on the previous week, had gone for the first time to church on the previous Sunday. Ho had hardly been in a place of worship for years, and a week before would have scouted the idea. He was 80 happy in the morning that he returned in the af- ternoon. The blessing seemed to come down upon [J " 2 .> (Till F 30 MOODY S LIFE AND WORK. It : liiliir him. Another sceptic who carried his unbelief tc the verge of blasphemy has now come to the foot of the cross. "Among the most direct and touching fruits of saving imi^ressions of any one, affectionate interest in the welfare of other members of the family is one of the surest and most uniform. A working man of fifty years of age, for example, is impressed and brought to peace in believing, and immediately he comes to the minister and cries out, with streaming eyes, 'Oh! pray for my two sons!' A father and his son are seen at another meeting with arms round each other's necks. In manv cases the work of con- version seems to go tln'ough whole families. That peculiar joyfulness and expectation which marks young converts, is often the means of leading oth- ers to the fouii-fcain, and two, three, four, and even more members of the same family share the blessing." And Dr. Bonar says, " Tliere was scarcely a Chris- tian household in all Edinburgh, in which there were not one or more persons converted during the revival." Through the two months of the Evangelists' stay in Edinburgh a noon prayer-meeting was held daily, at Free Association Hall, and each noon attended by over one thousand persons. Among the inquirers were youths in their teens, students from the Universitv, soldiers from the Cas- tie, old men with theu* threescore years and ten, the rich, the poor, the educated, the uneducated, f-'l OVER THE SEA. 31 the backslider, the blasphemer, and the sceptic; and in many instances the wounded were healed and the burdened went home rejoicing. During the holidays masses of young people from the school crowded the meetings. So great was the attraction of Mr. Saukey's singing and Mr. Moody's eloquence, that hundreds of young persons, espe- cially of the higher classes, who were formerly ac- customed to go to the theatre, opera, and jianto- mime, gave them up deliberately and, from choice and the force of conviction, attended the Gospel and prayer-meetings. The last meeting was held on the slope of Arthur's Seat, no edifice being in the least capable of contain- ing the vast multitude. The following is a graphic sketch of a day at Elgin : " Surely something unusual was going on, streets abandoned, the house-doors fast, the shops closed. Through half a mile of the empty streets ours were the only footsteps that echoed on the pavement, and every thing was silent and desolate as a plague-strick- en city! At last, just on the verge of the town, the stillness was broken by the distant sound of a voice, and the turn of a lane revealed a sight which time can never efface from the memory. There stood tlie inhabitants, motionless, breathless, j)lague-stricken indeed, plague-stricken with the plague of sin. The sermon was evidently half over, and the preacher, with folded arms, leaned over the wooden rail of the S'l I* ,.1 u I ! i 'li: I! . 32 ilOODY S LIFE AND WORK. rude platform. Oli, the sin upon those faces round him! I cannot tell you who were there, or how many, or what a good choir there was, or what Mr. Sankey sang, or which dignitary prayed. I cannot tell you how beautifully the sun was setting, or how fresh the background of woods looked, or how azure the sky was. But these old men penitent, these drunkards petrified, these strong men's tears, these drooping heads of women, these groups of gutter children, with their wondering eyes ! Oh, that mul- titude of thirsty ones — what 'i sight it was I What could the preacher do but ach his best? And long after the time for stopi ,, was it a marvel to hear the persuasive voice still pleading with these Christless thousands ? "One often hears doubts as to the possibility of producing an impression in the open air, but there is no mistake this time. No, there is no mistaking these long, concentric arcs of wistful faces curving around the speaker, and these reluctant tears, which conscious guilt has wrung from eyes unused to weep. Oh, the power of the living Spirit of God ! Oh, the fascination of the Gospel of Christ ! Oh, the glad- ness of the old, old story of these men and women hurrying graveward! These thousands just hung spellbound on the speaker's Hps. It seemed as if he daren't stop, so many hungry ones were there to feed. At last he seemed about to close, and the au- dience strained to catch the last solemn words; when the preacher, casting his eye on a little boy, seemed OVER THE SEA. 33 moved with an overpowering desire to tell the little ones of a children's Christ. Then followed for fif- teen minutes more the most beautiful and pathetic children's sermon we have ever heard; and then, turning to the weeping mothers and fathers, con- cluded with a last tender appeal, which must have sunk far into many a parent's heart. When these tireless Evangelists had compassed Scotland they crossed the water. Mr. Sankey was a decided favorite with the Irish people. The majority of people in Dublin are Roman Catholics. Strangely" enough the first convert given them in this capital was a young man of the Rom- ish faith. So many of that persuasion flocked to hear them that Cardinal Cullen felt obliged to pub- lish an edict prohibiting their attendance upon the meetings. The following is an extract from an article — enti- tled "Fair Play," in a Catholic paper — on the re- vival: "With much regret we notice indications of an attempt to excite the hostility of our Catholic population against the religious services conducted by some Protestant missionaries from America. We trust we shall not appeal in vain to the spirit of tol- erance, of honorable fair play, of respect of con- science in the breasts of Irish Catholics, when wo call upon them to crush the slightest attempt at offensive demonstration against the religious exer- cises which some sections of the Protestant commu- nity are holding, under the auspices of the gentlemen 3 ! J 1 i M 34 MOODY S LIFE AND WORK. wc refer to. We Cutliolics should ever discriminate between the Protestantism o". sincere men devoted to their own convictions, but seeking no unjust in- terference with ours, and the wi'etched kind of Prot- estantism which consists in wanton insult and ag- gression upon the Catholic poor. For this latter warfare on our homes and altars, we shall always have scorn and reprobation ; for the former, we should always have respectful sentiments. Let Messrs. Moody and Sankey do all they can to make Protestants earnest in religion. Let us Catholics daily devote ourselves more and more energetically to the practical duties of our holy faith ; and let us all, Protestant and Catholic, work and pray to keep the teachings and theories of the Huxleys and the Tyndalls far from the shores of Ireland." Leaving Dublin the brethren returned to England. At Birmingham, in one week, they held twenty- two services, reaching in the aggregate 156,000 men, women, and children. At one of the meetings a roughly clad man, to all appearance a common laborer, who had come to town after the meeting was over, seemed much dis- appointed. He had walked, in the rain, nearly six miles in order to hear the Evangelists, and arrived too late to gain an entrance. He said he had to walk back and preach the same evening. He was somewhat relieved when he obtained a ticket for the worker's meeting the following Sunday morning. May, June, July, and August, of 1874, were given Hi ■■'W iMV OVER THE SEA. 35 all to lis- isix jed to ^as Itbe ^eB . by the Evanp^elists to London. Agriciiltnral Hall, in North London, was the first building chosen for their labors, and it was variously computed that the arrangements afforded accommodation for from fif- teen to eighteen thousand people. At the first meeting inside, the great multitude were singing Old Hundred. Outside there were in- fidels distributing handbills, containing malignant misstatements ; multitudes of young men full of frolic and fun ; gaily-dressed evil women laughing and jesting; carmen, boardmen, and loafers, swear- ing and mocking; among all not one serious face, not one with thought or care for their immortal souls, proving that the brethren were wise in devot- ing four months to the city which evidently needed them so much. Afterward, many of these wretched characters were induced to come to the services and to Christ. The noon prayer-meeting, held at Her Majesty's Opera House, was a marked feature of the work in that metropolis. The number of requests for prayer constantly flow- ing in could not be read separately, but were classi- fied, as follows: sixty requests for prayer for uncon- verted children, forty requests by Christian wives for husbands out of Christ, ten requests by sisters for brothers addicted to the use of liquor. Hun- dreds of Sunday-school teachers request prayer for their pupils. Twenty requests for profligate sons by heart-broken parents. ^J I' I I 1 y *» 30 MOODVS LIKE AND WOllK. Sji « !l And one day came to Her Majesty's Opera House the strangest petition of all. A poor woman in Newgate prison condemned to die sent a request for prayer. The heart of the great audience, mostly of the nobility, was touched with compassion, and with bowed heads they prayed the kind Father to bless the miserable, condemned criminal. A tract distributor passing over Waterloo Bridge offered a man a tract. He declined it with the re- mark, " I shall be in hell before night." "No, you will not, for I am going to heaven, and will stick to you all day." They left the bridge together, the hungry man was fed and taken to one of the meetings. While there he fell asleep. "Let him sleep, perhaps h3 has been walking all night," said his friend. After the services were ended he was taken home to supper, inquiring concerning all this kindness, " what's up ? " He was fed, cared for, reasoned with, instructed and taught the way to heaven, instead of going to hell as he had said. After five weeks at Agricultural Hall and some time spent at Row Road Hall the Evangelists re- moved to the Royal Opera House in the Haymarket. Here the wealthy, the titled, the cultivated, and the leaders of fashionable society gathered — partic- ularly at the Bible readings. A New York journal, on the revival in London, contained the following: "We presume that the aris- tocracy and the literati will scarce hear of the movb • iSS, ith, of Ire- ket. md bio- Ion, JVtt' I OVER THE SEA. 37 ment that is about them. It is an after generation that builds the monuments of the prophets. Bun- yan got no words of honor from the Duke of Bed- ford, whose descendant has lately set up his statue." But long before these words were written Mr. Moody had boon welcomed as a guest within the walls of Dunrobin Castle, and dined with the Lord Chancel- lor of England. At his first meeting in London he was assisted by a peer of the realm and, at the Haymarket, the Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Sutherland, the Prince Teck, and many more of the nobility, listened to his stirring appeals, wept over his pathetic sto- ries, and joined heartily in the sweet songs led by Mr. Sankey. They must also have added to their presence and influence the weight of their purses, for the amount expended in London alone, in arrangements for the revival, was $625,000. One young man's testimony may be given as an illustration of hundreds: "I went into the inquiry room, and Mr. Sankey walked up and down with me, and talked to me as though he had been my own father; and I found Christ." The four months' labor of the Evangelists in Lon- don was ended, and they left Great Britain followed by the grateful love, the thankful tenderness, the heart-stirring benedictions of millions of people to whom under God they had been the instrument of blessing. i 5 .«t ■^ ^ CHAPTER VII. HOME AGAIN. f Notwithstanding the wonderful career of the revi- valists in Europe, there were many who prophesied — and with some plausibility — that the same success could not attend them in America, where the sonn-s were well known and the style of their address familiar. But, instead, the anticipations of their most sanguine friends are more than realized. i. pleasant feature of the Brooklyn services was the united and harmonious action of laymen and ministers of all denominations of Christians. Every morning at the Tabernacle, and every even- ing at the Rink, were thirty or forty city pastors gathered near the platform all ready to do their ut- termost to increase the interest and success of the meetings. Dr. Duryea gives the following incident in connec- tion with the work in Brooklyn : " A young man of my acquaintance, of fine culture and wide reading, came to me, took me by the hand and said, 'Doc- tor, I am going.' " He was the first to rise in the auditorium when Mr. Moody gave the invitation. He was verging on Universalism, but Mr. Moody's sermon went •:i' 1 en it •f t HOME AGAIN. 89 home, and broke sunlight through the vapor and mystification in his mind." Many who would not have been influenced to attend the revival services by IVIr. Moody's preach- ing are drawn thither by Mr. Sankey's singing. Of the hymns sung by Mr. Sankey in Brooklyn " The Ninety and Nine " was the general favorite. The following is the correct account of its origin: The first time Mr. Sankey visited London he bought a copy of The Christian Age, a religious paper, which published Dr. Talmage's sermons, and found this hymn. It seemed adapted to religious work. He cut it from the paper and, three days afterward, sang it at a meeting in Edinburgh, having himself composed the music. Not long after he received a letter from a lady thanking him for having sung the hymn, and informing him the author was her sister, Miss Eliza C. Claphane, of Melrose, Scotland. She wrote the hymn in 1868 and died shortly afterward. It is difficult to explain the secret of Mr. Moody's success or the elements of his power. That he has power no one, who has ever sat by his side and watched the sea of upturned, earnest faces eager to catch every syllable which falls from his lips, can doubt. He is thoroughly in earnest. He preaches with his whole soul, evidently believing all he says, and expecting his hearers to believe it. He is remarkably natural. "Without apparent ef- fort he gets wonderfully near to his audience, what- ►i a "11 40 MOODY S LIFK AND WORK. I' '' ■' t i';l ever their size may be. He speaks with the same unaflfected fervor to fifteen and to fifteen thousand. He is thoroughly conscientious. The committee having charge of the revival meetings, in London, tendered him a large royalty accruing fi*om the sale of music-books in London. It was his by every legal and moral right, but he utterly refused to ac- cept a penny of it. Since his return it has been sent, by the committee in London, to Mr. Moody's Tabernacle building committee in Chicago. That such a man should have no enemies or slan- derers would be a miracle. But his calumniators are usually those who do not know him, and many of these since seeing him and hearing him, have be- come his warmest friends. In a religious movement of such vast proportions as that which is here so briefly and imperfectly sketched, there can be no exactness with reference to results. Just how many thousands of believers have been refreshed and helped to a truer knowledge of their privilege and duty, and how many tens of thousands of wanderers brought into the fold of Christ, will never be known until the day when He shall num- ber His jewels. k 1^ \ it! < Addresses and Best Thoughts, i 1. How TO Read the Bible. — If the Holy Ghost is our Teacher, we will understand the "Word of God. The best thing to interpret the Bible is the Bible it- self. There are three books every Christian ought to have; the Bible, Cruden's Concordance, and the " Bi- ble Text-Book." Study the Bible topically. Take up one subject at a time. Take up " Love " and spend a month upon it. Take a concordance and go through the Bible with it upon this subject, and then you will be full of love, and there will be no room for malice and hatred in your heart. After that take up "Faith"; it is better to go to the Word of God and get faith than to pray for it. Then take up "Blood"; it shows the way to heaven. Now take up "Heaven," and spend months upon it. Then "Prayer." We do not know how to pray as we ought to. The only wa^' for us to study the Bible is to take up one subjeci i::.d try to master that sub- ject. A man said to me, " Can you recommend the best Life of Christ ? " I said I could recommend four — Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. A man had better spend a year over those four Gospels than to run over the whole Bible. If a man studies Genesis 1 'A f ) I \2 ADDllKSSKS ' he littH a key to the whole Bible. It in the ])egmning of evt-ry thing, and then the other parts of the Bible will unfold themselves to us. Let '^« take the Bil)le up with some object iu view — to g j some trutli. In California th(; best gold is found at the greatest depth ; and so with the Word of God ; the best part is deepest. Here is some law document ; it is unin- teresting. Now, suppose it is the will of some man giving you a great inheritance ; you will become in- t<»rested. This Book tells me of this inheritance. What can the geologist tell you about the Rock of Ages V He can tell you about the rocks of this world. What does tlie astronomer know about the bright and morning star? He can ^ell you about other stars. God did not tell Joi how to use the sword, and light in the promisee* land, but He told him to meditate upon the law day and night, and no one could stand before him. These words apply to every one here. This sword cuts right and left, and with it a man can cut his enemies right up to the throne of God. 2. God's Bible and Spirit. — A man filled with the Spirit dwells much with the Scripture. Pyter quoted Scripture at the Day of Pentecost, when he was full of the Holy Ghost. What is a man good for if he has no weapon? We don't know how to use this sword; we should get into the habit of using it. David says, " Thy Word have I hid in my heart." A good thing in a good place for a good purpose. i AND Ili:ST TllOlOHTS. 43 If vou lose your hculLli vou lii; un;)ii vour luul uiiu feed upon tlu; Word of Gotl. W'lieii vou moct to- ^(fthor to (line it is better to biinj,' out the 13il)lo than to briu^ on wine. I ^vils ^hu\ in Enj^'laiul at seein;^- that done in a cfreat many houses of the up- per classes. 3. Key to the Bible. — An Enf^lishinan said to me, " Moody, did you ever study the hfe of Job ? " I said, "No, I never did." He said, "If you get a key to Job you get a key to the whole Bible." ''What has Job to do with the Bible '? " He said, " I will tell you. I ^>lll divide the subject into seven heads. First. Job, before ho was tried, was a perfect man untried. He was like Adam in Eden until Satan came in. Second, he was tried by adversity. Third, the wisdom of the world is represented by Job's friends trying to restore him. See what language they used. They were wonderful wise men, but they could not help Job out of his difficulties. Men are miserable comforters when they do not under- stand the grace of God. Job could stand his scold- ing wife and his boils better than these men's argu- ments; they made him worse instead of better. Fifth, God speaks, and Job humbles himself in the dust. God, before He saves a man, brings him down into the dust. He does not talk about how he has fed the hungry and clothed the naked; but he says, I am vile. Seventh, God restores him, and the last end of Job was better than the first. So the .4 if! •i ! si I ': I a ■i i u ADDRESSES last state of man is better than the first. It is bet- ter than the state of Adam, because Adam might have lived ten thousL,nd years and then fallen; there- f( re it is better for us to be outside of Edeii with Christ than that we should be in Eden without Him. God gave Job double as much wealth as he had be- fore, but He only gave him ten children. He had ten before his calamity came upon him. That is worthy of notice. God would not admit that Job had lost any children. He gave him ten here and ten in heaven." 4. The Crowning Watch-night of the Century. — The most wonderful watch-night ever held was by Moody and Sankey, closing at the dawn of the second century of our independence, in the same city where that wonderful document the Declara- tion of Independence was signed. The building was crowded with at least eleven thousand persons, and as many more w^ere outside trying to get in. The meeting commenced at nine o'clock, continuing till ten. Then the doors were opened and many retired, thus rvllowing as many others to come in and take their places. So again at eleven. The first hour of this service was occu- pied by Mr. Moody in an address on " How long halt ye between two opinions." A delightful feat- ure of the second hour was a talk wdth the Rev. Dr. Plumer, of South Carolina, on conviction and con- version. The eleven o'clock service was opened by i| AND BEST THOUGHTS. 45 singing " The Lord of Earth and Sky." Mr. Sankey sang "One more day's work for Jesus." Mr. Moody preached from the text, "What then shall I do with Jesus which is called Christ." He followed out the same line of thought that he took in the nine o'clock service. He showed the want of de- cision in Pilate's character. More souls are lost for the want of decision, than for any one thing. God holds the world responsible for what they have done with his Son. A large number rose for prayers. The congregation, led by Dr. Newton, repeated the Lord's prayer. The benediction was pronounced by Dr. Plumer, who then joined Mr. Moody in irishing the assembly a happy new year. f CHRIST SEEKING SINNEES. 5. " The Son of Man is come to Seek and to Save THAT WHICH WAS LosT." — To nic this is one of the sweetest verses in the whole Bible. In this one httle short sentence we are told what Christ came into this world for. He came for a purpose; He came to do a work, and in this little verse the whole story is told. He came not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him, might be saved. A few years ago, the Prince of Wales went to America, and there was great excitement about your Crow* Prince. The papers took it up, and began to discuss it, and a great many were wondering what he came for. Was it to look into the republican government ? Was it for his health ? Was it to see > 1 ■i:i ^mammmmmmmmm I m J .1 ■i i J !i f ADDRESSES our institutions ? he never told us what he came for. But when the Prince of Heaven came down into this world, He told us what he came for. God sent Him, and He came to do the will of His Father. " To seek and to save that which was lost." 6. Never Failed. — And you cannot find any place in Scripture where a man was ever sent by God to do a work in which he failed. God sent Moses to Egypt to bring three millions of bondmen up out of the iiouee of bondage into the promised land. Did lie fail ? It looked, at first, as if he were going to. If we had been in the Court when Pharaoh said to Moses, "Who is God, that I should obey Him ? " and ordered him out of his presence, we might have thought it meant failure. But did it? God sent Elijah to stand before Ahab, and it was a bold thing when he told him there should be neither dew nor rain ; but didn't he lock up the heavens for three years and six months? Now here is God Bending his own beloved Son from his bosom, from the throne, down into this world. Do you think He is going to fail? Thanks be to God, He can save to the uttermost, and there is not a man in this city who may not find it so, if he is willing to be saved. i 7. Bartimeus. — I find a great blessing to myself in taking up a passage like this, and looking all round it, to see what brought it out. If yon look back to AND BKST THOUGHTS. 47 CI the close of the eighteenth chapter, yon will find Christ comin"- near the citv of Jericho. And, sit- ting by the wayside, was a poor blind beggar. Per- haps he has been there for -years, led out, it may be, by one of his children, or perhaps, as we sometimes see, he had got a dog to lead him out. There he had sat for years, and his cry had been, "Please give a poor blind man a farthing." One day, as he was sitting there, a man came down from Jerusa- lem, and seeing the poor blind man, took his seat by his side, and said, " Bartimeus, I have good news for you." "What is it?" said the blind beggar. " There is a man iu Israel who is able to give you sight." " Oh no," said the blind beggar, " there is no chance of my ever receiving sight. I was bom blind, and nobody born blind ever got* sight. I shall never see in this world; I may in the world to come, but I must go through this world blind." "But," said the man, "let me tell you, I was at Jerusalem the other day, and the great Galilean prophet was there, and I saw a man who was born blind that had received his sight; and I never saw a man with better sight." Then for the first time hope rises in the poor man's heart, and he asks "How was it done?" "Why, Jesus spat on the ground and made some clay, and anointed his eyes " (why, that is enough to put a man's sight out, even if he can see ! ) " and sent him to wash in the pool of Siloam, and while he was doing so, he got two good eyes. Yes, it is so. I talked with i, '■■ il 0« 1 ) 1 Fl 4S ADDUFSSES hioi, and I didn't see a man in all Jerusalem who had better sight." "What did He charge?" says Bartimeus. " Nothing. There was no fee or doc- tor's bill ; he got his sight for nothing. You just tell Him what you want; you don't need to have an influential committee to call on Him, or any impor- tant deputation. The poor have as much influence with Him as the rich ; all are alike." " What is his name?" asks Bartimeus. "Jesus of Nazareth. And if He ever comes this way, don't you let Him by, without getting your case laid before Him." And the blind man says " That you may be sure of; He shall never pass this way without my seeking Him." A day or two after, he is led out, and takes his seat at the usual place, still crying out for money. All at once, he hears the footsteps of a coming mul- titude, and begins to cry, " Who is it ? " " Tell me, who is it ? " Some one said it was Jesus of Naza- reth that was passing by. The moment he hears that, he says to himself, " Why, that is the man who gives sight to the blind," and he lifted up his cry, " Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy upon me ! " I don't know who it was — perhaps it was Peter — who said to the man, "Hush! keep still." He thought the Lord was going up to Jerusalem to be crowned King, and He would not like to be dis- turbed by a poor blind beggar. Oh they did not know the Son of God when He was here! He would hush every harp in heaven to hear a sinner >l I \ A^'D BEST THOUGHTS. 41) pray ; no music delights Him so much. But Bar- timeus lifted up his voice louder, "Thou Son of Da- vid, have mercy on me." His prayer reached the ear of the Son of God, as prayer always will, and His footsteps were arrested. He told them to bring the man. "Bar.imeus," they said, "be of good cheer, arise, He calleth thee ; " and He never called any one, but He had something good in store for him. Oh, sinner! remember that to-night. They led the blind man to Jesus. The Lord says, "What shall I do for you? " "Lord, that I may receive my sight." "You shall have it," the Lord said; and straightway his eyes were opened. I should have liked to have been there, to see that wonderful scene. The first object that met his gaze was the Son of God Himself, and now among the shouting multitude, no one shouts louder than the poor blind man that has got his sight. He glorifies God, and I fancy I can hear him shouting " Hosanna to the Son of David," more sweetly than Mr. Sankey can sing. 8. Zaccheus. — Pardon me, if I now draw a little on my imagination. Bartimeus gets into Jericho, and he says, " I will go and see my wife, and tell her about it." A young convert always wants to talk to his friends about salvation. Away he goes down the street, and he meets a man who passes him, goes on a few yards, and then turns round and says, "Bartimeus, is that you?" "Yes." Well, I 4 * il 1* • ? 1 50 ADDRESSES thought it was, but I could not believe my eyes. How have you got your sight? " "Oh, I just met Jesus of Nazareth outside the city, and asked Him to have mercy on me." " Jesus of Nazareth ! What, is He in this part of the country?" "Yes. He is right here in Jericho. He is now going down to the western gate." "I should like to see Him," says the man, and away he runs down the street; but he cannot catch a ghmpse of Him, even though he stands on tiptoe, being little of stature, and on account of the great throng around Him. " Well," he says, " I am not going to be disappointed ; " so he runs on, and climbs up into a sycamore tree. " If I can get on to that branch, hanging right over the highway. He cannot pass without my getting a good look at Him." That must have been a very strange sight to see the rich man climbing up a tree like a boy, and hiding among the leaves, where he thought nobody would see him, to get a glimpse of the passing stranger ! There is the crowd burst- ing out, and he looks for Jesus. He looks at Peter; "That's not Him." He looks at John; "That's not Him." At last his eye rested on One fairer than the sons of men; "That's Him!" And Zac- cheus, just peeping out from among the branches, looks down upon the wonderful God-man in amaze- ment. At last the crowd comes to the tree; it looks as if Christ were going by ; but He stops right undei the tree, looks up, and says, " Zaccheus, make haste and come down." I can imagine the first thought AND BEST THOUGHTS. 51 in his mind was, " Who told Him my name ? I was never introduced to Him." Ahl He knew him. Sinner, Christ knows all about you. He knows your name and your house. You need not try to hide from Him. He knows where you are, and all about you. 9. Sudden Conversions. — Some people do not be- lieve in sudden conversion. I should like them to answer me when was Zaccheus converted? He was certainly in his sins when he went up into that tree ; he certainly was converted when he came down. He must have been converted somewhere between the branch and the ground. It didn't take a long while to convert that publican ! " Make haste and come down. I shall never pass this way again ; this is my last visit." Zaccheus made haste, and came down and received Him joyfully. Did you ever hear of any one receiving Christ in any other way ? He received Him joyfully. Christ brings joy with Him. Sin, gloom, and darkness flee away ; light, peace, and joy burst into the soul. May there be many that shall come down from their high places, and receive Christ to-night ! 10. Evidence of Zaccheus's Conversion. — Some one may ask, *' How do you know that he was converted?" I think he gave very good evidence. I would like to see as fruitful evidence of conversion here to-night. Let some of you rich men be con- 1 ft •it 52 ADDRESSES ' . -■ :'(-. ■ .-'^^ 1 1 1 ■"'" 'I- • '■ 1 il i 1 U i verted, and give half your goods to feed the poor and people will believe pretty quickly that it is gen- uine work ! But there is better evidence even than that. "If I have taken any thing from any man falsely, I renlore him fourfold." Very good evidence that. You say if people are converted suddenly, they won't hold out. Zaccheus held out long enough to restore fourfold. We should like to have a work that reaches men's pockets. I can imagine one of his servants going to a neighbor next morning, with a check for iClOO, and handing it over. " What is this for ? " " Oh, my master defrauded you of i225 a few years ago, and this is restitution money." That would give confidence in Zaccheus's conver- sion ! I wish a few cases like that would happen here, and then people would stop talking against sudden conversions. 11. Phaeisees' Complaint. — The Lord goes to be the publican's guest, and while He is there the Phar- isees began to murmur and complain. It would have been a good thing if Pharisees had died off with that generation; but, unfortunately, they have left a good many grandchildren, living down here in the afternoon of this nineteenth century, who are ever complaining, " This man receiveth miners." But while the Pharisees were complaining, the Lord uttered the text I have to-night, " I did not come to Zaccheus to make him wretched, to condemn him, to torment him ; I came to bless and save him. AND BEST TITOUGHTS. 53 The Son of Man is como to seek and to save that which was lost." 12. Good News. — If there is a man or woman in this audience to-night who beheves that he or sho is lod, I have good news to tell you — Christ is come after you. I was at the Fulton Street prayer-meet- ing, a good many years ago, one Saturday night, and when the meeting was over, a man came to me, and said, " I would like to have you go down to the city prison to-morrow, and preach to the prisoners. I said I would be very glad to go. There was no chapel in connection with that prison, and I was to preach to them in their cells. I had to stand at a httle iron railing and talk down a great, long narrow passage way, to some three or four hundred of them, I suppose, all out of sight. It was pretty difficult work; I never preached to the bare walls before. When it was over I thought I would like to see to whom I had been preaching, >:.nd how they had re- ceived the Gospel. I went to the first door, where the inmates could have heard me best, and looked in at a little window, and there were some men play- ing cards. I suppose they had been playing all the while. " How is it with you here ? " I said. " Well, stranger, we don't want you to get a bad idea of us. False witnesses swore a lie, and that is how we are here." "Oh," I said, "Christ cannot save any body here; there is nobody lost" I went to the next cell. " Well, friend, how is it with you ? " " Oh," said the t4 I u ;i .H A'>DRESSES prisoner, "the man that did the deed looked very much like me, so they caught me and I am here." He was innocent too ! I passed along to the next cell. " How is it with you V " " Well, we got into bad company, and the man that did it got clear, and we got taken up, but we never did any thing." I went along to the next cell. " How is it with you? " "Our trial comes on next week, but they have noth- ing against us, and we'll get free." I went round nearly every cell, but the answer was always the same — they had never done any thing. Why, I never saw so many innocent men together in my life! There was nobody to blame but the magis- trates, according to their, way of it. These men were wrapping their filthy rags of self-righteous- ness about them. And that has been the story for six thousand years. I got discouraged as I went through the prison, on, and on, and on, cell after cell, and every man had an excuse. If he hadn't one, the devil helped him to make one. I had got almost through the prison, when I came to a cell and found a man with his elbows on his knees, and his head in his hands. Two little streams of tears were running down his cheeks; they did not come by drops that time. "What's the trouble?" I said. He looked up the picture of remorse and despair. "Oh, my sins are more than I can bear." "Thank God for that," I replied. "What," said he, "you are the man that has been preaching to us, ain't you? " "Yes." " I AND BEST THOUGnTS. 55 up I sins lat," Ithat think you said you were fi friend ? " " I am." " And yet you are glad that my sins are more than I can bear! " "I will explain," I said ; "if your sins are more than you can bear, won't you cast them on One who will bear them for you?" "Who's that?" "The Lord Jesus." "He won't bear my sins." "Why not?" "I have sinned against Him all my life." " I don't care if you have ; the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses from aU sin." Then I told him how Christ had come to seek and save that which was lost ; to open the prison doors and set the captives free. It was like a cup of re- freshment to find a man who believed he was lost, so I stood there, and held up a crucified Saviour to him. " Christ was delivered for our offences, died for our sins, rose again for our justification." For a long time the man could not believe that such a miserable wretch could be saved. He went on to enumerate his sins, and I told him that the blood of Christ could cover them all. After I had talked with him I said, "Now let us pray." He got down on his knees inside the cell, and I got down outside, and I said, " You pray." " Why," he said, " it would be blasphemy for me to call on God." "You call on God," I said. He knelt down, and, like the poor publican, he lifted up his voice and said, "God be merciful to me, a vile wretch ! " I put my hand through the window, and as I shook hands with him a tear fell on my hand that burned down into ray soul. It was a tear of repentance. He believed J 9 ;» 2 s } 56 ADDRKSHES he was lont. Then I tried to get him to believe that Christ had come to save him. I left him still in darkness. "I will be at the hotel," I said, "be- tween nine and ten o'clock, and I will pray for you." 13. Happy Convert. — Next morning, I felt so much interested in him, that I thought I must see him be- fore I wont back to Chicago. No sooner had my eye lighted on his face, than I saw that remorse and despair had fled away, and his countenance was beaming with celestial light ; the tears of joy had come into his eyes, and the tears of despair were gone. The Sun of llighteousness had broken out across his path ; his soul was leaping within him for joy ; he had received Chnist, as Zaccheus did, joyfully. "Tell me about it," I said. "Well, I do not know what time it was ; I think it was about midnight. I had been in distress a long time, when all at once my great burden fell off, and now, I be- lieve I am the happiest man in New York," I think he was the happiest man I saw from the time I left Chicago till I got back again. His face was lighted up with the light that comes from the celestial hills. I bade him good-by, and 1 expect to meet him in another world. Can you tell me > , the Son Oi God came down to that prison that niglit, and, passing cell after cell, went to that one, and set tne captive free ? It was because the man believed he was lost. AND liKST TliOlMillTS, 57 14. Sixxnu Bklieve You are Lost. — But yon say, " / do not ft'(d that." Well, never mind your feil- in^s; hdU've it. Just ask yourself, "Am I saved, or am I lost? " It must be one or the other. There is no neutrality about the matter. A man canned be saved and lost at the same time; it is impossi- ble. Every man and iroman in this audienee must either be saved or lost, if the Bible be true; and if I thought it was not true, I should not be here preaeh- ing, and I would not advise you people to come; but if the Bible is true, every man and every woman in this room must either be in the ark or out of it, either mved or lod. I do not believe there would be a dry eye in this city to-night, if we would but wake up to the thought of what it is to be lost. The world has been rocked to sleep by Satan, who is going up and down and telling people that it doesn't mean any thing. I believe in the old-fashioned heaven and hell. Christ came down to save us from a terrible hell, and any man who is cast down to hell from England nuist go in the full blaze of the Gospel, and over the mangled body of the Son of God. 15. A Lost Soul. — "We hear of a man who has lost his health, and we sympathize with him, and we say it is very sad. Our hearts are drawn out in sympa- thy. Here is another man who has lost his wealth, and we say, "That is very sad." Here is another mail who has lost his reputation, his standing among I if 311 mmm 58 ADDRESSES men. "That is sadder still," yon say. We know what it is to lose health, and wealth, and reputation, but what is the loss of all these things compared with the loss of the soul? 16. Lost Eyesight. — I was in an eye infirmary in Chicago some time ago, before the great fire. A mother brought a beautiful little babe to the doctor — a babe only a few months old — and wanted the doctor to look at the child's eyes. He did so, and pronounced it blind — blind for life — it will never see again. The moment he said that, the mother seized it, pressed it to her bosom, and gave a terrible scream. It pierced my heart, and I could not but weep. What a fearful thought to that mother! "Oh, my darling," she cried, "are you never to see the mother that gave you birth ? Oh, doctor, I can- not stand it. My child, my child ! " It was a sight to move any heart. But what is the loss of eyesight to the loss of a soul? I had a thousand times rather have these eyes taken out of my head and go to the grave blind, than lose my soul. I have a son, and no Oi.e but God knows ho ,v I love him; but I would see those eyes dug out of his head to-night rather than see him grow up to manhood and go down to the grave without Christ and without hope. The loss of a soul ! Christ knew what ' r meant. That is what brought Him from the b .so m of the Father; that is what brought Him from the throne; that is whr.i brought Him to Calvary. The Son of God -•i ', ji AND PEST THOUGHTS. 59 was in earnest. When He died on Calvary it was tc save a lost world; it was to save your soul and mine. the loss of the soul — how terrible it is ! If you are lost to-night, I beseech you do not rest until you have found peace in Christ. Fathers and mothers, if you have children out of the Ark, do not rest until they are brought into it. Do not discourage your children from coming to Christ. I am glad to see those little boys and girls here. Dear children, re- member the sermon is for you. The Son of Man came for you as much as for that old gray-haired man, yonder. He came for all, rich and poor, young and old. Young man, if you are lost may God show it to you, and may you press into the kingdom. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save you. I 17. Story of Rowland Hill. — There is a story told of Rowland Hill. He was once preaching in the open air to a vast audience. Lady Anne Erskine was riding by, and she asked who it was that was addressing the vast assembly. She was told it was the celebrated Rowland Hill. Says she, "I have heard of him; drive me near the platform, that I may listen to him." The eye of Rowland Hill rested on her; he saw that she belonged to royalty, and turn- ing to some one, he inquired who she was. He went on preaching, and all at once he stopped. "My fi'iends," he said, "I have got something here for sale." Every body was startled to think that a min- ister was going to sell something in his sermon. "I 60 \ ADDRESSES am going to sell it by auction, and it is worth more than the crown of all Europe: it is the soul of Lady Anne Erskine. Will any one bid for her soul? Hark ! methinks I hear a bid. Who bids ? Satan bids. What will you give? I will give riches, honor, and pleasure; yea, I will give the whole world for her soul. Hark ! I hear another bid for this soul. Who bids ? The Lord Jesus Christ. Je- sus, what will you give for this soul? I will give peace, and joy, and comfort that the world knows not of; yea, I will give eternal life for her soul." Turning to Lady Anne Erskine, he said, "You have heard the two bidders for your soul — which shall have it?" She ordered the footman to open the door, and pushing her way through the crowd, she says, " The Lord Jesus shall have my soul, if He will accept it." 18. Two Bidders for the Soul. — There are two bidders for your soul to-night. It is for you to de- cide which shall have it. Satan offers you what he cannot give ; he is a liar, and has been from the foundation of the world. I pity the man who is living on the devil's promises. He lied to Adam, and deceived him, stripped him of all he had, and then left him in his lost, ruined condition. And all the men since Adam living on the devil's lies, the devil's promises, have been disaj^pointed, and will be, down to the end of the chapter. But the Lord Jesus Christ is able to give all He offers, and He m i * AND BEST THOUGHTS. 61 offers etc3riial life to every lost soul here. "Thfi gift of God is eternal life." Who will have it ? Will any one flash it over the wires, and let it go up to the throne of God, that you want to be saved? As Mr. Sankey sang of that shout around the throne, my heart went \ip to God, that there might be a great shout for lost ones brought home to-night. 19. Cm'TST HAS Sought You. — Last night a man yonder told me he was anxious to be saved, but Christ had never sought for him. I said, "What are you waiting for ? " " Why," he said, " I am waiting for Christ to call me; as soon as He calls me, I am coming." There may be others here who have got t^he same notion. Now, I do not believe there is a man in this city that the Spirit of God has not striven with at some period of his life. I do not believe there is a person in this audience but Christ has sought after him. Bear in mind, He takes the place of the seeker. Every man who has ever been saved through these six thousand years was first sought after by God. No sooner did Adam fall than God sought him. He had gone away fright- ened, and hid himself away among the bushes in the garden, but God took the place of the Seeker; and from that day to this God has always had the place of the Seeker. No man or woman in this audience has been saved but that He sought them first. 20. The Shepherd. — What do we read in the fif- teenth chapter of St. Luke ? There is a shepherd '4 :> lit 2 ,■■■■* ■■H ' I I ■p:' m 1 62 ADDRESSES bringing home his sheep into the fold. As they pass in, he stands and numbers them. I can see him counting one, two, tliree, up to ninety-nine. "But," says he, "I ought to have a hundred: I must have made a mistake;" and he counts them OTer again. *' There are only ninety -nine here ; I must have lost one." He does not say, "I will let him find his own way back." No ! He takes the place of the Seeker; he goos out into the mountain, and hunts until he finds the lost one, and then he lays it on his shoulder and brings it home. Is it the sheep that finds the shepherd? No, it is the shepherd that finds and brings back the sheep. He rejoiced to find it. Undoubtedly the sheep was very glad to get back to the fold, but it was the shepherd who rejoiced, and who called his friends and said, " Eejoice with me." 21. The Woman's Money. — Then there is that woman who lost the piece of money. Some one perhaps had paid her a bill that day, giving her ten pieces of silver. As she retires at night, she takes the money out of her pocket and counts it. " Why," she says, "I have only got nine pieces; I ought to have ten." She counts it over again. "Only nine pieces! Where have I been," she says, "since I got that money? I am sure I have not been out of the house." She turns her pocket wrong side out, and there she finds a hole in it. Does she wait until the money gets back into her pocket ? No. She takes I i \-^' AND BEST THOUGHTS. es a broom, and lights a candle, and sweeps diligently. She moves the sofa and the table and the chairs, and all the rest of the furniture, and sweeps in every corner until she finds it. And when she has found it, who rejoices? The piece of money? No; the woman who finds it. In these parables Christ brings out the great truth that God takes the place of Seeker. People talk of finding Christ, but it is Christ who first finds them. 22. Trouble Develops Love. — It was Adam's fall, his loss, that brought ouu God's love. God never told Adam when He put him into Eden, that He loved him. It was his fall, his sin, that brought it out. A friend of mine from Manchester was in Chicago a few years ago, and he was very much in- terested in the city — a great city, with its 300,000 or 400,000 inhabitants, with its great railway c(>ntres, its lumber market, its pork market, and its grain market. He said he went back to Manchester and told his friends about Chicago. But he could not get any body very much interested in it. It was a great many hundreds of miles away ; and the peo- ple did not seem to care for hearing about it. But one day there came flashing along the wire the sad tidings that it was on fire ; and, my friend said, the Manchester people became suddenly interested in Chicago ! Every despatch that came they read ; they bought up the paj^ers, and devoured every particle of news. And at last, when the despatch 1 1. [1 m I -it I r' ^ ii n, 64 ADDRESSES il i |l I m came that Chicago was burning up, that 100,000 people were turned out of house and home, then every ona became so interested that they began to weep fo'/.' us. They came forward and laid down their money — some gave hundreds of pounds — for the relief of the poor sufferers. It was the calamity of Chicago that brought out the love of Manchester, and of London, and of Liverpool. I was in that ter- rible fire, and I saw men that were wealthy stripped of all they had. That Sunday night, when they re- tired, they were the richest men in Chicago. Next morning they were paupers. But I did not see a man weep. But when the news came flashing along the wire, "Liverpool is giving a thousand pounds ; Manchester is giving a thousand pounds ; London is giving money to aid the city ; " and as the news kept flashing that helj^ was coming, that city was broken-hearted. I saw men weep then. The love that was showed us, that love broke our hearts. So the love of God ought to break every heart in this city. It was love that brought Christ down here to die for us. It was love that made Him leave His place by the Father's throne and come down here to see/c and to save that which ivas lost. 23. Great Sinner Greater Saviour. — Another young man told me last night that he was too great a sinner to be saved. Why, they are the very men Christ came after. "This Man receiveth sinners and eateth with them." The only charge they could lii| I'E t'i AND JiEST TUOLUIITS. 65 great l)iing against Christ down here was, tliat He was receiving bad men. They are the very kind of men He is willing to receive. All you have got to do is, to prove that you are a sinner, and I will prove that you have got a Saviour. And the greater the sinner, the greater need you have of a Saviour. You say your heart is hard; well, then, of course, you want Christ to soften it. You cannot do it yourself. The harder your heart, the more need you have of Christ: the blacker you are, the more need you have of a Saviour. If your sins rise up before you like a dark mountain, bear in mind that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses from all sin. There is no sin so big, or so black, or so corrupt and vile, but the blood of Christ can cover it. So I preach the old Gospel again, " The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost." 24. How Christ Sought Them. — Bat now for the sake of these men who believe Christ never sought them, perhaps it would be well to say how He seeks. There are a great many ways in which He does so. Last night I found a man in the inquiry-room, and the Lord had been speaking to him by the prayers of a godly sister who died a little while ago. Her prayers were answered. He came into the inquiry- room trembling from head to foot. I talked to him about the plan of salvation, and the tears trickled down his cheeks, and at last he took Christ as his Saviour. The Son of Man sought out that young 6 ll 11. ^ I '1-1 I..' n O H:!! '!( ii' ! 60 AI)1)1U:SMKS man tlirongli the prayers of his sister, and then through her death. Some of you have godly, praying mothers, wlio have prayed whole nights for your soul, and who have now gone to heaven. Did not you take their hand and promise that you would meet them there ? That was the Son of God soeliing you by your mother's prayers and your mother's death. Some of you have got faithful, godly ministers who weep for you in the pulpit, and plead with you to come to Christ. You have heard heart-searching sermons, and the truth has gone down deep into your heart, and tears have come down your cheeks. That was the Son of God seeking you. Some of you have had godly, praying Sabbath-school teachers and super- intendents, urging you to come to Christ. Some of you, perhaps, have got young men converted round you, and they have talked wdth you and i)leaded with you to come to Christ. That was the Son of God seeking after your soul. Some of you have had a tract put in your hand with a startling title, "Eternity; Where will You Spend It?" and the arrow has gone home. That was the Son of God seeking after you. Many of you have been laid on a bed of sickness, when you had time to think and meditate. And in the silent watches of the night, when every bod}' was asleep, the Spirit of God has come into your chamber, has come to your bedside, and the thought came stealing: through vour mind that you ought to be a child of God and an heir of AND l!i:sT TIIOtT.IlTS. 0? heaven. That was the Son of God seeking after your lost soul. Some of you have had little chil- dren, and you have laid them yonder in the ceme- tery. When that little child was dying you prom- ised to love and serve God (ah, Have you kept your promise?) That was the Son of God seeking you. He took that little child yonder to draw your affec- tions heavenwards. 25. Many "Ways. — It would take me all night to tell the different ways in which the Lord seeks. Can you rise in this hall to-night and say that the Son of God never sought for you? I do not believe there is a man or woman in this audience or in the whole city who could do it. My friend, He has been call- ing for you from your earliest childhood, and He has put it into the hearts of God's own people just to call you together in this hall. Prayer is going up all over the Christian world for you. Perhaps there never has been a time in the history of your life when so many were praying for you as at the pres- ent time. That is the Son of God seeking for your soul through the prnyers of the Church, through the prayers of ministers, through the prayers of the saints not only in London but throughout the WTjrld. I have received news to-day in a despatch sent across from America, that all the churches nearly, in Amer- ica, are praying for London. What does it mean? God has laid it upon the heart of the Church throughout the world to pray for London. It must m I I' '.M Iv • f I" '^ r>,s ADDKKSSKS be that God lias sometbing good in store for Lon- don ; the Son of Mnn is coming to London to seek and to save that wliicli was lost ; and I pray that the Good Shepherd may enter this hall to-night and may come to many a heart, and that you may hear the still i^mal] voice : " Behold, I «tand at the door and knock ; if any man hear My voice, and o^oen the door, I will come in to liim and will sup with him, and he with Me." O friends, open the door to-night, and let the heavenly Visitor in. Do not turn Him away any longer. Do not say with Felix, "Go thy way this time, and when I have a convenient season I will call for thee." Make this a convenient sea- son ; make this the night of your salvation. Receive the gift of God to-night, and open the door of your heart, and say, " Welcome, thrice welcome into this heart of mine." Ii SINNEKS SEEKING CHRIST. 2G. " Seek the Lord while He may be Fomm ; call YE UPON Him while He is near." — I have been speak- ing about the Son of Man seeking the lost ; to-night I want to take up the other side of the case — man's side. I have learned this, that when any one be- comes in earnest about his soul's salvation he begins to seek God, and it does not take a great while for tlicm to meet ; it does not take long for an anxious sinner to meet an anxious Saviour. What do we read in the 29th chapter of Jeremiah, 13th verse? "Ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye shall search ^^ AND liKST THOUGHTS. (>9 for Me wWt, all nour heart.'' Those arc the men ^vllo find Christ — those who seek for Him v.ith nil their heart. ight gms for ious we iTse ? arch 27. Half-ueartedness. — I am tired and sick of half-heartedness. You don't like a half-hearted man ; yon don't care for any one to love you with a half heart, and the Lord won't have it. If we are going to seek for Him and find Him, we must do it with all our heart. I believe the reason why so few people find Christ is because they do not search for Him with all their heart ; tht>y are not terribly in earnest about their soid's salvation. God is in ear- nest ; every thing God has done proves that He is in earnest about the salvation of men's souls. He has proved it by giving his only Son to die for us. The Son of God was in earnest when He died. What is Calvary but a proof of that? And the Lord wants us to be in earnest when it comes to this great question of the soul's salvation. I never saw men seeking Him with all their iK-arts but they soon found Him. 28. Not "Worth Saving. — It was quite refreshing, last night, to find in the inquiry-room a young man who thought he was not worth saving, he was so vile and wicked. There was hope for him because he was so desperately in earnest about his soul. Ho thought he was worthless. He had got a sight of himself in God's looking-glass, and when a man does Kiil 70 ADUllKSSKS tlijit li(! liUH II very poor oiunion of liiiiisolf. You cull Jilw.ivH tell when a man Ih a i^Toat way from Ood — he in always talkm^' about himself, and how good he is. But th(! moment ha sees God by the eye of faith he is down on liis knees, and, like Jol), he cries.. "Behold, I am vile." All his goodness flees away. What men want is to be in earnest about their sal- ■yation, and they will soon find Christ. You do not need to go up to the heights to bring Him down, or down to the de2)ths to bring Him up, or to go off to some distant city to find Him. Tim day He is near to every one of us. *^jf ■!> 29. Bad Advice. — I heard some one in the in- quiry-room telling a young person to go home and seek Christ in his closet. I would not dare to tell any one to do that. You might be dead before you got home. If I read my Bible correctly, the nian who preaches the Gospel is not the man who tells me to seek Christ to-morrow or. an hour hence, but 7WIV. He is near to every one of us this minute to save. If the world would just come to God for sal- vation, and be in earnest about it, they would find the Son of God right at the door of their heart. 30. Worldly Wisdom. — 'Suppose I should say I lost a very valuable diamond here last night — I have not, but suppose it — worth £20,000. I had it in my pocket when I came into the hall, and when I had done preaching I found it was not in iny AXU IIKST TIIOULIIITS. 7) pockoi, but was in the hall somcwhero. And sup- pose I was to say that any one who I'oiuul it could have it. How earnest you would all bei'onie ! You woiUd not ^et very niuch of my sermon ; you would all be thinkinj^" oi the tliiimoud. I do not bc^liove the police could f^et you out of this hall. The idea of finding' a diamond worth Jl20,00() ! If you could only find it, it would Hft you out of poverty at once, and you Avould be independent for the rest of your days. Oh, ho\T soon every body would become ter- ribly in earnest then ! I would to God I could get men to S(;ek for Christ in the same way. I have got souKithing worth more than a diamond to offer you. Is not salvation — eternal life — worth more than all tlie diamonds in the world ? Suppose Ga- briel should wing his way from the throne of God and come down here, and say he had been commis- sioned by Jehovah to come and offer to this as- sembly any one gift you might choose. You could have just what you chose, but only one thing. What would it be ? The wealth of England or of the world ? Would that be your choice ? Ten thousand times, no ! Your one cry would je, " Life ! eternal life ! " 31. Value of Life. — There is nothing men value as they do life. Let a man Le out on a wreck that is fast going down. He is worth a million sterling, and his only chance is to give up that million ster- ling, just to save the life of the body. He would give it up in a momeut. " Skin for skinj all that «• ».. CJ .. ^ :;1 '^1 p 72 ADURESS45S a man hath will he give for his life." I uiidcrstand some peopU nave been afraid to come to this hall because there might be a cry of " Fire ! fire ! " and a panic, and they might lose their lives. Yet thero are twenty doors to the building ; I do not know that I ever saw a building that you could get easier out of. Yet people seem to sleep, and to forget thah there is no door out of hell. If they enter there they must remain, age after ag(3. Millions on millions of years will roll on, but tliere ^Yill be no door, no escape out of hell. IMay God wake up this slumbering congregation and make you anxiouii about your souls. People talk about our being ear- nest and fanatical — about our being on fire. "Would to God the Church was on fire ; this world would soon shake to its foundatio7i. 32. " Cold or Hot." — "What we w^ant to see is men really wishing to become Christians, men who are in dead earnest about it. The idea of hearing a man say in answer to the question, " Do you want to be- come a Christian ? " " Well, I would not mind." IMy friend, I do not think you will ever get into the kingdom of God until you change your language. We want men crying from the depths of their heart, "I ivant to be saved." On the day of Pentecost the cry was, " Men and brethren, what shall we do ? " These men were in earnest, and they found Christ right there ; three thousand fouud Him, when they sought with all their hearts. When men seek Christ AND BE3T THOUGHTS. 73 as tliey do -wealtb, they ^\-ill soon find Him. To be sure the world will raise a cry that they ar(3 excited. Let cotton go up ten or fifteen per cent, before to- morrow morning, and you will see how quickly the merchants will get excited ! And the papers don't cry it down eithtr. They say it is healthy excite- ment ; commerce getting on. But when you be- gin to get excited about your soul's salvation, and fire in earnest, then they raise the cry, "Oh, they are getting excited ; most unhealthy state of things." Yet they C "■ talk about men hastening down to death by thousands. There is the poor drunkard, look at him ! Hear the piercing cry going up to lieav^'^ ! Yet the Church of Got.! slumbers and sleeps. Here and there there is an inquirer, and yet they go into the inqiury-room as if they were liaK asleep. When will men seek for Christ as they seek for wealth, or as they seek for honor ? I' ,"«• m I**!'* •• \ 'Af .a :he 33. Wake Up. — May God wake up a slumbering Church ! What we want men to do is not to shout " Amen," and clasp their hands. The deepest and quietest waters very often run swiftest. We want men to go right to work : there will be a chance for you to shout by and by. Go and speak to your neighbor, and tell him of Christ and heaven. You need not go a few yards down these streets before you find some one who is passing down to the darkness of eternal death. Let us haste to th^ rescue ! :!i ■ i V ' Mi Vi im I I '■i ( 4 ADDRESSES 34. Facing Dangeh. — I am told tliat wlicn the war broke out on the (xold Coast, though it was known that the chmate was a very unhealthy one, and a great many s^ho went there would never return, yet hundreds and thousands of men wanted to go. Why ? They wanted to get wealth, and from wealth honor. And if there is a chance of going to India, no end of men are willing to gc To get a little honor they will sacrifice comiurt, pleasure, health, and every thing. What we want, is to have men seeking the kingdom of God as they seek ''or honor and wealth. 35. Life in Danger. — As I said, it \\?e is in dan- ger, how terribly in earnest men bxjuu.ne. That ia right; there is no doubt about that. But why should not men be as much in earnest about their soul's salvation '? Why should not every man and woman here wake up and seek the Lord with all their heart ? Then, the Lord says, you shall find Him. 36. Power of Earn^ tness. — There ij a story told of a vessel that was wreclvcd, and was goi?ig down at sea. There were not ei^ough life-boatj to take all on board. When the vessel went d'^A^'n, some ol the life-boats were near the vessel. A man swam from the wreck just as it was going down, to one of the boats ; but they had no room to take him, and they refused. When they rc!insed, he seized hold of the boat with his right hand, but they took a AND BKST THOUGHTS. 75 sword aiul cut off bis fiii<^-ers. Wlicn lie had lost the fing-ers of his ri^j^lit hriud, the man was so ear- nest to save his life th^.t he seized the boat with hia left hand ; they cut off the fingers of that hand too. Then the man swam up and seized the boat with his teeth, and they had compassion on him and relented. They could not cut off his head, yo they took him in, and the man saved his life. Why? Because he ivm in earnest. Why not seek your soul's salvation as that man sought to save his life? 37. FORTY-THRFR THOUSAND SoULS A DaY. Will there ever be a better time ? Will there ever be a better time for that old man whose locks are grow- ing giay, whose eyes are growing dim, and who is hastening to the grave ? Is not this the very best time for him? "Seek the Lord ivlii/e He may he found.'' There is a man in the middle of life. Is this not the best time for Idni to seek the kingdom of God ! Wni you ever have a better opportunity ? Will Christ ever be more willing to save than now ? He says, "Come, for all things are now ready." Not, going to he, but are now ready. There is a young man. My friend, is it not the best time for vou to seek the kingdom of God ? Seek the Lord, you can find Him here to-night. Can you say that you will find Him here to-morrow ? Will any one rise up in this hall and say that? Young man. you know not what to-morrow may bring forth. Do you know that since we met here last night -iiV^'OO J* }l !' '! T lit;: ^^W"' 76 ADDRESSES sou^s liave passed from time to eternity ? Do you know that every time llie clock ticks a soul passes away? Is not this tlie best time for you to seek the kingdom of God ? ! I 38. Geeat Revival. — My boy, the Lord wants you. Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and seek Him while He may be found. About eighteen years ago, a great revival swept over America. A groat many men j:tood and shook their heads ; they could not believe it was a healthy state of things. The Church was not in its normal state ! The Church fi'om Maine to Minnesota, and on to California, waii astir. And as you passed over the great republic, over its western prairies and mountains, and through its valleys, as you went on by train, and as you passed through its cities and villages, you could see the churches lit up; and men were flocking into the kingdom of God by hundreds. And in a year and a half or two years there were more than half a mil- lion souls brought in. Men said it was false excite- ment, wildfire, and it would pass away. But^ my friends, it was grace preceding judgment. Little did we know that our nation was soon to be bap- tized in blood, and that we would soon hear the tramp of a million men, that hundreds and thou- sands of our young men, the flower of our nation, would soon be lying in a soldier's grave. But oh, my friends, it was God calling his people in. He was preparing our nation for a terrible struggle. AND lii:ST TIIOLGIITS. 77 39. What is Doincj Now, — And now, it Sv-^ems to me that there is another wave of blessing passing over this earth. Tidings are coming from all parts of the world, telling ns of the great work God is doing. The last tidings from India, told us of a blessed work going on there. The last tidings from Japan and from other places — we have the same good news of God ponring out his Spirit. It was only the other day that tvo men came up here from a town of 50,000 inhabitants, and wanted us to go there; but we could not, and we told them to go home and get to work themselves. To-day one of them told ua that they had sixteen last night in the inquiry -room. God is pouring out liis Spirit evc^rywhere. Every- wdiere men are putting in *he sickle and bringing their sheaves and laying them at the feet of the Master. I believe we are living in the days that our fathers prayed for. The heavens are opened, and the Spirit of God is descending upon the sons of men. * 1 I 40. A Good Time to Seek Him. — Now, this time of revival is a good time to seek the Lord. Will you e\er have a better time? The tidings from every city is this — the people are praying. It is a ques- tion in my mind if there was ever so much prayer going up to God as at the present. Not only here, but all round the world, we have God's people mak- ing their hearts burdened for the salvation of souls. And is it not God working ? Will there ever be a 1 ! ^r B ? ' * I; < 78 ADDRESSES B.f * i !pil 1 1 * M I 1 1 ' iL 1 better time for you to seek tlie kingdom of God than the present, when there is such a great awakening, when there is such a spirit of expectation ; when the Church of God is coming up as one man, and the spirit of unity prevails? Think of the praying ones here. Do you beheve there were ever so many men and women praying for your soul as there are hero to-night? Look over this audience — what are these Christians doing now^ ! They are silently praying to God. I can see they are j)raying. There is a young man with his motlier sitting by his side. That mother is pleading, " God save my boy to-night ! " May it go down deep into his soul! " Seek ye the Lord while He may be found; call ye upon Him while He is near." 41. Ls THE LoKD Here. — Now, let me ask you a question. Do you believe that the Lord can be found heie to-right? I appeal to these ministers present at my side; do you believe He can? They answer " Yes." My friends, do you believe it? An- other Yes comes from the audience. AVell, if Ho can, is it not the height of madness for any man or woman to go out of this hall without seeking Him? If He can be found, why not seek Him? Young lady, why not seek Him with all your heart? Young man, why not seek Christ to-night with all your heart? Wliv not sav, "I mvf"\ \*' «>4 j » '" '•1 i •'■H 1 '> :% A 4 I*''' 1*» •'-i; ■*•> . t r^ mmm 11 i 80 ADDHKSSKS sbalt thou be with Me in paradise." That was his seekirify opportunity, his day. My friends, this is your day now. I beheve that every man has his day. You have it just now; why not call upon Him just now? Say, as the poor thief did, "Lord, re- member me." That was his golden opportunity, and the Lord heard and answered and saved him. Did not Bartimcus call on Him while He was near ? Christ was passing by Jericho for the last time, and he cried out, " Thou Son of David, have mercy on me." And did not the Lord hear his prayer, and give him his sight? It was a good thing Zaccheus called — or rather the Lord called him, but when the Lord called he came. May the Lord call many here, and may you respond, "Lord, here am I; you have called and I come." Do you believe the Lord will call a poor sinner, and then cast him out ? No ! His word stands forever, " Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out." 43. Without a Character. — I was glad when that man I told you of, said he felt as if he was too bad. Men are pretty near the kingdom of God when they do not see any thing good in themselves. At the Fulton Street Prayer-meeting a man came in, and this was his story. He said he had a mother who prayed for him ; he was a wild, reckless prodigal. Some time after his mother's death he began to be troubled. He thought he ought to get into new company, and leave his old companions. So he Ml AND BEST TUOUGIITS. 81 said he would ^o .'viid join a secret society ; lie tlion«^lit he would join the Odd Fellows. They went and made inquiry about him, and they found he was a drunken sailor, so they blaclcl)alled him. They w'ould not have him. He went to the Free- masons; he had nobody to recommend him, so they inquired and found th( re was no good in his char- acter, and they too blackballed him. They didn't want him. One day, some one handed him a little notice in the street about the iirayer-meeting, and he went in. He heard that Christ had come to save sinners. He believed Him; he took Him at at His word; and, in reporting the matter, he said he ^'came to Christ imlhout a character, and ChriM hadn't blackballed him." My friends, that is Christ's way. Is there a man here without a character, with nobod}'' to say a good word for him ? I bring you good news. Call on the Son of God, and He will hear you. Call on him to-night. •'I .1 .« M •t 44. A Solitary Woman. — I was at a meeting for ministers the other day. Up in the gallery there was one solitary woman; she sat there alone. When the meeting was over and I was passing out, she came and said, " Mr. Moody, do you remember me ? " "Oh yes," I said, "I remember you." Where had I met her ? Mr. Sankey and myself were leaving Dundee for the north of Scotland. There was a lady who had come from London and brought hei 6 i 1 '"*t :: n r^ 82 ADDRESSKS I.: ! I two boys all the way to got blessed; they must have been about eighteen or nineteen — twins. That mother's heart was burdened for their salvation. The last night we had a meeting there, one of the sons yielded himself up to Christ, and the mother went back next morning with her two boys, rejoic- ing that they had asked and found peace in believ- ing. Some people niiiy sa.y that she was a great fa- natic for going all the way from London to Dundee with her boys to get a blessing. But last Friday she says, "My boy, who found the Lord in Dun- dee, died three weeks ^go-" And as she pressed my hand as I left th'^ meeting, I said to myself, " Was it not a good thing that mother took her boy to Dundee?" My friends, let us be in earnest about the salvation of our children, and of our friends. Wani that young lady. Yes, mother, speak to that daughter of yours. Father, speak to that child of yours. "Wife, speak to your unconverted husband; husband, speak to your unconverted wife. Do not let a man go out of this house saying, "Nobody cared for my soul." I never saw a mother bur- dened for her children but they soon became anx- ious. Oh may there be many a sinner seeking the kingdom of God with all their heart ! 45. What are You going to Do ? — Before I close, I want to ask you once more, " WTiat are you going to do? If the Lord is near, won't you call upon Him ? Don't let that scoffing man next you keep a.mj j,].-^ '^>t>^-^^- IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. Q.. i/i 1.0 I.I in IIM *40 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► v; y] VI •c^ r pi ^^^ ^ ^^ C^iSfc ^ V I' Photographic Sciences Corporation V s V ^ \ \ ^9) V 6^ 4> ^^- 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ,^. is? i^.r i ! !l 84 A99RESSES some one to my father's house, for I have fire breth- ren, that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place." Heaven, earth, and hell unite in this one thing, " Seek first the kingdom of God." Don't put it ofif. Call upon Him while He is near. And if you call upon Him in real earnest He will hear that call. 46. Last Gall ! ! — You may call too late. I have no doubt that those who would not pray when the aik was building prayed when the flood came, but their prayer was not answered. I have no doubt that when Lot went out of Sodom, Sodom cried to God, but it was too late, and God's judgment swept them from the earth. My friends, it is not too late now, but it may be at twelve o'clock to-night. I cannot find any j)lace in this Bible where I can say you may call to-morrow. I am not justified in say- ing that. " Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation." Those men of Jerusalem, what a golden opportunity they had, with Christ in their midst. We see the Son of God weeping over Jerusalem, His heart bursting with grief for the city, as He cried, " O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ! thou that stonest the prophets, how often would I have gath- ered thee as a hen gathereth her brood, but ye would not." He could look down forty years, and see Ti- tus coming with his army, and besieging that city. They called upon God then, but it was too late, and eleven hundred thousand people perished. To-night AND BEST THOUGHTS. 85 is a time of mercy. It may be I am talking to some one to-night whose days of grace may be few, to some one who may be snatched away very soon. There may be some one here to-night who may never hear unother Gospel sermon; some one who may be hearing the lad call. My friend, be wise to- night. Make up your mind that you will seek the kingdom of God now. " Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Christ is inviting you to come — " Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Oh, may w^e all find rest in Christ to-night! Do not let any thing divert your minds, but this night, this hour, make up your mind that you will not leave this hall until the great question of eter- nity has been settled. ^' 47. Self-eighteousness. — An artist wanted a man that would represent the prodigal. One day, he met a poor beggar, and he thought — "That man would represent the prodigal." He found the beg- gar ready to sit for his painting if he would pay him. The man appeared on the day appointed, but the artist did not recognize him. He said, "You made an appointment with me." "No," says the artist, "I never saw you before." "You are mis- taken; you did see me, and made an appointment with me." "No, it must be some other artist. I hxive an appointment Lo meet a beggar here at thia 1 1' 80 ADDRESSES ill hour." "Well," says the bcgg'ar, "lam the man.'* "You the man?" "Yes." "What have you been doing?" "Well, I thought I would get a new suit of clothes before I got painted." "Well," says the artist, "I don't want you;" he would not have him then. And so if you are coming to God, come just as you are. Do not go and put on some garments of yours, and think the Lord will accept you because you have some good thoughts and desii'es. 48. Conversion of Children. — I was urging the early conversion of children in a meeting, and an old man got up at the close and said, "I want to endorse every word. Sixteen years ago I was in a heathen country, a missionary, and my wife died and left three little children. On the Sabbath after her death my eldest girl came to me and said, ' Papa, shall I take the children into the bedroom and pray with them as mother used to ? ' " The mother was dead, and httle Nellie, ten years old, wanted to fol- low in her footsteps. The father said yes, and she led them off to the chamber to pray. When they cume out he noticed that they had been weeping, and asked what about. "Well, father," said the lit ■ tie girl, "I prayed just as mother taught me, and then" — naming her little brother — "he prayed the prayer that mother taught him; but little Susie, she was too young, mother had not taught her a prayer, so she made a prayer of her own, and I could not help but weep to hear her pray." " Why," said thv V, I AND BEST TIIOUCIITS. 87 father, " what did she say ? " " Why she put up her little hands, and closed her eyes, and said, ' O God, you have come and taken av/ay my dear mam- ma, and I have no mamma to pray for me now — won't you please make me good just as my dear mamma was, for Jesus' sake. Amen;'" and God heard that prayer. That little child before sho was four years old gave evidence of being a child of God, and for sixteen years she was in that heathen coun- try leading little children to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world. 4! 4 i?.. m» i»; **i I''"* I 49. The Dying Soldier's Roll- Call. — A soldier lay on his dying couch during our last war, and they heard him say " Here ! " They asked him what he wanted, and he put up his hand and said, '• Hush ! they are calling the roll of heaven, and I am answering to my name," and presently he whis- pered, " Here! " and he was gone. 50. Faith then Works. — You cannot do any thing to please God until you believe. Supj^ose I should say to my little girl, " Emma, go and get me a glass of water," and she was to say, " I don't want to do it, papa." She goes into another room and some one gives her a cluster of grapes, which she decides to give to her papa. Do you think these grap< would be acceptable if she did not want to get the water? I should say, "I do not want the grapes until you have brought the water." She goes out of .,) ■1 ..1 TT in '^ I! I l! I I 1 :3i 88 ADDRESSES the room again, and some one gives her an orange If she brought the orange to me, do you think 1 should want it? no, and that child cannot do anj thing to please me until I get the water. You can- not please God until you believe on His Son. 51. A Mother's Love. — In the time of the Culi- fornian gold fever a man went to the diggings, and left his wife to follow him some time afterwards. While on her voyage with her little boy the vessel caught fire, and as there was a powder magazine ou board the captain knew when the flames reached it the ship would be blown up. The fire could not be got under, so they took to the hfe-boats, but there was not room for all. As the last boat pushed off the mother and boy stood on the deck. One of the sailors said there was room for another. What did the mother do ? — she gave up her boy. She kissed him, and told him if he lived to see his father to toll him she died to save her boy. Do you think when that boy grew up he could fail to love that mother who died to save him ? My friends, this is a faint type of what Christ has done for you and me. 52. " Jesus Pays It All." — When Kev. Mr. Arnot was pastor of a church in Glasgow he heard of a woman in trouble. She could not pay her debts and she could not pay her rent; so he went round to her house thinking he would help her. He knocked at the door twice but no one came, He AND BEST THOUGHTS. 89 knocked the third time rery loud but all was still. After waiting he made a great noise and at last left the house. Some days after he met the woman in the street, and said, " 1 was at your house the other day. I heard you were in trouble and went to help you." "Was that you? I was in the house but J thought it was the landlord come for the rent and as I had not got the money I kept the door locked." That woman represents the sinner. A sinner thinks God is coming to demand something. God comes to give and bless. Jesus comes to pay the debt. 53. Unity Thuough Christ. — The blood of Christ ir akes us one. During the days of slavery in Amer- ica, when there was much political strife and strong prejudice against the black men, especially by Irish- men, I heard a preacher say when he came to the cross for salvation he found a poor negro on the right hand, and an Irishman on the left hand, and the blood came trickling down upon them and made them one. There may be strife in the world, but every one Christ has redeemed He has made one. "We are blood relatives. 54. The Precious Blood. — During the American war a doctor heard a man saying, "Blood, blood, blood!" The doctor thought this was because he had seen so much blood, and sought to divert his mind. The man smiled, and said, " I wasn't think- ing of the blood upon the battle-field, but I wag trf4 •1 H ili: 1'liii " '• 90 ADDRESSES thinking liow precious the blood of Christ is to me as I am dying." As he died, his Hps quivered, "Blood, blood, blood!" and he was gone. It will be precious when we come to our dying bed — it will be worth more than all the world then. 55. Julian Conquered. — It is said of Julian, the apostate in Rome, that when he was trying to stamp out Christianity, he was pierced in the side by an arrow. He pulled the arrow out, and taking a hand- ful of blood as it flowed from the wound, threw it into the air, shouting, "Thou Galilean, Thou hast conquered ! " 56. Cookman's Triumph. — You may have read of that good man in America, Alfred Cookman. While his friends were gathered round his dying couch his face lit up, and with a shout of triumph, he said, " I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb ! " And this echoes and re-echoes through America to-day, "I am sweeping through the gates, washed in the blood of the Lamb ! " 57. Christ and Hypocrites. — Some people say, " I have no doubt about the Word of (jrod, but there are some men in the church that ought not to bo there ; therefore, I do not purpose to go into the church." I am not asking you to come into the church — not but what I believe in churches ; but I nm asking you to the marriage supper of the Lamb, AND BEST THOUGHTS. n But you say, here are some hypocrites. " Here is a man up here in one of the churches that cheated me out of £5 a few years ago, and you are not going to catch me in the company of hypocrites." Well, my friend, if you want to get out of the company of hypo- crites, you had better get out of the world as quick as you can. One of the twelve apostles turned out to be a hypocrite, and there is no doubt there will be hypocrites in the church to the end of time. But "what is that to thee?" says Christ to Peter ^ "follow thou Me." We do not ask you to follow hypocrites, we ask you to follow Christ; we do not ask you to believe in hypocrites, we ask you to be- lieve in Christ. Another thing, if you want to get out of the company of hypocrites you had better make haste and come to Christ. There will be no hypocrites at the marriage supper of the Lamb ; they will all be in hell, and you will be there with them if you do not make haste and come to Christ. 58. I Don't Feel Right. — There is a class who say, " I would like to come to Christ, but I do not feel." That is the very worst and the most common excuse we have. I wish sometimes the word could be abolished — feel, feel. Supposing my friend Mr. Stone should invite me to his house to dinner, and I say, '' I would like to go very much, but I don't know as I feel right." "Well," he says, "what do you mean ? Don't you want to go to my house ? " " Oh, yes, I want to go." Men say — " Oh, yes, we >:^ "t ■i:» "> n ■*3 \l 92 ADDRESSES want to be saved." ""What do you mean, Mr. Moody? Do you mean that you do not know ag you will be well to-morrow? Do you think you will be sick ? " " Oh, no, I expect to be well to-mor- row if I live." " Well, what do you mean by feei- ng ? " " Well, I do not know just how I'll feel. I would like to go to your house to dinner to-mor- row, but I don't know as I will feel just right." " I don't understand you, Mr. Moody ; I am not talk- ing about feeling ; I invite you to come to my house to dinner." " Well, I would like to come very much, but the fact is I do not know how I will feel to-mor- row." I can imagme my friend Mr. Stone saying, "What has come over Moody? I asked him to my house to dinner, and he says he would like to come, but he does not know as he will feel right, and he talked about feeling all the time." That is the way people talk now. You talk to them about coming to the kingdom of God, and they say, "I do not know as I feel just right." 59. Heaven a Reality. — I believe heaven is a city quite as real as London is. What we want is to jnake heaven real, and hell real, and God real, and Christ real, and then live as if we believed thesG things to be real. 60. What God Wants. — I heard of an English- man that when the Lord converted him, had a great desire to see every man converted. So be AND IWIST TIIorGMTS. 93 ' i ■went into one towiJ, and ^avo notice that he wouhl l^reach. It got noistnl round that the man was ricli, so he had a great audience the first night, but, the next niglit hardly any one was there. Then he got out placards, and stated that if any man in that iown owed any debt, if they would come round to his office between nine and twelve o'clock on a certain day, he would pay the debt. That went through the town like wild-fire. One said to the other, "John, do you believe that?" "No, I am not going to believe that any stranger is going to pay our debts." The day came, and at nine o'clock the man was there. At ten o'clock none had come. At eleven o'clock a man was seen walking up and down, and finally he stuck his head in the door and said, " Is it true that you will pay any man's debt? " "Yes; do you owe any debt?" "Yes." "Have you brought the necessary papers?" "Yes." So the man drew a check and paid the other's debt, and he kept him and talked with him till twelve o'clock; and before twelve o'clock two other men came and got their debts paid. At twelve o'clock that man let them out, and the people outside said to them, " He paid your debts, did not he ? " " Yes, he did," they answered. The people laughed and made fun of them, and would not believe it till they pulled out the check, and said, " There it is. He has paid all the debt." Then the people said, "What fools we were, we did not go in and get our debts paid ! " But they could not; it was too late; the door was ^1 ■ ..a ? -'«« 1 * i« r ; '.,.' is 04 ADDRnSSFS olosed. Then tlio man proat^lied tlio Gospel, and t^'oat crowds went to hoar him; and ho said, "Now, ray friends, that is what God wants to do, but you will not lot Him do it. Christ came to pay our d<.'bts, and that is the Gospel." Gl. God's Omnipresence. — God is here, the same as we say tho sun has been shining to-day, but it is 05,000,000 of miles away, and so God may be here, but at the same time God is a Person. God has a dwelling-place, God has a home, God has v throne. 62. Seeing Jesus. — One Christian asked another what he expected to do when he got to heaven, and he said he expected to take one good long look of about 500 years at Christ, and then he would want to see Paul and Peter and John and the rest of the disciples. Well, it seems to me one glimpse of Christ will pay us for all that we are called upon to endure here — to see the King in His beauty, to be in the presence of the King. 63. The Beauty of Heaven. — I read of a little child whose mother was sick, and the child w^as not old enough to understand about the sickness of the mother. It was taken away, and w^hen the mother died, they thought they would rather have the child remember its mother as she was when she was well, and so they did not take her back till after the mother was buried. They brought the child home AND nnsT TiiorrniTs, and she ran into tlio (1rawin«]f-room to moot her mother, and her mother was not there. The little thing was disappointed, and ran into all the rooms, but could not find her '.iothcr. She began to cry and asked them to send her back; she did not want to stay; home had lost its attraction because mothci was not there. "Wliat is going to make heaven so delightful? It won't be the pearly gates; it won't bo th(! jasper walls; but it will be that we shall see the King in His beauty, aiul ,hail behold Him, and not only Him, but those that have gone before us. G4. Talking About Heavi ••. — I was going to a meeting somo time ago, :jid a friend said to me on my way, "What is your subject?" I told him I should talk about heaven. I noticed u scowl on his forehead, and said, " What makes you look in that way ? " He said he was in hopes I was going to give them something practical, that tlicve would be time enough to talk about heaven when w^e got there. But there is a passage in Timothy which says that " all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine," and if God did not want us to talk about and think al)out heaven He would not have so much written about it. And I think if peo- ple talked more about heaven they would have more of a desire to go there. \' Go. Our Name in Heaven. — Two years ago a friend of mine that was in London was going back to Amor ADDRESSES ica. She wenk to Liverpool with a party of Amer- ican friends, and they were talking about what hotel they would stop at, and decided to go to the North- western. The hotel was full, and as they were start- ing to find another, they said to my friend, " Are not you going with us ? " My friend said, " No, I am going to stay here." "Oh, no," they said, "you cannot stay here." But my friend said, "I am go- ing to stay." " How is it? " " I have got a room." " Where did you get it ? " " Why, I sent my name on ahead." She had telegraphed a few days before and secured a room. And that is just what the chil- dren of God are doing now; they are sending their names on ahead and getting them down in the Book of Life. They are not waiting for the dying minute. !:: 66. Reconciliation. — There was an Englishman who had an only son who was very headstrong. Father and son quarrelled. The father said he wished the son would leave home and never come back. The boy said he would go and not come to the father's house again till he sent for him. The father said he never would send for him. Away went the boy. But when a father gives up a boy a mother does not. The mother of the boy wrote and plead with him to write to his father fii'st and his father would forgive him; but the boy said, "I will never go home till father asks me." She plead to the father but the father said, " No, I will never ask him." At last the mother, broken-hearted, wa? w AH» UEST THOUGHTS. 97 sick and given up by the physicians to die. Her husband, anxious to gratify her last wish, wanted to know if he could do any thing for her. She said, "Yes, you can send for my boy. ' " Well," said the father. " I will send word to him that you want to see him." " No," she says, " If ever I see him you must send for him." So the father wrote and the boy came home to his dying mother. When he opened the door he found his mother dying and his father by the bedside. The father looked up and saw his son but refused to speak with him. The mother kissed her boy and said, "Now, my son, just speak to your father." But the boy said, "No, mother, I will not speak to him until he speaks to me." She took her husband's hand and her boy's and spent her dying moments striving to reconcile them. As she was expiring she could not speak, so she put the hand of the wayward boy into the hand of the father and passed away. The boy looked at the mother, and the father at the wife, and at last the father's heart broke, and he took that boy to his bosom, and by that body they were reconciled. Sinner, that is only a faint type, a poor illustration, because God is not angry with you. God gives you Christ, and I bring you to-night to the dead body of Christ. I ask you to look at the wounds in His hands and feet, and the wound in His side. And I ask you, " Will you not be reconciled? " ^ !!> ■ i>« • ij :»• ■ „ '!! :{* . • if >•' S' ■1 'tt I 67. The Bir'.E And Sceptics. — Supposing I should 7 ij , 98 ADDRESSES send my little boy to school to-morrow morning, and when lie came home I should say, " Can you read, write, spell? Do you understand all about arithmetic, geometry, algebra ? " The little fellow would look at me, and say, "Why, what do you talk in that way for ? I have been trying all day to learn the A B C." Supposing I rei)lied, "If you have not finished your education you need not go to the school any more." Well, there is about as much sense in that as in the way that infidels talk about the Bible. They take it up, read a chapter, and say, "Oh, it is so dark and mysterious we cannot understand it." 68. The Blood Covers Sin. — In Ireland, some time ago, a teacher asked a little boy if there was any thing that God could not do; and the little fel- low said, " Yes; He cannot see my sins through the blood of Christ." That is just what He cannot do. The blood covers them. 69. "Out of Purgatory." — I am told that at Rome, if you go up a few steps on your hands and knees, that is nine years out of purgatory. If you take one step now you are out of purgatory for time and eternity. 70. Safety by the Cross. — In our western coun- try in the autumn, when there has not been for months any rain, sometimes the praii'ie catches fire, .;'? AND BKST THOUGHTS. on and the flames just roll along twenty feet high over that western desert, at the rate of thirty or forty miles an hour, consuming man and beast. When the frontiersmen see it coming, what do they do? They know they cannot run as fast as the fire can run. Not the fleetest horse can cscajie from that fire. They take a match and light the grass around thom and let the flames sweep, and then they get into the biunit district and stand safe. They hear the flames roar, they see death coming towards them; but they do not fear, they do not tremble, bt'cause the fire has passed over the place where they are, and there is no danger. There is one mountain peak that the wrath of God has swept over; that is Mount Calvary, and that fire spent its fury upon the bosom of the Son of God. Take your stand by the cross, and you Tvill be safe for time and eternity. 71. Faith not Reason. — I heard of some com- mercial travellers who went to hear a man preach. They came back to the hotel, and were sitting in the smoking-room, and they said the minister did not appea^ to their reason, and they would not be- lieve any thing they could not reason out. An old man sitting there listening, said to them, " You say you won't believe any thing you can't reason out?" "No, we won't." The old man said, "As I was coming on the train I noticed some sheep and cattle and swine and geese, eating grass. Now, f M I pi ^ p 11 } i '^.- 100 ADDIIESSES can you tell me by what process that same grass was turned into f eothers, hair, bristles, and wool ? " "Well, no, we can't just tell you that." "Do you beheve it is a fact ? " " Oh, yes, it is a fact." " I tliought you said you would not believe any thing you could not reason out ? " " Well, we can't help believing that; we see it with our eyes." "Well,^ said the old man, " I can't help but believe in re- generation, and a man being converted, although I cannot explain how God converted him." I 'm 72. The Blood Cleanseth. — There is no condem- nation to him that is in Christ Jesus. You may just pile up your sins till they rise up like a dark mountain, and then multiply them by ten thousand for those you cannot think of; and after you have tried to enumerate all the sins you have ever com- mitted, just let me bring one verse in, and then that mountain will melt away : " The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin." 73. A Gift Refused. — Suppose I was going over London Bridge and saw a poor, miserable beggar with no rags hardly to cover his nakedness, and right behind him was the Prince of Wales with a bag of gold, and the poor beggar was running away from him, and the Prince was hallooing, " Oh, beg- gar here is a bag of gold ! " Sinner that is your condition. The Prince of Heaven wants to give you eternal life and you ai*e running away from Him, f si AND BEST THOUGHTS. 101 74. Morality will not Save. — Nicodemus stood very high; he was one of the church dignitaries; he stood as high as any man in Jerusalem, except the high-priest himself. He belonged to the seventy rulers of the Jews; he was a doctor of divinity, and taught the law. There is not one word of Scrip- ture against him ; he was a man that stood out be- fore the whole nation as of pure and spotless char- acter. What does Christ say to him? "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." on 75. Satan in Church. — Many say, " Oh, yes, I am a Christian, I go to church every Sabbath." There is no one who goes to church so regularly as Satan. He is always there before the minister and the last one out of church. There is not a church, or a chapel, but he is a regular attendant of it. The idea that he is only in slums, and lanes, and public houses, is a false one. 76. Death without Christ. — A stage-driver away on the Pacific coast— as I was told when I was there about three years ago — while lying on his dying bed, kept moving one of his feet up and down, saying, " I am on the down grade, and can- not reach the brake." As they told me of it I thought how many were on the down grade and could not reach the brake, and were dying without God and without hope. '■■t i .. 4 r« «n; '1 ■ ■1- ^ Kr' ' 1 ^ 102 ADDRESSES El h 3 I ill' ■ K I n I I ; Ji; 1 ■< 77. Christians Asleep. — A ftitlicr took his little child out into the field one Sabbath, and lay down under a beautiful shady tree. The little child ran about gathering wild flowers and little . blades of grass, and coming to its father and saying, " Pretty ! pretty ! " At last the father f^ll asleep, and while he was sleeping, the little child wandered away. When he awoke, his first thought was, " Where is my child?" He looked all around, but he could not see him. Running to a little hill, he looked around and shouted, but all he heard was the echo of his own voice. Then going to a precipice at some distance, he looked down, and here upon the rocks and briers, he saw the mangled form of hia loved child. He rushed to the spot, took up the lifeless corpse and hugged it to his bosom, and ac- cused himself of being the miu'derer of his own child. While he was sleex^ing his child had wan- dered over the precipice. I thought as I heard that, what a picture of the Church of God! How many fathers and mothers, how many Christian men, are sleeping now while their children wander over the terrible precipice, right into the bottom- less pit of hell. 78. "I'm Glad She's m Heaven." — I was attending a Sabbath-school convention in a little town, where a stranger took me into his house. I said, "Have you no children ? " He said no ; he had one, but she was in heaven, and he said he was glad of it. I AND BEST THOUGHTS. 103 said, " Glad that your only child is dead ? " " Yes," he said. "How is that? Was she deformed, or was any thing wrong with her?" "No, she was as perfect as could be ; " and he brought me a portrait of a beautiful girl, with golden curls falling down her neck, more like an angel than a child. I asked how old she was. "Seven," " What do you mean b;y saying you are glad she is in heaven ? " " W^ell," said he, "I worshipped that child, I was making money for my child, and every Simday I spent hours with her ; she was the idol of my heart, but I did not know it. One day I found my child sick. In a few days she died, and I accused God of being unjust, and refused to be reconciled. I would have torn God from His throne if I could. For three days and nights I neither ate, nor drank, nor slept. I was almost mad. On the third day I buried her, and when I came home, as I walked up and down the room, I thought I heard the voice of my little one ; but then I thought, ' No, that voice is hushed forever.' Then I thought I heard her little feet coming towards me, but then I said, 'No, I shall never hear those Httle feet again.' At last I threw myself on my bed, and began to weep. Nature gave wa3% and I fell asleep. I had a dream. I thought I was crossing a waste, barren field, and I came to a river that looked so cold and dark and dreary that I drew Lack from it ; but, looking across, I saw the most beautiful land my eyes had ever rested upon. Then I saw a company on the otlier side, and among > 3110 i .f » it ■f ( I. "^ i 'p i,Lki 104 ADDRESSES ! Hi \m ■i^ \ m m ::^ them my darling child. She came to the bank oi the river, and waving her little angel hand, said, 'Father, come right this way; it is so beautiful here.' I then went to the water's edge, and thought I would plunge in, but it was too deep for me — I could not swim. I thought I would give any thing to cross. I tried to find a boat, but there was no ferryman. I looked for a bridge, but there was none ; and while I was wandering up and down the little angel voice came across the stream, ' Come right this way, father ; it is beautiful here ! ' All at once I heard a voice as if it came from heaven, say- ing, *I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man cometh unto the Father but by Me.' The voice awoke me from sleep. I thought it was God calling me, and that if I would ever see my child again I must come to God through Jesus Christ. That night I knelt beside my bed and gave myself to God. Now I no longer look upon my child as sleeping in her grave, but I see her with the eye of faith in that beautiful land, and every night when I lie down I hear her sweet voice saying, ' Come right this way, father,' and every morning I hear her repeating the same words. Now my wife is con- verted. I am superintendent of the Sabbath-school, and eight children have been converted, and I am trying to get as many converted as I can to go with me to that beautiful land." 79. Christ First. — Before I left the farm, I was \M AND BEST TUOUGUTS. 105 talking one day to a man who was working thoro, and who was weeping. I said to him, "What is the Irouble ? " And he told me a very strange story. When he started in life, he left his native villiige, and went to another town to find something to do, and was unsuccessful. The first Sabbath he went to a little church, and the minister preached from this text : " Seek ye first the kingdom of God ; " and he thought the text and the sermon were for him- self. He wanted to get rich, and when he was settled in life he would seek the kingdom of God. He went on, and the next Sabbath he was in an- other village. It was not long before he heard an- other minister preach from the same text, " Seek ye first the kingdom of God." He thought surely some one must have been speaking to the minister about him. For the minister just pictured him out. But he said when he got settled in life, and had control of his time, and was his own master, he would then seek the kingdom of God. Some time after he was at another village, and he went to church again, and he had not been going a great w4iile when he heard the third minister preach from the same text : " Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things else shall be added." He said it went right down into his soul ; but he calmly and delib- erately made up his mind that he would not be- come a Christian until he had got settled in life, and owned his farm. This man said, " Now I am what the world calls rich. I go to church every % 1« Mt 1 3 Ijii 1^, ii' ^ 1 ^', 3 .; 1 1 10(1 ADDRESSES ' I li i ■, ! Sniidrty, but I have never heard a sermon from that day to this which has ever made any impression upon my heart. My heart is as hard as a stone." As he said that tears trickled down his cheek. I was a young man and did not know what it meant. When I was converted I thought when I should go back home I would see this man, and preach Christ to him. When I went back home I said to my widowed mother, naming this man, " Is he still living in the same place?" My mother said, "He is gone mad and has been taken away to the insane asylum, and every one that goes to see him he points his finger at and says, ' Seek ye first the kingdom of God.' " I thought I should hke to see him but he was so far gone it would do no good. The next time I went home he was at his home idiotic. I went to see him. When I went in I said, " Do you know me ? " He pointed his finger at me and said, "Young man, seek ye first the kingdom of God." God had driven the text into his mind but his rea- son was gone. Three years ago, when I visited my father's grave I noticed a new stone had been put up. I stopped and found it was my friend's. The autumn wind seemed whispering the text, " Seek ye fii'st the kingdom of God." 80. The Fatal Ism. — When every child that be- longs to the Lord is willing to speak for Him, is willing to work for Him, and, if need be, willing to die for Him, then Christianity will advance, and we liHll l! AND BKST THOUGHTS. 107 fllijill see the work of the Lord prosper. I fear more than any thing else, the cloacl, cold formalism of the Churdi of God. Talk about the false ?'.s'»is' ! There is none so dan- gerous as this dead, cold formalism which has como right into th'j heart of the Church, ^o many of us just sleep whiiO soiUs all around are perishing. 81. The Mountains of Unbelief. — A few years ago there was a little story going through the American religious press that touched my heart as a father. It was about the death of a little boy. The mother thought her little boy was safe in the arms of Jesus; but one day she came into his room, and he said, as he \Tas looking out of the window, "Mother, what are those mountains that I see yonder? " The mother said, " Eddie, there is no mountain in sight of the house." "Don't you see them, mother?" said he; "they're so high and so dark. Eddie has got to cross those mountains. Won't you take him in your arms and carry hira over ? " The mother said, "Eddie, I would if I could, but I cannot." Now, there is a time coming when your friends can- not help you. When you come to the mountain, if you have not Christ, you must take that journey alone, for there will be no one to help you th(;n. The mother prayed with that Httle boy. Then she said, "Eddie, you must take your eyes off your mother. You must have your eyes upon Jesus. He wiU help you." The mother again prayed with \ If t i " .1 •:i t ^k* 108 ADDRKSSES him, and tried to get his little mind oil from the dark mountain. All at once ho said, " jMothor, hark ! don't you hear them call? " " Hear who, Eddie? " " Don't you see tlie anjj^ols just on the other side of the mountain ? They are callinj^ for me. Take me, mother, and carry me over the mountain." The mother said again, "Why, my boy, I cannot go with you; but Christ will be with you. He will take you Siife ov( r the mountains if you trust Him." Again the mother p^-ayed for her little boy. At length he closed his eyes and he jirayed, " Lord Jesus, be with me, and take me over the mountains." Then he opened his little eyes, and said, "Good-by, mam- ma ; Jesus is coming to carry me over the moun- tains ; " and the little sufferer was gone. Sinner, Christ will carry you over the mountains of unbelief, if you will only let Him. 82. Thanksgimng. — One reason why we don't have more answers to our prayers is because we are not thankful e?aough. The Divine injunction is, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication, ivith Ikankxgivlng, let your requests be made known unto God." Some one has well aaid there are three things in this verse: careful for nothing — prayerful for every thing — thankful for any thing. 83. Judas' Kiss. — Judas got near enough to Christ to kiss Him, and yet went down to damnation. T AND Hi;.ST TnOUCllTS. 10[) 84. TnRKK Stkpa to Hell. — Tliere arc throe Htcps to tho lost world. The first- is N<'jj[l(>ct. All a man has to do is to ne<^l(ct salvation and that will take Lim to the lost world. I am on a swift river, and lyinf? in tho bottom of my little boat ; all I have to do is to fold my arms and the current will carry mo out to sea. All a man has to do in the current of life is to fold his arms and he will drift on and bo lost. The second stop is Refusal. The last step is to Despise the love of Christ. 85. Pray! Don't Auoue! — Spend no time in ar- guments. I believe that is a work uf the devil to cause delay. If a man comes to argue we should go on our knees, pray with him, and then let him go. »Tob never fell until he got into an argument with his friends; he could stand his boils, and all his other afflictions, better than an argument. 86. Guard Against Self-confidence. — Many of the Bible characters fell just in the things in which they were thought to be strongest. Moses failed in his humility, Abraham in his faith, Elijah in his cour- age — for one woman scared him away to that juni- per tree; and Peter, whose strong point was bold- ness, was so fi'ightened by a maid as to deny his Lord. 87. Continuous Effort. — There are some who say, "We don't have any sympathy with these special It N i is ?:' ji 0^ rt« ;" It r. 1! i?:: I; ;» t ti ft N. |i i\. ilO ADDRESSKS Hr eftbrts " ; and I sympatbize with that objection. I beheve it is the privilege of the child of God to make continuous efforts for the salvation of others, ever}' day throughout the year. 88. "Let Your Light Shine." — A friend of mine was walking along the streets one dark night, when he saw a man coming along with a lantern. As he came up close to him, he noticed by the bright light that the man had no eyes. He went past him; but the thought struck him, " Surely that man is biind ! " He turned round and said, " My friend, are you not blind ? " " Ygs," \\as the answer. " Then what have you got the lantern for?" "I cai'ry the lantern," said the blind man, " that people may not stumble over me." Let us hold up our light, burning with the clear radiance of heaven, that men may not stumble over us. 89. Under the Juniper Tree. — There is a large class of peoiDle who are always looking upon the dark side. Some time ago I myself got under the juniper tree. In those days I used to fish all night, and catch nothing. One of the workers in our Mis- sion came in to see me one Monday morning, full of joy, saying what a good vSunday he had. " Well," said I, " I am glad you have had a good day ; but I have had a very bad one." He knew I had been in trouble of i.aind and so he said, " Did you ever study Noah?" "No," said I; "I have read about \'M AND REST TIIOl'GHTS. Ill him, but I don't know that I have ever studied him." "Well," said he, "study him. It ^vill do you good." So I began to study Noah, and I found out that he preached for a hundred and twenty years without making a single convert. " That is a good deal worse than my case," thought I; and that made me feel better at once. That day I went down to the noon prayer-meeting, and one poor sinner rose and asked us to pray for him. "What would old Noah havo given for that?" thought I. I tell you, what we want is perseverance. 90. Send Any Body but Me. — There are but few now that say, "Here am ', Lord; send me": the cry now is, "Send some one else. Send the minis- ter, send the church officers, the church-wardens, the ciders; but not me. I have not got the ability, the gifts, or the talents." Ah! honestly say you have not got the heart; for if the heart is loyal, God can use you. It is really all a matter of heart. It does not take God a great while to qualify a man for his work, if he only has the heart for ir. 01. Distance Disenchanting. — Wlien me i going up in a balloon have ascended a little height, things down here begin to look very small indeed. What had seemed very grand raid imposing, now seem as mere nothings; and the higher they rise the smaller every thing on earth appears — it gets fainter and fainter as they rise, till the railway train, dash- 1 12 ADDRESSES ing along at fifty miles an hour, seems like a thread, and scarcelj'- appears to be moving at all, and the grand piles of buildings seem now like mere dots. So it is when we get near heaven: earth's treasures, earth's cares, look very small. K 'S k4 92. To-MORRow. — Look at poor old Pharaoh down there in Egypt, when the plague of frogs was on him. "What an awful time he must have had ! Frogs in the fields, and frogs in the houses; frogs in the bed- rooms, and frogs in the kneading- troughs. When the king went to bed, a frog would jump on to his face; when he cut into a loaf of bread, there was a frog in the middle of it. Nothing but frogs every- where! Frogs, frogs, frogs! He stood it as long as he could; and then he sent for Moses, and begged him to take them away. " When would you like to have me do it ? " says Moses. Now just listen to what he says. You would think he would say, Now ! this minute ! I have had them long enough ! But he says, " To-morrow^ Kept the frogs another day, when he might have got rid of them at once ! That is just like you, sinner. You say you want to be saved; but you are willing to keep your hateful, hideous sins till to-morrow, instead of being rid of them now. 93. A Book of Wonders. — A m'^.n once wanted to Bell me a "Book of Wonders." I took it and looked it over, and could not find any thing in it about Cal- i. AND l!i:ST THOUGHTS. 113 vary. AVliai a mistake! A book of wonders — and the tj^'eatest wonder of all left out ! to to Dw! ut hat be 111, of to :ed 3al- 94. Repentance. — "What is repentance? Some one says it is a "godly sorrow for sin." But I tell you a man can't have a godly sorrow, or a godly any thing else, till after he repents. Repentance means right- about- face ! Some one says, "Man is born with his back towards God, and repentance is turn- ing square round." 95. A Lie Six Thousand Years Old. — One of the greatest lies that has come out of the pit of hell is that Christ is a hard Master. It is a lie, and has been so from the foundation of the world. Oh, young man, I beg of you, do not believe the devil when he says that God is a hard Master. It is false, my friends; and to-night let me brand that excuse as one of the devil's own lies, that he has been retailing up and down the earth for six thou- sand years. 9G. Tied to the World. — I once heard of two men, who, under the influence of liquor, came down one night to where their boat was tied; they wanted to return home, so they got in and began to row. They pulled away hard all night, wondering why they never got to the other side of the bay. When the gray dawn of morning broke, behold, they had never loosed the mooring line or raised the anchor ! ii I .! I i I ' i I >! ' ! If ^ '» t #. t »' J. I, 1 *> 1 ^/ i E .ii 114 ADDRESSES And that's just the way with many who are striving to enter the kingdom of heaven. They cannot be- lieve, because they are tied to this world. 97. Laziness not Leanness. — A good many peo- ple are complaining all the time about themselves, and crying out — " My leanness ! my leanness ! " when they ought rather to say, " My laziness ! my laziness ! " 98. " Come to Chkist Chain and All." — In the North there was a minister talking to a man in the inquiry room. He said, "My heart is so hard, it seems as if it was chained ; and I cannot come." "All!" said the minister, "come to Christ, chain and all"; and he just came to Christ, and Christ snapped the fetters, and set him free right there. 99. The Teetotaler. — There was a soldier down in Tennessee when I was there — a great, strong, hearty fellow, who was a teetotaler. One day, when the army was going on a long march, a man offered him a drink of whiskey. " I am a teetotaler," was his reply. "Never mind that. You're in the army now; be- sides, you need some stimulant to help you on this long march." Taking or.t a pocket Bible, he held it up before the face of his tempter, and said — " That is all the stimulant I want." / AND BEST THOUGHTS. 115 100. Crownless Saints. — I have an idea there are thousands of crov/nless saints in heaven. They just barely get in at the doors. They have, indeed, been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb; but there is no reward for them. They have sought their own ease in this world ; they have not sought to work for Christ here below; therefore, though admitted to heaven, they enjoy no distinguished reward. " They that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the fir- mament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever." But none of those tjuat have lost heart, and have given up working for the Master here, will shine as the stars, or receive the great reward hereafter. For those careless ones there is no bright glory, no place near the throne; they have just got in at the gates — that's all ! ti« <■ (I 101. Christ The Ark. — When I was in Manches- ter, I went into the gallery one Sunday night, to ha' e a talk with a few inquirers; and while I was talking, a business man came in, and took his seat on the outskirts of the audience. I think, at first, he had come merely to criticise, and that he was a little sceptical. At last I saw he was in tears. I turned to him, and said, " My friend, what is your difficulty ? " " Well," he said, " Mr. Moody, the fact is, I cannot tell." I said, "Do you believe you are a sinner?" He said, "Yes; I know that." I said, "Christ is able to save you "; and I used one illus^ tration after another, but he did not see it. At last 'II irfl I (--n IIG ADDRESSES I I tboiiglit of tlie ark, and I said: "Was it Noah's feelings that saved him ? Was it Noah's righteous- ness that saved him, or was it the ark ? " " I see it, now," said he; "I see it." He got up and shook hands with me, and said: " Good-night: I must go. I was determined to be saved before I went. I see it now." A few days after, he came and touched me on the shoulder, and said, "Do you know me?" I said, "I know your face, but do not remember where I have seen you." He said, "Do you not remember the illustration of the ark?" I said, "Yes." "It has been all light ever since," said he. "I under- stand it now. Christ is the Ark; He saves me." %< iV ! 'fi '. III \ 102. Conversion Instantaneous. — I can imagine some of you saying; " I do not see how a man is really going to be converted all at once." Let me give you an illustration. There are two soldiers. Now, if you bring those soldiers up to this platform, and ask them how they became soldiers, they will tell you this — that one moment they were citizens, and the next minute soldiers. What was it that made them soldiers? It was when they took the Queen's shilling. The moment they received that shining they ceased to be citizens, and they became soldiers. Before they received that shilling they could go where they pleased; the next minute they came under the government and under the regula- tions of the army, and they must go where Queen c AXI) BKST TUOUGIITS. 117 Victoria .sends them. They did not have to wait for the uniform. The minute they received the shil- ling thej became soldiers. What made them sol- diers? Receiving the shilling. AVhat makes a man a Christian? Receiving Christ. "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not: but as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God." k i« 103. Christ Our Substitute.— There is a stoiy told of Napoleon, that, when he sent out a draft for recruits, a man was drafted who didn't want to go into the army ; but he had a friend who thought a good deal of him, and this friend offered to go in ■his place. He was taken. A battle was fought, and the man was killed and buried on the field. Some time afterwards another draft was made, and by a mistake this man, whose substitute the other had been, was drafted the second time. When they went to take him, he said : "You cannot take me." "Why not?" "I am dead." "You are not." " Yes, I am. I died at such a battle, and you will find rie buried on such a battle-field." The man declared that he was dead, and they declared that he was aHve. "See if I was not drafted at such and such a time." They looked, and found that he had been if) .1 •1 ill ■^ \ INl' I at) ! -J* lib ADDKKSSES drafted; and found another name against his: and then they said tliat he had got a substitute. "I know that," said he; "and he died for me, and you cannot take me." They said they would take him, and they did. Upon this he appealed to the emperor, who decided they could not take him, for another man had died in his place. There were hundreds of such cases during our war, where men bought substitutes; and others served through love — the father for the son, and the son for the father, and brothers for brothers. One wealthy man hired another to go to the war for him, and he was killed. The wealthy man went down South, and built a monument over his substi- tute's grave; and on it he put this inscription: "He DIED FOR ME." Ah ! my friends, go to the tomb of Jesus, and say over it, " He died for me." Yea, you can go further, and say, " He rose for me, and He is at the right hand of God for me; and I have life in Him, and the hope of eternal glory. Death can- not touch my spiritual nature; I am safe for time and eternitv." 104. The Last Night. — A little while ago, in one of the mining districts of England a young man at- tended one of our meetings, and refused to go from the place till he had found the Saviour. The next day he went down into the pit and the coal fell in upon him ; and when they took him out he wag h'i 1111:! I M' i^i ^ ' } i 1 i AND liKST THOUGHTS. US) brureccl and maiifrled and had but a few momonta to live. His last words were. "It was a good thing I settled it last night." 105. An Egyptian Legend. — There is a legend told in reference to that night on which the Lord slew the first-born of the Egyptians ; and it runs thus : There was a little child, the first-born in the house of an Israelite ; and you know God said that, in every house where the blood vras not upon the door-post, the first-born should be smitten by death. This little girl was sick, but she was afraid that the blood w^as not upon the door-post; so she asked her father if he was sure he had put the blood upon the door-post; and the father said, "Yes, he was quite sure: he had ordered it to be done." But the httle girl said the second time, "Father, are you quite sure that the blood is there ? " " Yes, my child," answered the father; "be quiet, and sleei^." But the child could not sleep. She was very sick and very restless; and as night came on, and it grew darker and darker, and nearer and nearer to the time when the angel should pass over Goshen, she got still more nervous and restless and uneasy; and at last she said, " Father, take me in your arms and let me see the blood upon the door-post"; and the father, to satisfy the child, took her to the door to show her the blood; and lo and behold! it was not there: the man to whom he had given instructions had forgotten to do it. And then the father, in the '1 1 1> 1' 11 ^' I i > 1 ill \ •• it' \ li )** ■ j '1 : • —♦:■ • I - I 12U AUDIIKSSKS sight of tli(! child, had the blood put upon the door- post, and the child lay down and went to sleep. 106. The Deep Pit. — Did my of you ever go down into a coal-pit, fifteen hundred or two thousand feet, right down into the bowels of the earth ? If you have, don't you Imow that it would be sheer mad- ness to try to climb up the steep sides of that shaft and so get out of the pit ? Of course, you couldn't leap out of it ; in fact, you couldn't get out of it at all by yourself. But I'll tell you this — you could get out of a coal-pit fifteen hundred feet deep a good deal quicker than you can get out of the pit that Adam took you into. When Adam went down into it, he took the whole human family with him. But the Lord can take us out. 107. A Vast Fortune. — A vast fortune was left in the hands of a minister for one of his poor parish- ioners. Fearing that it might be squandered if sud- denly bestowed upon him, the wise minister sent him a little at a time, with a note, saying: "This is thine; use it wisely; there is more to follow ! " Breth- ren, that's just the way God deals with us. 108. "Immediately." — Not long ago, in Edin- burgh, an earnest Christian lady found a woman whose feet had taken hold of hell, and who was pressing onwards to a harlot's grave. The lady begged her to go home, but she said, "no, her par- , AM) HKST THOUGHT.^ 12, o.niH Nvoiikl not receive her." Tliis Cliristian woiniiii knew what a mother's Ik art was. So she wrote a letter to the mother, telling her how she had met her daugliter, who was sorry and wanted to return. The next post l)ronght an answer back, and on the en- velope was written, " Immediately — immediately ! " They opened the letter: yes, she was forgiven. They wanted her back, and they sent money for her to come immediately. That is what the great and loving God is saying to every wandering sinner — immcdiaf.rh/. 109. BACKSLirERS.— The devil has told you that God won't have any thing to do with you, because you have wandered away. If that is true, there would be very few men in heaven. David backslid; Abraham and Jacob turned away from God ; I do not believe there is a saint in heaven but at some time of his life, with his heart has backslidden from God. Perhaps not in his life, but in his heart. The prodigal's heart got into the far country before his body got there. 110. 0.— When I was in England in 1867, there was a merchant who came over from Dublin, and was talking with a business man in London; and as I happened to look in, he introduced me to the man from Dublin. Alluding to me, the latter said to the former, "Is this young man all O 0?" Said the London man, " What do you mean by 0?" Ke- ) } •I 1 ;! 'i ^ tilt ■ ■I ■ '.I i' I ' !1 I I r J • I 1-22 ADDllKSSKS plied the Dublin man, " /s /^r 0(// and Out for Clu'isl?" I ttill you it biirncHl down into my soul It means a f,'ood deal to he O O for Christ. 111. A Lost Life. — A younf( man lay dying, and his mother thought he was a Christian. One day, passing his room door, she heard him say, "Lost! lost! lost!" The mother ran into the room and cried, " My boy, .s it possible you have lost your hope in Christ, now you are dying? " "No, mother, it is not that; I have a hope beyond the grave, but I have h)st ray life. I have lived twenty-four years, and done nothing for the Son of God, and now I am dying. My life has been spent for myself ; I have lived for this world, and now, while I am dying, I have given myself to Christ; but my life is lost." 112. Professing Christians. — There are u '^reat many in the Chureh who make one profession, and that is about all you hear of them ; and when they come to die you have to go {ind hunt up some musty old church records, to know whether they were Christians or not. God won't do that. 113. TviUT ''-HE Prodigal Lost! — Did you ever notice whui .;he prodigal lost? He lost his food. That is what every poor backslider loses. They get no manna from heaven. They see no beauty in the Word of God. Then the prodigal lost his uwk. They made him take care of swine j that was all loss for a Jova So AND BEST THOUGHTS. 123 every biiclcHlidor Iohcs his work. He cutinot do anj thing for Got! ; he cannot work for eternity. The prodigal also lost his tcstimoni/. "Who be- lieved him? There ho stands among the swine, and some one says to another, " Look at that poor wretch." "What," he says, "do you call me a poor v> retch? My father is a wealthy man; he has got moie clothes in his wardrobe than you ever saw in your life. My father is a man of gi'eat wealth and posiriou." Do you suppose these men would be- Ueve him ? *' That poor wretch the son of a wealthy man!" "If he had got such a wealthy father he would go to hiiu." So with the backsliders: tlie world does not believe that they are the sons of a King. Then, the prodigal lost his home. As long as his money lasted, he was quite popular hi the public- house and among his acquaintances; he had pro- fessed friends, but as boon as his money was gone, where were his friends? That is the conditiou of every poor backslider. 1 » 1 » -.1 '■•1 114. An Only Daughter Lost. — Not long ago the »nly daughter of a wealthy friend of mine sickened and died. The father and mother stood by her dy- ing bed. He had spent all his time in accumulat- ing wealth for her; she had been introduced into gay and fashionable society; but she had been taught nothing of Christ. As she came to the brink of the river of death, she said, "Won't you .1 ( lf> J^ i \ I » t y m h li • M IIT " 124 ADDRESSES help me; it is very dark, and the stream is bitter cold." They wrung their hands in grief, but could do nothing for her; and the poor girl died in dark- ness and despair. What was their wealth to them then? 115. Afraid of Backsliding Again. — Some say, "There would be little use of me attempting to come back. In a few days I should just be where I was again. I should like very much to go to my Father's home again, but I'm afraid I wouldn't stay there." "Well, just picture this scene. The poor prodigal has got home, and the father has killed the fatted calf; and they are sitting at the table eating. His father sits opposite; he is full of joy, and his heart is leaping within him. All at once he sees his boy w eping. " My son, what are you weeping for? Are you not glad to have got home?" "Oh, yes, father; I never was so glad as I am to-day: but I am so afraid I will go back into that foreign country ! " Why, you cannot imagine such a thing! When you have got one meal in your Father's house, you will never be inclined to wander away again. 116. Every Man's Biography ! — Some men like to have their lives written before they die; if any of you would like to read your biography turn to the third chapter of Romans and you will find it al- ready written. AND BKST TlIOL'GIlTa. 12 117. TuE One-point Offender. — If I have an or- chard, and two apple-trees in it, which both bear some bitter apples, perfectly worthless, does it make any difference to me that the one tree has got per- haps five hundred apples, all bad, and the other only two, both bad ? " Whosopvei' shall keep the lohole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." Sup- pose you were to hang up a man to the roof with a chain of ten links; if one were to break, does it mat- ter that the other nine are all sound and whole? Not the least. One link breaks, and down comes the man. But is it not rather hard that he should fall when the other nine are perfect, when oDly one is broken ? AVhy, of course not; if one is broken, it is just the same to the man as if all had been bro- ken : he falls. So the man who breaks one com- mandment is guilty of all. He is a criminal in God's sight. 118. The Law Our Looking-glass. — I said to my family, one morning, a few weeks before the Chicago fire, " I am coming home this afternoon to give you a ride." My little boy clapped his hands. "Oh, papa, will you take me to see the bears in Lincoln Park?" "Yes." I had not been gone long when my little boy said, "Mamma, I wish you would get me ready." At last he was ready to have the ride, face washed, and clothes all nice and clean. " Now, you must take good care and not get yourself dirty again," said mamma. It was a long time yet until > *4 Ml ;1: 1 1:! •' 1. ! Mi- !: ( I 126 ADDRESSES the afternoon, and after a little he began to play When I got home, I found him outside, with hia face all covered with dirt. " I can't take you to the Park that way, AVillie." " Why, papa? you said you would take me." "Ah, but I can't; you're all over mud. I couldn't be seen with such a dirty little boy." " Why, I'se clean, papa ; mamma washed me. " Well, you've got dirty since." But he be- gan to cry, and I could not convince him that he was dirty. " I'se clean ; mamma washed me ! " he cried. Do you think I argued with him ? No. I just took him up in my arms, and ried him into the house, and showed him his fac the looking- glass. He could not take my word ior it; but one look at the glass was enough. He didn't say he wasn't dirty after that ! The looking-glass showed him that his face was dirty — but I did not take the looking -gJaas to loai'h it; of course not. Yet that is just what thousands of people do. The law is the looking-glass to see ourselves in, to show us how vile and worthless we are in the sight of God; but they take the law, and try to wash themselves with it ! Man has been trying that for six thousand years, and has miserably failed. " By the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight." Only one Man ever lived on the earth who could say He had kept the law, and that was the Lord Jesus Chi'ist. But men have tried to do what He did, and have failed. Instead of sheltering under his righteousness, they have offered God their own. AND BEbT TUOUUHTS. 127 119. "What are We Doing. — There are more men worsliipping the golden calf than the God of heaven. They bring before it health and happiness and peace. " Give me thirty pieces of silver, and I will sell you Christ," is the world's cry to-day. " Give me fash- ion, and I will sell you Christ!" "I will sacrifice my wife, my children, my life, ray all, for a little di'ink. I will sell my soul for drink ! " It is easy to blame these men for worshipping the golden calf. But what are we doing ourselves? 120. Never. — The law has never saved a single man since the world began. '1 the 121. Sinners on a Level Then. — It was my sad lot to be in the Chicago fire. As the flames rolled down our streets, destroying every thing in their onward march, I saw the great and the honorable, the learned and the wise, fleeing before the fire with the beggar, and the thief, and the harlot. All were alike. As the flames swept through the city it was like the judgment day. The mayor, nor the mighty men, nor wise men could stop these flames. They were all on a level then, and many who were worth hun- dreds of thousands were left paupers that night. When the day of judgment comes, there will be no difiference; all sinners will sufter. 122. What the Gospel has Undone. — No man can ever tell Avhat the Gospel has done for him, but I 1 •*D 128 ADDRESSES think I can tell what it has undone. It has taken out of my path four of the bitterest enemies I ever had. Death, the Grave, Sin and the Judgment, have all lost their terror for me. 123. Christ's Enemies His Witnesses. — First, call the Pharisees. We know how they hated Him. Come, Pharisees, tell us what you have against the Son of God. " This man receimth sinners." What an argument to bring against Him ! Why, it is the very thing that makes us love Him. He receives sinners. If He had not, what would have become of us? Have you nothing more to bring against Him than this? "He saved others. Himself He cannot save." And so He did save others, but He could not save Himself and save us too. So He laid down his own life for yours and mine. Yes, Pharisees, you have told the truth for once in your lives ! — " He saved others. Himself He cannot save." Now, let us call upon Caiaphas. Let him stand up here in his flowing robes. " Caiaphas, you were chief priest when Christ was tried; you were president of the Sanhedrim; you were in the council-chamber when they found Him guilty; you yourself con- demned Him. Tell us ; what did the witnesses say? On what grounds did you judge Him?" "Hi! hath spoken blasphemy," says Caiaphas. " He said, ' Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.' When I heard that, I found AM) BEST TUOLUIllS. 129 Man Him guilty of blasphemy; I rent my mantle, and condemned Him to death." Yes, all that they had against Him was that He was the Son of God; and they slew Him for the promise of His coming for His bride. Now, let us summon Pilate. Let him enter the witness-box. Pilate, this man was brought before you; you examined Him; you talked with Him face to face, ichat think ye of Ghrid ? Says Pilate. " He said He was the King of the Jews, but I find no fault in Him." Such is the testimony of the man who examined Him ! And, as he stands there, the centre of a Jewish mob, there comes along a man, elbowing his way, in haste. He rushes up to Pilate and gives him a message. He tears it open; his face turns pale as he reads — "Have thou nothing to do with this just man, for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of Him." It is from Pilate's wife — her testimony to Christ. And now, look — in comes Judas. He ought to make a good witness. " Come, tell us, Judas, what think ye of Christ. You knew the Master well: you sold Him for thirty pieces of silver; you betrayed Him with a kiss; you saw Him perform those mira- cles; you were with Him in Jerusalem. What think ye of Him?" I can see him as he comes into the presence of the chief priests; I can hear the money ring as he dashes it upon the table — '" / have betrayed innocent blood I " Let us take the centurion, who was present at 9 ■I .ai< t 130 AUDRi:.'--.'' -IS ml * f! iil the execution. " Centurion, you had charge of the executioners; you saw that the order for his death was carried out; you saw Him die; you heard Him speak upon the Cxoss. Tell us, ichat think ye of Christ?" Hark! Look at him; he is smiting his breast as he cries, " Truly, this ivas the Son of God ! " I might go to the thief upon the cross, and ask what he thought of Him. At first he railed upon Him and reviled Him. But then he thought better of it. "This man hath done nothing amiss," he says. I might go further. I might summon the very devils themselves and ask them for their testi- DK'.'iy. Have they any thing to say of Him ? Why, tlie very devils called Him the Son of God! In Mark we have the unclean sjpirit crying, "Jesus, Thou Son of the most High God." 124. Devils Believe. — Men say, "Oh, I believe Christ to be the Son of God, and because I believe it intellectually, I shall be saved." I tell you the devils did that. And they did more than that, they trembled. 125. If ? — Did you ever stop to think what would take place if God should take, at his word, every one who makes excuse? — if He were to say, "Yes, if you want to be excused from this feast, I will excuse you," and with the next stroke should sweep them all from the face of the earth? Supposing every one should be taken at their word, and laid in the AND BEST THOUGHTS. 131 arms of death, how many of your shops would be closed to-morrow; how many homes would be filled with moui'ning and tears ? Not a pubHcan would be left to carry on his traffic; every rum-seller wants to be excused. He knows that if he accepts of this invitation, he would have to give up his hellish trade. He could not go on making all those fatherless children, and taking the bread out of the mouth of the orphan and the widow, and be on his way to the marriage supper of the Lamb at the same time. If God did excuse them and take them away with a stroke, you would have no drunkards reeling through your streets. There would be no harlots then, for every harlot wants to be excused; she knows she has to give up her sins if she wants to be present at the supper of the Lamb. And your princely merchants, many of them, v>'ould be gone. They do not want to accept the invitation, because they think if they do they cannot make money so fast. But oh, my friends, it would be a solemn time if God should take men at their word. The grass would soon be growing in the streets, and the living would be occupied in burying the dead. 126. The Origin of Excuses. — Do vou know the origin of excuses? You will find it away back in Eden. When Adam had sinned, he tried to excuse himself. "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat." He tried to lay the blame on God, Eve tried to lay it '•■tt '4 .1 M 1 'l1 ■4 ■ 1 1 Ill J n I } ^a t i pi' f •! i jj i i' M. J 1 aj ADUllESaES on the serpent; and down to the present time, men and women, with one consent, begin to make excuse. 127. The Chief. — To-day Christ may be a root out of a dry ground, without form or comehness; but He will become to you the chiefeat among ten thousand, the altogether lovely, the bright, and the morning star, if you take Him as your Saviour. 128. Unitarianism Settled. — John takes up his pen, and, with one stroke, forever settles the ques- tion of Unitarianism. He goes right back before the time of Adam. "In the beginning was tbo Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." 129. The Gospel for Each. — I can imagine Peter saying, "Lord, do you really mean that we shall preach the Gospel to evei^y creatui-e ? " " Yes, Pe- ter." "Shall we go back to Jerusalem and preach the Gospel to those Jerusalem sinners who murdered you ? " " Yes, Peter, and tarry there until you aro endued with power from on high. Go search out that man who spat in my face; tell him I forgive him ; there is nothing in my heart but love for him. Go, search out the man who put that cruel crown of thorns on my brow; tell him I will have a crown ready for him in my kingdom, if he will accept sal- vation; there shall not be a thorn in it, and he shall wear it forever and ever in the kingdom of his Re- AND BEST TnOUGHTS. 133 ten the deemer. Find out that man who took the reed from my hand, and smote my bead, driving the thorna deeper into my brow. If he will accept salvation as a gift, I will give him a sceptre, and he shall sway it over the nations of the earth. Yes, I will give him to sit with Me upon my throne. Go, seek that man who struck Me with the palm of his hand; tell him that the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin, and my blood was shed for him freely." " Go, seek out that poor soldier who drove the spear into my side; tell him that there is a nearer way to my heart than that. Tell him that I forgive him freely; and tell him I will make him a soldier of the cross, and my banner over him shall be love." "4 1 il "I 130. "No Greater Lie." — There is another class who say, "I love the world very much and if I be- come a Christian I shall have to give up all pleasure and go through the world with a long face." I want to say here, that no greater lie was ever forged than that. The devil started it away back in Eden ; but there is not one word of truth in it; it is a libel upon Christianity. It does not make a man gloomy to become a child of God. See ! there is a man going to execution. In a few moments he will be launched into eternity. But, flashing over the wires, comes a message, a reprieve. I run in haste to the man. I shout, " Good news ! good news ! You are not to die ! " Does that make him gloomy ? No ! no I no ! It is the want of Christ that makes men ft ^ i'j I i; ij/' ^ 1 1 J •■IT J, J, ' , -^i i ii l'\ ■ !' - . J; ^ '] i i! \ I: 1 r i' ■ i;i 134 ADDllESSKS pfloomy ? T.ike a niuu who is really thirsty, dying for want of water, and you go and give him water. Is that going to make him gloomy ? t That is what Christ is — water to the thirsty soul. If a man is dying for want of bread, and you give him bi'ead, is that to make him gloomy ? That is what Christ is to the soul — the bread of life. You will never have true pleasure or peace or joy or comfort until you have found Christ. 131. The TmiEE Excuses. — Let us take up theso three men who, " with one consent, began to make excuse." What did the first one say? "I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it." Some one has said, Wliy did he not look at the ground before he bought it? If he had been a good business man, he w^ould have seen his ground first, he couldn't make the bargain any better by going to look at it now. And now that he has got it, he can go and look at it at any tinie; the land could not run away ! It was not that he had made a partial bargain and might withdraw, or that some one might stop in ahead of him and get the ground from him. He did not even have that excuse. He had bought the land, there was no fear that he Bhould lose his title to it. Yet he must needs go and see it. Strange time to go and see gi-ound just at supper-time! On the face of it, it was a down- right lie. He did not w^ant to go to the feast, and AND 15i:ST TllOi:(JllTS. 135 so ho manut'iiL*tiin;(l this excuse to ease his con- science. That is what people make excuses for. The devil gets men into that cradle and rocks them to sleep in it. What did the second man say ? "I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them. I pray thee have me excused." Why not prove them before he bought them? It was no time to prove oxen after they were bought. And now tliat the bargain was closed he could prove them any time. Why not let them stand in the stall till he had accepted this invitation'? Don't you see that was another lie? The third man's excuse was the most ridiculous of them all. " I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come." Why did he not take his wife along with him? Who likes to go to a feast better than a young bride ? He might have asked her to go too; and if she were not willing, then let her stay at home. The fact was, he did not want to go. ^ a I ■m I ■t M 132. A Jubilee Meeting. — Some people, when the Gospel is preached, put on a long face, as if they had to attend a funeral or witness an execution, or hear some dry, stupid lecture or sermon. It was ray privilege to go into Richmond with General Grant's army. I had not b i » long there before it was announced that the negroes were going to have a jubilee meeting. These colored people were just awakening to the fact that they were free. And I went down to the African Church, one of the largest I 13() ADDRESSES > 1 1 ::«.! c ill the South, and found it crowded. One of the colored cliapliiins of a nortliern regiment had of- fered to H2)euk. I have heard many eloquent uen in Europe and in America, but I do think 1 over heard eloquence such as I heard that day. Ho said, "Mothers! you rejoice to-day; you are forever free ! That little child has been torn from your em- bx'ace, and sold oft' to some distant state for the last time. Your hearts arc never to b< broken again in that way; you are free." The women clapped their hands and shouted at the top of their voices, ** Glory, glory to God!" It was good news to them, and they believed it. It filled them full of joy. Then he turned to the young men, and said, "Young men? you rejoice to-day; you have heard the ck of the slave-di'iver's whip for the last time; yc . posterity shall be free; young men rejoice to-day, you are forever free ! " And they clapped their hands, and shouted, " Glory to God ! " They believed the good tidings. " Young maidens ! " he said, " you rejoice to-day. You have been put on the auction-block and sold for the last time; you are free — forever free ! " They believed it, and lifting up their voices, shouted, " Glory be to God ! " I never was in such a meeting. They believed that it was good news to them. 133. One Sin Excludes. — When we got our charter for the city of Chicago, there was one clause in the constitution that allowed the mayor to appoint all m AND BEST TUOUGHTS. 137 the police. It worked well when it was a small city; but wheu it had three or four hundred thousand in- habitanta, it put too much power in the hands of one man. So our citizens got a new bill passed that put the power into the hands of commissioners ap- pointed by government. There was one clause in the new law that no man should be a policeman who was not a certain height — five feet six inch'js, let us say. When the commissioners got into power, they advertised for men as candidates, and stated that no man need apply who could not bring good credentials to recommend him. I remember going past the office on • day, and there was a crowd of them waiting to get in. They were comparing notes as to their chances of success. One says, "I have got a good letter of recommendation from the mayor, and one from the supreme judge," An- other says, "And I have got a good letter from Senator So-and-so. I'm sure to get in." The two men come on together, and lay their letters down on the commissioners' desk. " Well," say the offi- cials, " you have certainly a good many letters, but we won't read them till we measure you." Ah! they forgot all about that. So the first man is measured, and he is only five feet. " No chance for you, sir; the law says the men must be five feet six inches, and you don't come up to the standard." The other says, " My chance is better than his, I am a good bit taller." That is what people are always doing, measuring themselves by others. Measure AUDilESSES yourself by the law of God, or by tlie Sou of God Himself; and if you do that, you will find you have come short. He joes up to the officers, and they measure him; he is five feet, five inches, and nine tenths of an inch. " No good," they tell him, "you're not up to the standard." "But I'm only one tenth of an inch short," he remonstrates. " It's no matter," they say, "there is no difference." He goes with the man who was five feet. One comes short six inches, and the other only one tenth of an inch; but the law cannot be changed. And the law of God is, that no man shall go into the kingdom of heaven with one sin on him. 134. A Prejudice Answered. — You say, "I would lilj:e to become a Christian, but / have a prejudice againnt these special meetings. If it was a regular ministry, and it v/as our regular minister, I would accept the invitation." If that is your difficulty, I can liolp you o it of it. You can just get right up, and go out of the hall, and walk straight over to your minister, and have a talk with him. And if you say you do not want to be converted in a special meeting, there are regular meetings in all the chiu'ches throughout the town, and your min- ister would be heartily glad to talk with you about your soul. 135. Election. — Supposing a man, wishing to go to Loudon, should say, " I don't know if God haa I AND BEST TliUUGllTS. 139 decreed it. If I am to be there, I will be there. "Wliat is the use of pa;/iiig faro and taking trouble about it ? If I am elected to get there, I will get there somehow." Who would use such language as that? Or suppose a farmer were to say, " I am not going to plant; if God has decreed that I am to have a crop, I shall have it. I am not going to trouble myself tilling the ground or working hard; if God has decreed that I will have a good harvest, why, I shaU have it without any tilling." Or sup- pose you are sick, and do not send for the doctor. Suppose you say, "If God has decreed it, I shall get well," so you refuse to take the medicines. You say, "There is no use in it; if God has decreed that I am to get well, I will get well without it." Wlio- ever talks in that way ? Yet a good many people carry out that very doctrine with regard to spiritual things. 136. Good Enough to Travel in. — I was going to New Orleans fi'om Chicago a few years ago, and there were two ladies in the carriage with me. They got well acquainted with one another by the time they reached Cairo, where one lived; the other was going on to New Orleans. The one who had to get out at Cairo said to the other, " I wish you would stay here with me for a few days, I like your company so much." " I should like to stay," replied the other, " but my things are all packed and have gone on before; I ha\e no clothes but those I lun .« 'i n 1 ^, -I ■1 •ay f I 1-iO AUUllESSES :4<^ wearing. They are good enough to travel in, but I would not like to be seen in company with them." Now that is the way with the Christian. He is away from home here, his treasure has gone on be- fore, and any thing is good enough to travel in. If things don't go on smoothly down here we need not be too particular, they're good enough to travel in. If our treasures are in heaven our hearts will be there, and we shall be living as pilgrims and stran- gers on the earth. 137. No TiMi.! — So thousands and thousands say they have no time to be religious. What have you done with all the time that God has given you ? What have you been doing all these months and years that have rolled away since He gave you birth? Is it true you have no time? What did you do with the 305 days of last year ? Had you no time during all these twelve months to seek the kingdom of God ? You spend twenty yearn getting an education to enable you to earn a living for this poor frail body, so soon to be eaten up of worms. You spend seven or eight years in learning a trade, that you may earn your daily bread; and yet you have not five minutes to accept of this invitation of Christ's! My friend, bear in mind you have yet to find time to die; to stand in the presence of the Judge. And when he calls vou to stand before that bar, will you dare to tell Him that you had no time to prepare for the marriage supper of His Son? AND BEST TUOUGUTS. Ul You have no time '? Take time ? Let every thing else be laid aside until you have accepted of this invitation. Do you not know that it is a lie ? If you have not time, take it. "Seekjird the king- dom of God," Let the children sit up a httle late to-night. Let your business be suspended to-mor- row. Suppose you do not get so much money to- morrow. What matter it if you get Christ ? Better for a man to be sure of salvation than to " gain the whole world and lose his own soul." 138. The Lord's Work Needs Money. — When men go.up in balloons they take with them bags of sand for ballast, and when they want to rise higher they throw out some of the sand. Now there are some Christians who, before they rise higher will have to throw out some ballast. It may be money, or any other worldly consideration, but if they wish to rise, they must get nd of it. If you have got overloaded, just throw out a little money, and you will mount up as on eagle's wings. Any minister will tell you what to do with it. I never saw any department of the Lord's work that did not want some money. ■•I u 139. Better Higher Up. — Not long ago there lived an old bed-ridden saint, and a Christian lady who visited her found her always very cheerful. This visitor had a lady friend of wealth who constantly looked on the dark side of things, and was always cast down although she was a professed Christian. 142 ADDRESSES She thought it would do this lady good to see the bed-ridden saint, so she took her down to the house. She lived up in the garret, five stories up, and when they had got to the first story the lady drew up her dress and said, " How dark and filthy it is ? " " It's better higher u^) ! " said her friend. They got to the next story, and it was no better; the lady com- plained again, but her friend replied, "It's better higher up." At the third floor it seemed still worse, and the lady kept complaining, but her friend kept saying, "It's better higher up." At last they got to the fifth story, and when they went into the sick room, there was a nice carpet on the floor, there were flowering plants in the window, and little birds singing. And there they found this bed-rid- den saint — one of those saints whom God is polish- ing for his own temple — ^just beaming with joy. The lady said to her " it must be very hard for you to lie here." She smiled, and said, ''It's belter higher up." Yes! And if things go against us, my friends, let us remember that "it's better higher up." 140. Thank God for Adversity. — John Bunyan thanked God more for Bedford jail than for any thing that ever happened to him. 141. Missing the Mark. — In olden times in Eng- land, they used to have a game of firing arrows through a ring on the top of a pole. The man that failed to get all his arrows through the ring AND l]i:sT THOUGHTS. 14.3 wiis called a "sinner." Now I should like to take up that illustration. Suppose our pole to be up in the gallery, and on the top of it the ring. I have ten arrows, and Mr. Sankey has ten. I take ujd the first arrow, and take aim. Alas! I miss the mark. Therefore I am a "sinner." "But," I say, "I will do the best I can with the other nine; I have only missed with one." Like some men who try to keep all the commandments but one! I fire again, and miss the mark a second time. "Ah, but," I say, "I have got eight arrows still," and away goes another arrow — miss! I fire nil the ten arrows and do not get one through the ring. "Well, I was a " sinner " after the first miss, and I can only be a sinner after the tenth. Well, Mr. Sankey takes his ten arrows. He fires and gets his first arrow through. "Do you see that?" he says. "Well," I reply, "go on; don't boast until you get them all through." He takes the second arrow and gets that through. "Ha! do you see that?" "Don't boast," I repeat, "until all ten are through; " if a man has not broken the law at all then he has got something to boast of! Away goes the third, and it goes through. Then another and another all right, and another until nine are through. "Now," he says, "one more arrow, and I am not a sinner." He takes up the last arrow, and his hand trembles a little; he just misses the mark. And he is a "sinner" as much, as I am. My friend, have you never missed the mark. Have you not come short? I should ''I h 4 ' "I 1 aa 144 ADDRBSSES i'li. WUl'-'l m-i . ;• ,1 1^^; s\' tm ' ( y'. w I 1 : ^1 " rr : I like to see the man who never missecl the mark. He never lived. 142. Out of the Poor-house. — A few years ago, I was going away to preach one Sunday morning, when a yonng man drove np in front of us. He had an aged woman with him. "Who is that young man? " I asked. " Do you see that beautiful meadow?" said my friend, "and that land there with the house upon it?" "Yes." "His father drank that all up," he said. His father was a great drunkard, squandered his property, died, and left his wife in the poor-house. And that young man has toiled hard and earned money, and bought back the land; he has taken his mother out of the poor- house, and now he is taking her to church." The first Adam sold us in Eden, sold us for nought, but, the Messiah, the second Adam, came and bought us back again. The first Adam brought us to the poor- house; the second Adam makes us kings and priests unto God. 143. In Eternity a Pauper. — A friend of mine called on a wealthy Illinois farmer, to get him in- terested in a soldiers' mission. He took him up on the cupola of his house, and said, "Look yon- der, over that beautiful rolling prairie, that is all mine, as far as the eye can reach. He took him to another view, and pointing over the rich farms of the Mississippi Valley, showed him pasture land for mark. 3 ago, rning, 1. He ; that lutiful there father , great id left (T man it back ! poor- ' The it, but, Lght us e poor- priests f mine lim in- lim up k yon- is all him to larms of and for AND BEST THOUGHTS. 145 thirty miles round, with large herds of catllc, and liorses, and sheep feeding, " They are all mine," he said; "I have made it all myself." Then he pointed proudly towards the town, and showed him streets, and piles of buildings, and a great hall named after himself, and said once more, "They are all mine; I came here a poor man, but my own industry has done it all." My friend said, when he had seen all, raising his finger, and pointing solemnly to the sky, "What, have you got up there ? " The rich man's counte- nance fell. "Where?" he asked. "In heaven." "I have got nothing there." Alas! he had lived his threescore years and ten, and must soon enter eternity, yet he had no treasure there. "Is it not strange," said my friend, " a man of your judgment and forethought, making such a wreck of life, living for the moment, on borrowed time, to die a beggar, and enter eternity a pauper ? " But a few months after that he died as he had lived, and his property went to others. 144. Christ's Suffering not Kealized. — I re- member when our war was going on I took up the morning paper and read of a terrible battle — ten thousand men killed, and I laid the paper down and forgot it. At last I went into the battle-field and helped to bear away the sick and wounded; after I had been over one or two battle-fields I be- gan to realize what it meant. I could hear the dy- 10 I ••I m mm U(\ ADDRESSES iiig groans of the men and their cry for water, and when I heard of a battle the whole thing was stamj^ed upon my mmd. I can tell you how a little child suffered and it will bring tears to your eyes, but I tell you how the Son of God suffered and some of you will go out laughing. 145. Heavenly Treasures. — When I was on the Pacific Coast I spent my first Sunday in San Fran- cisco. I went to the Sunday-school, but it was a very stormy da}', and so few nuido their appearance, the superintendent was in doubt whether he should not send them home again. However, it was de- cided to go on with the lesson, and I was asked to undertake the task. The subject, "Our Treasures in Heaven." The blackboard was ready, and being a poor writer myself, I handed the chalk to one of the teachers, and said to the children, "Now, I w^ant you to tell me some earthly treasures ; what do you suppose men think most of ? " Some one cried, '* Money." " Put that down," I said. " Any thing else?" "Lands." "Put that down." Many strange things were said ; one little boy said " Rum," and perhaps he was nearer the truth than any of them, for many a man will sell soul and body, and business and family, and home and every thing else for drink; and when the catalogue was finished, I asked them next to give me a list of hmvenly treasures. The first answer was "Jesus"; and as we went on from one to another, we found that the treasures of heaven m Hi .' ' I-. AND BEST THOUGHTS. 147 were far more numerous and very much more pre- cious than all the treasures which the earth could give. The young man who was writing down the answers was an unconverted teacher. As he scanned the lists and compared the earthly with the heavenly, he stood transfixed with shame. "What a fool have I been ! " he says to himself ; "• I have come to this Pacific Coast, and spent my substance for such things of earth ! " And there at that blackboard he vowed to God that for the rest of his life his heart should be set alone upon the things which are above. I 146. No Room. — The world has no room for the Master, and should the servant be above his Lord? The cry of the world to-day is, as it was eighteen hundred years ago, no room. He might have been born in a palace, but He went to the manger in order that He might get His arm under the lowest and bear him up towards heaven. He became poor for our sakes. He occupied a borrowed cradle and a borrowed grave. He had no home. The temple was made for Him, and yet it was closed against Him. 147. Have You the Token? — "Yes," you say, "I go to church every Sunday." That is not the token. " I read my Bible." That is not the token. "I say my prayers every night. I have been baptized." Not one of these is the token. What have they to I, 148 ADDUliSSKS do with the blood ? Death ntIU smite you when he comes if you are not sheltered behind the blood. You must die or find a substitute to die in your place. Some say prayer is the key to heaven, but is there any promise to that effect '? It is the blood — if you trample that under your feet there is no hope for you in the world to come. 148. Luther and the Devil. — IMartin Luther had a conflict with the devil, but when he said the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin, Satan left him. m If- Li' 149. Hope for the Drunkard. — I have been talk- ing with a prominent Christian man, who said ho did not think there was any hope for a woman who had become addicted to strong drink, and another said he did not think there was any hope for a con- firmed drunkard. When I look upon a drunkard and think of all the pledges he has made, I might say they were right ; but when 1 come to this chap- tor and read, " All power is given to Me," I rejoice to say there is hope for every drunkard on earth. Our God has power to save. I would say to these persons I would not give a farthing for all your good resolutions, you must be born again. It is not a reformation but a new creation. You will then hate strong drink as much as you love it now. All works of the flesh come to naught. Thanks be to God, the Lord Jesus is stronger than your appetite for strong drink. He is mighty to save. We want to AND BEST TIIOUGHTS. 149 come boldly to God and ask Him to save the poor drunkard. 150. A Challenge. — I cliallenge you to find any reason for not loving Christ. If you go to the lost world and ask the damned spirits in hell there is not one of them can give you a reason. There is no reason can be given on earth, and if you go to the world above they don't want to give a reason, they all love Him. 151. The Legacy op Christ. — All that Christ left here of His person was His blood. His blood flowed out on Calvary. The soldier hurled his spear, which was the crowning act of earth and hell, and blood came out of the Saviour's side and covered the spear, teaching us that the blood of Jesus Christ covers sin, and the blood touching the earth re- deemed it. It touched the Roman spear and it took the Roman government. It was not long be- fore Rome bowed to the sceptre of Christ. Oh, that the blood may touch you to-night and you may be saved. '152. Pardon. — I was in Ohio a few years ago, and invited to preach in the State prison. Eleven hun- dred convicts were in the chaj^el, in front of me. After I had got through the preaching, the chap- lain said to me : " Moody, a few years ago, our commissioners went to the governor of the State, n 150 ADDRESSES H I h and got him to promise that he would pardon five men for good bdmvior. The governor consented, with this understanding — that the record was to be kept in secret, and that at the end of six months the five men highest on the roll should receive a par- don, regardless of who or what they were. At the end of six months the prisoners were all brought into the chapel and the commissioners came up, and the president of the commissioners stood upon the platform, and put his hand in his pocket, and brought out some papers, and said, *I hold in my hand pardons for five men.'" Every man was as still as death; many were deadly pale, and the suspense was something awful. The commissioner went on to tell them how they had got the pardon; but the chaplain said to the commissioner, " Before you make your speech, read out the names. This suspense is awful." So he read out the first name, "Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon;" and he held it out, but no one came forward. He said to the governor, " Are all the prisoners here ? " The governor told him they were all there. Then he said again, " Reuben Johnson will come and get his pardon. It is signed and sealer! hv the gov- ernor. He is a free man." ^h' ehaphun told me he looked right down wh* uben wa and he was looking all round to se. o fortunate man who had got his pardon. Finalh the chaplain caught his eye, and he said, "Reuben, you are the man." Reuben turned round and looked behind him to sew AND REST THOCOIITS. 151 gov- where Roubon was. The chapliiin said the second time, " Rouben, you arc th(3 man," and the second time ho looked round thinking it must bo some other Reuben. Now, men do not l)elievo tho Gos- pel is for them. They think it is too good, and pass it over their shoulders to the next man. Well, the chaplain could sec where Reuben was, and ho had to say three times, " Reuben, come and get your pardon." At last the old man got up and came along down the hall, trembling from head to foot, and when he got the pardon he looked at it and went back to his seat and buried his face in his hands, and the prisoners heard him weep to think he was a free man. When the prisoners got into the ranks to go back to the cells Reuben got into the ranks too, and the chaphiin had to call to him, "Reuben, get out of the ranks; you are a free man, you are no longer a jorisoner." And Reuben stepped out of the ranks. That is the way men make out pardons. They make out pardons for good charac- ter or good behavior. But God makes out pardons for men that have not got any character, and who 1 ave been very, very bad. 153. The Boy and the Gamblers. — A good many years ago, Chicago was a grain market. There were no railways runnii]g there then, and the grain used to be shipped on the lake. There was a man living out in the Western prairies, a farmer and a minister, and he sent his only son into Chicago with a load i:i iLiiiulM :{ M f i i^l^ il i I 152 ADDRESSES of grain. He waited and waited for his boy to re- turn, but he did not come lionic. At last the father saddled his horse and went into Chicago. He went where he had sent his boy to sell grain, and found that he had sold it. Then he feared that some one had murdered him, and he got detectives on his track. They tracked him into a gambling den, where he had gambled away the whole of his money. After he had done that the men said, " Sell your horses and machine and then you can get all the money back again and go home to your father, and no one will know any thing at all about it." That is the way the devil leads men on. He sold his horses and machine, and gambled that money away too. What could he do ? He was ashamed to go home to meet his father, and he lied. That is just exactly like the sinner. He thinks because he has sinned God will have nothing to do with him. What did that father do? Did he say, ''Let the boy j'O?" No; he went aftcl' him. And I want to say to you that f^ )m the time when Adam fell to the present time God has been seeking after His chil- dren. That man went from town to town. When he got into the pulpit to preach when he had fin- ished his sermon he told the story of how he had lost his boy, and described him, and he .sked any of the audience who m^'ght ever meet with him to write and let hmi know. At last he found that he had gone to California. Did that father say, " Let him ^o " ? No. He went to San Francisco, AND BEST THOUGHTS. 153 .and he advertised in the paper that he would preach at such a church on such a day. AVhcni he had preached he told his story, in hopes that the boy might have seen the advertisement and come to the church. When ho had done, away under the gal- l(^ry there was a young man who waited until the audience had gone out; then he came towards the pulpit. The father looked, iind saw it was that boy, and he ran to him, and prtssed him to his bosom. The boy wanted to confess what he had done, but not a word would the father hear. He forgave him freely, and took him to his home. My friends, you have been enticed away by the devil; now, God is inviting you to come home to-night. 154. Universalism Answered. — Suppose Queen Victoria did not like any man to be deprived of his liberty, and threw all her prisons open, and was so merciful that she could not bear any one to suf- fer for guilt, how long would she hold the sceptre ? How long would she rule ? Not twenty-four hours. Those very men who cry out about God being mer- ciful would say, "AVe don't want such a queen." Well, God is merciful, but Ho is not going to take an unpardoned sinner into heaven. 155. That is not the Question. — The question is on the other side. God has something against you. Suppose a man stole $1,000 from me and then said, "I have nothing against you." That is not what I i ■i .! 154 ADDRESSES 1^!' want. I want him to make restitution. All sin ig sin against God, and there will be no -peace for the sinner until God is reconciled. If a man will seek forgiveness in Christ his sins snail be covered and then there will be peace. 156. Sinners Bankrupt. — Christ suffered in our stead, for our sins were laid upon Him, and because He was punished so we go free. Instead of God coming down and punishing us. He justifies us. It is the same as if I had been running up an account in one of your stores and another man paid it. When I go to pay the account I am told: "It is all settled; you are justified, Mr. Moody; there is noth- ing against you in my ledger." 157. Our AVorst Enemy. — The worst enemy man has to-day is unbelief: we do not believe that Christ came to bless. We are under the power of the devil. Many of us believe the lies of the devil instead oi believing the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. }■ s 158. Christ's Lote More than All. — My wife went out one day, and my little boy, two yt ars old, got hold of a pair of scissors. IVly little girl knew he ought not to have them, and she went to him and tried to get them away; but the Utile fellow held oii to the scissors, and would not give them up. She was afraid of sticking them into his eyes, so she ran and got an orange, and held it up, and said, " WiJ- ! <] AND BEST THOUGHTS. 155 lie, do not you want the orange?" and the little fel- low dropped the scissors, and went for the orange. If you will allow me the illustration, God comes here, and says, "Here is my Son, take Him." He saves the sinner; and the moment we get Him, these things we love so much are gone; they float away into the dim past. Christ is worth more than all the world; and God comes and says, "Here is my Son, take Him, and believe on Him." 159. God's Blank Check. — And when Moses said, "If they ask me who sent me, what shall I tell them?" God said, "Say I Am sent me;" and as some one has said, that was a blank check, and God told him to fill it out; and when thev were in the desert and wanted water He filled out the check and drew water from the rock. When he wanted bread He filled out the check and God gave him bread from heaven. 160, The Contrast. — Two fathers come before me. One Vvas a man of great wealth. Yet he would have freely given it all could he have brought back his eldest boy from his early grave. One day that boy had been borne home unconscious. " He must die," said the doctor. " But, doctor," said the agonized father, " can you do nothing to bring him to con- sciousness, even for a moment?" "That may be, but he can never live." Time passed, and after a terrible ♦suspense the father's wish was gratified, 156 ADDRESSES I '^l! IIM' W ■I !' 1 1' " My son," he whispered, " the doctor tells me you are dying." "W^ll," said the boy, "you never prayed for me, father; won't you pray for my lost soul now ? " The father wept. It was true he had never prayed. And in a littl'^ while that soul, un- prayed for, passed into its dark eternity. Oh, fa- ther ! if your boy was dying, and called on you to pray, could you lift your burdened heart to heaven ? What a contrast is the other father ! He, too, had a lovely boy, and one day he came home to find him at the gates of death. " A great change has come over our boy," said the weeping mother; "he has only been a little ill before, but it seems now as if he were dying fast." The father went into the room, and placed his hand on the forehead of the little boy. He could see the boy ?ms dying. He could feel the cold damp of death. " My son, do you know you aredjdng?" "No; ami?" "Yes; you are dying." " And shall I die to-day ? " " Yes, my boy, you can- not live till night." "Well, then, I shall be with Jesus to-night, won't I, father?" "Yes, my son, you will spend to-night with the Saviour." As he turned away, the little fellow saw the tears trickling over his father's cheeks. " Don't weep for me, fa- ther," he said; "when I get to heaven I will go right sti'aight to Jesus, and tell Hira that ever since I can remember you have tried to load me to Him." 161. HoME-sicKNEss CuRED. — I heard of a Chris- tian who did not succeed in his work as well as he you can ■ AND BEST THOUGHTS. 157 used to, and he got Homesick and ^vished liiniself dead. One night he dreamed that he had died, and was carried by the angels to the eternal city. As he went along the crystal pavement, he met a man he used to know, and they went down the golden streets together. All at once he noticed every one looking in the same direction, and saw One coming up who was fairer than the sons of men. It was his blessed Redeemer. As the chariot came oppo- site. He came forth, and beckoning the one friend, placed him in His own chariot -seat, but himself He led aside, and pointing over the battlements of heaven, "Look over yonder," He said, "what do you see ? " " It seems as if I see the dark earth I have come from." "What else?" "I see men as if they were blindfolded, going over a terrible pre- cipice into a bottomless pit." " Well," said He, " will you remain up here, and enjoy those mansions that I have prepared, or go back to yon dark earth, and warn these men, and tell them about Me and my kingdom, and the rest that remaineth for the peo- ple of God ? " That man never wished himself dead again. He yearned to live as long as ever he could, to tell men of heaven and of Christ. 162. A Fool in His Day. — There is not a man in the word of God whose name shines out upon the page of divine histor}' who was eminent in God's service, but who was considered the gi'eatest fool in his day. •4. I 158 ADDRESSES .r-r^ •'il !i :i!l.i 163. Redemption. — A friend in Ireland once met a little Irish boy who had caiight a sparrow. The poor little bird T^-as trembling in his hand, and seemed very anxious to escape. The gentleman begged the boy to let it go, as the bird could not do him any good; but the boy said he would not, for he had chased it three hours before he could catch it. At last he offered to buy the bird; the boy agreed to the price, and it was paid. Then the gentleman took the poor little thing and held it out on his hand. The boy had been holding it very fast, for the boy was stronger than the bird, just as Satan is stronger than we, and there it sat for a time scarcely able to realize the fact that it had got liberty; but, in a little, it flew away chirping, as if to say to the gentleman, " Thank you ! thank you ! you have redeemed me." That is what redemption is — buying back and setting free. So Christ came to break the fetters of sin, to open the prison doors and set the sinner free. This is the good news, the Gospel of Christ — "Ye are not redeemed by cor- ruptil)le things, as silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ." 164. Christ's Crucifixion the Foundation. — When I was in one of your cities, a gentleman came to me and said, " If you are right, I am wrong; and if I am right, you are wrong." I saw he w^as a minister, and I said, " Well, I never heard you preach; if you have heard me you can tell what the difference ip m fi AND BEST THOUGHTS. 153 ice met r. The id, and itleman [ coulcl ! would fore he le bird; Then held it it very just as ,t for a had got ig, as if ik you! mption it came 1 doors ws, the yy cor- Lth the -When to me nd if I inister, if you uce ip Where do -vve differ ? " " WelL you preach that it is the doath of Christ; I preach His life. I tell people His death has nothing to do with it; you tell them His life lias nothing to do with their salvation, and that His death only will save them. I do not believe a word of it." "Well," I said, "what do you do with this passage, ' Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree?'" "Well, I never preached on that text." " What do you do with this, then, 'Ye are not redeemed with corrupti- ble things as silver and gold, but with the pre- cious blood of Christ?'" "I never preached on that text either," was the reply. " Well, what do you do with this, ' Without shedding of blood tliere is no remission ? ' " "I never spolce on that," he said. " What do you do with this, ' He was wound- ed for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and the chastisement of our p'-eace was upon Him?'" "I never preached on that either." " What do you preach, then ? " I asked. He hesi- tated for a little, and then said, "I preach moral essays." "You leave out the atonement?" "Yes." "Well," I said, "it would all be a sham to me if I did that; I could not understand it. I would be away home to-morrow. I would not know what to preach. Moral essays on Christ without his death ! " The young man said, " Well, it does seem a sham sometimes." He was honest enough to confess that. Why, the whole thing is a myth without the atone- ment. The crucifixion of Christ is the foundation of I t I irrrr 160 ADDRESSES the whole matter. If a man is unsound on the blood, he is unsound in every thing. "Without shedding of blood is no remission." ill •• h'j • !lfi 165. Grace Before Judgment. — It was of mercy and grace that Adam was turned out of Eden, so that he could not eat of the tree of life. He put into the hand of man a lamp of promise to light him through the world. 166. Living in Doubting Castle. — Why, it is sal- vation by doubts nowadays instead of by faith ; there are so few that dare to say, "I know that my Re- deemer liveth, I know in whom I have believed." Make sure of this one thing if you are not sure of any thing else. It is better that you fail in health or in business, it is better that you go to some asy- lum, it is better for you to go to heaven from some poor-house or from some mad-house than to go to hell in a gilded chariot. Make sure that your name is written in heaven; then you have something worth rejoicing over. 167. The Betrayal. — Let us imagine we are living when the Son of God was upon earth — that we were citizens of Jerusalem; that we were at that memo- rable feast; that late one Thursday afternoon we are walking down the street, and we see thirteen men coming down the street. We make inquiries who they are, and we are told: It is Jesus and His disci- i|! AND BEST TUOUGUIS. 161 ! blood, .edding ; mercy Ideii, so nit into lit him t is sal- i; there my Re- ved." b sure of 1 health me asy- m some ;o go to iir name ig worth re living we were memo- n we are en men ies who lis disci- ples. They are going to 'the guest chamber. They come to a common-looking house; they go up stuks to that giuTst chamber and sit around the table. He began to be exceedingly sorrowful; he knew that one of His disciples was that night to swear he never knew Him; that the Shepherd Avas to be smit- ten, and the sheep were to leave Him. He was sor- rowful unto death. John was wondering what was making Him so sad. At last he told them that one of them that night should betray him. They all looked startled. At last one savs: Lord, is it I? And another says: is it I? They all began to mis- trust themselves, and at last Judas, that awful traitor who was already plotting with the chief priests to deliver Him up, said: Lord, is it I? Jesus gave him to understand that it was, and presently He turned and said: "What thou doest do quickly," and he got up and left. I don't believe you could find a sadder party than they were. Judas had seen Him perform His mighty miracles; he had been with Him when He fed the multitude in the wilderness; when He had wept over Jerusalem ; been associated with Him for three long years, and now he gets up and goes out. It was night, and 1 hear him as he goes down those stairs. He goes off to the Sanhe- drim, to the rulers of the Jews. He says: "What will you give me ? He sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. How cheap he sold his birthright. You condemn him, but how many of you are selling Him for less. A lady, last night, wanted to become a 11 102 Al)l)Ui:SSE« ;*ti; Cliristiiui, but slio conld not ^ave up the ball that Wiis soon to come off; she ■would sell her soul for a night in the ball-room. How many would sell Him for a night in some drinking saloon. 1G8. The Devil's Work. — If you will read your Bible in the light of Calvary, you will find there is no other way of coming to heaven but by the blood. The devil don't fear 10,000 preachers who preach a bloodless religion. A man who preaches a bloodless religion is doing the devil's work, and I don't care who he is. # 169. Death Loses its Sting Then. — I was brought up in a little village in New England. It was the custom there when a jDcrson was buried to toll out the age of the man at his funeral. Death never en- tered the village and tore away one of the inhabi- tants, but I always used to count the tolling of the bell. Sometimes it would be away up to seventy, or between seventy and eighty— -beyond the life al- lotted to man. Sometimes it would be clear down in the teens, and childhood, and death would take away one of my own age. It used to make a sol- emn impression on me. When it comes to death some men say, "I do not fear it." I feared it, and felt terribly afraid, when I thought of the cold hand of death feeling for the cords of life; and being launched out to eternity, to go to an unknown world. I used to have terrible thoughts of God; nmi' J til I AND I5EST THOUGHTS, 1^3 huh thoy are all p^one now. Dcatli has lost its sthi^jf. And as I go on thron^^h the worhl I can shout now, when the Ix'U is tolling, "Oh, death, where is thy sting?" And I hear a voice come roUing down from Calvary, "Buried in the bosom of the Sou of God." 170. Sudden Conversions, — There are some peo- ple in this nineteenth century who do not believe in sudden conversions. I should like them to tell me where Zaccheus was converted. He certainly was not converted when he went up into the syc- amore tree; he certainly was converted when ho came down. He must have been converted some- where between the branches and the ground. I wish we had a few men converted like Zaccheus in London; it would make no small stir. When a man begins to make restitution it is a pretty good sign of conversion. Zaccheus gave half his goods all at once; and he says, "If I have taken any thing from any man I restore him fourfold." I imagine the next morning one of the servants of Zaccheus going with a check for J£100, and saying, " My master, a few years ago, took from you wrongfully about £25, and this is restitution money. That would give confidence in Zaccheus's conversion. 171. The Penitent Thief. — The first we know of the thief on the cross he was a reviler of Christ. The next we hear of him he appears to be under % • I ■J|;i Hi ICA ADDliKybil-S conviction. One of tlin niiilofjifrt(jrs which wore li:in<.(ecl I'liilcd on Him; saying, "If Thou be tho Chrii^t Kiivc Thyself iuu\ uh." But the other, un- sworin*,', r(;l)uk('(l him, Hiiying, "Dost thou not fear (tocI seeing tliou art iu the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the duo re- ward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss." AVhat do you suppose changed this man's feelings in these few liours? I think it was the Saviour's prayer — "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do." I seem to hear this thief talkina* to himself in this ^v.iy. What a strang-e man this must be ! He says he is the Son of God. Why does not God send his angels and destroy all this crowd of people who are torturing His Son ? If he has power now, as He used to have when he worked those miracles they talk about, why does he not sweep all these wretches to destruction ? I would do it in a min- ute if I had the jDOwer. But this man prays God to forgive them. Strange ! Strange ! I am sorry I said a word against him when they hung him up here. What a difference there is between him and me. "Here we are on two crosses, side by side; but all the rest of our lives we have been far enough apart. I have been robbing and murdering, and He has been visiting the hungry, healing the sick, and rais- ing the dead. I will not rail at Him an}' more. In- deed, I begin to believe He must be the Son of God; ^m if! AND HKST THOUGHTS. n;:) lit all ipart. has rais- Iii- God; for surely no son of man could forgivo his cn(3nnos this wav." This poor man had ])cen scour^i^cd, beaten, nailed to the cross, and hung up there for the world to gaze upon; and he was not sorry for his sins one sii}{^le bit — but wlien he heard the Saviour prayin{^ for His nuirderers, that broke his heart. And "whiit did Jesus say in answer to his prayer. lie looks kindly upon him and says, "To-day shalt thou be with Me in Paradise." He got more than he asked for. He only asked to bo remcmbeitul, but Christ says to him, " I will take you right ap into my kingdom to-day." No doubt Satan said to himself, ''I will have the sonl of that thief, pretty soon, down here in the caverns of the lost. He bo- longs to me." But Christ snapped tlie fetters of his soul and set him at liberty. Satan lost his prey. What a contrast! In the morning led out a con- demned criminal; in tlie evening saved from his sins. In the morning cursing; in the evening sing- ing hallelujahs with a choir of angels. In the morn- ing condemned by men as not lit to live on earth; in the evening reckoned good enough for heaven. Jesus had died before his very e}(.'S, and hastened before him to get a place ready lor this first soul brought from the world after He had died. You have heard of the child who did not like to die and go to heaven, because he did not know any body there. Bat the thief had one acquaintance: even the Master of the place Himself. He calls to I It: \ 4' 1 !:' :j.t: I >l'"t'» IGG ADDRESSES Gabriel, and says, "Prepare a eliariot; iliere is a friend of mine upon that o'oss. They are breakinj^' his legs. Ke soon \vill be ready to come. ]Mahe haste and bring him to me." And the angel in the chariot sweeps down the sk}', takes up the soul of the poor penitent thief, and hastens back again to glory; while the gates of the city swing wide oj)en, and the angels shout their welcome to this poor sin- ner "washed in the blood of the Lamb." 172. HuHHE]) Hakps. — They never knew the Sou of God when He was here. He would hush every harp in heaven to hear a sinner pray; no music would delight Him so much. * 173. Tmp: Father's AVill. — I remember a story of a bad boy who ran away from home. He had re- fused all the invitations which his father had sent him to come home and be forgiven, and help to comfort his old heart. He had even gone so far as to scoff at his father and mother. But one day a letter came telling him his father was dead, and they wanted him to come home and attend the funeral. At first he would n:)t go, but then he thought it would be a shame not to pay some little respect to the memory of so good a man after he was dead; and so, just as a msitter of form, he took the train, and went to the old home, sat through all the funeral services, saw his father buried, and came back with the rest of the friend.^' to the house, with wn AND BEST THOUGnTS. Ifi7 his heart as cold and stony as ever. But when the old man's will was brought out, the ungrateful son found that his father had remembered him in tlio will, and had left him an ' iheritance with the others, who had not gone astiay. This broke his heart. That is just the way our Father in Heaven does with sinners. He loves them in spite of their sins, and it is the love which, more than any thing else, brings hard-hearted sinners to their knees. 174. Confer8io:n _i.^''0RE Conversion.— I never knew any man to be «"onverted till he confessed. Cain felt bad e^iough o/er his sins, but he did nc* confess. Saul was greatly tormented in his mind, but ho went to the witch of Endor rather than to the Lord. Judas felt so bad over the betrayal of his Master, that he wont out and hanged himself; bat he did not confess — that is, he did not confess to God. He came back and confessed to the priests, sajang, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." It was of no use to confess to them. They could not forgive him. What ho should have done was to confess to God; but instead of that, he went right away and hanged liimself. M- 'l I came with 175. The Story of Mkphibosheth. — There is a story of a man by the name of Mephibo;-heth which will help you to understand the Gospel. You re- member what a hard time David had when Saul was hunting him to kill him. One day David and wm ii<'i^ 108 ADDRESSES li ' if' 1 I' \':\? 'i ft' |H: ^*' '"iV; ' 1 ,' •" » '5 1 ; 1 ■ '-i'ii > his friend Jonatlian were taldnpf a walk iu the fields. Saul was an<^ay, and bent on killing David; but his son Jonathan was looking out for a chance to save him. After they had agreed upon a sign by which Da- vid was to know whether it was safe for him to stay around the court of the kin^-, or whethei" he muat leave, Jonathan says to him — "David, you are to be ki)ig after my father. I want you to promise me one thing: when you '^•ome to the throne, if any of the house of Saul are >iiive, I want you to be good to them, for my sake." " I'll do that, of coiu'se," said David. About four years after David set up his kingdom at H >>>:■. It must have been near fourteen years after that before David remembered his promise to his old friend Jonathan. But one day the king was walk- ing in his palace at Jerusalem, where he had re- moved his capital; i\ A all at, once he happened to think of that promise. "That's too bad!" said Da-'d. "I forgot all about that promise. I have been so busy fighting these Philistines, and fixing things up, that I }^ ive not had time to tl irk of any thing else." So he called his servants m great haste, and said, -' Do any of you know whether there is any of Saul's family living?" One of them said there was an old servant of Saul by the name of Ziba nnd maybe he could tell. "Go and tell him I want him, right away." I '':.^:t AND BEST THOUGHTS. 1 i'i\ i 1 ).' t Ziba came; and David said, "Do you know wliolh- er there is any body of the house of Saul in my kinjj^- dom ? " Ziba said there was one he knew of — a son of Jonathan, by th(' name of Mcpliiboshi th. " Go, fetch him!" says David; "go quick. Tell him I want to sliow him the kindness of God." AYhere do you suppose Mepliiboshcth was all the time? Dovrn at Lo-dobar. That is where all the human race are until rhey come to Christ; away clown at Lo-debar — which means, a j-ilace of no paf^- ture. When they reached the little out of the way place I fancy there was a great commotion. " Where's Mephibosheth ? The king wants him." Poor fellow ! when he heard that he hung his head. He was afraid the king wanted to kill him because he was of the house of his old enemv. I never ft/ knew a sinner to take the Gospel right. They al- ways think, at lirst, that it is too good to be true. " Don't be afraid," said the servants. " The king says he wants to show you the kindness of God. So get ready. Don't you see t) e king has sent his own chariot to fetch you ? " But poor ]Mephil)osheth had another difficulty. He was lame in both feet. H(^ was a little fellow when David came to the throne; and an old ser- vant, who was afraid that all the house of Saul were going to be killed, took him up and ran away to hide Inm. Somehow he managed to drop the lad, and lamod him in l)oth feet. And now I can see poor Mephibosheth looking Mil ] I'll: ..!| f 1 ' jl II ' i> iill ill ^* -i '-' 91 170 ADDRESSES dovrn at Lis feet. And ho savs to liimstlf, "I am not fit to <^o to the kiut^. I am a poor cripple." That's just the way with a convicted siimer. H'! is all the time thinldnf*' of his own unworthiness, and saying to himself that he isn't lit to be saved. "Never mind your lame feet, Me})liibosheth; so long as the king sends for you, it's all right." So they take him up, and put him into the chariot, and start for Jerusalem. When the king sees him, he takes him in his arms, and cries out — "Oh Mephibosheth, the son of my dear old friend Jonathan ! you shall have all that belonged to the house of Saul: and vou shall live with me here in my palace ! " "What a happy man he must have been to hear that ! Sinner, that is just what God says to the soul that comes to him in Jesus Christ. He takes us in His arms; He gives us a great fortune of love and grace ; iind He promises that we shall live with Him in His heavenly palace forever. Some people think that Mephibosheth, like cer- tain low-spirited Christians, after he went to live with the king, must have been all the time worry- ing over his lame feet. But I don't think so. Ho couldn't help it; and if David didn't mind it, it was all right. So I think that when lie dined with him in state, with the great lords and ladies all around him, he just stuck his clul)-feet under the table, and looked the king right in the face. i ? - I m AND BEST TnOUGHTS. 171 I 176. At Tiir. Head I — Wc have heard a great deal about the faith of Abraham, and the faith of ]\Ioses; Dvit the thief on the cross seems to nic to have had more faith than any of them. He stands at the head of the class. God was twenty-five years ton- ing up the faith of Abraham; Closes was forty years getting ready for his work; but this thief, right here in the midst of men who rejected Him — nailed to the cross, and racked with pain in every nerve, overwhehned with horrt.r. and his soul in a perfect tempest — still manages to lay hold upon Christ, and trust in Him for a swift salvation. I 177. Feee. — In the British ('o^v->nies, before the time of "Wilbcrforce, there used to be a great nmny slaves; but that good man began to agitate the (pies- tion of setting them fr(;e ; and all the slaves in the colonies were anxious to know how he was getting along. But in those days there were no telegraphs and no steamships. TIk; mails went by the slow sailing vessels. The}" would be from six to eight months in m.iki:ig a voyage to some of the colonies. The slaves used t(> watch for the British ships, hoik- ing to hetr good ne^>'s, but fearing ihej might hear bad ones. There was a ship which had sailed im- mediately after the Emancipation xVct had hvca passed and signed by the king; and when she came within hailing distance of the boats which had put ojBt'from the shore at the port where she wa.^; bound, the captain could not wait to deliver the message '*L; :-'iS&' fyf; f m ! ' 1 • .72 ADDRESSFS officially, and have it duly promuljjfated by tlie gov- ernmont; but, seeing the poor anxious men standing up in their ])oats, eager for the news, he placed his trumpet to his mouth, and shouted -with all his might, "Free! free!" Just so the angels shout when a poor bondman is taken in h.and by the Saviour Himself ; delivered from the bondage of darkness, into the liberty of His dear Son ; free — free from sin — free from tlK> curse of the law. 178, The First not the Ele\i:xth Hour. — Some- body has said '* the thief on the cross was saved at the eleventh hour." I don't know about that. Per- haps it was the first hour. It might have been the first hour with him, I think. Perhaps he never knew Christ until he was led out to die beside Him. This may have been the very first time he had ever learned the wav of faith in the Son of God. iH. 111** x 179. The Story of Barabbas. — What a night Ba- rabbas spent jnst before the day Christ was cruci- fied! As the sun goes down he nays to himself: "To- morrow ! — onl}- 1 o-morrow ! The}' will hang me and in that awful tortnre I must die!" Maj'be they let liis mother, or his wife and chil- vlren, come and see him for the last time. He couldn't sleep that night. He heard them ham- mering in the prison yard and knew they were making the cross. At last the light of morning breaks through the prison bars. "To-day — this AND BK.ST TUUUGliTS. 173 le gov- ;anding ,ced his all his . shout by the lag-e of , free — -Some- avecl at b. Per- eeii the 3 never le Him. ad ever fht Ba- eruci- f- "To- me aud e d chil- He 1 ham- y were on ling — this very day — they will open that door and lead me away to bo crucified ! " Pretty soon the door swings open ; there are the soldiers. Good-by to life and hope! Death, hor- rible death now! — and after death, what then ? The officer of the guard speaks to him: "Barabbas you are free." He hears the strange words but thev make little impression on him. He is so near dead with fear and horror, that the good news doesn't reach him. He stands gazing a moment at the soldiers, and then ho comes to himself. " Don't laugh at me ! don't make sport of me ! Take me away and crucify me ; but don't tear my soul to pieces ! " Again the officer sjieaks: "You are free! Here — the door is open; go out; go home." It is so wonderful to get out of the clutches of the Roman law, that he is afraid to believe the good news. And so he begins to ask how it can be. They tel! him that Pilate has promised the Jews the release of one prisoner that day ; and that the Jews have chosen him instead of one Jesus of Naz- areth, who was ccmdemned to be crucified. Now the poor man begins to weep. This breaks his heart. He knows this Jesus. He has seen Him do some of His miracles. He was in the crowd pick- ing pockets when Jesus fed the five thousand hun- gry people. " What ! that just man to die — and I, a thief, a T liU!l';li: 11 174 AIDDRESSKS i a ' ► * , ■■ M 1 1' 1 -! ■4 1 1' , 1 » 1 1 •* I '>■ highway man, a mnrderer, to go free! " And in tho midst of his joy at his own release, his heart breaks at the thought that his Hfe is saved at s.ich a cost. Sinner, that is the Gospeh Come cut of yonr prison ; throw off the ehains of sin. You were justly condemned, but Jesus died for you. Let your heart brealc in penitence; weep tears of love and joy. 180. Elijah and the Priests of Baal. — Let us go to Carmel. King Ahab had forsaken the God of Israel, and all tlie court had followed his example. But there was an old prophet out in the moun- tains, to whom God said: "Go to Ahab, and tell him the heavens shall be shut up and there shall be no rain." Away he goes to the wicked king. He bursts in upon him like a clap of thunder, gives his message, and hurries away. I su^ipose Ahab laughed at the old prophet. " \Yhat ! no more rain? The fellow must be crazy ! " Pretty soon the weather gets very dry. The earth is parched, the trees die, the grass perishes, and the 'cattle die. Famine; starvation; death! One day the king was talking with the prophet Obadiah. You see he did have one good man with him along with all the prophets of the false God. "See here, Obadiah," says Ahab; "you go one way and I'll go another and see if we cannot find water." i AND BEST TnOUGHTS. 1 <.) Obadiah met Elijiili. "O, Elijah! is that yon? Ahab has been hunting for yon (3very where." " Yes, I'm here," says Elijah. " Yon go and tell Ahab I want to see him." So Obadiah hnrries off and tells Ahab he has seen the prophet. "What! Elijah?" "Yes." "Why didn't yon bring him along?" " He wonldn't come. He says he wants you to come to him." Ahab wasn't nsed to having people talk to him in that way, bnt he was anxions to see the prophet, so he went. And when he sees him he is very angrv, and cries, "Art thon he that tronbleth Israel? " "Not at all," says Elijah. "Yon are the man that is tronbhng Israel— going off after Baal, and leading ever so many of the people with you. Now, we have had enough of this sort of thing. Some people are praying to God, and some are praying to Baal, and w^e must have this question settled. You just bring all your prophets and all the priests of Baal up to ^NEount Carmel, and I also will come. We will make us each an altar, and offer sacrifice on it; and the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God." "Agreed," says Ahab. All the places of business were closed, and every- body was going up to Mount Carmel. There were eight hundred and fifty of the proph- m # 17G ADDRESSES • I' 1 !" i; h% ' C'ts and priests of B.iiil. T fancy I can see tbem j:^oirig up in a grand procession, with the khig in his chariot at thoir head. But EHjah marchid, all alone: a rough man, clad in tlie sldns of beasts, with a staff in his hand. No banners, no procession, no great men in his train I But the man who could hold the keys of heaven for three years and six months was not afraid to be alone. Now says Elijah to the people, " How long halt ye between two opinions ? Let the priests of Baal build them an altar and offer sacrifice, but put no lire under; and I \\'ll do the same: and the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God." So the priests of Baal build their altar. T am sure if God hadn't held hira back, Satan would have brought up a little spark out of hell to set that sacrifice on fire. But God wouldn't let him. Then they begin to pray: " Oh Baal, hear us! Oh Baal, hear ns! " " You must pray louder than that, if you expect Baal to heai' you," says the old prophet. " Maybe he is asleep: pray louder, so as to wake him up." Poor fellows! they haven't any voice left; so they begin to pra^y in blood. Thc^' cut themselves with knives, and lift their streaming hands and arms to Baal. But no fire comes down. It is g{ tting towards sundown. The prophet of the Lord builds an altar. Mind; he doesn't have any thing to do with the altar of ^m AM) IJhST TllOUUHTS. 177 tbem aiig in Lii, cliul (1. No , train 1 ,ven for I to be n<^ halt of Baal put 1)0 he God Satan hell to let him. ks! Oh expect Maybe up." so they res with arms to Miud; altar of Baal, but builds au entirely difierent one, on the ruins of the altar of the Lord which had been bro- ken down. " We won't have auy body saying there is any trick about this thing," says the proi)het. So they bring twelve barrels of water and pour over the altar. I don't know how they managed to get so much water; but they did it. Tlien Elijah ])rays: "Oh God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel." God heard him at once, and — down came th'firel! It burnt up the sacrifice, the wood, tlie water, and the very stones of the altar. Jehovah is God: no- body can halt any longer. Ah ! but some of you say, " I too would have de- cided for God if I had been on IMount Carmel that day." My friends. Calvary is a great deid more won- derful than Carmel. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is more wonderful than the sacrifice which was burned on that altar. 181. The Widow's Son. — Think of that poor widow at Nail] ! She is old, now; and her only son, who is the staff of her life, is sick. How she watches him; sits up all night tc see that he has his medicine at tlie right time; by his bedside all day, fanning him and moistening his parched lips with water. The best doctor in Nain is sent for. He comes and feels the young man's pulse, and shakes his head, and the 12 A/. ..y %^ .0^\^ v: <9 .% /} "-1 e. a. '<^ €^0 'm /> /A a^ IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 IIM 1115 I.I 113 2 12.0 1111= 1.8 Photographic Sciences Corporation 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 ^ % C^. w^ Q- kd« .m m i ■:? ri il * 178 ADDRESSES widow knows there is no hope for her boy. In a lit- tle while the fever comes to its crisis and the poor boy dies with his head upon his mother's bosom. The people come and try to comfort the poor wom- an, but it is no use. Her heart is broken. Well: they make him ready for the burial; they celebrate his funeral service, and j)ut him on the bier to carry him to his grave. What a sad proces- sion ! as they come out of the city gates they see thirteen dusty-looking travellers, coming up the road. There is One among them, tall and far fairer than the sons of men. Wlio can He be? He is moved with compassion when He sees this little funeral procession; and it does not take Him long to find out that that woman who walks ixcxt the bier is a poor widow, whose only son she is following to his grave. He tells the bearers to put down the bier; and while the mother wonders what is to be done. He bends tenderly over the dead man, and speaks to him in a low, sweet voice, " Arise ! " And the dead man hears Him. His body begins to move: the man who was dead is struggling with his grave- clothes; they unbind them, and now he sits up. He leaps off the bier, catches a sight of his mother, re- members that he was dead and is now alive again; takes her in his arms, kisses her again and again, and then turns to look at the Stranger who has wrought this miracle upon him. He is ready to do any thing for that Man — ready to follow Him to the death. But Jesus does not ask that of him. He L a lit- I poor losom. wom- ; they )n the )roces- ey see ip the : fairer He is 8 little n long he bier ving to le bier; done, speaks nd the move: grave- p. He ler, rc- again ; again, AND BEST TUOUGUTS. 179 knows his mother needs him; and so He does not take him away to be one of His disciples, but gives him back to his old mother. I would have liked to sec that young man re-en- tering the city of Nain, arm-in-arm with his mother. What do you suppose he said to the people, who looked at him with wonder? Would he not confess that Jesus of Nazareth had raised him from the dead? Would he not go everywhere, declaring what the Lord had done for his dead body? Oh how I love to preach Christ, who can stand over all the graves, and say to all the dead bodies, " Arise ! " 182. The Story of Naaman. — I hare been reading to you about a man whom the king delighted to hon- or. He was captain of the hosts of Syria; but he was a leper; and that threw a blight over his whole life. There was no physician to help him in all Syria. None of the eminent doctors in Damascus could do him any good. Neither could any in Jerusalem. But I will tell you what they had in Syria: they had one of God's children there — and she was a Ut- tle girl. Naaman knew nothing about her, though she was one of his household. At last some one told the king of Syria that the little Israehtish maid had said that there was a pro])het in her country who could cure the leprosy. Now Naaman stood high in the king's favor, for he had just won a great victory. So the king said, " you had better go down to Samaria, and see if there is any thing in it, and I I m m I' . it' r i ! II, '' ; f 180 ADDRESSES ■will give you letters of introduction to the king. Away goes Naaman down to Samaria with his letter of introduction, and he takes with him a bag of gold and silver. And he took about £100,000 sterling, to pay this doctor's bill. There are a good many men who would willingly pay that sum, if with it they could buy the favor of God, and get rid of the curse of sin. Naaman had a letter of introduction from the king himself, and of course he would bo received with high honors. But instead of the king rushing out to meet him, when he heard of Naa- man's arrival and his object, he rent his mantle in a rage, and said: "Am I a God, that I can kill and make alive ? " But at last the king bethiuks himself of Elisha the proj)het; and he says, " There is a man in my kingdom who may be able to help you and cure you." So Naaman drives up in grand style to the prophet's house and sends in his message, " Tell the prophet Major General Naaman, of Syria, has arrived and wishes to see him." Elisha takes it coolly. He does not come out to see him; but as soon as he learns his errand, sends his servant to say ! " Dip seven times in Jordan, and you shall be clean." What a blow to his pride ! I can imagine him saying to his servant, "Wliac ! Dip seven times in Jordan ! We call the Jordan a ditch in our countrv ! " I can fancy his indignation as he asks — " Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all tlie waters of Israel ? May I not wash in AND BEST THOUnnTS. 181 tliem and be clean ? " So ho turned and went away in a ragt\ Jordan never had any reputation as a river. Its banks were not half so beautiful as those of the rivers of Damascus. Yes, it was a dreadful blow to his pride ! Damascus was one of the most beautiful cities in the world; and it is said that when Mahomet first saw it. he turned his head away, for fear it should lead his thoughts away from heaven. Naaman went off in a rage. But I don't think much of that; for when a man turns away in anger Qe generally cools down and comes back again. Whilst Naaman was thinking what was best to be done, one of his servants came and said — " My lord, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, w^ouldst thou not have done it ? how much rather, then, when he saith to thee, Wash and be clean!" Why, if Elisha had said to him, "Go back to Syria on your hands and knees," he would most likely have done it. If he had said, "Go back all the way on one foot," he would have tried to do it. Or if he had said, "Give me a Imndi-ed thousand pounds for the medicine I proscribe, and thou shalt be cleansed," no doubt he would have done it. But to tell him merely to dip in the river Jordan seven times. "Well," says the servant, "you have come a hun- dred and fifty miles; and now don't you thiuk you had better do what he tells vou? " His anger is cooling down; and he says, "Well, I thiuk I might as well try it." That's the starting point of his faith. ■i *« l''^ »r i 'tj: '- ^ If-* Ilk i !• i' ■..-.ill 182 ADDRESSES Naaman's will was conquered at last. So he goes down to the river and takes the first dip; and as he comes up, I can imagine him looking at himself, and saying to his servant, " There ! I am no better than I was when I went in." Do'svn he goes a sec- ond time, and he comes up as much a leper as ever; and so he goes down again and again, the third and fourth and fifth time, with the same result — as much a leper as ever. When he comes up the sixth time, he looks at himself, and says, "Ah! no better. What a fool I have made of myself ! I wouldn't have the generals and aristocracy of Damascus know that I have been dipping in this way in Jordan for all the world. However, as I have gone so far, I'll make the seventh plunge." He has not altogether lost faith; and down he goes the seventh time, and up he comes again. He looks at himself, and shouts aloud for joy. " Lo, I am well ! My leprosy is all gone — all gone ! My flesh has come again as that of a little child. I never knew such a thing. Thank God! praise God! I am the hapx^iest man alive." So he comes up out of Jordan and puts on his clothes, and goes back to the prophet, and wants to pay him. That's just the old story: Naaman wants to givo money for his cure. How many people want to do the same nowadays! Why, it would have spoiled the story of gi'ace, if the prophet had taken any thing! You may give a thank-offering to God's cause, not because you can be saved, but because ■ t AXD BEST THOUGHTS. 183 he goes id as he tiimself, ) better s a sec- is ever; ird and IS much h time, better, ouldn't LS know Ian for far, I'll )gether pe, and shouts is all IS that Thank alive." on his mts to o give to do poiled n any God's Bcause you are saved. But the prophet refused to take any thing; and I can ima<(ine no one felt more re- joiced than Elisha did. So Naaman starts back to Damascus, a verv different man than he was when he left it. He lost tliv. leprosy in Jordan when he did what the man of God told him ; and if you obey the voice of God, the burden of your sins will fall from off you, and you shall be cleansed. It is all done by the power of faith. 183. The Message not the Messenger. — A good many people say, "Oh, I don't like such and such a minister; I should like to know where he comes from, and what he has done, and whether any bish- cp has ever laid his hands on his head," My dear frientls, never mind the minister; it's the message you want. Why, if some one were to send me \x message, and the news were important, I shouldn't stop to ask about the messenger who brought it; I K-hould want to read the news; I should look at the letter and its contents, and not at the boy w^ho brought it. And so it is with God's message. The good news is every thing, the minister nothing. Why, if I got lost in London, I should be willing to ask any body which way to go — even if it were only a poor shoeblack. It is the way I want, not the person who directs me. 184. They Shall shine as the Stars. — We all want to shine; the mother wishes it lor her boy, 184 ADDRESSES when she sends him to school; the father for his lad, when he goes ofif to college. God tells us who are to shine — not statesmen, nor warriors, nor such like, that shine but for a season — but such as will shine forever and ever; those, namely, who win souls to Christ; the little boy even who persuades one to come to Christ. ¥\ ''Is It 185. Christians Watched. — The unbelieving world, and sceptics holding out their false lights, are watch- ing you and me. When Jacob put away his idols, he could go up to Bethel and get strength and the blessing — so will it be with the Church of God. A viper fixes upon the hand of the shipwrecked Paul ; immediately he is judged by the barbarians some criminal unfit to live; but he shakes it oft' into the fire, and suffers no harm, and now they are ready to worship him, and ready too to hear and receive his message: the Church of God must shake otf the vipers that have fastened on hand and heart too, ere men will hear. Where one ungodly man reads the Bible, a hundred read you and me : and if they find nothing in us, they set the whole thing aside as a myth. hi:. 1 : 1 186. Unconcern under Responsibility. — I remem- ber, one afternoon I was preaching, observing a young lady from the house I was staying at, in the audience. I had heard she taught in the Sabbath- echool, which I knew was at the same hour; and sc ■i:!- 11: AND BEST THOUGHTS. 185 I asked lior, after service, liow she came to bi; there? " Oh," said she, " my chiss is but live little boys, and I thought it did not matter for them." And yet among these there might have been, who knows, a Luther or a Knox, the beginning of a stream ot blessing, that would have gone on widening and ever widening; and besides, one soul is worth all the kingdoms of the earth. 187. The Atoning Blood. — If yon cnt the crimson thread that binds the Bible, it falls to pieces. ide as Lng a 188. Humility in Christian Effort. — A yonng lady was sent to a boarding-school, and was there led to Christ; not only so, but taught that she ought to work for Hiin. By and l)y she goes home, and now she seeks, in one way and another, to work for Him, but without finding how. She asks for a class in her church Sunday-school, but the superin- tendent has already more than enough of teachers. One day, going along the street, she sees a little boy struck by his companion, and crying bitterly. She asks him what the trouble is ? The boy thinks she is mocking him, and rephes sullenly. She speaks kindly, tries to persuade him to school. He does not want to learn. She coaxes him to come and hear her and the rest singing there; and so next Sunday he comes with her. She gets a corner in the school of well-dressed scholars for herself and her charge. He sits and hstens, full of wonder. On PifWlMiMltfTH 186 ADDRESSES S*fi going home, he tells his mother he has been among the angels. At first, at a loss, she becomes angry, when a question or two brings out tliat he has been to a Protestant Sunday-scihool; and the father, on coming home, forbids his going back, on pain of flogging. Next Sunday, however, he goes, and is flogged, and so again, and yet again, till, one Sun- day, he begs to be flogged before going, that he may not be kept thinking of it all the time. The father relents a Httle and promises him a holiday every Saturday afternoon, if he will not go to Sun- day-school. The lad agrees, sees his teacher, who offers to teach him then. How many wealthy young folks would give up their Saturdays to train one poor ragged urchin in the way o'( salvation ? Some time after, at his work, the lad is on one of the railway cars. The train starts suddenlv; he slips through, and the wheels pass over his legs; he asks the doc- tor if he will live to get home ; it is impossible. "Then," says he, "tell father and mother that I am going to heaven and want to meet them there." Will the work she did seem little, now, to the young lady? Or is it nothing that even one thus grateful waits her yonder ? 189. Cheerfulness an Attraction or Piety. — A London minister, lately pointed out a family of seven, all of whom he was just receiving into the Church. Their story was this; going to church, he had to pass by a window, looking up at which onQ I 1 AM) BEST THOUfaiTS. l.V among angry, ,s been ler, on )ain of and is e Siin- liat lie I. The loliday ,0 Suu- 3r, who ' young [le poor lie time railway irough, le doc- ossible. that I there." young rratefal 5TY. — A nily of ito the rch, he ch onQ day, he Haw a baby looking out; he smiled — the baby smiled. Next time he passes he looks up again, smiles, and the baby smiles back. A third time going by, he looks up, and seeing the baby, throws it a kiss — which the baby returns to him. Time after time he has to pass the window, and now cannot refrain from looking up each time: and each time there are more faces to receive his smiling greeting; till by and by he sees the whole family grouped at the window — father, mother, and all. The father conjectures the happy, smiling stranger must be a minister, and so, next Sunday morning, after they have received at the window the usual greeting, two of the children, ready dressed, are sent out to follow him; they enter his church, hear him preach, and carry back to their parents the re- port that they never heard such preaching. Soon the rest come to the church, too, and are brouglit in — all by a smile. Let us not go about hanging our heads like a bulrush; if Christ gives us joy, let us live it ! 190. Enthusiasm. — We need more enthusiasm. The more we have the better. I have a great ad- miration for Garibaldi, though I cannot, of course, approve of all his acts. When put in prison he said, "It were better that fiftv Garibaldis should perish, than that Rome should not be free." This was the cause getting above the man: that is what "sre want, We want to forget ourselves. There 188 ADDREC,3ES are one hundred thoiisiuul men waiting now to he hrouf^ht to ChriHt, to be invited to come to Him, and shall we hang back? 191. Looking Unto Jesus. — "\Tlien I was a boy, I used to try to describe a strriight path through the snow in the tields by looldng down at my feet. The way to make a straight path would be to look ut an object beyond; so in this passage we are di- rected to have our eyes on the mark at the right hand of the Master. U '-i "U i«^' .'■ ! , *,* ML 192. Obedience. — I remember reading in some history of the ninth century of a young general who with only five hundred men came up against a king with twenty thousancl. And the king sent to him to say that it was the height of folly to re- sist with his handful of men. The general called in one of his men, and said, " Take that sword and drive it to your heart." And the man took the weapon, and drove it to his heart, and fell dead. He said to another, "Leap into yonder chasm," and the man instantly obeyed. Then, turning to the messenger, he said, "Go back and tell your king that we have five hundred such men. We will die but we will never surrender." The messenger returned, and his tale struck terror into the hearts of the king's soldiers, so that they fied like chaflf before the wind. God says, "One shall chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight," r ' • I AND DLST TllOLUllTS. 189 193. Rooted in Cukist. — In tlio coiuitrv tlicro are soKK.'tinics Been great trees blowu over ami torn up by the roots, nnd the oecasion of it was the bhallow soil. So it is ^vith nuiuy professors — they for a while believe, but in time of temjitation they fall away, because they had not been rooted m Christ. This points to the inward and outward growth of the Cln-istian. The only way to keep from falling is to grow. g sent to re- called d and the dead, asm," g to your ''e will enger learta chaff ase a 194. Perseverance v il slrely Conquer. — There was a terribly wick(.d man "ho kept a liquor sa- loon, svhose ehildi'cn I v as very anxious to draw to my Sabbath-school. So one day I called on this man and said, "Mr. Bell, I want yci to let your children come to the Sabbath-school." He was terribly angry, said he did not believe in the Bible, school, or any thing else, and ord(U'ed me to leave the house. Soon after I went down again, and asked him to go to church, and again he was very angry. He said that he had not been at church for nineteen years, and would never go again, and he would rather see his boy a drunkard and his daughter a harlot than that they should attend the Sabbath- school. A second time I was forced to leave the house. Two or three days after I called again, and he said, " Well, I guess you are a pretty good-natured sort of man and different from the rest of Chri& f:**? » «■*:«' ■t ! i*. K ■ ' * 190 ADDRESSES tiaiiR, or yru would not come back." I asked him what he had to say against Christ and if he haa read His life; and he asked me what I had to say against Payne's "Age of Reason," and if I had read it. I said I had not read it; whereupon he said he would read the New Testament if I would read the Age of Reason. I agreed, though he had the best of the bargain. I asked Mr. Bell to come to church but he said they were all hypocrites that went to church. This he would do, however ; I might come to his house, ii I liked, and preach. ' "Here in this saloon? " "Yes! but look here, you are not to do all the talking; he said that he and his friends would have their say as well as I. I agreed that they might have the first forty-five minutes, and I the last fifteen of the hour, which he thought fair, and that was settled. The day came and I went to keep my appointment, but I never met such a crowd as were in that saloon, such a collection of infidels, deists, and reprobates of all kinds I never saw before. Their oaths and language were horrible. Some of tliem seemed as if they had come on leave of absence from the pit. I never was so near hell before. They began to talk in the most blasphemous way; some thought one thing, some another; some believed there was a God — others not; some didn't believe any thing. They couldn't agree, contradicted each other, and very nearly came to fighting with one another before their time had expired. AND BEST THOUGHTS. i;i ked him he haa L to say ad read he said lid read had the 2ome to tes that ever ; I preach. ere, you he and as I. I orty-five r, which Che day b, but I saloon, )robates ths and med as the pit. pgan to ;hought ere was thing. ler, and r before I had brought down a little boy, an orphan with me, and when I saw and heard such blasphemy I thought I had done wrong to bring him there. When their time was up, I said that we Christians always began service with prayer to God. '"Hold," said they; "two must be agreed first." "Well, here are two of us." And so I prayed, and then the little boy did so, and I never heard a prayer like that in all my life. It seemed as if God was speaking through tliat little boy. With tears run- ning down his cheeks he besought God, for Christ's sake, to take pity on all these poor hkii ; and that went to their very hearts. I hoard sobs through- out the hall, and one infidel went out at this door and another at that; and Mr. Bell came to me and said, "you can have my children, Mr. Moody." And the best friend that I have in Chicago to-day is that same Joshua Bell, and his son has come out for Christ and as a worker for Him. 195. Salvation is Every Thing. — The first one thing is to know that you are saved yourself. If a man lack salvation he lacketh every thing. A wife said to me, " My husband is every thing to me except one thing: he gets drunk," It seemed that this alone would make a hell on earth. A water- pipe might be perfectly laid, the reservoir in good condition, and the water in sufficient quantity, but if one joint of the pipe were lacking, the whole was useless. m m III li M M m\ M. M f 192 ADDRESSES 19G. Hkart-yeaknings Providentially Answered. — During our war, tliere was a S(jutliern man who came over to a Wisconsin regiment, saying he could not fight to uphold slavery. Some time after, the mail from the north came in, and all the men got letters from their relations, and universal joy j^re- vailed. This Southern man said he wished he were dead ; he was most unhap[)y. for there were no let- ters for him. His mother was dead, and his father and brothers w'ould have shot him if they could, for going against them. This man's tent-mate was very sorry for his friend, and when he wrote to his moth- er in Wisconsin, he just told her all about it. His mother sat dow^n and wrote to her son's friend. She called him her son, and spoke to him like a mother. She told him, when the war was over that he must come to her, and that her home would be his. "When the letter reached the regiment, the chaplain took it down to where this man was standing, and told him it was for him; but he said it was a mistake, that no- body would write to him; he had no friends, it must be for some one else. He was persuaded to open it, and when he read it, he felt such joy. He went down the lines, saying, "/'tv got a mother!''' When afterwards the regiment was disbanded, and the men were returning to their homes, there was none who showed so much anxiety as this man to get to his mother in Wisconsin. There arc hundreds of young men who want mothers, and any kindness dene to them will not lose its reward. 11 ^1 Hi ': 1 h ■ ■ ■ 1 i - ' Hi H 1 , , iipui en II i;: ^ AND BEST TUOUGIITS. 193 WERED. m who J could ;er, the eu got jj pre- K! Avere no let- father uld, for as very 3 moth- t. Hia d. She mother, le must When tooli it Id him hat 110- |it must pea it, e went When |he men lue who It to his young .one to 107. Ouu Life in Christ. — AYlieii God converted us He gave us a new nature — life in Christ — and the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh, and these are contrary the one to the other. 198. The World not the Christian's Home. — You must learn to be like a rock in the stream, past which the current flows rapidly, but it is unmoved. You are still in the world, but you are not of the world. You are citizens of another world, and only strangers and pilgrims here. 199. Cling to the Rock. — There is a tunnel over the Rocky Mountains, and the bore is so contracted that there is no room for a man to escape if two trains were coming alongside of each other; but they have cut niches in the solid rock, into whicu a per- son may go and be safe. Two little children were caught thus one day — a sister and her little brother; and after she got her brother into one of these niches she went to the one opposite, and just as the trains were about to whisk past them she cried to her lit- tle brother, " Cling close to the rock." The trains passed and they were safe in the clefts of the rock. This is all you want, dear young Christians, cling close to the rock of your salvation. 200. Whom Satan Lewes Alone. — There is a story told of a gentleman in our country who had a ser- !ii ilii. it ' ?«SS Wl % .' f»' f > Mm ?■ l!ij ii r ; ■■ ;j 1 , 194 ADDRESSES vant — a negro — we call such Sambo — and he was a converted man, and his master used to banter him about his rehgion, and to say, "Sambo, you are always talking of the conflict; I don't have any of your groaning and the conflict you talk of." One day they were out hunting. His master blazed away at some ducks, and did not mind the dead ones, but sent Sambo after the wounded ones. " Massa," said he, when he next spoke to him of his warfare, *' as you did not care for the dead ducks — you knew you had them; so Satan leaves you all quiet. You are dead, and he lets you alone ; but he is after me, because I am wounded, but alive." 201. The Banner of the Cross. — The Spanish au- thorities in Cuba had arrested a man who, though bom in England, was a naturalized United States citizen. He was charged with conspiracy against the government, and ordered to be shot. But the consuls of both England and America believed the man to be innocent, and used aU the persuasion and entreaty in their power for his release, but the proud Spaniards haughtily disregarded their petition. The hour of execution had now arrived, and a company of soldiers were drawn up in line. The condemned English- American marched out before them, calmly awaiting his fate. He stood at the foot of the grave, aU'eady dug, his coat off, and his hands pinioned behind him. The officer ordered his men to load, and at the word "present," they was a jr him DU are any of ' Oue daway les, but I," said re, *' as ,ew you ^ou are ber me, nish au- though i States against But the ved the ion and le proud )n. and a le. The before at the land his ordered It," they ANB BEST THOUGHTS. 195 brought their rifles to their shoulders, awaiting the word of command to fire. In the awful suspense, suddenly there sprang forward from the bystanders the two consuls; the one drawing from his breast the Stars and Stripes, wrapped it right round the prisoner, whilst the other threw over him the Union Jack. The consuls now stood on either side, defying the Spaniards, who dared not fire on the flags of two of the mightiest nations under heaven, and the man was released, and proved his innocence to the satisfaction of the authorities. Oh! to be wrapped in the blood- stained banner of the Cross. 202. Prayer Answered. — I think it would do us good to take the word " prayer," and run through the Bible tracing it out. Read about nothing else. I think 3'ou would be perfectly amazed if you took up the word ^'j^^^V^^" ^^^ counted the cases in the Bible where people are recorded as praying, and God answering their prayers. 203. Acknowledging God's Mercies. — A young pas- tor, newly placed over a church, finding his prayer- meetings ill-attended and lifeless, surprised his peo- ple one Sabbath, by announcing that there would be no prayer-meeting that week, but a meeting for praise. Curiosity brought out a large gathering of his church; he told them that as thev were so reluc- tant to pray, he wished every one now to look back m mK ll!' Hi I- IP :i:l" - .!; id ^ ( m [iPi iM* rUi - ^ MLm- 196 ADDRESSES on his past life, and see if he did not remember something to thank God for, and just to rise up and thank God for it. The result was, that one after another rose up, thanking God for this and that mercy, till the hour was over before they were aware, and they went away declaring it to be the best meeting they had ever had; and not only so, but this proved to be the beginning of a revival among them. 204. Evil Thoughts. — Some young converts are much distressed about evil thoughts. Now the sin lies not in their coming into yoii" mind, but in your harboring them. As one has sai i, " We cannot help the birds from flying over our heads, but we can prevent their building their nests in our hair." 205. Our Burden-bearer. — A little boy wished to help his father to carry books to the hbrary. The little fellow took hold of a big book, and the father seeing him on the stairs exhausted, and unable to go farther, took the boy and the book in his arms. So Christ will carry us and our burdens too. 206. Abundant Grace in Storij:. — Christians are all the time praying God to take the thorn out of the flesh instead of praying for more grace to bear it. God can give you grace enough to bear any affliction. God is anxious to give, but we do not ask Him for all we want. He not only saves us AND BEST THOUGHTS. 197 ember ise up it one is and y were be the nly so, revival rts are the sin in your ot help we can ;hed to The father lable to is arms ins are out of to bear 3ar any I do not ives us but He keeps us. There is always more grace to follow. This Mr. Moody illustrated by an anecdote told by Rowland Hill, of a rich man giving his pas- tor a large sum of money to give to the most de- serving poor man in his parish. The pastor thought it best to give it in small sums, so he gave him $25 at a lime, and wrote on the envelope: "There is more to follow." Which did the man most good, the $25 or the more to follow ? That is grace. We have a great feast of many things, but there is more to follow. It is humiliation now, but by and by we will see the King in His beauty. It is peace for the past, grace for the present, and glory for the future. 207. Union in Prayee. — One night in the inquiry room there were four persons together, and I found that three of them were Christians; they had come to seek a blessing upon the fourth, a fine-looking business man. After tnlkiug a little with him, I said, "Now, my friend, what is the difficulty? what is it that keeps you from Christ ? " His young wife, who was one of the party said, "Mr. Moody, I can tell you what is the trouble; it is his business; he is in the liquor business." I said, "Well, can't you give it up ? " The man thought he would not give it up just at once; in three or four years he would make his way out of the business. But I fmid, " You can't afford to wait that time, you may be dead in less than three or four years." And then I turned to his wife and said, "Have you faith to pray that iisiii y'-f ' in: 1 mi m m Its;! X '. ; II* !| m m ff I*' 198 ADDRESSES your husband may give up his business now and find the Saviour ? " She said she had. I asked his two other friends, " Have you faith for him ? " They said, " Yes," and we knelt down around the man — surrounded him with prayer. The talk we had had with him seemed to have little effect, but when we talked to God about it, he broke down; there and then he resolved to give up the liquor business, and found peace and salvation. 208. A Prisoner Converted. — I made a visit, one Sunday, to the Tombs prison in New York, by invi- tation of the chaplain. After preaching to the pris- oners, I conversed personally with them in their cells and listened to their stories. They were all "innocent" men, except one who, with streaming eyes, said to me, "My sins are more than I can bear." "Thank God for that, for you are invited to cast them upon Jesus who has borne them for you." We prayed together, and the following morning I visited him, and the prisoner, whose face was lit up with a heavenly smile, told how at midnight, while he was praying, the Lord Jesus came into his soul and made him free. 209. Confessing Christ. — The blessing of heaven will faU upon you, and you shall have peace and joy if you confess Christ before a scoffing, mocking world. I remember the first time I confessed Christ my knees smote together. I had a little speech all m ^ND BEST TUOUGUTS. 199 ow and ked his " They man — lad had hen we ere and )ss, and sit, one 3y invi- le pris- n their ^ere all earning I can ited to r you." ning I 3 lit up i, while lis soul beaven i joy if world, ist my !ch all made up, but when I got on my feet it all went from me. I just stood up for Christ. Satan after- wards said, "What a fool you made of yourself!" I have been making a " fool " of myself for twenty years. 210. A Child's Faith.— A little girl, who, going among strangers, went down on her knees and prayed to God thus: "Lord, please make these people as kind to me as my father and mother were," and then, with a short pause, the little child burst out with this joyous, confident conclusion: "Of course, good, dear Lord, of course you'll do it." 211. No Ball or Theatre for Paul. — Paul never would have been invited to a charity ball, and he was so peculiar that he never would have attended a theatre except to preach the Gospel. 212. Fearless Advocacy. — I have a good deal of respect for the old woman who, in the time of war, started out with a poker when the enemy was ap- proaching. She was asked what she could do with that, and repHed: "I can show them which side I am on." 213. TuviH AND Zeal. — Look how men search for wealth. Men say they cannot come to these meet- ings and wait half an hour ; they cannot leave their families ; but let them think they can accumulate a. f. I ;■ i rr^ I r.ii fl\ ■l»' I.. 11 ' . •IP !*! ^ 200 ADDRESSES little wealth and tlu^y can leave their families six months, and six years if need be. Men sacritico honor and home in pursuit of wealth, and yet men never accuse them of being mad. Look how the politicians have been in earnest for the past two weeks. Men have got hold of me on the street and tried to drag me to the polls to vote their ticket — democratic and republican both. They did not know me, but it made no dilTerence. They were in earnest; but let them try to save souls and we are fanatics. 214. Sure Entrance to Heaven. — A man told mo that he had a dream that he was taken by the angela to the gates of heaven and they would not let him in. He represented himself as having been a Sab- bath-school superintendent; they did not know him. Another man came and said he had been an elder of the church; they did not know him. Another told of the good he had done; they did not know him. At last one came crying, "Blood, blood, blood," and the gates flew wide open. The man awoke and thought if he entered those gates he must be washed in the blood. The blood must be a token. 215. Lost by Neglect. — If any one is lost in this audience it won't be on account of Adam's sin, and yet — it will be. If I inherited consumption from my parents I would not be to blame for it ; but if I should have overwhelming proof that a sure remedy AND BEST TIIOUOnTS. 201 had been found for the cli.sease, and I refuse to avail myself of it, then I must expeet the consequences of my neglect. We are all sinners, hut, thanks ho to God, he has provided a sure cure, and it is oil'ered to the whole w-u'ld for nothing. i:',:! \ I mo II gels him Sab- him. ier of told him. .od," v'oke itbe ►ken. this and t'rom if I 3dy 21 <5 Persfverino Prayer. — A lady in England whose husband was an infidel determined to pray for him every day for a year. She did so, but there was no change. Then she made up her mind to pray for six months longer for his conversion ; still no change. At the end of that time she said, " I'll pray for him to the end of my life ; I'll never give him up." That was just the condition of mind which God wanted to bring her to. That very day her husband came home, went to his chamber, fell on his knees and cried, " O Lord, save me ! " 217. Prayer During the CniL War. — During the American war, when husbands, fathers, and broth- ers were away on the battle-fields, their wives, daugh- ters, and mothers learnt to pray, and many an hour was spent by^ them in their closets alone with God. The results were marvellous, and that, too, in the case of the wickedest and most depraved men in the army. One day at Nashville a great, strong, wicked-look- ing soldier came to me trembling. He said he had got this letter from his sister, six hundred miles away, and she said that she prayed to God, night after night, that he should be saved, and he said he m. ri:. 202 ADDRESSES could not stand to hear that, and he had come to give himficlf to Chri8t; and there and then we knelt down together in prater to God, he crushed and broken in heart. ;'! 218. Hell or the Grave. — What is the use of keeping poor people's bodies a little longer out of the grave, and not trying to keep their souls out of hell ? ^Ul iUi **'ii 219. A LovE-FEAST Story. — One Thanksgiving in our mission-school I had appointed a kind of love- feast, at which every one was to tell what he was most thankful for. One little fellow, who had no other relative in the world but a decrepit old grandfather, with whom he lived in the greatest poverty, had become a Chris- tian some time before, and, like others of the chil- dren, was trying to do a little home-missionary work on his own account. When his turn came to tell what he was uiost thankful for, he said — " There was that big follow, ' Butcher Kilroy,' who acted so bad that nobod}^ would have him, and he had to be turned out of one class after another, till T was afraid he would be turned out of the school. It took me a long time to get him to come, and I begged for him to stay. I used to pray to Jesus every day to give him a new heart, and I felt pretty sure He would if we didn't turn him out. By and by Butcher Kilroy began to want to be a Christian^ AND BEST THOUGHTS. 203 who jtiaii^ and now he is converted ; and that is what malies this Thanksgiving the happiest one in all my life." 220. Peter. — Peter is found in bad company. I never saw a backslider but commenced in that way. First the devil gets him asleep, and then he can ^'o to the theatre and it does not trouble him. He will not go to a church where the minister is too strict; he will go to a church where the minister goes to the theatre himself once in a while. Peter is in bad company, and one young woman says to him: "You are His di.sciple." Peter said: "I am not," changing his speech so that he would not talk like a man who had been with Christ. Another said: "Thou art one of His disciples." "I am not," said Peter, and the cock crew, but his con- science was not aroused. If there was any time that Christ needed Peter it was in that hour when Peter was sitting in the seat of the scornful. An- other one says: "You are His disciple, for your speech betray eth you." No one can be with Christ but his speech shows it. Now Peter gets angry, and begins to curse and swear: "I never knew Him." Oh, how Christ won him back ! Christ might have said: "Have you forgotten that you said a few hours ago that you would go to death for me?" But He just turned and gave Peter one look, a look of compassion and pity. Peter caught that eye, it was enough. He awoke from that sleep and began to realize what he had done. He went »' m W-' liU 204 ADDRESSES out and wept bitterly. No one on this earth known what Peter suffered that night. How his heart must have sunk i-ext day when he heard Christ had expired. I can imagine all those long hours Christ was in the grave, Peter neither slept nor ate. How tenderly the Saviour dealt with him. The first thing after He had risen Ho sent a message to Peter. He had an interview with Peter and I can imagine Peter cried to Him to forgive him. How Christ forgave him and made him the cham- pion of the cross; made him the great Apostle to preach on the day of Pentecost. His self-confi- dence is now all gone. Oh, may God take from us this self-confidence, that we may not be lifted up, but be humble and walk humbly ^sith God. If there is a poor backslider here who will come back to Jesus, God will make him more useful in the future. If there is a poor wanderer here Jesus wants you. He will forgive you and restore His love in your heart. III. r If: I 221. God's Mercy Free. — Do you think that God ofiers the cup of salvation to all men, and then, just as you are going to drink. He snatches it away, and says, "Oh, but you are not one of the elect." God doesn't do any thing of the kind. li.U ■a\\ i 222. The City of Refuge. — The law was, if a man killed another accidentally, the next relative should revenge his kinsman, and the only hope for mmm. I AND BEST THOUGHTS. 205 a 'or the man was to get into that city. They were on each side of Jordan, so there could be no obstacles in the way. Suppose I am chopj^ing in the woods, and the axe sHpped out of my hands and killed the man I am working with. I know his brother will be on my track, and I run as fast as 1 can for the city of refuge. I soon hear his footsteps after me. I leap over bridges. I don't stop to loiter by the way. No time for discussing which is the best denomination. I want to save my life. The aven- ger is on me. He has a double-edged sword bear- ing down upon me. I say, "If I can only get through that gate, I will save my life." Away I go. A watchman standing on the walls of the city sees me coming, and the news spreads through the city that there is a poor fugitive coming. The inhabi- tants stand on the walls, and they see the avenger bearing down upon me. They cry: "Run! flee for thy hfe ! run ! " At last I go leaping through the gates of the city. One moment outside; the next in. The avenger cannot touch me. Did you ever stop to think that death is on your track? Did you ever stop to think how near he may be to you ? A young man from one of the hotels heaid my lec- ture on the Prophet Daniel. On the next Wednes- day night he was talking about the lecture. On Thursday night he wr.s found dead in his bed. I hope he was in the city of refuge. If he was, he is safe for time and eternity. Death is on our track; if we are in the city of refuge we are safe. God 'I:! li'.: ;;:i! I 200 ADDRESSES m PI -t-ir fit has provided a city of refuge for every one, that is, Christ. 223. Satan Asleep. — The devil can do most any thing with a man when he gets asleep. A man dreamt he was travelling, and came to a little church, and on the cupola of that church there was a devil fast asleep. He went along further, and came to a log cabin, and it was surrounded by devils all wide awake. He asked one of them what it meant; said the devil: "I will tell you. The fact is, that whole church is asleep and one devil can take care of all the people, bat here are a man and woman who pray, and they have more power than the whole church." When God tells us to watch we must watch. 224. Moody and the Infidel. — One day I was holding a meeting in the north of England, when one of the managers of the affair came to me com- plaining of a man down in the lower part of the hall. "That man," said he, "ought to be put right out of here. He's a rank infidel. He is president of the infidel club in this town." I said, " No ! we will not put the man out. I will go down and speak to him," and forthwith went to the infidel and sat down alongside of him. "My friend," I said, " can I do any thing to interest you in your soul's welfare ? " " Well, I don't know as you can," replied the in- ▲KD VIST THOVGSTS. 207 wiU it to My you in- fidel, in sarcastic tones. "I don't know as I liave got a soul in the first place, and I am not going to be interested until I do. Now, if you can prove to me that I have got a soul then it will be time enough to talk about being interested, and not before." I said, "Well, my friend, wo won't spend any time now arguing that question, but will you do this for me ? Will you kneel down alongside of me and pray ? " " No ! " said the man bluntly, " I'll do nothing of the sort. I don't see the use of it. I don't know who I am going to pray to. If you tell me that you are going to pray to God, I tell you that I don't believe there is a God, and, therefore, I don't see any sort of use in praying to something that don't exist. But," added the infidel, "if yoti think there is any use in it, go ahead and pray. I don't care, go ahead and try it on me. It won't do any harm, anyhow." I knelt down beside the infidel and prayed, while be, with sneers depicted in his face, held his head up high to show that such a proceeding could have ni> effect on him. I heard no more from the man until some weeks later, when, while preaching at Wick, in Scotland, the infidel met me at the close of the service, and said, " Well, now, Mr. Moody, do you see how that prayer of yours worked? It didn't do a bit of good. I am just the same man as I was be- fore, and maybe a little worse. It has had no ( ffect whatever." Some months after I returned to Liv- li.i fr* 208 ADDRESSES erpool one morning I received a letter from a law- yer living in the same town as the infidel, which stated that the infidel had actually been converted, and the last accounts I had from that quarter show that our friend has not onl}- held fast to the new faith, but he has now over seventeen other infidels who were members of the same atheistical club. 225. A Western Judge. — When I was quite a young man a lady came to me and requested me to talk to her husband. I felt it was no use, for he was a prominent western judge of sceptical sentiments, and more than a match for me in argument. But yielding to her persistent entreaties I proceeded to the judge's office. The old man laughed at me. I succeeded in obtaining from him a promise that when he was converted he would write and let me know. Special prayer was ofifered for him at the Ful- ton street prayer-meeting and other places. Some time afterward, when I returned to town, ^ met the judge, who told me of his conversion. One night his wife went to prayer-meeting and during her absence he began to think, " Suppose my wife is right; that there is a hell and a heaven, and that my children are going to heaven and I am not." Conviction seized him and he commenced to pray. He retired before his wife returned and pretended to be asleep while she prayed for him. Rising early in .'^^he morning he told her he did not feel vo^ry well, and without waiting for breakfast, proceeded to his I If AKD BEST THOUGHTS. 209 office. He told liis clerks they might have a holiday, and shutting himself up in the office prayed that God for Christ's sake would take away the great load of guilt, and soon the burden rolled off. He told his wife that he was a new man, and they both kneeled in prayer, thanking God for his great good- ness. Upon returning to America I inquired if the judge stood firm. I was informed that he had passed gloriously from earth and was now standing at the right hand of God. 226. Prayer a Substitute for Fault-finding. — " If things do not always please you, don't complain — just pray ! " 227. Everlasting Remorse the Sinner's Portion. — Do you think that Judas, after nearly 1,900 years, has forgotten that he betrayed his Saviour for thirty pieces rl silver? Do you think that Cain, after 5,000 years, has forgotten the pleading look of his brother Abel when he slew him ? ■if •ay. 228. Total Abstinence. — I would rather have my right hand cut off than touch the stuff before my children. The friends that have been lost are so many as should rouse us to be as one man in sweeping the diink from our tables. If you want me to sign the pledge, I will take any pledge you may bring; I never touch drink, and never intend to do so. Now for the other side ! Some temper- 13 I II I " " V m' m 210 ADDRESSES AND BEST THOUGHTS. ance men make a grand mistake, and that is — they lug in the question every time they get the chance. Every thing in its own place ! If I go to a prayer- meeting I do not want to hear temperance or the higher Christian Hfe. There is a man who comes to our noon-day meetings; no matter what the sub- ject is, he gets up and talks every day on the higher life. A friend, in going out of the meeting one day, said to me, " I like a fiddle with a thousand strings, not with this one of higher hfe played on every day." And so it is with temperance. II , is — (hey e chance. a prayer- ;e or the 10 comes the sub- le higher one day, I strings, ery day." TOPJCAL INDEX. Abstinence, Total. 228. Adversity, 140. Advice, 29. Advocacy, 212. Aflaiction, 22. Backsliding, 100, 113, 115. Ball, 211. Banner, 201. Barabbas, The .Story of, 179 Betrayal, The, 167. Bible. 1, 3, G7. BiograjDhy, 116. Blindness, 7. Blood, 54, 55, 68, 72, 105, 147. 187. Burden-bearer, 205. Calvaiy, 93, 103, 144, 151, 1G4. Character, 43. Cheerfulness, 189 Chi-ist, 5 19, 20, 23, 24, 25, 79. 101, 127, 142, 146, 172. 158 191, 197, 209. Christian, 88, 110. 185, 112 ^ 119, 107, 136, 208. Complaining, 11. Confession, I74, 198. Conversion, 9, 10, 12, 13 48 98, 102, 170, 209. ' ' Cross, 70, 201. rjeath. 37, 49, 56, 76, 111, 169, Devils, 124. Discouragement, 89. Doubt, 166. Earnestness, 35, 36, 42, 44, 45. Effort, 87. Election, 135. Eleventh Hour, 178. Elijah, and the Priests of Baal, 180, Enemies, 123, 157. Enthusiasm, 190. Eternity, 143. Excuses, 125, 126, 131. Faith, 50, 71, 176, 210. I Fall, The, 106. Fault-finding, 226. Feeling, 58, 14. Formalism, 80. Good News, 12, 132, 183. Gospel, 60, 122, 129. Gra(!e, 165, 206. Grave, 218. Half-heartedness, 27. Heart-yearnings, 196. Heaven, 59. 62, 63, 64, 05, 78 „ 100, 139, 145, 214. Jfell, 14, 83, 84, 218. Home, 198. Home-sickness, 161. Humility, 188. Hypocrites, 57. Indifference, 32, 77. Infidelity, 224. Invitation, 153. Judgment, 121. \ .V* 212 TOPICAL INDEX. Last Call, 46, 104. Laziness, 97. Law, 117, 118, 120, 133. Lies, 95, 130. Life, 31, 197. Looking unto Jesus, 191. Lost, 15, 16, 114. Love, 22, 51, 158, 173. Love-feast, 219. Loyalty, 90. Mephibosheth, The Story of, 175. Mercies, God's, 203, 221. Morality, 74. Naaman, The Story of, 182. Nearness to Christ, 91. Neglect, 215. Obedience, 192. Omnipotence, 6. Omnipresence, 61. Omniscience, 8. Parental Instruction, 160. Pardon, 152. Paul, 211. Perseverance, 194. Portion, 227. Prayer, 85, 202, 207, 217, 225, 226. Prejudice, 134. Procrastination, 92, 137. Ileasou, 150. Reconciliation, 66 Redemption, 163 I'??. Refuge, City of, ?,i2. Rumorse, 227 Repentance, 94. Revivals, 38, 39, 40, 41. Reward, 184. Rock, 198. Salvation, 159, 195. Satan, 75, 148, 168, 153, 200, 223. Sceptics, 67. Seeking Christ, 34, 69, 21. Self-conlidence, 86. Self-knowledge, 28. Self-righteousness, 47. Shepherd, 20. Sm, 155. Sinners, 26, 52, 73, 108, 141 156, 173, 227. Sleep, 77. Soul, 17, 18. Spirit, 2. Temperance, 99, 149. Thanksgiving, 82. Theatre, 211. Thief. The, 171. Thoughts, Evil, 204. Time, 213. Unbelief, 81. Unconcern, 186. Union, 53, 207. Unitarianism, 128. Universalism, 151. Watch-night, 4. Widow's Sou, The, 18L Wisdom, 30. Work, 33, 138. World, 9C, US. Zeal, 2x3. m ZELL'S POPULAR ENCYCLOPEDIA AND UNIVERSAL DICTIONARY New and Revised Edition, with 18 Coloured Maps, THIS work furnishes a complete desnriiition of every subject connected with History, Biography, Geography, Science, Art, Language, Natural History, Botany, Minerak)gy, Medicine, l^aw, Mechanics, Architecture, Manufacturing, Agriculture, Bible History, Church History, Religions, &c. It is, in fact, equal to a complete library of works on all subjects. Printed in ordinary type and page, it would make Twenty Volunies, worth not less than §5 tach, or i^lOO for the entire work. It contains nearly 150,000 articles, all prepared with great care, by the most able authors, each specially qualified for his particular part. An article in the National Quarterl>/, edited by Ed. I. Sears, LL.D., gives the views of that able and scholarly reviewer and critic upon this work. He begins with remarking that he had received not less than fifty letters within the year, asking his opinion of Zell's Popular Encyclopedia. From a prejudice against the word "popular," as too often used in this country, the Doctor confesses that, before examining it, his faith in the new Encylnpedia was very slight. After a careful examination, he speaks of it, with unqualified commendation, as follows : '* * Blessed,' he says, quoting Swift, ' are they that expect nothing, for they shall not be disapjiointed.' If wc are not blessed, we are at least agree- ably surprised. The prefix popular, as generally used in thir? country, is not appropriate in this present instance, but in the sense of instructive and useful to all classes of the people who have any taste for the acquisition of knowledge, or any desire for extending the sphere of their intelligence ; and, in this sense, we know no similar work to which it may be more justly a])plied. In otlier words, the new Encyclopedia is not the crude, shallow, slip-shod, self-contradictory sort of performance which so many of our authors and conii)iiers seem to regard as only suitable for the peoi)le, and the only kind that ought to be called popular. It is a work which, while it must prove attractive, as well as useful, to thos*) who have received only the most elementary education, cannot fail to recommend ZELL S rorULAR ENOYCLOI'EDIA. nut to be found at all in other Encycliiitedias. It allurds us pleasure to bear testimony to the peculiar merits of this work. The departments which please us most are the Historical, Cieographieal, Arehieb»gical, and Scientilii;. In the department of Science, we have siilUcient of what is not found in any similar work, being tho result of rt .ent research and discoveries, to recommend the work. Tho Li:xicographical department alone is of great value ; it IS indeed such that none having it will have any need lo pay tho high price demanded at tlie present day for a copy of Web- tter's Dictionary. 'J'he numerous and generally acoiirate illustrations of Zell's Popular Encyclopedia cunsideraL)ly euchanco the interest and attractiveness." j ^ The following notices are from the GloJie and Mail: "This work, whiitli will be exceedingly useful as a book of reference, ia published in numbers, sixty four of which are to complete the whole. It is edited by L. Colange, L. L.I)., is handsomely printed, and contains 18 beautiful maps. be,-ides numerous illustrative Engravings. Whilst aiming at scientitic accuracy, it is at the same time intended to be popular, the articles being written in plain langungp. • • • • ],, order to show the value of the work to every one, we will mention that it is a complete dictionary of language ; it contains every word, with its etymology and definition, that is to be found in other large dic- tionaries. It is also a complete gazeteer. " "The plan of this woikis wonderfully comprehensive, eml)racing as it does a dictionary of language, a biograi)hieal and a medical dictionary, .1 history of the world, a coiifilete natural history, a complete work on botany, also on Mechanics, and a Cliurch history. In short, there \\ no subject to which reference is not rnru^e. All who want a book to which they can turn in a moment for anything in the world they want to know about, will find Zrlt/s Exoycloi'EDTA just wliat they require." This Kor^L is published in 2, 3, -1 and 5 volume editions, varying in price from !$37 50 to S75 per set ; and in Ot parts at llfty cents each. Full particulars, (s[)ecimen ])art with a map, post-paid for twenty five cants) will be sent on applieatiou. Sold only by subscription. A . O. Box 743. J. B. MAGUEN, PuBLTSiiERs' General Agent, S3 Kin^ Stroot East, Toronto. ^1 : « 4 PRAYER AND ITS REMARKABLE ANSWERS. A Statemenl of Facts in llic Lii;!it of Reason and Ufivclalfon. EY REV. WM. W, PATTON, D.D. This work covers ground occupied by no other book. Its theme is one of absorbing interest to the Christian, and it is believed that a perusal of its papes will not fail to deeply interest all classes of people. It will confound, if not convince, the sceptic, strengthen the faith of Relievers, and awaken to earnest thon,i::ht the Impenitent. The author has £?iven, in popular form, both the facts and the philo- soijhy of the subject. It is written for the people, yet it assumes that they are neither children nor fools, but desire an intelligent discussion of a fundamental question. The heads of the chapters, herewith, will serve to show how thoroughly the subject has b-jen handled by the author. It will be observed that about ono-third of the book is devoted to the nature, characteristics, methods and conditions of Prayer, and the remaining two-thirds to Striking Cases of Answers to Frayer, for all variety of objects. The cases fjuoted are largely original, and have been furnished the author from trustworthy sources, and in most instances the sources are given. These have been culled from a much larger number that were supplied to tlie author ex- pressly ior this work, but which had to he omitted for want of space. They axe arranged carefully in distinct Chajit'-rs, ti> ilIuHtr.ate the .sncc'st of Drayer for different ohjens. and are accompanied by e\plan:itory and critical remarks. It is a book which every Pastor will welcoratt, as helpf'jl t«> the progress of piety in his church, and whinh will enu»nrai,'t* the I'hriRtian to Ask and expect greater bl«ssJugs f<»r himself and for others. MIAYKU AND ITS REMARKABLE ANSWERS. 1^ r# contp::nts. Chapter I. PraytT charactcnstic of Piety,— II. What tnie Prayer is. — III. Why Prayer provails.— IV. The method of the answer. —V. Conditions of success ill Prayer. --VI. The Prayer of Faith.— VII. Sceptical assaults on Prayer.— VIII. liihle-answers to Prayer- Old Testament.— IX. liible- answers to Prayer— Now Testament. —X. Prayer for the supply of temi)oral wants (commenced). — X'' Prayer for the supply of temporal wants (con- cluded). —XII. Prayer for i)hysical healing (commenced).— XIII. Prayer for i)hysical healing (concludoil).— XIV. Prayer for sanctifying grace. — XV. Prayer to overcome physical habit.— XVI. Prayer for individual conversions. — XVII. Parental 'Prayers.— XVIIl. Prayer for ministers, churches and n'vivals. — XIX. Prayer for charitable institutions. — XX. Kcviow of facta in conclusion. 40;j pages. .«; ■« The Rev. JOHN POTTS gives the following opinion of this book. "I have somewhat cavofully examined Dr. Patton's book entitled ' Prayer and its Ivemarkablc Answers.' The subject is one of undying interest to finite beings, and its treatment by the author is intelligent, interesting and practical. The perusal of these pages must give greatly enlarged views of the nature, obligatioi^ and privilege of Prayer. ** Those who habitua .ly *bow before the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ' will feel .specially encouraged to expect large blessings, as they learn of the remarkable answers recorded on the pages of this book. "JOHN POTXiJ. "Metropolitan Chuuch Paksonaor, *' ToEONTO, Fcbruanj, lS7iJ." -*-*(- i«' ' ' ■ English cloth, black and gold, i£1.50; gilt edges, $2.00. J. B. MAGURN, PUBLISHER, 36 King Street East, Toronta £IIS. '%" true Prayer is. — '. — V. Conditions Sceptical assaults eut.— IX. Bible- ipply of temporal oral wants (con- . — XIII. Prayer ctifying grace.— ir for individual er for ministers, stitutions.— XX. opinion of entitled ' Prayer dying interest to t, interesting and inlarged views of 5f our Lord Jesus lessings, as they lis book. [N POTTii. dges, $2.00. A-; . IHER, it, Toronta 1