Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1875-10-28
Mr.. Moody and His Work.

Mr.. Moody and His Work.
| We suppose there is no question that
Mr.. Moody has done marvellous work
IN Great Britain. There is a great deal
Of curiosity here TO know exactly what
1t was, and how it was done. The re-
markable thing about it seems to be that
| there was no remarkable thing about it,
save in its results. Not revivalist, but
an evangelist; not stirrer up of excite
ncnt, but calm preacher of Jesus
| Christ, Mr.. Moody went to the British
| people, aud talked in his earnest. home
| Iy way upon those truths which he
deemed essential to their spiritual wei
tarc, in this world and the next. Men
went to hear him not only BY thousands,
| but By tens OF thousands. Not only the
common people "hcard him gladly"
| but very uncommon people-prime
ministers, earls, duchesscs, member of
Parliament, doctors of the law. doctors
of divinity, and clergymcn by the hun
dred. All testified to the power OF his
| preaching. The doubters were con-
vinced, The wicked were converted,
weary teachers OF religion were filled
| with fresh courage and hopefulness, and
there was great turning of thoughts
and hearts Godward. Mr.. Tyndall and
| Mr.. Huxley and Mr.. Herbert Srencer
were not very much in mems minds
! while Mr. Moody was around One
thlhg was very certain, VIZ: the people
wanted something that Mr.. MOODY had
t. hc-tow, and they went Tor il e"
Since the return OF Mr. Moody To
AmeIIct with his companion, MIR. san
KY. the intcrviewcrS nave asccrtaiucd
from both ot those gentlemen that the
"ork they have seemed to do has not
been doue AT all, but by the Spirit OF the
AImIghiN. II looks like it, We confess
Either tie truth which Mr.. Moudl
preached was wonderfully needed, and
wonderfully adapted to human want:
either The muittude- were starving for
;hc bread ut at their >Ori, lie, or there
Wa some force above Mr., Moody mod
c-' means which must Oc held accuunta-
bic tor the >lupcndous results. Til, i
scientific aye. EngIaud : a scientific
country. The great lights of science
now engaged Ia uProotlng ,.ic popular
IaIth lh Christianity live there. Sir
Henry Thompson and the pray yer-gauge
originated there. Here is nut for them
20 crack. Was there enough in Mr..
Moody's c'oqucnce, or personal intlu-
cncc, 70 account Tor the effect produced:
Wonld it not be very un-cientitic to re-
gard these little means sufficient to ac-
count Tor these results: 1t is a fair ques-
ton and It deserves a candid answer.
Until we get this answer, people who
have nothing but common sense to guide
them must reposc upon the conviction
that the power which Mr.. Moody seemed
10 weld was III the truth he prOmulga-
tea, or mat II cmanatcd from source
which lie recognized aS the Spirit OF God.
But not alone have the scientists re-
cclved lesson from the wonneriul re-
SUITS oi Mf. Moody simple prcd"hlu4.
lhe Christian ministry, all over the
worId, haEc found instruction in it
winch oh4At TO last them during their
Lifetime. ~ nearly as we can ascer,
hl" " reading The reports, Mi. MohdN
ha> not paId very much attention To the
preaching oi udh'in-lnNolYihg
ihclN. N 'hd system "i doctrine which
CHRIST cane to -ef aside and snpercede.
Tie mas not paId very much attention TO
va Testament theology, IN short. Paul
resolved tIat he wouldn't know any
Ihlng but Jesus ChilSt, and We are IN
cihed 10 ihlnk that Mt. Moody doesn't
Know anything ont Jesus ChFlst. II IL
a fortunate lh9orance Tor MN, and Tor
the woiiu' Our preachers, as rule,
hho" 50 many 'hlhSs besides the Mas
ter; theH nave wrought up such com
phcated scheme, based on "A thousand
other things besides Jesus Christ, that
thev confess they don understand IT
themselves. Inc man VINO oHered pair
OF scatcs 10 BOY VINO would learn the
catechi,m, and iour,story house, with
brown stone front, II he could under
stand II, ri>ked nothing beyond the fan
cy hardware; and Vet We are assured
that the path OF life is SO plain, that a
waytarlng mar, though Il fool, need not
err therein. And, considering the fact
that Christ is the veritable "Word Of
God that he is, in himself alone, "the
Way, the Truth, and the Life, and con-
siderng also The use that has been made
OF the Bible in complcating and load
ing down his simple religion with the
theological inventions of men, it may
legitlmately be questioned whether the
progress OF Christianity has not been
hndered by our possession of all the
sacred books outside of the evangelical
histories.
AL any rate, we see what has come to
Mr. Moody from preaching without
much learning without much theology,
and without much cmoplicated machin-
erN, the truth as it il in Jesus Christ
A salvation and cure he has somehow
and somewhere found in tie life, death.
and teachings of this wonderful histori-
cal per.onaGe For the simpIe story of
this nersonaye he has fonnd more listen.
ers than could count his words-atten.