The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-03-30
international Sunday school Lessons.
sBCONp QUARTER, 1876,
A Wife's Faith and Prayers.

THE New York Observer says that, one
evening while preaching at the Hippo
tlrome from the words, when He saw
their faith" which our Saviour addressed
TO those who brought to Him a man sick
of the palsy, land let him down with his
couch through the thing into the midst
before Jesus" (see Luke 5; 1926, Mr.
Moody related the following incident:
As | was coming out of daily prayer
meeting in one of our Western cities, a
mother came up to me and said, Il want
10 have you see my husband and ask him
TO come to Christ" | took out my memo
Tandum book, and put down his name
She says, Il want to have you go and
see him." | knew the name and that it
was learned judge, and SO said to her,
9 can't agree with him. He is a great
deal older than | am, and it would be out
out of place. Then am not much for
intidel argument" well, Mr.. Moody"
she says, THAT amt what he wants.
He's got enough of that. Just ask him to
come TO the Saviour" She urged me so
hard and so strong that consented 10 go.
| went up to the Office, where the Judge
was doing business, and told him what |
had come for. He laughed atme. You
are very foolish" he said, and began to
argue with me. said, II don't think it
will be profitable for me to hold an argu-
ment with you, | have just one favor l
want 10 ask Of you, and that is that when
you are converted you will let me know"
Yes" said he, 81 will do that When
I am converted l will let you know
with good deal OF sarcasm. | thought
the prayers of that wife would be an
swcred, if mine were not.
A year and half after l was in that
city, and a servant came to my door and
said: There Is a man in the drawing
room" | found the Judge there He
said; = promised l would let you know
when ! was converted" | had heard it
from other lips, but l wanted to hear it
from his own. He said his wife had gone
out to a meeting one night and he was
home alone, and while he was sitting
there by the fire he thought, Surprising
my wife is right, and my children are
right; suppose there is a Heaven and a
hell, and snail be separated from them"
His first thought was, Il don't believe a
word OF it." The second thought came,
"Iou believe in the God that created you
and that the God that created you is able
TO teach you. You believe that God can
give you life. Yes, the God that created
me can give Inc life. | was too proud to
get down on my knees by the fire, and
said, 20, God, teach me-. And as l
prayed, don't understand it, but it began
to get very dark, and my heart got very
heavy | was afraid to tell my wife, and
| pretended 10 be asleep. She kneeled
down beside that bed, and knew she was
praying for me, l kept crying, 20 God,
teach me- | had to change my prayer, o
God, save me; o God, take away this bur-
den.' But it grew darker and darker, and
the load grew heavier All the way 10 my
Office | kept crying, o God, take away
this load l gave my clerks a holiday,
and Just closed my Office and locked the
door. I fell down on my knees; cried
in agony 10 my Lord, o Lord, for Christ's
sake, take away this guilt don'tknow
how it was, out itbegan to growvery light.
I said, I wonder ifthis isn't what they call
conversion. | think | will go and ask
the minister if am not converted" The
old Judge said to me: "Mr. Moody, |
have enjoyed life in the last three months
. more than all the rest put together" The
Judge did not believe. The wife did, and
God honored her faith and saved that
man. And he went up 10 Springfield, ILL.,,
and the old Judge stood up there and told
those politicians what God for Christ's
sake, had done for him.