The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-12-27
Mr.. Moody ON Restiintinn.-WhiIe


Mr.. Moody on RestitutiOn.-Whil
recently in ChicsgoMr. Moody deliveIee
an address in Fsrwell Hall. We quote
his remarks on restitution as follows
After confession we must make
restitution. l am preaching more
restitution than | used to. 1 believe
that is a sin keeping back blessing from
the Church of God If you have taSen
one dollar from a man you ought TO
restore not only the one dollar, but the
interest. If by slander you have tried
to ruin a man, or tried to ruin his char
acteT, you ought to 90 to him and do all
you can to make restitution-tO save his
feelings and his character. A man came
to me in one of the Eastern cities last
winter and says, 'Mr. Moody, want to
become Christian, but l can't pray.
have tried to, but it seems As if the
heavens protest, and all is dark
probed him, and tried to find out the
difficulty, and st l&st says L: Isn't
there some sin that you are covering
up?" And the mar colored to the roots
OF his hair, and says, Mr.. Moody, / will
tell you am a deauIter for 81 800
SAYS |, Why don't you confess?' He
says hLl EOiLlE iAt-O blASAAINo9 anu ALI
going TO try to male il up. | have
lovely wife and family, and ! can't con-
frss. 1t would be the ruia Of my family,
and my ruin l ana Just going into
business, and expect TO make that
money and TO pay it back. I don't
know but I may he wrong in that
Yes says l, 'of course you can't pray
with that difficulty over you. Going
into business with Cther mems money
Just been robbing nen 'Ohl what
shall do?' Maze restitulion i
can't; it would b the ruin of me-
How much have gou got out of the
fifteen hundred dolars?' Nine hun
dred dollars; some day I'll pay ba
every d liar / cant 90 to my EN- ployers
and confess. They will put me
into the courts l don't know
whether they SyHl or not He
said he couldn't do it, and
wanted me to pray or him. How can
/, If you are net wiling to make restitu
tion /? l told him would pray that
God wouldn't give any sleep to his eyes
or slumber to his eYlids until he gave
back that money. The next day he
csme back and ssid he couldn't sleep
Is there no other wiy out Of this sgOnyP
No; do the right Thing and God will
set you right He shrank from it.
( How can do it? ] am sure they will
put me into the eolrts and it will ruin
my family Says !, Do right and the
Lord will remember you Finally he
put into my hands $98I.21, in 8 sealed
envelope, and says, THAT money follows
me, and l don't want it any longer.
have taken the last cent my wife and l
have, and if my friends will not save me
from the penitentisry it viii be the
death of of us l went to his employers,
and got them into room and told them /
the whole story. There is some of your
money, and | don't think you ought to |
ruin him Tears ran down their cheeks, |
and / saw they would deal mercifully |
with him; and 50 ! went down stairs |
and brought him up, and those three /
men got on their knees and prayed to- /
gether, Friends rallied around him, |
and he has gone into business, and been |
from that hour. God deliv> /
cred him, and he il reconciled and at !
peace. He had sins, and set his face to |
do right. L you want power, if you /
want God to bless you, make restitution. |
That comes with Confession. There il no !
use of con'essing sins If you are not /
willing to make restitution and be honest; /
and when honest with man and your |
God will hear and bless you.
Then the question comes up, when talk
ing about confessing sins: Whom shall |
confess to? Some people say, What, !
going to have 8 oonfessiOnal-confess to |
priests and church and all that p There |
are some sins that ought to be confessed /
to the church confessed publicly. If / |
have sinned publicly-brought scandal
On the cause OF Christi ought 10 confess |
publicly. If have sinned against some (
neighbor, and it isn't known publicly, |
ought to confess 20 him. All sins we
ought TO confess to God, some sins TO
neigh bors, Others IN private, and some
publicly. Some may say, have taken
money from an employer who does not |
know what forgiveness is If / give it to |
to him he will put me into the courts
and bring disgrace on my wife and |
family Do it through a third party. |
Send the money back with interest You |
need not go. Only make restitution, and |
confess TO God, and see if the Lord dent |
hear and answer prayers. Tell me God |
has ever failed to answer prayer when |
men are right The trouble is, prayers |
are not answered because something
wrong in our something wrong in
our heart-hypocrlsy."