Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-01-23
Mr.. Moody and the Infdel.

"
at Cleveland gave most interesting &C
count of tie con version of a sceptic to
G ristianity.a He was in little town in
Illinois. a number of years ago, and had
just commenced the grand work which has
since swelled into such glorious volume.
II could not preach" he modestly said
'.'but could get up little meetings and talk.
AT the close OF one of these meetings, a
lady came to ne and said, Mr.. Moody, l
wish you would come and see my husband
and talk with him about his SOUL con-
scented, for she seemed greatly burdened,
and asked for his name. When heard it
said, You must excuse me; can't go
to see that man, he is booked lnfldei,
graduate of the Eastern colleges, and L am
/. mere STRIPPING, can't go and meet him.
Il would like you to 60. Mr.. Moody she
replied. sand talk to him about his soul.
You had BETTER said I, have some one
who is older; can't meet him in argu
ment.' 1t is not argument he wants,
said she earnestly; The has had enough of
that; what he needs is. some one to invite
him to Christ She pleaded so hard that
l went down to see him. | went to his
office, and, after shaking hands ana in
Producing myself, told him my errand. He
laughed at me, and said had come on a
foolish erand-that he did not believe in
Christ or Christianity, or in the Bible. l
talked to himsawhile and brought out some
of his infidel views. Finally, said, Judge
Il will be honest with you; I can't meet
you in argument. but there is one favor I
would like to request of YOU What is
that?' he asked. That when you are con-
verified, you will let me know Well,
said he, 4 will grant you that request,
and with good deal of sarcasm, he re-
peated, Il will let you know when I am
converted AS went out of his Office, 1
heard the clerks smoker. They thought
no doubt, had made great fool of my
self.
ga year and half after, I went back to
that city. I was the guest of friend, and
while one day in the sitting room, ser
want came in and said there was a man in
the parlor who wished to see me. 1t wa
the old Judge. 'WhenI saw you last, he
said, I told you, when was converted
would let you know, and have come to
tell you that am converted l said,
Judge, wish you would tell me the whole
story He took his seat and said, Well,
l will tell you. My wife and children had
gone to meeting one night, and there was
no one in the house but the servant and
myself. got to thinking, and said to
myself, suppose my wife and my children
are right and am wrong. Suppose they
are all on the way to heaven, as they pro-
fess to think, and am on my way to hell.
l just dismissed that thought at once. The
next thought was, Judge, do you believe
there is a God who created your Yes,
believe that. This world never happened
by chance. Then came the thought, it
there is a Creator, and one that created
you, the one that created you could teach
you. Well, he said, that is so; the God
who created me could teach me- And he
smiled and said, The fact was, Moody. I
thought nobody could tee Oh me! I sat
there by the fire; was too proud to get
down on my knees. said, 80 God, teach
meI''' It was an honest prayer. And if
there is an honest infdel anywhere to-day
who will make that prayer out of the
depths of his heart, God will teach him
more in five minutes than all the infidels
can teach him in twenty years.
He said God began to teach him. and he
began to see himself IN different light.
He had been, in his own estimation, one
of the best men that ever lived, but now,
said he, I began to see myself sinners
That was something new. He felt bur-
den upon him. and things began to look
dark. Fearful that his wife might return
and see that something allied him-that he
was troubled, he went to bed and pretend
ed to sleep. But he did not-sleep a wink
that night, and before morning he began
to pray, % God, save me! take away this
load Of snip But he said he didn't believe
in Jesus Christ; he didn't want any days
man between him and God; didn't want
any mediator; he was going right straight
to the Father: was going to settle the
question without Christ. But the load
grew heavier, and it grew darker.
''When the morning came, he said to his
wife he was not feeling very we'll, and
would not stay to breakfast. He wanted
to get away. and went to his office. All
the time he kept on crying % God, take
away this BURDEN At his Office, men
came to see him on bushes, but he could
not do any business. He tried to tell his
clerks what to do, but could not tell them.
He told them that they might take holt
day. Then he locked the door. got down
on his knees and cried, For Jesus sake
take away this load Of sin!' He said a
bundle rolled off when he arose from his
knees, and his heart was as light as air.
Said he, L wonder if this is not what my
wife has been praying for these years-if
it is not what the Christians call CONVEX
STOMP He started for home. His wife
saw him coming, and thought he was
coming home sick. She met him at the
door, and said, My dear, are you sick?'
He looked up and said. No, have been
converted!' MIR. Moody said the Judge,
'twenty-one long years that wife had pray
ed for me, and she could not believe her
ears when I told her was converted. She
said, Come into the drawing ROOM There
knelt down, and made my first prayer
with my wife, and Mr.. Moody. l have
had more enjoyment in the last three
months, than in all the rest of my life put
together.
| The FIRST STONE of the celebrated
cathedral of Cologne was laid on the 18th
of August, 1918. The 631st year of its