The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1882-11-15
Messrs. Moody and Sankey in
Paris.

The Daily NeeOs correspondent gives
the following account of the opening
services of these evangelists in Paris
-Messrs. Moody and Sankey, advertised
here for week, made their first an
pearance on Sunday at the American
chapel IN the Rue de Berri. The church
was quite full-ladies, the majority being
American ladies, predominated. Mr.,
Sankey presided at a finger organ. He
sang several solos, These were alsernated
by hymns of his own composition sweet
~ sung by choir of young girls, who
must have had opportunities to rehearse
together. The seats were free, and there
was no collection at the doors Mr..
Moody, who presided, made little familiar
speeches between the prayers and HYMNS.
lie remembered twenty wears ago
hearing In Boston prayers for this church,
and when he came to Paris in 1867 it
was the first place he wanted to see. M.
de Pressense, senator and a Protestant
pastor, offered up in French a PRAYER
that the mission might Tighten the dark
ness in which the French were stumbling
between superstition and infdelity. Mr..
Moody preached a sermon in familiar
colloquial style, not from any particular
text but citing incidentally several pas
sages from Pauls letter to Titus. He
advocated In the most uncompromisinp
manner the doctrine of salvation by grace
alone, and the worthlessness of works as
a contribution to salvation. He did not.
as some preachers have done, apply the
eplthet filthy" to good works, the de-
STABILITY of which, from his point of
view, he subsequently showed, but he
insisted on this-that salvation was free
gilt by grace alone, without money and
without price. If merit had anything to
do with it there would be no gift. God
did not want anybody to work for his
gift. If people could do anything for
their own salvation, what was the use of
Christ coming down from heaven to
save the world p? Could any one dare to
say that his sacrifice was inefioacious {?
But many well-meaning Christians Aoun-
dered about hopelessly, not understand
ing the distinction between justification
and sancti6oation. Justification was final
and complete by the death of Christ, but
sanctification was continually going on
by grace promoted by the Holy Ghost
A stumbling-block to some Christians was
Paul's text that people must work out
their salvation with fear and trembling
Mr.. Moody interpreted the text as mean
ing not that any work was necessary for
salvation, but that being already saved
by grace they should work as good and
grateful servants, and that as Scripture
phrased it, they should grow in grace
lie thought that man poor Christian
who, having been converted twenty years
ago, did not love Christ better than then.
A friend had said to him, I don't think
l have grace enough to die with" His
answer was That doesn't matter The
great thing is to have grace enough to
live with. When you come to die that
will be time enough to get grace for the
circumstance. Grace is inexhaustible.
but God only gives grace to you as much
as you want at time So that if you
got the whole grace Of God at once, you
would not know what to do with it. Be
content with portion, but seek to get
that every day Mr. Moody said to the
ladies that their religion was too often
spotted like diseased oyster, and that