The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1883-04-04
The Things That God Can Use.
FROM AN ADDRESS BY MR.. MOODY.

| was much cheered in Birmingham
by circumstance l heard of when | re-
turned after an absence of eight years. l
was told of lady who had gone to one
of the meetings eight years ago, and
heard the speaker remark that he ''pitied
any man or woman who had themselves
been in the kingdom of God for any
length of time, and never had the luxury
of leading a soul to Christ" Then she
heard Mr.. Sankey sing, Nothing but
leaves" She knew she had never had
the luxury of leading soul to Christ
her profession, up to that time, had borne
no fruit. But she set to work, and the
first thing she did was to speak to poor
fallen sister in the street. She got SO in
terested in that one woman that, she gave
up all her spare time to this class now
she has the names of between two and
three hundred who have been rescued
from life of shame, and have been
helped back to live pure and useful lives.
| think she is about the happiest woman
l met in Birmingham.
She thought she had no special ability,
but she did what she could, and God has
blessed her in the work. 1t seems to me
as if she were one of the most useful
women there is in that town to-day.
Everyone speaks in the highest terms of
her and her work. 1t is a quiet work,
but my experience leads me to think that
the people who make the most noise ac-
complish the least after all A little
brook runs near the house where 1 was
born. When there comes a food of rain,
you can hear the brook rushing and roar
ing if you are nearly mile off. But
after few days of sunshine, there is
scarcely anything left in it. There is
great river that flows by, and I never
heard it in my life. Towns have been
built upon It's banks, and everything
prospers where it flows. So this woman
has not blown any trumpet, but she is
doing most blessed work.
There was another case of a man in
Birmingham who thought he had not
much ability, but he went to work and
got laboring men out at half-past seven
in the morning that he might teach them.
Every morning now in the winter, long
before daylight eight thousand working
men come to the different classes that
are being taught; every Sunday eight
thousand men IN Birmingham, are there
studying the Word of God. That man
has set stream of influence in motion
that will flow on long after he is gone.
Let us be willing to do some little thing.
Many Christians are so anxious in these
days to get great name, to have them
selves heralded through the press. We
must be willing to do our work in a
quiet way, to do it as unto the Lord, aud
not be looking for any reward from the
world. | believe man who is looking
for his reward down here is not qualified
for Gods service. "The browning day
IS coming by and By" If we live foI
Christ we may not have the applause OF
the esteem of the world but if we are
his true disciples we shall be willing to
do anything he appoints.
1t is astonishing what one person can
do when he is ready to use whatever tai
ent he may possess. A lady in Dublin
got stirred up during the meetings there
eight years ago. She began to take an
interest in the prisoners, and went tc
meet them at the prison gates as they
came out. It was called the Prison Gate
Mission, and now there are hundreds oil
men and women who have been rescued
through its efforts. This lady gave her
life to the work of saving these criminal
outcasts, and God has richly blessed her
efforts. 1t might have appeared very
small thing at the beginning but it has
now become great and glorious enter.
prise. Things sometimes look small and
insignificant to us at first, but if God is
In any work it is not small. The widows
two mites no doubt looked very con
temptible in the sight of the rich Jews in
Jerusalem. If there had been a reporter
on the daily press hunting about for city
items, he would have taken no notice Of
it. If the the Honorable Jacob So-and
80, or some other Hebrew noble, had
given 81 900 to the Temple service, OF
to build a new Synagogue, it would have
been blazoned abroad. But we must
bear in mind that the Lord looks OF
things very differently. He saw what
was in the heart Of that poor widow, and
the story Of her gift has been told out
clear down the ages, ever since.