Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-01-06
Mr.. M0ODY'S MEETINGS.
cREATcRowDs ATTEND THEx

GREAT CROWDS ATTEND THEN |
eespei Truths ssmpty reid--Exceiiens sisx-
iss--An Aisus'ss - Lee and Jackssn--Ex- |
tracts rssn che Sermons.
Sunday was great day in the reli-
gious annals Of Richmond. The COM
ing Of MIR. Moody had been looked for
with deepest interest by the Christian
people Of the city and others were
anxious TO see and hear " what manner
Of man " the worid-famous evangelist
is. No one acquainted with the eager
demand for tickets, and their wide dis
tribution, doubted that the meetings
would be full from the beginning. But
when it was found that the morning
was one Of the most fearfully inclement
Of the whole season--streets as slick as
glass and still raining--and it was re-
membered that thcearly hour % o'clock
A. NJ would keep many away, and
that many who were willing to brave
the storm were engaged at that
hour in their Sunday schools, there
were not wanting " doubling Thom-
ases'' to predict very small
attendance at the first meeting.
When, however, crowds Of men,
women, and children were seen hurry
| ing towards Armory Hall oil doubt was
dissipated, and by the time the services
were so far under way that the doors
were closed about 1900 people were
seated in the hall, while many turned
away disappointed that they came too
late for admittance.
THE ARRANGEMENTS
for the meetings have been every way
admirable. The hall Though not large
enough by one-fourth) is the best in the
city for the purpose, and defects in
its acoustic properties will Gtis hoped)
be remedied. The platform extends
across the Marshall-Street end of the
hall, and on il is seated the choir, min
isters, the committees, and as many
more as can be crowded on it.
j. Thompson Brown, as chief usher,
has his subordinates well in hand, and
this service is already well performed,
though it will improve with more prac-
| tice.
The choir (under the direction of MIR.
| c. p. Rady and Mr.. j. ID. X. Sleight,
with Mr.. Manly b. Ramos or Mr.. Lu-
ther Jenkins presiding at the organ)
leads the singing, while the vast crowd
Join in with will and make such q
volume Of sacred song as has been
rarely, if ever, heard in Richmond.
Mr.. Moody stands on small plat
| form erected on the large one, and has
| only small book-board on which to
put his Bible.
The First Sermon.
| After preliminary devotional exer-
cises. during which there were songs
and prayers, Mr.. Moody read the 18th
chapter of 1st Corinthians, and an
nounced that he would speak of
FIVE THINGS NEEDED BY WORKERS
FOR CHRIST.
| |. We Need Faith. He clearly and
forcibly brought out that without faith
| il is impossible to please either God or
men. or to do anything worth doing in
the world. He illustrated by the case
of Abraham, who was not great
scholar. OF great warrior, but whose
unwavering faith gave him wonderful
powers and enabled him to accomplish
grand results. The spies sent into the
promised land had brought back "a
majority and minority report, and
then, as now, the unbelievers we're in
the majority. But Caleb and Joshua
were worth more than all of the camp OF
Israel, and great disaster and suffering
came from not following the lead OF
their faith. What we want in our
cburches-in the world-to-day-:he
CRYING need of the worlds men and
women who have the faith to go for
ward despite of difficulties or of obsta-
cles mountain high.
.. Cour0ge-true Christian courage
is the next great need of the Christian
worker. God had no use for Elijah
under the juniper-tree, but lie wanted
the stern old prophet when he had
courage to face danger and death. Hc
wants to-day men who, like Joshua be-
fore the walls of Jericho, will bravely
n meet the most imminent peril to find
threatened danger changed into the
captain of the Lords host" come tC
hclp us. Gideon was stronger wher
the weak and timid and halting of hi'
great army had been sloughed of, leav
ing Him only the courageous band Il
| shout, as they broke their pitchers
"The sword of the Lord and o
Gideon; And so the Lords hos
would be stronger to-day if th'
/, weak, the timid, the halting, woul'
( fall out of ranks and 90 t
the rear. We want patient courag
like that of Noah, who had labored TO
: one hundred and twenty years without
convert outside of his own family, ant
without any of the many encourage
Z ments which Christian workers nov
have.
I 3. Enthusiasm was the next need o
Q the Christian worker which he men
toned. Men are afraid of enthusiasm
(which literally means in God, but wh,,
= should they be? What was ever ac
complished withoutitY Lukewarmnes
will never do in the Sunday-schoo
teacher, the preacher, or the Christia
R worker. He admired the patriotic al
: dor with which Girabaldi said; u
fifty Girabaldis are thrown into prison
- let Rome be free"
He told, with touching pathos an
i, great effect, the story of DIR. DUH, who
: after wearing himself out as missionar
|. to India, came back to Scotland TO die
3 and was one day making powerit
. plea for India, when he tainted in tn
pulpit, and was carried, all unconscious
from the house. When he came
himself and realized where he was, b
I said. I" Yes, remember. was plead
y ing for India, and / had not gotte
Il quite through. Take me back and Il
2 me finish.'' And despite remonstrancC
&c ,h,,s;c;ens and friends the - oil