National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1885-01-20

tho COnqregatiOnal thurch during the
DAYS when Mr.. Moody preached there.
High and low, rich aud poor, saints and
sinners, literally "all classes and cOndi.
tions Of men" either went or tried to go.
And as one watched tho rows and rows
of intent, listening faces one could not
holp wondering "What brought them
here? What is IL that so holds them"
Primarily, Of course, 1t was the man
himself, tho man who has taught his
name to half the globe" by his unwcary-
ing, indomitable efforts TO teach that
other Name, 80 much greater than his.
No one, however indifferent or even
prejudiced. could Listen to him long
without admitting that here was polCer,
and understanding something Of what it
was that held and influenced the lowest
and vilest people of Chicago or London,
and the highest culture of Oxford and
Cambridge. There are very fow who do
not respect the man who has earnest con-
victions and who lives up to them, and
| hero is ono Of those men. He Is man
who feels that he has n message, and that
nothing on earth is 80 important as to
tell it.
HE Is MORE THAN THAT.
He is the ono man In ten thousand who
feels that his message 10 bigger than he
| is. He is absolutely straightforward,
clear as crystal, aud utterly without self
consciousness. Not word ora gesture Is
meant to distract attention from the thing
said to the man who says 1t. No man
living has had more reason to become
convinced that no was the center of tho
universe, and that by his own power and
his own might he has done these things.
But ho is man with purpose, purpose
80 absorbing and overwhelming that IL
leaves him no room for solf.conriousness
And as genuine earnestness Is as infecti-
ous as 1t ia rare, we are all borne along on
| the tide of his earnest speech, which holds
aud interests the most careless, as we'll as
that even more difficult class, tho gospel
hardened.
His methods are not less interesting
than the man himself Some complain
that he is dictatorial. In manner he
does ut times appear so. But he Is like n
general commanding an army. IL Is only
when he commands that he
CAN EXPECT TO BE oBEYED.
All that crowd look to him as the head
he keeps the meeting entirely undor his
control. But ho rules himself as strictly
as he does others. When he says he will
stop he stops There is no lingering
zone word more" no wasting half his
time in lengthy explanations OF what he
l
of tho evening meetings ho had said he
would close at q quarter past nine. In
what appeared to be tho midst of q tor
rent of ideas he pulled out his watch
and exclaimed but it Is a quarter past
nine The grace -four Lord Jesus Christ
be with US all. Amon;" and tho meeting
was closed
He does not waste syllable Of speech
or a second of time. He does not an
nounoe that I'VE will mower be led in
prayer by-er the Rev. DR.. Smith. pastor
of the Thirteenth Methodist Episcopal
Church." but simply says "let US pray"
and the minister with whom he has pre-
viously arranged it leads the people in
prayer. The amen is barely out of his
mouth before the distinct voice announces
the 165th hymn. but does not stop TO read
aloud the words which all tho people
have before them and are about to sing.
He may make first the choir and then
the galleries and then the people on tho
floor Of the church sing in turn n certain
verso or chorus, but what they sing is tho
same gospel that he is about to preach.
And when he 10 started on his preach
ing the words flow forth in torrent,
fairly tumbling over one another. His
voice Is unpleasant, often harsh, some-
times husky or rasping he is not rigidly
/
he should not take the pains not to say
"he dono" and ~ seem" but you are
swept along on the strong tide Of his
earnestness so that you forget to criticize.
He is full Of humOr, and his ready and
apt illustrations-and, by the way, they
are illustrations, not simply stories with
q moral tackled on the end of them-often
made q quick wave of laughter ripple
over the crowd; but many times it is the
laughter that is close akin to tears. 1t
seems as if he could not help
SAYING AMUSING THINGS.
They come out continually and unex-
pectedly, as when he was speaking of the
fewness of conversions compared to the
number of ohurch-goers he said, "The
promise is that one shall chase thousand
and two shall put ten thousand to flight,
put nowadays 1t seems as If II took a
thousand to chase one"
There Is not the slightest suggestion
of sensationalism or irreverence in any
thing that he says, but as much can
not be said for all the hymns sung. The
majority Of the gospel hymns" are the
gospel told in plain and simple verse, but
it seems difficult to believe that any
Christian can hear without q shock such
sacred words as ''Behold, what manner of
love" and II shall be satisfied" sung
with light complacency to the flippant
and silly refrains to which they are set
in this collection.
II is to be hoped that the ushers at these
meetings were selected with special ref
erence to their possession Of tho sanity
grace Of pationce for they had unlimited
opportunity for its exercise. 1t Is a
mournful fact that tho grace of God doea
not seem to mako its posSessor any bet
ter satisfied with
SEAT UNDER THE GALLERY.
The latest arrivals seemed greatly sur.
prised that front seats were not reserved
for them, and expressed much dissatis.
faction that they were not allowed to sill
! in tho aisles. Everyone thought every.
thing was the ushers' fault and Rlared
darkly at them when the woman in the
next pew squeaked her fau so they cOu Id
not hear, or two fat singers jeopardizod
the lives OF the people under them by
balancing themselves Oh the railing Of
the choir gallery, or tho door for the
singers, which not Only' squeaked but
stuck, was opened or closed with a loud
report, as 1t invariably was at all tho
breathless moments.
The competition for tickets was also
very keen, and the pastors of tho differ
ent churches who had them to distribute
: had no enviable task. Thoy generally
had a dozen applications at least for one
: ticket, and in a manful ondeavor TO sat
isfy everybody satisfied nobody. 1t tseemed
rather incongruous at religious service
to see badged and buttoned policemen in
attendance to keep out non-tiokethold-
ers. Several Of them when tho meeting
| was we'll started turned their clubs intC
pruning hooks, 80 to speak, and came il
and listened.
: Most of the clcrgymen Of tho city aided
and encouraged the work at least by theil
presence. 1t was q pity they were no
all there to hear the sensible, practical
foroiblo suggestions as to the second scr.
= vice on Sunday, which is in many
churches poorly attended. A feature O
Mr.. Moody's methods is that he Away
works in harmony with the churches
aud in every place whore ho has laborec
their working force has been very great!
= built up and enlarged as direct resul