The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1885-01-28
THE SECRET OF MOODY.

power is "his entire lack of self-con-
seriousness" "He preached" says the
Chmchmdn, ain Oxford to the students
and professors of its various colleges,
who crowded to hear him, men that
had more learning in their little fingers
than he had in his whole body. There
he stood, preaching the gospel to men
of learning and position, in ingram
NAUTICAL English, and with the same
lack of self Inconsistencies as we would
to class of Sunday School children.
The man who can forget himself is a
wonderful man. AS we said last week
in the quotation from Isaac Taylor =
The Apostles in their preaching were
anxious to deliver their message, but
did not appear to be anxious about re-
suits. They had a message from God,
and woe to them if they did not de-
liver that. SO it is with Mr.. Moody
and it is one great secret of his power"
All this is very true. There is some
thing wonderfully persuasive in Mr..
Moody's apparently utter indifference
to what people think of him. If he is
ever for one moment thinking Of him
self or how he is performing, no one of
his listeners is ever able to detect it or
see the slightest trace of it. Nothing
is so attractive in public speaker as
this. In fact in private life it is the
charm and fertile source Of good man
ners. Still higher it mounts it is or
dinarily associated with the highest
order of genius-as in Shakespeare,
Homer, Caesar. A favorite and con-
stantly,recurring phrase with Carlyle
in his earlier writings is "the uncon-
seriousness of genius"
But our esteemed contemporary of
South Carolina, the Associate Reformed
Presbyterian, has put his finger on an
other special feature in Moody's method
of preaching, which has also much to
do with his success. Says this paper /;
The great lesson of Mr.. Moody's
evangelistic work is not the manner of
preaching, whether with or without a
manuscript; nor is it mainly the mat
ter of preaching. True, he does make
very prominent the great fundamen-
tails, Sin, Depravity, Atonement, and
kindred doctrines, but many other
preachers do the same thing, as clear
ly and emphatically, and yet with no
approach to his success. His strength
lies in his personal work, his appeals to
individuals. Baxter says, L have
found by experience that some ignor-
ant persons who have been so long I'M
profitable hearers, have got more
knowledge and remorse of conscience
in half an hours close discourse, than
they did from ten years public preach
ing Not better preaching, not better
doctrine, but more private, individual
preaching, that is what the Church
needs That is the lesson of Mr..
Moody's labors"
But this is not all yet There is yet
third element in Mr.. Moody's poten-
ey which is, perhaps, more impor-
tant than any Of those mentioned
above: this is his vivid realisation Of
the utter worthlessness of all earthly
things. He stands before the very
curtain of the invisible world, which at
any instant may part before him. To
him it is the unseen which is the real
and this daily life but stopping-place,
where the train may arrive at any mo-
ment. He stands valise in hand, and
thunders "Train comingw He reads
no book but the Bible. He remarked
very naively in one of his sermons here
that he "knew very little about the
facts Of modern history" and he might,
no doubt, have added very truly, nor
any history except the Old Testament
history, and the Gospels, and the Acts
Of the Apostles.
SO much for his qualifications as open
to human analysis back Of all this is
the Spirit Of God, which has chosen
him as an instruments rude, inlet
tered man" to confound the wise, and
the things that are mighty and
to bring to nought things that are
that no flesh should glory in his pro