The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-14
DWIGHT L. MOODY.
The Great EvangeHst's First
Talk Here.
THE AExonr ovERcEowDED-
An I.s.rmaI scruon on the Qusii-
ncatiens Of Christian Worker
Two MeetIngs To-day

bratei, his audience must have num-
bered fully 200 people. They were
sitting and standing, and II kept lhe
committee moving lively to bring the
anxious listeners within good hearing
distance. Long previous to the time
of opening the services and during the
informal singing ofevangelical hymns,
which were the prelininaries to the
revival. men, women and children
OF sill ages and classes were pouring
into the great hall. The audience vas
formed into something OF semi
circle in front of the impromptu plat
form of green FIR planks. which bad
been constructed on the west side OF
the building. Mr.. Moody stood about
the center.of the platform, and TO his
left was Prof. Dickinson, organist OF
the First Presbyterian church. presid-
ing at the organ. Pastors OF several
churches and members of various
choirs occupied the platform also, and
in addition to these, well-known citl-
zens connected with Seattle church
work. left little vacant room there, il
any. This great informal choir. aided
cheerfuIly by the audience, filled the
vast hall with powerful harmonies
when singing the old. familiar revival
hymns.i
This is Dwight L. Moody's first visit
to Seattle. He has already been
down Sound sowing the gospel seed.
Although he is becoming quite gray
| an iron gray, his clear eye-sort OF
grayish blue eye-has lost none of that
keen searching look, none of that
powerful riveting influence which his
listeners have felt all over the world
during his wonderful career as practi-
cal revivalist for the last two decades.
His dress would not distinguish him
from an ordinary Seattle business man,
a plain dark suit with cutaway coat,
giving him both an air OF energy and
an appearance OF common every day
comfort. Like most men who arrive
at his age and have devoted their Ia
bors to the platform, he is beginning
to get portly, or rather rotund, but he
stands erect--a courageous, solid,
sturdy champion of the gospel.
And his magnetism, is it not the
same powerful magnetism, the mag
netic influence of the conscientious
servant of honest convictions, and
practical propounder of gospel truths,
which the people have yielded to
everywhere as that OF Moody. the
evangelism" When he talks it is no
..hifalutin" architecture of sentences,
no flow of Websteiian words to
tickle the scholarly tastes of an eau-
Gated minority. but plain, earnest,
everyday talk, talk to the point, talk
to men and women, interesting exhor-
tation, full OF explanatory detail, and
illustrated with quaint anecdotes,
anecdotes which any one might relate,
but none so well and iiuently as Mr..
Moody. So it was that last night when
he began to speak, his voice was the
only sound in that auditorium, and
every nearer was all attention from
beginning to end. He appealed TO the
common sense more than to sentl-
ment, to reason, rather than emotion.
And who were in that audience to
see him and to hear him? 1t seemed
as il everybody was there. There were
the most prominent men OF Seattle
and the humblest laborers of the bay !;
there were the old pioneer and the late
newcomer; there were the interested
Christian and the stole agnostic; in
deed, it was a molly gathering, pic
turesque, informal sort of a primitive
congregation, where all could hear the
Word" explained.
The meeting was formally opened,
when Mr. Moody invited every one TO
arise and sing the hymn, Il will arise,
O, Lord" etc. Rev. j. p. Ludlow then
offered prayer, and the singing of
Nearer, Nv God, TO Thee" followed.
lust before the audience pitched the
first note of this familiar hymn, Mr..
Moody said: "Now, If you don't all
Join in and sing this old hymn, it will
not look as if you had been going to
church very much" He was liable at
any time during the meeting TO break
in with something like this, or to call
somebody over from the other side OF
the hall to get front seat, or to tell
those who could not sit that they
could stand, for he had TO stand
while he was preaching" and he APP
parently has keen regard for news
paper men, too, for he made
several pleasant references to the
reporters. Prayer was again offered,
aud then MIR. Moody read from the
tenth chapter of Luke's gospel as the
theme OF the evening. More singing
Jesus is Tenderly Calling To-day ;"
and other hymns, and finally Mr..
Moody called the attention of the aud
fence TO Nos. ~, %, SO, 80, 40, 81, So,
and 81 in the hymn book, hoping that
the people would frequently turn to
them. He announced that there
would be two meetings to-day, one at
3 p. M. at the First Presbyterian
church and one at p. m. at the Arm
ory. Then the gospel talk began, as
follows:
MooDy's TALK.
Now want to call your attention
tonight TO the qualifications needed
TO make yon efficient workers for God
and | want TO talk to the people in the
church. l don't want to call upon the
outlying masses. Ii you want 10
make the church the greatest power
on earth you want to have the people
within it revived and quickened
Sturgeon. when he first began to
preach. made up his mind To com
mence first upon the deaeons Of the
church, and at his first meeting the
deacons were SO few, that Campo
bali could have gone through
them anywhere without hurting
any of them. They asked
him why he spoke 10 meetings 50
small, when he could have got up big
meeting of the masses. He answered
We'll, when You get right, then | will
talk to people outside the church"
After he h4d preached long time the
church quickened, and no man has
preached TO 5000 people twice day for
thirty years except Charles Spurgeon.
OF course, when YOU begin TO york
upon the church you viii lind il TO be
pretty hard job. A soon as YOU get
one OF the deacons deeply interested
for Christ the devil Is at work in the
opposite direction. Everybody SAYS,
Look at that deacon; look at that
church-memberr and the people
seem to be surprised TO see good
church member interested in working
for God.
Everywhere 20 they say; Moody,
this i very peculiar place" They
will say here, ''oh. but you don't know
Seattle; it is a very peculiar place. .
Nos want to tell you it does not mat
ter whether il i a very peculiar place
or not; we have very peculiar God.
Who works in very peculiar ways, and
all that Il necessary for US to do i to
go to work for him wherever he wants
l.. 4. 4