Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-18
THE MOODY TABERNACLE FIFTH AND MAIN STREETS
THE gable

THE MOODY TABERNACLE,
{The gable end fr
! fully-gifted man who has been upon this
! earth since the days Of the Apostles. He
seems to me positively inspired, the very
! mouthpiece of Almighty Cod and John
the Baptist. crying, Repent ye. for the
kingdom of Heaven is at hand" could
scarcely have done 1t with greater power.
/ or more evidently with commission from
! on High.
! LIKE HIM ALL THE TIME
And as to Mr.. Sankey, | have had but
! one opinion OF him from the first.
think he breaches the Gospel with more
power and sweetness, and with greater
! captivatiOn, than any mortal ever
3 imagined even. | would cross the ocean
to hear him sing, Il Snail BE Satisfied"
; or Some Day Wen Understand" or any
! or all his enhancing melodies. He sur
/ passes my utmost expectations and lis
ten TO him with unspeakable rapture and
with a deeper emotion than | ever had
eNclted IN my heart by poet. orator. or
musician. on, he is a glorious singer,
Nel' you see. am completely won. and
nave surrendered Internationally. | only
wish all whom l love could share with me
the privilege. But there is hardly any
use in coming with the hope Thousand
are turned away, and the enormous hal
seating 1900 or 600O is packed every
night, and filled every day by . O'Clock
the services beginning at s. | went IL,
other day at 80, and found a stream G
people eagerly hurrying thitherward. an,
when We arrived the sidewalk for hal
square was density jammed, and In
weather bitterly cold. AS soon as ~,
doors were opened there was a rush. an,
a dangerous strife for precedence.
HOW MR.. MOODY LOOKS.
You were simply borne along as on a
rushing torrent. and almost overwhelmed
by great struggle | got a front seat and
then saw Mr.. Moody for the first time
well. He is very portly. but his face far
from coarse or plebeian; altogether the
reverse: such ciearnesS and sweetness
Of expression in eyes and mouth, such
purity and softness OF complexion, and
an indescribable ard captivating gentle
ness and Willingness of look. as well as
manner and the most perfect naturalness
and utter self-forgetfulness ana absorption
with his great theme and object. / have
no language To convey 10 you how he i'm
pressed me, AMI how ! listened to him.
uncaring for his solecisms. and just re-
ceiving all he said as coming right from
Heaven. and himself as Heavens own &C
credited ambassador. His preaching tor
rather talking, as he takes no text, and
simply holds up a small Bible, which he
keeps in his hand all the time and con-
stantly refers 10 and reads from. to prove
that what he says is founded entirely upon
it,. his preaching, / say, is so wonderfully
clear and hsart-searching ami incisive
that 1t makes one feel as If it was the first
time he ever heard preaching, and each
ONE Is ready to ask himself, lave | any
| part or lot In this matter? or is my re-
| ngion beside this he IS holding up to me
simply sentimentalism? you should
see the learned classical scholars, the let
tered" men, the Gamaliels in person of the
ministers of this city, sitting In all
humility at his feet. And hear their
prayers after his soul-stirrinP addresses
/ positively had to glance up 10 see If II
could be possible that it was Or. Bartlett,
the polished. scholarly. metaphysical. dou-
ble-distilled altar of roses in his own pull
pit. who was there by the side of this
Galllean fisherman, pouring on; his whole
soul in the humble, simple prayer OF
little child.
Mr.. Sankey's Career.
Mr.. Ira David Sankey, whose fame as a
sweet singer almost equals that of Mr..
Moody's preaching. and whose coming 10
Richmond is looked forward 10 with great
interest, is a native Of Pennsylvania, hay
ing been born in Edinburg, Lawrence
county. August Is. 1910. His father was an
editor banker. and for some time served
in the State Senate. Mr.. Sankey showed
a liking for music while he was yet young,
and. became a leader in the choir of the
Methodist church of which he was mem
Der He was made president OF the Young
Mems Christian Association of New Castle,
Ia. soon after, his family having re-
moved thither. AS delegate from that
organization TO a convention at Pittsburg
ne first met Mr. Moody. At the time Mr..
Moody was leading prayer meeting and
called for a volunteer who could play
the organ and sing, Mr.. Sankey
volunteered At the close OF the service
Mr. Moody said 10 him: "Yol are just
the man | have been looking for these five
i years" The next day the delegates TO
the convention were celebrating how TO
induce the masses TO attend the meetings.
Mr.. Moody took Mr.. Sankey with him and
they conducted a meeting on the street.
corner, an unheard-of thing for that day.
After he had finished preaching he told the
large crowd that had assembled that there
would be meeting in the hall near by.
and told MIR. Sankey 10 keep on singing as
they went. About 1890 OF the people went
20 the hall and filled 1t. From that day
the two worked continually together until
Mr. Sankey's voice broke down and he
was compelled To rest
COMPOSER OF GOSPEL SONGS.
! Mr.. Sankey's chief work has been in the
composition Of gospel songs The various
! editions of these songs have had a very
large sale, from which ne realized for
tune. He has spent nearly all Of It, bow
ever. in charitable works. a conspicuous
monument Of his charity Is a large and
magnificent building for Mr.. Moody's
school at Mortified. 1t being one of the
finest OF all the school buildings. His
songs were obtained largely from news
papers OF which a conspicuous instance Is
that OF the Ninety and Nine" the verses
Of which were found In a newspaper while
he was riding on the train from London
to Edinburgh. The music was composed
extemporaneously on the stage OF the large
hall In the latter city, and has never been
changed a note. His songs have been
translated into many languages. Mr..
sankey Is also a very public-spirited man.
and has made many valuable gifts to his
native town OF New Castle.
His province OF work In not confined en-
tirely 10 singing. or late years he has
spoken frequently In meetings.
Nee.ihain, Bliss, and Jacobs.
Mr.. Moody is fortunate in having n trio
OF good men to do the preliminary work
for him In Richmond. Rev. DIR. George
C. Needham is the most widely known
OF the three, having been associated with
Mr.. Moody for number OF years. He
| II well known here. having conducted
uuu1vaiA n Richmond and AAnchsseax. for