Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-03-07
More from Moody.

In sermon in Washington on Tues
day of last week, Mr.. Moody said =
Suppose that l was to announce
that in coming into this hall had lost
a diamond ring somewhere between
the door and this platform, and would
give $4,000 reward to any one who
| found it and returned it to me before
tomorrow night. What would you
do? I'll tell you. Every one of you
| would make up your mind to work for
that reward. Your heads would be
| full of diamonds and not another word
of my sermon would you hear. Even
those around me on this platform
would be thinking of that reward; My
| friend Pugh, here, the reporter. there,
| would be thinking of that $4,000
There wouldn't be police force enough
in Washington to get you out of here
You'd be willing to stay all night
There would be no need of theologians
| TO teach you how to seek. If | told
you at midnight that you'd better go
home because your family might worry,
you'd say they could worry for one
night. If l suggested that you go to
| breakfast in the morning you would
reply that you didn't care to eat; that
you had no appetite. You'd be think
ing of seeking for that ring and find
ing that $4,000.
"Man, isn't eternal life worth more
than $10,000?"
think of the gospel; of that glorious
gift of God. Oh. how | wish l could
preach it ! try, but l cannot grasp
it. Life without end Man, think of
it ~
1t was the feeling of the heart, he
SOL hot Il 1,f, 1n1. rrI,4 %~
God. DR.. Bonner used to tell the story
of little boy who was amazed to hear
him say that God would listen to him
as quick as He would to the Queen.
One day the child's employer had been
harsh to him, and he concluded to ask
God to help him, but he didn't know
how to pray. In the poorhouse where
he had been reared he had been taught
to say the alphabet, so, throwing him
self on his knees, he proceeded to re-
peat A b G with all his heart. A man
passing along heard him, and perceiv-
ing that he was in an attitude of pray
err, asked what he was doing.
Il am praying said the little fellow
Oh said the man, that amt praying;
that's the alphabet Yes responded
the boy, but that's all l know, and /
thought if l told God the letters He
could spell out what l wanted
'God will always spell out what's in
your hearts," exclaimed the preacher.
God understands what yon mean
what little children mean, for you are
all His little children. The Lord
wants no Grafton. He wants your
hearts,
"Once in Philadelphia when l was
preaching at the old depot, a man
10 I,o
mad with his wife and stayed mad for
week. He was harder to cool down
than most Americans; they usually
get over it in twenty four hours, and
an Englishman takes about two days
to cool when you get him well heated
But this man after he had been mad
about a week finally condescended to
explain to his wife, and he asked her
what in the world she had gone and
told Mr.. Moody all about his personal
faults and weaknesses for. Il never
said a word to him." said the wife.
well, then, you wrote to him or got
some one else to-" said the man. "The
| idea of his going to work and making
a public example of me and holding
me up before 10,"00 people as he did"
"Whys bless you, the man was CON
victed and thought had been preach
ing at him. | only wish | had the
power to see through the hearts of
every one. | tell you l would go
through this audience in a way that
would make them stop to think. Yes,
| would, I'd begin right with this man
here" pointing down into the audience
and making sixteen men squirm with
an indefinite wave of his finger. But
it isn't my business to convict. The
Holy Ghost does that. The preacher
never does it. The angel Gabriel
might come down into this hall now
and stand here talking to this audience
with words of living flame and the
golden radiance of Heaven shining
from every hair of his head and he
could never convict soul. 1t is not
the business of the angels. 1t is the
especial power of the Holy Ghost.