The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-03-31
EVERY SEAT WAS FILLED
AND TBOUSANDs OF PEOPLE WE'RE
TURNED FROM THE TABERNICLB
The Y. ~. c. A. Hall was also Crowded with
an Overflow Meeting-Mr. Moody
Preached a Powerful Sermon.

Had the Moody tabernacle been t"lce
as large as It IL II would have been hllei
last evening by people anxious to near the
world-renowned evangelist. The reputa-
ton of the great preacher, coupled WIN
the beautiful and balmy night, had tne
effect OF drawing out perhaps as large d"
audience as ever assembled In this CITY
and not excelled by the memorable sam
Jones meetings in the West End seVeral
years ago.
All OF the crowd who came did not get
into the building, and with the constant
stream that came TO the great DuiidlHs
and disappointed turned away, no CONF u
tation could be made Of the number o.'
II is safe TO say that more failed oil au-
mittance than were the fortunate oi'e'
who occupied the six thousand, I'VE nun
dref seats on the inside.
An overflow meeting conducted Dy
Evangelist Il. w. Bliss was held az thc
Y. NJ. G. A., but the hall Of that Duiiu'ne
was also quickly filled and many huhuie u'
turned away. IT,,
The tabernacle was filed TO its capachy
nv the time the song service commenced,
at I: 30 o'clock, and the doors were closeu
as soon as all the seats were occupied
Mr. Moody Pleased.
Even a man like Mr. Moody, who Is
used TO speaking TO multitudes, could not
help feeling satisfaction at the great sea
of INTELLIGENT faces with eyes intently
turned upon him.
The choir was out in full numbers, ana
the choruses we're grand in volume anu
fine i'm effect. The members Of the chpir
nresent would alone fiji almost any one
of the largest churches in Richmond, ana
the nultitudinOus audience, spread 10 the
remotest point Of the vast buliuihs, pre-
scented a picture rarely seen, ana not
quickly forgotten. The teHpera.uIe v,
,bc tabernacle was very comfortable ana
. ~ ,,.(.~i, ~ the committee in stopping
the cracks in the walls of the building
with paper was appreci~Oie ." '''~
creased warmth.
Tho arrangements for seating were eN-
client The ministers in large nuinpeis
occunied the front rows OF chalrs on INC
raised platform in front of the choir' anu
an the right and left Of the spedhcr,
Among these who occupied priVhese1
seats on the platform were EoNelHoi anu
Mrs O'FCrral.
How the Crowd Was Hnddieo'
Though II was the first time that the
question Of handling so vast throhs
had presented itself the order was Pr
feet and the great crowd was haho'e
with ease and system. ,.- hod
Colonel Phillips. chief Of ushers' had a
,,,tl,ng and capable corps of assistants
who carried out his orders with prompt
ness and precision. and the entlre o'oVV
sa.ts wore filed without hitch.
when the building was full the doors
- oIosad and no crushing crowds were
admitted .,,,, tou,
familiar hymns led by Mr.. JACOBS. Ut
Cooper offered prayer, ana d cOiieUl'o"
u,as taken while the choir sang again
AS,er another prayer by DR.. Hatcher
Mr. Jacobs sang "He saves sinner Ike
mo " and his fine voice filed the tabeT-
nacle with ease.
MIR Moody called the vast audience
70 a moment Of silent prayer and Closed
il with an earnest appeal for the WISH
of the Holy Spirit.
The grandeur and greatness OF the
crowd was perhaps appreciated. Tor me
first time when the congregation joined
with the choir in the familiar hymn
Nearer my God TO Thee
l.reacning {, Sinner
Mr.. Moody. until this occasion, had
been preaching TO the church people OF
Richmond; last evening he preached to
to a marked degree. but made powerful
by apt and striking illustrations In his
own experience.
He took as his text the seventh verse
Of the fifty-ffth chapter Of Isaiah. Mr..
Moody said that his text was the most
important part Of his sermon; that he
would rather have a verse Of Scripture
than all the tongues Of men. My text
contains five things, three that belong TO
us and two that are the Lords. The
first, Let the sinner forsake his way;
second. And the unrighteous man his
thoughts; third, And let him return unto
the Lord These three are mans, and
now comes Gods. which are the best OF
all: Fourth. And he will have mercy
upon him: fifth, and to our God, for he
will abundanty pardon.
Mr. Moody dwelt more particularly on
the first two divisions of the text. and
made a strong appeal to the sinner TO
turn from his way and give up his
thoughts.
Said he, three things stand in mans
way TO God; mans own way, his sins,
and his thoughts When he is willing to
give these up there is no trouble about
receiving the mercy Of God.
Human religion, human wisdom, human
righteousness they must be swept out Of
the way. He said the reason Mahsnet
had so many diciples was that they don't
have to give up anything; but to be a
disciple Of Christ you must make
sacrifice. you must give up your sins,
and forsake your way.
some things God Can't Do
There are some things God can't do
and / weigh my words when l say it,
God cannot make a bad man happy He
is willing 10 do it, but he can't. / be-
lieve a bad man would be miserable in
Heaven. 1t is a prepared place for a
prepared people, and the wicked would
be wretched in such place.
He strikingly illustrated this point with
the case of a child who disObeyed a par
ent persistently and refused 10 make any
Acknowledgement of regret when you
asked it, You might desire TO forgive him
but he would not give you the opportu-
nifty.
Let the wicked forsake his way, When
a man is willing to break with sin God
meets him half way and gives him
power, not one sin or ten sins. or one
hundred; 1t is all sin. You must for
sake them all.
l believe one reason some drunkards
don't get deliverance it is because they
have some other sin.
DO you think God commands a man
to repent, and then don't give him the
power TO do II. There is q great deal
Of shamming about wanting TO break with
sim and some men want God to do some
thing more for them. / tell you God has
done all he can for you. and all that ne
will be able to do for you. Ii was fixed
long ago and everything necessary Tor
volr re1pmDfiOu God has already done