Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-02-14
SERMON BY DWIGHT |. MOODY.
subject-"The Holy Spirit"

at the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian
Church in Brooklyn, N. Y, the dis
tinguished evangelist, Dwight L.
Moody, preached sermon. the subject
of which was 1.-The Holy Spirit" He
said =
This afternoon l want to spea
about the work of the Holy Spirit. |
believe | was in the Church fully two
years before | learned about the work
of the Holy Ghost. l don't believe
there is a child here now but knows
about the Holy Ghost
when l was holding meetings in
Massachusetts, long ago, | heard an
old Presbyterian Deacon speak about
the Holy Ghost as Il person. He said
we should never mention or speak OF
the Spirit as it 1t was a personal
thing. and should be spoken of as He
or Him.
The Holy Ghost is a personal spirit
1t is prepared to carry conviction OF
sin TO man. There are people in
Brooklyn to day who cannot be coaxed
to come TO these meetings, where con
versions are being made, for fear of the
Holy Ghost. They are afraid. They
fear if they come here the Holy Ghost
will carry the message of conviction to
their hearts.
Sometimes, when you try to con-
vince these people of error, they get
angry. l have seen them go stamping
out of the meetings and leaving the
house when the sermon seemed to be
directly applied to them.
That isn't a bad sign. l would
rather see man that way than to
have him say: Yes. yes TO all have
to say to him, and then complacently
go Oh and live in the way of the world.
In Philadelphia, when We were
holding meetings there, a woman tried
to get her husband to attend. For a
long time he refused, and she prayed
and entreated. Finally she got him to
attend meeting. That night he went
away hopping mad and he remained
angry for a week. The poor woman
came to me and said Mr. Moody, |
don't know what is the matter with
my husband He won't speak to me.
LET him alone l said, because l
knew the Holy Ghost was working in
that mans heart.
"a few days after that the woman
came to Inc again, and said: Mr.
Moody, my husband said to me-:
'''See here. why did you go and tell
Mr.. Moody all about meY That impu
dent wretch went and held me up to
the scorn of 10000 people,
That man thought [ had learned all
about his shortcomings from his wife
When, in fact, the Holy Ghost had
filled him with conviction, and he
found it in the sermon.
Il wish | had the power to carry
saf, II - 4
to that man, and l would make you
think | was after you all personally
this afternoon"
Mr. Moody then spoke about sleep
ing Christians and sleeping churches,
saying:
God is not going to a cold, formal
once-and intended to ask Mr.. Spur
geon il it was true-that when he first
went to London to preach for the first
to Deacons and Elders. After IL time
they got tired of it and said to him:
See here, hadn't you better preach
to somebody else now? You've been
preaching at us for the past six months,
and we're tired of it. Give some one
else a show
when the necessity of preaching
at YOU is over. then [ will breach to
Others was Mr.. Surgeons answer.
What was the result? Il was this
For forty wears people from all over
the world flocked to hear that man
preach, and they heard eagerly and
gladly what he had to tell
When said Mr.. Moody. impressive
ly, we get SO we take preaching right
home TO ourselves then we are ready
to be convinced by the HOLY Ghost
that we are unbelievers. If we could
get this cursed unbeIief ont of orr
churches. then the love of Christ would
flame brightly. 1t is the work of the
HOLY Chest to impart grace.
You who have been converted will
remember what p flood of love for
everybody came over Won. You fairly
gushed over with love for all mankind
"A lady in London who had ex
perienced this went home and told her
husband that she believed she had he
come like John when he loved all the
brethren. Her husband at once named
over a lot of objectionable people and
at once she said: oh. I never thouoht
of them Now. that wasn't grace at
all. Any Hottentot could love that
way.
what We want also in the Church IS
liberty. We must get rid of this cursed
stiffness. The Hojy Ghost requires an
of liberty to work in
There is too much criticism. What do
we hear when we leave orr cbnrches
on SUNDAYS? One saws. How did Won
like the preachers Another answers :.
oh. l was very much disanpointed =
He wasn't as good as our old minister :,
Another saws: He is not eloonent, He
breaches too much to the heart and
not enough TO the head. mnst have
nrea ching that anneaIs tn NV intaliect
ualitv.' Another saws: He is too in
tellectual Unjust have preaching that
appeals TO the emotions,
Now. don't believe even Peter
couId have preached effectnallv if
Philip and Andrew and the other dis
ciples had stood bv and criticised No
he could not. bnt his GRAND sermons
were preached becanse ali the hrethren
held IN his hands Anv fool can criti-
else. ANY man without either heart
or brains can he a critic
I'VE live in an AGE Of criticism Peo-
ple overlook the Kindred GOOD things
their masters saw. nick ont the one
thing thew do not ike. and 90 home
and fear + to nieces Ano tben tbav
wonder whv the minister has no more