Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1894-03-14
GOD SPELLS III.
1 rouching Story Told BY Mr.. Moody.


Mr.. Moody was more than usually in
teresting in his sermon.
Suddenly his manner changed.
Suppose that l was to announce that
in coming into this hall l had lost dia-
mond ring somewhere between the door
and this platform, and would give sl0,-
600 reward to any one who found it and
returned il TO me before to morrow night.
What would you do = I'll tell you. Ev-
| cry one of you would make up your mind
to work for that reward. Your heads
would be full of diamonds and not anoth-
er 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 Wash
ington to get you out of here. You'd be
willing to stay all night. There would
be no need of theologians 70 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 suggested that
you 90 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 finding
that $4,000.
"Man, isn't eternal life worth more than
$4,000?
Think Of the gospel of that glorious
gift of God. Oh, how wish | could |
could preach it / try, but cannot grasp
it. Life without end, man, think Of it !"
1t was the feeling Of the heart, he said,
that made prayer delight to God. DR..
Bonner used to tell the story of a 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 10 help, but he did
not know how to pray. In the poorhouse
where he had been reared he had been
taught TO say the alphabet, SO, throwing
himself on his knees, he proceeded to re-
peat A b C with all his heart. A man
passing along heard him, and, perceiying
that he was in the attitude of prayer,
asked what he was doing.
az 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 / know, and thought
If told God the letters He could spell
out what wanted
"God will always spell out what's in
your hearts," exclaimed the preacher
"God understands what you mean; what
little children mean, for you are all His
children. The Lord wants no oration.-
He wants your hearts.
"Once in Philadelphia, when | was
preaching at the old depot, man came
to the meeting and went home mad with
his wife and stayed mad for week. He
was harder to cool down than most Amer
leans; they usually get over it in twenty
four hours, and an Englishman takes
about two days to cool when you get him
we'll heated. But this man, after he had
been mad about week, finally conde-
sceDded to explain to bis wife, and asked
her what in the world she had gone and
told Mr.. Moody all about his personal
faults and weaknesses for. Il never
said word to him, said the wife. We'll,
then, you wrote to him or got some one
else TO- said the man. The idea Of his
going to work and making public ex-
ample of me and holding me up before
10000 people as he did,
"Why, bless you, the man was convict
ed and thought had beeen preaching at
him. | only wish | had the power to see
through the hearts Of every one. | tell
you would go through this audience in
way that would make them stop to
think. Yes, / would. I'd begin right
here" pointing down into the audience
and making sixteen men squirm with an
indefinite wave Of his finger. "But it is
not 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
fame and the golden radiance Of heaven
shining from every hair Of bis head and
he could never convict soul. II is not
the business Of angels. II is the especial
power Of the Holy Ghost"
Watching the Hour Glass.
As iniser counts his gold, night and day.
fI,o min toll IN he ola