The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-06
MooDYS WEEKS WORK BEGUN
OVER THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE
AT YESTERDAYS MEETINGS.

The Independent Church Unable 10
Hold Half Who Went 40 Hear the
Great EvangeIist-The Efficacy al
Prayer the subject OF His SER
mons-The singing a Feature OF
the Services-MOody TO BE Here n
Week.
Evangelist Moody preached his first
sermon in Savannah yesterday afternoon.
At the afternoon and night services he
spoke to over 800 people.
His presence has given the revival, now
well advanced. a double impetus This
was evidenced by the audience at the In
dependent Presbyterian church in
the afternoon. Fifteen hundred peo-
pie were IN the church. The
auditorium was taxed to its seating ca
pacity, and many. who got in late, stood
I'm the vestibule and listened 10 the prac-
teal, but loving truths expOunded by the
great evangelist in his characteristic way.
Mr. Moody is a man who believes in
tensely and understands the most effective
and tender way of telling what he believes
and why he believes il. He sways his
auditors at will and possesses a
power to move them from tears to
laughter. He is master OF
assemblies, man of wonderful
sympathy and vitality. and from the time
of his conversion. years ago. his activity
and eagerness TO do good and bring sin
ners TO Christ have never relaxed. On
the contrary, his love for depraved man
kind has been the main spring of his
life's great work, laboring day in and
year out to spread the cause of Christ.
At 3:i5 O'Clock Mr.. Moody was at the
church and conducted a praise meeting
10 prepare the hearts OF his audience.
The local ministers were present to assist
the evangelist. The devotional services
were continued half an hour, when Mr..
Moody stepped UP to the pulpit, invoked
the presence OF the holy spirit. and began
his discourse on Prayer" He prefaced
his remarks with the injunction
that all who are interested in the success
of the meetings must go to work-must
do something TO extend the kingdom Of
God. Prayer" he said, lis necessary.
Christ was an example to his disciples
and to US. He prayed over all his
work. The night before He chose the
twelve apostles and preached
that grand sermon on the mount,
which has become familiar to
the Christian world. He spent in
prayer. God answered his prayers
When John baptized the master, He came
up praying. When He took Peter and John
up with Him at the TRANSPORTATION, he
sent up petitions that the almighty might
glOrify him. In Gethsemane an angel came
10 strengthen Him in answer to his fer
vent prayer
Il would rather be able to pray like Eli
jah," said Mr. Moody, than to preach
like Gabriel Eliiahs work was accom-
plished by the power of prayer"
The evangelist illustrated the efficacy
of prayer with practical experience. In
1872 he spent a few months in London to
sit at the feet of the Bible students there
to learn the truths OF that great book. At
Sabbath prayer meeting, a minister
asked him to preach at a mission on the
outskirts of the city. He accepted. The
service in the morning was cold and ire
spOnsive, as II is in many churches. The
spirit of prayer was lacking-the refresh
ing influence of the holy spirit was alb
sent. 1 dreaded the evening service, but
went and while preaching, that spirit,
which had been wanting in the morning
service, seemed to breathe out Gods love
and sympathy over the entire audience.
In response to an invitation TO those who
desired to become Christians, TO
meet me in the chapel after service, there
came more than the chapel could hold.
asked a minister there what was the
meaning of so many coming; He said
most of them were new to him. Both
marvelled. / told them to return Monday
night and went to Dublin that day. The
next day they telegraphed me TO return.
the various churches.
There is a sequel to all this" said Mr..
Moody. There was a bed-ridden woman
in London who was a member of that
church. She prayed that the spirit of
the congregation might be revived and
that / might come to preach there. Short
~ after was my visit to that flock, her
sister told her of my being there. The IN
valid said: God has answered my prayer
by sending him." She was praying while
I was preaching. All of this was I'M
lrmnMn ~ =
ward That womans prayer accomplish
ed more than my preaching. 1t was God s
work. / ask you all to pray and help
along this work. Make up your minds to
put aside a little time every day for
prayer. The Lord never taught his dis
ciples TO preach, but to pray. Many are
discouraged because their prayers are not
answered. You don't pray right Study
the Bible on prayer and you will find
that the trouble is at your door. If you
pray with the right spirit God will answer
as he did Moses at the burning bush,
Abraham, Christ, his disciples, and others
Some of the true elements of prayer
are conditional, based on alteration. God
is holy; We are sinful and unclean. Jot
held his own with the three men who came
TO him. After they left God called &c
him, and Job fell down in his
himself in the dust, and received his in
structions from on high. Christ taught
his disciples to pray, Our Father who are
In heaven, hallowed be Thy name" etc
God.
The second element is a confession o.
our sins 1t is folly to pray if you do no
confess your sins. Sin is like a bullet il
the body. You must get it out to be whole
"A physician extracts the bullet; Coo
makes US whole when we confess oul
sins. If you have a secret SIM your pray
ers are dead. Our sin separates us from
God"
The evangelist referred to a wife whC
came to him one day to influence her hus
band to Christ. Il questioned the wo
man about her treatment o
her husband, She acknowledged
that she was fractions and irrita
bic and got mad with him and finall,
lost her influence over him. / found sh
was the cause and not he of her trouble
! showed her where the whole trouble lay
She said she felt mean with herself, Blu
sorry. She confessed to her husband an,
asked his forgiveness. She was a change
woman. He came TO service and finall
Joined the church. Maybe some of yo
mothers and fathers have some comics
sion to make. You've got to live right a
home before you can exert the proper in
fluence over your children"
Mr.. Moody told a story of a father an
five drifting sons, illustrating the sam
truth of conversion. He told how father
and mothers had come to him about Their
children. Il never saw Gods work tax
a deep hold on people but what a goo
work WAS ACCOMPLISHED, out as we'll a