The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-15
DWIGHT L. MOODY TALKS
THE NOTED EVANGELIST DELIVERS
TWO LECTURES HERE.
The Bible His Topic-NOw DevOting
Himself to His Prison Lit
erature Work.

A.
Dwight L. Moody. well known evangelist,
who is devoting the latter years of his life
to the cause of prisoners III the jails and
penitentiaries of the country. has been in
the city since noon yesterday. Yesterday
afternoon and last night he made addresses
to audiences that completely filled the Cen
tral-avenue NJ T. Church. Hundreds who
were unable to press in through the dense
crowds at the doors turned away disap.
pointed There was regret that the meet
ings had not been held in Tomlinson Hall.
Governor Mount presided at the night meet
ing, referring TO the noble work of Mr.
Moody in introducing him. Mr.. Moody
made plea for the work in which he is
engaged. that Of placing proper Christian
literature in the hands of prisoners. He OK.
pressed pleasure that the young people arc
becoming interested in this work. a collec-
ton for the cause was taken. Mr.. Moody
then delivered talk on the Bible. After
he had talked an hour and half, he tried
to dismiss the audience, but 1T would not
leave, and after song Mr.. Moody con-
tinued for another half hour. Mr. Moody
convinced his hearers of the truth of his
assertion that he is not an old man vet.
He confessed to sixty years, but said that
he had never thought of getting old nor had
been called an old man, until lately Texas
newspaper spoke Of him as ''old Moody"
THE way the young people are taking
up the work in prisons and are carrying
the word of God to the fallen is very in
spring said Mr.. Moody. 1T is u calam-
ity when men and women think they must
get their spiritual nourishment from the
pulpit. / never saw man or woman back
slide who was feeding on the word Of God.
1t is more important that God speak to
me than that j speak to him. If | can
get you interested in the Bible SO that you
may study it and get Gods message, i
shall go away feeling that good has been
done. 1t is important that we know how
to take the Bible. If man gets into the
pulpit and cuts the Bible. he is doing the
devils work better than the devil himself.
The drunkard may want to cut out that
part which says no drunkard shall enter
the kingdom of Heaven The rumseler
may want to cut out that part which says
Woe to him that .putteth the bottle to his
neigh6ors lips These men that like to
take Sunday bicycle outings may say, %
don't believe the commandment, 'Remem-
Der the Sabbath day to keep it holy" The
may say they don't believe the Bible means
what it says. The stuff they take home
is not 1T, to place in the hands of their
sons. But then there is the Monday bar
gain column The mother wants to read
that on Sunday. Then she goes around
whining because her boys go astray from
the influences of what they read! You don't
want to cut the Bible. When God says,
Remember the Sabbath day.. he means it.
1T is the fashion for men to say they
don't believe all the Bible. don't believe the
Old Testament. Christ says that not one
word of the Scriptures is to be broken. The
New Testament was not written when He
said that. oh they ask us, do you claim
that the whole Bible is inspired?' No. we
do not claim that it is inspired 1t is given
was not inspired, or If he was it was by
the devil, but some one was inspired to give
the history. | don't try to explain all the
Bible nor understand nor interpret it. but
let it alone-just believe it. 1t don't take
a man long to tell all he knows, but 1T takes
him a long time to tell all he don't know
SUPERNATURAL BIBLE.
Mr.. Moody went on to illustrate how in
terdependent the various portions of the
Bible are, many books of the New Tesla
ment being saturated with quotations from
the old. He had no patience with those
men who doubt the Bible because of it's
supernatural nature. If it were not for it's
supernatural truths he said that he would
not think it worth carrying down to the
hotel. The portion Of the Bible most people
are willing to accept in its entirety, he said,
was the four gospels, and yet they are the
most supernatural in the whole book.
There was not a day but Christ did some
supernatural thing, whether ii was making
the blind see, sitting the storm, walking on
the water or raising the dead. His resur-
rection was the most supernatural of all.
Thank God we don't worship a dead Jew.
Do you think we would be here tonight If
Christ had not trimuphed over the natural
and arose from the dead? DO you believe
the story of Jonah and the whale? a. man
once asked me. Yes j do. If you don't give
up that you don't have to give up the
resurrection of Christ. He connected the
two events. He said that even as Jonah
was in the whale three days so the Son of
Man must be in the grave. believe it is
the devil that tries to get us to leave out
the story of Jonah, knowing that then he
can get us to leave out the resurrection. |
believe that God could make a. great fish
large enough to swallow the whole world.
What we want is for men and women to
stand by the whole Bible. Take the whole
book. When you come to something you
don't understand let it alone. You will get
light on 1T by and by. Every day, L learn
something / did not know about the Bible
before"
Mr.. Moody took up the subject of Bible
study. He said there were many ways of
studying. and he could only offer few
suggestions 1t was good thing, he SAD,
to take one book at a time. getting tele-
scopic view of it, afterward delving into it
more minutely.
IF you have a long day-a Sunday some
time, when you have no Sunday papers to
read-you might take a long book like Jere-
miah. Others days when you have not so
much time. take some of the shorter books.
Study it carefully for the key. For in
stance, you Will ma the WOru KNOW OC-
ours thirty-two time in John. That is the
key. Cling to the old doctrines. II you will
take my advice, keep out of the new isms
of the day. Don't you want to come over
and talk to the spirits of your dead friends?
l have been asked. When they turn out the
gas. 1 get out. God brought me out of
darkness forty years ago. l am not going
back into it with my eyes open. A woman
once said to me, Brother Moody. | don't
like your theology T wish you would tell
me what my theology is. / replied I have
never been able to discover She could not
tell me- We'll. / don't like your preaching.
don't like your way of pitching into that
elder brother In Lukes story of the prodigal
SON. Did you ever hear of one admirable
quality he had?' Yes, sir; he stayed at
home and took care of his father Then |
asked her why he did not welcome home his
brother? If you know a man who is angry
when the wanderer returns, he is about the
meanest man on earth. How can you get
along without the old doctrine of repent
ance? How can God convert a man who
does not repent and want 70 be converted?''
In conclusion, Mr.. Mccoy said that he was
greatly impressed with the reply of a man
who was preaching holiness, when he was
asked if he believed a man could become
perfect. Perhaps not perfect, but blame
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