Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-25

OF themselves; men who snail witness
for God and the right. And again
hope that the story of Dwight L.
Moody's life may encourage Christian
workers who may feel that they have
not the education and intellectual brill
liancy which others have.
Dwight Lyman Moody was born il
the town of Mortified, Mass, on the
9Th of February, 1887. He came of the
good old Puritan stock which had early
settled in that State. His father owned
few acres of rough, stony ground on
which there was a comfortable little
farm house, situated near the limits
of the town. He was stonemason by
trade, but when the building trade was
slow he cultivated his little farm. The
farm was covered with mortgages, and
having failed in business, he died when
Dwight was only four years old. His
widowed mother was now left to care
for seven sons, the oldest boy being
only fifteen years of age. But she
bravely determined to care for them
all; she would not part with any of
them; and soon she had their little
hands doing odd jobs for the neig'hbors
for their support. She taught them
little Bible lesson each day, and sent
them to Sabbath school and church
regularly.
"At the age of seventeen young
Moody left Mortified and sought en-
ployment in Boston, where his uncle,
Mr.. Holton, was in business as shoe
merchant. Mr.. Rolton engaged his
country nephew with some reluctance
on two conditions: first, that the lad
would be governed by his advice, and,
secondly, that he would attend church
and Sabbath school regularly. The
preaching of the scholarly DR.. Kirk,
he was not qualified to comprehend;
consequently it made little impression
on him. But through the efforts of his
Sabbath school teacher, Mr.. Edward
Kinlball, he was converted and led to
Jesus. o, what a work that Sabbath
school teacher did! If the angels knew
of the souls that Moody was to be in
strumental in leading to the Savior,
surely there was more rejoicing in
heaven than usual over this sinner that
Mr.. Kimball has pursuaded to repent
ance Years afterward, when Mr..
Moody was preaching in Boston, he
was permitted to lead a son of that
Sabbath school teacher to Jesus, who
found peace in believing just at his
own age Of onversion-seventeen
years of age. Thus the bread cast
upon the waters by this teacher, in due
time, although years had passed, re-
turned through Mr.. Moody to his own
home in the conversion of his son.
Young Moody was a very unpromis-
ing convert in outward appearance at
first. He knew very little of the Scrip
lures. He was very bashful in the
presence of cultured, refined Chris
tians. He had poor command of words
to express his thoughts. l heard him
say in Chicago in sermon that he
knew how to sympathize with Moses
when he felt unfit to go and talk to
Pharoah because he was slow of speech.
His sentences were so awkward and
broken that his teacher became dis
couraged and said He was very I'M
likely ever to become a Christian of
clear and decided views of Gospel
truth, still less to fill any extended
sphere of public usefulness
They would not even receive him
in the church upon first application,
because they doubted if he understood
what he was doing So it was deferred
one year, and he was accepted as a
member in May 1856. After this he
only remained in Boston few months
In September, 1856, he went to Chicago