River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-07-22


he would let God
show to the world what he could
do with one man fully surrendered
to his will The beginning was
small. First a group of ragged
children in an abandoned freight
car, which grew into a large Sun
day school numbering now about
1000 scholars. Then a church which
has now about 1900 members. Then
the Moody Bible institute, which has
trained and sent out into all parts of
the earth $500 Christian workers, 460
of whom are on the foreign field.
Through the laEors of Moody and
Sankey and afterward of Torrey and
Alexander, two great evangelistic
movements, beginning in Chicago,
have become worldwide, resulting in
the conversion of millions. Growing
out of Mr.. Moody's evangelistic work
came the Mortified Bible conference
and many other Bible conferences
now blessing the land, the Northfield
schools, Y. M. G. A. building in al
most every great city of Christendom
and vast amount of religious books
and periodicals.
The secret of the success of this
great movement can be found in the
Scriptures and John 3:77 expresses
much: eye must be born again" D.
L. Moody was not reformer or on
educator, though he was in sympathy
with reformatory work and Christian
od1 no
ton is really at the basis of all true
reformation and education. To him,
however, the gospel of Christ was the
panacea for all the ills of the earth.
To save a man was better than to
reform or educate him. Salvation, he
believed, promoted temperance, made
pure politics and gave a foundation
for education fitting men for earth
and heaven. Mr.. Moody believed that
the new birth is sudden, instanta.
neous experience. the beginning of a
lifetime Of growth in Christ. He was
fond of saying that Zaccheus was con-
verted somewhere between the limb
on the sycamore tree and the ground.
Beginning to save a man a hundred
y
place in his theology, though he was
willing enough to admit the influence
of heredity. 1t was his constant pur-
pose, therefore, to bring people to an
immediate decision for Christ.
The scripture, however, which gives
the very heart of the Moody move
ment is Mark 1:17, in connection with
1. Cor. 1922: Come We after me and
I will make you to become fishers of
men," II am made all things to al!
men that I might by all means save
some" D. L. Moody had a passion
for souls. His heart was on fire with
love for lost sinners and his en-
thusiasm kindled the fire in the hearts
of others. He studied the Bible that
he might win souls to Christ. He held
Bible conferences with the single pur-
pose of preparing men and women to
be better soul winners.
d. L. Moody was pre-eminently an
evangelist, and the consuming pur-
pose of his life was "by all means to
save some" He could not be happy
unless souls were saved. Christian
Joy he considered spurious unless it
was associated with soul-winning
Holiness was a sham, If it did not re-
suit in winning souls.
A third scripture which explains
another feature of the Moody move
ment is Eph. 5:18-19: "Be filed with
the spirit; speaking to yourselves in
psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs" The hymnology of the
church all down the ages is made up,
for the most part, of praise and prayer
to God. The chant in the Hebrew
temple and the synagogue was most
ly praise and prayer in scripture Ian
guage. Such are some of our most
popular hymns like Jesus Lover Of
MY Soul" ''Rock of Ages" Come,
Thou Almighty King" They are full
of Gospel truth in the form of praise
and prayer to God, and they will
never wear out. Many of them will
be appropriate in heaven. But it re-
NAMED for the Moody movement to
respond to the spirit Of the text in
singing directly to the people. 1t gave
to the world a phrase Gospel Song"
which means a song written for the
purpose of carrying the gospel into
the hearts of the hearers.
The fourth scripture which still
further defines the Moody movement
is Matthew 23:10: zone is your
MASTER even Christ" in connection
with I. Cor. 1875: There are diff,
ferences of administration, but the
same Lord" God used D. L. Moody
to unity evangelical Christianity more
than any other man of the nineteenth
century. Before he went to England
the Church of England and the non
conformists were like the Jews and
Samaritans, having little If any deal
ings with each other. Before he left
England hundreds of them were in
beautiful Christian harmony working
together for the salvation of the lost.
Mr.. Moody used his genius for or
ganization, not in the founding of
new denomination, which he might
have done, but in bringing together all
denominations for the evangelization
of the people. His creed was, like
that of the Apostle Paul, Christ and
him crucified." And to every one who
stood with him under the blood, trust
ing. loving and worshiping his Saviour
and Lord, he gave the hand of fell