Moody\'s Anecdotes And Illustrations
D >> Dwight L. Moody >> Moody\'s Anecdotes And Illustrations[Transcriber's Notes]
Here are the definitions of some unfamiliar (to me) terms.
antediluvian
Person who lived before the Biblical Flood. Very old or old-fashioned.
cavil
Raise irritating and trivial objections; find fault unnecessarily.
conies
Rabbits
Chromo (chromolithograph)
Colored print
livery (clothing)
Distinctive uniform.
tares
Weedy plants of the genus Vicia, especially the common vetch. Several
weedy plants that grow in grain fields.
[End Transcriber's Notes]
MOODY'S
ANECDOTES AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
RELATED IN HIS REVIVAL WORK
BY THE GREAT EVANGELIST
DWIGHT L. MOODY.
FULLY ILLUSTRATED FROM GUSTAVE DORE
REVISED EDITION.
EDITED BY
REV. J. B. McClure.
CHICAGO:
Rhodes & McClure Publishing Co.
1899
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1896 by the
Rhodes & McClure Publishing Company,
in the Office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.
All Rights Reserved.
PREFACE.
The breathless interest given to Mr. Moody's anecdotes while being
related by him before his immense audiences, and their wonderful power
upon the human heart, suggested to the compiler this volume, and led him
to believe and trust that, properly classified and arranged in book
form, they would still carry to the general reader a measure of their
original potency for good. The best anecdotes have been selected and
carefully compiled under appropriate headings, alphabetically arranged,
making the many stories easily available for the private reader and
public teacher. Mr. Moody's idiom has been strictly preserved. He tells
the story. "Gold" will be found scattered through the volume, which
includes Mr. Moody's terse declarations of many precious and timely
truths.
The compiler acknowledges the benefit received from the extended reports
of the Tabernacle meetings given in the Daily press of Chicago, also the
Hippodrome services reported in the New York papers, and the volume of
Addresses revised by Mr. Moody. With the earnest prayer that God's
blessing may accompany the reading of these stories that have blessed so
many thousands as they fell from the lips of the great Evangelist, this
volume is dedicated to the public by the compiler,
J. B. McClure
Chicago, Ill.
REVISED EDITION.
We retain in this, all that was in former editions and give forty pages
additional of new anecdotes, properly classified, taken from the revival
work in Boston and elsewhere. We also give engravings of Messrs. Moody,
Sankey, Whittle, and the late lamented P. P. Bliss, the four evangelists
who have so long and industriously labored together, and whose names
conjoined, are household words throughout the land. The hearty reception
already given by the public to this book justifies these improvements,
which are gladly made, and which lead the compiler to hope that in this
form the volume may prove yet more interesting and effective for good.
The engraving of Mr. Moody is from a copyrighted photograph by Gentile,
used by permission. That of Mr. Whittle is by the same artist.
J. B. Mc.
REVISED EDITION 1896
This edition includes additional anecdotes and many handsome and
appropriate illustrations.
Over one million copies of this book have been sold since the first
issue. No single volume in the history of literature on the American
continent has met with such a sale, and probably the only approximate
comparison in the world is that of "Pilgrim's Progress."
Both of these volumes, it should be noted, derive their merited power
and success from the vital truths of the Holy Scriptures which they so
aptly illustrate. May Heaven's blessing follow.
J. B. McClure
Chicago, Ill.
[Illustration: Portrait of D. L. Moody]
DWIGHT L. MOODY
Self-made, and conscious of the absolute truthfulness of every Bible
declaration, Dwight Lyman Moody is today, perhaps, the most independent
and powerful of living evangelists. Man, rather than books, and God,
rather than man, have been his study, and made his life intensely
individual, and one which has constantly increased in good works. In his
thirty-five years labor for Christ, from his mission class of fourteen
scholars in a Chicago saloon, down to the ten thousand listening souls
in the Halls of Europe and Tabernacles of America, he has been the same
faithful, persevering, original, and pungent D. L. Moody, with an
unshaken faith in God, and a burning desire for the conversion of souls.
At home Mr. Moody is cheerful and happy; in the social circle he is
genial and companionable; in the pulpit he is Truth on fire. His native
town is Northfield, Mass., where he was born February 5th, 1837. He is
therefore now, (1896), fifty-nine years old.
IRA D. SANKEY.
Ira David Sankey, known throughout the world as the companion of Mr.
Moody, was born in Edenburg, Pa., August 28, 1840. His musical talents
were early developed. Political glee clubs at first monopolized his
genius, but after his conversion in 1857, the Sunday School and Church
opened wider fields, in which he has since labored with increasing
usefulness. In June, 1870, at a Christian Convention in Indianapolis,
after a morning service, where Mr. Sankey led the singing, he met, for
the first time, Mr. Moody. "Where do you live! Are you married? What
business are you in?" at once inquired the Evangelist; "I want you."
"What for?" "To help me in my work in Chicago." "I cannot leave my
business," replied the now astonished singer. "You must," said Moody. "I
have been looking for you for the last eight years." And thus was Mr.
Sankey "called" to be the companion and helper of the great Evangelist.
They have been laboring together, for about a score of years.
[Illustration: Portrait of IRA D. SANKEY]
D. W. WHITTLE.
For many years D. W. Whittle has been engaged in evangelistic work,
giving it all his time, talents and energy. His first effort in
connection with Mr. Bliss, who afterwards became his companion in the
cause, was made over twenty years ago in a small town near Chicago. It
was on this occasion that he told the story, "Hold the Fort," which the
"Singing Evangelist" has rendered immortal. He is in the prime of life,
and earnestly devoted to the Master's cause. His discourses are concise
and clear, abounding with Scripture quotations, and, like those of Mr.
Moody, interspersed with pointed anecdotes and illustrations. His
preaching has been signally blessed wherever he has been called to
labor.
[Illustration: Portrait of D. W. WHITTLE]
P. P. BLISS
Philip Paul Bliss, the "Sweet Singer," was born in Clearfield County,
Pa., in 1837. It was not until after he had reached the period of
manhood that he "felt the stirrings of his musical gift." And then,
under the inspiration of his wife, he entered upon the study of musical
science, and laid the basis of his immortal "hymns," now sung around the
world. In 1864 he removed to Chicago, where his musical talent and
Christian character soon placed him in charge of the choir and Sunday
School of the First Congregational Church, and where he made the
acquaintance of D. W. Whittle, with whom, for the last five years of his
life he labored in the great Gospel work. Deep spirituality and
persuasiveness pervade all of Mr. Bliss' musical compositions. It is
doubtful if the world ever heard sweeter hymns. Had he lived longer we
should have heard more, but God, who raised him up for the work, called
him:
For those who sleep,
And those who weep,
Above the portals narrow
The mansions rise
Beyond the skies--
We're going home to-morrow.
[Illustration: Portrait of P. P. BLISS]
CONTENTS.
A
A Blind Man Preaches to 3,000,000 People
A Boy's Mistake--A Sad Reconciliation
A Business Man Confessing Christ
A Child at Its Mother's Grave
A Child Looking for its Lost Mother
A Child's Prayer Answered
A Child Visits Abraham Lincoln and Saves the Life of a Condemned Soldier
A Commercial Traveler
A Day of Decision
A Defaulter's Confession
A Distiller Interrogates Moody
A Dream
A Dying Infidel's Confession
A Father's Love for his Boy
A Father's Love Trampled under Foot
A Father's Mistake
Affection
Affliction
A Good Excuse
A Heavy Draw on Alexander the Great
A Little Boy Converts his Mother
A Little Boy's Experience
A Little Child Converts an Infidel
All Right or All Wrong
A London Doctor Saved after Fifty Years of Prayer
A Long Ladder Tumbles to the Ground
Always Happy
A Man Drinks up a Farm
A Man who Would not Speak to his Wife
A Mother Dies that her Boy May Live
A Mother's Mistake
An Emperor Sets Forty Million Slaves Free
Angry at First--Saved at Last
An Infidel who would not Talk Infidelity before his Daughter
An Irishman Leaps into the Life-boat
A Remarkable Case
A Rich Father Visits his Dying Prodigal
Son in a Garret and Forgives him
Arthur P. Oxley! Your Mother Wishes to See You
A Rumseller's Son Blows his Brains Out
A Sad and Singular Story
Assurance
A Story Moody Never Will Forget
A Voice from the Tomb
A Wife's Faith
A Zealous Young Lady
B
Believe
Bible Study
Black-Balled by Man--Saved by Christ
Blind
Broken Hearts
By the Wayside
C
Calling the Roll of Heaven
Cast Out but Rescued
Child Stories
Christian Work
Christian Zeal
Christ Saves
Condemned to be Shot
Confessing Christ
Conversion
D
Decision
Deliverance
"Deluged With Blood"
Dr. Arnott's Dog "Rover"
E
"Emma. This is Papa's Friend"
Engaging Rooms Ahead
Excused at Last
Excuses
F
Faith
Faith More Powerful than Gunpowder
"Father, Father, Come This Way"
Five Million Dollars
Forgiveness
Forty-one Little Sermons
Four-score and Five
"Free"
G
George H. Stewart Visits a Doomed Criminal
Get the Key to Job
Gold (Appears in many pages)
Governor Pollock and the Condemned Criminal
Grace
H
Heaven
"He Will Not Rest"
"Hold the Fort, for I am Coming"
How a Citizen Became a Soldier
How a Little Study Upset the Plans of a few Prominent Infidels
How a Young Irishman Opened Moody's Eyes
How Christ Expounded It
"How Funny You Talk"
How Moody's Faith Saved an Infidel
How Moody's Mother Forgave her Prodigal Son
How Moody Treated the Committees
How Moody was Blessed--Mark your Bible
How Moody was Encouraged
How Three Sunday-School Children Met their Fate
I
I Am not All Right
I Am not One of the Elect
I Am Trusting Jesus--A Young Lady's Trust.
I Can't Feel
"I Don't Know"
"If I Knew"
I Have Intellectual Difficulties
"I Know"
Infidel Books
Infidelity
Intemperance
It's Better Higher Up
"It Will Kill Her"
J
Jesus "Wants them All to Come"
Johnny, Cling Close to the Rock
Jumping into Father's Arms
L
Lady Ann Erkskine and Rowland Hill
"Let the Lower Lights be Burning"
Liberty
Liberty Now and Forever
Little Folks
Little Jimmy
Little Moody
Love
Love, not the Rattan, Conquers Little Moody
Love's Triumph in John Wannamaker's Sunday-School
M
Madness and Death
Money Blind
Moody and his Little Willie
Moody and the Dying Soldier
Moody and the Infidel
Moody and the Judge
Moody Asks a Few Questions
Moody a Young Convert
Moody in a Billiard Hall--A Remarkable Story
Moody in a California Sunday-School
Moody in Prison
Moody on Duty--How he Loves his Mother
Moody Puts a Man in his Prophets Room
Moody Visits Prang's Chromo Establishment
Moody with Gen. Grant's Army In Richmond
Moody's Declaration
Moody's First Impulse in Converting Souls
Moody's First Sermon on Grace
Moody's Little Emma
Moody's Mistake
Mothers Are Looking down from Heaven
"More to Follow"
Mr. Morehouse's Illustration
Mrs. Moody Teaching her Child
N
Napoleon and the Conscript
Napoleon and the Private
Never to see its Mother
Note What Jesus Says
O
Obedience
O, Edward
Old Sambo and his Massa
One Book at a Time
One Word
Out of Libby Prison
P
Parental
Peter's Confession
Praise
Prayer
Prayer Answered
Pull for the Shore
"Pull for the Shore, Sailor"
R
Rational Belief
Reaping
Reaping the Whirlwind
Removing the Difficulties
Reuben Johnson Pardoned
S
Sad Ending of a Life that Might Have Been Otherwise
Sad Lack of Zeal
Safe In the Ark
Sambo and the Infidel Judge
Satan's Match
Saved
"Saved"
Saved and Saving
Snapping the Chains
Song Stories
Sowing the Tares
Spurgeon and the Little Orphan
Spurgeon's Parable
Stubborn Little Sammy
Sudden Conversion (See Conversion)
T
Taking the Prince at his Word
Ten Years in a Sick Bed--yet Praising God
Terribly in Earnest
That is the Price of my Soul
"That is Your Fault"
The Arrows of Conviction
The Artist and the Beggar
The Bible
The Blind Beggar
The Blood
The Cross and Crown
The Cruel Mother--Hypothetical
The Czar and the Soldier
The Demoniac
The Drunken Father and his Praying Child
The Dying Boy
The Dying Child
The Eleventh Commandment
The Faithful Aged Woman
The Faithful London Lady
The Faithful Missionary
The Family that Hooted at Moody
The Fettered Bird Freed
The Finest Looking Little Boy Mr. Moody Ever Saw
The Horse that was Established
The "I am's," "I will's," Etc.
The Invitation
The King's Pardon
The Little Child and the Big Book
The Little Tow-headed Norwegian
The Loving Father
The Missing Stone
The Moody and Sankey Humbug
The Most Hopeless Man in New York now a Sunday-school Superintendent
The Orphan's Prayer
The Place of Safety
The Praying Cripple
The Praying Mother
The Prodigal Son
The Repentent Father
The Reporter's Story
The Rich Man Poor
The Scotch "Draw the Bible" on False Doctrine
The Scotch Lassie
The Scotch Lassie and Dr. Chalmers
The Sinner's Prayer Heard
The Skeptical Lady ?
The Sleep of Death
The Stolen Boy--A Mother's Love
The Two Fathers
The Way of the Transgressor is Hard
The Young Convert
The Young French Nobleman and the Doctor
Those Hypocrites
"Three Cheers"
True Love
Trust
Two Young Men
V
Very Hard, yet Very Easy
Very Orthodox
W
"We Will Never Surrender"
What a Woman Did
What Moody saw in a Chamber of Horror
Wisdom
Word Pictures
Why Did he not Take his Wife along?
"Won by a Smile"
Y
"You Know me, Moody"
Young Moody, Penniless in Boston,
is Warned by his Sister to "Beware of Pick-pockets"
D. L. MOODY'S
Anecdotes and Illustrations.
AFFECTION
Love, not the Rattan, Conquers Little Moody.
I remember when a boy, I used to go to a certain school in New England,
where we had a quick-tempered master, who always kept a rattan. It was,
"If you don't do this, and don't do that, I'll punish you." I remember
many a time of this rattan being laid upon my back. I think I can almost
feel it now. He used to rule that school by the law. But after a while
there was somebody who began to get up a movement in favor of
controlling the school by love. A great many said you can never do that
with those unruly boys, but after some talk it was at last decided to
try it. I remember how we thought of the good time we would have that
winter when the rattan would be out of the school. We thought we would
then have all the fun we wanted. I remember who the teacher was--it was
a lady--and she opened the school with prayer. We hadn't seen it done
before and we were impressed, especially when she prayed that she might
have grace and strength to rule the school with love. Well, the school
went on for several weeks and we saw no rattan, but at last the rules
were broken, and I think I was the first boy to break them. She told me
to wait till after school and then she would see me. I thought the
rattan was coming out sure, and stretched myself up in warlike attitude.
After school, however, I didn't see the rattan, but she sat down by me
and told me how she loved me, and how she had prayed to be able to rule
that school by love, and concluded by saying, "I want to ask you one
favor--that is; if you love me, try and be a good boy;" and I never gave
her trouble again. She just put me under grace. And that is what the
Lord does. God is love, and He wants us all to love Him.
True Love.
One day when I was in Brooklyn, I saw a young man going along the street
without any arms. A friend who was with me, pointed him out, and told me
his story. When the war broke out he felt it to be his duty to enlist
and go to the front. He was engaged to be married, and while in the army
letters passed frequently between him and his intended wife. After the
battle of the Wilderness the young lady looked anxiously for the
accustomed letter. For a little while no letter was received. At last
one came in a strange hand. She opened it with trembling fingers, and
read these words: "We have fought a terrible battle. I have been wounded
so awfully that I shall never be able to support you. A friend writes
this for me. I love you more tenderly than ever, but I release you from
your promise. I will not ask you to join your life with the maimed life
of mine:" That letter was never answered. The next train that left, the
young lady was on it. She went to the hospital. She found out the number
of his cot, and she went down the aisle, between the long rows of the
wounded men. At last she saw the number, and, hurrying to his side, she
threw her arms around his neck and said: "I'll not desert you. I'll take
care of you." He did not resist her love. They were married, and there
is no happier couple than this one. We are dependent on one another.
Christ says, "I'll take care of you. I'll take you to this bosom of
mine." That young man could have spurned her love; he could, but he
didn't. Surely you can be saved if you will accept the Saviour's love.
If God loves us, my friends, He loves us unto the end. "For God so loved
the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
How a Young Irishman Opened Moody's Eyes.
I want to tell you how I got my eyes open to the truth that God loves
the sinner. When I went over to Europe I was preaching in Dublin, when a
young fellow came up to the platform and said to me that he wanted to
come to America and preach. He had a boyish appearance; did not seem to
be over seventeen years old. I measured him all over, and he repeated
his request, and asked me when I was going back. I told him I didn't
know; probably I should not have told him if I had known. I thought he
was too young and inexperienced to be able to preach. In course of time
I sailed for America, and hadn't been here long before I got a letter
from him, dated New York, saying that he had arrived there. I wrote him
a note and thought I would hear no more about him, but soon I got
another letter from him, saying that he was coming soon to Chicago, and
would like to preach. I sent him another letter, telling him if he came
to call upon me, and closed with a few common-place remarks. I thought
that would settle him, and I would hear no more from him. But in a very
few days after he made his appearance. I didn't know what to do with
him. I was just going off to Iowa, and I went to a friend and said: "I
have got a young Irishman--I thought he was an Irishman, because I met
him in Ireland--and he wants to preach. Let him preach at the
meetings--try him, and if he fails, I will take him off your hands when
I come home." When I got home--I remember it was on Saturday morning--I
said to my wife: "Did that young man preach at the meetings?" "Yes."
"How did they like him?" "They liked him very much," she replied: "He
preaches a little different from you; he preaches that God loves
sinners." I had been preaching that God hated sinners; that he had been
standing behind the sinners with a double-bladed sword, ready to cut the
heads of the sinners off. So I concluded if he preached different from
me, I would not like him. My prejudice was up. Well, I went down to the
meeting that night, and saw them coming in with their Bibles with them.
I thought it was curious. It was something strange to see the people
coming in with Bibles, and listen to the flutter of the leaves. The
young man gave out his text, saying: "Let us turn to the third chapter
of John, and sixteenth verse: 'For God so loved the world that He gave
His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have everlasting life.'" He didn't divide up the text at all. He,
went from Genesis to Revelation, giving proof that God loved the sinner,
and before he got through two or three of my sermons were spoiled. I
have never preached them since.
The following day--Sunday--there was an immense crowd flocking into the
hall, and he said, "Let us turn to the third chapter of John, sixteenth
verse: 'For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting
life;'" and he preached the fourth sermon from this verse. He just
seemed to take the whole text and throw it at them, to prove that God
loved the sinner, and that for six thousand years he had been trying to
convince the world of this. I thought I had never heard a better sermon
in my life. It seemed to be new revelation to all. Ah, I notice there
are some of you here who remember those times; remember those nights. I
got a new idea of the blessed Bible. On Monday night I went down and the
young man said, "Turn to the third chapter of John, sixteenth verse;"
and he seemed to preach better than ever. Proof after proof was quoted
from Scripture to show how God loved us. I thought sure he had exhausted
that text, but on Tuesday he took his Bible in his hand and said: "Turn
to the third chapter of John, sixteenth verse,'" and he preached the
sixth sermon from that verse. He just seemed to climb over his subject,
while he proved that there was nothing on earth like the love of Christ,
and he said "If I can only convince men of His love, if I can but bring
them to believe this text; the whole world will be saved." On Thursday
he selected the same text, John iii., 16, and at the conclusion of the
sermon he said: "I have been trying to tell you for seven nights now,
how Christ loves you, but I cannot do it. If I could borrow Jacob's
ladder and climb up to heaven, and could see Gabriel there and ask him
to tell me how much God loves me, he would only say, "God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in
Him should not perish; but have everlasting life." How a man can go out
of this tabernacle after hearing this text, saying, "God does not love
me," is a mystery to me.
Love's Triumph in John Wannamaker's Sunday School.
Mr. John Wannamaker, superintendent of probably one of the largest
Sunday schools in the world, had a theory that he would never put a boy
out of his school for bad conduct. He argued if a boy misbehaved
himself, it was through bad training at home, and that if he put him out
of the school no one would take care of him. Well, this theory was put
to the test one day. A teacher came to him and said, "I've got a boy in
my class that must be taken out; he breaks the rules continually, he
swears and uses obscene language, and I cannot do anything with him."
Mr. Wannamaker did not care about putting the boy out, so he sent the
teacher back to his class. But he came again and said that unless the
boy was taken from his class, he must leave it. Well, he left, and a
second teacher was appointed. The second teacher came with the same
story, and met with the same reply from Mr. Wannamaker. And he resigned.
A third teacher was appointed, and he came with the same story as the
others. Mr. Wannamaker then thought he would be compelled to turn the
boy out at last. One day a few teachers were standing about, and Mr.
Wannamaker said: "I will bring this boy up and read his name out in the
school, and publicly excommunicate him." Well, a young lady came up and
said to him: "I am not doing what I might for Christ, let me have the
boy; I will try and save him." But Mr. Wannamaker said: "If these young
men cannot do it, you will not." But she begged to have him, and Mr.
Wannamaker consented.
She was a wealthy young lady, surrounded with all the luxuries of life.
The boy went to her class, and for several Sundays he behaved himself
and broke no rule. But one Sunday he broke one; and, in reply to
something she said, spit in her face. She took out her pocket-
handkerchief and wiped her face, but she said nothing. Well, she thought
upon a plan, and she said to him; "John,"--we will call him
John,--"John, come home with me." "No," says he, "I won't; I won't be
seen on the streets with you." She was fearful of losing him altogether
if he went out of the school that day, and she said to him, "Will you
let me walk home with you?" "No; I won't," said he, "I won't be seen on
the street with you." Then she thought upon another plan. She thought on
the "Old Curiosity Shop," and she said, "I won't be at home tomorrow or
Tuesday, but if you will come round to the front door on Wednesday
morning there will be a little bundle for you." "I don't want it; you
may keep your own bundle." She went home, but made the bundle up. She
thought that curiosity might make him come.
Wednesday morning arrived and he had got over his mad fit, and thought
he would just like to see what was in that bundle. The little fellow
knocked at the door, which was opened, and he told his story. She said:
"Yes; here is the bundle." The boy opened it and found a vest and a coat
and other clothing, and a little note written by the young lady, which
read something like this: