Moody's Anecdotes and Illustrations

.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.1’ I remember many a time of this rattan being laid upon my back. 1 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 thit 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 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 t em. 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.”

Affectum, AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 7

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 •trange 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 v ‘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 Godlov«d the sinner, and before he got through two or three of my sermons were spoiled. I have never preached them since.

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