Moody's Anecdotes
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Dwight L. Moody
Dwight L. Moody (1837-1899) was a highly acclaimed late 19th century evangelist and preacher. Among other schools and institutions, he founded the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago in 1886 and the Bible Institute Colportage Association, now Moody Publishers, in 1894. He is author of several books, including Christ in You and Spiritual Power.
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Moody's Anecdotes - Dwight L. Moody
Anecdotes
Incidents and Illustrations
BY
D. L. Moody
THE MOODY PRESS
CHICAGO
© 1898 edition by
THE MOODY BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
ISBN: 978-0-8024-8814-5
We hope you enjoy this book from Moody Publishers. Our goal is to provide high-quality, thought-provoking books and products that connect truth to your real needs and challenges. For more information on other books and products written and produced from a biblical perspective, go to www.moodypublishers.com or write to:
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Contents
Preface
Anecdotes, Incidents and Illustrations
Topical Index
PREFACE
_________
When I was preaching in Baltimore in 1879, an infidel reporter, who believed I was a humbug, came to the meetings with the express purpose of catching me in my remarks. He believed that my stories and anecdotes were all made up, and he intended to expose me in his paper.
One of the anecdotes I told was as follows:
A gentleman was walking down the streets of a city some time before. It was near Christmas-time, and many of the shop windows were filled with Christmas presents and toys. As this gentleman passed along, he saw three little girls standing before a shop window. Two of them were trying to describe to the third the things that were in the window. It aroused his attention, and he wondered what it could mean. He went back, and found that the middle one was blind—she had never been able to see—and her two sisters were endeavoring to tell her how the things looked. The gentleman stood beside them for some time and listened; he said it was most interesting to hear them trying to describe the different articles to the blind child—they found it a difficult task.
That is just my position in trying to tell other men about Christ,
I said; I may talk about Him; and yet they see no beauty in Him that they should desire Him. But if they will only come to Him, He will open their eyes and reveal Himself to them in all His loveliness and grace.
After the meeting this reporter came to me and asked where I got that story. I said I had read it in a Boston paper. He told me that it had happened right there in the streets of Baltimore, and that he was the gentleman referred to! It made such an impression on him that he accepted Christ and became one of the first converts in that city.
Many and many a time I have found that when the sermon—and even the text—has been forgotten, some story has fastened itself in a hearer’s mind, and has borne fruit. Anecdotes are like windows to let light in upon a subject. They have a useful ministry, and I pray God to bless this collection to every reader.
ANECDOTES, INCIDENTS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
_______________
Wanted—A New Song!
There was a Wesleyan preacher in England, Peter Mackenzie, full of native humor, a most godly man. He was once preaching from the text: And They Sang a New Song,
and he said:
"Yes, there will be singing in heaven, and when I get there I will want to have David with his harp, and Paul, and Peter and other saints gather around for a sing. And I will announce a hymn from the Wesleyan Hymnal. ‘Let us sing hymn No. 749—’
My God, my Father, while I stray—
"But some one will say, ‘That won’t do. You are in heaven, Peter; there’s no straying here.’ And I will say, ‘Yes, that’s so. Let us sing No. 651—’
Though waves and storms go o’er my head,
Though friends be gone and hopes be dead—
"But another saint will interrupt, ‘Peter, you forget you are in heaven now; there are no storms here.’ ‘Well, I will try again, No. 536—’
Into a world of ruffians sent—
"‘Peter! Peter!’ some one will say, ‘we will put you out unless you stop giving out inappropriate hymns.’ I will ask—what can we sing? And they will all say:
‘Sing the new song, the song of Moses and the Lamb.’
Nothing to Hold On To
It is related of an atheist who was dying that he appeared very uncomfortable, very unhappy and frightened. Another atheist who stood at his bedside said to him:
Don’t be afraid. Hold on, man, hold on to the last.
The dying man said: That is what I want to do, but tell me what to hold on to?
What Could the King Do?
In the second century they brought a Christian before a king, who wanted him to recant and give up Christ and Christianity, but the man spurned the proposition. But the king said:
If you don’t do it, I will banish you.
The man smiled and answered, You can’t banish me from Christ, for He says He will never leave me nor forsake me.
The king got angry, and said: Well, I will confiscate your property and take it all from you.
And the man replied: My treasures are laid up on high; you cannot get them.
The king became still more angry, and said: I will kill you.
Why,
the man answered, I have been dead forty years; I have been dead with Christ, dead to the world, and my life is hid with Christ in God, and you cannot touch it.
What are you going to do with such a fanatic?
said the king.
Always Praising
A man was converted some years ago, and he was just full of praise. He was living in the light all the time. He used to preface everything he said in the meeting with Praise God!
One night he came to the meeting with his finger all bound up. He had cut it, and cut it pretty bad, too. Well, I wondered how he would praise God for this; but he got up and said:
I have cut my finger, but, praise God, I didn’t cut it off!
If things go against you, just remember they might be a good deal worse.
Not at all Absurd
A man said to me some time ago, "Moody, the doctrine you preach is most absurd: you preach that men have only to believe to change the whole course of their life. A man will not change his course by simply believing."
I said—I think I can make you believe that in less than two minutes.
No, you can’t,
he said; I’ll never believe it.
I said, Let us make sure that we understand each other. You say a man is not affected by what he believes, that it will not change the course of his actions?
I do.
Supposing,
I said, a man should put his head in at that door and say the house was on fire, what would you do? You would get out by the window if you believed it, wouldn’t you?
Oh,
he replied, I didn’t think of that!
No,
I said, I guess you didn’t.
Belief is the foundation of all society, of commerce, and of everything else.
Not Too Great for Cæsar
It is said that on one occasion when Cæsar gave a very valuable present, the receiver replied that it was too costly a gift. The Emperor answered that it was not too great for Cæsar to give.
Our God is a great King, and He delights to give gifts to us: so let us delight to ask Him for great things.
A Good Samaritan
I remember the first good Samaritan I ever saw. I had been in this world only three or four years when my father died a bankrupt, and the creditors came and swept away about everything we had. My widow mother had a cow and a few things, and it was a hard struggle to keep the wolf from the door. My brother went to Greenfield, and secured work in a store for his board, and went to school. It was so lonely there that he wanted me to get a place so as to be with him, but I didn’t want to leave home. One cold day in November my brother came home and said he had a place for me. I said that I wouldn’t go, but after it was talked over they decided I should go. I didn’t want my brothers to know that I hadn’t the courage to go, but that night was a long one.
The next morning we started. We went up on the hill, and had a last sight of the old house. We sat down there and cried. I thought that would be the last time I should ever see that old home. I cried all the way down to Greenfield. There my brother introduced me to an old man who was so old he couldn’t milk his cows and do the chores, so I was to do his errands, milk his cows and go to school. I looked at the old man and saw he was cross. I took a good look at the wife and thought she was crosser than the old man. I stayed there an hour and it seemed like a week. I went around then to my brother and said:
I am going home.
What are you going home for?
I am homesick,
I said.
Oh well, you will get over it in a few days.
I never will,
I said. I don’t want to.
He said, You will get lost if you start for home now; it is getting dark.
I was frightened then, as I was only about ten years old, and I said, I will go at daybreak to-morrow morning.
He took me to a shop window, where they had some jackknives and other things, and tried to divert my mind. What did I care for those old jackknives? I wanted to get back home to my mother and brothers; it seemed as if my heart was breaking.
All at once my brother said, Dwight, there comes a man that will give you a cent.
How do you know he will?
I asked.
"Oh! he gives