Go and Hear Moody

At Kansas City, on Wednesday, Nov. 15, we heard the distinguished evangelist Dwight L. Moody speak in convention hall. The crowd of several thousand began gathering forty minutes before the time of the services, so eager were the people to secure available seats. The hall has a seating capacity of 15,000, and speaker can be heard in every part of it.

The crowd was a plain looking people, not fashionably dressed, and evidently the church going people. In the sea of upturned faces and in the volume of voices through the spacious auditorium, the singing of the hymn, "He Leadeth Me," resounded with reverberating force, and lent power as reverberation upon reverberation was lost in the fading sound. What deep anxiety was felt in catching refrain after refrain of song and music. The thousands of hearts were pulsating with breathless silence while catching each note of song of the choir and utterance of the speaker. Voice and sound were audible throughout, and could be heard distinctly. Mr. Moody has a deep and sonorous voice with a slight nasal twang, indicating his Yankee character. The craning of necks in deep silence, to catch every sound of voice and every movement or gesture of the speaker, showed the eagerness of the crowd to hear the noted evangelist.

Mr. Moody has a rotund figure, short in stature, scockily built, and denoting health and strength and right living. The large crowd gave power and momentum to the speech of the speaker. The whispering of the hymn, "Even Me," by the choir was heard in profound silence.

At the beginning of his talk Mr. Moody said, "don't move, don't stir, don't walk, stay where you are." The prayer was heard distinctly in the remote corners.

The lesson was on humility, and fitting the desire of some of our friends to learn of Mr. Moody "Is he spiritual?" He chose the text, Acts 1:8: "He shall have power after the Holy Ghost is come upon him." He said the disciples did nothing, but each one wanted to be the greatest. Christ washed the feet of them, teaching them humility. The lack of the church today is the Holy Ghost power. Mr. Moody showed the difference between influence and Holy Ghost power. Ahab had influence and Elijah had power. Influence robs men of Holy Ghost power. He could find 10,000 Lots to one Abraham. He said, go against certain customs if you want Holy Ghost power. He interested his hearers. They were moved by his talk and assented to it by the profound attention given.

Mr. Moody's power through the Holy Ghost drew to him the multitude of people. It was not influence but the power of the spirit that drew the people to him.

The country is shocked and pained to hear of Mr. Moody's recent affliction, and it is feared that his career as an evangelist is ended.