We can give here only brief extracts from the sermons of Mr. Moody; of more importance is Moody himself. Theodore L. Cuyler, D. D., gives this estimate of him: “Dwight L. Moody was undeniably the most extraordinary gospel preacher that America has produced in this century, as Spurgeon was the most extraordinary that Britain has produced. Both had all Christendom for their congregations.” A London writer, after following his discourses, gave this estimate of his preaching: “He is not eloquent, but very fluent; not poetical or rhetorical, but he never talks twaddle and seldom utters a sentence that is not well worth hearing. He is a rapid, too rapid a speaker; nevertheless, what he does say is sensible, forcible, and to the point, and not too long, which is a great advantage. He is American to the core, in speech, intonation, and vigor. His anecdotes are superabundant and for the most part the acquisition of his own experience; they are always apt, often most pathetic, and sometimes appalling. His earnestness is intense, his energy untiring, his courage leonine, his tact uncommon, and his love for souls most tender.” Mr. Henry Moorehouse, the Scotch preacher, gave this appraisal of Mr. Moody’s preaching:
“1. He believes firmly that the gospel saves sinners when they believe, and he rests on the simple story of a crucified and risen Savior. “2. He expects when he goes to preach that souls will be saved, and the result is that God honors his faith. “3. He preaches as if there never was to be another meeting, and as if sinners might never hear the gospel sound again. These appeals to decide now are most impressive. “4. He gets Christians to work in the after-meetings. He urges them to ask those who are sitting near them if they are saved. Everything about his work is very simple, and I would advise the workers in the Lord’s vineyard to see and hear our beloved brother, and if possible learn some blessed lessons from him in soulwinning.” A writer in the Edinburgh Review said of Mr. Moody’s preaching: “Mr. Moody is strikingly free from all pretense and parade; he speaks as one who thoroughly believes what he says, and who is in downright earnest in delivering his message. There is very little excitement; there is no extravagance, but the effect of the service is seen in the manifest impression produced on the audience.” The late Dr. R. W. Dale, of England, who was at first inclined to look with disfavor on Mr. Moody and his preaching, became impressed and wrote as follows: “Of Mr. Moody’s own power I find it difficult to speak. It is so real and yet so unlike the power of ordinary preachers that I hardly know how to analyze it. Its reality is indisputable. Any man who can interest and impress an audience of from three to six thousand people for half an hour in the morning, and for three-quarters of an hour in the afternoon, and who can
interest a third audience of thirteen or fifteen thousand people for three-quarters of an hour again in the evening, must have power of some kind. Of course, some people listened without caring much for what he said, but though I generally sat in a position which enabled me to see the kind of impression he produced, I rarely saw many faces which did not indicate the most active and earnest interest.” Another writer said: “Men who wrote and spoke against the movement, men who laughed at it, went to hear and came away with changed thoughts—six thousand people at the mid-day prayermeeting, six thousand at the afternoon Bible lecture, and ten thousand at the evening meeting, with the inquiry-rooms full, is something that even ‘the Exchange’ has to admit. But beyond this there is the mighty power of God’s Spirit, working and acting, which no tables can register, no numbers record.” Rev. Dr. Frederick Campbell, of Chicago, has this to say of his work: “Mr. Moody has once more proved himself to be a most remarkable instrument in the hands of Providence for working out divine plans. As a Christian he is thoroughly permeated with the spirit of the gospel, and baptized with the Holy Ghost. As an organizer he is a general; massing, distributing, and controlling forces of men and women in the most remarkable manner. I do not discover that there has been a failure in any of his plans; the audacity with which he has undertaken unheard-of things for Christ has been an assurance of success. If ordinary preachers had a little more of his audacity, with the faith and works that should accompany it, they would achieve greater things.” Here are a few pointed paragraphs from one of Mr. Moody’s sermons: “In the Gospel of John we read that at the tomb of Lazarus our Lord said to his disciples, ‘Take ye away the stone.’ Before the act of raising Lazarus could be performed the disciples had their part
to do. Christ could have removed the stone with a word. It would have been very easy for him to have commanded it to roll away, and it would have obeyed his voice, as the dead Lazarus did when he called him back to life. But the Lord would have his children learn this lesson: that they have something to do toward raising the spiritually dead. The disciples had not only to take away the stone, but after Christ had raised Lazarus, they had to ‘Loose him and let him go.’ “It is a question if any man on the face of the earth has ever been converted without God using some human instrument, in some way. God could easily convert men without us, but that is not his way. “ ‘What did you think of the preacher?’ says one. ‘Well, I must confess I was disappointed. I did not like his manner; he was not graceful in his actions.’ Another will say, ‘He was not logical’; another, ‘He did not preach enough about repentance’; another, ‘There was too much repentance and no gospel’; or ‘It was all repentance and no gospel.’ ‘The fact is,’ says someone, ‘he did not touch my heart at all’; others will say, ‘He was all heart and no head’; or ‘He appeals too much to the will.’ “You may find hundreds of such fault-finders among professed Christians; but all their criticisms will not lead one solitary soul to Christ. I never preached a sermon yet that I could not pick to pieces and find fault with. I feel that Jesus Christ ought to have a far better representative than I am. But I have lived long enough to discover that there is nothing perfect in the world.” In Mr. Moody’s preaching he violated most of the rules of homiletics and many of the rules of English, but he had a message from God and delivered it in the power of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven.
It would seem that his preaching, the enthusiasm he threw into it, and the wonderful results he was able to get from his work, should be an encouragement to every young man and woman in America to strip for the race and be ready for the call of soul-saving.