D.L. Moody - Articles, Sermons, And Notes

[nChrist]

Parting Words

But I have another story to tell. It was Ralph Wallace who told me of this one. A certain gentleman was a member of the Presbyterian church. His little boy was sick. When he went home his wife was weeping, and she said, "Our boy is dying; he has had a change for the worse. I wish you would go in and see him." The father went into the room and placed his hand upon the brow of his dying boy, and could feel the cold, damp sweat was gathering there; that the cold, icy hand of death was feeling for the chords of life. "Do you know, my boy, that you are dying?" asked the father. "Am I? Is this death? Do you really think I am dying?" "Yes, my son, your end on earth is near." "And will I be with Jesus to-night, father?" "Yes, you will be with the Savior." "Father, don't you weep, for when I get there I will go straight to Jesus and tell Him that you have been trying all my life to lead me to Him." God has given me two little children, and ever since I can remember I have directed them to Christ, and I would rather they carried this message to Jesus, that I had tried all my life to lead them to Him, than have all the crowns of the earth; and I would rather lead them to Jesus than give them the wealth of the world. I challenge any man to speak of heaven without speaking of children. "For of such is the kingdom of heaven."

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Power of Love

Love is the badge that Christ gave His disciples. Some put on one sort of badge and some another. Some put on a strange kind of dress, that they may be known as Christians, and some put on a crucifix, or something else, that they may be known as Christians. But love is the only badge by which the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ are known. "By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one toward another." Therefore, though a man stand before an audience and speak with the eloquence of a Demosthenes, or of the greatest living orator, if there is no love back of his words, it is like sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. I would recommend all Christians to read the thirteenth chapter of First Corinthians constantly, abiding in it day and night, not spending a night or a day there, but just go in there and spend all our time - summer and winter, twelve months in the year, then the power of Christ and Christianity would be felt as it never has been in the history of the world. See what this chapter says:

"Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

A great many are praying for faith; they want extra ordinary faith; they want remarkable faith. They forget that love exceeds faith. The Charity spoken of in the above verses, is LOVE, The fruit of the Spirit, the great motive-power of life. What the Church of God needs today is love - more love to God and more love to our fellow-men. If we love God more, we will love our fellow-men more. There is no doubt about that. I used to think that I should like to have lived in the days of the prophets; that I should like to have been one of the prophets, to prophesy, and to see the beauties of heaven and describe them to men; but, as I understand the Scriptures now, I would a good deal rather live in the thirteenth chapter of 1st Corinthians and have this love that Paul is speaking of, the love of God burning in my soul like an unquenchable flame, so that I may reach men and win them for heaven.

A man may have wonderful knowledge, that may unravel the mysteries of the Bible, and yet be as cold as an icicle. He may glisten like the snow in the sun. Sometimes you have wondered why it was that certain ministers who have had such wonderful magnetism, who have such a marvelous command of language, and who preach with such mental strength, haven’t had more conversions. I believe, if the truth was known, you would find no divine love back of their words, no pure love in their sermons. You may preach like and angel, Paul says, "with the tongues of men and of angels," but if you have not love, it amounts to nothing. "And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor," - a man may may be very charitable and give away all his goods, a man may give all he has, but if it is not the love of God which prompts the gift, it will not be acceptable with God. "And though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity" - have not love - "It profiteth me nothing." A man may go to the stake for his principles; he may go to the stake for what he believes, but if it is not love to God which actuates him, it will not be acceptable to God.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Power in Operation

The power we have been considering is the Presence of The Holy Spirit. He is omnipotent. Power in operation is the actions of the Spirit or the fruit of the Spirit. This we shall now consider. Paul writes in Galatians 5:16 etc.

"This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary, the one to the other; so that ye can not do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness against such there is not law. And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."

Now there is a life of perfect peace, perfect joy, and perfect love, and that ought to be the aim of every child of God; that ought to be their standard; and they should not rest until having attained to that position. That is God’s standard, where He wants all His children. These nine graces mentioned in this chapter in Galatians can be divided in this way: Love and peace and joy are all to God. God looks for that fruit from each one of His children, and that is the kind of fruit which is acceptable with Him. Without that we can not please God. He wants, above everything else that we possess, love, peace and joy. And then the next three - goodness, longsuffering and gentleness - are towards man. That is our outward life to those that we are coming in contact with continually - daily, hourly. The next three - faith, temperance, meekness - are in relation to ourselves; and in that way we can just take the three divisions, and it will be of some help to us. The first thing that meets us as we enter the kingdom of God, you might say are these first three graces: love, joy, and peace.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Power In and Upon

The Holy Spirit dwelling in us, is one thing; I think this is clearly brought out in Scripture; and the Holy Spirit upon us for service, is another thing. Now there are only three places we find in Scripture that are dwelling places for the Holy Ghost.

In the 40th chapter of Exodus, commencing with the 33rd verse, are these words:

"And he (that is Moses) reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work. "Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. "And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle."

The moment that Moses finished the work, the moment that the tabernacle was ready, the cloud came, the Shekinah glory came and filled it so that Moses was not able to stand before the presence of the Lord. I believe firmly, that the moment our hearts are emptied of pride and selfishness and ambition and self seeking, and everything that is contrary to God’s law, the Holy Ghost will come and fill every corner of our hearts; but if we are full of pride and conceit, and ambition and self seeking, and pleasure and the world, there is no room for the Spirit of God; and I believe many a man is praying to God to fill him when he is full already with something else. Before we pray that God would fill us, I believe we ought to pray Him to empty us.

There must be an emptying before there can be a filling; and when the heart is turned upside down, and everything is turned out that is contrary to God, then the Spirit will come, just as He did in the tabernacle, and fill us with His Glory. We read in 2nd Chronicles, 5th chapter and 13th verse:

"It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound, to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good; for His mercy endureth forever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord. So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the lord had filled the house of God."

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Picking up the Bible

The hardest thing, I will admit, ever a man had to do is to become a Christian, and yet it is the easiest. This seems to many to be a paradox, but I will repeat it; it is the most difficult thing to become a Christian, and yet it is the easiest. I have a little nephew in Chicago. When he was three or four years of age, he threw that Bible on the floor. I think a good deal of that Bible, and I didn't like to see this. His mother said to him, "Go, pick up your uncle's Bible from the floor." "I won't," he replied. "Go and pick that Bible up directly." "I won't." "What did you say?" asked his mother. She thought he didn't understand. But he understood well enough, and had made up his mind that he wouldn't. She told the boy she would have to punish him if he didn't, and then he said he couldn't, and by-and-by he said he didn't want to. And that is the way with the people coming to Christ. At first they say they won't, then they can't, and then they don't want to. The mother insisted upon the boy picking up the Bible, and he got down and put his arms around it and pretended he couldn't lift it. He was a great, healthy boy, and he could have picked it up easily enough. I was very anxious to see the fight carried on, because she was a young mother, and if she didn't break that boy's will, he was going to break her heart by-and-by. So she told him again, if he didn't pick it up, she would punish him, and the child just picked it up. It was very easy to do it when he made up his mind. So it is perfectly easy for men to accept the gospel. The trouble is, they don't want to give up their will. If you want to be saved, you must just accept that gospel; that Christ is your Savior; that He is your redeemer, and that He has rescued you from the curse of the law. Just say, "Lord Jesus Christ, I trust you from this hour to save me"; and the moment you take that stand, He will put His loving arms around you and wrap about you the robe of righteousness.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Peace Declared

When France and England were at war, a French vessel had gone off on a long voyage, a whaling voyage; and when they came back, the crew were short of water, and being now near and English port, they wanted to get water; but they were afraid that they would be taken if they went into that port; and some people in the port saw them, saw their signal of distress, and sent word to them that they need not be afraid, that the war was over, and peace had been declared. But they couldn’t make those sailors believe it, and they didn’t dare to go into port, although they were out of water; but at last they made up their minds that they had better go in and surrender up their cargo and surrender up their lives to their enemies than to perish at sea without water; but when they got in, they found out that peace had been declared, and that what had been told them was true. So there are a great many people who don’t believe the glad tiding that peace has been made. Jesus Christ made peace on the Cross. He satisfied the claims of the law; and this law which condemns you and me has been fulfilled by Jesus Christ. He has made peace, and now He wants us just to enjoy it, just to believe it. Nor is there a thing to hinder us from doing it, if we will. We can enter into that blessing now, and have perfect peace. The promise is: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." Now, as long as our mind is stayed on our dear selves, we will never have peace. Some people think more of themselves than of all the rest of the world. It is self in the morning, self at noon, and self at night. It is self when they wake up, and self when they go to bed; and they are all the time looking at themselves and thinking about themselves, instead of "looking unto Jesus" Faith is an outward look. Faith does not look within; it looks without. It is not what I think, nor what I feel, nor what I have done, but it is what Jesus Christ is and has done, and so we should trust in Him who is our strength, and whose strength will never fail. After Christ rose from the grave, three times, John tells us, He met His disciples and said unto them, "Peace be unto you." There is peace for the conscience through His blood, and peace for the heart in His love.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Peace

My little boy had some trouble with his sister one Saturday, and he did not want to forgive her. And at night he was going to say his prayers, and I wanted to see how he would say his prayers, and he knelt down by his mother and said his prayers, and then I went up to him, and I said, "Willie, did you pray?" "I said my prayers." "Yes, but did you pray?" "I said my prayers." "I know you said them, but did you pray?" He hung his head. "You are angry with your sister?" "Well, she had no business to do thus and so." "That has nothing to do with it; you have the wrong idea, my boy, if you think that you have prayed to-night." You see he was trying to get over it by saying, "I said my prayers to-night." I find that people say their prayers every night, just to ease their conscience. And then I said, "Willie, if you don't forgive your sister, you will not sleep to-night. Ask her to forgive you." He didn't want to do that. He loves the country, and he has been talking a great deal about the time when he can go into the country and play outdoors. So he said, "O, yes, I will sleep well enough; I am going to think about being out there in the country." That is the way that we are trying to do; we are trying to think of something else to get rid of the thought of these sins, but we cannot. I said nothing more to him. I went on studying, and his mother came down stairs. But soon he called his mother, and said, "Mother, won't you please go up and ask Emma if she won't forgive me?" Then I afterwards heard him murmuring in bed, and he was saying his prayers. And he said to me, "Papa, you were right, I could not sleep, and I cannot tell you how happy I am now." Don't you think there is any peace until your sins are put away. My dear friends, the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is the gospel of peace.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Obedience Explained

Suppose I say to my boy, "Willie, I want you to go out and bring me a glass of water." He says he doesn't want to go. "I didn't ask you whether you wanted to go or not, Willie; I told you to go." "But I don't want to go," he says. "I tell you, you must go and get me a glass of water." He does not like to go. But he knows I am very fond of grapes, and he is very fond of them himself, so he goes out, and some one gives him a beautiful cluster of grapes. He comes in, and says, "Here, papa; here is a beautiful cluster of grapes for you." "But what about the water?" "Won't the grapes be acceptable, papa?" "No, my boy, the grapes are not acceptable; I won't take them; I want you to get me a glass of water." The little fellow doesn't want to get the water, but he goes out, and this time some one gives him an orange. He brings it in and places it before me. "Is that acceptable?" he asks. "No, no, no!" I say, "I want nothing but water; you cannot do anything to please me until you get the water." And so, my friends, to please God you must first obey Him.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Over the River

A minister who had lost his child asked another minister to come and preach for him. He came and he told how he lived on one side of a river, and felt very little interest in the people on the other side, until his daughter was married and went over there to live, and then every morning he went to the window and looked over the river, and felt very much concerned about that town and all the people there. "Now," said he, "I think that as this child has crossed another river, heaven will be dearer to him than ever it has been before." Shall we not just let our hearts and affections be set on the other side of the river? It is but a step; it is but a vail; we shall soon be in the other world.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Over the Mountains

A lady had a little child that was dying. She thought it was resting sweetly in the arms of Jesus. She went into the room, and the child asked her, "What are those clouds and mountains that I see so dark?" "Why, Eddy," said his mother, "there are no clouds or mountains; you must be mistaken." "Why, yes, I see great mountains, and dark clouds, and I want you to take me in your arms and carry me over the mountains." "Ah," said the mother, "you must pray to Jesus; He will carry you safely." And, my friends, the sainted mother, the praying wife, may come to your bedside and wipe the damp sweat from your brow, but they cannot carry you over the Jordan when the hour comes. This mother said to her little boy, "I am afraid that it is unbelief that is coming upon you, my child, and you must pray that the Lord will be with you in your dying moments." And the two prayed, but the boy turned to her, and said, "Don't you hear the angels, mother, over the mountains, and calling for me, and I cannot go?" "My dear boy, pray to Jesus, and He will come; He only can take you." And the boy closed his eyes and prayed, and when he opened them a heavenly smile overspread his face, as he said, "Jesus has come to carry me over the mountains." Dear sinner, Jesus is ready and willing to carry you over the mountains of sin, and over your mountains of unbelief. Give yourself to Him.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Outflowing Streams

I would like to see some one just full of living water; so full that they couldn’t contain it; that they would have to go out and publish the Gospel of the grace of God. When a man gets so full that he can’t hold any more, then he is just ready for God’s service.

When preaching in Chicago, Dr. Gibson remarked in the inquiry meeting, "Now, how can we find out who is thirsty?" Said, he, "I was just thinking how we could find out. If a boy should come down the aisle, bringing a good pail full of clear water, and a dipper, we would soon find out who was thirsty; we would see thirsty men and women reach out for water; but if you should walk down the aisle with an empty bucket, you wouldn’t find it out. People would look in and see that there was no water, and say nothing." So said he, "I think that is the reason we are not more blessed in our ministry; we are carrying around empty buckets, and the people see that we have not anything in them, and they don’t come forward." I think that there is a good deal of truth in that. People see that we are carrying around empty buckets, and they will not come to us until they are filled. They see we haven’t any more than they have. We must have the Spirit of God resting upon us, and then we will have something that gives the victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil; something that gives the victory over our tempers, over our conceits, and over every other evil, and when we can trample these sins under our feet, then people will come to us and say, "How did you get it? I need this power; you have something that I haven’t got; I want it." O, may God show us this truth. Have we been toiling all night? let us throw the net on the right side; let us ask God to forgive our sins, and anoint us with power from on high. But remember, He is not going to give this power to an impatient man; He is not going to give to a selfish man; He will never give it to an ambitious man whose aim is selfish, till first emptied of self; emptied of pride and of all worldly thoughts. Let it be God’s glory and not our own that we seek, and when we get to that point, how speedily the Lord will bless us for good. Then will the measure of our blessing be full. Do you know what heaven’s measure is? Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over. If we get out heart filled with the Word of God, how is Satan going to get in? How is the world going to get in, for heaven’s measure is good measure, full measure, running over. Have you this fullness? If you have not, then seek it; say by the grace of God you will have it, for it is the Father’s good pleasure to give us these things. He wants us to shine down in this world; He wants to lift us up for His work; He wants us to have the power to testify for His Son. He has left us in this world to testify for Him. What did He leave us for? Not to buy and sell and to get gain, but to glorify Christ. How are you going to do it without the Spirit? That is the question. How are you to do it without the power of God?

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Other items in the Bibles

"Truly the man of God is never so great as when he is little in his own eyes, and nevermore exalted than when he sits lowly at his Master's feet."

Many have got a justifying Christ; they have the Christ who died on the board; they fully believe in His blessed atonement, but they have not got the risen, reigning, sanctifying One, who can still the storm, who can control and rule; One, who when the tempter is rising suddenly, can put His hand upon it and prevent it from rising. One who can speak, and so bring in a great calm. Oh! the calm of the ruling presence of Christ.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Open the Door

I heard of a little child some time ago who was burned. The mother had gone out and left the three children at home. The eldest left the room, and the remaining two began to play with fire, and set the place in a blaze. When the youngest of the two saw what she had done, she went into a little cupboard and fastened herself in. The remaining child went to the door and knocked and knocked, crying to her to open the door and let her take her out of the burning building, but she was too frightened to do it. It seems to me as if this was the way with hundreds and thousands. Christ stands and knocks, but they've got their hearts barred and bolted, because they don't know that He has come only to bless them.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Off for America

Previous to my coming across to this great country of ours, I was holding meetings in London. I took my ticket from there to Manchester to bid some friends good-by. When I got to the railway carriage I saw little groups of boys around two little fellows. Their coats were threadbare, with patches here and there carefully covering up the holes. Some good mother, it was evident, too poor to send them away in fine style, was trying to make them as neat as she could. The boys belonged to a Sunday-school in London, and the group around them were their school-mates, who had come down to bid them good-by. They shook hands, and then their Sunday-school teacher did the same, and wished them Godspeed. After that their minister came and took them by the hand, and breathed a prayer that they would be blessed. When they all had bade the boys good-by, a poor widow came up and put her arm around the companion of her son. Perhaps he had no mother, and she kissed him for his mother, and wished him good-by. Then she put her arms around the neck of the other boy, and he put his arms around her, and she began to weep. "Don't cry, mother," said the boy, "don't cry; I'll soon be in America, and I'll save money, and soon send for you to come out to me; I'll have you out with me. Don't cry." He stepped into the carriage, the steam was turned on, and the train was in motion when he put his head out of the window, and cried, "Farewell, dear mother"; and the mother's prayer went out, "God bless my boy, God bless my boy." Don't you think that when they came to America, and sent the first letter to England, that mother would run quickly to the door when the postman came with that letter? How quick that mother would take that letter and break the seal! She wants to hear good news. There is not one here who has not a message of good news, of glad tidings; better news than was ever received by a mother in England from a son in America, or from a mother in England by a son in America. It is glad tidings from a loving Savior; glad tidings of great joy.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________

[nChrist]

Master and Servant

There is a very sweet story of Elijah and Elisha, and I love to dwell upon it. The time had come for Elijah to be taken up, and he said to Elisha, "You stay here at Gilgal, and I will go up to Bethel." There was a theological seminary there, and some young students, and he wanted to see how they were getting along; but Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth, and thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And so Elisha just kept close to Elijah. They came to Bethel, and the sons of the prophets came out and said to Elisha, "Do you know that your master is to be taken away?" And Elisha said, "I know it; but you keep still." Then Elijah said to Elisha, "You remain at Bethel until I go to Jericho." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth and my soul liveth, I will not leave thee." "You shall not go without me, "says Elisha; and then I can imagine that Elisha just put his arm in that of Elijah, and they walked down together. I can see those two mighty men walking down to Jericho, and when they arrived there, the sons of the prophets came and said to Elisha, "Do you know that your master is to be taken away?" "Hush! keep still," says Elisha, "I know it" And then Elijah said to Elisha, "Tarry here awhile; for the Lord hath sent me to Jordan." But Elisha said, "As the Lord liveth and my soul liveth, I will not leave thee. You shall not go without me." And then Elisha came right close to Elijah, and as they went walking down, I imagine Elisha was after something; when they came to the Jordan, Elijah took off his mantle and struck the waters, and they separated hither and thither, and the two passed through like giants, dry shod, and fifty sons of the prophets came to look at them and watch them. They didn’t know but Elijah would be taken up right in their sight. As they passed over Jordan, Elijah said to Elisha, "Now, what do you want?" He knew he was after something. "What can I do for you? Just make your request known." And he said, "I would like a double portion of thy Spirit." I can imagine now that Elijah had given him a chance to ask; he said to himself, "I will ask for enough." Elisha had a good deal of the Spirit, but, says he, "I want a double portion of thy Spirit." "Well," says Elijah, "if you see me when I am taken up. you shall have it." Do you think you could have enticed Elisha from Elijah at that moment? I can almost see the two arm in arm, walking along, and as they walked, there came along the chariot of fire, and before Elisha knew it, Elijah was caught up, and as he went sweeping towards the throne, the servant cried, "My Father! My Father! The chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" Elisha saw him no more. He picked up Elijah’s fallen mantle, and returning with that old mantle of his master’s, he came to the Jordan and cried for Elijah’s God, and the waters separated hither and thither, and he passed through dry-shod. Then the watching prophets lifted up their voices and said, "The Spirit of Elijah is upon Elisha;" and so it was, a double portion of it.

May the Spirit of Elijah, beloved reader, be upon us. If we seek for it we will have it. Oh, may the God of Elijah answer by fire, and consume the spirit of worldliness in the churches, burn up the dross, and make us whole-hearted Christians. May that Spirit come upon us; let that be our prayer in our family altars and in our closets. Let us cry mightily to God that we may have double portion of the Holy Spirit, and that we may not rest satisfied with this worldly state of living, but let us, like Samson, shake ourselves and come out from the world, that we may have the POWER OF GOD.

____________________

These very old and beautiful articles, sermons, and notes can be used freely. However, you must give the author proper credit, never involve them with money, and never claim them as your own. Matthew 10:8 ........ Freely you received, freely give.

By Dwight Lyman Moody (1837-1899)
One Million Souls For Christ
Founder Of The Moody Bible Institute
And Moody Church In Chicago, Illinois
____________________