A Life's Retrospect

denying, and active piety has become more habitual and delightful, and sin in any and every form, as viewed in myself and in others, has become more and more hateful and painful, deformed and horrible, and vile and detestable and detested. My contemplations of the heavenly state are becoming more realizing; my aspirations for it are more fervent, and my desires for earthly things are more moderate. I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life I now live in the flesh is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me, and to me as well. Thus, by faith in Christ, my life has been a progressive life, has been a life of religious decision, of care for my own personal salvation, of devotional piety; a life of assurance of acceptance with God in Christ; a life of communion with the Holy Trinity, of upward and onward tendencies, of cheerful submission to providential allotments, of laborious usefulness in persuading men to reformation that flows from gospel salvation; a life of patriotic devotion to our country; a life of active opposition to intemperance and Sabbath desecration; and my closing prayer for all my family is, that our sons and daughters may walk by all these rules, and mind the same things, and meet wife and self in heaven."

He was a connecting link between the pioneer and the present ministry in Ohio. He diligently instructed the children in every pastoral charge; he observed and enjoined the quarterly fast; he urged and insisted upon attendance upon the

means of grace, of which he considered classmeetings not the least.

At the session of his Conference in 1886-I quote from the Minutes-"a committee was appointed to examine and report upon the manuscript autobiography of brother G. Moody, as requested by the Conference, and the following brethren were so appointed: R. S. Rust, A. Lowrey, C. H. Payne, William Herr, S. D. Clayton, A. B. Leonard, and J. F. Marlay." Appointed on the first day of the session, they reported on the fifth day as follows:

"The Committee, to whom was referred the manuscript autobiography of our venerable and beloved brother, Rev. Granville Moody, D. D., would respectfully report:

"1. We greatly rejoice in the presence of Dr. Moody with us at this session of our conference, and that we have been permitted to hear once more on the floor of the Conference, and in the devotional exercises of the session, the familiar tones of a voice which we have been so long accustomed to follow as that of a born, tried, and trusted leader. As a man evidently called of God to take a leading part in public and ecclesiastical affairs, and richly endowed by high qualities of physical, intellectual, and spiritual manhood, Dr. Moody has been a conspicuous and honored figure in the most eventful period of our country's history; a man distinguished above his fellows for labors abundant in Church and State, whose praise is not only in all the Churches, but which

also occupies a large place in the history of the great Rebellion, in which he bore so noble a part in defense of the Union.

"2. We rejoice that in his enforced retirement from active service, on account of impaired physical health, Dr. Moody has found time to collect the facts and incidents of his long and useful life in the form of an autobiography, which we have examined as fully as our time would allow, and which we take great pleasure in recommending for publication by the Western Book Concern, as a contribution of rare interest and value to our denominational and biographical literature."

This report was signed by all the committee, and was adopted by the Cincinnati Conference by a rising vote.

On Sunday morning, May 29, 1887, Dr. Moody, in company with his son, Charles P. Moody, was going from his country residence to Jefferson, Iowa, to preach a memorial sermon before the George H. Thomas Post, No. 23, G. A. R. In turning a corner a trace became detached; this allowed the breast-yoke to move forward, so that, the carriage-pole falling, both occupants of the carriage were hurled violently out. On the third day pneumonia of a type defying medical skill developed, and the end drew near. His life-long familiarity with the Scriptures was manifested during his closing days of life in his frequent repetitions of the "exceeding great and precious promises," which were as manna to his soul. He looked forward to the goodly company awaiting

him-bishops, ministers, and from the laity. He alluded to the more than eight thousand who, through his ministry, had been led to God; many of them would meet him. "Best of all who have been with me on earth, Lizzie will meet me there." A little later he uttered his last connected sentence, repeatedly exclaiming: "On the tree! on the tree!" At five minutes before six o'clock, on Saturday, June 4, 1887, his spirit departed, passing out of the Saturday night of earth into the unending Sabbath of a blessed eternity. The funeral services in the church at Mount Vernon were participated by Revs. Dr. Heald, pastor; Luke Fish, A. K. Baird; President W. F. King, of Cornell College; C. M. Sessions, I. W. Joyce, D. D. (now bishop), Chaplain J. H. Lozier, and Captain C. W. Kepler, of the G. A. R. Post.

Awaiting the resurrection of the just, his mortal remains rest in the soil of the State he chose for the home of his declining days, while his ransomed spirit sings with deeper fervor than earth could know, his favorite:

"Thou art my soul's bright morning star,

And thou my rising sun."

We trust this Autobiography may be full of pleasant reminiscences to the older readers, and an inspiration and guide to the younger.

SYLVESTER WEEKS.

CINCINNATI, September 3, 1889.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD.

Birth - Brothers and Sisters - Grandfather's House - Hard

Cider-Father's Literary Pursuits-Mother of Huguenot

Ancestry-"Boston Stone". Maternal Grandmother-

"Uncle Ben "-Baron Moody and the Grant Family-Sketch