The two men had many similarities. Both were raised in
Christian homes. Both were skilled orators. Both traveled extensively and were
widely respected. Both drew immense crowds when they spoke and attracted loyal
followings. But there was one striking difference between them-their view of
God.
Ingersoll was an agnostic and a follower of
naturalism; he had no belief in the eternal, but stressed the importance of
living only in the here and now. Ingersoll made light of the Bible, stating that
"free thought will give us truth." To him the Bible was "a fable, an obscenity,
a humbug, a sham and a lie."' He was a bold spokesman against the Christian
faith. He claimed that a Christian "creed [was] the ignorant past bullying the
enlightened present."'
Ingersoll's contemporary, Dwight L. Moody, had
different convictions. He dedicated his life to presenting a resurrected King
to a dying people. He embraced the Bible as the hope for humanity and the cross
as the turning point of history. He left behind a legacy of written and spoken
words, institutions of education, churches, and changed lives.
Two men. Both powerful speakers and influential
leaders. One rejected God; the other embraced him. The impact of their
decisions is seen most clearly in the way they died. Read how one biographer
parallels the two deaths.
Ingersoll died suddenly. The news of his death stunned
his family. His body was kept at home for several days because his wife was
reluctant to part with it. It was eventually removed for the sake of the
family's health.
Ingersoll's remains were cremated, and the public
response to his passing was altogether dismal. For a man who put all his hopes
on this world, death was tragic and came without the consolation of hope.
Moody's legacy was different. On December 22, 1899,
Moody awoke to his last winter dawn. Having grown increasingly weak during the
night, he began to speak in slow measured words. "Earth recedes, heaven opens
before me!" Son Will, who was nearby, hurried across the room to his father's
side.
"Father, you are dreaming," he said.
"No. This is no dream, Will," Moody said. "It is
beautiful. It is like a trance. If this is death, it is sweet. God is calling
me, and I must go. Don't call me back."
At that point, the family gathered around, and moments
later the great evangelist died. It was his coronation day-a day he had looked
forward to for many years. He was with his Lord.
The funeral service of Dwight L. Moody reflected that
same confidence. There was no despair. Loved ones gathered to sing praise to God
at a triumphant home-going service. Many remembered the words the evangelist had
spoken earlier that year in New York City: "Someday you will read in the papers
that Moody is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be
more alive than I am now.... I was born of the flesh in 1837, I was born of the
Spirit in 1855. That which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of
the Spirit shall live forever."'
The Applause of Heaven
copyright [Word Publishing, 1996] Max Lucado, p.
156-157.
Used by permission
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