Dave Ranney: Or, Thirty Years on the Bowery; An AutobiographyRanney, Dave
Religion
Dave Ranney: Or, Thirty Years on the Bowery; An Autobiography
Ranney, Dave
American Tract Society
Do you know I made the greatest mistake of my life that night! I went on
that platform trusting in my own strength and not asking God's help. I
got a swelled head and imagined I was the real thing. But God in His own
way showed me where I was standing and brought me up with a short turn.
I began reading the article written, and was getting on well, as I
thought, taking all the credit myself and not giving God any. I read
three pages all right, when some one opened the window. It was a March
night, very windy, and when the window was opened something happened,
and I thank God that it did.
The wind came directly toward me and took the sermon I was preaching and
scattered it all over the room. I didn't know what to say or do. I
forgot everything that was written on the papers, and I knew if I tried
to get them back I would make a fool of myself.
There was a smile on every face in the congregation. There I stood,
wishing the floor would open and let me through. I certainly was in a
box!
Just at this moment God spoke to me and said, "David, I did that, and I
did it for your own good. Now listen to me. You were not cut out for a
minister. Just get up and tell these people how God for Christ's sake
saved you, and I'll be with you."
I listened to the voice, bowed my head in prayer, and it seemed as
though the Lord put the words in my mouth. I told that roomful of people
of my past life and how God saved and had blessed me for four years. We
had a grand meeting and a number were saved that night, and, above all,
I received one of the greatest blessings of my life.
On his return the minister said, "I hear you had a great meeting. How
did the reading go!" I told him what had happened, and he was
astonished, but saw God's hand in it, and said so.
From that night on I never wrote up anything to read to my audience, and
I have spoken all over within a circle of fifty miles of New York, and
even farther away, including Boston, Philadelphia, Albany, and Troy. I
tell the Bowery boys I'm what is called an extemporaneous talker. I
don't know the first word I'm going to say when I get on my feet, but
God never leaves me: I just open my mouth and He fills it. Praise His
name!
It was a lesson to me and I have never forgotten it.
THE TESTIMONY OF A GAMBLER
While I was sexton of the old Sea and Land Church I met among other men
one who came to be a great friend. We called ourselves pals and loved
each other dearly, and yet I have never been able to bring him to
Christ. When I told him I was writing the story of my life he said he
wanted to add a few lines to tell, he said, what I could not. This is
what he wrote:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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