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
I told the men that the Devil sent in one of his angels once in a while,
the same as to-night, to disturb the meeting-place of God. I said, "You
men would be a marker for God if you would only take a stand for God
and cut out your sins. I never in my palmy days disturbed a meeting,
drunk or sober. I always respected God's house. If I didn't like it I
went out, and I think, fellows, that's one of the reasons He picked me
up when I was away down in sin and made me what I am to-night. He will
do the same for any one here; why not give Him a chance?"
SOMETHING NEW
This was something new for the men. Here was a man that they knew, no
stranger, but one of themselves eight years before. He had been in
prison with them, drunk with them, stolen with them, and in fact had
done everything that they did, and now here he was telling his old pals
how they could be better men, how God would help them if they would only
give Him a chance.
God was with me that night. It didn't seem to be Ranney at all. I asked
who wanted to get this religion, who wanted me to pray for them, and
about seventy-five hands went up. A number of men came forward and took
a stand for Jesus. It was early in the morning when the meeting closed.
It was cold and snowing outside.
It is a hard matter to get these men to declare themselves, for they are
afraid of the laugh, but I told them not to mind that; that my pals gave
me the laugh when I started out. "If we are honest and have sand and
help ourselves after asking God's help," I told them, "we will take no
notice of a grin or a sneer. My companions wagged their heads when I
started out in the new life in September, 1892. They said, 'Oh, we'll
give Danny a couple of weeks. He's trying to work the missionary; he'll
be back again!' Don't you men see I'm still trusting? and there isn't a
man in the Mission right now that can say I'm not on the level, that
I've drank whiskey or beer or done an unmanly act since I gave my life
into His keeping. Why? Because I'm trusting, not in man or woman, but
I'm honestly trusting in God."
I was satisfied that among the whole roomful of men there were not half
a dozen that had a bed to sleep on that night. I didn't have the money
to put them to bed, but I departed from the rules, and calling them to
order, said, "Boys, how many of you would like to be my guest for the
night?" You ought to have seen them look at me! Never such a thing had
been known. It set them to thinking. The saloon-keeper wouldn't do it;
what did he care for them? I said, "Boys, I'm not doing this; I don't
want you to think so. It's God through me."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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