Out of Libby Prison – Dwight Lyman Moody

There was a story told me while I was in Philadelphia, by Capt. Trumbull. He said when he was in Libby prison the news came that his wife was in Washington, and his little child was dying: and the next news that came was that his child was dead, and the mother remained in Washington in hopes that her husband could come with her and take that child off to New England and bury it; but that was the last he heard. One day the news came into the prison that there was a boat up from City Point, and there were over nine hundred men in the prison rejoicing at once. They expected to get good news. Then came the news that there was only one man in that whole number that was to be let go, and they all began to say, “Who is it?” It was some one who had some influential friend at Washington that had persuaded the government to take an interest in him and get him out. The whole prison was excited. At last an officer came and shouted at the top of his voice, “Henry Clay Trumbull!” The chaplain told me his name never sounded so sweet to him as it did that day. That was election, but you can’t find any Henry Clay Trumbull in the Bible. There is no special case in the Bible. God’s proclamations are to all sinners. Everybody can get out of prison that wants to. The trouble is, they don’t want to go. They had rather be captives to some darling sin.