The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-08-12
PULPIT OBJECT LESSONS.
A BLACKBOARD DRIVING THAT
MADE Il SERMON EFFECTIYE.

MADE Il SERMON EFFECTTYE.
MIR. Mills Tells of an Artist Exhorter
Who Pictured the Story of David
and Goliath in Straight Lines and
ThralIed His Audience.
The Rev. b. Fay Mills made great i'm
preston upon the Christians of Jersey
City during his evangelistic work here in
the early spring. The announcement that
he would preach yesterday in the First
Presbyterian Church in Emory street,
drew immense crowds to hear him.
Long before the commencement of
last nights union services the
spacious auditorium, the adjoining
rooms, the vestibule, the gallery, and even
the yard and streets in the vicinity were
thronged with an eager crowd of church
goers. The reporter was unable Tor a
long time to push his way through the
great crowd to get within hearing dis
tance, and when he reached such spot,
circumstances prevented his taking notes.
HOW HE LOOKED.
Mr. Mills looked trifie paler than
when he appeared at the Bergen Re-
formed Church last spring, and showed
other evidences of close application to
his books. But his voice was as clear and
manly as ever He prefaced his discourse
with the story of Jacobs desire to see the
Egyptian wagons which had been sent by
Joseph to have him conveyed to the house
OF PnAr0ah before he would believe what
his other sons told him concerning the
welfare of Joseph and Benjamin, whom
he had mourned as dead. This story he
applied to the main theme of his dis
course, "Deeds speak louder than words"
He inferred that there were many
Christians who talk great deal about the
love and power of Christ. People who
studied the lives of such professors
wanted to see the wagons. Following up
the idea Mr.. Mills struck out on the
value OF object teaching in the education
of youth and said old peoples education
was made better by the same process.
He once knew an old Bible teacher who,
as an artist, couldn't make any dis
tinction in the outline Of a horse and Il
COW in drawing them on blackboard.
But by simply drawing straight lines and
making dots on the board with piece of
chalk he illustrated to story of Goliath
slain by David in q manner that almost
made the audience hold its breath.
PICTURING DAVID AND GOLIATH.
He first drew tall, straight line to
represent the giant" said Mr.. Mills.
'"Then he made great many dots to
represent the army of the Phillistines-
Then he drew short, straight line to
represent the youth David, and back of
this he drew tents. Anybody can draw q
tent" said Mr.. Mills. ''He drew two
pebbles; rubbed David out and trans
ferred him to the stream; rubbed a
pebble out and put David back in
his original position. He then explained
how Goliath was slain; rubbed the tall,
straight Perpendicular line out and made
another horizontal one. The short line
representing David disappeared from the
board, and another short line standing on
the horizontal line was David standing on
the dead body of the giant A little mark
across the end of the horizontal line told
the story of the giants head being severed
from the body.
',There were no three -year-old children
land yet the audience leaned forward,
fairly straining necks and ears to hear the
story and see it illustrated"
Then glancing over his own immense
audience, Mr.. Mills smilingly declared he
believed it was more interested in the
a rude account of this illustrated story
than in anything he had previously said
Mr. Miller made some interesting COM
darisonS between ChristianiZed and un-
Christianized communities, and between
Christians and anti Christians.
II sometimes blush for the Church of
GOQ, ne Salu, DuU Wu6u measure us
standard of virtue and morality by the
side of other organizations who are not
guided by Christian influences l am
appalled, at the majesty of its moral
grandeur. That man who, though pos
sessing no other traits to endear him to
his fellow man, is filed with the spirit
and love of Christ, towers like giant in
the moral atmosphere by the side of some
anti Christian hero. In comparison the
latter is Il mere piQmV
MEN FOR OBJECTS.
"Ibelieve in some illustrative sermons, !"
line of object teaching. II would like to
be able to put my hand upon this. or that
mans shoulder and say:-'Here is an il
able to say:-'Charity, stand upi Why
does not the whole body of the church
rise? There are some people who are yet
waiting for the wagons
Purity, joy, peace, unselfishness and
other species of Christian virtues were
portrayed in beautiful language by the
eloquent evangelist. Then he asked
sWhy is it that all these people in Jersey
City who do not belong to church will not
accept your testimony in the efficiency of
the saving power of Christ? They take it
willingly concerning other matters If
you were to tell them there was poison in
a glass of water they would believe you.
My friends, they want to see those virtues
exemplitied in your own lives. They are
waiting for the wagonsr'
The minister closed his discourse with q
graphic picture of Willful Ignorance de-
scending into hell from the very gates of
haavpn