The Sunday morning news. [volume] (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1886-1891, 1890-02-16
Summing Up the Results
Of His Weeks Work in
this Vineyard.
HIS METHODS PICTURED
Seven Hundred New Converts
Have Signed the Cards---Mr.
Mills Oratory and
His Meetings.

Quoted during the past week by Eyangel-
ist b. Fay Mills, assisted by the Rev. Mr.
CHAPMAN, of Albany, has been the reign
/ ing topic Of conversation among the
Protestant church people of lower Jer-
1 sey City. Church interest has been al
most solely concentrated and absorbed in
these meetings. and nightly two Of The
largest churches in the city have been
thron ged not only by the church people
themselves but by hundreds who are sell
dom seen in church audiences. In addi-
ton to these the morning meetings in the
Hedding NJ. Il. Church and those held
every afternoon in the Second Presby-
terrain Church have been oyerhowing.
The local pastors have given MI. Mills
their heartiest support. Neither the evan
gelist nor Mr. Chapman, his assistant co
laborer, have been seen alone in the pulpit
at any of the meetings.
The Rev. DR.. McKelvey. of the Second
Presbyterian; the Rev. DR.. Van Cleef, of
The Wayne Street Reformed; the Rev, DR..
Parmly. of the First Baptist: the Rev.
DIR. Michel. of the Scotch Presby-
OF the Tabernacle; Snodgrass, Of He'd
ding; Nicholson, of the North Baptist;
Halleran, of ST. Paups M. E.; Crawford.
of Trinity M. E.; Zapriskie, of the Free
Reformed. and the Rev. Mr.. Brett, OF the
Bergen Reformed, and the Rev. MIR.
Hathaway, OF the Westminster Presby-
terrain, have been constantly rallying to
the support Of the TWO eyangelists, and
to the cooperative efforts of these is due
in q large measure the extremely graft
flying results OF the past weeks labors.
MILLS AS AN ORATOR
Both Mr., Mills and Mr. Chapman have
become immensely popular with our Pro
| testestant church people. Mr.. Mills, es-
| especially, has ingratIated himself fur
Their into the hearts of those who have
regularly attended his services. His SER
mons are bright and pithy and full of
practical common everyday sense. His
talk never grows Wearis0me. OCCASION
ally his remarks with pnngent sallies OF
wit, grows satiricAi but seldom INDUCES
in sarcasm. While at times he dwells
upon the appalling aspect of death and
eternity without Christ, the gloom OF the
picture he draws is relieved by the bright
words of encouragement ne gives his lis
teners in showing them hastily these ter
rors can be avoided.
GATHERING THE HARVEST,
After a calm. passionate appeal to his
/ hearers to eschew the wretched evils of
an ungodly life and become christians. he
! simply invites all who have been aWak-
ened y his appeal to meet him in an
after service and give some tangible evil
| dence of u promise To make the change.
| This they do simply by rising and saying,
| 81 will, and writing their names aud
addresses upon cards together with the
name of whatever pastor they desire TO
call upon them with a view to seeking
admission to some church.
| HIS sermons are absolutely free from
/ even the faint of maudlin sentiment nor
I does he ever attempt to arouse the en-
thusiasm OF his audience by any theatre
| cal efforts.
I2acid os excaIIant fasfa avhfh;tad ~, +l,a
arrangement of the various features of
the services, the opportune and pleading
songs of Mr. Greenwood, and the spirited
! singing by choir as heartily interested
| in the work as are the pastors, they are
! devoid of all sensational effects Mr.,
Mills does not appear to have much faith
/ in the old-fashioned mourners-bench re-
/ yiyais, aud seeks to avoid undue excite
| ment He is always considerate for the
comfort OF the audience, and is stickler
for healthful ventilation. He seldom be-
/ gins sermon without first giving orders
10 close or open this or that ventilator.
The pleasant, earnest face OF the light,
curly haired evangelist as he stands with
/ d small black Testament in his extended
right hand, calmly appealing to those
before him 10 decide the great question,
a radiant smile fitting over his animated
face as he softly ntters the words,
Another" another and "still an
other" in response to his appeal, has
made an impression which will not soon
be effaced from The memory OF those who
have witnessed it.
Night after night when the throngs are
! dismissed several groups of converts may
be seen lingering about the pulpit dis
cussing the step they have decided TO
take. They're made up of all classes and
/ conditions. Many OF these are grey
haired and have seldom attended church
services. An old man sat in one OF these
| had not been inside a church but three
times in forty years, In one of them was
also observed prominent physician.
Speaking of the success of the meet
ings at the close of Friday nights ser
vice at the Park Reformed Church, Mr..
reporter
SUMMING UP THE RESULT,
II am more than pleased. The interest
awakened is very deep. 1t Is almost re-
markaDle, as you may have observed a
very large proportion of the people who
have been converted at these meetings
have not been church goers.
How many conversions have been
made since you began the servicesW
asked the reporter.
Il cannot tell you how many have been
converted. Over seven hundred have
signed these cards upon which they
promise to hereafter lead Christian life,
4 and / believe everyone who signs is in
| earnest The number of adults, too, Is
much larger ia proportion than
in other places where | have
labored, and they include all con,
ditions of life. You nave attended
Some of these meetings you could not
have failed to observe these things.
Look at this group" said he, pointing TO
whole family in which Two richly at
tired ladies, a gentleman ana three
children We're engaged in earnest con-
gersalion with well-known pastor,
then look Mt that group over there.
Observe the difference in dress and con
dition. They're all converts. Such
groups surround US every night at the
close of the meetings"
OVER TWO THOUSAND LISTENERS.
"Do you find the interest wanipg?p
ono OF course we don't have two
packed audiences we had before starting
the services in two churches at the same
time. But / should estimate tonight
that e,200 people were in attendance at
both services. Then the mornlng and
afternoon services are largely attended,
the latter especially, rs the ushers are
continuously Obliged to put a double row
of chairs down each aisle.
= DO you anticipate, Mr., Mills, that all
of the 700 who have signed those cards
will join churchW
That depends in great measure up
on the persistency OF the local factors fol-
lowing up the result of these labors now
going on. AT a certain church in
Philadelphia where ! once labored