The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-11-25
A STARTLING SERMON
Object Lessons from Now York
Pulpit.
STUFFED SERpEN7S WERE USED
Ey Rev c. II. Tyndall to Emphasize II
Temperance Dlscoursc...lIc Picked
Snakes Oh; Of His Boots, or the
Floor and From IL Glass OF Ruby
Winc..-i Very Much Surprised Con.
Grcgation.

TyndaIl delivered at the Broome Street
Tabernacle Sunday night a sermon on
"SnQkcs,' which he emphasized and in.
tcnsilled by numerous and vivid object
lessons.
Dr.. Tyndall believes in adapting his
evangelical work to the district in
which his tabernacle Is situated. Con.
srquently he first attracts Il large con.
grcgation into the great audience room
bya big organ, large choir, tour cor
nets and three bnsc horns. After the
people have once come in, no tells them
they cannot go out again until the serv.
ices are finished, and then proceeds to
lay bare their sins before them in most
vigorous style, backing up his words by
object lessons, that tho Gospel truth no
utters may remain indelibly stamped
upon the minds OF his hearers. DR..
Tyndall also believes in filling up the
front seats first, SO Il section OF the rcar
seats Of the tabernacle is ropGd in until
'HA AilC IloIt GStIlb hlO lIllGN, ullGl Which
the ropes arc removed.
All this was done Sunday night, MS
usual, and then, after the organ, the choir,
the comets, the bass horns and the
congregation had rendered tile opening
hymns and the blessing had been asked
the Rev. Tyndall stepped to the front
OF tho large platform and began to
speak. Before beginning his sermon
proper, however, he had something TO
say about New Iork's municipal gov
crnmcnt. 81 have been asked, he said,
ito give from the pulpit my views on
the proposed reform OF the world, and
New York City i'll particular. | think
this is most excellent place to begin,
and the best part OF New York to at
tack first is that part OF the city below
Fourteenth street. In this part OF the
city filth and vile, unhealthy stcnchcs
abound on every hand The municipal
authorities seem to think we should live
and thrive in filth. The police allow
mcnaces to the public health to 90 IN.
noticed. lust ut this time, too, ! think
few words on the water question are
pertinent. There is no excuse for lack
OF all the water We want to use. Such
lacki sc!i-evidGnt proof OF official neg.
ligencc. Give us more water and less
gin. Send the ginmills, ii possible, to
the place where the temperature never
gets lower than ITO degrees in the
shade-it there is any shade down
there. Let us drive all the snakes out
OF New York and we'll be all right"
The Rev. Tyndall then read the story
OF Adam and Eve in the Garden OF
Eden, and told OF the curse put upon
the serpent and all his race, and the
everlasting enlnity between snakes and
all descendants OF Adam and Eve. The
preacher took up the several cases in
which the snake is mentioned in the
Bible. lie described how Moses was
walking in the Wilderness when he re-
ceived Il command from OH High to
throw his staff upon the sands. As lio
related this, DR.. Tyndall, who had been
walking up and down the platform
with big hickory stick, us he talked,
threw the stick upon the floor, and
went on to tell how Aaron after throw
ing down his staff, was commanded by
Moses to pick it up again, and doing
SO, found the staff changed to serpent.
As he said this, DR.. Tyndall suddenly
stopped over, and as he arose there
dangled from his fingers, in full view OF
the audience, q snake about FIVE feet
long that squirmed. 1t wasn't alive,
but 1t created 4 sensation.
Then. leaving the Scriptural snakes,
the clergyman grappicd with the hid
cous snakes oil the imagination. 81 will
never forget he said, % poor man
whom | once saw with the dclirium
trcmens. Twas one OF those who re-
manned with HIM 10 protect him from
himself, and 10 try to quiet him. What
an awful thing was his shricks OF terror,
and his mad efforts TO pull imaginary
snakes from his shoes IIc would reach
down like this" continued the clergy
man, suiting the action 10 the word,
and then, strengthening up, he would
wave an imaginary snake about his head
with the maniac's laugh OF triumph"
As DR.. Tyndall himself Strengthened up
he waved about his own head another
imitation serpent that he had pulled
from his own shoe. The elEoc. OF this
object lesson upon the audience WIS
very evident. Ono man, near tho door,
hastily arose, and went out
"Ah, my friends" went on the sneak
cr, iii he could only have got rid Of his
snakes as easily rs get ridoi thisone-
throwing it down-what relief it
would have been. But his snakes were
OF the brain, not OF the boots, and they
were terrible indeed. Take warning.
"Alen who have been on great drunts
have told mo OF their experiences, and
OF their irighttul visions, but they are
too horrible to repeat to you. Yet I
say, and am convinced, thata man with
the delirium tremens is in heaven COM
pared to the man who dies without
spiritual hope. There arc other places
where snakes got. They get into glasses.
The glasses in the saloon YOU frequent
may be Of cut-glass, beautiful and with
4 CHEEKY sound ms they clink together,
but there, is M invisible snake in the
bottom Of every ono.'
AS he said these words, most dramat.
ically the Rev. Tyndall placed upon the
pulpit q glass, apparently filed with
wine, while the congregation watched,
breathless. Then, as the dominic
touched match to the contents OF tho
glass, which were chemicals especially
prepared for the sermon, 4 liideous,
writing, snake-like figure several feet
long, arose out OF the glass, squirmed
around and sprawled upon tho pulpit.
AS this was going on DR.. Tyndall stood
on ono side, pointing to the snake and
cried, This next time you 60 to drink,
Just think OF that! That is how horri-
BILE wine or beer glass or 4 whisky
glass is. Remember! Don't, rs YOU
value your life and your souls salvation,
let snakes got into your boots and into
your brains. The snakes in liquor arc
npr or, nosy 10 IL ,,,t "a, 7 l,,,,., 4