The record-union., 1892-06-03
TEE GREAT REVIVALISF.
A Pen Picture of the Celebrated B.
Fay Mills.
When Cunning for Satan ''He Never
Uses Bird-Shot Where Bullets
are Better.o

This country is rich in able and good
nen. New men are constantly coming
TO the front, showing rare powers of
leadership IN the various professions and
activities Of life. One of such is the Rev.
b. Fay Mills, who viii begin a series of
special religious services in this city next
Tuesday evening. The religious COM
munity is fortunate in having secured
the services of one who stands at the
head of evangelistic work in the land.
The following sketch OF Mr.. Mills, writ
en- by Rev. Nehemiah Boynton Of Boston,
will be read with interest at this time:
Mr.. Mills is 81 years old, and therefore
belongs to the present and to the
coming generation. He has been per-
mitted TO reach and save more people,
probably, than any man of his age in our
land, If not in the world. In most signal
and surprising ways God has put his
mark upon him, yet he knows it not; it
would cripple him If he did. NO longer
would he be a gentleman; he would be-
come a braggart. For the essence OF
greatness is inconsistencies. Once let a
man become conscious, and his bow loses
its spring; his soul shrivels; he begins
ito selr'; he can no longer give"
1t is in the broad, rich manhood in the
gentleman that the secret OF Mr.. Mills
power resides. He is man; his thirst is
quenched at the springs of God; his hun
ger is appeased by eating the word; his
soul finds fellowship in communion with
God and refreshment in the possession of
the Holy Spirit. His creed is simple, it
Is sublime, it is sacriticial; he believes
that lit is more blessed to give than TO
receive" He is 4 gentleman.
Mr.. Mills believes in the great law of
cause and effect in the spiritual realm.
Here, as elsewhere, he is convinced that
success comes to the man with pro-
gramme." he leaves nothing to chance;
he plans everything. He has ability to
initiate, resolution TO insist, capability to
execute. His committees are carefully
selected, with primary reference to their
working rather than their representative
power, and, once selected, they are eX-
pected to adorn their offices with good
works. Mr.. Mills knows what he wants,
and expects his wishes to be granted. AL
ways readyto acknowledge real difficulty
and to make necessary notifications, be
yet scOrnS tritles and easily distinguishes
obstacles from obstinacy. lie has strength
of character sufficient To make him mas
ter of the situation. He never shares his
throne, but, however insistent he may be
for plan or method, one cannot fail to see
that he is impelled by the sacrificial
rather than by the selfish spirit. Mani
testify he is not doing his own, but an
others will. He wants ito give, not to
sell.''
a second qualification is his discrimi-
nation. One great advantage of Mr.. Mills
is his education. He is a college bred, a
cultured man. The questions OF the day,
social and religious, excite his quick in
terest, enlist his eager attention. He sees
the gospels broad relationships with lie,
and estimates at true value its permeating
power. He therefore breaches a gospel of
depth as well as of length. He has a
variety of ammunition, and never uses
bird-shot where bullets are demanded.
He fires no blank cartridges. He under
stands that repentance is matter of the
will, penitence of the sensibility; and he
never confounds the two.
He discards formulas which have been
popular with evangelists of other days,
but out of which the life has so far gone
that they are decrepit and meaningless
for the men of to-day. He appreciates
the forces which are on his side, and in
the confidence of their cooperative sup
port makes his advances. lie is courte-
GUS but courageous, deterential but dis
tinct, mindful but manly. He is tender,
yet he never trims; persuasive, yet never
pugnacious; he is eager and emphatic, yet
he does not rouse enmity. He balances
rather than boubards. He appeals; he
does not aEathematiZe. He is a straight
away, manly, discriminating preacher.