The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-03-17
MOODY AND MILLS.
A Comparison Of the Methods Of
the Great Revivalists.
One an Earnest Pleader with Souls,
the Other a Scholarly and Successful
Evangelist.

Those who have attended the two series
OF Union services that have been con-
Quoted in Providence since last fall have
been able to compare the work OF two
OF the greatest revivalists in this country.
During the winter Music Hall was
crowded by those who wanted to see and
hear the great Moody, and hundreds OF
people are now fiocking to the Union
Congregational Church to listen to the
sermons that are preached by Rev. b.
Fay Mills.
Mr.. Mills and Mr.. Moody are very Diff
ferent persons. One is an earnest revival
ist whose educational advantages have
been necessarily limited. The other is a
thorough scholar. While Mr.. Moody has
succeeded in touching the hearts of the
people with his earnest, il somewhat crude,
methods, Mr.. Mills has brought the infiu-
ence of culture and scholarship to bear in
his work, and he is enjoying a similar
success.
The appearance OF the two men Is as
different as their methods. One is an
elderly man who bears a somewhat close
resemblance to ex-President Harrison and
who looks like hale and hearty country
representative. The other is young man
witha cordial smile and blue eyes, like a
girl. His brow is broad and high, and a
mass OF fair hair waves and curls above
it.
When Mr.. Moody steps out to the front
OF the platform he speaks in a firm, earn
est voice that carries considerable force
with it, but Mr.. Mills voice is soft and
musical. Sometimes it can be very firm
and decisive, but it has power for plead
ing tenderness in it that Mr.. Moody
usually lacks and as he has complete con-
troll over his elocutionary powers he is
often dramatic, often emotional, but
never unnatural or affected.
Mr.. Moody does not preach. He talks.
He takes his text, and then with that as
foundation he talks to the people. Be-
ginning with the text he speaks of various
subjects and while every word is OF
interest and the people cannot fail to ap-
preciate the vital Importance of the
thoughts, the discourses are not always
delivered in a connected manner.
Mr.. Mills, however, delivers sermon
that is perfect from an artistic point of
view. When he takes his text he holds
himself down to the subject and every
word that he speaks applies TO it. When
he speaks about the heart every word Of
the sermon applies TO the heart The sub
ject itself may be thoroughly canvassed,
but Mr.. Mills never seems to have forgot
ten his subject.
Mr.. Mills is not man of impulse like
Mr.. Moody. He has systematized his
work in the way in which it can do the
most good, for he never forgets that his
object is to try to save souls. By running
largely by set lines Mr.. Mills does not in
terfere with the spontaneous and novel
appearances that are so necessary, and he
has shown that a man can be calm and
strong, cultured and scholarly, and yet be
great revivalist.
For many weeks the name of Mr.. Moody
was on every lip. The name still has a
position as q household word, and now
Mr.. Mills has come TO take up the work
where Mr.. Moody left it and carry it on
to more complete condition, and those
who go to the Union Congregational
Church to listen to him will find that
while he may not be Mr.. Moody-as one
old woman said last Sunday-he Is certain
ly just as original and deserves an impor-
tant place among the great evangelists Of
the times.