The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-20
Sc NSAT 10 NAILS M.
DR.. Talmage Declares There is Nothing
So Much Needed.
AND PROMISES MORE OF III.
The Army Of Critics Disarmed
at the Second Fire.

| Mr. Talmage preached yesterday morning in the
! Brooklyn Tabernacle Sensation vs. Stagns-
tion, concluding thereby his answer to his critics
which begun on the previous Sunday. After the
doxology and the prayer the pastor read the lesson
from Paul's appearance at Ephesus. Next Sunday
Mr. Talmage will his series of sermons ON
the moral condition of the country inferred from
the condition of the cities. The Tabernacle was
crowded. usual yesterday. and the preachers
promise that for the future he would be
ona than ever was received with satisfaction by
hearers. On the table his chair beautiful
cross Of flowers. presented by member Of the con-
gregation, the transverse arms bearing the words
'Help for All" The text was taken from Acts, XIX
2s-"There small stir about that way"
THE SERMON
What the matter? asked Mr.. Talmage. Why.
Paul had been preaching sermons that seemed to up
set everything. People wondered what he would do
next Such a sensation never heard of before
SINCE The fact he the great disturber OF his
age. He went to Iconium and made sensation.
went to Corinth and made sensation, went to Jeru-
salem and made sensation. Wherever he went, in
the words OF my text, there small stir
about that way" What do you mean by sensation?
Noah Webster says is of excited interest or
feeling. Nothing good for Church or State has ever
been done without exciting sensation. Sensation is
life. Stagnation is death.
Before becoming minister l found that religion
was associated in the minds of many with dulness,
thought then what think now, aud every layman
thinks there something radically wrong about
pulpits and churches To keep awake we used to cat
carraway observation-disclosures cloves, hold up one
observation-disclosures pinch ourselves, count the
window panes, a mischievous brother would stm-
ulate us by the stick of pin-laughter)or older
sister give us reproving look, which would I'LL
with self-abnegaton, until, gazing at the pew where
the elders sat in the old Dutch church. saw
the seven seepers-(great laughter)-these good men
having lost their hold at the second head Of the
course and then felt that after all there might be
hope for when such good men were imperfect
TALMAGE SLEPT CHURCH.
All sorts of stratagems people ply in church to ap-
pear wakeful; sometimes during the sermon putting
down their heads give you the idea that they are
overcome with emotion. when they merely over
come with drowsiness QIaughter) If audience
sleep it is the fault Of the minister When Scotch
pastor cried out to of his Numbering hearers,
donald, take pinch of snuff If you can't keep
awake" Donald replied. ''You had better put the
pinch Of snuff in the sermon" daughter and ap-
plause) with all the artillery of eternity at his
hand the preacher cannot keep audience awake.
he has missed his profession. People have no pa
tience with entertainment which is all napkin
ring and finger bowl. All this complaint against
people because they do not to church should
be put where 1t belongs 1t is not the fault
of the people as Of us. the clergy. judge
others by myself; I cannot keep awake under
a sermon that lacks practically. Some two years
went into of the most aristocratc churches
in New York for sabbath service. Everything
beautiful-the church beautiful tho song beautiful,
the preaching beautiful, the minister beautiful But
got drowsy and after making manful resistance
out longer. and. putting my head on the back OF
the pew went into one OF the most refreshing
slumbers of my life. Great lsughter.)
SENSATION FOREVER
As told you in the former part of my anniversary
sermon. begun last sabbath, my nrst resolution was
resolution was, If God would help me- never would
be dull: To say thing in church merely to make
people laugh is reprehensible. To say thing
strikingly true that it makes people laugh is
another thing. do not care whether they
! laugh or cry or hiss or applaud or condemn
Quit sn and start with ees feet for heaven In
our expensive collegiate and theological education
of seven or ten years IL buried up hopolessly
in armor. In the day of eternity II may ba
| who had only three months schooling in his life,
but with zeal for God that set all the prairies
| fire with religious awakening, aud preaching in his
shirt sleeves, has done more good than some of us
who had all the titles OF the schools and who were
| wrapped in gowns and surplices which were not
thick enough to keep us from freezing to death in
ecclesiasticisns twenty degrees below zero. Laugh
| teri
A DECLARATION OF YAIrH.
The third result that have been trying to carry
out in this decade of my ministry here is to
explain to u. the people, doctrines zines that do
sovereignty and mans free agency. but to
harinonize the doctrines 1 cannot. I believe
the God IL in three persons explain IL cannot
believe that Christ God and man Mt the same
time; explain 1t cannot tried for some years to
do so. but found 1t the greatest undertaking in my
life to make people understand what was beyond my
own comprehension. After hoped that had made
the subject palmer others than me- and
pronounced the benedicton the foot OF the pulpit
plain would ask me question the sub
jcct Discusses that could not answer, and was
Obliged TO tell him that would him some other
time. Great laughter.) But there are some things
do know. Sin Is wrong; that know
He IL sympathetic that fatherly and motherly
compassion are cruelty compared with it; that
know. There are so many things that do know be-
yond controversy and mistake that / shall take
neither your precious time nor my own 10 tell what
other night / burned up about Ave hundred manu-.
scripts or sermons, for ut the beginning OF my minis
try wrote all my sermons out word Tor word
These sermons explain oil the mysteries OF religion
and the doctrine of election they made clear
Scotch mist or San Francisco fog. As put these
manuscripts into the kitchen tire felt that they
gave out more warmth than ut any time In their
existence. The best thing that do with Chris.
tian work with no warmth In 1t is to burn II.
SEEING BELIEVING
Again, my dear people, in this decade in which 10
has been my happiness to administer to you II has
been my resolution to smite niQuity whenever saw
it, reckless of the consequences What has made the
national excitement of these sermons? The fact that
ing on the common and you throw stone at them.
which one howlss The one that Is hit. The worst
sign of the times il that the public make 40 many
minister's up. You mighta as well expect to
yellow fever or Asatic cholera by saying nothing
about IL. In order that might talk straight nome
at these iniquities went to see them where they
were. The common sense OF the church and of the
world approved my course. but there were some
people who thought that instead OF that ought to
have gone up on brooklyn Heights. loaded my
gun with blank cartridge. aimed over
at the Fourth ward. New York, turned
my head the other way and shut my eyes. then pulled
the trigger. .aughtor Because did not do It that
way there were some ministers who became frantic
in regard to my plan OF exploration. They approved
OF staneys explorations to Central Africa ana OF Fre
monts exploration the interior of North America.
i,ut mfr of
hcathcnism and cruelty and horror within I'VE MN
utcs' walk of broadway, Now York You would have
Thought that l had been the hrst who had ever un-
dertaken this work. can call the names of promi-
nent minister's and Evangclsts in all our great cities
who have made the same underground tour Some
OF the police who had accompanied had accom-
panied them. daughter and applause.) Yes. Icould
make big disturbance In great many churches In
New York and Brooklyn IL 1 wished It. but never
,unL. any disturbances. uaIlnhterl Tha differ.