Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-02-21

An AsToNls6nlekY FAv0RITE SCRIP
1usM NUMBER
BrookIys I ateesde deISs Twelfth Anniversary
4 In c6sf1 f1clsristies ofa Brook
Iyn Pasissate-The Printing
Press 10 the Pulpit on
the Wing.
SERMON BY REV. T. DsxIrT TAlMAGs

NEW YORK, feOruary ".
Brooklyn Tabernacle was filled 4
overlooking this morning to listen to DR.
Talmage's eloquent sermon, it being th'
occasion OF his twelfth anniversary a
pastor over that congregation. Tit
church was beautifully decorated will
the choicest flowers, and very fine mu
sic was rendered by Mr.. George W
Morgan, the organist. and Prof. Ali
cornetist. DR.. Talmage took Tor hii
text:
Exodus XIV, 27-"Thcy came to Elm, wher'
were twelve wells OF water"
The Sermon.
1t is astonishi pg what favorite scrip
tural number twelve Is. Twelve tribes
OF Israel. For the ancient Taberna
c!e twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons
twelve bullocks, twelve lambs of the
first year. Coming on down in history
We find the twelve stones taken out o.
the jordan for q memorial. Twelve
hons on the steps OF Solomon's throne
Twelve apostles; twelve baskets OF frag
ments; twelve legons OF angels; twelve
stars forss the woman's crown. in
revelations; twelve gates with twelve
pearls, and twelve angels at the gates
twelve foundations with the names oI
the twelve apostles; twelve manner oi
fruits; and here in my text the tired
and thirsty Isrselites cameto
An Oasis in the Desert.
and 10, twelve wells OF clear, sparkling
heaven brewed, God.given water.
To-day is my twelfth anniversary as
your pastor, and the twelve years stand
round us, so many wells in which this
host Of Gods Israel on the march shall
dip their eanteen and bring up instruc'
ton, congratulation, gratitude and re-
freshment. II you ask in hard figures
as To our growth aud coalition as a
church, have to say our financial in
come for the year was $50, ,9i6 80. The
current expenses were S25,066 81. Net
gain applied to the sinking fund,
s3,9796S Contribution to the poor,
S629 65. Sabbath school collection for
the last three months, $3.50. Sabbath
school membership, 1850. As
to the enlargement OF our
church membership, We have TO
report that wa have received during the
past year $50 on profession OF faith and
81 from sister churches, making I'll new
members. Received during my minis
try OF twelve years, 2,S0S members.
Subtracting the deaths and dismissals,
our present membership is 2,306 You
see that the twelve wells are filled with
divine blessings. thought TO rehesrse
some OF the obstacles which had been
thrown in our way by the fire OF 1872
and tho hottvI nIcs Ur pei orUutIUn atu
abuse. But the greatness OF Gods good.
ness ohliterates everything, and 1t l
wanted TO build groan / do not know
in what forest | could hew the timber
or from what quarry could
Dig the Foundation Stone.
or who would build me an organ with
the tremolo for the only stop. And 80
| shall spend nay time this morn in try
ing to build with u foundations, and l2
pillars, and IL minarets great, broad,
deep, high, massive, heaven. piercing
Halleluiah, inside OF which shall stand
an organ with II trumpet stops, all run
at full diapason with water from the IL
wells OF salvation. God help me while
| speak and keep me from the orthodox
but objectionable sin OF pulpit dullness.
In this anniversary sermon / might
state some OF the characteristics oil a
Brooklyn pastorate. First, II is always
a difficult pastorate. There is as much,
ii not more, pulpit talent in this city o!
Brooklyn than IN any city on the planet.
The Baptists, the Methodists, the Con-
gregationalists, and all denominations
send here there brightest lights. He
who stands preaching in any pulpit in
Brooklyn on Sabbath day may know
that within few minutes walk OF him
at that moment are being delivered ser
mons that Sourin, a BOurdaloue, q
John NJ. Mason, a Whitefeld would not
have been ashamed of. There is no city
where poor sermon is
Such Drug 10 the Market.
It's the most difficult city on,earth to take
a pas,orate. For twenty years the sir
has been surcharged with homiletics
and full OF the electricity of an eloluence
which strikes every time il flashes
From the time that its pulpits quaked
with the power OF DR.. Spencer
and Cox and Spear and Farley and
Vinton to the present pulpits with
Scudder and Buckley and Guy
ler ami Gallagher and lngersol
and Vanderveer and Ludlow and Hal
and Beeches and Storrs and Van Dyke
and many others, it has been possible
for every taste and preference TO be graf
ided. In such a surrounding l warn al
ministers Who are ambitious OF Brook
lyn that paStorate ia difficult. Ior
will stand every Sabbath before mel
who have heard the mi2htiest themes
discussed in mightiest ways. Ii you TAI
in an argument there will be fifty lcg'
clans in the audience who will tidget
II YOU make q slip in the use OF com
mercial figure OF speech there will be {
hundred merchants in derision. Ii you
throw out an anchor or hoist "a sail il
the wrong way there will be ship cap
tains right off the vessel wondering i
YOU are as ignorant of theology as yoI
are OF navigation.
Again a pastorate in Brooklyn is 8
conspicuous pastarate.
The American Printing Press
has no stronger force than on this sea
coast. Every pulpit work, good or bad
wise or ignorant, strong or mean. /:
watched. Take our Brooklyn and New
York reportorial corps, and it is the or
ganization and the force OF an army
Many of them Of college education AM
OF large literary culture, able to weigh
anything in address, Grafton or sermon
II man say n foolish thing, he neye
hears the end of il, or wise thing, 10
echoes are in perpetual multiplication
There is no use in trying 10 decry thi
influence. Many OF our public mel
whose chief influence has been made
by the newspaper press, spend TIT
rest of their lives in denounclng news
papers. The printing press is the pul
pit on the wing. There is hundred
times more preaching done on Mends!
than on Sunday. The omnivorous anC
all-eyed printing press is in this cluster
OF cities especially vigilant. Then
Brooklyn rastorate is conspicuous be-
cause everybody comes here. Brooklyn
is New York in its better mood. Strau
gers have not seen New York til
Iney have seen Brooklyn. The EssI
River is a great chasm into which the
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