New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-06-29
PULPIT SKETCHES.
Or. T. DEWITT TALMAGE. BROOKLYN TAB
ERNACLE.

and ia we'll nigh buried among the sarrouhdinS """~'
"a It is without tower, spire and bell WINE tio roo
scarcely rises above the ncighborns houses
an old fine churoh befry Of unpretending fashion a-
-, 49, o., 90, hut IL mark. the old place OF wor-
hin Which vears AGO was converted into sort Oh
tender for tho case and convenience Vi
the great Tabernacle. ..., m
Thi. house of worship Ia interesting on 'eVorai NC
counts It provides more stings thah any ''"|
Protestant church In America Anu .holo
600 of these sittings which cost just Soo caon'
a. the expenditure for the edifce was SIoo'ooo'
Bcsides the design which l. NANNY Dr
mace. iupeniously developed by Mr. John Walsh an
r,;ab arcb;tect is snguarly felictious blending OF
,ye distinct ,potives-that is the pcriecI , IN
bere each one of the 5000 shall hal dree. an" u,
interrunted relation with the preacher, Whle .o
lasastical spirit of Gothic art Il preserved no. oy
"A TO the exterior proportions ano ou.i"o' h;d .on
general impression of the interior oucn ;daaI ~
con cannot of course satisfy the exactlng iaeai on
a comnlete Gothic church, which springs ih' ny
and exclusively out of the sacramchtaI anu 81, H..
constitution 'of early Christianity IL may sniy w.
sad hnwcvcr that we are not likely TO ma any Uc ,
realization of DR. Tamagcs central uTOse IN p"linS
a church where preaching is great iunca,u'' ""'''
nre.erying the devout traditions OF rengons arr s
Tha e,7eror nresents an irregular and broken mass
of excellent brickwork, with smoothly cut Sray 'o
stone dressings, lintels and ornaments. -. 81
long reach of facade pierced win narScd
boldly proporoned Windows ald VestIpue 20 az
around three sides OF the vast interior ~ s,ea
least dozen openings TO the auditorium, aa IN fn
10 GENERALLY packed close with eager listeners wo M
TO yet seat inside The entire eastern waIi WITHIN tnn
sveep of the unbroken amphitheatric gaery, "nici
rcs with an excellent grade in interninaDie crcieoS vi
news is filed with enormous organ la an eiapota.99
Etbic case rising In three great arches, the central
~ Mober each filled with gilt and richly illuminated
ranges of dapasons The organ mas = poo
camorOus yoicng With strong ra"d tom inning
down through tho pedal register IL was c9nstuc'ed,
like tho church itself for the service OF muittudihous
cborus narrow platform runs across the 'front.' I'VE
or ak feet above the floor and at the middle the
keyboard resting like meodeon at the lee, oI tho
preacher There is no pulpit never was s ~
so poorly equipped for the comfortable denVery OF s
evangel ONLY large chair with small Ide table rest
against the organ and Mr. Talmage stands out alone;
without support the focal point where the eyes anu
hungry interest of 5000 people converge ~ almost
every public service throughout the year Inc view
om that place ts strangely Impressive me geao
grade from the pulpit the opposite side, ana Is oc,
eupied by spaces which are virtually parquet ana
balcony and filed with pews which lie IN Gonce ,hie
widening circles, they retire. are caught up oy tno
nterminable gallery until there seems to be room Ior
the population of whole city The ROOF ana ceilhs
are wrought in crucifom lines and finished with "othio
vaultng and spandrls The slender IRON supports 90
dows let in mnbrokcn volume OF beautifully tempereo
light from the front and transept Sides
FEATURES OF TIRE SERVICE.
Tho asscmbare of such multitude Of earnest people,
Joined in common religious purpose Is In itself stir
ring experience. The preacher is not infreqnentiy
blocked out his church by the throngs wefged INTO
every of interior space and is forced TO coax ms
way to his pulpit The worship il very orderly, and
strange may in view Of the popular impress
sons abroad concerning tho preacher, not without
decided itlrgio or rituaste spirit II opened with
the Gloria Patr sung by the people heartily TO an
Anglican chant and was Immediately followed by tho
Old Iiundredh ia almost tcmpestuons volume OF tone
chapter read frou the Bible with energetic In
cisiy defamation keeny intelligent in its unconscious
injections. and dashed here and there with topical
hint, and comment full of sudden light on the text
simple direct and exceedingly tervent flushed hero
| and there with AN old-fashoned enthusiasm which
brought to mind the lively days Of Methodisin and
then touching the heartstrings so tenderly and gently
| that there not wanting almost anywhere tear
stained checks An admirable quartet sang an eab9r-
anthem setting of the Cantate Domino which is the
first Cancle of the Evening Service OF the Episcopal
Prayer-Book, and at another time a lovely evening
hymn, unaccompanied. But tho hymns sung by tho
people. with finely managed cornetprecentOr and Mr.
Henry Eyre Browns effective handling of the great
organ form the musical clmaceric of the service For
the acoustic qualities of the church perfect, every
one sings, and there Is an indescribable dash and
abandon in the torrentlike rush of these unultuous
chorals proceeding, too in stately rhythm like the
orderly tread Of army that is profoundly Impressive
| THE APPEARANCE AND MANNER OF THE PREACHER.
The sermon Is at length reached There notes,
manuscript Tho preacher sta.ds out, well posed
trim rat her slender elastic figure, tall ungrace-
full in pose and attitude, coat buttoned TO the chin,
pale delicatey featured face despite tho freaks of tho
caricatursts face full of hints and gmpses of char
with flashes of shifting moods while the steel gray eyes
wake up into lively play the pulses quicken at the
heart Of the preacher There Is broad high forehead,
sandy side whiskers and ncipent badness The voice
is clinging and irresistible in quality. penetrating the
largest audiences with surprising ease not noisy
yociterous and yet with ample resource for energetic
and heated passages.
The evangelist before is simple ms youth abso-
lately unconventional in method and spirit, strong and
fiery at the heart quick, on the alert at the brain,
| flooded with fancy and Imagination, man who sees
pictures and LEANS dreams in lieu of ogicand far
| womanly, intuiional and emotional in his line Of
work not orator in the of the conscious.
summate artist, but rather a possessed with an
irresistible enthusiasm which takes and holds posses.
sion of him and strips him of volition and con-
seriousness while developing his sermon Yet this
| whclming subOrdinaon of "A strongly furnished ndi-
| vduay to a high spiritual ministry proves a true
spiritual ministry seasoned with much flavor of anciene
orthodoxy yet without trace of dOgmatsm polemic,
consumed with a desperate zeal to heal scmo evil,
break up some wrong, strengthen and sweeten some
wounded life
NATURE or THE SERMON
His speech is distinctly his II favors and hints
at other living soul is specifically apart as was
Caryles Bunyan's. And there is not little of tho
errac vehemence and poetry of the one and the I'M
conscious bucolc garrulity and hard wisdom of the
other, in his suggestion Now there flight of sweet
| lustrous limpd English without flaw or fault which
| Lander or Emerson would not have spurned. then
blast Of most damaging invectve sharp and piercing,
then touch of nature, Of human heartedness which
thrills the whole 5000 who silently hang his words
No other could produce the serEon-not that the
subject might not be treated with broader scholarship
deeper learning OF finer symmetries of DEVELOPMENT
for 1t Is just much of the preachers BEST
life Sometimes we would clip and prune sharply; but
the occasional exuberance is rarely offensive and Il Ia
characteristics of the inexhaustble mpressibe evan
gelist who reaches wide public. Here Is list of al.
most forty journals In cities of America Canada and
! England which publish every Sunday morning Q
sermon as soon as may be had while hundreds print
| them occasionally.
| STEPS IN DIR. TALMAGE's CAREER.
This church has now more than 3 200 communicates
and is kinded through and through with systematize
activities and industries The Doctor keeps a firm
hold OF the lecture field, making two rapid trina
il farr nnl.