The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-04-14
DR.. Talmage and His Tabernacle,

l - oic icH luliilOu people on
1ne giooe who read, weekly, Talmage's
sunday sermons. They are printed in
thousands of publications and in several
languages. When he ascends his plat
form pulpit, and opens his mouth, be il
conscious that what he is going to say
VIII be read in every christianized nation
OF the earth. He thus has the largest
congregations ever preached to during
the more than eighteen Gospel centuries.
he Is the only man living of whom it
may be said, fguratively, that when he
speaks, his voice is heard round the
world
But am going to hear him in person.
and as many as may like to shall ac.
company me, and enter his famous
tabernacle, and see his congregation.
and observe his style of speaking, and
watch the expression Of his face. and
note his gestures, SO that hereafter,
when reading his sermons in print, we
can nave with us a portraiture of him
as he was delivering the sermon.
1t Is chill November Sabbath morn
ing. The myriad church bells OF New
York are changing in their lofty steeples.
We walk to the New York entrance of
the East River Bridge, and into one of
the trains which ply fve-minutely be-
tween the New York aad BROOKLYN ter
mini OF the great structure. We are
carried quickly and smoothly to the
Brooklyn station, and as we are de-
scending to the street, a digni6ed. el.
derry gentleman, accompanied by two
middle-aged ladies, asks, politely, If we
can direct him 10 the Brooklyn Tab
ernacle-" !" We tell him to follow our
lead. One block from the station is
street car line, and man crying out
Cars for the Brooklyn Tabernacle"
The caller is needed there at this hour
| Of Sunday for directing visitors to New
York who go over TO hear Talmage.
On board the car the elderly gentle.
man states that his party are from Mis-
| sissippi; we had already decided them
from the South. "Had we ever seen
DR.. Ialmage?" he asks, and is interest
ed in learning that we know him person
ally-at being told of how unaffected
aud pleasing ne is in social life, of his
amiability and hospitality, his freedom
alike from cant, stiltedness, or eccen-
tricIty, how he is loved by his neigh
bors, and how, though under a pres
sure OF work at all times he devotes
many hours to receiving calls from
strangers.
Ten minutes on the street car. and
the conductor calls out, Brooklyn Tab
ernacle." Every passenger gets off and
walks in the direction we do, to the en-
trance of building two hundred feet
wide. Within the double swinging doors,
one of several pairs, we look upon a sea
of people in the amphitheatrical house
An esher approaches and leads US to an
eligible pew
1t is five minutes before eleven, and
there are four thousand people within
the Tabernacle, with hundreds more
pouring in. We look about us on either
side, and forward and back-at men,
women, boys and girls, and gray heads
and faces of young children, all quiet
save those coming softly down the car
peted aisles. We look at the pipes of the
great organ at the rear of the platform
pulpit, and reaching almost to the roof,
at the high-reachingd decorated windows,
at the immense galleries encircling the
sides and back of the auditorium, and
at the Gothic roof, scientifically planned |
for light, ventilation and acoustic per-
lection.
Eleven o'clock-every seat of the i'm
mense hall, floor and gallery, is occupied, |
and the overflow are taking positions
in the isle to stand. More than five
thousand people are in noiseless wait |
ing.
Now there is an audible moving in |
the assemblage, and a momentary whis |
pered utterance as tall man, attired III |
black, with clerical coat closely but |
toned, ascends the steps of the platform,
upon which is only chair and small |
table. As he kneels for few minutes |
half the audience bend their head, |
and pin-fall might almost be herd |
Now he rises, and taking a small Bible |
in hand, comes to the front of the plat |
form and reads. We do not need to |
lean forward for every word may be |
distinctly heard at the remotest point. !
What reading! how intelligent the em
phasis how lucid the brief comments |
upon the verses, The passages are
familiar, but from his enunciation they |
take on stronger meaning and added |
beauty. The book closed and placed ON |
the table behind him, he onens little |
hymn book. ave will sing hymn 65,"
he says, and then begins reciting. He |
reads the hymn through, turns and re
reads he two opening lines, and adds:
Please let every voice in the congrega |
ton join in the singing"
As he takes his seat, the great organ |
musically discourses the time-honored |
air familiar to all from infancy. As its
recital is ending, a man mounts a stand, |
facing the audience. At the wave of
his hand, five thousand people rise,
standing, and, as his silvery toned cor
net trumpets the first note, it, would
seem that the FIVE thousand voices
present are in the artillery-like song
burst.
Do we sing? Why, we can't help it.
That wind instrument leading, with its
mouth open heavenward, seems to be
inspired with vocalism, and actually
uttering the words, and with thrill of
exultation every voice yies with it in
ringing out the grand old hymn. The
first verse ended and the interlude of
the organ, the cornetist signals the great
chorus, and the air again vibrates with
the grand acclaim of melody. Do we
sing? Just look around, and see that
no head is so white and no face so ju-
venile but that the mouth belonging to
it is spread and the throat beneath
swelling to help roll higher the vocal
wave, and YOU will disport yet more
vigorously in the rolling tide. No Won
der that the face of the elderly Missis-
sippian at our side expresses wonder
ment. No wonder we think disparag
ingly, by contrast, of the modern church
choir, with its feeble solos, duets, or
quartets.
But the hymn is concluded, and the
preacher is praying. His manner and
his invocation are earnest, and his audi
tors appear to be gratefully seconding
the petitions he is sending up in behalf
of their souls, and for the spiritual con-
ISOLATION of the distressed everywhere.
As he invokes divine comforting for
those who visit newly made graves, We
see faces hurying in black bordered
kerchiefs, for in so large an assemnlage
there must always be some recently
bereaved.
At length the preliminary services
are over, and the preacher comes for
ward, announces and re-announces his
text. Every eye in the house is upon
him, every ear is listening for his first
words. They are simple enough for the