Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-02-23
THE BROOKLYN TABERNACLE.

toricnI Powers OF the Noted
Preacher.
The first object that strikes the visi-
tor to the Brooklyn Tabernacle is the
immense organ. Promptly at 7:15
o'clock the organist runs his fingers
over the ivory keys. and plays two or
three select ons. AT the exact moment
of 1880 DR.. Talmage walks on the plat
form. His black broadcoth frocl; coat
is thrown open. A turned down collar
encirclcs his neck, and black tie COW
ers his snowy shirt front. He drops in
TO n blue plush chair, and II moment is
spent in prayer Then he adjusts his
glasses TO h eyes and opens his d BILE.
The organ peals forth praise God.
from Whom All Blessings Flow A
stout. well built man steps on n small
platform and waves his right hand. In
his left he holds silver cornet. This
he puts to his mouth and leads the vast
audience in song. There is no choir
or quartetto in the Tabernacle. The
ngng is entirely by the congregation.
After this DIR. Talmage steps forward
The peal of the organ has hardly died
awat before he announce s his Bible
read NC. He holds the good book in
his right hand close TO his face. His
left hand steals around to his back and
clutches neryously at his coat tail He
begins in n well rounded but not must
cal voice. The vast audience is hush
ed in expectancy. The fall of a pin
could be heard. Slowly the preacher
proceeds. 1t is the ever delightful
story of Ruth that he has selected. He
reads sentence after sentence, and in
conversational way injects comments
until the old story, that all the world
has laughed and cried over. is invested
with new light and a new meaning.
After this another hymn and then the
collection. As the pennies, dimes and
quarters jingle unsteady together in
the collection boxes the cornelist plays
again. The great church is by Tn
time full TO overlooking. There isn't
standing room anywhere. Massive
chandeliers ! ght up the building per-
fectly, and the stained glass windows
make pretty and effective back
ground.
Then the sermon begins. The
pr acher comes down to the front of the
platform without notes or even book
in his hand. He doesn't use table or
pulpit. He stands alone. Ever eye is
on HIM. lie gives out his text in II
clear, loud, ringing voice. and repeats
it twice. He usually begins the SER
mon by u hasty-word picture OF the
scene where the text is laid. or by an
anecdote. The sermon lasts forty min
ules. 1t is full of vigor and earnest
ness. Indeed. that is the chief char
acterstic of Talmage on the platform.
He is in earnest. He talks quickly,
ncrvously. He PAGES up and down the
platform. and now tells story in II
low, sweet voice. and again he belches
forth like Vesuvius. and makes the
chandeliers rattle with the sound of his
voice. At times he is intensely humer-
Gus. Again he has the audience in
tears. Again. he is so dramatic that
the conviction forces itself upon you
that if he had taken TO the stage in
stead of the pulpit he would have made
great actor.
What words did the Master use
when the winds and waves lashed Gal
j &c into furyp" he shouts
lie steps back IA half dozen feet. and
for moment there is silence. Then
he comes rushing down the platform
like coronado until he reaches the
very edge His hands nre uplftcd.
He turns his face to the ceiling until
his mouth is on n straight line with his
ears, and in pleading voice says. soft
ly, unsteady: "Peacer'
Quick as flash his hands come down
HIS face has lost its sweetness. His
voice is changed and harsh. and the
sentence is completed by an awful an
intensely dramatic yell: "Be stillr' 1t
is the voice OF authority. GalIlee is still
ed. There are "Oh's"in the audience.
and man in n pew in front of me
leans over to his companion and whis-
peres: 81 new er understood the mean
! ing of that sentence be fore"
The vast audience never loses inte T.
est. 1t is All audience made up fully
! two-thirds of men between tho ages of
% and 80. They belong to all walks
in life. Some are students, others are
actors and playwrights. young minis
ters, bankers. brokers. lawyers and
storekeepers. They laugh at the anoc-
dotes, and they cry and listen revernt-
ly, tendcrlv, to the manly pleading to
come to Jesus. foster Coates. IN NeW
York Mail and Express.