The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1888-03-23
TALMAG E.
PEN PICTURE OF THE NOTED
BROOKLYN PREACHER
How He Thinks Out" His Sermons
The World For Congresa-
tion-Snnday Morning
in His Church.

4
be goes to his study. and with his secre-
tary, begins the work Of getting up his
sermons. lectures and Friday night talks.
Few men who have stood in the fierce
light Of public life for 20 years have said
so much and said it so well as Talmage.
He aims 10 hit on some topic that is
prominently before the public, and out
# this draws a lesson that his hearers
Will not forget. Do not imagine that
sermon writing is easy On the con-
irary, it IS very difficult. DR.. Talmage
has no trouble, apparently, in preparing
a sermon. for he dicta es at the rate of
$50 words minute TO his secretary. but
before he can do this he has TO .'think
out his sermons.
He first begins by having something
TO say, and then saying it. He delights
in selecting odd texts and using short,
sharp, snappy sentences. But these very
sentences have come TO him with diff
Guilty. lie has learned them by heart
while riding on cars, while walking in
the streets. and even while living in his
bed at night. He has a wonderful mem
DRY, and apt illustrations are at his
tongues end. He has been a close
student Of history, and he is never at a
loss for names and dates
And 50 itcomes that when he is ready 10
begin 10 dictate TO his secretary his ser
mon is practically finished. 1t is memoir
lied He knows it by heart. After it is
written he reads it once or twice care
fully, and he can then repeat it word fol-
word
And now I shall tell you something
that will surprise you. You have known
for long time that Dr. TalInage is popu-
lar. Everybody knows that. His church
is one Of the largest in the country. il
not in the world. The Brooklyn Taber-
nacle can seat, on its main floor and in
the galleries, over 4, 900 persons. Camp
stools are always placed in the aisles and
in the corridors. Thus 500 more persons
can be accommodated, and by a series OF
znnexes to the church 800 more can be
given seats or Standing room. These
annexes have been built recently. They
surround the church, and when the ser
mon begins the partitions separating the
church from the annexes are hoisted up
by pulleys. so that the preacher can be
seen and his voice plainly heard.
The immediate congregation at each
service consists of about 5000 persons,
and, as a rule. fully half that number
more are turned away because they can
not lind even standing room. A big
congregation, you sayl Yes, indeed ;
but nothing like so vast a congregation
as the Brooklyn preacher addresses every
Monday morning Of his life through the
newspapers.
Hi. Sunday morning sermon, or a por-
ton Of it, is published in some news
paper in nearly every city in this coun-
Try. In a score Of cities the sermon is
published by some newspapers in its en-
tirety.
From a source that admits Of no dis
pute am enabled TO state positively that
the newspapers in America alone that
publish these sermons every week have a
circulation Of ~, 800. 900.
Think Of that for an audiencei
In continental Europe, in Australia, in
Sweden, Russia, Norway, Denmark and
India 4, 900, 000 more copies are published
on each Monday morning DIR. Talmage's
sermons have also been translated aud
published in book form in at least 40
languages.
Nearly Il, 900, 600 copies OF one ser
mon published every week in the year,
Let u stop moment until we exactly
understand the surprising greatness Of
these figures. II Is generally reckoned
that an average Of three persons read each
copy Of the daily newspapers published.
That would make Talmage's weekly
aud enee 81, 00U, 900 persons, or nearly as
many a. are contained in the niied
Stats. OF course. he has no such audi
ence as that Let Us be on the safe side
and divide the Is, 900, 900 into 9, 600, 600.
The first Oh ect that strikes the visitor
20 the Brooklyn Tabernacle is the in
mense organ Promptly at 7:lj o'clock
the organist runs his fingers over the
ivory keys. ami plays two or three selec-
tons. At the exact moment OF 1880,
Dr. Talmage walks on Le platform.
His black broadclOth frock coat Is thrown
open. A turned down collar encircles
his neck, and a black tie covers his
snowy shirt front. He drops into blue
plush chair. and a moment is spent in
prayer. THIN be adjusts his glasses to
his eyes and opens his Bible The organ
pea forth, Praise God from Whom All
Blessings Flow" A stout well built man
steps on a small platform aud waves his
right hand. In his left he holds a silver
cOrnet. This he puts 10 his mouth and
leads the vast audience in song. There
is no choir or quartet in the Tabernacle.
The singing is entirely by the congrega-
tion.
Then the sermon begins. The preacher
comes down 70 the front Of the platform
without n0tes or even book in Il hand.
He doesn't use table or pit. He
stands alone. Eyery-eye is on him. He
give out his text in clear. loud, ring
ing voice, and repeats It twice He usu-
ally begins the sermon by hasty word
picture Of the scene where the text is
laid. or BY an anecdOte The sermon
lasts 40 minutes II is full Of vigor and
earnesiness. Indeed. that is the chief
Characteristic o. Talmage on the plat
form He Is in earnest. He talks quickly,
nervously. He PAGES up and down the
platform, and now tells story in a low,
sweet voice. and again he belches forth
like NesuFius and makes the chandeliers
rattle with the sound Of his voice. At
times he is intensely humorous. Again,
he has the audience IN tears. Again, he
is 50 dramatic that the conviction forces
itself upon you that If ne had taken TO
the stage instead Of the pulpit he would
have made q great actor.
The vast audience never loses interest.
Il Is an audience made up fully two
thirds Of men between the ages of 25 and
IS. They belong TO all walks in life.
Some are students, Others are actors and
playwrights, young ministers. bankers,
brokers, lawyers and storekeeDers. They
laugh at the anecdotes, and they CRY and
they hsten reyerently, tenderiy, to the
manly pleading 20 come to Jesus.
The preacher knows every lute-stringin
the human heart. He draws magnificent
pictures in words. but he never forgets
10 send home solid truths. II is like a
panorama rhe curtain is rising and fall
ing on respondent pictures. They daz-
zle the listeners. The eye Is soothed and
Che ear charmed.
Deaths From Wild Animals.
focc