Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-05-07
THE NEW TABERNACLE
DIR. TALMAeE's GRAPHIC REVIEW or
THE BUILDING AND ITS PURPOSES.


and Athens-A Church for All.
BROOKLYN. April 96.-Sermon Of Rev. I.
De Witt Talmage in the new Brooklyn
Tabernacle on Clinton avenue this even
ing, the building having been dedicated in
the morning at 10:30 A great union meet
ing, in which clergymen of all denomina-
tions Of Christians participated, was held
in the afternoon. Six thousand persons
were present at each of the services, and
many thousands were turned away. Text,
"What mean ye by these stones" Joshua
iv,0.
The Jordan, like the Mississippi, has
bluffs on the one side and flats on the
other. Here and there sycamore shad-
ows it. Here and there willow dips into
it. 1t was only little over waist deep in
December as waded through it, but in the
months of April and May the SHOWS on
Mount Lebanon thaw and flow down into
the valley, and then the Jordan overfows
its banks. Then it is wide, deep, raging
and impetuous. At this season of the
year hear the tramp of forty thousand
armed men coming down to cross the river.
You say, why do they not go up nearer the
rise Of the river at the old camel ford2 Ahl
my friends, it is because it is not safe to go
around when the Lord tells us to go ahead.
The Israelites had been going around forty
years, and they had enough of it. l do not
know how it is with you, my brethren, but
have always got into trouble when went
around, but always got into safety when
went ahead.
There spreads out the Jordan, raging
torrent, much of it snow water Just come
down from the mountain top; and see
some of the Israelites shivering at the idea
of plunging in, and one soldier says to his
comrade, Joseph, can you swim?" And
another says: IF we get across the stream
we will get there with wet clothes and
with damaged armor, and the Canaanites
will slash us to pieces with their swords
before we get up the other bank" But it
is no time to halt. The great host marches
on.
The priests carrying the ark go ahead,
the people follow. l hear the tramp of the
great multitude. The priests have now
come within stones throw of the water.
Yet still there is no abatement of the food.
Now they have come within four or five
feet of the stream; but there is no abate-
ment of the food. Bad prospect 1t seems
as If these Israelites that crossed the desert
are now going to be drowned in sight of
Canaan. But Forward" is the cry. The
command rings all along the line of the
host. "ForwardW Now the priests have
come within one step of the river. This
time they lift their feet from the solid
ground and put them down into the rag
ing stream. No sooner are their feet there
than Jordan flies.
On the right hand God piles up great
mountain of foods; on the left, the water
flows off toward the sea. The great river
for hours halts and rears. The back
waters, not being able to flow over the pass
ing Israelites, pile wave on wave until per-
haps sea bird would find some difficulty
in scaling the water cliff. Now the priests
and all the people have gone over on dry
land. The water on the left hand side by
this time has reached the sea; and now
that.the miraculous passage has been made,
stand back and see this stupendous pile of
waters leap. God takes his hand from
that wall of floods, and like hundred cat
aracts they plunge and roar in thunderous
triumph to the sea.
THE MONUMENT AT JORDAN.
How are they to celebrate this passage?
Shall it be with music? I suppose the
trumpet and cymbals were all worn out
before this. Shall it be with banners wav-
ing? Oh, no; they are all faded and torn.
Joshua cries out, II will tell you how to
celebrate this-build monument here to
commemorate the event." and every priest
puts a heavy stone on his shoulder and
marches out, and drops that stone in the
divinely appointed place. l see the pile
growing in height, in breadth, in signif-
canoe; and, in after years, men went by
that spot and saw this monument, and
cried out one to another, in fulfllment of
the prophecy of the text, "What meant ye
by these stones"
Blessed be God, he did not leave our
church in the wilderness! We have been
wandering about for q year and a half
worshiping in the Academy Of Music,
Brooklyn, and the Academy of Music, New
York. And some thought we would never
reach the promised land. Some said we
had better take this route and others that.
Some said we had better go back, and some
said there were sons Of Anak in the way
that would cat US up; and before the
smoke had cleared away from the sky after
our tabernacle had been consumed, people
stood on the very site of the place and said,
"This church will never again be built"
We came down to the bank of Jordan; we
looked off upon the waters. Some of the
sympathy that was expressed turned out
to be snow water melted from the top of
Lebanon. Some said, "You had better not
go in; you will get your feet wet" But
we waded in, pastor and people, farther
and farther, and in some way, the Lord
only knows how, we got through; and to-
night I go all around about this great
house, erected by your prayers and sympa-
thies and sacrifices, and cry out in the
words of my text. what mean ye by these
stones"
It is an outrage to build house like this,
80 vast and so magnificent, unless there
be some tremendous reasons for doing it;
and so, my friends, pursue you tonight
with the question of my text, and I de-
mand of these trustees and of these elders
and of all who have contributed in the
building of this structure, "What mean ye
by these stones?" But before I get your
answer to my question you interrupt me
and point to the memorial wall at the side
Of this pulpit, and say explain that un-
usual groupof memorials, What mean you
by those stones?" BY permission of the
people of my beloved charge I recently
visited the Holy Lands, and having in
mind by day and night during my absence
this rising house of prayer, bethought
myself, "What can do to make that place
significant and glorious"
On the morning of December the Sd
we were at the foot of the most sacred
mountain of all the earth, Mount Calvary.
Tbara 10 NO mora 1oubt of the localitv