Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-05-01
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun
day Sermon.
Subject: 1.-THE New Tabernacle"

Joshua w.. 8.
The Jordan, like the Mississippi, has bluffs
on tie one side and fats on the other. Here
and there a sycamore shadows it. Here ana
there a willow dips into it. 1t was only a
little over waist oeep in December as waded
through it but in the months of April and
Nav the SHOWS on Mount Lebanon tnaw and
how down into the valley, and then the Jor-
dan overhows its banks. Then 1t is wide,
deep raging and impetuous. At this season
Of the year hear the tramp OF forty thou
sand 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
ford? All! my friends, it is because it is not
safe to 60 around when the Lord tells us to
20 ahead The Israelites had been going
around forty years, and they had enough OF
it, 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 tae 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 COM
rade, "Joseph, can you swim% And another
saws: "If we get across the stream we VIII
get there with wet clothes and with damaged
armor. and the CanaaniteS will slash us 70
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 60 ahead, the
people follow. hear the tramp of the great
multitude. The priests have now come with
in a stones throw of the water Yet still
there is no abatement OF the flood. Now they
have come within four or five feet OF the
stream; but there is no abatement OF the
ia If a II those
Israelites that crossed the desert are now 60
ing to be drowned in sight Of Canaan: But
Forward" is tho cry. The command rings
all along the line of the host. Forward"
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 raging stream. No sooner are their
feet there than jordan flies.
On the right hand God piles up great
mountain of floods; 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 passing Is
raelites. pile wave on wave until perhaps a
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 mlracu-
lous passage has been made stand back and
see this stupendous pile Of waters leap. God
takes His hand from that walls of floods, and
like a hundred cataractS they plunge and
roar in thunderous triumph to the sea.
How are they TO celebrate this passage;
Shall it be with music? / suppose the trum-
pets and cymbals were all worn out before
this. Shall it be with banners waving? Oh,
no: they are all faded and torn. Joshua
cries out, II will tell you how to celebrate
this-build monument here TO commemo-
rate the event." and every priest puts
heavy stone on his shoulder and marches out
and drops that stone in the dlvinely sp-
pointed place. / see the pile growing in
height, in BREADTH in significance; 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 stonesF
Blessed be God, He did not leave our church
in the wilderness We have been wandering
about for year and a half worshiping in
the Academy Of Music, brooklyn, ana 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 20 back, and some said there were
sons Of AJAX in the way that would eat us
Ut. and before the smoke had cleared away
from the sky after our tabernacle had been
consumed, people stood on the very site oil
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 bet,
ter not 60 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; aud tonight l
go all around about this great house, erected
by your prayers and sympathieS and sacri-
fees, and cry out in the words of my text:
what mean We by these stonesF'
1t is an outrage to build house like this,
50 vast and so magnificent, unless there be
some tremendous reasons for doing 1t; ana
so, my friends, l pursue you tonight with
the question of my text, and demand o.
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 get your answer TO my question
YOU interrupt me and point to the memorial
wall at the side Of this pulpit, and say, "Ex-
plain that unusual group OF memorials
What mean you by those stones?' By per-
mission Of the people of my beloved charge
recently visited the Holy Lands, and having
in mind by day and night during my alb
sence this rising house Of PRAYER, lbethought
TQNSelI, W nat Cdli ~ ~ NueiS pANNS
significant and glorious"
On the morning Of December the 81 we
were at the foot Of the most sacred mount
ain Of all the earth Mount Calvary. There
is no more doubt of the locality than OF
Mount Washington or Mount Blanc. On the
bluff Of this mountain, which is the shape OF
the human skull, and so called in the Bible,
THE place Of the skull" there is room for
three crosses. There l saw stone 50 sug-
gestive rolled it down the mill and trans
ported it, 1t is at the top Of this wall,
white stone, with crimson veins running
through 1.-THE white typical OF purity the
crimson suggestive Of the blood that paid
the price of our redemption. We place it at
the top Of the memorial wall, .or above all
in this church for all time in sermon and
song and prayer, shall be thu sacraice OF
Mount Cavalry. Look at it. That stone was
one OF the rocks rent at the crucifxiOn. That
heard the CRY, ut is finished" Was ever
any church on earth honored with such
amemorial'
Beneath it are two tables Of stone which
had brought from Mount Sinai whsre the
law was given. Three camels were three
weeks crossing the desert to fetch them.
When at Cairo, Egypt, | proposed to the
Christian Arab that he bring one stone from
Mount Sinai. he said, I'VE can easier bring
two rocks than one, for one must balance
them on the back Of the camel, and did
not think until the day OF their arrival how
much more suggestive would be the two, be-
cause the law was written on two tablets OF
stone. Those stones marked with the words
mount Sinai' felt the earthquake that shook
the mountains when the law was given. The
lower stone Of the wall is from Mars Hill, the
place where Paul stood when he preached
that famous sermon on the brotherhood of
the human race, declaring God hath mado
Of one blood all nations"
Since Lord Elgin took the famous statuary
from the Acropolis, the hill adjoining Mars
Hill the Greek Government makes it impos-
sible to transport TO other lands any antiq-
uities, and armed soldiers guard not only
the Acropolis, but Mars Hill. That stone
obtained by special permission from the
Queen Of Greece, q most gracious and brill
liant woman, who received US as though we
had been old acquaintance, and through
Mr.. Tricoupis. the Prime Minister of Greece,
and Mr. Snowden. our American Minister
Plenipotentiary, and DR.. Manatt, our Amer
lean Consul, that suggestive tablet was
sawed from the pulpit Of rock on which
Paul preached. Now you understand why
we have marked it The Gospel" Long af-
ter my lips shall utter in this church their
last message. these lips Of stone will tell OF
the Law, and the Sacrifice. ami tho Gospel
This day present them TO the church and
to all who shall gaze upon them. Thus YOU
have nv answer IN the ouestiOn "gYhaf