The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1891-05-06
STONES THAT SPEAK,
DR. TALMAGE breaches IN THE NEW
TASERNACLE.


and Mars lillian Earthly House for
,Iesus-What the Church Means.
BROOKLYN, April 26.-Sernon OF
Rev. T. De Witt Talmage in the New
BROOKLYN Tabernacle on Clinton avenue
this evening, the building having been
dedicated in the morning at 1870. \
great union meeting in which c|ergymen
of all denominations Of Christians par
ticipated was held in the afternoon. SIX
thousand persons were present at each
of the services and many thousands were
turned away. Text: What means ys
bv these stones?" Joshua iv. s.
The Jordan, like the Mississippi, has
bluffs on the one side and fats on the
other. Here and there sycamore shac-
ows it. Here and there willow dlps
into it. It was only little over waist
Geep in December as waded through
it, but in the months of April and May
the SHOWS on Mount Lebanon thaw anc
fow down into the valley, and then the
Jordan overftows its banks. Then 1t IS
wide, deep, raging. and impetuous. At
this season Of the year hear the tramp
of4O,OOO armed men coming down to
cross the river. You say, why do they
not 60 up nearer the rise Of the river at
the old camel ford: All. my friends, 1t
is because it is not safe to 60 around
when the Lord tells US to so ahead. The
Israelites had been going around forty
years, and they had enough OF 1t. l 40
not know how it is with you, my breth-
rem, but have always got into trouble
when I went around, but always got
into safety when I went aheod.
There spreads out the JORDAN, a rag
inc torrent, much of it snow-water just
come down from the mountain top; and
see some of the Israelites shiverlng at
the idea Of plunging in, and one soldier
saws TO his comrade, Joseph can you
: SWIM" And another says: I'll we get
across this stream we will get there with
wet clothes and with damaged armor,
and the Cananites will slash US 10 pieces
with their swords before We get up the
other bank" But it is no time to halt.
The great host marches onward. 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 ofthe water
Yet still there is no abatement OF the
foed. Now they have come within tour
or FIVE feet Of the stream; but there Is %
atatemen. :of the flood. Bad prospect:
1T seems that if these Israelites that
crossed the desert aro now going to he
drowned in sight of Canaan. But For
ward!" is the cry. The command rings
all along the line Of the host. For
wardn' Now the priests have come
within one step Of the river. This time
they lift their feet srom the solid ground
and place 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 Iraelltes,
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
she miraculous passage has been made,
stand back aad see this stupendous pile
ofwater leap. God takes his hand from
that wall of floods, and like a hundred
cataracts they plunge and roar in thun-
derous triumph to the sea.
How are they to celebrate this PASSAGE:
Shall il be with music? I suppose the
trumpet and cymbals were all worn o II
before this. Shall it be with banners
waving? Oh. 10; they are all faded ami
torn. Joshua cries out: Il will tell you
bow to celebrate this; builda monument
here to commemorate the event." ano
every priest puts heavy stone on his
shoulder, and marches out and drops
that stoue in the divinely.appointeo
place. see that pile growing in height,
10 breadth, in significance; and, IN after
wears. men went by that spot and saw
this monument, and cried out one tc
another, in fuldlment of the prophecy o.
the text: ';What mean ye by these
stoness"
Blessed be God, he cid not leave oul
church in the wilderness! we have beer
wandering about for year and a hal
worshipping in the Academy Of music
Brooklyn, and Academy of Music, New
York. And some thought we would
never reach the promised land. Some
SAID We had better take. this route anc
others that. Some said we had better
: 90 back, and some said there were sons
of Anak in the way that would eat Us
ND: and before the smoke had cleared
away from the sky after our Tabernacle
had been consumed people stood Oh the
very site of the place and said: ''Thls
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 ex'
pressed turned out to be snow-water
melted from the top OF Lebanon. Some
said: s'You had better not go in; you
viii Get your feet wet" But we wadeo
in, pastor and people, further and fur
ther. and in some way, the Lord only
knows how, we got through; and tonight
I go all around about this great house
erected by your prayers, and sympathies,
and sacrifices, and cry out in the words
of my text: ''What mean ye by these
stones9" It is an outrage to build a
house like this so vast and so magnificent
unless there be some tremendous reasons
for 5oino If. ond so. friends. I pursue
you tonight with the question OF my
text, and demand Of these trustees and
of these elders and Of all who have con-
trbuted IN the building of this structure,
s.What mean ye by these s:ones:" But
before get you answer to my question
you point to the memorial wall at the
side of this pulpit, and say TO me. 'sEN-
PLAIN thaS unusual group OF memorials,
What mean you by those stones?"
BY permission ofthe:people Of my be-
loved charge recently visited the Holy