The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-04-04
THETHREE TABERNACLES
TWENTY THIRD ANNIVERSARY
SERMON OF REV. TALMAGE.

Charge OF Having Put Too Much
Money Ia Its Churches.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, April 3. This is a
festival day at the Tabernacle. DIR. Tall
mage is celebrating the twenty third an-
niyersary of his settlement in Brooklyn. In
white flowers embedded in green at the
back of the pulpit stood the inscription:
1850 and 1927 DR.. Talmage's subjeca.
was "The Three Tabernacles: A story orz
trials and triumphs." And his text Luke
tx, 33, LET us make three tabernacles. ~
Our Arab ponies were almost dead with
fatigue, as, in December, 1889, we rode near
the foot OF Mount Hermou in the Holy
Land, the mountain called by one "a
mountain Of ice;" by another, "a glIttering
breastplate OF ice" by another, ''the Mounh
Blauo OF Palestine" Its top has an almosa
nnearthly brilliance. But what must 10
have been In the time to which my text re~
fers Peter and James and John were on
the mountain top with Jesus, when, sud-
denly, Christ's face took on the glow Of the
noon-dAy sun, and Moses aud Elijah, who
had been dead for centuries came out from
the heavenly world and talked with our
Savior. What an overwhelming three A.
Moses. representing the law, elijah, represents
ing the prophets, and Christ. representing
all worlds. lmpetuous Peter was SO wrou9ht
upon by the presence OF this wondroua
three, that. without waiting for time to
consider how preposterous was the PROPOSE
tiou, ho cried out: Let us make three
tabernacles; one for thee one for Moses
and one for Elijah.h Who're would they
get the material for building one tabernacle,
much less material enough to build two
tabernaoles, and, still less, how would theyl
get the material for building threeg Where's
would they get the hammers! Where the
goldl Where the silverl Where the
curtainsi Where the costly adornmentss
Hermon III barren peak, and to-
build one tabernacle in such a
place would have been an undertaking be-
yond human achievements. and Peter was
propouDdinR the impossible when he cried
/ out IN enthusiasm: "Let us build three
tahernaclss." And, yet, that Is what thigl
congregation have been called TO do and
| have done. The first Brooklyn Tabernaclea
was dedicated in 1870 and destroyed by fire
in 1872. The second Brooklyn Tabernacle
was dedicated in 1874 and destroyed by fire
in 1889. The third Brooklyn Tabernacle
was dedicated In April 1891 and In that We
are worshlpinR to-day What sounded
| absurd for Peter TO propose, when he said
on Mount Hermon, In the words of my
text: LET us build three tabernacles,n y ws
| have not only done, but, Ia the mysterious
providence Of God, we're compelled TO do.
We have been uDjustly criticised by peo--
pie who did not know the facts sometimes
| tor putting 80 much money in church build
ings, and sometimes for not giving as much
| as we ought to this or that denominationaE
project and no explanation has yet been
made. Before get through with the de-
livery OF this sermon and its publication
and distribution. / shall show that no church
on earth has ever done more magnificently.
and shat no church ever conquered more
trials, and that no membership ever had
in IL more heroes and heroines than this
Brooklyn Tabernacle. and | mean to have
1t known that any individual or religious
newspaper or secular newspaper that
hereafter casts any reflection on this
church's fidelity and generosity, is guilty
OF wickedness for which God will hold
him or it responslble. One year it was sens
| out through syndicate of newspapers tha0i
this church was doing nothing ia the way Of
liberality, when we had that year raised $94.-
900 in hard cash for religious uses. There
has been persistent and hemispherIo lying
against this church. We have raised durInEi
my pastorate, for church building and re-
ligious purposes, S99S 200, or practically a
million dollars. Not an Irish famine, or a.
Charleston earthquake, or an Ohio freshet,i
or Chicago confagration, but our church,
was among the first to help. Wehave giveni
free seats in the morning and evening serv-,
ices TO 240, 900 strangers O year, and that I'M
twenty years would amount TO 4, 800, ,00Ol
auditors. We have received into our mems
berShip 1857 members, and that is only q
small portion Of the number OF those who
have here been converted to God from nlE
parts Of this land and from other lands.
Under the blessing OF God and through
the kindness OF the printing press. my SER
mons now go every week into every neigh
borhood in Christendom, and are regularly
translated into nearly all the great
languages OF Europe and Asia. The syndi-
Gates having charge Of this sermonic pubIi-
cation Informed me few days ago that my
printed sermons every week, Ia this and
other lands, go into the hands of 25, 900, 900
people. During the last year, / am author-'
itatively informed, over 1000 differenb
periodicals were added 10 the list of thoss
who make this publication. And yet there
are ministers OF the gospel and religious
newspapers that systematically and Indus
triously and continuously charge this church,
with idleness and selfishness and parsi-
mony. l call the attention of the whole.
earth 30 this outrage that has been heeped
upon the Brooklyn Tabernacle, though a
more conseorated, benevolent, and splendid
oonvocation OF men and women were never
gathered together outside Of heaven. / have
| never before responded to these inJustices.
and probably will never refer to them again.
but wish the people of this country and+
other countries to know that what thew,
read concerning the selhshness and indo-
lence and lack OF benevoleuce and lack OF
missionary spirit on the part OF this church..
is, from top to bottom and from stem to
bt6Tu, LdBBnOOQ-OdStdIOlY I6isenOO0-s
diaboical falsehood. What Is said against
myself hrs no effect, except, like that Of q
coarse Turkish towel, the rubbing down by
which improves circulation and produces
good health. But this continuous misreps
resentation Of my beloved church, in the
name Of Almighty God, denounce, while I
appeal to the fair minded men aud women
TO see that justice is done this people, who,
within few years, have gone through q
struggle that no other church in any land
or any age has been called to endure, and
pray God that no other church may ever be
called TO endure, viz:--the building OF three
tabernacles. / ask the friends of the
Brooklyn Tabernacle to cut ous
this sermon from the newspapers
and put it. in their pocket books,
SO that they can intelligently an
swer our falsiflers, whether clerical or
lay. And with these you may put that
other statement which recently went
through the country and which l saw in
Detroit, which said that the Brooklyn
Tabernacle had a hard financial struggle,
because it had all along been paving sucn
enormous salaries to its pastor, DR.. Talmage.
when the faot is that after our last disaster
and for two years, / gave all my salary to
the church building fund, and l received
So, 600 less than nothing; in other words, in
addition to serving this church gratuitouslY
-. 4 1.ea - g. k..s1