Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1892-04-09

Mr.. Beecher made the opening PRAYER.
which was full OF comm seration for me and
my homeless flock, and Ipreached that night
the sermon that intended to preach that
morning in my own church, the text con-
corning the precious alabaster box broken
| at the feet of Christ, and sure enough we
had one very precious broken that day. We
were. as a church, obliterated. but arise
and build" said many voices. Another
| architect took the amphitheatricai plan of a
| church, which in the first instanc, was nee
| essarily somewhat rule, and developed it
| into an elaborate plaa that was Immediately
| adopted.
But how to raise the money for such an
expensive undertaking was the question
ex 1ensive not because of any senseess
aiornment proposed, but expressive because
of the immense sizs OF the building needed
/ t. hold our congregation. IL was at that
I time when for years our entire country was
suffering, not from financial panic, but
from that long continued financial depression
which all business men remember, as the
c.oui hung heavy year after year and COM
mereal establishments without numb Der went
down. Through what struggles we passed
the eternal Got and some brave souls to-day
remember. Many time would have glad
! ly accepted calls to some other field,
but l could not leave the flock in the wilder
nes'.
AT last, after, in the interreznum. having
Music, on the morning of February %, 1874,
l the anniversary of the Washington who con-
| quered impossibilities and on the Sabbath
That always celebrates the resurrection, DIR.
\ Byron Sunderland, Chaplain of the Unitei
| States Senate, thrilled US through and
through with dedcatory sermon from
| Haggai H., 8. The glory of this house
/ snail be greater than that of the former.
! saith the Lord of Hosts The corner stone
/ OF that building had been laid by the illus
/ trious and now enthronel DR.. Irens1s
| Prime. On the platform on dedication day
sat, among others, DR.. Bowling, of the Bap-
! tist Church, Dr. CrooS, of the Methodist
| Church, Mr. Beecher, of the Congregational
| Church, and DR.. French. OF the Presbyterian
Church. Hosaunahl Another S35, 900 was
raised on that day.
The following Sunday 32S souls were re-
ceived into our communion, mostly on
| confession of faith. At two other commu.
Mons over 500 souls joined at each one. At
another ingatherng 623 souls entered this
| communion. and so many of those gathered
| throngs have already entered heaven that
we expect to feel at home when we get there.
1 Ny! myl Won't we be glad to sea them
the men and women who stood by US in days
that were dark and days that were jubilauti
Hosannah The work done in that church
| on Schermerhorn street can never be
| undone.
! What self sacrifices on the part of many,
who gave almost till the blood came! What
hallelujahsi What victories! What we'd
| ding marches played with full organl What
! baptismsl What sacramento What obse-
| quies! One of them on a snowy Sabbath
/ afternoon, waen all Brooklyn sesmed TO
/ sympathize, AMI my eldest son, bearing my
| own name, lay benesth tie pulpit in the last
| sleep, and Florence Rice Knox sang. and a
score Of ministers OIL and around the plat
| form trie to interpret how it was best that
/ who ha1 inst tn monhOOi and
| with brightest worldly prospects, should be
taken and we left with heart that will not
| celse to ache until we meet where tears
/ never fall
| That second Tabernlcel What stupen-
dous reimbursement But, IL the Peter of my
/ text had known what an undertaking it is to
| bull 1 two taoernac.es he would not have
! proposed two, to say nothing OF three. As
an anniversary sermon must needs be some
what photographed, let me say I have
not been idle. During the standing of those
| two Tabernacles fifty-two books, under as
many titles, made up from my writings,
We're published. During that time also was
| permitted to discuss all the great questions of
| the day in all the great cities of this CONT
nent, and in many of them many times, be-
sides preaching and lecturing ninety-six
| times in England, Scotland and Ireland in
! ninety-four days
| During all that time, as we'll as since, l
i was e1pdSeu III editing rellSlOuS news
! paper. believing that such periodical was
/ capable of great usefulness, and 1 have been
! constant contributor to newspapers and
/ periodicals Meanwhile all things had be
come easy in the Brooklyn Tabernacle. On
! Sabbath in October 1889, | announced to
my congregation that l would in few
/ weeks visit the Holy Land, and that the Off
GERS of the church bad consented to my 60
ing, and the wish of life to me was about
/ TO be fulfilled. The next Sabbath morning,
| about 2 O'Clock, or just after midnight, a
member of my household awakened me by
saying that there was strange light in the
/ sky A thunderstorm had left the air full
! of electricity, and from horizon to horizon
/ everything seemed to blaza. But that did
! not disturb me, until an observation taken
| from the cupola of my house declared that
/ the second Tabernacle was putting on led
wings
| secuted the idea aud turned over on tbs
| pillow for another sleep, but number of
! excited voices called lie to the roof, and |
went up ana saw clearly defined in the night
| tine fiery catataique OF QUE second Taber-
| nacie. When | saw that | said to my family
II think that ennis my work in Brooklyn.
/ Surely the Lord will not call minister to
| build three churches in one city. The build
| ing of one church generally ends the useful
ness of pastor. How can any one preside
\ at the building Of three churches" But
were compelled to cry out. with Peter OF
my text LET us build three tabernacies"
| We must have a home somewhere. The old
/ site bad ceased tn he the center of our con
/ gregation, AMI the center of the congrega-
| ton, as near as we could find it, is where we
now stand
Having selected the spot, should we build
on it barn on a tabernacle, beautiful AMI
/ connections? Our common sense, as well as
our religion, COMMANDED the latter. But
what push, what industry, what skill, what
] sacrifice, what faith in God were necessary!
/ lmpediinents and hindrances without num-
/ Der were thrown in the way, and had it not
been for the perseverance of our church Off
Gals, and the practical help of many people, p
and the prayers of millions OF COOL souls in
all parts of the earth. AMI the blessing Of
| Almighty Col, the WORK would not nave
| been done. But it is done, AMI all cool
! people who baholl the structure feel in their
hearts if they do not utter it with their lips,
! "dow amiable are Thy taoeruacles Lord
| of Hostsm On tie third Sabbath of last
| April this church was dedicated, DIR. Hamlin,
| of Washington, preaching an inspiring SER
mon, DR.. Wendell Prime, of New York,
offering the OBLIGATORY prayer, and some
fifteen clergy1len during the day taking
part in the services. Hosaunah.
How sugg 9stive to many of us ara the
words spelled out in flowers above the pull
| pit-"1S69' and 1897 for those dates
| bound what raptures, what griefS, what
struggles, what triumphs. mention it as
matter of gratitude to God that in these
twenty three years [ have missed bat one
| Sabbath through physical iulisposition, AMI
but three in the thirtysy years of my miu-
| is6ry. And now, having reachsl this
| twenty third milestone l start anew I
have iu my memorandum books analyses
! of more sermons than l have ever vet
| preached and | have preached as near as
can tell, about 3}SJ.
! During these past years have learneltw)
or three things. Among others | have
/ learned tdat call things work together for
| good" My positive mode of preaching has
| sometimes seemed to stir the hostilities of all
| earth an he'll. Feeling called upon fifteen
years ago to explore underground New YORK
! city life, that | might report the evils to be
combatei, took with me two elders of my
church and New ork police commissioner
and policeman, and | explored and re-
! portei the horrors that needed removal and
the allurements that endan gered our young
men. There came upon me an outburst of
assumed indignation that frightened almost
everybody but myself. Tint exploration
| put into my church thirty or forty news
| paper correspondents from north south,
| east and west; which opened for me new
| avenues in which to preach the Cfos2el that
| otherwise would never have been opeued.
| Years passed on ami | preached a series
| of sermons on Amusements aud false re-
/ port OF wat did say-zan one of the SER
/ mons said to have been preached by me was
| not mine in single word -rouss1 a violence
hot fhy~ao xxytNh ls,-I-