The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1892-04-06


viewed the work accomplished by the
Tabernacle congregation during his
pastorate. In white flowers embedded
in green at the back Of the pulpit stood
the inscription, 1850 and 1882" DR..
Talmage's subject was '"The Three
Tabernacles: A Story of Trials and
Triumphs," and his text Luke tx, 39,
"Let us make three tabernacles." Fol-
lowing is the sermon:
Our Arab ponies were almost dead
with fatigue, as, in December, 1889, we
rode near the foot of Mount Hermon, in
the Holy Land, the mountain called by
one "a mountain of ice;" by another "a
glittering breastplate Of ice;" by anoth-
er'' the Mont Blanc of Palestine" top
has an almost unearthly brilliance. But,
what must it have been in the time to
which my text refers. Peter and James
and John were on that mountain top
with Jesus, when, suddenly, Christ's
face took on the glow of the noon-day
sun, and Moses and Elijah, who had
been dead for centuries, came out from
the heavenly world and talked with our
Saviour. What an overwhelming threel
Noses representing the law, Elijah, rep
resenting the prophets, and Christ, rep
resenting all worlds. Impetuous Peter
was SO wrought upon by the presence OF
this wondrous three, that, without wait
ing for time to consider how pre-
posterous was the proposition, he
cried out: "Let us make three
tabernacles; one for Thee, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah" Where
would they get the material for
building one tabernacle, much less ma
terial enough to build two tabernacles,
and, still less, how would they get the
material for building threeP Where
would they get the hammers? Where
the gold? Where the silver? Where
the curtains? Where the costly adorn-
ments? Hermon is barren peak, and
TO build one taberdacle in such place
would have been an undertaking be-
yond human achievement, and Peter
was propounding the impossible when
he cried out in enthusiasm: LET us
build three tabernacles" And yet that
Is what this congregation have been
called 10 do and have done. The first
Brooklyn tabernacle was dedicated In
1870 and destroyed by fire in 1879. The
second Brooklyn tabernacle was dedi
Gated in 1874 and destroyed by fire in
1889. The third Brooklyn tabernacle
was dedicated in April, 1891, and in that
we are worshiping to-day. Wha'
sounded absurd for Peter to propose
when he said on Mount Hermon, in Tho
words Of my text: "Let us build thre'
tabernacles," we have not only done
but, In the mysterious providence o
God, were compelled TO do.
q We have been unjustly criticised b.
people who did not know the fact
sometimes for putting so much none.
in church buildings, and sometimes TO
not giving as much as we ought TO this o
that denominational project, and no ex
planation has yet been made. Before
get through with the delivery of thi
sermon and disqualification and distribu
tion, shall show that no church oi
earth has,eyer done more magnihcently
and that no church ever conquered NOR
trials, and that no membership ever ha.
In IL more heroes and heroines than thi
Brooklyn tabernacle, and 4 mean +
have IL known That any individual ORE
iirious newspaper or secular newspape
that hereafter casts any reflection o.
this churchls tidelity and generosity,
Ruilty OF n wickedness for which Go
WIN hold him or it responsible. On
year II was sent out through a asynd
cate of newspapers that this church wa
doing nothing in the way'of hberality
when we had that year raised S94, 900 l
hard cash for religious uses. There hs
been persistent and hemisphere lyin
against this church. We have raise
during my pastorate, for church built
ing and religious purposes, s99e, 900, c
practically a million dollars. Not a
Irish famine, nor Charleston eartl
quake, nor an Ohio freshet, nor Ch
cago conhagration, but our church wa
among the first TO help. We havegive
free seats in the morning and eyerin
services to 240, 900 strangers year, an
that, In twenty years, would amount
10000 auditors. We have receive
into our membership 5,S57 member
and that Is only small portion Of III
number Of those who have here bee
converted to God from all parts Of tn
land and from other lands. Under tf
blessing Of God and through the kim
ness Of the printing press, my sermon
now 20 every week into every neighbo
hood in Christendom, are reguiarl
translated into nearly aM the great lal
guages Of Europe and Asia. The synd
Gates having charge Of this sermon
pnblication informed nae few day
ago that my printed sermons ever
week, in this and other lands, go in'
the hands of 25,OOO,0 900 people. Durin
the last year, / am authoritatively II
formed, over 1000 different periodica
were added TO the list Of those WI
; make this publication. And yet thei
are ministers of the gospel and religion
newspapers that systematically and Il
dustriously and continuously charl
this church with idleness and selfisl
ness and parsimony. call the attel
ton of the whole earth to this outrae
that has been heaped upon the Brool
lyn tabernacle, though more cons
Grated, benevolent and splendid conv
cation of men and women were new
gathered together outside Of heaven.
have never before responded to the
.injustices, and probably will never r
fer to them again, but L wish u
people Of this country and 9th
countries TO know what thu
read concerning the selRshne
N -. 4. -. ...a 1anls nf I,n,nn.rolor,I