The Dickinson press., 1892-04-16
EvENTFUL YEARS.
DR.. Talmage Rehearses Events Since
the Beginning of his Pastor
ate in Brooklyn.
He Denies Recent Reports of Finan-
cial Difficulties and Corrccts
Interpretations.

He Denies Recent Reports of Finan-
cial Difficulties and Corrccts
Interpretations.
BROOKLYN, N. Y.,-[Special. l-This
is a festival day at the Tabernacle.
DR.. Talmage is celebrating the 23d
anniversary OF his settlement in
Brooklyn. In white flowers, embed
ded in green at the back OF the pulpit
stood the inscription, 1850 and
1892" DIR. Talmage's subject was.
"The Three Tabernacles; A story OF
trials and triumphs." and his text,
Luke ix., SO, "Let u make three tab
ernacles."
Our Arab ponies were almost dead
with fatigue, as, in December, 1886,
we rode near the foot OF Mount Her.
mon in the Holy Land, the mountain
called by IL "amountain OF ice;" by
another Aa glittering breast-plate of
ice;" b! mother "The Mount Blanc
OF Palestine" Its 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 the mountain top with
Jesus, when, suddenly, Christ's face
took on the glow of the
MONDAY sun, and Moses and Elijah,
who had been dead for centuries,
came out of the heavenly world and
talked with IL Savior. What an
overwhelming three! Moses, repre-
senting the law, Elijah, representing
the prophets, and Christ, representing
all words. Impetuous Peter was so
wrought up by the presence OF this
wondrous three, that, without watt
ing for time to consider how prepos.
ferrous 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 taber-
nacle, much less enough to build two
tabernacles, and, still less, how would
they get the material for building
three? Where would they get the
hammers? Where the gold? Where
the silver? Where the curtains?
Where the costly adornments? Her
mon is q barren peak, and to build
one tabernacle in such q place would
have been an undertaking beyond
human achievement, and Peter was
propoundin5 the impossible when he
cried out in enthusiasm;
"LET US BUILD THREE TABERNAcLEs."
Aud, yet, that is what this congrega-
ton have been called to do and have
done. The first Brooklyn Tabernacle
was dedicated in 1870 and destroyed
by fire in 1872. The second Brook
ly Tabernacle WAS dedicated in 1874
and destroyed by fire in 1889. The
third Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedi-
Gated in April, 1891, and in that we
are worshiping to-day. What sound
ed absurd for Peter to propose, when
he said on Mount Hermon, in the
words OF my text: "Let us build
three taberuacles," we have not only
done, but in the mysterious provi-
dence OF God, were compelled to
do.
We have been unjustly criticised by
people who did not know the facts,
sometimes for putting so much mon
ey in church buildings, and sometimes
for not giving as much as we ought to
this or that UNCONVENTIONAL project,
and no explanation has been made.
Before l get through with the delivery
of this sermon and it's publication
and distribution, l shall show that
no church on earth has ever done
more magniticently, and that no
church ever conquered mor trials,
and that no membership ever had in
it more heroes and hercines than this
Brooklyn Tabernacle, and. l mean
to have it known that
any individual or religious news
paper or secular newspaper that
hereafter casts any reflection on
this church's Fidelity and gen.
for which God will hold him or it e
sponsible. One year it was sent out
through q syndicate Of newspapers
that this church was doing nothing in
the way OF %liberality, when we had
that year raised $4,000 IN hard cash
fot religious uses. There has been per-
sistent and hemisphere lying against
this church. We have raised during
my passionate, for building and relig-
ious purposes, $99S,OOO
OR PRACTICALLY A MILLION DOLLARS.
Not an Irish famine, or a Charleston
earthquake, or an Ohio freshet, or q
Chicago conflagration, but our church
was among the first to help. We have
given free seats in the morning and
evening service to 24O, 600 strangers a
year, and that in 20 years would
amount to 4,SOO,OOO, auditors. We
haye received into our membership
5,357 members, and that is only a
small portion of the number who
have been converted to God from all
parts of this land and from other
lands. Under the blessing OF God and
through the kindness OF the printing
press, my sermons now go every week
into every neighborhood i'll Christen-
dom and are regularly translated in
to nearly all the great languages OF
Europe and Asia. The syrdicates
having charge of this sermonic publ
cation informed me q few days ago
that my printed sermons every week
in this and other lands, go into the
hands OF 25,OOO,O 600 people. During
the last year, / am authoritatively
informed, over 1000 different period
icals were added to the list OF those
who make this publication. And yet
there are ministers of the Gospel and
religious newspapers that systematic
cally and industriously and continu-
ously charge this church with idleness
snd selfishness and parsimony. l
Ill the attention OF the whole earth
to this outrage that has been heaped
upon the Brooklyn Tabernacle,
though O more consecrated, benevo-
lent. and splendid convocation of
men and women were never gathered