Milford chronicle., 1892-04-08
MILFOBD, DEL, FRIDAY. APRIL :, " 70 loge.


A n
in the mir. lied day in ANGEL nasr Buf
NV mind i, 9TH her hands, lon / was about
to preach. loo sfs time le rushed M and
tod me TINS M y sta w md ,.oin "p nm hin IN
the same kind OF "a 1lriot Rat elijah took
from the banks Of the Jordan. That sun
day morning tragedy, with IT'S wliudng of
hands and frozen tears on the checks Of
many thousands standing in tine street,
and the crash that shook the earth, is as
vivid as though it were yesterday. But it
was not perfect loss.
All were anxious to do something, and
as on such occasions sensible people are
apt to do unusual things, one Of the menu
bers, at the risk Of his life, rushed in
among the fallen walls, mounted the pulpit
and took glass of water from the table
and brought it in safety to the street. So
I you see it was not a total loss. Within an
4 hour from many churches came kind in
vitations 10 occupy their buildings, and
/ hanging against a lamppost near the de-
stroyed building, before u o'clock that
morning, was board with the inscription,
''The congregation of Brooklyn Taber-
nacle will worship tonight in Plymouth
church"
Mr.. Beecber made the opening prayer,
which was full of commiseration for me
and my homeless flock, and l preached
that night the sermon that intended to
preach that morning in my own church,
the text concerning 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, obliter-
ated. "But arise and build" said many
voices. Another. architect took the amphi-
theatrical plan of church, which in the
first instance was necessarily somewhat
rude, and developed it into an elaborate
plan that was Immediately adopted.
But how to raise the money for such an
expensive undertaking was the question
expensive not because of any senseless
adornment proposed, but expensive he
cause Of the immense size Of the building
needed 70 hold our congregation. It was
at that time when for years our entire
country was suffering, not from financial
panic, but from that long continued finan-
cial depression which all business men re-
member as the cloud hung heavy year
after year and commercial establishments
without number went down. Through
what struggles we passed the eternal God
and some brave souls today remember
Many a time would have gladly accepted
calls to some other field but / could not
I
At last, after, in the interregnum, hay
ing worshiped in our beautiful Academy
of Music, on the morning OF Feb. % 1874
the anniversary of the Washington who
conquered impossibilities andon the Sab
hath that always celebrates the resurrec-
ton, DR., Byron Sunderland, chaplain Of
the United States senate, thrilled us
= ~ and through with a dedieatory
oines 70 Srom Haggai ii g, "The glory of
Rfs house shall be greater than that of
the former, saith the Lord of Hosts" The
corner stone Of that building had been laid
by the illustriOus and now enthroned Dr.
IrenRus Prime On the platform on dedi-
cation day sat, among Others DR.. Bowling
of the Baptist church, DR.. Crook Of the
Methodist church. Mr.. Beecher OF the Con
gregational church and DR.. French Of the
Presbyterian church. HOsannahl Another
%}5, 600 was raised on that day.
The following Sunday 33S souls were re-
ceived into our communion, mostly on con
fession of faith. At two other cOmmun-
ions over 500 souls joined at each one.
At another ingathering CPS 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. N.Y. myl Won't we
be glad to see them-the men and women
who stood by us in days that were dark
and days that were iubilant Hosaunahl
The work done in tllaochurch on Schermer-
horn street can never be undOue.
What self sacrifices on the part Of many,
who gave almost till the blood camel
What hallelujahs! What victoriesl What
wedding marches played with full organ!
What baptismsi What sacramento What
obsequies One Of them on snowy Sab
bath afternoon, when all Brooklyn seemed
20 sympathize, and my eldest son, bearing
my own name, lay beneath the pulpit IN
the last sleep, and Florence Rice Knox
sang, and a score Of ministers on and
around the platform tried to interpret how
it was best that one who had just come to
manhood and with brightest worldly
prospects, should be taken and We left
with heart that viii not cease to ache
until we meet where tears never fall
THE SECOND TABERNACLE.
That second tabernacle What stu
pendous reminiscencei But, if the Peter
Of my text had known what an rndert-lS-
ing it is to build two tabernaclcs lac would
not have proposed two, to say nothing OF
three. AS an anniversary sermon must
needs be somewhat photographed, let
me say have not been idle. Daring the
standing Of those two tabernacles lfty-two
books, under as many titles, made mp
from my writings, were published. During
that time also / was permitted to discuss
all the great questions Of the day in all Tie
great cities of this continent, and in many
81 them many times, besides preaching and
occurring ninety-six times in England,
Scotland and ireland in ninety-four days. q
During all that time, as well as since,
was engaged in editing religious news
paper, believing that such a periodical was
capable of great usefulness, and | have
been a constant contributor to newspapers
and periodicals. Meanwhile all things had
become easy in the Brooklyn Tabernacle.
On a Sabbatlrin October, 1889, announced
10 nv congregation that / would in few
weeks visit the Holy Land, and that the
officers OIL thechurch had ,,,isenUed to my
going, and the wish Of a lifetime was about
to be fulfilled. The next SABBATH morn
ing. about O'Clock or just after midnight,
n member OF my household awakened me
nv saving that there was strange light IN
the sky. A thunderstorm had left the air
full of electricity and from horizon to hor-
lion everything seemed to blaze. But that
did not disturb me, until an observation
taken front Ae cupola Of my house declared
that the second Tabernacle was putting on
red wings.
I secuted the idea and turned over on the
inflow for another sleep, but number OF
excited voices called me to the roof, and 1
went up and saw clearly defined in the
night the fiery catafalque Of our second
Tabernacle. When l saw that | said to
my family: II think that ends my work In
Brooklyn. Surely the Lord will not can
minister to build three churches in one
city. The building Of one church gener-
ally ends the usefulness OF a pastor. How
can any one prestge at the building OF three
cburchersp Buzz fore twenty hours
had passed we wdi4 compelled to cry out
with Peter Of my text, Let us build three
tabernacles.u We must have home
somewhere. The old site had ceased to be
the center Of our congregation, and the
center Of the congregation, as near as we
could find it, is where we now stand.
Having selected the spot, should we
r...sfa - 3 a harm ,r "a tabernacle. Dpautf-