Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-04-08
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine's Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject: "The Three Tabernacles, Story
of Trials and Triumphs."

of Trials and TriumphS."
TEXT: "Let us make three taberndcleS'
Luke tx, 33.
Our Arab ponies were almost dead with
fatigue, as, in December, 1881. we rode near
the foot of Mount Hermon in the Holy
L1nd, the mountain called by one "a
mountain of ice" by another "a glittering
breastplate of ice" by another "the Mont
Blanc of Palestine" It's top has an almost
unearthly brilliance. But what must it
have been in the time to which my text re-
fers? Peter and James and John were on
that mountain top with Jesus when, sud-
deny, Cbrist'S face took on the glow of the
MONDAY sun. and Moses and Elijah, who
had been dead for centuries, came out from
the heavenly world and talze1 with our
Saviour. What an overwhelming three
Moses, representing the law; Elijah, repre-
senting the prophets, and Christ, represent
ing all worlds.
ImpetuouS Peter was 50 wrou ght upon by
the presencs OF this won1rous three, that,
without waiting for time to consider how
preposterouS was the proposition, he cried
out, Let us make three tabernscleS-one
for Thee, one for Moses and one for Elijah"
Where would they get the material for
building one tabernacle, much less material
enough to build two tabernacles, and still
less. how would they get the material for
building threeg Where would they get the
hammersy Where the goldg Where the
silver? Where the curtains, Where the
costly a1ornments? Hermon is barren
peak, ami to build one tabernacle in such
place would have been an Undertaking be-
yond human achievement, AMI Peter was
propounding the impossible when he cried
out in enthusiasm, Let us build three taber-
nacleS
And yet that is what this congregation
has teen called to do AMI has done. The
first Brooklyn Tabernacle 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 worshiping
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
tabernac,es," we have not only done, but in,
the mysterious province of God were COM
PEELED to do.
Iaunounce 10 you this day that we ara at
last. as a church. in smooth waters. Ar
rangementS have been made by which our
financial difficulties are now fully and salts
factorily adjusted Our income will exceed
our outgo, and Brooklyn Tabernacle will be
yours and belong to you and your children
after you, and anything you see contrary 10
this you may put down to the confirmed
habit which some people have got of mis-
representing this church, and they cannot
stop When came to Brooklyn 1 came to
small church and big indebtedness We
have now this, the largest Protestant church
in America, and financially as a congrega-
ton we are worth over and beyond all in
debtedHess, considerably more than $3.50, 600.
/ have preached here twenty three years.
and | EXPECT, il my life and health are con-
tinued, to preach here twenty-three years
longer, although we will all do well to re-
member that our breath is in our nostrils,
and any hour we may be called to give an
account of our stewardship. All we ask for
the future is that you DO your best, contrib
utng all you can to the support of our insti-
tutions. Our best days are yet to come; our
greatest revivals of religion, and our might
lest outpourings OF the holy Ghost We
have got through the Red sea and stand to-
day on the other bank clapping the cymbals
OF victory.
Yes twenty three years have passed since
came to live in Brooklyn, and they have
been to me eventiul years. 1t was pros
trated church to which | came, church so
fat down 1t could drop no farther Through
controversies " hich it would be useless 10
rehearse it was we'll nigh extinct and for a
long while it had been without a pastor.
But nineteen members could b. mustered TO
sign call for my coming
As a committee was putting that call be-
fore me in an upper room in my house in
Philadelphia. there were two other commit
tees on similar errands from other Churches
in other rooms. wnom my wife was enter
tanning and keeping apart from unhappy
collision The au iitOrium of the Brooklyn
church TO which came defie1 all the laws
of acoustics: the church hal steeple that
was the derlsiOn OF the town, and high
box pulpit which shut in the preacher as
though he were dangerous to be let loos9,
or it acted asa barricade that was unneces-
sary ID keep back the people, for they were
so few that a minister vi ordinary muscle
could have kept back all who were there.
NV first Sabbath in Brooklyn was a sad
dav. for did not realize how far the church
was down until then, and on the evening of
that day my own brother, through whose
pocket entere the ministry, dieJ, and the
tidings OF his decease reached me att o'clock
in the eveniul and was to preach at half
INST seven. But from that day the blessing
of God was on Us. and in three months we
began the enlargement OF the building. Be
fore the close o: that year we resolved to
construct the first Tabernacle. 1t was to be
a temporary structure, and therefore we
called it a tabernacle instead of d Temple.
What should be the style OF architecture
was the immediate question. | had always
thought that the ampitheatrical shape would
be appropriate for church.
Two distinguished architects were en-
ployed, and after much lowering over de
signs they announced to US that such a
building was impossible for religious pur-
poseg as il would not be churchly, and
would subject themselves AMI us to ruinous
criticism; in other words they were not
ready for n revolution in church archi-
lecture. Utterly disheartened as to my
favorite style OF architecture. | said to the
trustees, "Build anything you please, and
must be satisfied But one morning
young architect appeared at my house and
asked il we had yet selected a plan for our
church. said, mo, and what we want we
cannot GET "What kind Of building do you
want?' he asked. And taking out q lead
pencil and letter envelope from my pocket,
in less than a minute by few curved lines
indicated in the rough what We wanted.
But" / said, ''old architects tell us it can't
be dol e, and there is no use in you trying"
He said, II can do if. How long can | have
to make out the planss" / said, This even
ing at S o'clock everything is to be decided"
At s O'Clock of that evening the architect
presented his plans, and the bids OF builder
and mason were presented, and in five min
utes after the plans were presented they
were unanimously adopted. So that |
would not be in the way Of the trustees dur.
ing the work / went to Europe, and when
got back the church was well nigh done.
But there came in a staggering hindrance.
We expected to pay for the new church by
the sale of the old building. The old one
had been sold, but just at the time we must
have the money the purchasers backed out
and we had two churches and no money.
By the help OF God and the indomitable
and unparalleled energy of our trustees
there and there one of them present to-day,
but the most in q better world, we got the
building ready for conservation and on
September %, 1870, morning and evening
dedicatory services were held, AMI in the
afternoon the children, with sweet and multi
tudinous voices. consecrated the place to
God. Twenty thousand dollars were raised
that day TO pay a floating debt. In the
morning old DIR. Stephen II. Tying, the
glory of the Episcopal Church ant the
Cbrysostom OF the American pulpit, preached
a sermon which fingered in its gracious
effects as long as the building stood He
read enough out of the Episcopal PRAYER
book TO keep himself from being rerr.-
manded by his bishop for preaching at "a non
Episcopal service; and We, although belong
ing to another denomination. responded with
heartiness, as though we were used TO the
liturgy, Good Lord, deliver usp
During the short time we occupied that
Esf hal - H.