Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-04-07

kOiHB, anu tDe wish Oh u llI6Ulule WINS dUOtlt
to be fulfilled. The next Sabbath morn
ing, about O'Clock or just after midnight,
a member of my household awakened me
by saying that there was a 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 from the cupola of my house declared
that the second Tabernacle was putting on
red wings.
secuted the idea and turned over on the
pillow for another sleep, but number Of
excited voices called me to the roof, and |
went up and saw clearly defined in the
night the fiery catafalque of our second
Tabernacle When / saw that l said to
my family: 81 think that ends my work in
Brooklyn. Surely the Lord will not cab
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 preside at the building of three
churches| But before twenty-four hours
had passed we were compelled to cry out,
with Peter of my text, Let us build three
tabernacles." 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
build on it barn or tabernacle, beauti-
full and commodiouss Our common sense,
as well as our religion, commanded the
latter. But what push, what industry,
what skill, what self sacrifice, what faith
in God were necessarily Impediments and
hindrances without number were thrown
in the way, and had it not been for the per-
severance of our church officials, and the
practical help of many people, and the
prayers OF millions of good souls in all
parts of the earth, and the blessing of
Almighty God the work would not have
been done But it is done, and all good
people who behold the structure feel in
their hearts, if they do not utter it with
their lips, How amiable are thy taber-
nacles, O Lord of Hostsl' On the third
Sabbath of last April this church was dcd-
icated, DIR. Halnln, of Washington
preaching an inspiring sermon, DR.. Wen
dell Prime, of New York. offering the
dedicatory prayer and some fifteen clergy
men during the day taking part in the
services. Hosannahl
1S69-1892.
How suggestive to many of MS are the
words spelled out in flowers above the pull
pit-"lS69' and "lS92'-for those dates
bound what raptures what griefs, what
struggles, what triumphs | mention it as
II matter of gratitude to God that in these
twenty-three years / have missed but one
Sabbath through physical indisposition,
and but three in the thirty six years
of my ministry. And now, having reach
ed this twenty-third milestone, | start
anew. | have in my memorandum
books analyses Of more sermons than |
have ever yet preached, and l have
preached, as near as | can tell, about $50
During these past years | have learned
two or three things. Among others l
have learned that all things work to-
gether for good" My positive mode of
preaching has sometimes seemed to stir
the hostilities of all earth and hell. Feel
ing called upon fifteen years ago to explore
underground New York city life, that |
might report the evils to be combated, i took
with me two elders of my church and New
York police commissioner and policeman,
and | explored and reported the horrors
that needed removal and the allurements
that endangered our young men. There
came upon me an outburst of assumed in
dignation that frightened almost every
body but myself That exploration put
into my church thirty or forty newspaper
west; which opened for me new avenues in
which to preach the Gospel that otherwise
would never have been opened.
Years passed on and | preached a series
of sermons on ADJUSTMENTS, and a false
report of what did say-and one of the
sermons said to have been preached by
me was not mine in single word-roused
a violence that threatened me with poison
and dirk and pistol and other forms of
extinguishment, until the chief of Brook
Ign police, without any suggestion from
me, took possession Of the church with
twenty-four policemen to see that no harm
was done. That excitement opened many
doors, which | entered for preaching the
Gospel.
After awhile came an ecclesiastical trial,
in which | was arraigned by people who
did not hike the way did things, and al
though was acquitted of all the charges,
the contest shook the American church.
That battle made me more friends than
anything that ever happened and gave me
Christendom and more than Christemdom
for my weekly audience. On the demoli-
ton OF each church we got better and
larger church, and not disaster, not IL
c1r'"ature, not persecution, not an as
a,U.l, during all these twenty-three years.
but turned out for our advantage, and
ought not to believe that "all things work
together for goods' Hosannah!
NOT NECESSARY TO PICK FLAWS.
Another lesson ! have learned during
these twenty-three wears is that if is not
necessary % pre- .Ws in
the old Bible in nru,i .p SIS. Hu audience:
the old Book without any fixing up is good
enough for me, and higher criticism, as it
is called, means lower religion. Higher
criticism is another form of infdelity, and
its disciples will believe less and less, UNI
til many Of them will land in Nowhere
and become the worshipers of an eternal
"What is it" The most of these higher
critics seem to be seeking notorety by
pitching into the Bible. 1t is such brave
thing 10 strike your grandmother. The
old Gospel put in modern phrase, and with
out any of the conventionalities, and
adapted to all the wants and woes of hui
manity, / have found the mightiest mag
net, aud we have never lacked an audience.
Next to the blessing OF my own family
account the blessing that l have always