Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-04-14


ton TO serving this church gratuitously LOT
two years. let it have $1,000 for building
purposes. Why is it that people could net
do us justice aud say that all our financial
struggle as a church came from doing what
Peter in ms text absurlly proposed to do,
our which, IN the inscrutable providence OF
God, we were compelled to do-build three
tabernacles.
IN SMOOTH WATERS AT LAST.
Now | feel better that ti4is is oil my
mind TIE rest of my sermon will be spun
out of hOsannahs. | announce 10 You this
day that we are at last, as church, in
smooth waters Arrangements have been
made by which our financial difficulties
are now fully and satisfactorily adjusted
| Our income will exceed our outgo, and
Brooklyn Tabernacle viii be yours and be
long TO you and your children after you,
and anything you see contrary to this YOU
may put down to the confirmed habit
| which some people have got Of misrepre
scnting this church, and they cannot stop.
! When | came to Brooklyn | came to a
small church and "a big Indebtedness We
| have now this, the largest Protestant
/ church ia America and financially as a
congregation we are worth, over and be-
yond all Indebtedness. considerably more
than $4,000.
Ihave preached here twentytliree years,
and expect II my life and health are con
tinued, to preach here tweity-three years
longer, although we will all do well To re-
member that our breath Is IN our nostrils,
and any hour we may he called TO give an
account Of our stewardship. All we ask
for the future is that you do your best,
contributing all you can To the support Of
our institutions. Our hest days are yet TO
come; our greatest revivals Of religion, and
our inightiest oubpolrilies Of the Holy
Ghost We have got through the Red sea
and stand today on the other bank c.apping
the cymbals OF victory.
Do you wonder thai last Sabbath asked
you IN the midst Of the service to rise and
sing with iublant voice the long meter
Doxology:
Praise God from whom all blessings ilow.
Praise him. all creatures here below.
Praise him above, Sc heavenly host,
Praise Father. Son and Holy Ghost.
Yes, twenty-three years have passed since
| came TO live in Broo Ign, anil they have
been to me eYentful years. It was pros
trilted church 10 (which came, a church so
fiat down II could dropno farther Through
controversies which il wouid be useless TO
rehcarse It " - well nigh extinct. aud for a
long while it had been without pastor.
But nineteen members could be mustered
70 sign call for my coming.
As committee wiis putting that call
before me in an upper room in my house
in Philadelphia, there were two other com
mittees on similar errands from other
churches in other rooms, whom my wife
was entertaining and keeping apart from
unhappy collision. The auditorium of the
Brooklyn church to which came defed
all the laws Of acoustics; the church had a
stccple that was the derision Of the town.
and "A high box pulpit which shut in the
preacher as though he were dangerous to |
be let loose. or il acted as n barricade that |
was unnecessary TO keep back the people, /
for they were so few that minister Of /
ordinary muscle could have kept back all |
who were there
My first Sabbath in Brooklyn was a sad |
day, for ! did not realize Low far the |
church was down until then. and ON the +
evening of that day my own brother, I
through whose pocket ! entered the minis /
try, died. and the tidings Of his deccase 4
reached me at o'clock in the evening, /
and was To preach at half past :. But from 1
that day the blessing of God was ON Us, and /
IN three months we began the enlarge 1
ment Of the building Before the close Of 4
that year we resolved 10 construct the 4
first Tabernacle. Il was to be IA temporary 1
structure, and therefore we called it a |
Tabernacle instead Of Temple What I
should be- the style Of architecture was the /
immediate question. | had always thought 1
that tho amphitlcatrcal shape would be
appropriate for church.
Two distinguished architects were en-
ployesl, and after much lowering over de-
signs they announced to us that such a
building was impossible for religious pur-
poses. Us it would not be churchly, and
would subject themselves and us to ruin
GUS criticism; in other words, they were
not ready for a revolution in church arch-
lecture. Utterly disheartcned as to my
favorite style of architecture. said To the
trustees, Build anything you please. and
| must be satisfied" But one morning a
young architect appeared at my house and
asked il we had yet selected u plan for our
church. said, mo, and what we want
we cannot get" what style Of building
do you WANT" lie asked And taking out
"a lead pencil and letter envelope from
my pocket, i'm less than minute by "a few
curved lines ! indicated in the rough
what we wanted. "But,r ! said. "old
architects tell US il can't he done, and
there is no use in your trying" He said:
81 can do il. How long can have to make
out the planssn | said, ''This evening at
s O'Clock everything is to be decided"
TWO CHURCHES AND NO MONEY.
At s o'clock on that evening the
architect presented his plans, and the bids
Of builder and mason were presented, and