The Hazel Green herald., 1892-05-13


70 know that what they rcad concern
ing the selashness and indolence and
lack OF bcnevolcncc and lacls OF mission
ary spirit on the part Of this church. Is,
from top TO bottom and from stem IN
stern, falschood-dastardly falsehood--
diabolical falsehood. What n said
against myself has no effect, except.
like that of n coarse Turkish towel. the
rubbing down by which improves circu-
lation and produces good health. hut
this continuous Misrepresentation of my
beloved church, in the name of Al
mighty God, denouncc, while / appeal
TO the tnir~mindcd men and women to
see That justice Is done this people, who
within few years have gone through a
struggle that no other church in nv
land or any age has been called To en-
dure, and i pray God that no other
church may ever be called to endure,
viz: the building of three tabernaclcs.
ask the friends of the Brooklyn tab
crnacle 10 cut out this sermon from the
newspapers and pnt it in their pocket
books, So that they can intelligently
answer our falsifiers, whether clerical
or lay. And with these you may put
that other statement, which recently
went through the country and which
saw in Detroit, which said that the
Brooklyn tabernacle had hard fnan-
cial struggle, because it had all along
been paying such enormous salaries TO
its pastor, DIR. Talmagc, when the fact
is that after our last disaster and for
two years, gave all my salary to the
church building fund, and | received
$4,000 less than nothing; i'm other words,
in addition to serving this church gra-
tuitously for two years, | let il have
$4,000 for building purposes. Why is it
that people could not do MS justice and
say that all our financial struggle as
church came from doing what Peter, in
my text, absurdly tried To do, but
which, in the inscrutablc providence of
God, we were compelled To do-build
three tabcrnaclcS.
Now, feel better that this is Off my
mind. The rest of my sermon will be
spun out Of hosannahs. ] announce to
you this day that we are at last, as
church, in smooth waters. Arrangements
difficulties are now fully and satisfac-
torily adjusted. Our income will exceed
our out-go, and Brooklyn tabernacle
will be yours and belong 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 misrcprcsent-
ing this church and they can not stop
When / came to Brooklyn ! came TO u
small church and big indebtedness
We are now the largest protestant
church in America, and financially as a
congregation are worth, over and be-
yond all Indebtedness, considerably
more than $3.50, 200.
have preached here twcnty-three
years, and | expect, il my life and
health are continued, To preach here
twcnty-threc years longer, although we
will all do well TO remember that our
breath is in our nostrils, and any hour
we may be called to give an accout of
our stewardship. All we ask for the
future is that you do your best, con-
tributing all you can TO the support of
our institutions. Our best days are yet
to come; our greatest revivals of religion
and our mighticst outpouring of the
Holy Ghost. We have got through Red
sea and sand to-day on the other bank,
clappinssthe cymbals of victory. Do
you wonder that last Sabbath ] asked
you in the midst of the service TO rise
and sing with jubilant voice the long
meter DoXology:
Praise God from Whom all blessings iiow,
Praise Him all creatures here below
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Yes, twenty-thrce years have passed
since | came TO live in Brooklyn, and
they have been to me evcntful years.
II was prostratcd church To which /
came, church so fiat down it could
dropno further Through controversies
which il would be useless 10 rchearse it
was well nigh extinct, and for n long
while IL had been without pastor But
nineteen members could be mustered 10
sign call for my coming. AS a commit
tee was putting that call before me in an
upper room in my house in Philadel-
phia, there were two other committees
on similar crrands from other churches
in other rooms, whom my wife was en-
tertaining and keeping apart from un-
happy collision. The auditorium of the
church TO which came defied
all the laws of acoustics; the church
had steeple that was the derision OF
the town, and high box pulpit which
shut in the preacher as though he were
dangerous to be let loose, or it acted as
a barricade that was unnecessary To
keep back the people, for they were so
few that a minister of ordinary muscle
Il. III L..