Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1892-04-09

WaCll I'LL 11IOOAA1 IL CSOiilCA W Alpdr
thize, and my eldest son, bearing my
own name, lay beneath the pulpit in the
last sleep, and Florence Rice Knox sang
and score Of ministers on and around
the platform tried TO interpret how ii
was best that one who had just come tc
manhood, and with brightest worldly
prospects, should be taken. and we lief,
with heart tiiat will not cease to ache
until we meet where tears never fall
That second sTabcrnaclc What stu.
pendous relninisccncc! But if the Peter
of my text had known what an under.
taking it is to build two tabernacles. he
would not have proposed two, to say
nothing of three AS an anniversary
sermon must needs be somewhat auto
biographical, let me say have not beer
idle. During the standing of those two
Tabernacles tifty-two books, under as
many titles, made up from my writings
were published. During that time, also
Twas permitted TO discuss all The great
siiqueseions the tsrcal
cites of this eli
them many times, besides preaching ,anc
lecturing ninety-six times in England
Scotland and Ireland i'll ninety-foul
days.
During all that time, as well as SINCE
was engaged in editing religious
newspaper, believing that such a peri.
odical was capable of great usefulness,
and have been constant contributor
to newspapers and periodicals. Mean
while all things had become easy in the
Brooklyn Tabernacle. On Sabbath in
| October, 1889, announced to my con-
gregation that would in a few weeks
visit the Holy Land and that the officers
of the church had consented to my
going, and the wish of a~lifetime was
about to be fulfilled. The next Sabbath
morning, about 2 o'clock or inst after
midnight, member of my household
awakened me by saying that there was
a strange light in the sky. A thunder
storm had left the air full of electricity,
and from horizon to horizon everything
seemed to blaze. But that did not dis
turb me, until an observation taken
from the cupola of my house declared
that the second Tabernacle was putting
Oh red wings.
scented the idea and turned over on
the pillow for another sleep, but num-
Der of excited voices called me to the
roof, and went up and saw clearly de-
fined in the night the fiery catafalque of
our second Tabernacle. When / saw
that said to my family: II think that
ends my work in Brooklyn. ! Surely the
Lord will not call minister to build
three churches in one city. The build
ing of one church generally ends The
usefulness of u pastor; how can any
ono preside at the building of three
churches?" But before twenty hours
had passed we were compelled to cry
ont, with Peter of my text. "Let rs
build three tabernacles." We must have
q homo somewhere.
The old site had ceased 70 be the cen
ter 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 beautiful and
| well HI our religion, commanded the lat
ter. But what push, what industry, what
skill, what self sacrifice, what faith in
God were necessary. lmpediments and
hindrances without number were thrown
| in the way, and had it not been for the
perseverance 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 with their
lips. "How, amiable are thy tabernacles,
o Lord of Hosts" On the third Sab
bath of last April this church was dedi
Gated DR.. Hamlin, of Washington,
preaching an inspiring sermon, DR.. Wen
dell Prime, of New York, offering the
iedicatory prayer, aud some fifteen
clergymen during the day taking part
in the services. Hosannah!
How suggestive to many of rs are the
words spelled out in flowers above the
pulpit-.1S69" and "lS02"-,for~ those
dates bound what raptures, what griefs,
what struggles, what triumphs! men
ton it as 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 reached this twenty-third mile
stone. start anew. have in my MEN,
Orandum books analyses of more SER
mons than have ever yet preached, and
have preached. as near as ! can tell.
about 1850.
During these past years have learned
two or three things. Among others
have learned that ''all things work to-
sothcr for good" My positive mode of
preaching has sometimes seemed to stir
the hostilitics of all earth and hell. Feel
ing called upon fifteen years ago to ex-
plore underground New York city life,
that might report the evils to be COM
batted, took with me two elders of my
church and New York police commits
sioner and q policeman, and explored
and reported the horrors that needed re-
moval, and the allurements that en-
dangered our young men. There came
upon ME all outburst of assumed indig-
nation that frightened almost everybody
Inf myself. That exploration put into
my church thirty or forty newspaper
correspondents, from north, south, east
and west, which opened for me new
avenues in which to preach the Gospel
that otherwise would never have been
opened
Years passed on and Iprcached series
of sermons on Amusements, and false
report of what did say-;and one of the
sermons said to have been preached by
me was not mine in single word
reused a violence that threatened me