Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-04
THREE TABERNACLES.
Talmage's Last Sermon Celebrates the
Building of the Last.
THE GROWING MATERIAL EVENT
Ola Long and Eventful fastorate of q Live
American Church.
THE BIBLE STILL THE DRAWING CARD


day at the Tabernacle. Dr. Talmage is cele
brating the 23d anniversary of his settle
ment in Brooklyn. In white flowers EN-
bedded in green at the back of the pulpit
stood the inscription, '1S69 and 1892" DR.
Talmage's subject was, ''The Three Taber
nacles; story of trials and triumphs," anG
his text, Luke 9: 33, s'Let us make three
tabernacles''
Our Arab ponies were almost dead witt
fatigue, as. in December, 1889, we rode neal
the foot of Mount Hermon in the Holy Land
the mountain called by one "a mountain
o: ices" by another ga glittering preastplate
of ice;" by another "the Mont Blanc oi
Palestine" Its top has an almost un,
earthly brilliance. But, what must it have
been in the time to which my text refers.
Peter and James and John were on tina,
mountain top with Jesus, when, suddenly
Christ's face took on the glow of the noon
day sun, and Moses and Elijah, who had
been dead for centuries, came out from the
heavenly world and talked with our Saviour
What an overwhelming three! Moses
representing the law. Elijah, representing
the prophets, and Christ, representing all
worlds. Imperuous Peter was 30 wrought
upon by the Presence of this wondrous
three, that, without waiting for time to con.
slider how preposterous was the proposition,
he cried out: "Let US make three taber.
nacles; one for Thee, one for Moses and one
for Elijah.''
Three Tabernacies Built in Brooklyn.
And, vet, that is what this congregation
have been called to do and have done. The
first Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated in
1870 and destroyed by fire in 1872. The second
Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated in 1874
r. g ,s,-I
Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated in April,
1891, and in that we are worshiping to-day
We have been unjustly criticised by peo-
pie who did not know the facts, sometimes
Tor putting SO much money in church build
ings, and sometimes for not giving as much
as we ought TO this or that denominational
project, and no explanation has yet been
made. Before get through with this SER
mon shall show that no church ever con-
quered more magnificently, and that no
church ever conquered more trials and that
no membership ever had in 1t more heroes
and heroines than this Brooklyn Tabernacle,
and 1 mean to have it known that any indi-
vidual religious newspaper or secular
newspaper that hereafter casts any reflec-
tion on this church's fidelity and generosity,
is guilty of a wickedness for which God will
hold him or 1t responsible.
One year it was sent out through a syn6i-
cate OF newspapers that this church was
doing nothing in the way si OF Iii liberality,
cash for religious uses. There has been per-
sistent and hemisphere lying against this
church. We have raised during my pastor
ate for church building and religious pur-
poses S99s 600 or practically 81, ,000 900. Not an
Irish famine. or a Charleston earthquake, or
an Ohio freshet, or a Chicago conflagration,
but our church was among the first to help.
At Last in Good Financial Shape.
Iannounce to you this day, that we are at
last, as 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 to
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
a small church and a bir Indebtedness. We
own this, the largest Protestant church in
America, and financially as a congregation
we are worth, over and beyond all indebted
ness, considerably more than $50, 600.
have preached here % years. and ex-
pect, If my life and health are continued, to
preach here % years longer, although we
will all do well to remember that our breath
is in our nostris, and any hour we may be
called to give an account of our steward
ship.
Yes. % years have passed since came to
live in Brooklyn, and they have been to me
eventful years. 1t was prostrated church
to which L came, a church so fat'down it
could drop no further. Through contro-
yersies which it would be useless to rehearse
it was weil-nigh extinct. and for long
while it had been without pastor. But 10
members could be mustered to sign q call
for my coming. As committee was putting
that call before me in an upper room in my
house in Philadelphia, they were two other
committees on similar errands from other
churches in other rooms whom my wife was
entertaining anj keeping apart from un-
happy collision.
h. S,fo
The auditorium of the Brooklyn church to
which l came defied al the laws of acous-
tics; 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
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 sad
day, for did not realize how far the church
was down until then, and on the evening OF
that day my own brother, through whose
pocket1 entered the ministry died, and the
tidings of his decease reached me at 6o'clock
in the evening, as l was to preach at 7:30
But from that day the blessing of God was
on u.s. and in three months we began the en-
largement of the building.
Before the close of that year we resolved
TO construct the first Tabernacle. 1t was to
be a temporary structure, and, therefore.
pie. What should be the style of archi-
lecture was the immediate question. had
always thought that the amphftheatrical
shape wonld 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-
poses, as it would not be churchly, and |
would subject themselves and us to ruinous
criticism: in other words they were not
ready for revolution in church archi- |
lecture. Utterly disheartened as to my IA
Vorite style OF architecture, / said to the |
trustees: Build anything you please, and |
must be satisfied"
Progressive Architect Found.
But one morning Young architect ap-
peared at my house and asked if we had yet |
selected plan Tor our church. 1 said: "No, |
and what we want we cannot get" ''What |
style OF building do you want?" he asked. |
And, taking out lead pencil and a letter en-
velope from my pocket in less than min
ute, by few curved lines, indicated in
',old architects tell us it can't be done, and |
there is no use in your trying" He said: 81 |
can do it. How long can have to make out |
the plans?" / said: "This evening at |
O'Clock everything is TO be decided |
At O'Clock of that evening the architect |
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 during the |
work, went to Europe, and when L got |
back the church was well-nigh done. By |
the help of God and the indomitable and |
energy of our trustees there and |
there one OF them present to-day, but the |
most in a better world) we got the building |
ready for conservation on September %, 1870. |
twenty thousand dollars were raised that |
1ay TO pay 1oating debt. |
Ten million years in heaven will have no |
power to dim my memory of the glorious |