The Penn's Grove record., 1892-04-08
REV. DR.. TALAAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE's SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Three Tabernacles, 9
Story OF Trials and Triumphs."

TEXT: "Let us make three tobe,naciss.'
Luke tx, 80.
Our Arab ponies were almost dead with
fatigue, as, in December, 1889. we rode near
the foot OF Mount Hermon in the Holy
L md, the mountain called by one "a
mountain of ice" by another "a glttering
breastplate of ice" by another 1.-THE Mont
unearthly brilliance. But what must it
have been in tie time to which my text re.
fers2 Peter ami James and John were on
| that mountain top with Jesus when, sud-
denly, Christ's face took on the glow of the
MONDAY 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, repre-
senting the prophets. and Christ, represent.
ing all worlds.
Impetuous Peter was so wrought Upon by
the presence OF this wondrous three, that,
without waiting for time to consider how
preposterous was the proposition, he cried
out, Let us make three tabernacles-one
for Thee, one for Moses and one for Elijah"
Where would they get the material for
building one tabernacle, much less material
enough to build two tabernacles, and still
less. how would they get the material for
building three? Where would they get the
bammersi Where the goids Where the
silver? Where the curtainss Where the
costly a~dornments Hermon is a barren
peak, and to build one Ia oernacle in such a
place would ave been an undertaking be-
yond human achievement, and Peter was
p~ropounding the impossible when he cried
out in enthusiasm, Let US build three taber-
nacles
And yet that Is what this congregation
has been called to do and has done. The
first Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated in
1870, and destroyed by fire in 1872. The
second Brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated
in 1874, and DESTROYED by fire in 1889. The
third brooklyn Tabernacle was dedicated in
April, 1891, and in that we are worshiping
to-day. What SCUM led absurd for Peter to
propose, when he said on Mount Hermon. in
tue words of my text, "Let us build three
tabernac.es," We have not only done. but in
the mysterious province OF God were com
PEELED to do.
i%announce 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 n salts
f~actorily 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 dow to the confirmed
habit which sone people have got of mis-
representing 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
in America, and financially as a coDgrega-
ton we are worth, over and beyond all in
debtedness, considerably more thar $3.50, 600.
nave preached here t~wenty-three years.
and 1 expect, ii my life and health are con-
tinued, to preach here twenty-three years
longer, although we will all do well to re-
member that our breath is in our ~nostrils,
and any hour We may be called to give an
account OF our stewardship. All we ask for
the future is that you do your best, contrib
uting all you can to the support of our insti-
buttons. Dur best days are yet to, come; our
greatest revivals of religion, and our might
lest outpourings of the dolly Ghost. We
have got through the Red sea and stand to-
day on the other bank clapping the cymbals
OF victory.
Yes, tw~enty-three years nave passed since
{ came to live in Brooklyn, and they have
been to me eventiul years. 1t was a pros.
trated church to which [ came, a church SO
Cat dow 1t could drop no farther. Through
/ controversies which it would be useless to
rehearse it was we'll nigh extinct, and for a
long while it had been without a pastor
But nineteen members could be mustered TO
sign q call for my coming.
As a committee was putting that call be-
fore me in an upper room in my house in
Philadelphia, there were two other commit
tees on. similar errands from other churches
in other rooms whom my wife was enter
tanning and keeping apart from unhappy
collision. The auditorium of the Brooklyn
church to which / came defied all the laws
of acoustics, the church had a steeple 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 it acted asa barricade that was unneces-
sary to keep back the people, for they were
so few that a minister OF ordinary muscle
could nave kept back all who were there.
Ny first Sabbath in Brooklyn was a sad
day, for l did not realize how far the church
was down until then, and on the evening of
that day my own brother, through whose
pocket 1 entered the ministry, diet, and the
tidings Of his decease reached me at 6 o'clock
in the evening, and | was to preach at half
past seven. But from that day the blessing
Of God was on us, and in three months we
began the enlargement of the building. Be-
fore the close of that year we resolved to
construct the first Tabernacle. 1t was to be
q temporary structure, and therefore we
called it a Tabernacle instead of a Temple.
What should be the style Of architecture
was the immediate question. l had always
thought that the ampitheatrical shape would
be appropriate for a church
Two distinguished architects were en-
ployed, and after much lowering over de-
Gigns 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 a revolution in church archi-
lecture. Utterly disheartened as to my
f~avorite style OF architecture, / said to the
trustees "Build anything you please. and l
must be satisfied" But one morning a
young architect appeared at my house and
asked If we had yet selected a plan for our
church. Isaid, "No, and what we want we
cannot get" "What kind Of building do you
wantT' he asked. And taking out a lead
/ --u,s 49, = lAkx- $780, .xr .&~I,at
In less than a minute by Q few curved lines
l indicated in the rough we wanted.
But" / said, ''old architects tell US it can't
be done, and there is no use in you trying"
He said, II can dc it. How long can / have
to make out the planss" I said, ''This even
ing at 8 O'Clock everything is to be decided"
At 8 O'Clock of that evening the architect
presented 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 1
would not be in the way of the trustees dur
ing the work 1 went to Europe, and when l
got back the church was well nigh done.
But there came in a staggering hindrance
We expected to pay for the new church by
the sale OF the old building. The old one
had been sold, but just at the time we must
have the money the purchasers backed out
and we had two churches and no money.
By the help of God and the indomitable
and unparalleled 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, and on
September %, 1870, morning and evening
dedicatory services were held, and in the
afternoon the children, with sweet and multi
tudinous voices, consecrated the place to
God. Twenty thousand dollars were raised
that day to pay a floating debt: In the
morning old DR.. Stephen H. Tying, the
glory of the Episcopal Church and the
Chrysostom Of the American pulpit, preached
q sermon which fingered in It's gracious
effects as long as the building stood. He
read enough out of the Episcopal prayer
book to keep himself from being repri-
manded by his bishop for preaching at non,
Episcopal service; n we. although belong.
ing to another denomination, responded with
heartiness, as though we were used to the
liturgy, Good Lord, deliver usP'
During the short time we occupied that
building we had . constant downpour of
religious awakening. Hosannahi Ten mil.
lion years In heaven will nave no power 10
dim my memory OF the glorious times we
had in the first Tabernacle, which, because
OF its invasion Of the usual style Of church
AErhtfAn4a.a arT