Democratic messenger., 1892-04-09

days.
During all that time. as well rs since,
| was engaged iii editing religious
newspaper, believing that such 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-
grcgaiion that would in few weeks
visit the Holy Land and that the officers
of the church had consented 10 INV
going, and the wish of lifetime was
about TO be fulfilled. The next Sabbath
morning. about 2 o'clock or just after
midnight, a 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
ON red wings.
secuted the idea and turned over on
the pillow for another sleep. but num-
bcr 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: Il think that
ends my work in Brooklyn. Surely the
Lord will not call a minister to build
three churches in one city. The build
ing of one church generally ends the
usefulness of pastor: how can any
one preside ut the building of three
churches But before twenty four hours
had passed we were compelled to CRY
ont. with Peter of my text, Let us
build three tabernacles" We must have
a home somewhere.
The old site had ceased to 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
a barn or Tabernacle beautiful and
commodious? Our common sense, as
well as our religion, commanded the lat
ter. But what push. what industry, what
skill. what self sacrifice, what faith in
] NfV'A "tAN hSNNSodAs. anu
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,
. Lord of Hosts" On the third Sab
bath of last April this church was dedi-
Gated. DIR. Hamlin. Of Washington,
preaching an inspiring sermon. DIR. Wen
dell Prime, of New York. Offering the
dedicatory prayer. and some fifteen
clersymen during the day taking part
in the services. Hosannah.
4 How suggestive 10 many of us are the
words spelled out in flowers above the
pulpit 1869" and 'lS92"-for those
1 lates bound what raptures. what griefs,
what struggles, what triumphs! men,
ton it rs a matter of gratitude to God
that in these twenty-three years have
missed but one Sabbath through physical
lndisposition. 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 1880
! During these past years have learned
two or three things. Among others !
/ have learned that "all things work to-
gether for good" My positive mode of
/ preaching has sometimes seemed to stir
/ the hostilities 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 a policeman, and explored
and reported the horrors that needed re-
moval. and the allurements that en-
dangered our young men. There came
upon me an outburst of assumed indig-
nation that frightened almost everybody
but 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 preached 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 i'll n single word
reused violence that threatened me
with poison and dirk and pistol and
other forms of extinguishment. until the
chief of Brooklyn police. without any
suggestion from me. took possession of
the church with twenty-four policemen
To see that no harm was done. That
excitement opened many doors, which
entered for preaching the Gospel
After awhile came an ecclesiastical
trial in which ! was arraigned by people
who did not like the way did things.
/ charges. the contest shook the American
church. That battle made me more
| friends than anything that ever hap
pened and gave me Christendom and
more than ChristendOm for my weekly
audience. On the demolition of each
church we got better and larger
church. and not disaster. not carica-
ture. not persecution, not an assault,
during all these twenty-three years but
turned out for our advantage. and Ought
| not to believe that ''all things work TO
I lsss
Another lesson have learned during
these twenty-threc years is that it is not
necessary 10 preach error or pick flaws in
the old Bible i'll order to get an audience:
the old Book without any fixing up is
good enough for me. and higher criti-
cism. as it is called. means lower reli-
gion. Higher criticism is another form
of infidelity. and its disciples will he
lieve less and less. until many of them
will land in Nowhere, and become the