The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1892-04-21
REV. DIR. IALMAGE.
rHE RnOoKIN DIvTNEs SUNDAY
SERMON.
Subjects "The Three Tabernacles, a
Story of Trials and Triumphs."

Luke TX, 80
Our Arab ponies were almost dead witt
fatigue, as, in December, 1889, we rode nea
the foot of Mount Hermon in the Hol.
Land, the mountain called by one v
mountain of ice" by another "a glitterin!
breastplate of ice" by another "the Mon
Blanc of Palestine" Its top has an almos
unearthly brilliance. But what must i
have been in the time to which my text re
fers? Peter and James and John were OF
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 oui
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
hammers? Where the goids Where the
silver? Where the curtainsg Where the
costly adornmentsg Hermon is barren
peak, and to build one tabernacle in such a
place would have been an undertaking be-
yond human achievement, and Peter was
propounding 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
o,1o lodi fn1
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 sounded absurd for Peter to
propose, when he said on Mount Hermon. in
the words of my text, Let us build three
taoernac!es," we have not only done. but in
the mysterious province OF God were com
PEELED to do.
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 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 I came to a
small church and big Indebtedness. We
have now this, the largest Protestant church
in America, and financially as a congrega-
ton we are WORTH over and beyond all in
debtedness, considerably more than $3.50, O00
| have preached here twenty three years,
and | expect, it 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 inStl-
buttons. Our best days are yet to come; our
greatest revivals of religion, and our might
lest outpourings of the Holy Ghost. We
have got through the Red sea and stand to-
day on the other bank clapping the cymbals
OF victory.
Yes, twenty-three years have passed since
l came to live in Brooklyn, and they have
been to me eventful years. IL was a pros
trated church to which | came, a CHI urch so
fiat down 1t could drop no farther Through
controversies which it would be useless TO
rehearse it was we'll nigh extinct, and for
long while it had been without a pastor.
But nineteen members could be mustered to
sign call Tor my coming
AS committee was putting that call be-
fore me III 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 l came defied all the laws
of acoustics; TIE church hat q 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 linneces-
sary to keep back the people, for they were
go few that minister OF ordinary muscle
could have kept back all who were there.
My first Sabbath in Brooklyn was 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 | entered the ministry, died, 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
a temporary structure, and therefore we
called 1t Tabernacle instead of Temple.
What should be thu style of architecture
was the immediate question. | had always
thought that the anpitheatrical shape would
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 a revolution in church archi-
lecture Utterly disheartened as to my
favorte style of architecture. l said to the
trustees Build anything you please, AMI
must be satisfied But one morning a
young architect appeared at my house and
asked if we had yet selected plan for our
church. I said, NO and what we want we
cannot get p "What kind of building do you
want?' he asked. And taking out lead
pencil and letter envelope from my pocket,
In less than minute by u few curved lines
indicated in the rough what we wanted.
But" | said, "old architects tell us it can't
be dore, and there is no use in you trying"
He saiu, ~ can do it. How long can | have
to make out the plans" l said, This even
ing at s O'Clock everything is to be decided
At 8 O'Clock of that evening the architect
presented his plans, AMI 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 dur.
ing the work l went to Europe, and when
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 on'
had haen sold but lust at the time Wo must