Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-06-01
TABERNACLE.
DIR. TALMACE CELEBRATES THE Elk
ENDORSEMENT OF THE DEBT.

sage Over the Red Sea.
BnooKiYN. May 2S.-Ths was one of the
preatest days in the history of Brooklyn
Tabernacle The music, instrumental and
conversational, WAS of the most Joyous
tyue--the hymns, the prayers and the SER
mon Werc celebrative of the entire extin-
vuishmcnt of the floating debt of Sl40, 900,
accumulated from the disasters which re-
uuired the building of three immense
churches. Text, Exodus XIV, 90, 81; And
Miriam the prophecies, the sister of Aaron,
took a timbrcl in her hand and all the
women went ont after her with timbrels
md with dances. And Miriam answered
them, Sing We to the Lord, for he hath tri-
umphed gorousy; the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea-"
Sermonizers are naturally SO busy in get
Wing the lsracltes safely through the parted
Red sea and the Egyptians submerged in
the returning waters that but little time
T. ordinarily given to what the Lords pcO-
pie did after they got well up high and
dry, on the beach. That was the beach of
The Red sea, which is at its greatest width
POO miles and at its least width II miles.
Why is the adjective Red used in de-
scrbing this watcrY 1t is called the Red
sea because the mountains ON its western
coast look as though sprinkled with brick
dust, and the water is colored with red sea-
weed and has red zoophytc and red coral,
This sea was cut by the lees of Egyptian,
Pho.nician and Arabic shipping. 1t was no
lnsignifcantf pond or puddle on the beach
uf which my text calls us to stand. | hear
upon it the sound of tambourine, for
which the tmbrel was only another name
An instrument of music made out of Il cir
rular hoop, with pieces of metal fixed in
.he sides of it, which made a jingling
sound, and over which hoop a piece of
parchment was disended, and this was
beaten by the knuckles of the performer.
The Israeites, standing on the beach of
the Red sea, were making music on their
1eivcranCe from the pursuing Egyptians,
and hear the lsraelitish men with their
deep bass voices, and l hear the timbrel of
Miriam as she leads the women in their
jubilee Rather lively instrument, you
say, for religious scrvice-the timbrel or
tambourine. But | think God sanctioned
Il. And rather think we will have to put
little more of the festive into our re-
hgious services and drive out the doorOus
md funereal, and the day may come when
the timbrCl will resume its place in the
nnctuary. But that which occupied the
attention Of all the men and women of that
Israelitish host was the celebration of their
victory They had crossed. They had tri-
umphed. They We're free
More wonderful was this victory and de
feat than when the hosts of Richard over
came the hosts of Saladin at Azotus, than
when at Buuuockburn Scotland was set
free, than when the Earl of Northumber-
land was driven back at Branham Moor,
: l.. VI
was slain, than when ut Bosworth Field
Richard was left dead, than when the
Athenians under Niltiades at Marathon
put the Persans to flight, for this victory
of my text was gained without sword or
catapule or spear The weapon was lifted
and Frustrated SEA. And Miriam, the
prophecies, the sister of Aaron. took a tim
Yrel in her hand, and all the women went
put after her withtimbrels and with dances
And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to
the Lord, for he hath triumphed glorious
"; the horse and his rider hath he thrown
into the sea"
\ GLORIOUS TRIUMPH,
Brooklyn Tabernacle today feels much as
Moses and Miriam did when they stood on
he banks Of the Red sea after their safe
emergence from the waters. BY the help
of God and the generosity Of our friend
itlc UllNl tlSt lltlt, OlIl 81 tp,DOJ Ol lOtlllH
church debt is forever gone, and this house,
which, with the ground upon which it
stands, represents $4,000, | this day re-
consecrate TO God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Ghost. a stranger might
ask how could this church got into debt to
an amount that would build several large
churches. My answer is, Waves of destruc-
tiOn, stout as any that ever rolled across
the Red sea of my text.
Examine all the pages of church history,
and all the pages of the worlds history, and
show me an organization sacred or secular,
that ever had to build three great struc-
lures, two of them destroyed by fire. Take
any of your biggest life insurance COM
panies, or your biggest storehouses, or your
biggest banks, or your biggest newspaper
establishments and let them have to build
three times Oh the same foundation and it
would cost them struggle, al not demoli-
ton. My text speaks of the Red sea once
crossed, but one Red sea would not have SC
much overcome us. 1t was with us Red
sea after Red sea Three Red seasl Yet
today, thanks be to God, we stand on the
shore, and with organ and cOrnet in alb
sence OF timbrel we chant; Sing ye unto
The Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously
The horse and his rider hath he thrown into
the sea-
But why the great expense Of this struc
ture? My answer is the immensity of il
and the hrmncss Of it. 1t cost over $34, 0Ol
10 dig the cellar, before one stone was laid
reaching as the foundation does from street
to street, and then the building of the house
was constructed in way, We are told by
experienced builders who had nothing to dc
with it, for durability Of foundation ant
wall such as characterizcs hardly any Other
building Of this city, TO the day Of YOU
death and mIuc and for our children ant
grandchildren after rs, it will stand here :
house of God and gate of heaven,
For me personally this is Il time Of glad
ness more than tongue or pen or type car
ever tell For2i years had been building
phur' hes IN Hrooklyu and seeing them burr
down, until felt could endure the straiI
no Longer, aud had written my resignation
Us pastor and had appointed to read it tw,
Fabhaths ago and close my work in Brook
lyn forever felt that my chief work wa
yet to be done, but that could not do i
with the Alps ON one shoulder and tn