The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-05-31
AT THE TABERNACLE.
DR.. TALmAGE CELEBRATES THE Ex-
ENDORSEMENT OF THE DEBT.

sage Over the Red Sea-
BROOKLYN. May 2S.-This was one of the
greatest days in the history Of Brooklyn
Tabernacle. The music, instrumental and
congregational, was of the most joyous
type-the hymns, the prayers and the ser
mon were celebrative of the entire extin-
guishment of the floating debt of $4,000.
accumulated from the disasters which re-
quired the building of three immense
churches. Text, Exodus XIV, 20, 81: And
Miriam, the prophecies, the sisterof Aaron,
took a timbrel in her hand, and all the
women went out after her with timbrels
and with dances And Miriam answered
them, Sing We to the Lord, for he hath tri-
umphed gloriously; the horse and his rider
hath he thrown into the sea-"
Sermonizers are naturally so busy in get
ting the Israelites safely through the parted
Red sea and the Egyptians submerged in
the returning waters that but little time
is ordinarily given to what the Lords peo-
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
200 miles and at its least width 10 miles.
Why is the adjective Red" used in de
scribing this water1 1t is called the Red
sea because the mountains on its western
coast look as though sprinkIed with brick
dust. and the water is cOlOred with red sea-
weed and has red zoophyte and red coral.
This sea was cut by the keels of Egyptian,
Phoenician and Arabic shipping. 1t was no
Insignificant pond or puddle on the beach
of which my text calls us TO stand / hear
upon it the sound of a tambourine, for
i u Il. Il II.
An instrument of music made out of a cir
cuIar hoop, with pieces of metal fixed in
the sides Of it, which made a iingling
sound, and over which hoop a piece of
parchment was distended, and this was
beaten by the knuckles of the performer.
The Israelites, standing on the beach of
the Red sea. were making music on their
deiverance from the pursuing Egyptians,
and / hear the Israelitish men with their
deep bass voices, and hear the timbrel of
Miriam, as she leads the women in their
jubilee. Rather lively instrument you
say. for religious servicc-the timbrel or
tambOurine. But | think God sanctioned
it. And | rather think we will have to put
little more of the festive into our re
lgious services and drive ont the dolorous
and funereal, and the day may come when
the timbrel will resume its place in the
attention of all the men and women of that
1sraelitish host was the celebration of their
victory They had crossed. They had tri-
umphed. They were free
More wonderful was this victory ard de
feat than when the hosts of Richard over
came the hosts Of Saladin at Azotus, than
when at Bannoekburn Scotland was set
free, than when the Earl Of Northum Der
land was driven back ut Brauham Moor,
than when at the battle of Wakefield York
was slain. than when at Bosworth Field
Richard was left dead, than when the
Athenians under Miltiades at Marathon
put the Persians Co flight, for this victory
of my text was gained without sword or
catapult or spear The weapon was lifted
and Frustrated sea. And Miriam. the
prophecies, the sister of Aaron. took tim
brel in her hand, and all the women went
utafter her with timbrcls and with dances.
And Miriam answered them, Sing We TO
the Lord, for he hath triumphed glorious
ly, the horse and his rider hath lie thrown
into the sea"
GLORIOUS TRIUMPH.
Brooklyn Tabernacle today feels much as
Moses and Miriam did when they stood on
the banks of the Red sea after their safe
emergence from the waters BY the help
of God and the generosity of our friends
here and elsewhere, our $4,000 of floating
church debt is forever gone, and this house,
which. with the ground upon which it
stands. represents $4,000, l this day re-
eonsecrate 10 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. Ny answer is, Waves Of deStruc-
ion, stout as any that ever rolled across
the Red sea Of my text.
Examine all the pages of church history
and AL 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 on the same foundation, and it
would cost them struggle, If not demOli-
ton Ny text speaks of the Red sea once
crossed but one Red sea would not have so
much overcome Us. 1t was with us Red
sea after Red sea. Three Red seas! Yet
today, thanks be TO God, we stand on the
shore. and with organ and cornet in alb
sence of a timbrel we chant: 'Sing We 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-
ture2 Ny answer is, the immensely Of it
and the firmness of il. IL cost over $34, 900
10 dig the cellar, before one stone was laid.
reaching as the foundation does from street
30 street and then the building of the house
was constructed in a way, we are told by
experienced builders who had nothing TO do
with it. for durability Of foundation and
wall such as characterizes hardly any other
building of this city To the day of your
death and mine, and for our children and
grandchildren after us, it will stand here
house of God and gate of heaven
For me personally this is time of glad
ness more than tongue or pen or type can
ever tell For "a years had been building
churches In Brooklyn and seeing them burn
down. until felt l could endure the strain
no longer, and had written my resignation
as pastor and had appointed to read it two
Sabbaths ago and close my work in Brook
lyn forever fels that my chief work was
yet 70 be done, but that / could not do it
with the Alps on one shoulder and the
IIymalayas on the other. But God has in
terfered, and the way is clear, and | am
here and expect to be here until my work
on earth is done
Why should | want to 60 away from
Brooklyn? i have no sympathy with the
popular sentiment which defames our be
loved city. Some people make it part OF
their religion to excoriate and belittle the
p.sce Of their residence, and there has been
m5re damage. financial and moral, done 70
our city by this hypercriticism than can
ever be estimated. The course of our city
1.