The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-06-14
REV. DIR. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIvINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "Moses and Miriam on TIC
Banks of the Red Sea-"

otuhS VI Iut nCo cSos
text: "And Miriam, the prophecies, the Sis
ter of Adron took a tmbret in her hand, and
1u the Uome,a ,cent out a fter her 1oih tin,brels
and arih dances. And Miriam, ans,oered
Them. Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath tr-i-
ssinnphed 9loriously; the horse and his rider
Hath He HaroIen into the sed."-EXodus xv..
E2O, 81.
l. Sermonizers are naturally 80 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 or
dinarily given to what the Lords people did
after they got we'll up high and dry on the
beach. That was the beach Of the Red sea.
which is ut its greatest width 200 miles and
at its least width 12 miles. Why Is the ad-
iective "red" used in describing this waterf
1t is called the Red sea because the noun
tains on it's western coast look as though
sprinkled with brick dust, and the water Is
colored with red seaweed ana mas req
zoophyte and red coral.
! This sea was cut by the keels of Egyptian,
Phpnician and Arabic shipping. 1t was no
insignificant pond or puddle on the beach OF
which nv text calls us to stand. l hear
upon it the sound OF a tambourine, for which
the timbrel was only another name-an IN
strument Of music made out of circular
hoop. with pieces OF metal fixed In the sides
of it, which made a jingling sound,
ment was distended, and this was beaten by
the knuck,es Of the performer.
!, The Israelites. standing on the beach OF
the Red sea, were making music on their de-
3iyerance 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 instruments, you say, Tor religious SER
vice, the timbrel or tambourine. But think
God sanctioned it. And I rather think We
will have to put a little more of :he festive
into our religious services and drive out the
dolorous and funereal, and the day may
come when the timbrel will resume its place
in the sanctuary. But that which occupied
the attention OF all the men end women OF
that Israelitish host was the celebration OF
their victory. They had crossed. They had
triumDhad. They were free.
J. More wonder was this victory and de1eat
than when the hosts Of Richard overcame the
hosts of Saladin at Azotus, than when at
Bannockburn Scotland was set free; than
when the Earl of Northumberland was
driven back at Branham Moo, than when at
the battle of Wakefield York was slain, than
when at Bosworth Field Richard was left
dead, than when the Athenlans under MIL
ttades at Marathon put the Persians to Hight,
for this victory Of my text was gained win
out sword or catapult or spear. The weapon
was a lifted and prostrated sea. "And
Miriam, the prophecies, the sister OF Aaron,
took a timbrel in hec hand, and all the
-cpmen went out after her with timbreis and
with dances. And Miriam answered them
Sing ye to the Lord, for He hath triumphed
Rloriously the horse and his rider hath He
thrown into the sea.
BROOKLYN Tabernacle to-day feels much as
IL xryha
the banks Of the Red sea after their safe
emersence 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, this day recon-
secrate to God the Father, God the Son and
God the Holy Ghost. A stranger might ask
how could this church get into debt to an
amount that would build several large
churches? My answer is, Waves OF destruc-
ton, stout as any that ever rolled across the
Red sea OF my text.
Examine ali 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 structures,
two OF them destroyed by fire. Take any OF
your biggest life insurance companies, or
your biggest storehouses, or your biggest
OAQkS, your DlSHcSI uOWSp1PCi OosophoA-
ments and let them have to build three times
on the same foundation, and 1t would, cost
them struggle If not demolition. My text
speaks OF the Red sea once crossed, but one
Red sea would not have so much overcome
Us. It was with us Red sea after Red sea.
Three Red seas! Yet to-day, thanks be to
God, we stand on the shore, and with organ
and cornet in absence OF timbrel we chant
<sSins We unto the Lord. for He hath TIL
umphed gloriously ;,the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the sea-"
} But why the great expense ofthis structure?
NV answer is the immensity OF it and the
firmness OF it. It cost over S34, 900 to 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 con,
structed in way, we are told by experienced
builders who had nothing to do with 1t, fo-
durability of foundation and wall such as
characterizes hardly any other building OF
this citv. To the day OF your desth 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 a time Of gladnes;
more than tongue or pen ortype can ever tell.
For twenty-four years had been building
churches in Brooklyn and seeing them burn
down until felt could endure the strain
no longer, and had written my resignation
as pastor and had appointed to read 1t two
SaO3;sns ugo and close my work in Brooklyn
forever. felt that my chief work was yet to
be done, but that I could not do it with the
Alps on one one shoulder and the Himalayas
on the other. But God has interfered, and
the way is clear, and am here and expect to
be here until my work on earth is done.
My thanks must be first to God and then to
all who have contributed by large gift or
small to this emancipation. Thanks to the
men. women and children who have helped,
and sometimes helped with self sacrifice that
! know must have won the applause OF the
heavens. If you could only read with me a
sew OF the thousands Of letters that have
come to my desk in The Christian Herald
Office YOU would know how deep their SYM
pathy. how large their sacrifice has been. II
have sold ny bicycle and now send you the
money is the language of one noble young
man who wrote to The Christian Herald.
"This is my dead sons gift to me, and have
been led to send it to you," writes mother in
Rhoie Island.
AS church We from this day make new
departure. We will preach more instructive
Sermons. We will offer more faithful pray
ers We will do better work in all depart
ments. We will in the autumn resume our
lay college. We will I'LL all the rooms Of this
ill