Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1893-06-09
REV. DIR. TALMAGH.
The Eminent Brooklyn Divine'S Sun.
day Sermon.
Subject: ''Moses and Miriam on the Banks
of the Red Sea-"

hath He Mro,On into the sea"-Exodus XIV.
20, 81.
Sermonizers are naturally 30 busy in get
ting the Israelites safely through the parteC
Red sea and the Egyptians submerged in the
returning waters that but little time is or
dinarlly given to what the Lords people die
after they got we'll 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 II miles, Why is the adj
| jective "red" used in describing this water
1t is called the Red sea because the noun
tlins on its western coast look as though
! sprinkled with brick dust, and the water is
colored with red seaweed and has red
soopbyte and red coral.
This sea was cut by the keels of Egyptian,
Phenician 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 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,
and over which hoop piece of parch-
ment was distended, 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 de-
liverance 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, yous say, for religious SER
vice, the timbrel or tambourine. But Think
God sanctioned it. And l rather think we
will have to put little more of the festive
into our religious services and drive out the
dolorous and funereal, and the day may
come when the timbrel will resume its place
DIT hot hfoh inH
the attention of all the men and women OF
that Israelitish host was the celebration Of
their victory. They had crossed. They had
triumphed. They were free.
More wonder was this victory and defeat
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 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 Mil
tiades at Marathon put the Persiahs TO flight,
for this victory of my text was gained with
out sword or catapult or spear. The weapon
was lifted and Frustrated sea. "And
Miriam, the prophecies, the sister of 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 triumphed
gloriously the horse and his rider hath He
thrown into the sea-
BROOKLYN Tabernacle to-day 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 1t
stands, represents SAC, 900, l 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 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 structures,
two of them destroyed by fire. Take any of
your biggest life insurance companies, or
your biggest storehouses, or your biggest
banks, or your biggest newspaper establish
ments and let them have to build three times
on the same foundation, and It 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. 1t was wittfHs 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
"Sing We unto the Lord for He hath tri-
umpbed gloriously the horse and his rider
hath He thrown into the seq"
But why the great expense ofthis structure?
My answer is the immensely OF it and the
of it. 1t cost over 1874, 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 q way, we ara told by experienced
builders who had nothing to do with it, for
durability of foundation and wall such as
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 a time of gladness
moro than tongue or pen ortype can ever tell.
For twenty-four years l 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 it two
Sabbaths ago and close my work in Brooklyn
forever. felt that my chief work was yet to
be done, but that 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 l am here and expect to
he here until my work on earth is done.
My thanks must be first to God and then to
I'll 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
lew of the thousands of letters that have
zone to my desk in The Christian Herald
office, you would know how deep their SYM
)athy, how large their sacrifice has been. II
nave sold my bicycle and now send you the
money!" is the language of one noble young
nan who wrote TO The Christian Herald.
This is my dead sons gift to me, and have
,een led to send it to you, writes mother in
Rhode Island.
AS church we from this day make new
departure. We will preach more instructive
ermons. We will offer more faithful pray
rs. We will do better work in all depart
nents. We will in the autumn resume our
ay college. We will fill all the rooms Of this
magnificent pile with work for God and suf-
ering humanity. More prayers have been
,flered for this church, and on both sides the
ea, than for any church that has ever ex-
sted, and all those prayers will be answered.
Clear the track for the Brooklyn Tabernacle! |
bul5 JO w tuO Lulu, lOI no udGu III |
implied gloriously; the horse and his rider
lath He thrown into the sea-
If we never shouted victory till we got |
lear through the struggles of this life, we
you'd never shout at all. Copy the habit OF |
diriam and Moses. The moment you get
'ictory celebrate it. The time and place to |
lold jubilee for the safe crossing of the Red |
ca is on its beach and before you leave it.
t is awful, the delayed hosannahs, the be-
ated halleluiahs, the postponed doxologies,