The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-05-18
4 CHEERFUL CHURCH
Rev. bR. TALMAeE INTERPRETERS PAS
SAGE FROM SoLoMoN'S soma

| the Tabernacle-A Few Earnest Words
of Farewell-A Sweet Name.
BROOKLYN, May 13.-The Tabernacle
was crowded to the doors today when
Rev. DR.. Talmage took for the subject
of his forenoon sermon a passage of
Scripture which has been made the sub
| ject of much discussion and various in
depreciation by modern theologians. His
theme was, "a Cheerful Church. and
| the text was selected from Solomon's
Gong iv, /, Behold, thou art fair, my
love-"
Higher criticism" says that this book
| Of Solomon's song is love scene, q for
lorn maiden signing for her beau. If
| so, it is an unclean and debauched ut
terance inserted in the pure word of
| God and is not fit for common reading.
My opinion is that it is an inspired ode
setting forth the feeling of Christ to-
ward the church and of the church to-
ward Christ Christ is the bridegroom,
| and the church is the BRIDE The same
words we can utter today truthfully,
| whether in regard to the church of God
in general or this church in particular,
"Behold, thou art fair, my love"
The past week has been one of pro-
| longed congratulation for that we have
| for 25 years been permitted to associate
with each other in the relation of pastor
and people. When l came to Brooklyn,
| found small band of Christian disci-
pies who from various causes had be-
come less and less until they stood upon
the very verge of extinction as church,
| and the question was being agitated from
time to time whether it would be posi-
| BILE to maintain church life longer. In
| deed, had not those men and women been
consecrated and earnest, they would have
surrendered to the adverse circum-
stances. They marshaled congrega-
tional meeting, and gathering up all the
forces possible they cast 10 votes for a
| pastor, all of which am happy to have
| received.
1t was not through any spirit Of per-
sonal courage or reckless adventure that
l was led from one of the warmest and
most congenial pastorates in Philadel-
phia that man ever enjoyed to this
then most uninviting field, but it was
| the feeling that God had called me to
| the work, and I was sure he would see
me through.
I have thought that it might be profit
| able to us to state briefly what kind of q
church we have been trying to establish
The Tabernacle Church.
! In the first place, l remark that we have
been trying to build here a Chistian
church - distinctively such; in other
words, a church where we should preach
the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucifed,
My theology is all gone into five letters
Jesus. Jesus, the pardon of all Of.
lenses. Jesus, the foundation for all
structures. Jesus, the balm for all
wounds. Jesus, the eye salve for all
blindness. Jesus, the guide through all
perplexities. Jesus, the hope for all dis
couragements. Jesus, the reform for all
wrongs.
l have faith to believe that there is
more power in one drop of the blood of
Jesus Christ to cure the woes of the
world than in an ocean full of human
quackery. Jesus is the grandest note in
any minstrelsy. He is the brightest gem
in any crown; height overlapping all
height; the center OF every circumfer-
ence; the circumference to every center;
the pacifer of all turbulence; the umpire
of all disputes. Jesus, Jesus! At his ta-
| BILE all nations are to sit. Around his
throne all worlds are to revolve. He Is
to be naturalization of the universe. Je-
sus, Jesus! 1t is that truth that we have
tried to preach in this Tabernacle.
Do you ask more infinitely what we
believe? | can tell you. We have no
dry, withered, juiceless theology. We
believe in God, the Father Almighty
maker Of heaven and earth. the deliverer
Of the distressed, the home for the home
less, the friend for the friendless. We
believe in Jesus Christ, able to save to
the uttermost, pardoning the guilty, i'm.
putting his righteousness to the believer.
We believe in the Holy Ghost, the com.
forter, the sanctifer, cheering up the
heart in ife's ills and kindling bright
lights in every dark landing place. We
believe that the whole race Is SO sunken
in sin that nothing but the omnipotent
arm of God can ever lift 1t out. We be,
lieve in grace-free grace, sovereign
grace, triumphant grace, eternal grace
We believe in Bible-authentic in its
statements, immaculate in its teachings
glorious in It's promises.
We believe IN heaven, the abode OF the
riphtpGu9 and in hell the residence Oi