The Progress., 1894-05-19
TABERNACLE PULPIT.
TALMAGE breaches ON THE
REAL CHRISTIAN CHURCH.
Behold Thou Art Fair, My love-
Sets Forth the Feeling of Jesus Christ
Toward His Church-Must Always Be
Ahead Of the Times.


sermon a passage of scripture whic]
has been made the subject of nue.
discussion and various Interpretation
by modern theologians. His them
was, "A Cheerful Church," and tn
text was selected from Solomon
song 4 Il: Behold Thou Art Far
My Love"
"Higher criticism" says that thi
book Of Solomon's Song is a love scene
forlorn maiden signing for her beau
If SO, it is an unclean and debaucheC
utterance inserted in the pure wore
of God and is not fit for common read
ing My opinion is that it is an inspired
ode setting forth the feeling of Chris
toward the church and of tn,
church toward Christ Christ is the
bridegroom, and the church is thu
bride The same words we can uttel
to-day truthfully whether in regard
to the church of God in general or thi.
church in particular: behold, thou
art fair, my love" The past week ha.
been one of prolonged congratulatior
for that we have for twenty-five
years been permitted to associate
with each other in the relation
of pastor and people. When
came to Brooklyn | found a small
band Of Christian disciples who from
various causes had become 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 pos
sible to maintain a church life longer.
Indeed, had not those men and women
been cOnsecrated and earnest, they
would have surrendered to the
adverse circumstances. They mar
shalled a congregational meeting, and,
gathering up all the forces posi-
bic, they cast nineteen 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 led me, from one of the warmest
and most congenial pastorates in Phil
adelphia that man ever enjoyed, to
this then most uninviting field; but it
was the feeling that God had called
me to the work and | was sure he
would see me through.
l have thought that it might be
profitable to us to state briefly what
kind of a church we have been trying
to establish.
In the first place, remark that we
have been trying to build here a
Christian h-distinctively such;
in other words, church where we
should preach the Lord Jesus Christ
and him crucified. My theology is all
gone into fvA letters-Jesus Je-
sus, the pardon of all otfenses. Jesus,
the foundation for all structures. Je-
sus, the balm for all wounds. Jesus
the eye-salve for all blindness. Jesus,
the guide through all perplexities
Jesus, the hope for all discourage
ments. Jesus the reform for all
wrongs | 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 min
strelsy, He is the brightest gem in
any crown. Height overstepplng all
height The center of every circum-
ference. The circumference to every
center. The pacifer of all turbu-
lence. The umpire of all disputes.
Jesus! Jesus! At his table all nations
are to sit. Around his throne all
worlds are to revolve. He is to be the
of the universe. Jesus!
Jesus! 1t is that truth that we have
tried to preach in this tabernacle.
Do you ask more infinitely what we
believe? I can tell you We have no
Try, withered, juiceless theology We
believe in God, the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth, the de-
iverer of the distressed, the home for
The homeless, the friend for the friend
ess. We believe in Jesus Christ able
% save to the uttermost, pardoning
he guilty, imputing his righteousness
% the believer. We believe in the
Holy Ghost, the comforter the Sancti-
Ter, cheering up the heart in life's
lis, and l1indling bright lights
n every dark landing place, We be-
ieve that the whole race is so sunken
n sin that nothing but the omnipotent
lrm of God can ever lift it out We
believe in grace-free grace, sovereign
race, triumphant grace, eternal grace. !
We believe in d authentic in it's |
immaculate in it's teachings,
glorious in its promises. We believe
n heaven, the abode of the righteous;
nd in hell, the residence of those
Who are soul -sucides-of their own
rec choice refusing the divine mercy.
We believe in the salvation of all men
Who accept Christ by faith, be they
prlnkled or immersed, worship they
n cathedral or in log cabin, believe
hey in Presbyterianism Or Episco-
'acy, dwell they under Italian skies
II in Siberian snow storms, be they
ethiopian or American. All one
n Christ One Lord, one faith, one
Baptism, on the way to one heaven. We
'uilt this tabernacle for the purpose