The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-05-18
A CHEERFUL CHURCH
REV. DR.. TALMAGE INTERPRETERS PAS
SAGE FROM SOLOMON,S SONG.

the IaDernacle-A Few Earnest Words
of FareweIl-A Sweet Name.
BROOKLYN, May 13.-The Tabernacle
was crowded to the doors today wher
Rev. DR.. Talmage took for the subject
of his forenoon sermon passage Of
Scripture which has been made the sub
ject of much discussion and various in.
depreciation by modern theologians. His
theme was, ga Cheerful Church." and
the text was selected from Solomon's
Song iv, /, Behold, thou art fair, my
love-"
Higher criticism says that this book
of Solomons song is love scene, a 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.
Ny 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 20 years been permitted to associate
with each other in the relation of pastor
and people. When | came to Brooklyn,
l found a small band of Christian disci-
Piles who from various causes had be-
come less and less until they stooC upon
the very verge of extinction as a church,
and the question was being agitated from
time to time whether it would be posi-
BILE to maintain a 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 a congrega-
tional meeting, and gathering up all the
forces possible they cast 10 votes for a
pastor, all Of which I am happy to have
received.
1t was not through any spirit of per-
sonal courage or reckless adventure that
was led from one of the warmest and
most congenial pastorates in Philadel-
phia that a 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.
have thought that it might be profit
able to us to state briefly what kind of a
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, 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 ia
BILE all nations are to sit. Around his
throne all worlds are to revolve. He is
to be the irradiation of the universe. Je-
sus, Jesus 1t is that truth that we have
+,;o 70 ~, To1N ,o1o
Do you ask more infinitely what we
believe? 1 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 life'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 it out. We be-
lieve in grace-free grace, sovereign
grace, triumphant grace, eternal grace.
We believe in Bible-authentic in it's
statements, immaculate in its teachings,
glorious in its promises.
We believe in heaven, the abode of the
righteous, and in hell, the residence of
those who are soul suicides-of their own
free choice refusing the divine mercy.
We believe in the salvation of all men
who accept Christ by faith, be they
sprinkled or immersed, worship they in
cathedral or in log cabin, believe they in
Presbyterianism or Episcopacy, dwell
they under Italian skies or in Siberian
snowstorms, be they Ethiopian or Amer
lean. All one in Christ. One Lord, one
faith, one baptism, on the way to heaven.
We built this Tabernacle for the purpose
of setting forth these great theories of
the gospel of the Son of God. Would
that we had been more faithful in the
pulpit! Would that we had been more
faithful in the pew!
An Unconventional Church.
I remark. further. that we have tried