Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1894-05-31
"a CHEERFUL CHURCH,
Theme of a Discourse by Rev. T.
Dewitt Talmage, D. D.
The Position the Church of God should
Occupy-It Should be the Most Cheer
full Spot on Earth, and Ought to
be Ahead of the Times.

Chnrcn, the text being selected from
Solomon's Song, w., /: "Behold thou
art fair, my love" Following is the
sermon:
Higher criticism says that this
book of solomon Song is love scene.
a forlorn maiden signing for her beau.
II so II is an unclean and debauched
utterance inserted in the pure Word of
God and is not fit for common reading.
My opinion is thai 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 to-day truthfully,
whether in regard to the church Of
God in general or this church in par
ticular: Behold thou art fair my
love The past week has been one of
prolonged congratulation for that we
have for twenty-five years been per-
mitted to associate with each other in
the relation of pastor and people.
When / came to Brooklyn ! found a
small band of Christian disciples who
for various causes had become less and
less, until they stood upon the very
verge of extinction as a church; and
the question was being agitated from
time to time whether it would be posi-
ole to maintain a church life longer.
indeed, had not those men and women
Oeen consecrated and earnest, they
would have surrendered to the adverse
circumstances. They marshaled con-
gregational meeting, and gathering up
al the forces possible, they cast nine
teen votes for pastor all of which |
am happy to have received.
1t was not through any spirit of per
sonal courage or reckless adventure
chat led me, from one of the warmest
and most congenial pastorates in Phila-
ieiphia that a man ever enjoyed, to
this then most uninviting field; but it
vas the feeling that God had called me
to the work, and l was sure He would
see me through.
have thought that it might be
profitable to US to state briefly what
kind of church we have been trying
to establish.
In the first place, remark that we
have been trying to build here Chris
tian 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 offenses. 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 discouragements. 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 fun
of human quacl1ery. Jesus is the grand
est note in any minstrelsy. He is the |
brightest gem in any crown. Height
overstepping all height. The center of
every circumference. The circumfer-
ence to every center. The pacitier of
all turbulence. The umpire of all dis
putes jesus Jesus! At His table all
nations are to sit. Around His throne
all worlds are to revolve. He is to be
the irradiation 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? l can tell you. We have no
dry, withered iuiceless theology. We
believe in God. the Father Almighty,
the maker of heaven and earth, the de-
liverer of the distressed, the home for
the homeless, the friend for the friend
less We believe in Jesus Christ, able
to save to the uttermost, pardoning the
guilty. imputing His Righteousness to
the believer. We believe in the Holy
Ghost. the comforter, the sanctifier,
cheering up the heart in life's ills, and
kindling bright lights in every dark
We believe that the
whole race is so sunken in sin that
nothing but the omnipotcnt arm OF
God can ever lift it out. We believe in
yrace-free grace, sovereign grace, tri-
nmphant grace. eternal grace. We be-
.ieve in Bible-authentic in its state
ments. 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 sprinlled
,r immersed, worship they in cathedral
" log cabin, believe they in Presbyte-
'ianism or Episcopacy, dwell they I'M
Ter Italian skies or in Siberian snow
torms. be they Ethiopian or American.
MI one in Christ. One Lord, one faith, I
me baptism. on the way to one Heaven. /
re built this Tabernacle for the pur-
lose of setting forth these great theo- [
les Of the gospel of the Son Of God.
Would that we had been more faithful I
b the pulpit, Would that we had been l
lore faithful in the pew. G
remark. further. that we have tried !
ere 10 build church distinctively I'M
Instead Of asking, as Y
ONE people are disposed to do, how :
Their people do it. we have asked the l
uestion how people do not do it. Inn |
erious custom has decided that :