Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-05-16
A CHEERFUL CHURCH
REV. DR.. TALMAGE lNTERPRETsA PAS
SAGE FROM SoLoMON's SONG

of Farewell-A Sweet Name,
BROOKLYN, May 13.-The Tabernacl
was crowded to the doors TODAY wbe,
Rev. Dr. Talmage took for the subiect
Of his forenoon sermon a passage Of
kcripturo which has been made the sub
jact of much discussion and various in.
depreciation by II odern theologians. Hi,
theme was, "A Cheerful Church." and
the text was selected from Solomon's
Song iv, l, Behold, thou art fair, nv
love-"
Higher criticism" says that this book
of Solomon's 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.
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 tie bride. The same
words we can utter today truthfullv.
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 l came to BROOKLYN.
l found a 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 possi-
bic 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
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 a man ever enjoyed to this !
then most uninviting field, but it was
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 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, remark that we have
been trying to build here Chistian
church - distinctively such; in other
words, church where we should preach
the Lord Jesus Christ and him crucified.
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 5
Jesus, the hope for all dis
Jesus, the reform for all t
wrongs. l
l have faith to believe that there is
more power in one drop of the blood of I
esus Christ to cure the woes of the
world than in an ocean full of human |
uackery. Jesus is the grandest note in S
ny minstrelsy. He is the brightest gem a
i any crown; height overlapping all t
nee; the circumference to every center; L
ne pacifer of all turbulence; the umpire L
all disputes. Jesus, Jesus! AT his ta- v
le all nations are to sit. Around his L
lrone all worlds are to revolve. He is ?
} be naturalization of the universe. Je- e
is, Jesus 1t is that truth that we have
led to preach in this Tabernacle. e
Do you ask more minutely what we t.
elieve? can tell you. We have no g
ry, withered, juiceless theology. We 81
elieve in God. the Father Almighty, "
aker of heaven and earth, the deliverer G
the distressed, the home for the home Ii
IS, the friend for the friendless. We c
elieve i'll Jesus Christ, able to save TO a
ie uttermost, pardoning the guilty, i'm CT
lting his righteousness to the believer ii
'e believe in the Holy Ghost, the COM tt
rter, the sanctifier, cheering up the 81
art in hfe's ills and kindling bright ii
yhts in every dark landing place. W6 81
lieve that the whole race is so sunken I'll
sin that nothing but the omnipotent
III of God can ever lift IL ont. We be- ht
we i'll grace-free grace, sovereign til
ace, triumphant grace, eternal grace W
e believe in a Bible-authentic in its 10
ltements, immaculate in its teachings, tn
,rious in its promises. in
We believe i'll heaven, the abode Of the tn
,hteous. and in hell, the residence Of IA
Dse who are soul suicides-of their own Gl
,e choice refusing the divine mercy. lo'
e believe in the salvation of all men da
10 accept Christ by faith, be they tn,
-inkled or immersed, worship they in to
.hedral or in log cabin, believe they in sh'
or Episcopacy, dwell
" under Italian skies or in Siberian
,Wstorms, be they Ethiopian or Amer CHI
n. All one in Christ. One Lord. one sta
IN, one baptism, on the way TO heaven. J II
3 built this Tabernacle for the purpose du
setting forth these great theories of up
gospel of the Son of God. Would mo
It we had been more faithful in the IN
.pit! Would that we had been more TIN
Jhful in the pew On
An Unconventional Church. wa