The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1895-09-27

Inc hev. L De witt Talmage, ID. D.,
has accepted the call to the pastorate of
the First Congregational Church of this
citys and win preach his first sermon
there under the call on the 27th of next
| October
These facts became known through a
letter received yesterday by Mr.. Otis C.
Wight, chairman of the committee which
extended the can on behalf of the con
| gregation. This letter is as follows:
+: Dear Brethren: The call, signed by
the elders, deacons, trustees, and members
| of the congregation of the First Presby
terrain Church OF Washington is before
me. The statement contained in that
call that you do earnestly, unanimously,
harmoniously, and heartily, not one voice
| dissenting desire me to beco.ne co-pastor
In your great and historical church has
| distinctly impressed me. With the same
| hcartiness 1 now declare my acceptance
| of the can. - All of my energies of my
| body, mind, and soul shall be enlisted in
| your Christian service. l will preach
my first sermon Sabbath evening, oc-
| tober %"
| The remaining incidents of the coming
here OF this distinguished divine are merely
| formal On day, which Will be fixed by
| Dr.. Talnage, he VIII be installed according
| to the ceremony ofthe Presbyterian Church.
| According toihe usualcourtesy DR.. Taimage
| VIII have t3e right OF selecting the preacher
who Wllideiiyer rt1eceremonyont theocc2sioD.
EASILY ARRANGE IT.
InaSmuch as the Brooklyn Presbytery and
the, Washington city Presbytery meet on
! the same day, the 7th of October, the trans
fer from one Presbytery to the other will
be easily arranged.
Dr. Sunderland wrote DR.. Talmage a let
ter on these matters OF formality yester-
day and VIII leave here tomorrow for the
Catskhis, but VIII be in the city again iD
time Tor the ceremonies
There is now every indication that the
pew renting system to be adopted by the
First Presbyterian Church will be a
| financial success and that its congregation
| will be largely increased. The accretions to
| thecongresation are beginning already to be
q factor in evidence.
Even before it was settled that Or. Tai
mage would come here there Wire fifteen
| applications for some of the more eligible
pews and the information was given last
| night that all these were members of con-
| gregations other than Presbyterian, the
| Episcopalians, Methodists, and Baptists bav
| ing been mentioned.
Now 1t is a fact that the distinguished
doctor will be here for an indefinite time
1 there is no reason to doubt that the ap-
WIN tt lIOlu
| day 10, day
Nothing has been said yet specifically
| about the amount of salary to be paid
DR.. Talmagc. 1t is the belief that he will
continue his literary work here, and there
| is pretty well founded report that he
| Will negotiate for the use of Convention
Hall for his lectures.
The matter of salary is said to be one
in which he has very little interest in
| hnad a received lately SlHs, 600 nv
| the will OF his late wife, and has besides
a large income from his papers and liter
| airy work.
THEIR CLOSE FRIENDSHIP.
There has been for years the closest In
| timacy between DR.. Sunderland and DIR.
| Talmage. Many Washingtonians do not
now recall the fact that when the second
! Tabernacle of Dr.. Talmage was dedicated
| the dedicatory sermon was preached by
DR.. Sunderland at the special request, of
| course, of his distinguished friend
| Dr.. Sunderla nd on that occasion de-
livered one of his ablest discourses from
| the most suggestive text The glory OF
| this latter house shall exceed that OF the
| former"
There are also very few washingtonians
| who are familiar with the fact that DR..
| Talmage made his first appearance before
| a congregation in this city in 1853. He
said last night that the sermon that day
| impressed him as the effort of man who
| would make his mark in the world.
There is quite an interesting story about
| this first sermon which has never been
| printed before, and which DR.. Talmage
will now probably recall.
DR.. Talmage graduated from his sem
| mary in 1853, having been brought up in
the Dutch Reformed Church. He went to
Syracuse, n. Y, about the year 1853, a
| few months after DR.. Sunderland left that
| place to accept the pastorate of the Firs
| Presbyterian Church here.
In 1859 DR.. Sunderland met here a young
\ man from Syracuse, who held position
| in one of the Departments. This young man
| was a Mr.. Edwards, who was well ac-
| quaiuted with the young Talmage, al that
| time unknown to fame In Syracuse.
DR.. Talmage had occasion to visit WASH
| ington in 1853, aud he was discovered at
the National Hotel by Mr.. Edwards. The
latter called on Dr. Sunderland and said:
doctor, we have here the young pastor
of our church in Syracuse and he will be
here on SundayneX 1 want you to invite
| him to preach at your church"
IN HIS EARLY DAYS.
DR.. Sunderland, who had not beard of
means,' and away they went down to the
|
| duced to the unpretentious but fine looking
| young man. who was afterwards to become
| famous on both sides Of the Atlantic.
There is no telling what dreams the
| young man may have had in those days.
| but his horizon was bounded by that of
| Syracuse, and he probably was not enough
| of prophet to foresee or foretell that he
| would receive the unanimous call of the
| descendants of the congregation to whom
| be discoursed on that eventful Sunday.
Telling the rest of the story. DR.. Sunder
| land said last night: "Well, he came upon
my invitation and preached that Sunday
| evening most magnificent sermon. The
congregation was carried away by his force
and eloquence, even in his boyhood. After
the sermon / said to him: I hope God will
preserve your life, my young friend, that
| you may have a long and glorious min
| istry.'"
In this respect DR.. Sunderland was
prophet who had honor in his own country.
Dr. Taimage's career since he began to
attract the attention fthe country is
too well known to need recital. His name
and his fame are household words, and his
first sermon here will no doubt attract te