Milford chronicle., 1902-04-25

Brooklyn grew to thousands. During
time Of national financial panic sue
ceeding the civil war at great expense
the noble walls Of the first tabernacle
arose. The building was dedicated amid
congratulations and the well wishes of
the city and state. In a few months
that building was destroyed. The whole
structure was tumbled into ruins so
quickly thai nothing was saved from
the huge editice except an immense
mortgage. Homeless and in debt, the
outlook for the congregation was very
dark. Undaunted, however, the stall
wart leader called his faithful follow
ers about him. Many were discouraged,
but not this modern Nehemiah. The
second Brooklyn tabernacle. built upon
the ruins. was grander and more ma
jestic than the first This was the struc-
ture where the crowds became so great
that it seemed as if no man who visit
ed New York felt that he had made
the best Of his sojourn in the great city
until he had heard my father preach.
But there seems sometimes a terrible
sequence in calamities. AS certain dis
eases have a penchant for destroying
certain families. so this fire demon came
to find new prey in the place where he
had once held high carnival. The sec
ond Brooklyn tabernacle was destroy
ed. The third building went the same
way as did the first and second.
The Crosses He Bore.
Domestic bereavement fell upon him,
and people who saw only his outward
cheerfulness had no conception how
deeply the iron had entered his soul.
When my father was dying, he con-
tinually talked about the boy who had
been his pride. his eldest son. who is
now sleeping by his side as he once sat
at his feet. He was a noble lad a
brilliant young lawyer. We carried
him out one cold winter day and laid
him away to rest under a soft quilt of
snow. My father went back to his
work. He said. 81 dare not lay it
down even for an hour lest the effort
to take II up again should be too great
for me-" He took up his cross in the
same cheerful. hopeful spirit as be
fore. though the wound in his heart
never healed He always carried a
scar which was cut by the gravedig
gers spade.
My fathers best sermon was the
daily life which he lived in his own
home. bear my testimony to the fact
that from my bOyhood until the time
that entered my own parsonage and
was ordained by him for my own pull
pit l bad before me the example and
upon me the sweet influence Of a Chris
tan home. There never was in Amer
lea happier or more prayerful home
than that of which he was the head.
The children idolized him. The exam
pie he set before them was that of a
consecrated Christian gentleman al
ways anxious to do what Christ would
have him do There was no bitterness
I'm the nursery. From him we learned
how to forget as well as TO forgive.
Among all the men | have known in
various walks of life / never knew a
human being who was like him in the
characteristic that he could never bear
a grudge against any one. An enemy
might do everything in his power to
destroy him. but my father never struck
back. II he could, he would not only
forgive. but he would so any distance
to serve and help an enemy. Among
the many homes / have visited as a
pastor never entered one where the
parent has so earnestly sought to in
culcate gentleness Of rule as he did in
my old home. My father never lifted
hand to strike q blow. yet he ruled
bis children with a rod stronger than
one made out Of iron. 1t was the rod
of love. My sisters and myself had
but one fear in reference to his life
we were afraid to do anything wrong
TOT rear OF seeing WOunueu iUJK pass
over the kind face, which to us always
reflected the light which shone from
the divine face of Christ. Family pray
ers were not to us a meaningless for
mality. We felt that our dear father
was taking US to the throne of grace,
as Joseph the Good brought his breth-
rem into the thrOnerOOm of the Egyp-
tian king.
Reputation and Character.
Reputation is what the world thinks
about Il man. Character is what he
really is. Reputation may be wrong.
Character is an actual fact. Man look
eth upon the outward appearance; God
lOOketh upon the heart. But l have
sometimes felt that God has made it
possible for other eyes, as well as his
own all seeing eye, to look into mans
heart. The child has the opportunity
and the privilege of looking into the
parents heart. When boy lives for
years by the side of father, he knows
what are the ruling principles Of his
life, its strongest motives and funda-
mental beliefs. When lived at home
or Travelled by my fathers side, con.
tinually with him for weeks or months
at time, formed the conviction that
he was as good a man as ever lived.
My father was a Christian minister
assuredly inspired for his work by the
Holy Spirit. For a quarter of a cen
fury his critics have been trying by
Analysing his character and his ser
mons to discover how he came to at
tain worldwide success. Some attrib
ute his power to word painting. HC
was an unequaled master in the art Of
portraying before an audience ancient
and modern scenes and events an(
opening up to the entranced gaze of his
hearers the palaces Of dead kings anC
queens. He could, with a few words
transport an audience into the hanging
gardens Of Babylon OF make them heal
the harvests sigh or the nightingale sing
Some have attributed his power to in
: vective. No rapiaH was sharper thai
the stilettO of his tongue when he want
ed to execrate sin. Some again hav,
! ascribed his popularity to his LOVING
: personality. But the critics who Onl!
go as far as these do but touch thu
] outer garment of his power. Thesl
tr2its were all present. but the source o
D my fathers power was not in what b,
? himself could do. AS he often averred
e with the sincerity of profound cOnvic
4 ton, in and of himself he could d.
f nothing. With the power Of the Hol,
+ Spirit he could accomplish anything.
: The true history of the Brooklyn
f tabernacle revivals has never beer
!, written. ! will declare it now for tn,
+ first time. AS a coming storm sigma
S can be seen in the dark cloud which il
e hung high in the heaven of blue,
e could tell weeks before when the album