-C5
V
"C
m 5
a&?S
-?. r-
iimZLry '
Easter
and
dc precious name
adorning
with lilies pore and white.
A gladsome message bringing "
Of loe that knows no fear:
The succtest anthem .singing:
"The ri,en Christ is here."
He corner with gifts of healing
For wounded heart, that moan;
A sunlit path revealing,
A world with pain unknown.
He comes with life eternal,
"With hope, and joy, and peace;
O happiness supernal.
When want and woe shall cease'.
He gave His life for others,
Alike for you and me:
lie counts us as His brothers,
All one, no' bond nor free.
The bands of sin arc broken:
The poor, and the oppressed,
Hear the sweet Gospel spoken:
"Come unto Me and rest."
O glorious Easter morning:
O day of peace and light:
One precious name adorning
With lilies pure and white.
A gladsome message bringing
Of loe that knows no fear:
The sweetest anthem sing'ng:
"The risen Christ Ls near."
Sarah K. Holton, in X. V. Observer.
K
1
V MM
'
m$'''ui
&Mi....fM'
iMv.$m , ;'Mi
PiwVi'iW
mi
is so odd,"
s.h i! said.
"Mr. Farley
knew his own
reasons, and
the will is very definite. I imagine you
will have little difliculty in carrying
out his wishes."' With these words the
.octor bowed and left the office, leav
ing Miss Wraye standing by the win
dow. A perplexed look rested on her
high-bred face, and a touch of impa
tience was felt in her tone.
"Really," she began "1 Judge Old
ham, will 3'ou be kind enough to state
the case again?"
"Certainly. Tray be seated. "Your
uncle. Miss Wraye. the late judge, was
WANTS
-very positive on this point He told me
that when a poor boy he had been
greatl- aided and cheered by an unex
pected gift at Easter time, and so
sacred did it become to him that he set
aside a fund to be given every year at
Easter to some needy child. In his
will he directs his executors to do the
same. To him Easter was a season of
even deeper joy and more sacred re
tnembrancc than Christmas, and he
always celebrated it"
"1 understand," said the young lady,
"but how is the child to be found?
Toor deserving boys are not always
found when wanted."
"The choice is left to your wisdom,
and in this large town you can hardly
fail to find some one who would merit
the gift"
"And meantime it is growing dark,
nd I must not detain you further. If
you hear of an interesting protege let
me know. I confess to being puzzled
ond helnless in the matter. Easter is
close at hand." And Miss Wraye j
stepped lightly out and into the wait
Csr9K4mGLOIUOUS
vVfeJ &-Yl B "l O day of peace
' -X ''r O:
-.Ml.
tir if.mjii
OXTWl
n,i
yi v vi
IWL
Vs H "
'zs 7 7 I
i .' I "r. 1 1 -
w urn mfcW rw'frv
ing carriage.
"It was just like Unc.le John," she
said to herself, as the swift horses bore
her homeward, "to nppoint me one of
the executors, because I need to know
business details, then to appoint Dr.
Barre another, because of his 'exceed
ing confidence in his wisdom, faith and
'-itcgrity.' And now we must go
"Arching for poor boys to whom we
'&p hand over a hundred or more dol-
lars. .What caa they- know, about
Easter, and what would they do with
such a sum? I fear it will be utterly
thrown away."-.
Even the frosty air, the rapid motion
and the greeting of friends failed to
bring back her usual sweet expression.
Not till she entered the library where
her invalid mother lay, was a smile
brought to Miss Wraye's lips.
"Well, little mother, has it been s
long afternoon?" she asked, with a
kiss.
"It is always long when you are
away," was the answer, as the invalid
smiled back into the winsome face
above her. "Did you see the judge,
and what does Dr. Barre say?"
"Yes, I saw Judge Oldham and am
in a greater quandary than ever. And
Dr. Uarre is evidently determined to
let me do everything. As he is one
of the executors I think he might do
the execution. Ho knows I dislike
business details of this sort. But let
me ring for tea, then we can talk more
comfortably."
In her own home among her especial
friends, Edith Wraye was bright and
sociable to a degree not realized by
those who knew her only as the heir
ess of her uncle's great wealth, and
who found her a trifle distant and re
served. None called her proud. She
was too sweet-tempered for that, but
mere acquaintances had no conception
of the sunny nature which filled her
mother's hfc with gladness. Only one,
perhaps, and he did not reveal his
thoughts. The recent death of Judge
Farloy, Mrs. Wraye's brother, and the
quiet winter which followed, left
Edith free to devote her time to her
mother until the approach of Easter
brought new perplexities.
That evening the afternoon's story
was rehearsed.
"Why did uncle choose to have me
take charge of this matter, mother? I
don't in the least know how to set
about it. Am 1 to go canvassing the
courts and back alleys'fn search of the
destined youth? Or advertise? That
would undoubtedly bring plenty of
answers. Atid what can a child do
with so large a sum? It would not
have to him any significance as an
Easter gift such as uncle felt"
"No, daughter, you can hardly ex
pect that. Hut ought not these chil
dren to know the meaning of Easter?
Surely it is as important as Christmas,
and if, through this wish of your uncle,
you can lead some one of these poor
children to xi better as well as a hap
pier life, I know you will not mind
any care or anxiety."
"No, mother dear, of course not. I
don't really mean to be cross. Just now
I am thinking of the disagrceableness
of the affair. Dr. Uarre has to give his
judgment, and he doesn't, and Judge
Oldham didn't help me a bit They
seem determined to let me 'gang my
ain'gait' and if matters are misman
aged they will say it's just like a
woman."
"You cannot think that of our old
friend, the jndge, and as for the doctor,
he has been too kind to me to let me
believe he would not do all in his pow
er to aid you in this."
"That is it: he knows I am grateful
for all he has helped you, but somehow
1 become antagonistic and spiteful
whenever 1 sec him, and I like him,
too. lint come, let us read now. Here
is a magazine. What will you have?"
And the evening passed without
further discussion.
DAT TAT.
But not even the rich pages could
divert EditVs thoughts from the
problem which waited solution. Days
passed and Easter drew near, but who
should receive the check which lay in
Judge Oldham's care was unknown.
Meanwhile, in the outskirts of the
town, among the circle of patients
whom the young physician treated""for
love and practice," as he laughingly
remarked, lived the boy who was to
obtain the Easter gift And nobody
knew it Certainty not three-year-old
Dot who filled the poor home with
sunshine; not Dot's mother, who sup
ported her family by working iu a
bakery; not Miss Wraye in her home
on the hill: not Judge Oldham, im
mersed in business, and certainty not
Donald, as he cried his papers on the
street, and ran whistling home to
amuse Dot by wonderful shadow pic
tures of birds and beasts. Of sturdy
Scotch character, Donald sold papers,
ran errands for the bakery, and tried
hard to earn money enough to admit
m - m the polytechnic school where
his father had planned to place him.
Thus the time flew away, until the
very last week of the Lenten season
opened, when Miss Wraye found her
protege: Dr. Barre learne:1 something
of his co-executor, and Donald and Dot
were let into what they thought to be
fortune's fairyland.
And all in such a simple, common
place way. A certain variety of brown
bread was ordered for Mrs. Wra3e,
and Donald took it ud from the bakcrr.
Dot accompanied him, and as the chil
dren waited in the kitchen in walked
Miss Wraye's pet cat, Timothy Titus,
large, dignified and tailless. He gazed
solemnly upon Dot, then stalked away.
With a cry of delight she ran after him
into the library where Mrs. Wraye and
Edith sat
Where did yon come from, baby
dear?" sang Edith.
The tiny maiden smiled in her glee
ful way, and answered: "Me wants dat
tat"
Both laughed, and Edith, catching up
the astonished Timothy, knelt by the
child and asked her name.
"Dot Tarmnicky," she laughed, put
ting her tiny palm upon Timothy
Titus's soft fur, who submitted grave
ly to the caress.
"Please, I'm afraid Dot is a trouble.
Come baby, we must go home." So
spoke Donald, cap in hand, at the door.
But Mrs. Wraye called him in.
"Is Dot your sister, my lad?"
"Yes ma'am. I'm Donald CarmichacL
I fetched the bread and brought Dot
along."
While Mrs. Wraye kept Donald talk
ing, Edith and Dot and Timothy Titus
were having a grand frolic on the rug,
and presently crisp sugar jumbles and
glasses of milk were brought in, so
that the children feasted to their satis
faction. After they had gone Edith gazed into
the open fire.
"Well?" queried her mother.
"Well!" she replied.
"Ask Dr. Barre about them. Don
ald told me he was trying to keep up
his studies in school and help his
mother, too. I believe he is the one
you want" (
Miss Wraye lost no time. That very,
day after the doctor's call she laid
the case before him, and so eager
and sparkling was she in her recital ol
Donald's bravery and Dot's charms
that the young man's reserve melted
and he showed himself as interested j
and sympathetic as she could desire. Kv ... . . ,, .. i ,,
t a mn w i i r,!. .ithey get the hammers? Where the gold?
Judge Oldham was consulted and Don . , J " . ., -,,r. ., . - n
, , , 14T.-..1 .i V where the silver? Where the curtains?
aid was found to be just the one to de- 6, ,7. . n j tr i
.. , . , ! r . i ji Where the costly adornments? Hermon
serve the bequest, while Dot was dally I : , . J ,. . .,, . ,
. . . ,, .,. ... , w is a barren peak, and to build one, taber-
sent for to amuse Mrs. W rayc with hex! " 1C" " "" " uu"" ."
quaint chatter and bonny fuce.
"I am so glad," said Edith to'w
iuuiuti nun Lilt; iiiii.it:! an nciuci
"Donald will have his Easter gift,' w
can help that darling Dot, and yovifn
so much better, too. I really ifeej
ycrung again. Then," she added, afbjr
a pause, "Dr. Barro has been ,veey
.4l,f. .lis 4ln mnlt.iH .,nc- i'rt(4l'
nice about looking up Donald's inter
ests, and he does so much good jWcm
there among those poor people. I'lifce
him now.'
,4
i
Easter morning dawned
in
woncer-
ful beauty, as if tbc sun of righteutos
ness were shining upon the world. In
the children's home was unexpetcd
happiness, and in the great lidnsil on
the hill the air was fragrant with dow
ers. f
"These lilies are Dr. Barre'si.Eister
gift to you, little mother," said: F.aith,
as she kissed her mother good Tnorn-
tn(f
? i
"And I have an Easter gift for Jyou,
daughter," was the reply. "The f "doc
tor says 1 shall be quite strong afrain
by June, and I am really much batter."
"Oh, my precious little mother. that
is the best gift of alL How canI be
glad enough!" f'
The Easter music fell upon grateful
hearts that night but none'werofmore"
i
grateful than Edith Wra3'e. J?
"I cannot thank you, :Dr. llarre,"
she said, as he joined her after service,
"for saving my mother to. me. lly gift
is far greater than Donald's."
"You can thank me," he auiwered,
after a patise, "you only can tjjank me
if vou will. Edith. I havi alwavs
loved you. Your uncle kne'vfit hut I
dared not speak. Now 1 ivant my
Easter gift Nothing else 'nan your
self. Edith. May I have it?; J
They had reached her hqine, and as
the door was opened the light shone
full upon Edith's lovely face.' The odor
of lilies wrapped her.Snc paused.
turned and whispered shylj; "Will you
come in?" Elinor Endrica in N. Y.
Observer. ,$
THIS PUZZLE
ABOU
t
EASTER.
.' '
..
Why tho Hay AVe Cclnbrate Christ' Res
urrection C'liunze Kvcgr Year.
Not one person in ten cn tell yon
why it is that Christmas, tSe day cele
brated as Christ's -blrtndiy, always
falls on the same Sny ofthe mouth,
while Easter, the day unpjf which we
celebrate His resrirreci'.fc, changes
every year. In giving s if solution of
this riddle the firsVpoi ltjlo be consid
ered is this: Christ was Crucified Fri
day, the fourteenth day of the Jewish
month Nisan, and rose JAm the grave
the following h una ay.
day of Nisan was the,
le fourteenth
Jewish "Pass-
over," the day obser
by them in
commemoration of tl
I sprinkling of
their doorposts with til
blood of the
paschal lamb on' the
Ight when th
"destroying angel"
dwellings of the Isrj.
Lssed over the
lites, but smote
the first-born of the
year of the Jews is
fyptians. As the
lunar year, and
the fourteenth of It
fan is always a
full moon day, the
hristian church,
regarding the obser
ice of the cruci-
fix ion of Christ as
lubstitute for the
old "Passover of 'ihe Jews, deter
mined Easter by thstrules for reckon
ing the Jewish jfeclesiastical year.
Christmas intended Ito commemorate
the birth of Christ,
ad no connection
with the ritual of
old church, and,
immovable feast
like dozens of ot
days of the chare
them birtlidavs of
f Borne, many of
ints, it was finally
settled that it shot
d be observed on a
given uay of th
common calendar,
the word itself.
Coming down t
"Easter'
(rising).
is fromjihe German Ostern"
The hlish name is m-oba-
bly derived frost
- ''T... . ... .' .
.costrc, me jeu-
tonic goddess of sprni)(7trcc3cfi!StivaL
. :rvMa
occurred at about the same time as th
Jewish "Passover." The time for cel
ebrating Easter was a subject which
gave rise to many heated discussions
during the early days of Christianity.
The question was fully considered and
finally settled by the council of Nice
in the year 325 by adopting the rule
which makes Easter day the first Sun
day after the first full moon after
March 21. Bv this arrangement Easter
mar come as earlv as March 22 or as I
late as April 25. St Louis Republic, I
THEEE TABEMACLES,
ssr?r.?.ii
Dr. Talmage Preaches His ,Tw
a&
third Anniversary Sermon.
A Story of Trials and Triumphs Eloquently
Fortrayed Misrepresentation Severely
Denounced All Things Work To
gether For Good.
In preaching his twenty-third anni
versary sermon at Brooklyn Rev. T. De
Witt Talmage took for his subject
"The Three Tabernacles; a Story of
Trials and Triumphs," and his text was
from Luke ix. 33: "Let us make three
tabernacles." He said:
Our Arab ponies were almost dead
with fatiguo and in December, ISSrf, we
rode near the foot of Mount Hermon in
the Holy Lond, the mountain called by
one "a mountain of ice;.' by another "a
glittering breastplate of ice;" by another
"the Mount Blanc of Palestine." Its
top has an almost unearthly brilliance.
But what must it have been in the time
to which my text refers. Peter and
James and John were on that mountain
top withTesuswhen, suddenly, Christ's
fieijtook on thTT"glow-othp noonday,
smij and Moses and Elijah, "who had
Seen dead for centuries, came out from
ihcj heavenly world and talked with our
gijjiour. What an overwhelming three!
ntees, representing the law; Elijah,,
representing the prophets, and Christ,
renresting all worlds. Impetuous
Piter was so wrought upon bythe
,p-jesence of this wondrous three,'tnat,
viiuoui waning ior nmc to consider
how preposterous was the proposition,
he cried out: f."Let us make three taber
ifftcles; one for Thee, one for Moses and
one for Elijah." Where would they get
the material for building one tabernacle,
much less to build two tabernacles, and,
still less, how would thev iret the ma-
4rimn I i-kva Irl r 4 TaO IiIiama . I rl
, . . . s , . , .
J an undertaking beyond huiiian aclueve-
ment, and Peter was propounding the
impossible when he cried out in en
thusiasm: "Let us build three taber;
nacles." And, yet, that is what this
congregation has been called to do and
have done. The first Brooklyn', taber
nacle was dedicated in 1870 and de?
stroyed by fire in. 1S72. The second
Brooklyn tabernacle was dedicated in
1S74 and destroyed by fire in 1SS9.' The
third Brooklyn tabernacle was dedicat-
ed in April, 1891, and in that we. are
worshiping to-day. Tiat sounded ab-
sura ior i'eter to propose, wncn ne saic:
on Mount Hermon, in the words of nr.
nvf 'T.t no IiihIm TiTto 4i1wiv-nalAC
we have not only done, but, in the.myal
torious providence of God, were cow
pelled to do.
We liave been unjustly criticised jy
tooplc who do not know the facts, soifr
times for putting so much moneyin
church buildings and sometimes forifot
giving as much as we ought to thi Tor
that denominational project, anil njex
planation has yet been made. BeJpe I
get through with the delivery o jthis
sermon and its publication and Jstx
bution I shall show that no chueh on
earth has ever done more magnifiently
and that no church ever conquerjmore
trials and that no membership er had
in it more heroes and heroines tn this
Brooklyn tabernacle, .and I aean to
have it known that any indhflual or
religious newspaper or secuar- new
paper that hereafter casts aiy reflec
tions on this church's fidelityand gen
erosity is guilty of a -wickdness for
which God will hold him or itiponsible.
One year it was sent out thrugh a syn
dicate of newspapers that' his church
was doing nothing'in the vay of liber
ality, when we had that year raised
94,000 in hard cash for religious uses.
There has been persisten- and hemis
pheric lying against this church. We
have raised during my pastorate for
church building and relipOus purposes
e09S,000, or practically .1,000,000. Not
an Irish famine, or a Chirleston earth
quake, or an Ohio freslut, or a Chicago
conflagration, but our chtrch was among
the first to help. We lave given free
seats in the morning aid evening ser
vices to 240,000 stranfers a year, and
that, in twenty years, would amount to
4,800,000 auditors. Ve have received
into our memberjnip 5,357 mem
bers, and that s only a .small
portion of the nunber of those who
have been convertid, to God from all
parts of this land aid from other lands.
And yet there are ninisters'of "the gos-
pel and religious newspapers' that
systematically an" industriously "and
continuously chaige this church"1 with
idleness and selfisaness and parsimony.
I call the attentin,of the whole earth
to this outrage that has been heaped
upon the Brooklyn tabernacle, though
a more consecrated, benevolent, and
splendid convocation of men and women
were never gatfiered together outside of
Heaven. "
But this continuous misreprepresenta-
tion of my beloved church, in the name
of Almighty God. I denounce, while I apj
peal to the fair-minded men and women
to see that justice is done this pebple,wh6
within a few years have gone through
a struggle that no other church in any
land or any age has, been called to, en
dure, and I iTay God that no other
church may ever be called on to endure',
viz: the building of three tabernacles.
I ask the friends of the Brooklyn tab
ernacle to cut ont this sermon from the
newspapers and put it in their pocket
books, so that they can intelligently
answer our falsifiers, whether clerical,
or lay. And with these- you may put
that other statement, which recently,
went through the country, which said
rooklyn tabernacle had a
hard financiarStrsw9isfcMfiajKe it had
all along been paying such
salaries to iU pastor, Dr. Talmage, when
the fact is that, after our disaster
and for two years, I gave all my
salary to the church building fund.
1 have preached here twenty-three
years, and I expect, if my life and health
are continued, to preach twenty-three
vcars longer, although we will all do
i vt i v. t '....
well to remember that our breath is our
uastnls. and any hour we may be called
to give an account of ountewardship.
5AH weaskrrthe future 'that yon do
your best, contributing d you can to
the support of your instittions.
My first Sabbath in Bwklyn was a
sad day, for I did not ialize how far
the church was down uiil then, and on
the evening of that day yown brother,
through whose pocket! entered the
ministry, died, and tfc tidings of his
decease reached me t six o'clock in
the evening, as I was J preach at half
past seven. But fnn that day the
blessing of God was a us, and in three
montlis we began tb enlargement of
the building. Befor-the close of that
year we resolved toustruct the first
tabernacle.' Itwase a temporary
structure, and thervorS we called it a
tabernacle instead I a temple.
We expected tpay for the new
church by the salof the old building.
The old one had len sold, but just at
the time we mushave the money the
purchasers back! out and we had two
churches and ntmoney. By the help
of God and the idomitable and unpar
alleled energy our trustees, we got
the building ady for consecration,
and on Scptenrtr "), 1870, morning and
evening dediwory services were held,
and in the aftmoon the children with
swet and irJtitudinous voices, con-
-Booeatethe place to God. Twenty
thousand tfoirflwarraisea tnat uay
to pay a fioaog debt. In"tht riuimhig
old Dk Steven H. Tyng, the glojy of
the Episcopl church and the chryfeoe
tom of the inerican pulpit, preached a
sermon, wlch lingered in its gracious
effects aslrg as the building stood. He
read enouji out of the Episcopal prayer
book to kp himself from being repri
manded t,his bishop for preaclung at
at a non-piscopal service; and jfu, al
though llonging to another denomina
tion, rcponded with heartinfs, as
though ve were used to the liturgy,
"Good hrd, deliver us:" j!
Duri the short time we occupied
that bdding we had a constant down
pour A' religious awakening. g lloaan
nah! Sen million years in Heaven will
have-0 power to dim my memory of the
glorias times we had in that fifet taber
nacl. which, because of its ir
asion of
the sual style of church arc
jZectnrc,
iva.3tlled by some "Talmagi
'ri Uippo-
drcip," by others, "CLurch o.
tlieIoly
I nomen-
CirOs, ana Dy otner mux
chare, j But it -was a building perfect
fo acoustics, and stood long$ cnoagh to
hve its imitation in all the aarge? cities
c America and to completely revolu
tanize church architecture. ''
6n Sunday morning, in 3 December.
872, the thermometer nearly down to
kero. I was on mv wav tocharch. There
an excitement in thej ijtreet and
uch smoke in the air. Hhle engines
dashed past. But my mine vasonthe
sermon I was about to ricach, until
someone rushed up and tjo-l'me that
our church was going up i.i the same
kind of chariot that Elijah took from
the banks of the Jordan.
We were, as a churchy obliterated.
"But arise and build," saii many voices.
But how to raise the money for" such an
expensive undertaking Was the ques
tion expensive not befauseJ'.of any
senseless adornment proposed, but ex
pensive because of the ftnmensc size of
the building needed to-hM oar congre
gation. It was at tha time when for
years our entire countrywvas suffering,
not from a financial Pfbic, but from
that long continued financial depression
which all business, mei remember, as
the cloud hnng heavy year after year
and commercial estabKihments with
out number went dltwn. Through
what struggles we" passed, the eternal
God and some brave Souls to-day re
member. 'Many a tinx Would I have
gladly, accepted calls, to some other
fields, but I could notjjayc the flock in
the wilderness. .At la's-t; after, in the
interregnum, havingnorphipped in our
beautiful Academy c-f?Music on the
rooming of February 22,?1S74, the anni
versary of the WatTjinyton who con
quered impossibilitil Mid on the Sab
bath that always ce britcs the resur
rection, Dr.Byron S(l iderland, chaplain
of-thd United State seaate, thrilled us
through and throuo "'wjth a dedicatory
sermon from Hagga". iJLS: "The glory
of this house shall 3 greater than that
of theformer, saithf :heLord of Hosts."
' That second tabernacle! What a
reminiscence! But if thc Peter of my
text haa known wliat; an undertaking
jt,ia to build two V.hepiacles he would
not have proposed ,twp,'to say nothing of
three." f
Meanwhile- all things had become easy
in the Brooklyn &bernaele. On a Sab
bath in October) 1880, 1 announced to
my congregatioA -that I would in a few
weeks visit the $7 Land, and that the
officers, of the church had consented to
my going, and 'the wish of a lifetime
was about to be , fulfilled. The next
Sabbath morniMT;bout two o'clock or
just after midfiigto, a raeraler of my
household' awawed me by saying that
there was a stymie light in the sky. A
thunderstorm un left the air full of
electricity, anjl from horizon to horizon
every thing sceMi to blaze. But that
did not'dlsturDTBe until an observation
taken from tUsspola of my house, de
clared that tfcSjjfecond tabernacle was
putting on m
lHtvings. I scouted the
idea ana
over on my pillow
ior. anotner
anotner i
p of '!?
itother4
At
eep, but a num-
ber
tcd voices called
le rAnd I went up and saw
me
.
clearly defbiiPn the night the fiery
catafalque olurJ second tabernacle.
WhenlsawlWt I said to my family:
"I think tt$ends my work in Brook-
. x. f.f C-t t a Ml a. ii
jyn. an:
.Lord will not call a
minister
three churches, in one
city. The
ing of one church gen-
ersllve:
usefulness of a pastor,
t 31.
e preside at the building
XHJW UU1 ML'
of three ch;Jf
?" But before twenty
passed we were com-
four Hour
pelled to ah
"Lethss liji
ninct. rivrf I
it, with Peter d ray text,
hree tabernacles. We
me somewhere.
fete
d ceased to be the cen
ter of our congregation, and the center
of our congregation, as near as we could
find it, is where we now stand
Having selected the spot, should we
build on it a barn or a taber
nacle, beautiful and commodious? Our
common sense, as well as our religion,
commanded the latter. But what push,
what industry, what skill, what, &elf
sacrifice, what faith in God were necessary?'-
impedhnents and hindrances'
without number were thrown in the
way and had it not been for the perse
verence of our church officials and the
practical help of many people and tho
prayers of millions of good souls in all
parts of th earth and the blessings of
Almighty God the work would not have
been done. But it is done and all good
people who behold the structure feel in
their hearts, if they do not utter it with
their lips: "How amiable are Thy
tabernacles, O, Lord of Hosts." On the
third Sabbath of last April this church
was dedi:ated.
During these past years I have learned
two or three things. Among others I
have learned that "all things work to
gether for good." My mode of preach
ing has sometimes seemed to stir the
hostilities of all earth and hell. Feel
ing called upon fifteen years ago to ex
plore underground New York city life
that I might report the evils to be com
batted I took with me two ciders of my
church and a New York police commis
sioner and a policeman, and I explored
and reported the horrors that needed
removal and the allurements that endan
gered our young men. There came upon
me an outburst of assumed indignation
that frightened almost everybody but
myself. That exploration put into my
church thirty or forty newspaper cor
respondents from north, south, east and
west, which opened for me new avenues
in which to preach the gospel that
otherwise never would have been
opened. Years passed on and I preached
a series of sermons on amusements, and
a false report of what I did say and
one of the sermons said to have been
preached by me was not mine in a
single word roused a violence that
threatened me with poison and dirk
and pistol and other forms of extin
guishment, until the chief of Brooklyn
police, without any suggestion from
me, took possession of tho church with
twenty-four policemen to see that no
harm was done. That excite
ment opened many doors, which I
entered for preaching the gospel. After
awhile came an ecclesiastical trial, in
which I was arraigned by people who
did not like the way I did things, and
although I was acquitted of all the
charges, the contest shook.the American
church. That battle made me more
friends than anything that ever hap
pened and gave me Christendom and
more than Christendom for my weekly
audience. On the demolition of each
church, we got a better and lrger
church, and not a disaster, not a cari
cature, not a persecution, not an assault
during all these twenty-three years,
but turned out for our advantage, and
ought I not to believe that "all things
work together for good?" Hosannah!
Another lesson I have learned during
these twenty-three years is that it is not
necessary to preach error or pick flaws
in the old Bible in order to get an audi
ence. The old Book, without any fixing
up, is good enough for me, and higher
criticism, as it is called, means lower
religion. Higher criticism is another
form of infidelity, and its disciples will
believe less and less, until many of them
will land in nowhere, and become tho
worshipers of an eternal "What-is-it?"
The most of these high critics
seem to be seeking notoriety by pitch
ing into the Bible. It is such a brave
thing to strike your grandmother. The
old gospel put in modern phrase, and
adapted to all the wants and woes of
humanity, I have found the mightiest
magnet, and we have never lacked an
audience. Next to the blessing of my
own family I account the blessing that
I have always had a great multitude of
people to preach to. That old gospel I
have preached to you these twenty
three years of my Brooklyn pastorate,
and that old gospel I will preach till I
die, and charge my son, who is on tha
way to the ministry, to preach it after
me, for I remember Paul's thunderbolt:
"If any man preach any other doctrine,
let him be accursed."
And now, as I stand here on my twenty-third
anniversary, I sec two audi
ences. The one is made tip of all those
who have worshiped with us in tho
past, but have been translated to higher
realms. What children too fair and
too sweet and too lovely for earth, and
the Lord took them, but they seem pres
ent to-day. The croup has gone out of
the swollen throat, and the pallor from
the cheek, and they have on tUeni the
health and radiance of Heaven. Hail
groups of glorified children! How glad
I am to have you comeback to us to-day!
And here sit. those aged ones, who de
parted this life leaving an awful vacan
cy in home and church. Where are
your staffs, and where are your gray
locks, and where are your stooping
shoulders, ye blessed old folks? "Oh,"
they say, "we are all young men again,
and the bath in the river frorn under
the throne has made us agile and bound
ing." In the place from which we come
they use no staffs, but scepters!" Hail,
fathers and mothers in Israel; how glad
we are to have you come back to givet
us. But the other audience I see in
imagination is made up of all those to
whom we have had opportunity as a
church, directly or indirectly, of pre
senting the gospel. Yea, all my par
ishes seem to come back to-day. I greet
them all in your name and in Christ's
name, all whom I have confronted from
mv first village charge, where my lips
trembled and my knees knocked togeth
er from afright, speaking from the text,
Jeremiah, i. 0: "Ah, Lord God, behold
I can not speak, for I am a child!"
until I preach the sermon to-day,
from Luke, ix. SI: "Let us make
three tabernacles," those of the
past, the present, all gathered in imagi
nation, and if not in reality, all of us
grateful to God for past mercies, all of
us sorry for mishnproved opportunities,
all hopeful for eternal raptures, and
while the visible and the invisible audi
ences of the present and the past com
mingle, I give out to be sung by those
who shall read of this scene of reminis
cence and congration, that hymn which
has "oeen rolling on since Isaac Watt
started it 100 nears ago:
Our God, our help in ges past.
Our hope for years to come:
Our shelter grom the stormy blast,
And our eternal homo.
.'
i
