He was one of the most prominent religious leaders in the United States during the mid- to late-19th century, equaled as a pulpit orator perhaps only by Henry Ward Beecher.

Each week he was said to have preached to audiences of 8,000 people, and for many years his sermons were published regularly in more than 3,000 journals, through which he was said to reach 25,000,000 readers.

His father's ancestors came from Barton Stacy, England, and included founders of Southampton and East Hampton, New York.

Despite his being called a "pulpit clown" and "mountebank" for his sensational sermons, Talmage attracted a growing audience.

Larger and wealthier congregations began to recruit him and in 1869, Talmage accepted an offer from the Central Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn, New York.

[3] In January 1898, about three years after his wife died, Talmage married a third time, to 40-year-old Eleanor Collier of Allegheny City, Pennsylvania.

An example of one of his colorful performances was reported by a newspaper of the era: One Sunday morning when the time came for him to deliver his sermon, he walked to the extreme edge on one side of his fifty-foot platform, faced about, then suddenly started as fast as he could jump for the opposite side.

Just as everybody in the congregation, breathless, expected to see him pitch headlong from the further side of the platform he leaped suddenly in the air and came down with a crash, shouting, "Young man, you are rushing towards a precipice".

In 1870, the congregation built a tabernacle solely to accommodate the large crowds who attended his church services.

Talmage and his congregation met at the Brooklyn Academy of Music until they built a newer and larger tabernacle in 1874.

After the third tabernacle was destroyed by a fire in 1894, a discouraged Talmage announced his decision to retire from holding a regular pastorate in favor of taking up an evangelist practice.

[3] Talmage changed his mind to accept an offer to join the First Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C.

His death received international attention, and condolence messages were sent to the family from England, Russia and other countries.