Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1850-12-27
From the Message Bird.
The Religious use of Music.
by REV. E. Il. MAGooN.

10y us potency. by ms RUE let us esti-
mate the value of music, By first exam
lining its capacity to move.
The history Of music is as ancient as
the use of metals. By the mosaic narra-
tive, that primitive document Of the hu-
man race, we learn that the descendants
of Cain possessed both. But by the
music of the Cainites, we are not to un-
derstand our own more complicated and
sublime forms of melody. Although
music was first applied sometimes to
magical, or 10 medicinal purposes, yet its
principal application was TO divine uses.
All nations and sects have been unani-
nous in the religious use of music as
they have been diversified in their pecu-
liar ceremonials and crcods. The great
est conqueror in the holy nation did nat
only compose the worlds of his divine
odes, but generally set them TO music
himself; and that which he consecrated
to the service of the tabernacle became
a national treasure, and the stimulaEt OF
universal praise. Even pagan poets in
innate how music should be applied,
when they represent the Muses. as sur.
rounding Jupiter, and warbling hymns
about his throne. The Holy Scriptures
come to US filled with 'psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs Four thousand of
the best musicians in the nation of the
Jews led in solemn temple service. Is
rael mingled the symphonies OF timbrel
and triumphant songs with the murmur-
ing of the subsiding pillows on the shore
of that sea which had just swallowed
their Egyptian foe.
| David made his palace melodious with
the reverberations of his Imperial harp.
Isaiah sang the melody of JerusaIem's
destruction in tones that went resound-
ing 10 the skies; and the imprisoned "a
postles, Paul and Silas, made the gaol
vlbrate to the glorious music which chains
could not bind, nor midnight conceal
And when God manifest in the flesh
abolished the ritual of dispensai,ion
which had mainly gone TO decay, he
recognized and terminated that which
was most divine, its music, and at the
point of transition from old to new, from
obsolete ceremony to perpetual duty, he
sung a hymn and when he had gone
TO Gethsemane, TO Calvary and to heav-
en-, he left the melody of rapturious song
to accompany, as ii had commenced, the
dispensation of eternal life. Instrument
tai Accomplishments were invented to aid
the influence of voice and verse, and
when ALA united in the holy league,
there is nothing earthly so effectually
presents to our elevated conceptions
That undisturbed songs of pure content
Are sung around the sapphire -color'd throne,
To him that sits thereon; n
Where the bright seraphim, in burning row,
Their loud uplifted angel trumpets blow;
And the cherubic hosts, in thousand choirs,
To UGH their celestial harps of golden wires
The department. of public worship of
which we now speak, is in harmony with
the m ostuniyersal and pervading elements
in the physical universe. Every ray of
light; every particle of rain, snow or va
por; every blade of grass that grows; ev-
cry leaf that expands; every rose that
blossoms; the zephyrs that fan the gos-
samer, and the bolt that rives the noun
tain crag; fountains sparkling in the sun,
and forests swaying before the storm; the
signing reed and the heavy volcano; the
cleaning lake, and the thunder of old
oceans roar, are but different notes in
the great anthem of nature which charms
the ear of God.
In the presence of its Creator there Is
music in rything that moves and in
everything that grows. We read how the
morning stars sang together, and all the
sons of God'-the products Of His crea-
tive power-Jshouted for JOY 1t is the
sublime expression of Euripides, the
Grecian poet. Thee / invoke, thou self
created Being, who gave birth to Nature,
and whom light and darkness, and the
whole train of globes and planets, encir-
fcle with eternal music A greater poet
than he has added:
There's not the smallest orb that thou be-
hold'st
Butin his motto n, like an angel, sings,
Still curing to the young eyed cherubim.
Architecture has been compared to
frozen music and even in such a con-
gealed state il is glorious; but in its more
liquid form, music is beauty to the ear,