The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-07-07
GOLD HUNDRED.D


In rustic church opposite, a compa-
ny of worshipers. while we write, are
singing the old hymn
BE thou God exalted high"
The air is also old, the immortal "Oid
Hundred"
| If it be true that Luther composed the
tune, and if the worship of mortals is car
red on the wings of angels to heaven,
how often has he heard the declaration
They are singing Old Hundred"
The solemn strain carried us back to
the times Of the Recommendation and
his devoted band. He doubtless was the
first to strike the grand old chords in tho
public sanctuary of bis own Germany.
From his stentorian lungs they rallied,
vibrating not through vaulted roof, but
along gtander arch-the eternal heav-
ems. He wrought into each note his own
sublime faith, and stamped with that faiths
immortality. Hence it cannot die. Mel
thes men nor angels will let it pass into
oblivion.
The blue eyed girls of the old "fader-
land" sing those same strains with all the
enthusiasm of a new and boiler religion.
They had been bowed down to priests,
prayer-book and rosary. They had raj
sed adoring eyes to the spangled image Of
the virgin, and bent unblush:ngly before
the env e sem q ice of Christ. They
had knelt at the dark confessional, and
placing their lips to the cunningIy wro't
portals, told the choicest and most sinful
emotions of their heart into the ear of
father confessor, whom they feared some
times more than God.
But Luther, in the face of his fathers
threw down his rosary, and refused to
acknowled any intercessor save Christ.
Luther had, as it were, nailed his anath-
ema over the openings of the confessional.
Luther had laughed to scorn the holy
relics, pretended miracles, and saving
power of the priesthood, and with daring
burning eloquence denounced their SEN
suality and idoIatry.
FIRST the mother heard, and then the
maids,-they went to listen, and remain
ed to pray; aye, and to sing with throb-
bing hearts and fearful eyes, "Praise God
from whom all blessings flow"
Can YOU find tomb in all the land
where sealed lips lie that have not sung
that tune! If they were gray old men,
they have sung or heard "Oid Hundrei."
If they were babies, they smiled as their
mother rocked them to sleep, singing,
"Old Hundred" Sinner and saint have
Joined with endless congregations, where
it has with or without the pealing organ,
sounded on the sacred air.
The little children, looking with Won
derng eyes on this strange world, have
lisped it. The sweet young girl whose
tomb stone told of sixteen summers, she,
whose pure innocent face haunted with
its mild beauty, loved "Old Hundred
and as she sang it, closed her eyes and
seemed communing with the angels who
were soon to claim her. He whose man
no ID was devoted to the service of God,
and he who with faltering feet assembled
the pulpit steps with the white hand pla-
eel over the laboring breast, loved Old
Hundred" And though sometimes lis
lps only moved, away down his breast in
his heart, the holy melody was sounding
The dear VIII to headed father how he
loved "Old Hundred" Do you see him
now, sitting IN the venerable old arm
chair, his hands crossed over the top o
his can2, his l,tr Jocks floating off from
his hollow temples, and a tear stealing
down his furrowed cheeks, aud quivcr
ing, falter:ng sound, now bursting forth
now listened for almost in vain? From
such lips halowed by four score years ser
vice in the Masters cause, "Old Kindred
sounds indeed sacred melody.
You may fill your choirs WITH Sab
bath prima donnas, whose daring note
emulate the steeple and cost almost a
much, but give us the spirt-stirring tone
of the Lutheran hymn, sung by yoan'
, and old together. Martyrs have hallow
ed it; it has gone up from the saints
The churches, where generation after gen
erat on, have worshippel, aud wher
many score of the dead have been cal
5 ried, and laid before the altar, where the
t gave themselves t, God, seem to breath
!. of "Old Hundred" from yestibule to TOW
g err top-the air is haunted with its spi
: it.
D Think n moment of the assembled con
pany who have at different times and
q different places joined in the familiar tun
$ Throng upon throng-the strong, tt
: timid, the gentle, the brave, and I'd
J beautiful thar wrapt faces all bearn'n