The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-03-27
"oid HundrodF'


singing the ufd hymn Be thou .
God, exalted high The air is also old,
tho immortal " Old Hundred. "
II IL be true that Luther composed
that tune. and iftho worship Of mortals,
II carried on the wings ofnngels TO heay-
en-, how often has he heard the declara-
ton They are singing Old Humid
red now"
The solemn strains carries as back TO
the times Of the relormers Luther and
his devoted band lie, doubtless, was
first TO strike the grand old chords ia
the public sanctuary Of his own Gcrpa-
ny,
From his stentorian lungs they rolled,
vibrating not through yaultcd cathedral
roof but along grunder arch, the etcr-
nal heavens, He wrought into each
note bis own sublime faith, aud stamped
it with tho faiths Immortality, Hence
it cannot die Neither men nor angels
will let it pass into oblivion,
The blue eyed girls Of the old " IA
dor land sing those same strains with
all the enthusiasm Of a new and holicr
religion They had been bound down
10 priests. prayer-book aud rosary They
had raised adoring eyes TO the spnnglcd
image Of the virgin, and bent blushing-
~ before the cnyicd scmbancc Of Christ
They had knclt at the dark confessional,
aud placing their lips to the cunningly
wrought portals, told the choicest and
Isost sinful emotions Of their heart into
the cars of the father couiessor, whom
they feared more than God
But Luther, in the face of his faith
ers, had thrown down his rosary, and re-
fused 10 acknowledge any intercessor
save Christ, Luther had, as il were,
nailed his anathema over the Openings
Of the confessional Luther had laugh
ed TO scorn the holy relics, pretended
miracles, and saving power Of priest
hood and with daring burningoloqucnce,
denounced their sensuality, aud their
idolatry,
First the mother heard, and then the
maids--they went TO listen, and remain
cd 10 pray; aye, aud 70 sing with throb-
bling hearts and fearful eyes, Praise
God from whom all blessings flow"
Can you find tomb in,thc land where
sealed lips lay that have not sung that
time? If they were gray old men, they
had heard or sung Old Hundred" If
they we're babes, they smiled as their
mother rocked them 10 sleep, singing
" Old Hundred" Sinner and saint
have Joined with the endless congrega-
tons where it has, with and without the
pcalng organ, sounded on the sacred
air.
The dear little children looking won
dering eyes on this strange world have
lisped it, The sweet young girl, whose
tomb stone toldof sixteen summers, whose
pure innocent face huuntcd You with it's
mild beauty, loved "Old Hundred -
and as she sung it, closed her eyes and
seemed communing with the angels who
were soon to claim her He whose man
hood was devoted TO the service of God,
and he who with faltcring feet assembled
the pulpit steps with the white hand
placed over his laboring breast, loved
" Old Hundred And though some
times his lips only move, aw9y down in
his heart, so soon 20 cease its throbs, the
holy melody was sounding. The dear
white-healcd father, with his trcmulous
voice, how he loved " Old Hundred r.
fagsy =ftJiifgs It'll tire YER
cradle armchair, his hands crossed over
che top Of his cane. his silvcrY locks
floating OF from his hollow temples, and
a tcar, stealing down his furrowed checks,
that thin, quavcring, ALTERING sound,
now bursting forth, now listened for al
most in vain If you~do not, we do;
and from such lips, followed by four
score years service iuthc masters cause.
80 Old Hundred - sounds indeed sa-
cred melody.
You may I'll your choirs with Sab
/ Ia prima donnas, whose daring notes
emulate the stccplc and cost almost as
much, but give rs the spirit-stirring
tones Of the Lutheran hymn, sung by
old and young together. Martyrs have
hallowcd it 1t has gone up from the bed
of the saints. The old churches, where
generation after generation has worship
ped and where many scores of the dear
dead have been carried, and laid before
the altar, where they gave themselves
to God. seemed to breathe of g Old
Hundred from vestibule to tower ton
the air is haunted with its spirit
Think moment of the assembled
who have at different times
and in different places joined in the ia
miliar tune! TTong upon throng-thc
strong, the timid, the gentle, the brave,
the beautiful, their rapt faces all beam
ing with the inspiration of the heavenly
sounds.
." Old Hundred y kingof the sacred
band of ancient airs Never shall our
ears grow weary of hearing, or our
tnnnnn, nc a;n,nrr tbna al ,,,ba,, ,,.,,