Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-11-05

breshren, for The first time, ',he sound of
or own Church going bell = with whose
sllseey tones perhaps your childrsn's chill.
drsn nay become familiar, a. it shall for
many aftee years call them to the house Of
prsyer-an0.l am sure that none Of u
can be insensiAe to the liberality of the
gentlemen who hhss presented the parish
with so valaable ano appropriate gift.
!" Who does NOT love the sound Of the
Church bells Who does not feel his
heart swell with gladness as he listens TO
their music on the sacred SabhoIh, in the
midst Of great city, With what q
solemn tone do they call worshippeu to
the house Of God, whose spire points up-'
| wards to ian house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens" The streets
which few hours before seemed we'll
nigh deserted, are now thronged with
people; the old man trud ging along upon
bis staf-the bright-.yed maiden-pa-
rents and children--the happy and the
sorrowful-all Fastening to their devotions.
The bells are again silent; the swelling
notes Of the organ now fall upon the ear |;
and as they softly die away, the voice Of
the white robbed priest is heard CONT memo
ing the solemn service of the sanitary with
the sumblime declaration of the Hebrew
prophet. 1.-THE Lordtis in His holy temple !;
let all the earth keep silence before Him."
Is there snything on earth more beautiful
than scene like this? An English poet
might well sing,
"sveet Sabbath bells, unto mine ear
holy sound Of peace W bear;
Now floating on the summer breeze
Now whispering mid the leafy trees
Now borne aloft with sudden swell A
y! sweet thy music, Sabbath bell"
But there 10 also voice of instruction
the music Of church bells. How many,
alas are there, living within sight Of
christian temples, who yet never hear the
gospel OF Jesus Christ On the very con
fines Of light they remain in wilful dark
ness; and how feArtuiIy will this aggravate
their guilt in the last day 1t is nccessa-
~ to ply the families of city population
in oil possible ways. with the remem brance
Of their religious duty; and we know not
what effect the sound Of this bell may pro
duce upon the church going habits Of the
contiguous households, and others within
its reach; how many adjoining families it
may in time gain over to the ordinances
Of religion, as its pesls are rung every Sab
bath in their ears. Such influence NAV
appear slight for tanciful to the superficial
eye; yet they are known to be of powerful
operation. Human nature on week dav,
is human nature on the Sabbath; there is
no saying on how slight or apparently
trivial circumstance it may be made TO
turn; and certainly no Christian will un-
dervalue single stepping stone by which
even one nearer more may he brought to
the hou Of God; he will despise no
means, however humble, thai may tend to
bring human creature TO the minstra,a,
tons of the gospel, ami within the reach
of thn, word which is able to sanctfy and
save him. The poet whose lines | jus,
quoted, felt that this was the office OF
church bells, as he sung,
glorious message too is thine,
| To call us to the sacred shrine
| Where stands the chosen Of the Lord
| DiSpens srs Of his holy word
| To all. the chimes II mercy tell,
! And heavenly hopes. sweet Sabbath bell"