The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1867-02-01

IL borrowed from the choir of heaven but
the inhabitants Of the town recognize Il a.
one they have often heard at concerts or at
the opcr, and they listen critically as to a
professional performance, which Il Is. II
Is well that highly artificial singing prevents
the hcarcr from catching the words Of the
song; for II would have rather an old ef.
feet to hear rendered In tho modern Italian
style, such plain straightforward words a.
these:-
aCsn sinners hops tcr heaven
Who love this world % WE'LL
Or dream q future happiness
While on the rod 10 helir~
The performance. however, Is 50 exquisite
that we do not think Of these things, but
listen in rapture to the voice alone. When
the lady has finished her stanzn, a noble
baritone, also recognized as professional,
takes up the strain, and performs stanzn,
solo nj the close Of which, four voices, In
enchanting accord, breathe out third. 1t
is evident that the "first talent that money
can command" has been "cngaged" for the
entertainment of,he congregation and We
arc not surprised when tho information is
proudly communicated Tint the music costs
q hundred and twenty dollars per Sunday.
What is very surprising and well worthy
Of consideration is, that this beautiful mu-
sic does not "draw." In our rovings about
among the noted churches OF New York
Of the kind which "engugc the first talent
that money can communicative could
never soc that the audience was much in
creased by expensive professional music.
On the contrary, we can lay il down rs u
general rule, that the costlier the music,
the smaller the average attendance.
The afternoon service at Trinity church,
for example, is little more than a delight.
ful gratuitous concert Of boys, men and
orgnn and the spectacle of the altar bril-.
lianily lighted by candles Is novel and high.
ly picturesque. The sermon also is offash.
ionablc lengtli-20 minutes, and Yet the us.
ual afternoon congregation is about 200
persons. Those celestial stmins Of music
well, they cnchant the ear, if the ear
happens to be within hearing Of them but
somehow they do not furnish continuous
attraction.
When this fine prelude is ended the
minister's part begins; and unless he Is a
man of extraordinary bearing and talents,
every one present is conscious Of kind Of
lapse in the tone Of the occasion. Genius
composed the music the "frst talent" exc.
cuted it the performance ha, thrilled tho
soul and exalted expectation; bnt the voice
now heard may be ordinary, and the words
now uttered may he homcly or even COM
mon.
No ono tinaccustomed to the place can
help feeling certain incongruiiy between
the language heard and the scene witness
cd. Every thing we sec Is modern the
words we hear are ancient The preacher
speaks Of stumble believers" and we look
around and ask, Where are theyl Are
these costly and elegant persons humble
believers3 Far be it from us to intimate
that they arc not; we are speaking only Of
their appearance, and It's effect upon cas-.
ual bcholder. The clergyman reads,
acone let rs Join 10 sweet accord"
and straightway four hired performers ex.
ecute piece Of difficult music, to an audi.
encc sitting passive. lie discourses upon
the .pIeasurcs Of tho world" as being at
war with the interests Of the soul; and
while severe sentence to that effect is
coming from his lips, down the aisle march,
es the sexton, showing some stranger to
seat, who is a professional master Of the
revels lie expresses, perchance, a fsrent
desire that the heatlcn may he converted
to Christianity, and We catch ourselves
saying, "Does hc mean This sort OF thing ~
When we pronounce this word christianity
Il calls up rccollections and associations
that do not exactly harmonize with tho
scene around us. We think nther Of tho
fishermen Of Palestine, on the lonely sea-
shores; Of the hunted iugitives Of Italy
and Scotland We think Of ], rs something
lowly, and suited to the lowly-a refuge
for the forsaken and defeated, not the lux.
ury Of the rich and the ornament Of the
strong. Il mny be an infrmiiy Of our
mind but we experience q certain diifi.
Guilty in realizing that the sumptuous and
costly apparatus around us has anything
in common with what we have been &c.
cus,omed to think Of ns christianity.
Sometimes the inconRrlity reaches the
,,oiu, Of tho ludicrous. We recently heard
a very able and well in,cntioncd preacher,
near the Fifth ayenuc, ask the ladies before
him whether they wcre in tho habit Of
spsakine TO their female attendants about
their souls salvation-paticulariy those
who dressed their hair. He especially
mentioned the hairlrcssen, because, as he
truly remarked, ladies arc accustomed to
converse with those artists, during the op.
Grafton Of hairdrcssiug, on variety ofiop.
les; and tho opportunity was excellent 10
say word on tho one most important This
inciden, perfectly illustrates what we mean
by tho seeming ipcousruiy between the
ancient cast Of doctrine and tho modern
lied people to whom il Is preached.
We have heard sermons In fashionable
churches In New York, labonously pre-
,ared and earnestly read, which had moth.
ins In them Of tho modern spirit contained
not the most distant allusion 10 modern
modes Of living and aiming. had no suita.
blspss whsisver to the people or the time,
- a. -h;sh s~sSvthirs st,ss So,,lI vns,se