The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-09-04
Mnsin and Sinn.inm-

muSlC ana OlHSinSs
In the great transformations Christianity m 4
undergo in this new world, music and singing
are clearly again to take q great place. The
Church OF Rome, with her marvellous sagacty,
sees this, and Is bending herself to the task, as
she always does, OF winning the people by
whatever way she perceives they can be won. 1
would not tor that reason neglect the same great
agency, but would give the brightest and Oest
and truest faith, as believe ours to be, on the
earth, at least an equal advantage, in this
respect, With any other. Aud yet this should
not oe the great reason; that is that which lies
In the inb)IA beauty and goodness Of music and
singing to the human soul-its adaptation to the
needs of men-to tighten human burdens and
soften human hearts-to make us all more slronp
and high aud true and good.
1t was noticed that when the hapless Marie
Antoinette stood before the judges to receive
her sentence OF death, as her hands rested on
the wooden bar before her, her hngers wandered
as If they were touching the chords of an organ,
think 1t must have been that in her extremity,
when heart and flesh failed, she found refuge In
some great melody that heard by no soul save
her own-poor lady lifted her up above her
enemies, AMI helped her to keep that brave LOOK
at which they could not but wonder; and so.
through music God was the strength of her
heart. So may souls still find succor, in their
dire need, in the trial OF ana for their life. 1
can think OF 10 soul quite lorlorn and helpless
that can call up and ieel the power of great
psalm in its trouble. God ans gers as surely true
Singing as true prayer; and believe that, half
the time, II we would sing when we pray,
instead Of praying, our burden would not lie
nearly SO heavy upon us, or the world be so dark
about us.
And SO, friends in our churches we should do
two things. Every soul oil us, and every soul
that will come to US, should take a far deeper
Interest i'll congregational singing than we have
done-spg all the hymns in our service in as
line accord as we sang that last hymn Just noW
Oh, how grandly you did sing that last hymn!
And then DO our best to procure for every
church an organ that will nightly aid our
singing. That will fill, first, our hearts and
then churches lu moi
nation with melody; will be of themselves a
means OF grace; will sound across the dis3ords
of our trough and ready" life with the purest
and noblest creations of great musical souls. |
long to see this done, as one OF the surest ways
Of filling great churches with great congre-
cations, and then pouring over them the
pure blessings OF heaven. For music to
me is like gold in the mine; and a
poor aud rude organ is like the first
poor ana rude contrivance of the miners
to take the gold out of The sand and mIca
They get something, but then they lose o great
deal, too; and so in poor organ you lose a
great deal OF the finest music; but the perfect
instrument is like the quicksilver, that will send
its subtle and delicate feelers after every grain
and atom OF gold, and give to the seeker the
full treasure. We want perfect organs for these
two great uses. To quicken and inspire whole
congregation to sing with its whole heart every
time and then to open out the treasures hidden
for us III the mines OF the Messiah, - and "Crea-
ton" and all other works OF tae masters, and
the simple ballad tunes OF the people for thou
My sermon to day was word first to nv own
people fol such an organ in our new church in
Chicago; but wanted TO say il again in this
city, where you have done so well IN this re-
spect, especially in procuring by far the best
and noblest organ on the Continent for your
Music Hail-a prophecy, / trust Gas so many
good things are that you do here) of a movement
that shall fill the whole land with melody. One
other step now, l think, Boston must take;
because Boston does so well in all she under
takes - and undertakes nothing she cannot
do well-and succeeds in everything when
she only tries to do it-that she must make,
if she can, the music of her great organ as
free to the people as the water they drink at
the free fountains; no hat-dollar nor halt
penny to hear it, any more than to read
the books in the free library. Don't let it be an
aristoclat of an organ-a bloated aristoerag,n
Oil IN corner. Free music you must have, as
you have ree reading, aud music that all can
feel and understand. Let the people hear their
own melodies; nay more thau that-iet them
come in and I'LL Music Hall at least
once week, and sing our sweet old bal
lads and strong batte-sougs, as we'll as our
noblest psalms and hymns, all together; and
that would set the tune TO the whole continent
lift the burden for a while from thousands OF
heavy-laden souls, keep hundreds away from
evil places, and give new breadth and deep
ness to those ola eXhortations to 'make melody
in the heart unto the Lord" and 'reioce at the
sound OF the organ. .n-R06e3 OoayeT.