The New York herald., 1870-06-20
TW-aTY-fNlRD STREET PRESBYTERIAN
(HUaCn.
Music "Thc Language of the soul',-SermOn
by the Rev. III. ID. Northrup


by the Rev. III. u. Northrup.
The Twenfy-thirl street Presbyterian church was
very largely attended yesterday morning IN spite OF
the Intense heat, which iastead OF preventing peo.
pie from venuring our, seemed to be rather capt.
tai excuse for the donning OF COOL white garments
more or less expensivc-the value being determined
tar as the ladies we're concerned, by the amount
OF costly with which their dresses were decked.
The gentlemen In white, ladies in white, children ia
white, babies IL whlte-rre les hd0ltS bldncs. The
Rev. Mr. Northrup took for his text II. Chronicles
xxx, 2s-"And all the congregation worshipped,
and the singers sang and the trumpeters
sounded" He said that there are two gen.
eral divisions under which all music may be
comprsed-the one secular, the other sacred;
that 1t is universally admitted that there Is music
which would not suit the purposes OF worship, and,
OH the other hand, tina. there Is music adapted TO
our church services which would not be appropriate
to some occasions. Hence he maze the distinction
oisecuar ana sacret IL was not so much with
MUSIC As ONE OF THE FINE ARTS,
or with music IN Its secular aspect, that he had TO
no. IL was more especially OF religious music OF
which he had 10 treat promising, however, that GER
@ talngS belonging TO The other branch OF the sub.
lrst, that as the world has political history, as
lhere Is history OF science, OF literature, OF certain
great principles, 80 there IL history of music. Tho
world has never been Without It's concord OF sweet
sounds" Creation was ushered with song.
Through ali scripture there a strain OF
harmony, ana Tie history OF man Is in part
the history OF pipes aud flutes anu harps and tlm-
brels and solos aud choruses and hailelujahs. You
watch the curious Workmanship OF JuDal as he
makes the harp Gud reed u device worthy or men,
tlon In the Mosaic narrative; you examine the IN
strulnents constructed by David and solomon 10
give eXpresslol 10 the temple worship; you hear the
triumphant song ol Moses celebrating the power and
glory of Him who mas overtrown the hoIse and mis-
rider in the sea; you see the hand Of Miriam, the
Prophecies, strike the timDrel as she Weads on the
jubilee; you near singer answering singer ana pro-
claiming that saul has siam his thousands and Da-
vd his ten thousands; ana you listen u that conbi-
nation OF vocal and Instrumental muslc at the taDer
nacle In GiOeon, before tc ark Ia Jefsa EN- and In
the service o the temple, when as the text has IL,
! 'al me congregation worshipped, and The singers
| sang and tue tlumpetcrs sounded" celebrating
| the restoration OF religion under HeZeklan.
! one whole book of the Bible devoted TO the
| psalms winch resounded through the temple. When
| redemption Is born you feel the air thrill with the
mdnisht chorus oil Bethlehem; you ger near enough
| To near the solemn lynn at
TaE LAST SUPPER,
| In the upper roonl-patnetic words, trembling on
| rugged sorrowiul voices and, finally caugnt up in
vsion with the seer vi Palmos, you near the voice or
! larpers harplng with their harp5 as they sing the
new song before the throne. All history Is musical;
| the world Is musical; heaven Is musical the old
| Hebrew melodies, II thcy could be revived, would
| probably equal, If not surpass the most renowned
prOducl !Ons oil modern composers. public wOr-
| Ship without song is OF the chief elements Of
altractlveness and power Music may be said TO
exist III the nature o things IL Is iii some sense the
| language OF the SOU. Tue human neart could not
utter All It's emotions without 1t. There II something
about the harmony OF sounds which pielscs the ear;
something about noise, irrespective ol time or tune,
| which has certain charm ana power You see the
| enect upon childrcn give a baby rattlebox and
| you make 1t happy. boy gets whist'e or drum.
blows and thuInps with unabaed vigor all about the
house and crazes everybody except himself. He
thinks 1t II deghiiul. Now you take noise and make
Jmusica anu al Ile youngsters are charmed with 1t.
| A man comes along wlth an Old hand organ, In the
last stages Of "A ,lecnne-lt does not natter-he mas
| crowd OF children around him wherever he goes. A
band oi music Inarcn through the streets-hve hun
dred boys escort n-people rush to the windows
even the miiilster leaves his sermon-to hear some
Iavorte air. They get up great jubilee In Boston
or New York; there ~ TO be music on grand scale;
l ntalk nf
| thousands.
1 WHY rs TIP
| Simply because when the sweet strain trembes on
the air, when the magnificent chorus swes ike the
thunder, when nllily Instruments unite their sounds
III pleasing cOiuiildilOn II moves the heart-there
Is something there IN the breast which responds.
* II possible Tor any orator appealing 10 the under
standing ana he stsiohides 10 outstrip the power
OF music III moving Us both 10 smiles and tcarss
When no word is spoken, when only sounds are ut.
tered which convey no thought the deepest emotions
OF the soul can DC awakened. Here Mr. Northrup
said no had lved years IN many moments while
under the influence VI 'this great enchantment;'
mad had Old scenes recalled which mad long been
slumDering; had caught again the vision OF Old faces
which had faded Ike q summer cloud had ielt
again the pusatlon OF Joys anu grlefs which he had
thought buried forever. Ii the musical faculty
| Is natural TO man yOu Will agree that al as
| much responsible lor It's right and proper use a.
Tor The OIL reason or The ancctions, especially
when H. Is Gods Intention that II DC allied 10 the
service OF praise ana employed as an Instrument in
Our religious exercises. We cannot ignore II or treat
IL with indllIerence. IL becomes important In
qury, therefore, what KIND OF music we shall pa
our sanctuaries. Regarded either as an entertain
ment an clemens IN worship, we cannot over.
poor music Is to bc preferred TO good. IL should be
our study to have the best OF everything There Ii
more sin IN having poor music III church.
oment o ' to break down % and Come V q gr,ei Gvaly
tGan there is IN concert hail. where
| you pay your way IN ana utter loud execIatOns n
! the entertanincnt is defective. AIR. NDrthrup said
his hearers might be wondering perhaps what he
would say abouI the opera That IL furnishes some
THE BEsr MUSIC EVER COMPOSED,
he said, is undoubtedly true; that selections are
sung In all Our churches every day, while lew suspect
| whence they come. lie SAID lie should not bestow
unqualified appreciation upon the opera, for It's ac-
| compartments are Of such q character-the subject
celebrated In song Is such being in many instances
that form OF love which borders llcentiousness-
the words are such, SO corrupting when translated
In plain English, so ViIanously suggestive OF i'm
morality; the ballet, which ia many cases IS found
to be necessary accessory, Is SO damaging
to purity; the whole thing Is generally 80 un-
true to llfe unless IL be the lowest form OF
life, that 1t will not do for Christian minister
whose high work IL is TO guard the morals OF society
and lit men up TO higher plane OF living, TO take
unqualified ground IN It's favor. Some persons say,
1--WE are not corrupted by the ballet and such Ike
things" Then say 10 sucn men you are
| ROTTEN ALREADY,
and that Is the reason you are not corrupted. Mr.
Northrup said he never attended out one opera in
his l!e and did not know II he ever cared to attend
another. lie said 1t was part play and part music,
ucuated and shouted and screamed more IKE
Wild Indians than civilized people, The tenor and
| soprano seemed to DC making desperate eHOrt 10
do something nobody could tel what. They were in
one thrilling part. when in rushed a female who cer-
tainly looked as II something was The matter with
her. She was terribly excited. Her hair new in all
directions. She was
| DRESSED IN SHORT METRE,
and, nearly as he could make out, was Jealous OF
somebody. lie said, IL Is a pity we cannot have
| good music without nonsense and vulgariiy. Keep
the music, but throw away It's questionable and DIS
gusting accompaniment. 1t is easy for the
sense OF delcacy aud purity In the young
to he blunted litle thing Will some
u.
which years cannot repair. The question to be de-
cded lies between choirs and congregational sing
ing David did not say "Let there be three or four
persons praise the Lord,o he said s.Let all the peO-
pie praise Thee" Paul did not tell the Colossiaps
TO hire quartet to sing with grace In their hearts:
| he told the people TO do 1t. We are not told at
the Last supper, that Peter and John sang
| hymn-they all sang. The praises of the
sanctuary belong peculiarly TO the people. A