Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-01-08
MUSICIN WORSHIP.
BY REV. CHAs. A. MARSH.

half OF religion. 10 this end the Creator
has wisely implanted within the human
breast desire for the true, the beautiful
and the good. Art always has been an
adjunct of religion, and music, the finest,
the most sOul-penetrating of arts, ever
has been indispensable to it. Music is
manifold in its adaptations, subdulng
the passions, soothing the spirit; cheer
ing the dOwncast, gratifying. the aesthetic
sensibilities, rOusing to heroic lnsplra-
tiOn and winging for its upward Hight
the alteration of worshiplng souls.
The most intelligent conception kthe
Scriptures give OF the occupation OF
heaven is that of sacred song. Active as
we shall probably be visiting distant
spheres on tireless wing, or i'm chariOts of
ready thought or engaged in loving sery-
ice for the Redeemer. yet all will be done
i'm spirit of such rapturOuS joy that we
shall live in an atmosphere of unbound
ed ecstatic song. That we shall sing
songs as far more beautiful than earthly
songs as the gorgeous butterfly surpasses
the caterpillar is altogether probable,
but is it unreasonable to expect that we
shall sing the dear old songs of the
church militant when we join the glad
strains of the church triumphant in
glory? "Rock of Ages" my Faith looks up
tO,Thee," Nearer my God to thee have be-
come very part of our being. Must we
part with them forever?
AS the Nile in winter is cOlOred and
beautified by certain luxuriant foliage
falling into its remote fountains, so the
whole of the stream of life is
cOlOred and beautified by the
leaves of sacred song. Who then can
measure its power and influence? The
highest achievements of the brush and
easel. the mallet and chisel. exert
power over the mind, but from their
limited number their influence is slight.
While music. beside which all other arts
are as the light of the candle to the sun,
is the language of all nations, finds its
way into every home, brings to all heav-
emily joys, actuateS to duties, temporal
and spiritual, transports from self, as to
all peoples and kindredS and tongues are
anthemed the sweet strains of redeem
ing love. Let us look at music in wOr-
ship, its Importance. its defects. its
remedy.
The Importance of music may be
seen in part from its position i'm history.
Its first and nOblest use was the offering
of praise at the laying of the corner
stone of creatiOn-"When the morning
oJdlS SduS JDSct1cl dLu oil bilt SOllS VI
God shouted for Joy Thus united in
the great temple of the universe music
and worship went hand in hand until
again it was heard from angel voices in
the laying of the cornerstone of the re-
creation.
The music of the ages preceding the
Christian era is almost lost art. That
its. power, however, was very great we may
infer from the fact that when the sacred
writer would express adversely in
the strongest possible language
he does so by the use of musical
figures. For example, in his match
less picture Of the SORROWS of old age, he
reaches his climax when he says ''the
daughters of music shall be brought
low" and -Judah's Affections are summed
up in the one sentence, "the young men
have ceased from their music" Music
occupied large place in ancient Jewish
worship. The Leyites COZ jtituted vast
musical college and in the services of the
temple this art of arts Was cOnsecrated
to its highest Office-the worship of
Jehovah.
Realizing the Importance of music as
an element in worship, Christianity res
cued its fading strains from the destruc-
tion of the Roman empire, and in the
persons of Gregory and Palestrina, and
Handel and others of familiar name,
she has guarded and ennObled, and sent
it down the centuries with the ever vary
ing yicissitudes of changing fortune and
with ever increasing power. 1t has
reached our age the strong ally of the
pulpit, the left hand, of the ministry,
arOusing the emotions, opening the
heart to thelreceptiOn of Christian truth
and inspiring hope and courage for the
battle of life.
The power of music in national affairs
is very fOrcibly expressed by Plato when
he says: IF you would know whether
state is we'll governed you must look into
the condition of its music" and Fletcher
of SaltOun, embodied the same idea i'm
his memorable saying: LET me make
the songs of nation and care not who
make her laws" So mighty is its in
fiuence over the public mind that it has
come to indicate the inherent strength
of nation. Its Importance in battle
may be shown both from sacred and
secular history. Israel was led forth to
victory against AmmOn and Moab to the
chants of the sweet singer of Israel.
William of Normandy, at Hastings won
Ihe proud title. "the ConquerOr" through
his singing minstrel. The Duke of
Wellington swept the field of Waterloo
through the inspiring notes of the Scot
fish higblanders. And who can measure
the influence Oflthe "Star Spangled Ban
ner." and Hail Columbia" and America
upon the North and the boys in blue dur
ing those years of cOnf1icti when the ma
tiOns life was in jeopardy?
The benign influence of music over in
sx-.I l, nd In 10
ent. Luther preached the Reformation
doctrines so firmly through song in the
hearts of the people of Holland, SwitZer
land, Scotland and England that neither
the gates of hell nor of Rome could pre-
vail against it. Wesley loved and gave
a wonderful impulse to it, and though
dead, yet speaks to US hundred fold
more through his hymns than through
his sermons. And to-day Montgomery
and BOnar, and Palmer and Sankey are
enabling the great masses Of the people,
lark-like. to rise heavenward into purer
atmosphere on wings of sacred song.
While Bach, penetrating the depths OF
of HOLY Writ, revealing its meaning and
TRANSPORTING it into tone, and Handel,
leading out the sacred OratOriO and
wedding immortal heroes to exquisite
strains. and Haydn, enriching the ora
torio and making familiar the grand
creation and Mendelsshon, giving new i'm
pulse to the musical art and new mean
ing to Scripture through his St. Paul,
strike cords i'm the hearts of the more re-
fined and favored which respond to the
strains of the celestial choir.
Music has exerted wonderful power
over the heather mind. To this the
success of missions is largely due. Says
an eminent and piOus writer: Through