The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-08
HYMNS AND THEIR EFFECT.

NIT of no denial That the devotional form
of music is that which most deeply impresses
the greatest number, whether savage or civil
lied, will perhaps not be denied. The air and
words of hymn heard and sung in childhood
linger in the memory long after the lesson
taught by parent and preacher has faded
away. The song of praise and worship stir
the heart of the world worn man. and lift the
souls of the faithful near to heaven, often
times when the sermon falls upon stony
ground. But there are hymns and hymns.
Some of them are of sort which repel sinners,
and the singing Of which must cause qualm
to a healthy-minded saint The Sunday
schools have hitherto had monopoly of these
demoralizing songs, but they are gradually
breaking into the church services They sang
one at the Moody convention in this city,
last week, and which has been quite popular
with certain class of people. 1t is called
"a prayer" If they sing it with vim and
frequently, it must be because the music to
which the words are set is sufficiently attract
i've to call attention from the sentiment.
Where is the man or woman who can stand up
and honestly. earnestly pray
''Oh. to be nothing, nothing.
Only to be at His feet,
broken and empty vessel
For the Master use made meet.
Empty that He might fill me-
AS forth to His service go;
Broken that so, unhindered.
HIS life through me may how."
If there are such petitioners, they can do no
better than add a supplementary prayer to be
taken to heaven at once; they will find no field
for usefulness in this world A mind which
can earnestly give utterance to such Mandy
PANTY sentiments is morbid, and not religious.
It is unnatural to wish to be nothing"
it is not worshipful. but impious, to pray to
be "broken,' or, in other words, to be afflicted
or deprived of earthly blessings If chasten-
ing comes, and its lesson is learned, then the
purified one may sing:
'Ipraise Thee while my days go on.
love Thee while my days go on,
Through dark and dearth. through fire and frost.
With emptied arms and treasure lost,
thank Thee while my days go on.
The Master may accept such worship as this
from his creatures, but can He .be pleased with
the wish that they be deprived of those bless
ings Which are in their possession, and which
they should cherish and give grateful thanks
for9 Humanity speaking, the man who feels
himself unable to worship God and at the
same time be possessed of the comforts and
blessings of life is of fibre too fabby to be of
much consequence under any circumstances,
and a deprivation of his treasures is not likely
to enhance his WORTH spiritually or morally.
There may be dignity and self-respect about
the worship of the Lord not inconsistent with
true devotion; there may even be pride
which forbids an abject display Of the humil-
ity which every devout soul must feel before
the Creator 1t can hardly be that the Lord
can take pleasure in the voluntary and need
less abasement of those whom he has made
in His own image =
How different from these namby- pamby
verses sung at the convention is Trench's
prayer:
lord, many times am aweary quite
OF mine own self. my sin, my vanity
Yet be not Thou. or am lost outright
Weary of NO."
There ia no hollow pretense in that natition.