The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1886-05-19

1red and forty and four thousand break.
ing forth into one reclamation. Stop that |
oud singing! Stop! Oh, no; they can not
hear me. You might % we'll try to drown
The thunder Of the sky or beat back the |,
roar Of the sea, for every soul In Heaven
has resolved to do its own singing. Alas, |
that we should have tried on earth that |
which they can not do In Heaven, and In.
stead Of joining all our voices in the praise
Of the most high God, delegating per-
haps to unconsecrAted men and women
this most solemn and most delightful ser.
vice!
Now, In this church, We have resolved
upon the plan Of conducting the music by
q precentor. We do II for two reasons:
one Is that by throwing the whole respon.
sibility upon the mass Of the people, max
ing the great multitude the choir, We
might rouse more heartiness. The con-
gregation coming on the Sabbath day
feel that they can not delegate this part Of
the great service to any one else, and so
they themselves assume it. We have glori-
Gus congregational singing here. People
have come many miles to hear 1t. They
are not sure about the preaching. but they
can always depend on the singing. We
have heard the sound coming up like "the
voice Of many waters" but it will be done
at better rate after q while, when we
shall realize the height and the depth and
the immensity Of this privilege.
Another reason why we adopted this
PLAN We do not want any choir quarrels.
You know very well that in cores of the
churches there has been perpetual conten-
ton in that direction. The only church
fight that ever occurred under my minis
try was over melodeon in my first SETTLE
ment. Have you never been in church ON
the Sabbath day and heard the choir sing
and you said: "That Is splendid musics"
The next Sabbath you were in the church
and there was no choir at all. Whyi The
leader was mad or his assistants were
mad, or they were mad altogether. Some
Of the choirs are made up Of our best
Christian people! Some Of the warmest
friends have ever had have stood up in
them, Sabbath after Sabbath, conscien-
tiously and successfully leading the praiser
Of God. But the majority of choirs
throughout the land are not made up Of
Christian people, and three-fourths of the
church fights originate in the organ-loft
I take that back and say nine.tenths
Many of our churches are dying Of choirs
Let us, O. church, give still more atten.
ton to the music. II a man with voice
enough to sing keep silent during the exer-
else he commits q crime against God and
insults the Almighty.
Music ought to rush from the audience
like the water from rock-clear, bright,
sparkling. II all the other part Of the
church service is dull, do not have the
music dull. With so many thrilling things
to sing about, away with all drawing and
stupidity! There is nothing that makes
me SO nervous as to sit in q pulpit and
look of an audience with their eyes three.
fourths closed and their lips almost shut
mumbling the praises Of God. During my
recent absence preached to large audi.
ence, and all the music they made together
did not equal one skylark! People do NOS
sleep at coronation. Do not let US sleep
when we come to Saviour's browning.
In order to proper discharge of this duty
let US stand up, save as age or weakness OF
fatigue excuse US. Seated in an easy pew
we can not do this duty half 80 we'll Is
when, upright, we throw our whole body
into 1t. Let our song be like an acclama.
tion of victory. You have right to sing
Do not surrender your prerogative.
There will be great revolution ON this
subjects in all our churches. God will
come down by his spirit and rouse up the
old hymns and tunes that have not been
more than half awake since the time Of
our grandfathers. The silent pews in the
church will break forth into music, and
when the conductor takes his place ON thu
Sabbath day there will be great host Of
voices rushing into the harmony. Ny
Christian friends, II we have no taste fol
this service on earth, what will we do II
Heaven, where they all sing and sing for
ever' Let me prophesy in regard to any
here who has no delight in the worship O
Heaven, il you do not sing the praises o
God on earth I do not believe you will eve
sing them in glory. would that our sing
ing to-day might be like the Saturday
night rehearsal for the Sabbath morning
in the skies, and might begin now by tn
strength and by the help of God, to dis
charge duty which none Of US have full,
performed.
Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the Heavenly King
Should speak their Joys abroad.
The hill OF Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the Heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
Then let our songs abound.
And every tear be dry;
We're marching through Emanuels groun
To fairer worlds on high.
Come, now, clear your threats and Il
ready for this duty or you will never hes
the end Of this. never shall forget hear
ing Frenchman singing the Marseillais
hymn on the Champ Elysees, Paris, ju,
before the battle Of Sedan. I never sa'
such enthusiasm before or since AZ he san
that National air. Oh, how the French
, man shouted! Have you ever in an En-
! gligh assemblage heard band play "Go
, Save the Queen" II you have you kno
something about the enthusiasm Of . nj
, tional air. Now, tell you that these sonf
J We sing Sabbath by Sabbath are the nj
, tionsl airs of Jesus Christ and Of q
kingdom of Heaven. When Cromwell
, army went into battle, he stood at the he's
/ Of them one day and gave out the Ion
meter doxology to the tune Of "Old HUI
: dred," and that great host, compan
. by company, regiment by regiment, b.
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