Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-05-03
MUSIC IN THE CHURCHES
INFLUENCE FOR GOOD OF SA-
CRED SONG

Singing Church Always a Tri.
umphant Church - SupeFstitions
Concerning Music in the church
Inordinate Fear OF Criticism-Mu-
sic Should Rush from the Audi
ence Like Water from a Rock.
BROOKLYN, N. Y, May Rev T. De-
Witt Talmase preached this morning on
the subject OF congregational Singing"
Services were opened by the congregation
singing the hymn beginning:
..The morning light Is breaking,
The darkness aisappoafs;
The sons Of men are waking
To penitential tears"
Before the sermon DR.. Talmage ex-
pounded one of the iubilant psalms of
David, and then took his text from II.
Chrou., v. IS: ut came even to pass, as
the trumpeters and singers were as one,
to make one sound to be heard in praislng
and thanking the Lord" Following is
the sermon in full:
The Temple was done. II was the very
shorus OF all magnificence and pomp.
splendor crowded against splendcr 1t
was the diamond necklace OF the earth.
From the huge pillars crowned with
leaves of flowers ami rows OF pomegran-
ate wrought out in FURNISHED metal. down
even to the tongs and shutters made out Of
pure gold, everything was as complete as
the God-directed architect could make il.
Itseemed as if vision from heaven had
eligbted on the mountains. The day for
dedication came. Tradition says that
there we're in and around about the Tenn
Dle on that day 2000O0 silver trumpets,
10000 harps. 10000 timorels and 100000
singers; so that all modern demonstra-
tiOns at Dusseldorf or Boston seem
nothing compared with that. AS
this great sound surged up amid
the precious stones of the temple, It must
have seemed like the river OF life dashing
againstthe amethyst OF the wall of heaven.
The sound arose and GCd, as if to show
that he was well pleased with the music
winch His children make in all ages
dropped into the midst Of the temple a
cloud OF glory SO oVerpowering that the
Officiating priests were obliged to stop in
the midst Of the services.
There has be much discussion as to
where music WAS born. | think that at
the beginning. when the morning stars
sang together and all the suns Of God
shouted for joy, hat the earth heard the
echo. The cloud on which the angels
stood to celebrate the creation was the
birthplace Of song. The stars that glitter
at night are onty so many Keys Of celestial
pearl on which Gods FINGERS play the
music OF the spheres. lnanmate nature
10 full of Gods stringed and wind instru-
ments. Silence Itself-pertcct silence-is
only musical rest IN Gods great an
them OF worship. Wind among the
leaves, insect hummlug in the summer
air, the rush of bill0w upon beach, the
ocean far ont sounding its everlasting
psalm, Inc bobolnk on the edge OF the
crest, the quail whlstling up from
lie grass, are music. While visiting
Black Wells Island | heard coming from
a window OF the lunatic asylum. a verv
sweet song. 1t was sung by one who had
lost her reason, and have come to be-
heve that even the deranged and dlsOr-
iered elements OF nature would make mu-
sic 10 our ear, il we only mad acui eness
enough TO listen. | suppose that even the
sounds IN nature that are discordant and
repulsIye m AXE harmony in Gods ear.
YOU know that you may come so near 10
an orcht stra that the sounds are painful
instead of pleasurabIe; and l think that
we stand SO near devastating storm aud
irightlul wnirlwlnd we cannot hear that
which makes to Gods ear, and the ear of
the spirits above us a music as complete
as it is tremendous.
The Day of Judgment, which will be
day OF uproar and tumult, suppose will
bring no diss0nanee o the ears of those
who can calmly listen; although 1t will
be as when some great performer is exc
cutting bolsterous piece Of music, he
sometimes breaks down the iusfrumenton
which he plays; so it may be on that last
day that toe grand march OF God, PLAYED
by tn fingers OF thunder and earthquake
and conflagrauOn may break down the
world upon which the music is executed.
~ al.s II F-vIF
SIC hut God has wonderfully organ
lied the human voice. so that in
the plainest throat and lungs there are IA
direct muscles which can make over
$1,000 different sounds! Now, there are
30 indirect muscles which can make. il
has been estimated, more than 173, 100000
OF sounds. Now, l say, when God has 50
constructed the human voice and when he
mas t led he Whole earth with harmony
and when be recos nized it in th ancient
temple, have right to come 10 the con-
eluslon tnat God loves music.
propose this morning TO speak about
sacred music, first sb0 slng YOU its im-
pOrtance and then stating some OF TIE
obstacles % its advancement.
draw the frat argument for the i'm
porIance of sacred music IRAN the fact
that g q commanded il. Through Paul
lie tells us 10 admOnish one another in
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs:
through David lie cries out: "cng We
to Goa all We kingdoms oil the edrth.u
And there are hundreds of other passa-
yes might name, proving that il is as
mucl mans duIy 70 sinx as il is his
duty TO pray. Indeed | think there are
more commands in the Bible to
sing than there are 70 pray. God not
only asks for the human voice but
for the instruments Of music. He
asks for the cynical and tine harm and fhp