The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1890-11-13
HEAVENLY SONG.
The Grand Chorals of the Re-
deemed in Heavenly Lands.
The New Song; the Glorious HarmOnies
of Gods Chosen Ones Given In .
Word Picture by Rev. I.
Dewitt TaImage.

A01OIlsS VI h0df6A Was uOlANCAON ~
Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage on recent
Sabbath, from the text:
And they sang a new song.-Rev. ", 9.
Nearly all the cities of Europe and
America have Conservatives of music
and associations whose object it is, by
voice and instrument, to advance the
art of sweet sounds. On Thursday
nights, Exeter Hall, London, used to
resound with the music of frst-class
performers, who gave their services
gratuitously to the masses, who came in
with free tickets and huzzaed at the
entertainment. At Berlin, at eleven
o'clock daily, the military band, with
sixty or one hundred instruments, DIS
course at the opera-house for the peo-
pie. On Easter Sunday, in Dresden,
the boom of cannon and the ringing OF
bells, bring multitudes to the churches
to listen to the organ peals, and the ex-
citing sounds of trumpet and drum.
When the great fair day of
Leipsic comes, the bands of music,
from far and near, gather in the street,
and bewilder the ear with incessant
playing of flute, and horn, violin and
bassoon. At Dusseldorf, once a year,
the lovers of music assemble, and for
three or four days wait upon the great
singing festivals, and shout at the close
Of chorHses, and greet the successful
competitors as the prizes are distributed
cups and vases of silver and gold.
All our American cities at times re-
sound with orchestra and oratorio.
Those who can sing we'll or play skill
fully upon instruments are greeted with
vociferation, and garlanded by excited
admirers.
There are many whose most ecstatio
delight is to be found in melodies; and
all the splendor of celestial gates, and
all the lGsciousneSs of twelve manner
OF fruits, and all the rush of floods from
under the throne of God, would not
make Heaven for them if there were
no great and transporting harmonies.
Passing along our streets in the hour of
worship you hear the voice of sacred
melody, although you do not enter-the
building. And passing along the street
Of Heaven. we hear, from the Temple Of
God ana the Lamb, the breaking forth
ct magnificent jubilate. We may not
yet enter in among the favored throng,
but God will not deny us the pleasure
of standing awhile on the outside to
hear. John listened to it great while
ago, and "they sang new song"
Let none aspire to that blessed place
who have no love for this exercise, for
although it is many ages since the
thrones were set, and the harps where
strung, there has been no cessation in
the song, excepting once for about thir-
ty minutes; and, judging from the glori-
GUS thing now transporting in Gods
world, and the ever-accumulating
triumphs of the Messiah, that was the
last half-hour that Heaven will ever be
silent
Mark the fact that this was a new
song, Sometimes have in church been
doated away upon some great choral. in
which all our people seemed to mingle
voices, and have, in the glow of my
emotions, said: Surely this is music
good enough for Heaven. Indeed, l dc
not believe that 'Luther's Hymn" or
Coronation" or "Old Hundred" or
Mount "Pisgah" would sound i'll il
spoken by sainted lips, or thrummed from
seraphic harps. There are many of oul
fathers and mothers in glory who would
be slow to shut Heavens gate against
these old-time harmonies. But this,
we are told, is new song.
Some OF orr greatest an
thems and chorals are compost
tions from other times-the sweetes
parts Of them gathered up into the
harmony; and 1have sometimes though
that this new song" may be partly
made up of sweet strains of earthly
music mingled in eternal choral. Blu
it will, after all, be new song. Thi
do know-that in sweetness ant
power 1t will be something that ca
never heard. All the skill of the oldes
harpers of Heaven will be flung into it
All the love of Gods heart will rim,
from it In its cadences the floods will
clap their hands, and it will drop witt
the sunlight of everlasting day, an,
breathe with odors from the blossom
of the tree of life. "a new song"-ius
made for Heaven.
many earthly songs are written b.
composers just for the purpose of MAX
ing tune; and the land is flooded with
notebooks in which really valuabl,
tunes are the exception. But once il
awhile a man is wrought up by som,
great spectacle, or moved by some ter
rible agony, or transported by some ex
quisite gladness, and he sits down t.
write tune or hymn, in which ever
note or every word is spark droppe1
from the forge of his own burning emo
tions. So Mendelssohn wrote, and s
Beethoven, and so Charles Wesley
oowper, depressed with misfortune
until almost insane, resolved on suicide
and asked the cab-driver to take him t.
a certain place where he expected t
destroy his own life. The cab-driye
lost his way, and Cowper began +
think of his sin, and went back to hi
home and sat down and wrote:
God moves in a mysterious way.
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.
Re fearful saints, fresh courage taka.
The clouds you so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break