The Russellville Democrat., 1890-09-18
HEAVENLY SONG
The Grand Chords of tho Re-
 deemed in Heavenly Lands-
The New Song; tho Giorious Hsrmonles of Goa's Chosen Ones Given i'd a Word I-iature hy Rev. T.
 Dewitt Tatnagc-


 Dswitt TafsAage.
 The following discourse on the ''Melodies of Heaven" was delivered by Rev. T. Dewitt Talmage on recent Sabbath, from tho text:
 And they sang s now song.-Rev. V, Q
 Nearly all tho cities of Europe and America have conservatories of music and associations whose object 1t 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 frstclass performers, who gave their services gratuitously to tho masses who eane in with free tickets and hnzzaed at the sntertainment At Her fin, at eleven o'clock daily, tho 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 mulutudes 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 Dusseldor6 once year, the lovers of music assemble, and for three Or four days wait upon the great singing festivals, and shout at tho close of choruses, and greet the successful competitors as tho prizes are distributed --cups and vases of silver and gold. All our American cities at tines re- sound with orchestra and oratorio. Those who can sing well or play skill fully upon instruments are greeted with vociferation, and garlanded by excited admirers.
 There are many whose most ecstatic delight is to be found in melodies. and all the splendor of celestial gates, and all the lusciousness 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 wo hear, from the Temple oi God and the Lamb, the breaking forth of magnificent jubilate. We may not yet enter in among tho 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- ous thing now transpiring in Gods world, and tho eYer-accumulating triumphs of the Messiah. that was tho last half-hour that Heaven will ever be silent
 Mark tho fact that this was new song. Sometimes have in church been fioated 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, do not believe that ''Lnther's Hymn" Or ''Coronation. or "old Hundred" or ''Mounnt "Pisgahs would sound i'll fl spoken by sainted lips, or thrumued from seraphic harps. There are many of our 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 our greatest an thems and chorals are compost tions from other times-the sweetest parts of them gathered up into the harmony; and Ihaye sometimes thought that this new song" may be partly made up of sweet strains of earthly music mingled in eternal choral But it will, after all, be new song. This | do know-rthat in sweetness and power it will Do something that ear never heard. All the skill of the oldest harpers of Heaven will be flung into it. l All the love of Gods heart will ring ! from 1t. In it's cadences the floods will clap their hands, and it will drop with
 the sunlight of everlasting day, and 1 breathe with odors from the blossoms
 of the tree of life. "A new song'-just
 made for Heaven.
 Many earthly songs are written by composers just for the purpose of mak- i ing tune; and the land is flooded with | note- books in which really valuable tunes arc the exception. But once in awhile a man is wrought up by some great spectacle, or moved by some ter rible agony, or transported by some ex- quisite gladness, and he sits down to write tune or hymn, in which every
 note or every word is spark dropped l from the forge of his own burning emo tions. So Mendelssohn wrote, and SC
 Beethoven, and so Charles Wesley.
 Cowper, depressed with misfortunes
 until almost insane, resolved on suicide,
 and asked the cab-iriver to take him e
 a certain place whore he expected to destroy his own life. The cab-driyer lost his way, and, Cowper began to 1 think of his sin, and went back to his home and sat down and wrote:
 God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform;
 He plants His footsteps tn the sea And rides upon the storm
 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take. | The clouds you SO much dread
 Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head.
 Mozart composed his own requiem,
 and said to his daughter Emily: "Play shat;" and while Emily was playing the requiem Mozarts soul went up on the
 wave of his own music into glory
 Emily looked around, and her father
 was dead.
 This new song of Heaven was not l composed because Heaven had nothing else to do, but Christ in memory of | cross and crown, of manager and throne, ! of earth and Heaven, and wrought upon by the raptures of the Great Eternity, poured this from His heart, made 1t for tho armies of Heaven to shout in cele- bration of victory, for worshipers to chant in their temple sergices, for the l fnnnfuqra hio homo circles of Hpavau to