The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-24

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Yes the songis to be ACCOMPANIED. You
say that all this is fguratve. Then say
prove It, I do not know how much of it Is
literal and how much Of 1t Is fgurative.
Who can say but that from some Of the
precious woods Of earth and heaven there
may not be made instruments Of celestial &C
cordi In that worship DAVID may take the
harp and Habakkuk the shigionoth; and
when the great multitudes shall, following
their own inc!tbations, take up instruments
sweeter titan Mozart ever fingered, or Schu-
mann ever dreamed of, or Beethoven ever
! wrote for, let all heaven make ready for the
burst of stupendous minstrelsy and the roll
Of the eternal orchestral
Further, 1t will be an anticipative song.
Why, my friends, heaven has hardly begun
music today for tho whole service you
would not have made 80 great mistake as
TO suppose that heaven Is fully inaugurated.
Festal choruses on earth last only short
while. The famous musical convocation at
Dusseldorf ended with the forth day. Our
holidays last only eight or ten days; but
heaven, although singing for 80 many years
has only just begun "the new song" II tho
glori1ed inhabitants recount past deliver
ances they will also enkindle at glories to
come II at 9 o'clock, when the church
who were scattered through it as the
main audience, you would not have made
30 great mistake as if you supposed that
the present population Of heaven are to be- its
chief citizenship. Although millions are al.
ready there, the inhabitants are only hand
full compared with the future populations.
All China is yet to be saved. All India isyet
to be saved. All Borneo is yet to be saved
All Switzerland is yet to be saved. All Italy
is yet to be saved. All Spain is yet to be
saved. All Russia is yet to be saved. All
yet to be saved. All America is yet to be
saved. All the world is yet to be saved.
After that there may be other worlds to con-
luer l do not know but that every star that
glitters in our nights Is an inhabited world,
and that from all those spheres mighty
host are to march into our heaven. There
will be no gate to keep them out We do not
want to keep them out We will not want
to keep them out. God will not want to
keep them out.
Ihave sometimes thought that all the mil
lions of earth that go into glory are but q
very small colony compared with the influx
from the whole universe. God could build
heaven large enough not only for the uni.
verse but for II; 900 universes. I do not know
just how 1t will be, but this I know-that
heaven is to be constantly augmented, and
that the song of glory is rising higher anil
higher and the procession is being multi
piled. If heaven sang when Abel went up
the first soul that ever left for glory-how
must it sing now when souls go up in focks
from all Christendon1, hour by hour and mo-
ment by moment?
Our happy gatherings on earth are chillel
by the thought that soon we must separate.
THANKSGIVING and Christmas days come, and
the rail trains flying thither are crowded
Glad reunions take place. We have q time
Of great enjoyment. But soon it is 'Good-
by" in the hall, "Good-by" at the door,
''Good-by" on the street. "Good-by" at tho
rail train, Good by" at the steamboat
wharf. We meet in church. 1t is good to
sung, the benediction pronounced, and the
audience will be gone. But there are no
separations, no good-bys in heaven. At the
door Of the house OF many mansions no
good-bys. At the peariy gate no good-bys
The song will be more pleasant because we
arealways to sing it. Mightier song as our
other friends cn-ne in Mi2htier song as
other garlands are set on the brow OF Jesus.
Mightier song rs Christ's glories unfold.
thoroughly to understand it and appreciate
it. But on the last day it seemed newer and
more incomprehensibe than on the first day.
Gazing on the infinite rush OF celestial splen-
dors where the oceans Of delight meet and
pour themselves into the great heart Of God,
how soon viii. We exhaust the song? Never!
Never!
The old preachers, in describing the sor-
rows Of the lost, used to lift up their hands
and shout "The wrath to -comeF' "The
wrath to comer' To-day I lift up my
hands and looking toward the great future
CRY, THE joy to comer "The bliss to comep
Oh, to wander on tho banks of the bright
river, and yet to feel that a little further
down we shall find still brighter floods en-
tering into it Oh, to stand O THOUSAND
years listening to the enchanting music of
heaven, and then to find out that the harp
ers are only tuning their harps.
Finally, remark that it will be q unan.
imous song. There will, no doubt be some
to lead, but all will be expected to join. It
will be grand congregational singing. All
music it will be when that new song arises.
Luther sings it. Charles Wesley sings it.
Lowell Mason sings it. Our voices now may
be harsh and our ears uncultivated, but, our
throats cleared at last and our capacities en-
larged, you and will not be ashamed to
utter our voices as loudly as any Of them.
Those nations that have always been
distinguished for their capacity in song
will lift up their voices in that melody.
Those who have had much opportunity TO-
hear the Germans sing will know what;
idea mean to give when I say that the
great German nation will pour their deep,
full voices into the new song. Everybody
knows the natural gift Of the African for
singing. No singing on this, continent
IKE Jnag or rne colored churches IN the
South. Everybody going to Richmond or
to Charleston wants to hear the Africans
sing. But when not only Ethiopia, but all
that continent Of darkness lifts upits hands,.
and oil Africa pours her great volume OF
voice into the new song-that will be music
for you. Added to this arc all the sixteen
thousand millions Of children. that are esti-
mated to have gono into glory, and the host
Of young ard old that hereafter shall people
the earth and inbabit the stars.
Oh! the new song! Gather it all up! Null
tiply it with every sweetness! Pour into it
every harmony. Crown 1t with every glad
nessl Belt it with every splendor,: Fire'it
with every gloryl Toss it to tho greatest:
hoight of majesty! Roll 1t to. tho .grandest
cycle OF eternity then you, have but
oerienced, when, amidst the magniacence OF
spocalyptic vision, he heard 1.-THE new songl
God grant that OF last we may all sing it.
But II we do not sing the praise OF Christ.
upon, earth wa will never sing ID In: heaven.
Be s,,re that your hearts are now attuned
iorthe heavenly worship. There is-a cathe-
iral In Europe with an organ at each end.
Organ answers organ, aud the music waves
backward and forward with indesGibable
effect. Well, my friends, the time Will come
ghen earth and heaven viii be, but different
carts Of one great accord. It will be JOY here
and foy therel Jesus here and Jesus theret
Trumpet to trumpet! Organ toorganl HaI
elujah to hallelujah! Until the day break
and the shadows fee away. turn. my BE.
loved, and be thou like roe cr young hart
apop the mountains of BetherT