Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-09-08
HARMONY In HEAVEN.
The Grand Music That Will Make the
Future Life Delightful.
THEMES FOR HYMNS OF GLORY.
The New Song of Triumph for the Hosts of
the Redeemed.
CrCRTUF HUpTC1sS ppAISr nv ClpTu
HEMES FOR HYMNS OF GLORY.
SINGING CHRISTS PRAISE ON EARTH
trrcrAL TELEeRAM TO THE prspArcH.,

BROOKLYN, September 7.-Dr. Talmage's
sermon for to-day is a glowing description
of the melodies of the Celestial land. His
text was (Rev. ": 81 And they sang new
song" Following is the sermon:
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. of London, used to re-
sound 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 IL
o'clock daily, the military band, with 90 or lOO
instruments, discOurses at the Royal opera
House for the people 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 exciting
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 be-
wilder 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 oil the
ChoruSes. and greet the successful competitors
as the prizes are distributed-cups and vases OF
silver and GOLD.
All our american cities at times resound with
well or play skillfully upon instruments are
greeted with vociferation and garlanded by eN-
cited 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 u manner of fruits, and
all the rush of floous from under the throne OF
God would not make heaven Tor them II
there were no great and transporting harmo-
uies Passing along our streets in the hour of
worship you hear
THE VOICE Of SACPFn MELODY
although you do not enter the building And
passing along the street of heaven we hear
from the temple of God and the Lamb, the
breaking forth OF magnificent jublate. We
may not yet enter in among the favored throng,
but God will not deny US the pleasure of stand
ing awhile on the outside to hear. John lis
tened to it great while ago. and they sang a
new song" Let none aspire to that blessed
place who have no love for this exercise, for al
though it is many ages since the thrones were
set, and the haTps were strung, there has been
no cessation in the song, excepting once for
about 80 minutes; and. judging from the glori-
Gus things now transpirinG IN Gods world and
the ever-aCcumulating trIumphs of the Mes
siah. that was the last half hour that heaven
viii ever he silent.
Mark the fact that this was a new song
Sometimes | have IN church been f1oated away
upon some great choral, in which all our peo-
pie seemed TO mingle their voices, and have
IN the glow of my emotions. said. surely this is
music good enough for heaven. Indeed / do
not believe that "Luther's Hymn" OF "Coro-
nation. or "Old Hundred" /" or Mount Pisgah"
would sound i'll If spoken by saInted lips, or
Thrummed from seraphic harpS: There are
many of our fathers and mothers in glory who
would be slow TO shut heavens gate against
these Old-Jime harmonies. But this, we are
told. is a new song. Scme of our greatest an
thems and chorals are compositions from other
tuues-the sweetest parts of them gathered up
into the harmony; and l have sometimes
4l1-4
made up Of sweet strains of earthly music
mingled in eternal choral. But it will, after
all, be new song. This / do know that in
sweetness and power it will be something that
ear never heard All the skill of the oldest
harpers of heaven will be flung into it. All the
love of Gods heart will ring from 1t. In its
cadenCes the floods will clap their hands, and it
will drop with the sunlight of everlasting day,
and breathe with odors from the blossoms of
the tree OF life. "A new sOng"-Just made for
heaven.
ORIGIN OF GREAT HYMNS.
Many earthly songs are written by composers
Just tor the purpose of making a tune; and the
land Is flooded with notebooks in which really
valuable tunes are the exception But once in
while man is wrought up by some great
spectacle. OF moved by some terrible agony or
transported by some exquisite gladness. and he
sits down to write tune or a hymn, in which
every note every word is a spark dropped
from the forge of his own burning emotions.
So Mendelssohn wrote and so Beethoven. and
so Charles Wesley. Cowper depressed with
misfortunes until almost insane resolved on
suicide and asked the cab-driver to take him
10 certain place where he expected to destroy
his own life. The cab-driver lost his way. and
COwper began to think of his sin. and went
back to his home and sat down and wrote
God moves in mysterious way,
His wonders TO perform:
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Ng fearful saints fresh courage take.
Are big with mercy. and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Mozart composed his own REQUIEM. and said
TO his daughter Emily. play that" 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
dead.
This new song of heaven was not composed
because heaven had nothing else to do. but
Christ. in memory of cross and crown of man.
ser ana throne, of earth and heaven. and
wrought upon by the raptures of the great eter-
nifty. poured this from His heart made it for
the armies of heaven TO shout in celebration of
victory, for worshipers to chant in their temple
services. for the innumerable home circles of
heaven TO sing in the house of many mansions
If a new tune be started in church, there is only
here and there person that can sing it, 1t is
some time before the congregation learn a new
tune. But not so with the new song of heaven
The children who went uD to-day from the
waters ofthe Ganges are now singing it. That
Christian man or woman. who, few minutes
ago, departed from this street has Joined it.
All know it-thOse by the gates, those on the
river bank. those in the temple. Not feeling
their way through it. or halting, or going back
as If they never before had sung it but with a
full round voice they throw their soul into this
new song. If some Sabbath day few notes of
that anthem should travel down the air We
could not sing it. No organ could roll Its thun-
der. No harp could catch its trill. No lip
announce
lost enchanted, dumb. we could not hear it
the tamtest note of the new song. Yet whlleI
speak, heavens cathedral Quakes under it and
seas OF glory bear it from beach to beach, and
ten Thousand times ten thousand and thousands
OF thousands sing 1.-THE new song"
THE HEAVENLY HYMNS.
Further: it is a commemorative SONG. vo
are distinctly told that it makes reference TO
past deliverances. Oh how much they have TO
sing about. They sing of the darkness through
which on earth they pass, and it is a night
song. That one was killed at Yorktown. and
with him it is battle song That one was i'm.
prisoned for Cnrist's sake, and with him it is a
prison song. There was Christian sailor boy
that had his back broken on the ships hal
wards and with him it is a sailors sons. That
one burned at Smithfield, and with him it is
fire song. On! how they will sing of floods
waded. of fires endured, of persecution suf-
fcred, of grace extended Song of hail! Song of
sword! song of hot lad, song of axe! As when
the organ pipes peal out some great harmony.
there comes occasionally the sound Of the
tremulante. weeping, through the cadences,
adding exq usiTeness to the performances, SO
amid the stupendOus acclaim of the heavenly
worshipers shall come tremulously remem-
beranceS OF past endurance adding a sweet
less and glory to the triumphal STRAIN. So the
81 orifed mother will Sing of the cradle that
death robbed: and the enthroned spirit from
the almshOIlse will sing OF lifetime of want.
God may wipe away all tears but not the
memory of the grief that started them!
Further: 1t Will be an accompanied song
Some have great prejudice against musical
Instruments; and even among those who like
them there Is an idea that they are unauthor-
lZpl- I 1--we the ryInbalS For TSraaI cloDDad