The Dickinson press., 1891-10-03

Se& 80 AAASA Ap, ~
army. There comes a time in the bat
tie when one bugle is worth a thou
sand muskets. l have to tell you
that no nation or church can afford
to severely economic in music.
Many OF you are illustrations OF
what sacred song can do. Through it
you were brought into the kingdom OF
Jesus Christ. You stood out against
the argument and warning of the pull.
pit; but when in the sweet words Of
Isaac Watts, or Charles Wesley, OF
John Newton, or Toplady, the love O.
Jesus was sung to your soul, thenyou
surrendered, as armed castle, that
could not be taken by a host, lifts its
window
TO LISTEN TO A HARP's THRILL.
have also noticed the power o.
sacred song to sooth perturbation
and arouse to action. a singing
church is always a triumphant church.
Ii q congregation is silent during the
exercise, or partially silent, it is the
silence OF death.
But l must now speak OF some o.
the obstacles in the way of advance
ment of this sacred music; and tn,
first is that it has been impressed in
to the service of superstition.
am fer from believing that music
ought alwaysto bepositively religious
Refine art has opened places where
music II vs. been secularized, and law
fully 50. The drawing-room, the
musical club, the orchestra, the con
cert, by Disqualification ofpure taste
and the production OF harmless
amusement and the Improvement O
talent, havebecome great forces in the
advancement of our civilization
Music has as much right to laugh ii
Surrey Gardens as it has to pray ii
st. Paul's.
Another obstacle that has been il
the way OF the advancement OF the
holy art, has been the fact that there
has been SO much angry discussion or
the subject OF music. There are those
who would have this exercise conduct,
ed by musical Instruments. In the
same church there are those who dc
not like musical instruments, and sc
it is organ and no organ, and there is
q fight. In another church, it is q
question whether the music shall be
conducted by a precentor orby adrill'
ed choir. Some want a drilled choil
and some want q precentor, and there
is q fight. Another obstacle in the adj
vancement OF this art has been the er.
oneou notion that this part of the
services could be conducted by delega.
cation. Churches have said: ooh
what an easy time weshall have. This
minister will do the preaching, the
choir will do the singing, and we will
have nothing to do. And you know
as we'll as l that there are a great
multitude Of churches all through this
land, where the people are not expect.
ed to sing, the whole work is done by
n delegation OF four, or six, or ten
persons, and the audience are silent.
My christian friends, have we a right
to delegate to Others the discharge oil
this duty
WHICH GOD DEMANDS OF US?
Suppose the delegation OF musical
performers were tried in heaven; sup
pose that four choice spirits should
try to do the singing Of the upper tenn.
pie. Hush now. thrones and domm'
ions and principalities. David! be
still, though you were 1.-The singer o.
Israel" Paul! keep quiet though you
have come to that crow of rejoicing
Richard Baxter! keep still, though
this is the "Saint's everlasting Rest
Four spirits now do all the singing
But how long would heaven be quieti
How long? "Halleluiah!" would cry
some glorifed Methodist from under
the altar. "Praise the I.ord!" would
sing the martyrs from the thrones
"Thanks be unto God who giveth III
Vie viatorY!" a great multitude OF "
deemeu spirits would cry: MyrTads
of voices coming into harmony, and
the one hundred and forty thousand
breaking into one acclamation. STOP
that loud singing! Stop! Ohno, they
cannot hear me. You might as vel
try to drown the thunder OF the sky
or beat back the roar of the sea, io1
every soul in heaven has resolved tt
do its own singing. Alas! that w
should have on earth that which
THEY CANNOT DO IN HEAVEN.
Now, in this church, we haye re
solved upon the plan of conducting
the music by organ and cornet. w,
do it for two reasons; one is that by
throwing the whole responsibility up
on the mass OF the people, making tn
great multitude the choir, we nigh
rouse more heartiness. Then we d.
not want any choir quarrels. Yol
know very well that in scores O
churches, there has been perpetual
contention in that direction. Th,
only church fight that ever occurred
under my ministry vas v q melo
deon, in my first settlement. Hav
you never been in church on the AaA
bath day, and heard tAs aeb %
and you said "That is splendid mu
sic" The next Sabbath, you were il
that church, and there was no choil
at all. Why? The leader was mad
or his assistants were mad, OF they
were all mad together. Three-fourth!
of the church fights originate i'll tn
organ loft. take that back and say
nine-tenths. A great many of oul
churches are dying OF choirs.
l want to arouse you to a unanim
Ivy III SllilSlltul Sung GllitC HIS llGNe
yet been exhibited. Come, now! clea
your Threats and get ready for thi
duty, or you will
NEVER HEAL THE END OF THIS
never shall forget hearings French
man sing the "Marselllaise" on tn
Champs Elysees, Paris, just before til
battle OF Sedan in 1870. l never sa,
such enthusiasm before or since. A
he sang that national air, oh! how tn
Frenchmen shouted! Have you eve
in an English assemblage heard
band play "God Save the Queen?" ]
you have. you know something abou
the enthusiasm OF a national all
Now l tell you that these songs whicl
we sing Sabbath by Sabbath are tn
national airs of Jesus Christ and c
the Kingdom OF heaven, and ii you d
not learn to sing them here, how d
you ever expect to sing the song c
Moses and the lamb? l should not b
surprised at all if some OF the best al
thems OF heaven were made up {