The Red Cloud chief., 1891-10-02
CHURCH MUSIC.
Dr.. Talmage Discourses on Chris
tian Melody.
Gods Music Found In Ev~erythinR-A De
Tense OF Sacred song-The Power OF
Vigorous Hymns-A Picture of the
Grand Chorus Of Heaven.

the big organ in his tabernacle at
Brooklyn Rev. 7. Dewitt Talmage
preached an appropriate sermon, taking
his text from Genesis iv. 81: His
brothers name was JubaL- He was the
father of all such as handle the harp
and organ" DR.. Talmage said:
Lamech had two boys, the one a
herdsman and the other a musician.
Jubal. the younger son, was the first
organ builder. He started the sound
that rolled from the wonderous instru-
ment which has had SO much TO do with
the worship of the ages But what
improvements have been made under
the hands OF organ builders of our day.
l do not wonder that when the first full
organ that we read of was given in 757
by an emperor of the east TO a king of
France, sounded forth its full grandeur
a fell into a delirium from
which her reason was never restored
The majesty Of a great organ skillfully
played is almost too much for human
endurance, but how much the instru-
ment has done in the reformation of
divine service il vii! take all time and
eternity to celebrate.
There has beer much discussion as 10
where music was born ! think that
~ the beginning, when the morning
stars sing together, and all the suns of
God shouted for JOY, that the earth
heard the echo. The cloud on which
the angels stood TO celebrate the crea-
ton was the birthplace of song. In
animate nature is full of Gods stringed
and wind Instruments.
Silence itself-perfect silencc-is only
Z musical rest in Gods great anthem of
worship. Wind among the leaves, in
sects humming in the summer air, the
rush Of billow upon beach, the ocean
far outsounding its everlasting psalm.
the bobplink on the edge Of the forest
the quail whistling up from the grass,
are music. On 0BlackweiI's island
heard, coming from the window of the
lunatlc asylum, a very sweet song. il
was sung toy one who had lost her
reason, and ! hare come TO believe that
the deranged and disordered elements
Of nature would make music TO our ear
II we only had a~cuteness enough 10
listen.
The day Of Judgment, which will be
a day Of uproar and tumult, suppose
viii bring no ~dissonancc to the ears OF
those who can calmly listen; although
it Toe as when some great performer is
executing a boisterous piece Of music,
he sometimes breaks down the instru,
ment on which he plays, SO il may be
on that last day that the grand march
of God, played 10y the fingers of thun.
der. and earthquake, and contlagration,
may break down the world upon which
the music is executed Not only is in
animate nature full of music, but God
has wonderfully organized the human
voice, so that in the plaineSt throat and
lungs there are fourteen direct muscles
which can make over sixteen thousand
different sounds, and there are thirty
indirect muscles which can make, j,
has been estimated, more than i73, 900.
900 sounds
Now, ] say, when God has SO con
~structed the human voice, and when
He has filled the whole earth with har-
mony, and when lie recognized in it
the ancient temple, ] have a right to
, come to the conclusion that God loved
music. ] propose, this morning, in set
ting apart his organ for sacred use, ~
speak about sacred music; first show
ing YOU its importance, and then stat
ing some of the obstacles 20 its ad-
vancement
draw the first argument for the i'm
portance OF sacred music from the fact
that God commanded IL Through Pau
He tells us to admonish one another in
psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;
and through David lie cries out: Sing
We to God. all We kingdoms of the earth"
And there are hundreds of other pas
sages ! might name, proving that IT Is
as much a mans duty TO sing as II is his
duty TO pray. Indeed, / think there are
more commands in the Bible 10 sing
than than there are to pray. God not
only asks for the human voice but for
instruments of music. He asks for the
cvmbal, and the harp, and the trumpet,
aS well Us for the organ-
draw another argument for the i'm
portance OF this exercise, from the i'm
pressivcness of the exercise. Iou know
something Of what secular music has
achieved Nou know il has made its
impression on governments, upon laws,
upon literature, upon whole genera
lions One inspiriting national air l.
worth 80. O0o men as a standing army,
There comes a time in the battle when
one buCle is worth a thousand muskets.
have ~ 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
il Won were brought into the kingdom
Of Jesus Christ
There was n scotch soldier dying in
New Orleans. and a Scotch minister
carue in TO give him the consultations of
,he GOSPEL. The man turned over on
his pillow. and said: Don't talk To me
about religion" Then the Scotch min
;ster began To sing a familiar hymn OF
Scotland that was composed 10y David
Dickinson. beginning with the words;
q. mother. dear Jerusalem.
When shall / come 10 thce2
He sang Il 70 the tune Of Dundee
and everybody in Scotland knows that
and a. he began 70 sing the dying sol
der turned over on his pillow and said
TO the minister: Where did You learn
tha,?" ''Thv." replied the minister,
INV mother taught me that" : did
mine" said the diving Scotch soldier,
and the very foundation Of his heart
was upturncd and then and there he
welded himself 70 Christ O.. II has an
irresistible power. Luthcr's IN
have been forgotten. but his "JudC'
ment Hymn" sings on through the ages
and will keep on singing until the blast
of the ~archanCel's trumpet shall bring
abou; that very day which the hymn
celebrates.
In addition Ia the inspiring music OF
our own day, we have a glorious in
heritance Of church psalmody which
has come down freiehted with the de-
votions OF other generations-tunes no
more worn ont than they were when
our grandfathers climbed up on them
rom the church pew 10 glory. Dear
old souls how they used 10 sing. When
they were cheerful our grandfathers
.D3 dmn hers used TO sing Col