Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-09-21

mate 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 differ
ent sounds. and there are thirty indirect
muscles which can make. 1t has been
estimated. more than one hundred and
seventy three millions OF soundsl
Now. say, when God has so con
structed the human voice, and when
he has filed the whole earth with har
mony. and when he recognized 1t In the
ancient temple. have a right to come
to the conclusion that God. loved
music
propose this morning. in setting
apart this organ for sacred use, to
speak about sacred music; first show
ing you its importance and then stat
ing some of the obstacles TO its ad
vancement.
'sINa YE TO GOD"
draw the first argument for the i'm
portance of sacred music from the fact
that God commanded it. Through
Paul he tells us to admouish one an
other In psalms and hymns and spirit
ual songs, and through David he cries
out, Sing ye to God, all ye Kingdoms
Of the earth" And there are hundreds
OF other passages | might name prov
ing that 1t Is as much a mans duty to
sing as 1t Is his duty to pray. Indeed,
think there are more commands in
the Bible to sing than there are to pray
God not only asks for the human
voice but for Instruments of music
He asks for the cymbal, and the harp,
and the trumpet. as well as the organ.
And suppose that, in the last days of
the church, the harp, the lutte, the
trumpet and all the Instruments OF
music. whether they have been In the
service of righteousness or sin will be
brought by their masters and laid down
at the feet of Christ. and then sounded
In the church's triumph, on her way
from suffering into glory Praise ye
the Lord" Praise him with your
voices. Praise him with stringed in
struments and with organs
draw another argument for the i'm
portance of this exercise from the i'm.
pressiveness OF this exercise You
know something Of what secular music
has achieved You know 1t has made
It's impression on governments, upon
laws, upon literature. upon whole gen
erations One inspirting national air
Is worth thirty thousand men as a
standing army There comes a time
In the battle when one bugle is worth
thousand muskets have to tell
you that no nation or church can af.
ford to severely economic In music.
Many of you are Illustrations Of what
sacred song can do Through 1t you
were brought Into the kingdom Of
Jesus Christ. You stood out against
the argument and the warning of the
pulpit, but when, In the sweet words of
Isaac Watts or Charles Wesley or John
Newton or Toplady, the love OF Jesus
was sung to your soul then you sur
rendered, us armed castle that could
not be taken by "a host lifts its window
TO listen to a harp's trill. There was
Scotch soldier dying in New Orleans,
and Scotch minister came in to give
him the consultations OF the Gospel.
The man turned over on his pillow and
said. Don't talk to me about religion"
Then the Scotch minister began to sing
a familiar hymn OF Scotland that was
composed by David Dlcbenson, begin
ming with the words
Oh, mother, dear Jerusalem,
When shall come to thee9
He sang it TO the tune of Dundee" I"
and everybody IN Scotland knows that;
and az he began to sing the dying sol
dler turned over on his pillow, and said
to the minister Where did you learn
thatr Why" replied the minister,
my mother taught me that. $50 did
mine" said the dying Scotch soldier;
and the very foundation of his heart
was upturned, aud then and there he
yielded himself to Christ. Oh, 1t has
an irresistible power Luther's ser
mons have been forgotten, but his
Judgment Hymn" sings on through
the ages, and will keep on singing until
the blast OF the archangels trumpet
shall bring about that very day which
the hymn celebrates would TO God
that those who hear me today would
take these songs OF salvation as mes
sages from heaven; for just as certainly
as the birds brought food to Elijah 10y
the brook Cherith, so these winged
harmonies, God sent, are flying to your
soul with the bread OF life Open your
mouths and take IT, o hungry El&lhsl
THRILLINa LINRs or Tux Old HYMNS.
In addition 10 the Inspiring music Of
our own day we have glorious Inherit
ance OF church psalmody which has
come down fragrant with the devotions
of other generations-tunes no more
worn out than they were when our great
grandfathers climbed up on them from
the church pew 70 gloryi Dear old
souls. how they used 10 singl When
they were cheerful, our grandfathers
and grandmothers used 10 sing Col
chester" When they wero very medi
tative. then the board meeting house
rang with south Street" and "St Ed
mond's" Were they struck through
with great tenderness they sang Wood
stock" We're they wrapped In visionl
Of the glory Of the church. they SANG
Zion" Were they overborne with th'
love aud glory OF Christ they sanl
Ariel" And In those days there wer,