The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1891-12-25

4
ear Is at all sensitive it is continually
shocked by attempts at that harmony that is
! by courtesy called close, but that most
always ends in dlscord. and you always ex-
| perience feeling of relief when the per-
formance is over. Has your soul been
thrilled? Has your mind been exalted?
Have you thought of religion at all during
the long period of suspense unless It is to
llhd In II suggestion that sin gets at least q
portion of its punishment in this world and
that 'in Adams fall we sinned ALL"
! L remember hearing of sailor who went
TO church one Sunday while in port Jack
came back very enthusiastic over an anthem
he had heard, and was telling his mates
about it. '.l say, Jack" asks one of the
sailors, whats hanthen?" Whats a
anthem? Don't you know what a anthem
is? Well, I'll tell you. If | was to say
Bill, give me that 'anspike.' that wouldn't
be no anthem; but if ! was TO say Bill
! Bill, give-glve me that, that, give me that
hand, hand-spike, spike hand-spike. amen.
amen, amen, Bill, give me that handspikc
a-men,' why that would be q anthem .
That sailor had certainly been i'm church
that Sunday and even though he could not
remember the text he had sized up the aver
age anthem very intelligently.
That Is kind of service that |. as an oc-
cupant of pew. dou't care for. Don't
misunderstood me, or my position. This
music when properly rendered is often very
NICE have heard anthems in church that
impressed me as being very beautiful.
delight in highly cultivated voice. 1t is
wonderful what study and training can ac-
complish. | remember hearing an oratorio
in concert hall not long ago. The alto, q
sweet singer, sang THE Lord is risen in
deed" She sang On those five words for
fully as many minutes, with runs and trills
and ShadingS in expression that as technique
was marvellous. | enjoyed it then as q
musical exhibition, but would not care to
hear even the great Queen of Song sing it
in church Sunday after Sunday, if came to
church to worship rather than to be enter
tanned.
So much for negative criticism. So much
for what my pew does not want, not for a
steady diet at any rate. OF course "a little
nonsense now and then is relished by the
best OF men," and an occasional display
piece if well rendered is not so bad, but a
little of it goes great ways and any mate
rial quantity of it is out of harmony with
the design of church worship.
Now for the positive. What shall we
have? What shall we sing that will suit the
crusty occupant of the back pew?
| sing songs that fill n man with love
For home for country and for right.
That make his pulses quickening move
And thrill his being with their might"
Songs that have power to quiet
the restless pulse OF care
And come like the benediction
that follows after prayer"
Sing hymns that are beautiful, beautiful
not only in expression but in ideas as well,
and sing them to the tunes that by common
puctOn hal IN I m,
always provoked and irritated to have some
monopOlistic choir divorce good old hymn
from the tune it has been welded to fol
years and install in its place some pert,
smart stranger that no one knows and nc
one cares for.
have always admired that somewhat
autocratic divine of Detroit, who has just
passed to his reward, because he would in
! sist on having the familiar old tunes, and
occasionally would stop his choir and re-
quest them to commence over again and sine
the music that was usually sung to those
words. He knew the value Of hearty song
!; service to interest his listeners in a sermon.
: should feel like cheering pulpit thai
, would thus assert its rights.
: say sing hymns that are beautiful IN
thought and expression. Hymns that mean
: something and suggest more. There arr
hymns that are whole sermons. Hymn:
that mean more to you and me when eX
pressed in song than could be conveyed il
hall an hours talk, just as there are other:
+ that are as sapless and useless as q deaC
maple in the spring. Take 80, to be moth
| ing" for instance Imagine if you can
, congregation growing enthusiastic while
J wishing to become 'broken and emptieC
vessels" And think again of the farther
absurdty of declaring that such vessels ART
"f0r the Masters use made meet" That ]:
trash, sentimental trash and nonsense
, Compare 1t for moment with this other
, that Is TO me one of the most beautiful evel
written:
Prayer is the souls sincere desire.
Uttered or unexpreSsed;
, The motion OF hidden fire
That trembles in the breast
Prayer is the burden of q sigh.
The falling of q tear,
The upward lifting of an eye
When none but God Is near.
@
oh thou by whom we come to God
The Life the Truth, the Way,
The path OF prayer thyself hast trod,
Lord teach us how to pray.
That's the kind of hymn like i'm church
There are hundreds of them and we al
, know them and we love to sing them. Nov
to get just realization of the vast diflerenc,
! between the singing of a hymn as hymn
or giving it as the usual display piece il
given ala anthem, oratorio, etcetera, SO fa
, as worship is concerned, let us metamor
phose this hymn into such piece and reat
J il again with its needless repetitions and
! meaningless vocal gyratiOns:
, Prayer is the burden, burden, burden o
a sigh, of a sigh-i-i, The falling, aling, allins
{ Of a tear-ear-ear.
/.
? an eye, i-i, When none but God, none
but God, none but God is near, is near
amen, amen, when none but God is near
Amen.
, Further comment to illustrate the point i
( needless.
) All the noted popular preachers know the
7 value of q popular song service and use 1t t.
great advantage. Some two years ago
, was my privilege to visit Mr. Spurgeon'