The Dickinson press., 1891-10-03
POWER OF MUSIC
The Subject for a Sermon at a Great
Organ Dedication at the
Tabernacle
Congregational Singing Is Decided
ly Favored by the
Preacher.

BROOKLYN, N. Y.,-[special. 1.-The
magnificent organ of the New Brook
Ign Tabernacle was dedicated. The
services were veritable musical festi-
walls. While the regular musical pro-
gram at the Tabernacle is always at
tractive, that ofto-day wasexception-
ally beautiful, the Congregationalsing-
ing, ofertories and interludes being
rendered with marvellous volume and
expression. DR.. Talmage's sermon,
which was appropriate to the occa-
sion, was on the text, Genesis vi. 81:
ellis brothers name was Jubal; he
wasthe father OF all such as handlethe
harp and organ"
Lamech had two boys, the one q
herdsman and the other q musician.
Jubal the younger sol was the first
organ-builder. He started the first
sound that rolled from the w%ondrous
instrument which has had so much to
do with the worship OF the ages. But
what improvement has been madeun-
der the hands of organ-builders such
as Bernard, Sebastian, Bach, and
George Hogarth and Joseph Booth
and Thomas Robjohn, clear on
down to George and Edward Jar
dine of our own day. do not Won
der that when the first full organ
that we read of as given in 757 by an
emperor of the East to q king OF
France, sounded forth it's full grandeur
a woman fell into O 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 il. stru-
mept has done in the reinforcement
of Divine service it will take all time
and all eternity to celebrate. Last
April when we dedicated this church
to the service OF Almighty God IL
organ was not more than half done.
1t has how come so near completion
that this morning / preach q sermon
%dedicatory to this mighty throne of
sacred sound. 1t greets the eye as
we'll as the ear. Beholdthi mountain
Of Anthems!
THIS FOREST OF HOsAENAHs!
Its history. is peculiar. The late
George Jardine recently made q tour
Of the organs of Europe. Hegathered
up in his portfolio an account OF all
the excellences of the renownedinstru-
ments OF music on the other side OF
the Atlantic and all the new improve
ments, and brought back that port
folio to America declaring that
Brooklyn Tabernacle should have
the full advantage of all he had
obtained, and although he did not
live to carry out his idea, his son
Edward Jardine has introduced into
this organ all those improvements
and grandeurs, and while you
bear this organ you hear all that's
poble inthe organs Of Lucerne, and Fri
bourg. and Haarlem, and st. Paul,
and Westminster Abbey, and other
great organs that have enraptured
the world. In it are banked up more
harmonies than / a ndescribe and all
for God and the lighting of the soul
toward him. It's four banks of keys,
its 10 stops and appliances, it's A.
$40 pipes, it's chime of 81 bells, it's
cathedral diapason, and pedal double
dlapason, its song trumpet and night
horn and o. humane, all, all, we
dedicate to God and the soul. 1t will,
I believe, under the divine blessing,
lead uncounted thousands into the
Kingdom. It's wedding marches, it's
thanksgiving anthems, its requiems
will sound after all the voices that fol-
low it today shall have sungtheir last
song. To God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Ghost we ded-
icate it!
There has been much discussion as
to where music was born. l think
that at the beginning, when the morn
Ing stars sang together, and all the
sons of God sang for Joy, that the
earth heard the echo. The cloud on
which the angels stood to celebrate
the creation was
THE BIRTHPLACE OF.
lnanimate nature is full of Gods
stringed and wind instruments. ST.
lence itself-perfect silence-is only a
musical rest in Gods great anthem Of
worship. Wind among the leaves, in
scots humming in the summer air, the
rush OF blllow upon beach, the ocean
far out sounding its everlating psalm,
the bobolink OF the edge of the forest,
the quail whistling up from the grass,
are music.
The day OF judgment, which will be
uproar and tumult, l suppose will
bring no dissonance to the ears of
those who can calmly listen; although
1t be as when someg great performer is
exacting a boisterous piece of music,
he sometimes breaks down the instru-
ment on which he plays, SO it may be
on that last day that thegrand march
OF God. played by the fingers Of thun-
der, and earthquake, and confagra-
ton, may break down the world upon
which the music is executed. Not only
ls lnanimate nature full of music, but
God has wonderfully Organized the
human voice, so that in the piainest
throat and lungs there are IA direct
muscles which can make over sixteen
thousand different sounds. and there
are 80 indirect muscles which can
make, it has been estimated, more
than one hundred and seventy-three
millions of sounds! Now, / say, when
dOu mas so constructed the human
voice, and when He has filled the
whole earth with harmony, and when
He recognized in the ancient temple,
have a right to come to the conclusion
that God loved music.
1 propose, this morning, in setting
epart this organ for sacred use, to
speak about sacred music; first show.
hs you its Importance, and then
stating some OF the obstacles to IL,
advancement.
l draw the first argument for tn,
Importance of sacred music from tn,
fact that God commanded it
Through Paul he tells US to admonisl
in psalms, and hymns, and spiritua
songs; and through David he erie
out: "sing ye to God, all we kingdom
OF the earth" And there arehundred
Of other passages 1 might name
aVs1 y h n = -