Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1891-09-25

birds brought food TO Elijah, by the
brook Cherith, SO these winged har-
monies. God-sent, are flying to your
soul with the bread of life. Open your
mouths and take it, o hungry Eli abs!
In addition to the inspiring music of
our own day we have a glorious in
heritance OF church psalmody which
has come down fragrant with the de-
votions of other generations-tunes no
more worn out than they were when
our great grandfathers climbed up on
them from the church pew to glory.
Dear old souls, how they used TO singh
When they were cheerful, our grand
fathers and grandmothers used
to sing Colchester When
they were very meditative, then
the board NEE ling house rang with
'South street and "St. Edmond's."
Now, in this church, we have re-
solved upon the plan of conducting the
music by organ and cornet. We do it
for two reasons: One is that by throw
ing the whole responsibility upon the
mass of the people, making the great
multitude the choir, we might rouse
more heartiness. The congregation
coming on the Sabbath day feel
that they cannot delegate this part OF
the great service to any one else, and
so they themselves assume it. We have
had a glorious congregational singing
here. People have come many miles
TO hear it, They are not sure about
the preaching, but they can always de-
pend on the singing. We have heard
the sound coming up like 1.-THE voice of
many waters, but 1T will be done at a
better rate after awhile when we shall
realize the height, and the depth, and
the immensely of this privilege.
l forgot to state the other reason
why we adopt this plan. That is, we
do not want any choir quarrels. Hou
know v ry well that in scores of
churches there has been perpetual
conten ion in that direction. The only
church fighting that ever occurred un-
der my ministry was over a melodeon,
in my first settlement. Have you never
been in church on the Sabbath day, and
heard the choir sing. and you sad
THAT is splend d music" The next
Sabbath, you were at that church, and
their was no choir at all Why? The
leader was mad, or his assistants were
mad or they were all mad together,
Some of the choirs are made up of
our best Christian people. Some of
have stood up in them, Sabbath
after Sabbath, conscientiously and sue
essfully leading the praises of God.
My christian friends, have we a right
to delegate to others the discharge of
this duty which God demands of us?
Suppose that four wood-thrushes
should propose to do all the singing
some bright day when the woods are
ringing with bird voices. 1t is decided
that four wood-thrushes shall do ali
the singing of the forest. Let all other
voices keep silent. How beautifully
the four MARBLE. 1t is really fine
music. But how long will you keep
the forest still? Why, Christ would
come into that forest and look up as he
looked through the olives, and he
would wave his hand and say: LET
everything that hath breath praise the
Lord" and. keeping time with the
stroke of innumerable wings, there
would be five thousand bird voices
leaping into the harmony. Suppose
this delegation of musical performers
were trlet in heaven; suppose that four
choice spirits should try to do the sing
ing of the upper temple. Hush now.
thrones and dominions and principali-
ties. David! be still, though you
were ''the sweet singer of Israel. :"
Paul! keep quiet, though you have
come to that crown of rejoicing. Ricn-
ard Baxter! keep still, though this is
the saints everlasting Rest" Four
spirits now do all tle singing. But
how long would heaven be quiet? How
long? "llalleluiah!' would cry some
glorifed Methodist from under the
altar ''Prais the Lord" would
sing the martyrs from among
the thrones. Thanks be unto God
who giveth us the victory" u
gread multitude of redeemed spirits
would cry. Myriads of voices
coming into the harmony, and the one
hundred and forty and four thousand
breaking forth into one reclamation.
Stop that loud singing. Stop Oh no,
they cannot hear me. You might as
well try to drown the thunder of the
sky, or beat back the roar of the sea,
for every soul in heaven las resolved
to do its own singing. Alas! that we
should have tried on earth that which
they cannot DO in hea zen, and, instead
of joining all our voices in the praise
of the Most High God delega ing per-
haps to unconsecrated men and women
this most solemH and most delightful
service ... .......
want TO rouse you TO unanimity.
in Christian song that has never yet
been exhibited. Come, now! clear
your throa and get ready for this
duty. or you win never hear the end
of this. never shall forget hearing
Frenchman sing the ''Marseillaise on
the champs Elysees, Paris, just before
the battle. Of sedan, in 1870. never
saw snch enthusiasm before or
since. As he sang that national
air, oh! how the Frenchmen shouted!
Have you ever in an English assemb.-
age heard a band play God Save the
Queen?" If you have, you know some
thing about the enthusiasm of Ma
tional air Now, tell you that these
songs we sing Sabbath ny Sabbath are
the national airs of Jesus Christ and
of the kingdom of heaven. and If you
do not learn TO sing them here, how do
you ever expect to sing the song OF
Moses and the Lamb? | should not
be surprised ut all If some of the best
anthems of heaven were made up of
some of the best songs Of earth. May
God increase our reverence for Chris
tian psalmody, and keep us from dis
grazing 1t by our Indifference aud
frivolity. When Cromwell's army