Telegram-herald., 1891-09-21

net knou nsw 1 nave Pat very hrtis
fzcnlty In thaf dissociea, - an received
q sing God hes commanded II 80 dare
not Be silent He calls On shA 1aAs1D. On
the cattle, on the drsesns 70 pra1n him.
aud we oashs not - b behind the cattle
aid the dsagenz
Another obstsess that hae bssn n sAs
way OF the adyancsmsns - this holy art
his been tie facs thss thers has bsea 80
much angry discussion on the subject Of
music. There ara these who would have
this exercise conducted By muajeal instru-
nents In the same church there are
these who do not hike musical instru
ments. and 50 ID - organ and no organ. and
there Is nshk In another church II Il
question whether the music shall b con
Quoted By = p>rcentor or by drilled choir.
Some want drilled choir and some want
pereentor. and there il q fight Then
there ara these who would hike In the
church to have the organ played in dull.
hfeleAs. droainy way, while there are 9TH
ers who would have it wreathed into fan
TASTES, branching out In jets and spangies
Of sound. rolling and tossing ia marvellous
conyolutions as when, In pyrotechnic dis
play, after you think piece Is exhausted
IL breaks out IN wheels. rockets, blue iights
and serrentine demonstrations. Some
would have tho organ played in almost In
audible sweetness, and others would have
it full Of staccato passages tia. make the
audience jump, wish great eyes and hair
on end, as though by vision Of the Witch
Of Endor; and no who tries to please all
will fail In everything. Nevertheless. yon
are to admit the fact that this contest
which is going on, not in hundreds but in
thousands Of the churches of the United
States today. h q mighty hindrancs to the
advancement Of this art. In this way
scores and scores OF churches are entirely
crippled as TO all influence. and the music
Is damage rather than praise.
CAN TOT PRAIsY GOD By PROXY!
Another obstacle in the advancement OF
this art has been the e-ronsous notion that
this part Of the service could be conducted
by delegation. Churches have said: "Oh
what an easy time we shall have. This
minister will do the preaching, the choir
will do the singing and we will have moth
ing TO do" Aud you know rs we'll as
that there are . great multitude Of
churches all through this land where the
people are not expected to sing, the whole
work IL done By delegation Of four or six
or ten persons. and the audience is silent.
In such church in Syracuse IN old elder
persisted in singing, and SO the choir ap-
pointed q committee to 20 and ask the
squire II he would not stop. You know
that in great multitude of churches the
choir ara expected to do all the singing,
and the great mass of the people are ex-
pected to DO silent, and II you utter yeur
VOICE you arc interfering. There they
stand, the four, with opera glass dangling
AZ their side, singing Rock Of ages, cleft
for me-" with the same spirit that the
night before on the stage they took their
part in the "Grand Duchess" or Don
Giovanni"
My Christian friends, have we right to
delegate to others the discharge OF this
duty which God demands of usf Suppose
that four wood thrushes should propose to
do all the singing some bright day when
tho woods are ringing with bird voices. 1t
is decided that four wood thrushes shall do
all the singing Of the forest. Let all other
voices keep silent. How beautifully the
four wurhle. 1t is really fine music. But
how long will you keep the forest still,
Why, Christ would como 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 leapips into tho har-
mony. Suppose this delegation of musical
performers were tried in heaven; suppose
that four choice spirits should try to do the
singing Of tho upper temple. Hush, now,
thrones and dominions and principalities.
Davidi be still, though you were "the sweet
singer Of Israel" PAUL. keep quiet, though
| you have come to that crown of rejoicing
Richard Baxterl keep still, though this is
the Saints Everlasting Rest" Four spirits
now do all the singing But how long
would heaven be quietf How long? "Hal-
| lelujahr' would cry some giorified Metho-
| dist from under the altar. praise the
LordF' would sing the martyrs from among
| the thrones. Thanks he unto God who
giveth US the victoryr' great 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! Stopl Oh. no, they
cannot hear me. You might as we'll try to
drown the thunder of the sky or beat back
the roar OF the sea, for every soul in heav-
en- has resolved to do its own singing. Alas!
that we should have tried on earth that
which they cannot do in heaven, and in
stead of joining all our voices in the praise
of the Most High God, delegating perhaps
to unconsecrated men and WOMEN this
most solemn nnd most delightful service.
| LET ALL THE CONGREGATION SING.
| Now, in this church we have resolved
upon the plan of conducting the music by
organ and cornet. Wo do it for two rea-
sons: One is that by throwing tho whole
responsibility upon the mass Of the people,
making the great multitude the choir, we
might rouse more heartincss. The congre-
CATION coming on the Sabbath day feel that
they cannot delegate this part Of the great
service to any one else, and so they them
selves assume It. We have had glorious
congregational singing hero. People have
come many miles to hear IL. They are not
sure about the preaching. but they can al
ways depend on the singing. We have
heard the sound coming mp like "the voice
Of many waters" bat IL will be done at a
better rate after awhile when we shall
realize the height and the depth and the
immcnsity Of this privilege.
forgot to state the other reason why w
adopted this plan. That is, we do not
want any shoir quarrels. You know very
well that in scorces Of churches there has
been perpetual coatention In that direction.
The only church light that ever occurred
under my ministry was over melodeon in
my first settlement. Have you never been
in church on the Sabbath day and heard
the choir sing, and you said. That il splen
did music." The next Sabbath you were
in that church and there was no choir a,
all. Whys The leader was mad, or his
assistants were mad. or they were all mad
together. Some Of the choirs are made ur
of our best Christian people. Some of the