The southern argus., 1891-09-24


has come d own freighted with the de-
votions Of other generations-tune no
more worn out than they were when
our grandfathers climbed up on them
from the church pew to glory. Dear
old souls, how they used to sing! When
they were cheerful our grandfathers
and grandmOthers used to sing 'Col-
chester. When they were 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
Woodstock" We're they wrapped in
visions Of the glory of the church, they
sang Zion" Were they overborne
with the love and glory of Christ, they
sang "ArieL" And in those days there
were certain tunes married to certain
hymns, and they have lived in peace a
great while, these two old people, and
we have no right to divorce them.
What God hath joined together let no
man put asunder"
have also noticed the power of sa.
cred song to soothe perturbation. You
may have come in here this morning
with great many worriments and
anxieties, yet perhaps, in the singing
of the first hymn you lost all the worri-
| ments and anxieties. You have read
in the Bible Of Saul and how he was
| sad and angry, and how the boy David
came IN and played the evil spirit out
Of him A Spanish king was melan-
choly. The windows were all closed
He sat in the darkness. Nothing could
bring him forth until Faraneli came
and discoursed music for three or four
days to him. On the fourth day he
looked up, and wept, and rejoiced, and
the windows were thrown open, and
that which all the splendors of the
court could not do, the power of song
accomplished. If you have anxieties
and WORKINGS, try this heavenly charm
upon them.
But must now speak of some of the
obstacles in the way of the advance
ment of this sacred music; and the first
is that it has been impressed into the
service of superstition. am far from
believing that music ought always to
be positively religious. Refined art has
opened places where music has been
secularized, and lawfully SO. The
drawing room, the musical club, the
orchestra, the concert, by the gratifca-
ton Of pure taste, and the production
Of harmless amusement and the i'm
provement Of talent. have become
great forces in the advancement of our
civilization. Music has as much right
to laugh in Surrey gardens as it has to
pray in st. Paul's. In the kingdom of
nature, we have the glad fling of the
wind as well as the long meter psalm
Of the thunder.
False religions have depended more
upon the hymning of their congrega-
tions than upon the pulpit proclama-
ton Of their dogmas. Tartini, the
musical composer, dreamed one night
that Satan snatched from his hand an
instrument and played upon it some
thing very sweet-a dream that has
often been fulfilled in our day, the |
voice and the instrument that ought to |
have been devoted to Christ captured |
from the church and applied to pur-
poses of superstition.
Another obstacle has been an in
ordinate fear of criticism The vast
majority of people, singing in church,
never want any body else to hear them |
sing. Every body is waiting for every
body else to do his duty. If we all |
sang, then the inaccuracies that are
evident when only a few sing would
not be heard at all; they would be
drowned out God only asks you to do
as well as you can, and then, if you
get the wrong pitch, or keep wrong
time, He will forgive any deficiency of
the ear and imperfection of the voice.
Angels will not laugh if you should
lose your place in the musical scale or
come in at the close bar behind.
Another obstacle that has been in
the way Of the advancement of this
holy art has been the fact that there
has been SO much angry discussion on
he subject of music. There arc those
who would have this exercise conduct
ID by musical instruments. In the
same church there are those who do
lot like musical instruments, and so it
S organ and no organ, and there is
light. In another church it is ques-
ion whether the music shall be con-
lucted BY precentor or by drilled
hoir. Some want a drilled choir and
ONE want a precentor, and there is
ight
Another obstacle in the advancement
Il this art has been the erroneous no.
ion that this part of the service could
e conducted by delegation. Churches
ave said: 10 what an easy time we
hall have. This minister will do the
reaching, the choir will do the singing
nd we will have nothing to do" And
GU know as well as ! that there is
reat multitude of churches all through
his land where the people are not ex-
ected to sing; the whole work is done
" delegations of four, or six, or ten
ersons, and the audience is silent In
uch church in Syracuse an old elder
ersisted in singing, and SO the choir
ppointed a committee to go and ask
he squire if he would not stop. You
now that in a great multitude of !
hurches the choir is expected to all (
he singing, and the great mass of the
annla are axnarteJ tn ha silent and If |