Connecticut western news., 1891-09-24

churches the choir are expected to do all the singing, and the great mass of the people are expected to be silent, and if you utter your. voice you are in terfering. There they stand, the four, with opera glass dangling at their side, singing Rock of Ages, Cleft for Me-" with the same spirit that the night be- fore, on the stage, they took their part in the "Grand Duchess" or "Don Gio- vanni."
 ALL SHOULD SING WHO CAN.
 My Christian friends, have we right to delegate to others the dis charge of this duty which God de- mands of us2 Suppose that four wood thrushes should propose to do all the singing some bright dRy when the woods are ringing with bird voices. It is de- cided that four wood thrushes shall do all the singing of the forest. Let all the other voices keep silent. How beau. tnully the four warblel It 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 innulnerable wings, there would be five thousand bird voices leaping into the harmony
 Suppose this delegation of musical performers were tried in heaven; sup pose that four choice spirits should try to do the singing of the upper temple Hush, now, thrones and dominions and municipalities. Davidl be still, though you were ''the sweet singer of Israel" Paull keep quiet, though you have come to that crown of rejoicing Rich ard Baxterl keep still. though this is the Saints everlasting Rest" Four spirits now do all the singing But how long would heaven be quiet2 How longG "Hallelujahl" would cry some glorified Methodist from under the altar. Praise the Lordl" would sing the martyrs from among the thrones. '"Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victoryI" a great multitude of re deemed spirits would cry
 Myriads of voices coming into the harmony, and the oue hundred and forty and four thousand breaking forth into one exclamation. Stop that loud singingl Stopl Oh, no, they cannot hear ne. 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 has resolved to do it's own singing. Alasl that we should have tried on earth that which they cannot do in heaven. and instead of joining all our voices in the praise of the most high God, delegating perhaps to un consecrated men and women this most solemn and most delightful service
 Now, in this churAh. 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 throwing the whole responsibility upon the mass of the people, making the great null titude the choir, we might rouse moro heartiness. The congregation coming on the Sabbath day feel that they can not delegate this part of the great serv ice to any one else, and so they them selves assume it. We have had glori- ous congregational singing here. People have come many miles to hearit. They are not sure about the preaching, but they can always depend on the singing We have heard the sound coming up like ''the voice of many waters" but it will be done at better rate after awhile, when we shall realize the height, and the depth. and the immensity of this privilege.
 forgot to state the other reason why we adopted this plan That is, we do not want any choir quarrela You know very well that in scores of churches there has been perpetual contention in that direction The only church fight that ever occurred under my ministry was over melodeon, in my first settle ment Have you never been in church on the Sabbath day and heard the choir sing. and you said, 'That is splendid music. The next Sabbath, you were in that church, and there was no choir at all, Whyl The leader was mad. or his assistants were mad. or they were all mad together. Some ol the choirs are made up of our best Christian people Some of the warmest friends have ever had have stood up in them, Sabbath after Sabbath, con scientiously and successfully lead ing the praises of God But the majority of the. choirs through out the land are not made up ot Christian people and three-fourths of the church fights originate in the or gan loft. take that back and say nine-tenths A great many of our churches are dying of choirs
 We want to rouse all our families to the duty of sacred song We want each family of our congregation to be a singing school Childish petulance. obduracy and intractability would be soothed if we had more singing in the household. and then our little onei would be prepared for the great con gregr;,tion on the Sabbath day. theiI voices uniting with our voices in the praises of the Lord.
 After a shower there are scores ol streams that come down the mountain side with voices rippling and silvery, pouring into one river and then rolling in united strength to the sea So ] would have all the families in our church send forth the voice of prayer and praise, pouring it into the great tide od
 public worship that rolls on and on te empty into the great. wide heart ol God. Never can we have our church sing as it ought until our families sing as they ought.
 There will be great revolution on
 this subject f., all our churches. Goo
 will co,,,,, ., ,,yn bv hia spirit npd ro,1SE