The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-10-07
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
EHE BROOKLYN DIVINES SUN
DAY SERMON.
Subject: "The Importance of Sacred
Music"


he 1vas the father of all such as handle
the harp and organ. n."-Genesis w., 81.
Il Lamech had two boys, the one herdsman
and the other a musician. Jubat the
younger son, was the first organ builder.
BE started the first sound that rolled from
the wondrous instrument which has had so
much to do with the worship Of the ages.
But what improvement has beer made un-
der the hands Of organ builders such as
Bernhard, Sebastian Bach and George
Hogarth and Joseph Booth and Thomas
ward Jardine Of our own day. l do not
wonder that when the first organ, that we
read Of as given in 757 by an emperor OF the
east to king of France, sounded forth its
full grandeur a woman fell into dellrlum
from which her reason was never restored:
The majesty of a great organ skilfully
played is almost too much for human endur-
ance, but how much the instrument has done
In the reinforcement OF divine service 1t
will take all time and all eternity to cele-
brate. Last April when we dedicated this
church to the service OF Almighty God our
organ was not more than half done. 1t has
now come so near completion that this morn
ling preach a sermon dedicatory Of this
mighty throne Of sacred sound. It greets
the eve as well as the ear. Behold this noun
tain Of anthems! This forest Of hosannahs!
Its history is peculiar.
The late Mr.. George Jardine recently mads
a tour of the organs of Europe. He gath
ered up in his portfolio an account Of all the
e1cellences OF the renowned Instruments OF
music on the other side Of the Atlantic and
all the new improvements. and brought bacE
that portfolio to America, declaring that
Brooklyn Tabernacle should have the full ad-
vantage of all he had obtained, and although
he did not live to carry out his idea, his son,
Mr.. Edward Jardine, has introduced into this
great organ all those improvements and
lgrandcUrs, and while you hear this organ
you hear all that is notable in the organs OF
Lucerne and Fribourg 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 I can describe, and all for God
and the lighting Of the soul toward
Him. Its four banks of keys, its
one hundred and ten stops and appliances,
its four thousand five hundred and ten pipes,
its chime of thirty-seven bells, its cathedral
diapson and pedal double diapson, its song
trumpet and night horn and vox humana,
all, oil. we dedicate to God aud the soul. It
will, believe, under thedivine blessing lead
uncounted thousands into the kingdom. Its
Wedding marches, its thanksgiving anthems,
its rcquiems will sound after all the voices
that follow it to-day shall have sung their
last song. To God the Father, God the Son
and God the Holy Ghost we dedicate it!
There has been much discussion as to
whS-e music was born. think that at the
beginning, when the morning stars sang to-
gether, and all the suns Of God shouted for
Joy, that the earth heard the echo. The
cloud on which the angels stood to celebrate
the creation was the birthplace Of song.
Inanimate nature is full Of Gods stringed
and wind instruments. Silence itself-per-
feet silence-is only musical rest in Gods
great anthem of worship. Wind among the
leaves, insects humming in the summer air,
the rush Of billow upon beach, the OCEAN far
out sounding its everlasting psalm, the bob
;olink on the edge Of the forest the quail
,whisthng up from the grass are music.
/ On Blackwell's Island I heard coming
from window in the lunatic asylum a very
sweet song. 1t was sung by one who had
that even the deranged and disorded ele-
smentS of nature would make music to our
lear, if we only had acuteness enough to
listen. l suppose that even the sounds in
mature that are discoriant and repulsive
5nake harmony in Gods ear. You know
That you may come so near to an orchestra
that the sounds are painful instead OF pleas
urable, and think we stand so near deva-
stating storm and frightful whirlwind we
ear and the ear of the spirits above us
% music as complete as it is tremendous.
The day Of judgment, which will be a day
of uproar and tumult, suppose Will bring
no diSsonance to the ears Of those who can
calmly listen; although it be as when some
great performer is executing boisterous
piece OF music, he sometimes breaks down
the instrument on which he plays. SO it may
be on that last day that the grand march Of
(<>l vol ht1f ha An NS thnnHor
earthquake and conhagration, may break
down the world upon which the music is ex-
ecutej. Not only is inanimate nature full
of music but God has wonderfully organized
the human voice. so that in the plainest
throat and lungs there are fourteen direct
muscles which can make over sixteen thou
sand different sounds and there are thirty
indirect muscles which can make, it has
been estimated, more than one hundred and
seventy three millions OF sounds!
Now, say, when God has 50 constructed
the human voice, and when he has filled the
whole earth with harmony, and when he
recognized it in the ancient temple, have
right to come 70 the conclusion that God
loved music.
Ipropose this morning. in setting apart
this organ for sacred use, to speak about sa-
cred music; first showing you its Importance
and then stating soma Of the obstacles to its
advancement.
y draw the first argument for the i'm
portance of sacred music from the fact that
God commanded it. Through Paul He tells
US to admonsh one another in psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs and through
David He cries out, "Sing ye to God, oil ye
Kingdoms Of the earth" And there are
hundreds of other passages might name
proving that it is as much q mans duty to
Sing as it is his duty to pray. Indeed,
think there are more comm ands in tie Bible
to sing than there ara to pray.
God not only asks for the human voice but
for instruments Of music. He asks for the
cymbal, and the harp, and the trumpet as
well as the organ. And I suppose tnat in
the last days Of the church, the harp, the
lute, the trumpet and oil the instruments of
music, whether they have been in the service
of righteousness or sin will be brought by
their masters and laid down at the feet OF
Christ, and then sounded in the church's
triunlh, on her way from suffering into
glory. Praise ye the Lordr' Praise Hin
with your voices. Praise Him with stringed
instruments and with organs.
draw another argument for tho import
ance of this exercise from the impreSsivenes>
of this exercise. You know something OF
what secular music has achieved. You
know it has made its impression on govern
ments, upon laws, upon literature, upon
whole generations. One inspiring national
air is worth thirty thousand inen as
standing army. There comes time in the
battle when one bugle is worth thousand
muskets. have to tell you that no nation
or church can afford to severely econon!ze
In music.
Many os you are illustrations Of what
sacred song can do. Through it you were
brought into the kingdom Of Jesus Christ.
You syood out against the argument and the
warning of the pulpit, but when, In the
s1yeet words of Isaac w atts or Chnrias iyac-