The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1891-09-25

NAE0E1uA AA--N-~ - 80
Grand Chorus Of Heaven.
On the occasion OF the dedication of
the big organ in his tabernacle at
BROOKLYN Rev. 7. Dewitt Talnage
preached an appropriate sermon, taking
his text from Genesis iv. 81: His
brothers name was JubaL He was the
father of all such as handle the harp
and organ" DR.. Talmage said:
Lamech had two boys, the Ons q
herdsman and the other a musician.
Jubal. the younger son, was the first
organ builder. He started the sound
that rolled from the wonderOns instru-
ment which has had so much to do with
the worship of the ages But what
improvements have been made under
the hands of organ builders of our day.
1 do not wonder that when the hFst full
organ that we read OF was given in 7o7
by an emperor of the east to king of
France, sounded forth its full grandeur
a woman fell into q delirium from
(which her reason was never restored
The majesty Of great organ skilltully
played is almost too much for human
endurance. bnt how much the instru-
rnent has done in the reformation Of
divine service 1t will take all time and
eternity to celebrate
There has been much discussion as TO
where music was born think that
at the beginning, when the morning
stars sang together, 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 crea-
ton was the birthplace of song. In
animate nature is full of Gods stringed
and wind instruments
Silence itself-perfect silence-is only
a musical rest In Gods great anthem of
worship. Wind among the leaves. in
4 - ~
rush Of billoW upon beach, the ocean
far outsounding its everlasting psalm,
the bobolinlz on the edge of the forest,
the quail whistling up from the grass.
are music. On nBlaclkwelPs island I
heard, coming from the window of the
Iunatie asylum, very sweet song. It
was sung by one who had lost her
reason. and have come to believe that
the deranged and disordered elements
of nature would make music to our ear
If we only had acuteness enough to
listen.
The day Of Judgment, which will be
n day of uprOar and tumult, 1 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,
ne sometimes breaks down the instru-
ment on which he playa, SO it may be
on that last day that the grand march
of God, played by the fingers of thun-
der, and earthquake, and confiagration,
may break down the world upon which
the music is executed. Not only Is in
animate nature full OF music, but God
g has wonderfully organized the human
voice, so that in the Plainest throat and
lungs there arc fourteen direct muscles
which can make over sixteen thous and
different sounds, and there are thirty
indirect muscles which can make. it
has been estimated, more than f73, GOO,
600 sounds
Now, I say, when God has SO con
structed the human voice, and when
q He has filed the whole earth with har-
mony, and when He recognized in it
the ancient temple, 1 have a right to
come to the conclusion that God loved
music. / propose, this morning, in set
ting apart this organ for sacred use, to
speak about sacred music; first show
ing you its Importance, and then stat
ing some of the obstacles to its zd-
vancemcnt
] 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 ndmOnish one another in
psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;
and through David He cries out: ''SinR
ye to God, all ye kingdoms OF the earth. -
And there are hundreds OF other pas
snges might name, proving that it is
as 1uGEh q man 8 uuGY 70 sing As II Is MS
duty to pray. Indeed, think there are
more commands in the Bible to sing
than than there are to pray. God not
only asks for the human voice but for
instruments of music. He asks for the
Gym bal, and the harp, and the trumpet,
as we'll as for the organ.
draw another argument for the i'm
portance of this exercise, from the i'm
pressiveness of the exercise. You know
something of what secular music has
achieved. You know it has made Its
impression on governments, upon laws,
upon literature, upon whole genera
tions- One inspiriting national air is
worth 80, 600 men as standing army.
There comes a time in the battle when
one bugle is worth thousand muslzets.
have to tell you that no nation OF
church can afford to severely economics
in music Many Of you are illustrations
OF what sacred song can do. Through
it you were brought into the kingdom
of Jesus Christ
There was Scotch soldier dying in
New Orleans, and . Scotch minister
came in to give him the consultations OF
the gospel The man turned over on
his pillow, and said; Don't talk to me
about religion" Then the Scotch min.
lister began to sing familiar hymn oil
Scotland that was composed by David
Dickinson, beginning with the words
o. mother, dear Jerusalem,
when shall como to thee?
He sang it to the tune of Dundee,
and everybody in Scotland knows that,
and as he began to sing the dying sol
der turned over on his pillow and said
to the minister; 'SWhere did you learn
that2'' why" replied the minister,
'smy mother taught me that" so did
4rline,'' said the dying Scotch soldier,
and the very foundation of his heart
was upturned and then and there he
yielded himself to Christ o, It has m
irresistible power. Luther's sermons
have been forgotten, but his ''Judg
meat Hymn" sings on through the ages
and will keep On singing until the blast
OF the archangei's trumpet shall bring
about that very day which the hymn
celebrates
In addition to the inspiring znusis OF
our own day, we have a glorious in
heritauce Of church pselmody which
has come down freighted with the de
votions of other generEtions-tunes nc