The southern argus., 1891-09-24
CHURCH MUSIC.
DR.. Talmage Discourses on Chris
tian Melody.
Gods Music Found in Everything-A De-
tense of Sacred Song-The Power Of
Vigorous Hymns-A Picture of the
Grand Chorus of Heaven.

On the occasion of the dedication Oh
the big organ in his tabernacle al
Brooklyn Rev. L. Dewitt Talmage
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 one a
herdsman and the other a musician.
Jubal, the younger son, was the first
organ builder. He started the sound
that rolled from the wonderous 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
do not wonder that when the first full
organ that we read of was given in 757
by an emperor Of the east to king of
France, sounded forth its full grandeur
b worn~- I'LL into a deliriuIn from
which 80 Jason was never restored.
The majesty of a great organ skillfullv
z = almost too much for human
endurance, but how much the instru-
ment has done in the reformation OF
divine service it will take all time and
eternity to cele brate.
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
sects humming in the summer air, the
rush Of billow upon beach, the ocean
far outsOunding it's everlasting psalm,
the bobolink on the edge of the forest,
the quail whistling up from the grass,
are music. On oBlackwelIs island I
heard, coming from the window Of the
lunatic asylum, a 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
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 instru-
ment on which he plays, SO it may be
A1.cA ~ -
Of God, played by the fingers Of thun-
der, and earthquake, and confagration,
may break down the world upon which
the music is executed. Not only is in
animate 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 thousand
different sounds, and there are thirty
indirect muscles which can make, it
has been estimated, more than f73, 900,
900 sounds
Now, | say, when God has so con
structed the human voice, and when |
lie has filled the whole earth with har-
mony, and when He recognized in it
the ancient temple, 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 ad-
draw the first argument for the i'm
portance Of sacred music from the fact
that God commanded it. Through Paul
He tells MS to admonish one another in
psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs;
and through David He cries out: Sing
ye to God, all We Kingdoms Of the earth"
And there are hundreds of other pas
sages might name, proving that it is
as much a mans duty to sing as it is his
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
rymbal, and the harp, and the trumpet,
as well as for the organ.
draw another argument for the i'm
portance Of this exercise, from the i'm
pressivcness of the exercise. You know
of what secular music has
achieved. You know it has made its
impression on governments, upon laws,
upon literature, upon whole genera
tons One inspiriting national air is .
worth $4,000 men as a standing army.
There comes a time in the battle when
one hugle is worth a thousand muskets.
have to tell you that no nation or
church can afford to severely economic
n music. Many Of you are illustrations
of what sacred song can do. Through
\ you were brought into the kingdom ..
If Jesus Christ !
There was a Scotch soldier dying in
New Orleans, and a Scotch minister !.
'ame in to give him the consultations Of
he gospel. The man turned over on
his pillow, and said: Don't talk to me
about religion" Then the Scotch min
ster began to sing familiar hymn Of /:
scotland that was composed BY David .
Dickinson, beginning with the words:
o. mother. dear Jerusalem.
When shall come to thee?
He sang it to the tune Of Dundee"
nd - - n.