Milford chronicle., 1893-05-19
MILFORD, DEL, FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1898.

the people lamented their bad behavior,
and the king, under the pathOs Of the music
cried out: "'rhe city of Antioch is for
given" The rage Of Achilles was assuagec
BY a harp. Asclepiades swayed rebelhou2
multitudes by harp.
After the battle of Yorktown, when 8
musician was to suffer amputation, and be
fore the days of anRsthetics, the wounded
artist called for musical instrument and
lost not a note during the 40 minutes Of
amputation. Filippo Palma, the great mu
sician, confronted by an angry creditor
played so enchantingly before him that the
creditor forgave the debt u d gave the debt
or 10 guineas more to iEHnlse other cred
itors. An eminent physician Of olden time
contended (of course, carrying our theory
too far) that all ailments of the world could
be cured by music. The medical journals
never report their recoveries by this mode.
But in what twilight hour has many a
saint of God solaced heartache with a
hymn hummed or sung or Played Jerome
Of Prague sang while burning at the stake.
Over what keys of piano or organ conso
lation has walked! Yea, in church one
hymn has rolled peace over a thousand Of
the worried, perplexed and agonized. While
there are hymns and tunes ready for the
iubilant, there is Il rich hymnology for the
suffering-''N Naomi" and "Eventide" and
Autumn Leaves" and Come, Ye Diseon-
solate," and whole portfolios and hbrettos
Of tears set TO music.
All the wonderful triumphs Of surgery
and all the new modes Of successful treat
ment Of physical and mental disorders are
discussed in medical conventions and spreaC
abroad in medical books, and it is high
time that some of the millions of souls that
have been medicated by music, vocal and
instrumental, let the world know VIVA
power there is in sweet sound, whether roll
ing from lip or leaping from frightened
chord or ascending from ivory key. Musi'
is a universal language, At the foot OF the
Tower of Babel language was split into
fragments never to be again put together
but one thing was not hurt, and that Is
music. and it is the same ali world over
Last summer in Russia at watering
place we were greeted as we entered a great
auditorium which was filled with thousands
of Russians, whose language ] could not un
derstand any more than they could under
stand mine. But after the grand band had
out of compliment to us, played our two
great American airs / stepped on the plat
airl Russian air" and then he tapped with
his baton on the music rack, and with G
splendor and majesty Of power that almost
made us quail the full band poured fortf
their irrational anthem. They understood oul
American music, and we understood theil
Russian music It is universal language
and so good for universal cure.
! should not wonder if in the day OF ludS
. bot fH
souls have been saved Dy music than b'
preaching. | should not wonder IT, out o.
the 144,C00 ransomed souls that John fore
saw before the throne Of God, at least l3O,
600 had been saved by sweet song. WHY
does not the church on earth take th'
hint2 Heaven is the great musical cente
ofthe universe, theplace of doXologles ant
trumpets and harps, and in preparation to
that place we ought to make more OF musl'
on earth
The band of music at Waterloo playe,
the retreat of the Forty-second Highland
ers back to their places, and sacred musi'
has returned many faltering host of Coo
into the Christian conhictwith rs much de
termination and dash as Tennyson's ssh
Hundred" Who can tell what has beer
accomplished by Charles Wesley's f,VH
hymns, or by the congregational singing o
bis time, which could be heard two mile
Off When my dear friend Dio Lewt
(gone to rest all too soOn) conducted cam
paign against drunkenness at the west, ant
marshaled thousands of the noblest woneI
of the land in that magnificent campaign
and whole neighborhoOds and villages ant
cities shut up their grog shops do yo'
know the chief weapon used2 IL was I'M
song:
Nearer, my God, TO thee,
Nearer to thee.
They sang it at the door of hundreds o
LIQUOR saloons which had been open 70
wears, and either at the first charge of tn
campaign or the second the saloon shut up
At the first verse of Nearer, My God, Il
Thee" the liquor dealers laughed; at th
second verse they looked solemn; at tn
third verse they began to cry, and at tn
fourth verse they got down on their knees
You say they opened their saloons again
Yes. some of them did. But it is grea
thing to have he'll shut up If only for
week. Give full swing to a good gospe
hymn, aud it would take the whole worl'
FOR Godl
But when in my text see Saul declining
this medicine of rhythm and cadence an'
actually hurling Javelln at the hearU o
David, the harpist, / bethink myself or tn
fact that sin would liket kill sacred music
We are not told what tune David was play
ing on the harp that day, but from tn
character of the man we know it was not
crazy madrigal, or a senseless ditty, or
sweep of strings suggestive of the melo
drama, but elevated music, God given mu
sic. inspired music, religious music, who'll
heaven of it encamped under a harp string
No wonder that wicked Saul hated 1t AM
could not abide the sound and with all III
might hurled an instrument OF death a5 II
know there are styles Of music that sll
admires, and you hear it as you pass tn
casino or the dance hall, and the devil ha
stolen most of the fiddles, though am gla'
the Ole Bulls have snatched up the charme'
strings from their desecration; but it is
fact that sin has a javelin for sacred sounds
In many churches the iavelin Of criticism
has killed the music, javelin flung iron
organ loft or from adjoining pew OF tn
supersensitive. SauPs javelin aimed
David's harp. Thousands OF people s.
afraid they may not sing scientifically the
will not sing at all or sing with such loy
tone that no one hears them.
In many a church the javelin of criticism
has crippled the harp Of worship. If satal
could silence all the Sunday school song
and the hymns Of Christian worship b
would gain his greatest achievement Whei
the niilennial song shall rise (and it is be
ing made ready, there will be such rol
Of voices, such a concentrated power o
stringed and wind instruments, such males
ty, such unanimity, such continental an'
hemisphere and planetary reclamation
that it will be impossible to know where
earth stops and heaven begins. Roll on
roll in, roll up, thou millennial harmony
See also in my subject rejected oppor
tunity OF revenge Why did not Davie
pick up Saul's javelin and hurl it back
againY David had a skillful arm. H'
demonstrated on another occasion be coulo
WELD a sling, and he could have easily
picked up that iavelin, aimed it at Saul
the would be assassin, and left the foalninl
and demented monster as lifeless under th'
iavelin asVhe had left Goliath under {
sling. Oh, David, now is your chance
No, no Men and women with power o
tongue or pen or hand to reply to an EN-
fHuAn RI