The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1893-08-02
POWER OF SACRED SONG.
Instances of Its softening Influence on the
Lives of Men.


Lives of Men.
Plato thought that athletics, when
pursued to excess, hardened the moral
nature, and suggested that athletes
should study music, as one of the most
powerful Of softening influences.
story is told of the Emperor Theodosius,
which illustrates the power of music
over the emotions
The citizens of Antioch revolted
against the exactions of TheodOsius,
and dashed to pieces his statue and
that OF the empress together with
those of his two sons Subsequently.
they repented and sent Flavianus, their
bishop, to Constantinopie to appeass
the wrath of the emperor, Theodosius
repeled the bishop, declaring that moth
ing but the infection of severe punish
ment would satisfy him.
The emperor was fond Of music, and
while feasting had a choir OF boys
sing to him. The bishop took charge
OF these choristers and taught them to
sing a choral, composed by himself,
which in mournful strains described
the sorrow and despair of the Antioch
ians. The pathos of the music inter
ested the emperor; the words fas-
cinated him. At last, much affected,
he called out: Antioch is forgiven"
The power of sacred song was strils-
ingly exhibited by an incident of the
Crimean war, told In volume OF
Scotch anecdotes
Duncan Matheson, a Bible-reader to
the soldiers in the Crimea, was return
ing one night to his lodgings in an old
stable. Sickened by the sights he had
seen, and depressed with the
thought that the siege of Sc
bastopol was likely to last for
months, he trudged along in the mud,
knee-ieep. Happening to look up, he
saw the stars shining calmly in the
clear sky. WEAKNESS gave place to
the thought that in Heaven is rest, and
he began to sing aloud the old hymn:
How bright these glorious spirits shine
Whence all their bright array
The next day was wet and stormy.
While going his rounds, Matheson
came upon a soldier standing under the
veranda of an old house. The man
was in soiled and ragged clothes, and
his shoes were so worn that they did
not keep his feet from the mud. The
Bible-reader drew him into CONVERSE
ton, cheered him by encouraging
words, and gave him money to buy
shoes.
81 am not what was yesterday" an
swered the man, his heart opening to
, Matheson's sympathy. Last night I
was tired of life and of this blunder-
ing siege. took my musket and went
down yonder, determined to blow out
my brains. AS got round that hillock
l heard some one singing, How bright
these glorious spirits shiner Itrecalled
to me the Sabbath school where used
, to sing it and the religious truths had
, heard there.
Il felt ashamed of being such cow
ard. / said to myself Here is COM
rade as badly off as am, and he is not
coward-he's bearing it!' felt that
i, that man had something which | did
, not possess to make him accept with
/: cheerfulness our hard lot. went back
t to my tent, and to-day am seeking
I that thing which made the singer so
. happy"
'Do you know who the singer was?"
asked Matheson.
"No"
"Wen, was the singer seeking com.
fort and hope in the song you heard"
The tears came into the soldiers eyes
!, as he thrust the money INTO Matheson'a
hands, saying:
after what you've done for me,
can't take it from you. youths Com
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