The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1893-11-04

BROOKLYN, Oct l5.-The character ofthe
hymns given out by Rev. DIR. Talmage in
the Brooklyn Tabernacle this forenoon
called for the unusual power Of congrega-
tional singing, organ and cornet, and the
voices OF the thousands of worshpers made
the place resound with music. The subject
was, Helpful Churches" the text being
Psalms Xxx, @ "Send thee help from the
sanctuary
II you should ask 80 men what the church
is, they would give you so different an
swers. One man would say, 1T is a con
yention Of hypocrites." Another ut is an
assembly of people who feel themselves a
great deal better than Others Another
1T is place for gossip, where wolverine
dispositions devour each other" Another
at ia place for the cultivation of super
stition and cant" Another, at is an arsenal
where theologians 20 to get pixies and mus
kets and shot, Another, 1T is an art
gallery, where men 20 to admire grand
arches, and exquisite fresco, and musical
MARBLE, and the Dantesque in gloomy inn
agery." Another man would say; 1T Is
the best place on earth except my own
home. If forget thee, O Jerusaleml let
my right hand forget her cunning"
Now, my friends, whatever the church is
my text tells you what it ought to be, a
great, practical, homely, omnipotent help.
Send thee help from the sanctuary" The
pew ought to yield restfulness to the body.
The color Of the upholstery ought to yield
pleasure to the eye. The entire service
ought to yield strength for the MOL and
struggle OF everyday life. The Sabbath
ought to be harnessed to all the six days of
the week, drawing them in the right direc
ton.
The church ought to be n magnet, visibly
and nightly affecting all the homes Of the
worshipers Every man gets roughly jos
tied, gets abused, gets cut, gets insulted,
gets sighted, gets eXasperated. BY the
time the Sabbath comes he has an accumu-
lation of SIX days Of annoyance, and that is
a starveling church service which has not
strength enough to take that accumulated
annoyance and hurl it into perdition.
The business man sits down in church
headachey from the weeks engagements.
Perhaps he wishes he had tarred at home
on the lounge with the newspapers and the
slippers That man wants to be cooled of
and gracously diverted. The first wave OF
the religious service ought to dash clear
over the hurricane decks and leave him
dripping with holy and glad and heavenly
emotion. Send thee help from the sane
tuary."
CHURCH MUSIC.
Ill lut ilESJ pltCG 0ilNbhdll OuRuI u
come from the music. A won n dying il
England persisted in singing to the last mo
ment. The attendants tried to persuade
her to stop, saying it would exhaust hei
and make her disease worse. She an
swered: II must sing | am only practic
ing for the heavenly choir" Music on
earth is a rehearsal for music in heaven. II
you and ! are going to take part in that
great orchestra, it is high time that we
were stringing and drumming our harps
They tell US that Thalberg and Gott-
schalk never would go into concert until
they had frstin private rehearsed, although
they were such masters of the instrument
And can it be that we expect to take part
in the great oratorio Of heaven If we do not
rehearse hereg But am not speaking Of
the next world. Sabbath song ought tc
set all the week to music. We want no
more harmony, not more artistic expires
sion, but more volume in our church music.
Now am no worshiper of noise, but /
believe that if our American churches
would with full lcartincss of soul and full
emphasis of voice sing the songs of Zion
this part of sacred worship would have ten
fold more power than it has now. Why not
take this part of the sacred service and lift
it to where it ought to bef All the annoy.
ances of life might be drowned out of that
sacred song Do you tell me that it is not
fashionable to sing very loudly? Then,
say, away with the fashion. We dam back
the great Mississippi of congregational
singing and let a few drops of melody
tricke through the dam. say, take away
the dam and let the pillows roar on their
way to the oceanic heart Of God. Whether
it is fashionable to sing loudly or not, let
us sing with all possible emphasis.
We hear Il great deal of the art of sing
ing, Of music as an entertainment, of music
as recreation. 1t is high time we heard
something of music as a help, a practical
help. In order to do this we must only
have few hymns. New tunes and new
hymns every Sunday make poor congre
gational singing. Fifty hymns are enough
for so years. The Episcopal church pray
the same prayers every Sabbath and yea
after year and century after century
For that reason they have the hearty re
sponses Let us take n hint from that fac
and let us sing the same songs Sabbat
after Sabbath. Only in that way can W
come to the full force of this exercise
Twenty thousand years will not wear GU
the hymns of William Cowper and Charlie
Wesley and Isaac Watts.
Suppose now each person in this audienc
has brought all the annoyances of the las
1855 days. Fill this room TO the ceiling wit
sacred song, and you would drown out al
those aunoyancss of the 365 days. and yo
would drown them out for ever Orga
and cOrnet are only to marshal the voice
Let the voice, fall into line. and in com
panies and i'll brgades by storm take TIA
obduracy and sin of the world. If you car
not sing for yourself, sing for others, b.
trying to give others good cheer. you will
bring good cheer to your own heart.
When Londonderry, Ireland, was be
sieged many years ago, the people insid
the city were famishing, and vessel cam
up with provisions, but the vessel ran OF
the river bank and stuck fast. The enem
went down with laughter and derision I
board the vessel, when the vessel gave
broadside fire against the enemy, and b
the shock was turned back into the stream
and all was well. Oh, ye who are high an
dry on the rocks of melancholy, give
broadside fire of song against your spirit
ual enemies, and by holy rebound you wi
come out into the calm waters. If we wan
to make ourselves happy, we must max
others happy.
Mythology tells us of Amphion, VIII
played his Tyre until the mountains wer
moved and the walls Of Thebes arose, bu
religion has mighter story to tell of hoy
Christian song may build whole temples {
eternal Joy and lift the round earth int
sympathy with the skies. tarried man
nights in London, and | used TO hear th
BELLS the small bells of the city strike th
hour OF night, 2, 3, 4-and after the