Milford chronicle., 1893-10-20
cHrRcH AlrsIc.


CHURCH MUSIC.
In the first place sanctuary help ought to
come from the music A woman dying in
England persisted in singing to the last mo-
ment. The attendants tried to persuade
her to stop, saying it would exhaust her
and make her disease worse. She an
swered: Il must sing. I am only practic-
ing for the heavenly choir" Music on
earth is a rehearsal for music in heaven. If
you and 1 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 a concert until
they had first in 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 here? But l am not speaking of
the next world. Sabbath song ought to
set all the week to music. We want not
more harmony, not more artistic express
sion, but more volume in our church music.
Now, am no worshiper of noise, but 1
believe that if our American churches
would with full heartiness 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. Whynot
take this part Of the sacred service and lift
it to where it ought to be? 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 loudly2 Then,
say, away with the fashion. We dam back
the great Mississippi of congregational
singing and let a few drops of melody
trckle through the dam. 1 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 a great deal of the art of sing
ing, of music as an entertainment, of music
as a recreation. 1t is high time we heard
of music as a help, practical
help In order to do this we must only
have a few hymns New tunes and new
hymns every Sunday make poor congre-
gational singing. Fifty hymns are enough !
for so years. The Episcopal church prays
the same prayers every Sabbath and year
after year and century after century. /
For that reason they have the hearty re-
sponses. Let us take hint from that fact |
and let US sing the same songs Sabbath |
after Sabbath. Only in that way can we |
come to the full force of this exercise. /
Twenty thousand years will not wear out |
the hymns of William COwper and Charles !
Wesley and Isaac Watts.
Suppose now each person in this audience /
has brought all the annoyances of the last
365 days Fill this room to the ceiling with
sacred song, and you would drown out all .
those annOyances of the 3G5 days, and YOU
would drown them out for ever. Organ
and cornet are only to marshal the voice
Let the voice fall into line, and in COM
lanies and in brigades by storm take tie
and sin of the world. If you can
lot sing for yourself, sing for Others BY
rying to give others good cheer, you will
)ring good cheer to your own heart.
When Londonderry, Ireland, was be-
legged many years ago, the people inside
he city were famishing and a vessel came
lp with provisions, but the vessel ran on
he river bank and stuck fast. The enemy
vent down with laughter and derision to
,oard the vessel, when the vessel gave a
fire against the enemy, and by
be shock was turned back into the stream,
nd all was well. Oh, ye who are high and
ry on the rocks of melancholy. give a
roadside fire of song against your spirit
al enemies, and by holy rebound you viii
ONE out into the calm waters. If we want ,
0 make ourselves happy, we must make
theirs happy.
Mythology sells us of Amphion, who I
layed his Tyre until the mountains were
loved and the walls of Thebes arose, but {
shgion has mighter story to tell Of how i
hristian song may build whole temples Of /
.ernal joy and lift the round earth into {
with the skies. 1 tarried many \
lights in London, and l used to hear the I
ellis, the small bells of the city. strike the e
our of night, ?, 3, 4-and after they 4
ere done striking the hour Of night then f
ie great ST. Paul's cathedral would come +
to mark the hours, making all the other
,unds seem utterly insignificant as with &
Eighty tongue it announced the hour Of I
le night, every stroke an overmastering t
1om. I
Ny friends, it was intended that all the c
sser sounds of the world should be }
rowned out in the mighty tongue Of con- (
song beating against the gates S
heaven. 20 you know how they mark q
le hours inl mo They have no clocks, t
! they have no q, lies, but o great pen {
alum Of halleluiah swinging across heav- e
from eternity to eternity. {
Let those refuse 70 sing b
VINO never knew our God, 81
But children OF the heavenly king
Ghnuld atlae.is i bair ioxF o llrnf.i-