Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-10-19
AT THE TABERNACLE.
Rev. DR.. TALMAGE DlSCoURSes UPON
HELPFUL CHURCHES.

Varied Definitions of Religious Organize
tions-Ihe Essentials of Successful wor-
ship-Ihe Right Kind of Music, Preach
ing and Prayer-Doors to Heaven.
BRooKLYN, Oct. 15.--The character of the
lymns given out by Rev. DR.. Talmage in
he Brooklyn Tabernacle this forenoon
allied for the unusual power of congrega-
ional singing, organ and cornet and the
'oices of the thousands of worshipers made
he place resound with music. The subject
vas, Helpful Churches" the text being
'salms Xxx, ., send thee help from the
sanctuary"
If you should ask so men what the church
s, they would give you 80 different an
swers. One man would say, ut is a con-
MENTION of hypocrites." Another, at is an
assembly of people who feel themselves
great deal better than Others" Another,
1t is place for gossip, where wolverine
dispositions devour each other" Another.
1t is a place for the cultivation of super
ftition and can't Another, at is an arsenal
where theologians go to get pixies and mus
<ets and shot" Another, ut is an art
gallery, where men 80 to admire grand
,rches, and exquisite fresco, and musical
MARBLE, and the Dantesquc in gloomy i'm
hgery." Another man would say: 1T is
he 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,
great, practical homely, omnipotent help.
Send thee help from the sanctuary" The
pew ought to yield rcstfulness 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 messed to all the six days of
he week, drawing them in the right direc-
ion.
The church ought to be a magnet, visibly
Rnd nightly affecting all the homes Of the
worshipers. Every man gets roughly jos
led, gets abused, gets cut, gets inSulted,
gets sighted, gets cXasperated. BY the
ime the Sabbath comes he has an accumu-
alton Of six days Of annoyance, and that is
staNeling church service which has not
strength enough to take that accumulated
annoyance and hurl it into perdition.
The business man sits down in church
leadachcy from the weeks engagements.
Perhaps he wishes he had tarricd at home
)n the lounge with the newspapers and the
clippers. That man wants to be cooled off
nd graciously diverted The first wave of
he religious service ought to dash clear
pyer the hurricane decks and leave him
Dripping with holy and glad and heavenly
emotion. Send thee help from the sane
uary"
CHURCH MUSIC.
In the first place sanctuary help ought to
fome from the music. \ woman dying in
england persisted in singing to the last mo-
nent. The attendants tried to persuade
Ter to stop, saying it would exhaust her
Ind make her disease worse She an
wcred; II must sing. l am only practic-
ng for the heavenly choir" Music on
arth is a rehearsal for music in heaven. II
Fou and are going to take part in that
srcat orchestra, it is high time that we
we're stringing and drumming our harps.
They tell us that Thalberg and Gott-
chalk never would go into a concert until
hey had first in private rehearsed, although
hey Werc such masters of the instrument
And can it he that we expect to take part
n the great oratorio Of heaven if we do not
ehearse here! But am not speaking of
he next world, Sabbath song ought to
ct all the week to music. We want not
more harmony. not more artistic express
ion. but more volume in our church music.
L
believe that if our American churches
would with full heartiness of soul and full
mphasis Of voice sing the songs of Zion
his part of sacred worship would have ten
old more power than it has now. Why not
axe this part of the sacred service and lift
to where it ought to be? All the annoy
noes OF life night be drowned out Of that
acred song. Do you tell me that it is not
fashionable to sing very loudly: Then,
aN, away with the fashion. We dam back
be great Mississippi Of congregational
ngng and let a few drops of melody
licklc through the dam. | say, take away
he dam and let the pillows roar on Their
Nay to the oceanic heart OF God Whether
Is fashionable to sing loudly or not, let
p sing with all possible emphasis.
We near great deal of the art Of sing
IL, OF music as an entertainment, Of music
recreation. 1t is high time we heard
omething OF music as q help, practical
lclp. III order to do this we must only
ave few hymns. New tunes and new
ylnns every Sunday make poor congre-
;ational singing. Fifty hymns are enough
on % years. The Episcopal church pravs
he sG;nc prayers every sabbath and year
liter year and century after century.
or that reason they have the hearty re-
ponses. Let us take "A hint from that fact
mi let Us sing the same songs Sabbath
ftcr sabbath Only in that way can we
ONE to the full force Of this exercise.
Wenty thousand years will not wear out
he hymns OF William Cowper and Charles
' e-lry and Isaac Watts
Suppose now each person in this audience
las brought all the annoyances of the last
G5 days. Fill this room to the ceiling with
acrcd song, and you would drown out all
hos" annoyanccs Of the 800 days, ard YOU
would drown them out for ever. Organ
lG cornet are only to marshal the voice.
.ct the voice fall into line, aud in COM
auie~ and in brigades by storm take the
hourGcy and sin of the world If You can
lot ing for yourself, sing for others. by
ryinS to give others good cheer you will
pNng good cheer to your own heart.
When Londonderry, Ireland, was be-
eged many years ago, the people inside
he city We're furnishing, and II vessel came
up with provisions, but the vessel ran on
he river bank and stuck fast The enemy
vent down with laughter and derision to
lflpI hg .gfl