Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1893-05-15
HARP AND JAyELIN.
Dr. rhLNAoe paftcHss on A nov.
a. sUsJfcT,

The W"HdsFfws H00thi'E sHf nsstHH wv
y@ nssie re Illustrated w Ds,is Ne
fore sssJ when Resisted, the s,ii ~ Az
the osesss,.
BsooU.yn, May I4,--ln his sermon
this forenoon In tbe Brooklyn Tstersagls
Rev. Dr. Talmage brought IN B0vsi and
practical conjunction that 10 suggested
by text perhaps nevsr before chossn,
The opening hymn, led by orgeB end
cornet and Joined In by thousands n
voices, was
Before Jsboyah's awful thfons
We netlons bow with saorsd jos,
The subject announced wass fhrp and
JaveliD." the text being Bamua, eight
eenth chapter, tenth and eleyeDtiIvsrss,
And David played with his bandss ~
other times. and there was q jayeiip IN
Baul's hand And Saul cast the jsSeIin,
for he said, will smite David even "
the wall with IL. And David avoided cut
Of his presence twice.
What spectacle for all agesI Bsui, .
giant, and David, q dwarf. An unsor.
tunate war ballad had been composed and
sung eulogizing David above t3auL Thet
song threw Saul into . paroxysm Of rage,
which brought on one Of his old spells of
insanity to which he had been subject.
II one is disposed 10 some physical ail
ment and he get real mad, II " very APT
TO bring on one Of his old attacks. Baul
is raving maniac. and he goes 10 imi
tating the false prophets or eibyis, who
kicked and gesticulatcd wildly when
they pretended TO be foretelliDg events.
Whatever tho physicians Of tho royal
staff may have prescribed for the dis.
ordered king know not, bat David pre-.
scribed music. Having keyed up the
harp, bis fingers began 70 pull the rhythm
from the vibrating strings Thrnmi
Thrumi ThruInl No use. The king will
not listen TO the exquisite cadepceg. He
lets fly jayelin. expecting 10 pin the
minstrel TO the wall but David dodgcd
the weapon and kept on, for he was con.
fdent that he could. as before, snbdue
Saul's bad spirit by music.
Again the jayelin Is flung, and David
lodges 1t and departs. What contrast
Roseate David with harp and enraged
Saul with jayelin. Who would not
rather play the one than fling the other?
But that was not the only time In the
worlds history that harp and javelin
met Where their birthplace was l can
not declare. II IL said that the Tyre was
first suggested by the tight drawing Of
the sinews of q tortoise across its shell,
and that the flute was first suggested by
the blowing Of tho wind across bed Of
reeds, and that the ratio OF musical In,
tervals was first suggested TO Pythago-
ras by the different hammers on the anvil
of the smithy. but the harp seems 10 mo
to have dropped out Of the sky and tho
javelin TO have been thrown Up from tho
pit.
The oldest stringed instrument OF the
world is the harp Jubal sounded his
harp in the book Of Genesis. David
played many Of bis psalms on the harp
while he sang them. The captives In
Babylon hung their harps on the willows,
Josephus celebrated the invention Of the
10.stringed harp. Timotheus, the Mile
sian, was imprisoned for adding the
twelfth string TO the harp, because too
much luxury Of sound might eneryate
the people Egyptian harps, Scottish
harps, Welsh harps, Irish harps have
been celebrated What an inspired tri.
angle!
Everlasting honors to Sebastian Erard
who by pedals invented called tbs foot
as well as the hand TO tho harp. Wher
the harpsicord maker for whom IN
worked discharged him for his genius
the employer not wanting TO be eclipset
by his subordinate. Erard suffered from
the same passion of jealousy that threw
Saul Of my text into the fit during which
he flung a jayelin at tho harpist. Tn
harp Is almost human. as yon find wbei
you put your finger on Its pulse.
Other instruments have louder yOic'
and may be better for q battle charge
but what exquisite sweetness slnmber
between the harp strings. waking at tn
first touch Of the tips Of the fingers. !
can weep. II can plead. II can soothe
II can pray. The flute Is more mellow
the trumpet is more startling, the orgal
is more majestic. the cyrnbals arc NOR
festive, the drum 10 more resOunding
but the harp has richness OF its owi
and will continue its mission through al
time and then take part In celestial sym
puDuicb, tOf Ots ooAu cAJo hD AS<sN -
heaven the harps Of God
THE ANCIENT JAyEfIs.
But the jayelin OF my text 10 just q
old II In about 81 feet Long. with wood
en- handle and steel point. keen and sharI
But it belongs TO the great family Q
death dealers and is brother 10 swor
and spear and bayonet, and first cousi
to all the implements that wound an
slay II has cut its way through III
ages. II was old when Saul. In the seen
of my text. tried 70 harpoon David.
has gashed the earth with grave trenches
Its keen tip Is reddened with the bloc
Of American wars. English wap, osl
man wars. Russian wars. French war
Crusader wars and wars Of all nation
Snd OF all ages.
The structure Of the javeiin show
what II was made for. The Dlowshzs
is sharp. but aimed 70 cut the earth
preparation for haryests. The hsbtnin
rod is sharp. but aimed 70 disarm q
H0ktnings and secure safety. The AZ