Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-11-05
PRAISE SERVICE
held AT THE SECOND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
LAST NIGHT.
Dr.. Cunningham Delivers Highly Interesting
Address on Dr.. Isaac Watts and
Bis Hymns

A very interesting praise service, in
commemoration of DR.. Isaac Watts, the
great hYmnist, was conducted in the
Second Presbyterian church last night
BY Rev. DR.. Cunningham. The text
Was taken from Psalms s7:7, "As we'll
the singers as the players on instru-
ments shall be there" Following is an
extract OF DR.. CunninRham's address:
when the Lord counts and writes
up the people who shall be born, spirit
ually born In Zion, He says, "As we'll
the singers as the players on instru-
ments shall be there" Song and music
were prominent features OF Divine
worship in David's time. This is evil
dent from the large number Of $50 Lee
vites who were expressly appointed for
singing and the performance Of music.
Not less than 255 singing
men and singing women returned from
the exile. The Books OF Chronicles tell
US that the chief instruments used by
the Levites were cymbals, harps and
lutes; according to the Fifth Psalm We
should use the flute which Is frequent
~ noticed on Egyptian monuments. In
vision the Psalmist sees
THE CITIZENS OF ZION REJOICING
at some sacred festival, and marching
in triumphant procession with vocal
and instrumental music-"As well as
the singers and players on instruments
shall be there" Where God is, there
must be Joy, and where the church is
increased by numerous conversions
that joy becomes eXhuberant and finds
out ways Of displaying itself.
1T is a historical fact that the hymn
ulogy of the church has had much TO do
in the promotion of the piety and spir-
itualily Of Gods people, therefore
shall take pleasure tonight in calling
your attention TO the father OF
English hymnology, Rev. Isaac
Watts, D. D., an English Con-
gTegationalist who died 10 174S.
When the grave closed over Owen, Bax-
ter, Howe, Flavsl and the other Puri-
tan heroes, the religions life which they
had fostered began TO wsne. Soon after
the opening Of the Eighteenth century
Arianism began its ravages. whitening
many congregations not positively in
fected by it's errors. Dissent appeared
TO be undergoing process Of disintegra-
ton. The doctrines OF the
atonement, justification by faith, and
renewal by the Holy Ghost, were hidden
away. Presbyterian congregation in
numbers slid into Arianism and from
that into Sicinianism, and Congre-
gGtional churches into Journalism
and death. A Christianity thus
pasied could scarcely be otherwise
than noiseless. Dull and dismal, in
deed must have been most of the public
worship OF the early part OF the Eigh-
teenth century. 1t was in this dismal
winter OF religion that the eldest Of
the huge family of English hymn books
was born, in the year 1907. The two
men who In the Eighteenth century
stood head and shoulders
ABOVE THE PIGMY RACE,
on whom the mantle OF the non-con-
formist fathers had not fallen, were
Watts and Doddridge. At the
age of eighteen, Isaac Watts wrote his
first hymn for the close OF Sabbath
service. 1t was the hymn beginning:
behold the glories OF the Lamb"
Among his early hymns was one COM
posed under very interesting circum-
stances. DR.. Watts was enamored
of Miss Elizabeth Singer, af-
forwards the celebrated Mrs.
Rowe, who was greatly admired for her
personal beauty, intellectual graces and
moral excellencies. Some of the most
accomplished men OF the time were
among her friends, and several offered
her their hands. DR.. Watts proposed
marriage to Miss Singer and was re-
iected. BE was small in statue and
lacking in personal beauty. Miss
Singer 10 abiding TO his intellectual
worth, said that she
LOVED THE JEWEL
but could not admire the casket that
contained it. Isaac Watts
never married and after laboring for
fifty years ia the gospel he was carried
10 the grave amidst a concourse OF
mourners OF all denominations.
The serene close Of DR.. Watts life was
in harmony with the consolation Of
some OF his verses. 1t is as a
hymist that Watts has gained uni