The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1895-04-27

the agonies of the Psalmist's doubts
and trials, and the burst of trium-
plant acclaim, which should swell
forth his thanksgiving and his life
should be like the play of light upon
the waters, like the ever varying MUIR
muir and music of the sea. MY friends,
if we would indeed speak to one an
other in psalms and hymns and spir-
itual songs, it can only be when there
is melody in our hearts, and melody,
not for ourselves, but to the Lord, and
the united melody Of many voices.
All the singing of our public wor-
ship should be not only correct and
fitting, but also spirited and congre-
gational. We do not go to church
that priest may pray for us, or a
choir sing to US, but that our prayer
may be our Common" prayer, with
the clear and fervent responses of
high and low, rich and poor, one with
another.
But take the very simplest element
of our church music, in which the
humblest village choir can JONI
mean the third element of musical
services to which st. Paul alludes-
speaking to one another in hymns"
How many devout congregation has
made, even of that throng of simple
sounds, as it were heap of franklin
cense, lit into fragrant fame upon
Gods altar by the lightning of ar
dent sincerity? How often have the
hymns of our service been
Blessed to Kindle Dizziness.
to deepen emotion, to awaken mem
DRY, to brighten prayerl How often
has the sailor thought of them as he
chung to the frozen shrouds in nights
of storm; how often the soldier, as he
lay on the battlefield, with the life
blood ebbing from his wounds; how
often women, and greyhaired men,
and innocent boys, and little children
on the bed of death! Every age has
needed them. st. Chrysostom and
st. Ambrose wrote them, no less than
Milton and Wesley. They have
soothed the hermit's loneliness, they
have fred the warriors courage, they
have steeled the martyrs soul. Com
ing from every religious movement,
hymns know nothing of our wretched
sectarian differences. Equally dear
to us are the classic sweetness of Ad-
Olson, the simple faith of Kenn, the
fervent devotion of Toplady, the
sanity strength of Newman, the pas
sionate yearnings of Faber and of
Neale. A true hymn, rational, manly
fervent, thrilling with spontaneity
and vigor, does not recognize the dis
putes of Calvinist or Arminian, Dis
senter or Romanist, of Ritualist or
Evangelical. 1t only knows of love
to God in Christ our Lord. "God is
our Refuge in Distress" sprang like
a spark of fire from the glowing heart
OF Luther; "Lol He Comes with
Clouds Descending" expresses the
thoughts of Cennick during the hor.
rors of European war; Jerusalem,
The Golden" echoes the immortal
yearnings of st. Bernard of Clugny;
"Oh, for Closer walk With God" is
the deep sigh of Cowper when the
cloud of insanity was overshadowing
one of the sweetest and tenderest of
Christian lives; "From Greenland s
Icy Mountains" is memorial of the
missionary zeal of Bishop Reginald
Heber; soft in Sorrow, Oft in Vice.
was written on the backs of the
mathematical papers of poor Henry
Kirke White; "Abide with Me; Fast
Falls the Eventide," was written by
Henry Lyle when the chill waves of
the river of death were beginning al
ready to close over his soul; hymns
comforted the sad spirit of Melanc-
thon in his exile; hymns cheered the
soldiers of Gustavus Adolphus when
they charged at Lutzen. Only ON
that great day when the secrets of all
hearts shall be revealed will it be
fully known how many souls have
been savingly touched, how many
consciences have been awakened, how
many prodigals brought back to their
Father in Heaven by the voice OF
familiar hymns such as those which
we trust will be sung for many long
year by you and your children.
A great living writer tells us how,
in a peasant cottage near his own
house, there was little boy; full Of
intelligence and life, and a pearl OF
great price to his parents. He went
down to a field by the brook-side one
bright morning where his elder
brother was moving. The child came
up without speaking, and the back