Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1896-11-07
CHANT OF THE STARS
MUSIC WAS THE THEME OF REV. Or
TALMAGE'S SERMON.

a Prediction That Harmony Shall Chris
tianiHe the World Sacred Songs Are
Fastening the Triumph The Universe
win Again Be In Tune.
WAsHINGToN, Nov. 1.-The musical re
tonrces of all nations seem drawn upon by
DIR Talmagc in this sermon TO illustrate
q most practical truth. His subject was
The Chant Of the Stars, and the text
job IS. 6. :, Who laid the cornerstone
thereof when the morning stars sang to-
gether!"
We have all seen the ceremony ut the
laying of the cornerstone of church, asylum
or Masonic temple Into the hollow OF the
stone were placed scrolls OF history and
important documents. to be suggestive II,
100 or goo years after. the building should
be destroyed by fire or torn down. We re
member the silver trowel or iron hammer
that smote the square piece of granite into
sauctity. We remember some venerable
man who presided welding the trowcl or
hammer. We remember also the music as
the choir stood on the scattered stones and
timber Of the building about tn be con
structcd The leaves Of the notebooks ilut-
tered in the wind and were turned over
with "A great rusiling, and we remember
how the bass, harytonc. tenor, contralto
and soprano voices commingled. They
had for many days been rehearsng the
special programme that it might be worthy
of the cornerstone laying.
In my text the poet Of Uz calls us 10 n
grander ceremony-thc laying OF the foun-
dation Of this great temple OF n world
The cornerstone was n block of light and
the trowel was of celestial crystal All
about and on the embellishments Of clouds
stood the angelic choristcrs unrolling their
librcttos of overture and other worlds
clappcd shining cymbals while the cerc-
mony went on and God, the Architect, by
stroke of light after stroke Of light. dcdi-
Gated this great cathedral of world. with
mountains for pillars and sky for frescocd
ceiling and Towering fields for n floor and
sunrise and midnight aurora for uphol-
stery. "Who laid the cornerstone thereof,
when the morning stars sang together"
Gods Perfect Harmony.
The fact is that the whole universe was
complete cadence, an unbroken dithy-
ramb, n musical portfolio. The great sheet
of immensely had been spread out, and
written on it were the stars, the smaller Of
them minims. the larger Of them sustain
ed notes The moteors marked the STAG
cato passages, the whole heavens gamut
with all sounds, intnnations, mudulatious,
the space between the worlds a musical in
terval, trembling of stellar light a quaver,
the thunder bass clcf. the wind among
trees n treble clef That is the way God
made all things "a perfect harmony
But one day harp string snapped in
the great orchestra One day voice
sounded out Of tune. One day n discord,
harsh and terrific. grated upon the glori-
Gus antiphon. il was sin that made the
dissonance, and that harsh discurd has
been sounding through the centuries. All
the work Of Christians and philanthropists
and rcformers of all ages is to stop that
discord and get all things back into the
perfect harmony which was heard at the
laying Of the cornerstone when the morn
ing stars sang together. Before l get
through, II | am divinely helped, will
make IL plain that sin Is dscord and
righteousness harmony; that in general
things are out Of tunc Is as plain as To n
musician s ear is the unhappy clash of clar-
met and bassoon in an orchestral rem
dering
The worlds health out Of tune; weak
lungs and the atmosphere in collision, dis
ordered eye and MONDAY light I'm quarrel,
rheumatic limb and damp weather in
struggle; neuralgias, and pnenmonias, and
consumptions, and cpilcptics in flocks
sweep tho neighborhoods and cities.
Where you find one person with sound
throat, and keen eyesight, and alert ear, and
easy respiration. and regular pulsation, and
supple limb, and prime digestion, ard
steady nerves, you find 100 who have 70
be very careful because this or that or the
other physical function is disordered.