The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-12-11

art into larger liberties and into wider
circumference. They are at their old
business yet, but without the fatigues,
without the limitations, without the
hindrances of the terrestrial studio.
Raphael could improve upon his mas
terrisce of "Michael the Archangel,"
now that he has seen him, and could
improve upon his MASTERPIECES of the
"Holy Trinity" now that he has visit
ed them. Michael Angelo could better
present the "Last Judgment" after he
had seen its flash and heard the rum
bling battering rams of its thunder.
Masters Still Painting.
Exquisite colors here, graceful lines
here, powerful chiaroscuro here, but
am persuaded that the grander studies
and the bright galleries are higher up,
by the winding marble stairs of the sep
uloher, and that Turner and Holman
Hunt and Rembrandt aud Titan and
Paul Veronese, if they exercised saving
faith in the Christ whom they portrayed
upon the canvas, are painting yet but
their strength of faculty multiplied ten
thousandfold. Their hand has forgotten
its cunning but the spirit has faculties
as far superior to four fingers and
thumb as the supernatural is superior
to the human. The reason that God
took away their eye and their hand ana
their brain was that he might give them
something more Timber, more wleldy,
more skillful, more multipliant do
not therefore be melancholy among
the tapestries, and the bric-a- brac, and
the embroideries, and the water colors,
and the works of art which your de-
parted friends used to admire. Do not
say, 81 am so sorry they had to leave
all these things" Rather say, II am
glad they have gone up to higher artis-
tic opportunity and appreciation. Our
friends who found so much JOY in the
fine arts on earth are now luxurlatlng
in Louvres and Luxembourgs celestial.
remark again that all our departed
Christian friends who in this world
were passionately fond Of music are
still RECALLING that taste in the world
celestial. The Bible says so much about
the music of heaven that it cannot all
be figurative. Why all this talk about
halleluiahs, and choirs on the glass
and trumpets and harps and oratorlos
and organs? The Bible over and over
again speaks of the songs of heaven. If
heaven had no songs OF its own, vast
number of those on earth would have
been taken up by the earthly emlgranCs.
Surely the Christian at death does not
lose his memory. Then there must be
millions of souls in heaven who know
Coronation and "Antioch' and
mount Pisgah" and cold Hundred.
The leader of the eternal orchestra need
only once tap his baton, and all heaven
will be ready for the halleluiah. Ii
heaven should ever get out OF music,
Thomas Hastings and Lowell Mason
and Bradbury would start up hundred
old magnificent chorals. But what with
the new song that John mentions, and
the various doxologies alluded to, and
the importation of sublunar harmonles,
Christian fond of music, dying, Will
have an abundance of regalement.
What though the voice be gone in
death, what though the ear be fallen in
dissolution, are you therefore to con-
clude that the spirit will have no pow
er to make or catch sweet sounds? Can
not the soul sing? How often we COM
pliment some exquisite singing by say
ing. "There was so much soul in her
music.
Celestial Music.
In heaven it will be all soul until the
body after awhile comes up in the res
direction, and then there will be an
additional heaven. Cannot the soul
hear? If it can hear, then 1T can hear
music Do not therefore let it be in
your household when some member
leaves for heaven, as it is III some
households, that you close the piano
and unstring the harp for two years be-
cause the fingers that used to play on
them are still. You must remember
that they have better instruments OF
music where they are. You ask me,
"Do they bave real harps and real
trumpets and real organs?" L do not
know. Some wiseacres say positively
there are no such things in heaven.
do not know, but 1 should rAt be sur
prised if the God who maGs all the
mountains, and all the hills, and all
the forests, and all the mines Of the
earth, and all the growtbs of the uni
verse; should not be surprised if he
could, if he had mind to, make few
harps and trunpets and organs. Grand
old Haydn, sick and wornout. was car
ried for the last time into the music
hall. There he heard his oratorio OF the
"Creation. History says that as the
orchestra came to that famous passage,
"Let there be lightf' the whole audi
ence rose and cheered, and Haydn
waved his hand toward heaven anc
said, at comes from there!" Over
whelmed with his own music, he was
carried out in his chair, and as he came
to the door he spread his hand toward
the orchestra as,in benediction. Haydn
was right when he waved his hand to-
ward heaven and said, SIT comes from
there" Music was born in heaven, anC
it will ever have its highest throne IL
heaven, and l want you to understand
that our departed friends who were pas
sionately fond of music here are now a
II l. Il