The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1897-10-13

siding needs to have very strong constt-
tuition II he does not get the chills. He
needs not only the grace Of God, but
nerves like whalebone. 1t Is amazing how
some people NTH voice enough to dis
charge all their duties In the world, when
they come into the house Of God have no
voice to discharge this duty. I really be-
lieve that II the church OF Christ could
rise up aud sing as 1t ought to sing, where
we have 100 souls brought into the king
dom Of Christ there would be 1000. How
was 1t 10 olden time? Cajetan said,
Luther conquered US by his songs"
But I must now speak OF some Of the
obstacles In the way Of the advancement Of
this sacred music, and the first. is that 1t
has been impressed into the service Of satan.
I am far from believing that music ought
always to, be positively religious. Refined
art has opened places where music has
been secularized, and lawfully so. The
drawing room, the concert, by the gratifca-
tion OF pure taste and the production Of
harmless amusement and the improvement
OF talent, have become very forces In the
advancement of our civilization. Music
has as much right to laugh in Surrey
gardens as 1t has to pray in st. Paul's. In
the kingdom OF nature we have the glad
fling OF the wind as well as the long meter
psalm of the thunder. But, while all this
Is so, every observer has noticed that this
art, which God intended for the improve
ment Of the ear. and the voice, and the
head, and the heart, has often been i'm
pressed into the service Of error. Tartini,
the musical composer, dreamed one night
that satan snatched from his hand an
instrument and played upon 1t something
very sweet-a dream that has often been
fulfilled in our day-the voice and the
instruments that ought to have been de-
voted to Christ captured from the church
and applied to the purposes OF sin.
Another obstacle has been an inordinate
fear of criticism. The vast majority Of
people singing in church never want any
body else to hear them sing. Everybody
Is waiting for somebody else to do his duty.
II we all sang, then the Inaccuracies
that are evident when only few sing
would be drowned out. God asks you to
do as we'll as you can, and then II you get
will forgive any deficiency Of the ear and
Of the voice. Angels will not
laugh II you should lose your place IN the
musical scale or come In at the close bar
behind. There are three schools Of sing
ing, I am told-the German school, the
Italian school and the French school Of
singing. Now would like to add fourth
school, and that Is the school Of Christ.
The voice Of a contrite, broken heart, al
though 1t may not be able to stand human
criticism, makes better music to Gods ear
than the most artistic performance when
the heart is wanting. God calls on the
beasts, on the cattle, on the dragons, to
praise Him, and we ought not to be behind
the cattle and the dragons.
Another obstacle In the advancement Of
this art has been the erroneous notion that
this part Of the service could be conducted
by delegation. Churches have said: "Oh.
what an easy time We shall havei The
minister will do the preaching, and the
choir will do the singing, and we will have
nothing to do" And you know as we'll as
I that there are great multitude OF
churches all through this land where the
people are not expected to sing. The
whole work Is done by delegation Of four
or six or ten persons, and the audience are
silent. In such church in Syracuse an
old elder persisted In singing, and so the
choir appointed committee to go and ask
the elder II he would not stop. You know
that lin many churches the choir are e3-
pected to do an the singing, and the great
mass of the people unexpected to be silent,
and II you utter your voice you are inter-
fering. In that church they stand, the
tour, with opera glasses dangling at their
side, singing "Rock Of ages, cleft for me-"
with the same spirit that, the night before
On the stage, they took their part In the
'Grande Duchesse" or "Don Giovanni"
NV Christian friends, have we right to
delegate to others the discharge Of this
duty which God demands of us2 Suppose
that four wood thrushes propose to do all
The singing some bright day when the
woods are ringing with bird voices. It Is
decided that four wood thrushes shall do
Ill the singing OF the forest. Let all other
voices keep silent. How beautifully the
,our warble! 1t is really fine music. But
how long will you keep the forest still?.
Why, Christ would come into that forest
md look up, as he looked through the
olives, and he would wave his hand and
,ay. "Let everything that hath breath
praise the Lord" and keeping time with
The stroke Of innumerable wings, there
would be 5000 bird voices leaping into the
harmony. Suppose this delegation OF
musical performers were tried In heaven.
suppose that four choice spirits should try
% do the singing OF the upper temple;
orincipalities! David, be still, though
YOU were the "sweet singer Of
Israeli" Paul, keep quiet, though
YOU have come to that crown Of rejoicing
Richard Baxter, keep still, though this Is
;he Saints Everlasting Rest!" Four
spirits now do all the singing. But how
Iong would heaven be quiet? How long?
would cry some glorifed
Methodist from under the altar. praise
The Lord!" would sing the martyrs from
among the thrones. "Thanks be unto God,
who giveth US the victory!" a great multi
tude Of redeemed spirits would cry-myr-
lads Of voices coming into the harmony
md the IA 900 breaking forth into one ac-
,lamation. Stop that loud singing Stop!
Oh, no. They cannot hear me. You might
as we'll try to drown the thunder OF the sky
Or beat back the roar OF the sea, for every
soul in heaven has resolved to 40 its own
singing. Alas, that We should have tried
ON earth that which we cannot doin heaven,
and, instead of joining all our voices IN
the praise OF the most high God, delegat:
Ing perhaps to unconsecrated men ana
women this most solemn and most delight
full service!
Music ought to rush from the audience
like the water from a rock-clear, bright,
sparkling. If all the other part OF the
church service is dull, do not have the
music dull. With so many thrilling things
to sing about, away with all drawling and
stupidity, There is nothing makes me so
nervous as to sit in a pulpit and look of on
IN audience with their eyes three-fourths
closed and their lips aways shut, mumbling
the praises OF God. During my recent ab,
sence preached to large audience, and
all the music they made together did not
equal one skylark. People do not sleep at
q coronation. Do not let US sleep when we
come 10 Saviour's crowning. In order to
proper discharge Of this duty let US stand
up, save as age or weakness or fatigue ex-
cuses US. Seated in an easy pew we cam
not do this duty half so we'll as when, up
right, we throw our whole body into 1t.
Let our song be like an acclamation OF vic.
tory. You have right to sing. Do not
your prerogative.
We want to rouse all our families upon
this subject. We want each family OF our
to be singing school. Child
ism petulance, sbduracy and intraetabillty
4 ,.w,rw IN