St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1897-10-30

Of this art has been the erroneous NO.
tiOh that this part of the service could
be conducted by delegation. Churches
have said: ''Oh, what IN easy time we
shall have. The minister will do this
preaching. and the choir will do the
singing, aud we will hsve nothing to
do" And you know as well rs l that
there are q 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 Syra-
cuse IN old elder persisted in singing,
and 50 the choir appointed . ocmmit-
tee to 20 and ask the elder il he would
not stop. You know that In many
churches the choir are expected to do
all the singing, and the great mass of
the people are expected ~ be silent,
and II you utter your voios you are in
terfering. In that church they stand,
the four, with opera glasses dangling
at their side, singingi Rock OF Ages,
Cleft for Me-" with the same spirit
that the night before on the stage.
they took their part in the ''Grand
Duchesse" or Don Giovanni"
My Christian friends, have we I right
to delegate to others the discharge of
this duty which God demands Of uss
Suppose that four wood thrushes pro-
pose to do all the singing some bright
day, when the woods are ringing with
bird voice. It is decided that four
wood thrushes shall do oil the singing
OF the forest. Let al other voices keep
silent How beautifully the four war
BILE. It is really ane music. but how
long will you keep the forest stillr
Why, Christ would come into the for
est and look up. as He looked through
the olives and He would wave His hand
and say: ''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. Sup
pose this delegation of musical perform
ers were tried in Heaven; suppose
that four choice spirits should try to
do the singing Of the upper temple.
Hush nowi thrones and dOminions and
principalities. David, b still, though
you were the sweet singer Of Israel.
Paul, keep quiet though you have
come to that crown Of rejoicing. Rich
F! ard Baxter. keep still. though this il
the saints everlasting rest" Four
!, spirits now do all the singing. But
how long would Heaven be Quietr How
longs ..Hallelujahv weuld cry some
glorified Methodist from under the
altar. Praise the Lord!" would sing
the martyrs from among the thrones.
Thanks be unto God who giveth US
the victoryv = great multitude of re-
deemed spirits would cry-myriads OF
voices coming into the harmony, and
the one hundred and forty and four
thousand breaking forth into one 40
clamation. Stop that loud singing!
Stop! oh. NO; they can mot 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 do its own singing.
Alas! that we should have tried on
earth that which they can not do in
Heaven. and, instead Of joining all our
voices in the praise Of the most high
God. delegating perhaps to unconse-
Grated men and women this most
solemn and most delightful service.
Music ought to rush from the au-
dience like the water from = rock
clear. bright sparkling. II all the
other part of the church service is dull.
do not have the music dull. With 90
many thrilling things to sing about.
away with drawling and stupidity!
There is nothing makes me 20 nervous
IS to sit in . pulpit aud look OF on an
audience with their eyes three-fourtha
closed and their lips almost shut mum
bling the praises Of God. During
my recent absence preached to Z
large audience, and all the .mu.
sic they made together did moi
equal one skylarlr. People do not sleep
Mt . coronation. Do not let US sleep
when we come to . Saviours crowning.
In order to proper discharge OF this
duty, let US stand up. save Is age OF
weakness or fatigue excuses us Seated
in An easy pew we can not do this duty
half 50 we'll IS when, upright. We
throw cur whole body into it. Let oul
song he like an exclamation Of victory
You have . right to sing. Do not sur
render your prerogative.
We want to rouse Ill our families up
ON the subject We want each family
of our congregation to be = singing
school. Childish petulance. obduracy
and intractability would be soothed il
we had more singing in the household
and then our little ones would be pre-.
pared for the great congregation
ON Sabbath day, their voice
uniting with our voices in thu
praises Of the Lord After
shower there are scores OF streams
that come down the mountain side will
voices rippling and silvery. pouring
!, into ono river, and then rolling II
united strength to the sea- So woul'
have all the families in our churcl
send forth the voice Of prayer an
praise, pouring it into the great tide Q
public worship that rolls on and ON
empty into the great wide heart
!. I0od. Never can we have our churc|
sine q it ought until oar families sim
,. q they Ought
, There will be = great revoiuoon o
, this subject in oil our churches Go
, will come down BY His spirit and rous
! M the old hymns and tunes that hav
not been more than halt awake sine
the time Of our grandfather: The q
lent news in the church will brea
forth into music. and when the con
ductor takes his place q the Sabbat
: day there will be . great host 9
| voices rashing into the harmony. y
Christian friends. il we have no tast
, Tor this service on earth, what viii y
. do in Heaven, where they ell sing. IN
! aine foreverf would that our sinl