Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1897-10-05

deemed spirits would cry-myriadS OF
voices coming into the harmony and
the one hundred and forty and four
thousand breaking forth into one &C
clamation. Stop that loud singing!
Stop! Oh, no; they cannot hear me.
You might as well try to drown the
thunder of the sky, or beat back the
roar of the sea, for every soul in heav''
en- has resolved to do its own singing.
Alas! that we should have tried on
earth that which they cannot 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 SOL
emn and most delightful service.
Music ought to rush from the au-
dence like the water from a rock
clear, bright, sparkling. If all the 9th.
err part of the church service is dull,
do not have the music dull. With so
many thrilling things to sing about.
away with all drawing and stupidity!
There is nothing makes me so nervous
as to sit in a pulpit and look off on an
audience with their eyes three-fourths
closed and their lips almost shut, mum
bling the praises of God. During my
recent absence | preached to large
audience, and all the music they made
together did not equal one skylark.
People do not sleep at coronation. Do
not let us sleep when we come to
Saviour's browning. In order to a prop
hi I,,tu lnt M
up, save as age or weakness or fatigue
excuses us. Seated in an easy pew we
cannot do this duty half so we'll as
when, upright, we throw our whole
body into it. Let our song be like an
reclamation OF victory. You have
right to sing. Do not surrender your
prerogative.
We want TO rouse all our families
upon this subject. We want each fam
lily 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 voices uniting with
our voices in the praises of the Lord.
After a shower there are scores OF
streams that come down the mountain
side with voices ripping and silvery,
pouring into one river, and then roll
ing in united strength to the sea. So
l would have all the families in our
church send forth the voice of prayer
and praise, pouring it into the great
tide of public worship that rolls on and
on to empty into the great wide heart
of God. Never can we have our church
sing as it ought until our families sing
as they ought.
There will be a great revolution on
this subject in all our churches. God
will come down by his Spirit and rouse
up the old hymns and tunes that have
not been more than half awake since
the time of our grandfathers. The ST.
| lent pews in the church will break
forth into music, and when the con-
ductor takes his place on the Sabbath
Day there will be great host of voices
rushing into the harmony. Ny Chris
tian friends, if we have no taste for
this service on earth, what will we do
| in heaven, where they all sing, and
| sing forever? / would that our sing
| ing today might be like the Saturday
night rehearsal for the Sabbath morn
! ing in the skies, and we might begin
now, by the strength and by he help
of God, to discharge duty which none
of us has fully performed. And now
what more appropriate thing can / do
than to give out the Doxology of the
heavens, Unto him who hath loved
us, and washed us from our sins in his
own blood. to him be glory forever!"