The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-10-05

the cattle and the dragons.
Another obstacle in the advance
ment of this art has been the
notion that this part of the service
could be conducted by delegation.
Churches have said: "Oh, what an
easy time we shall havei The minis
ter will do the preaching. and the
choir will do the singing, and we will
have nothing to do" And you know
as well as I that there are a great null
titude OF churches all through this
land where the people are not expect
ed to sing. The whole work is done by
a delegation Of four or six to ten per-
sons, and the audience are silent. In
such a church in Syracuse an old ED
er persisted in singing, and SO h
choir appointed a committee to 60 and
ask the elder if he would not stop. You
are expected to do all the singing, and
the great mass Of the people are ex-
pected to be silent, n If you utter
your voice you are interfering. In that
church they stand, the four, 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
n "Grande Duchesse" or Don Gio-
vanni."
My Christian friends, have we a
right to delegate to others the dis
charge of this duty which God de-
mands Of US? Suppose that four wood
thrushes propose to do all the sing
ms some bright day when the woods
are ringing with bird voices. It is de-
cidede that four VOC thrushes shall
do all the singing Of the forest. Let
all other voices keep silent. How
beautifully the four MARBLE! 1t is real
ly fine music. But how long will you
keep the forest still? Why Christ
would come into that forest and look
up, as he looked through the olives,
Inc 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 leap
ing into the harmony. Suppose this
delegation Of musical performers were
tried in heaven. Suppose that all four
spirits should try to do the singing of
the upper temple. Hush now, thrones
n dominiOns and principalities!
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 the Saints
Everlasting Rest!" Four spirits now
do all the singing. But how long
would heaven be quiet? How long?
"Halleluiah!" 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 multitude Of re-
deemed spirits would cry-myriads of
voices coming into the harmony and
the la, 900 breaking forth into one &C
clamation. Stop that loud singing!
CfOrI oh Thoxv o4-~o+ lo-- -o
You might as we'll try to drown the
thunder of the sky or beat back the
o. Of the sea, for every soul in heav-
en- has resolved to do it's 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!
SPARKLING MUSIC.
Music ought to rush from the audi
ence like the water from a rock-clear,
bright, sparkling. If all the other
part Of the church service is dull, do
not nave the music dull. When 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,
mumbling the praises Of God. During
my recent absence I preached to a
large audience, and al the music they
made together did not equal one sky
lark. People do not sleep at a corona
ton. Do not let us sleep when we
come to a Saviour's browning. In order
to a proper discharge Of this duty let
us stand Up, save as Age or weakness
or fatigue 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 a right to sing. Do not surrender
your prerogative.
! upon his subject. We want each fam
lily Of our congregation to be a sing
ing school. Childest petulance, OBJ
duracy and intractability would be
soothed If we had more singing in the
household, and then our little ones
would be prepared for the congregation
on Sabbath day, their voices uniting
with our voices in the praises of the
Lord. After a shower there are scores
of stream that come down the noun
tain side with voices ripping and sill
l very, pouring lnCO one river anu Incu
rolling in united strength to the sea.
So I would la al the families in our
church send forth the voice Of prayer
and praise, pouring it into the great
tide of public worship hat rolls on and
on to empty into the great, wide heart
of God. Never can we have our church
sing as it ought until u families sing
as they ought.
Their will be a great evolution OF
this subject in all u chuches. God
| will come down by his spirit and rouse
up the old hymns and tunes hat have
not been more than half awake since
| the time of our grandfathers. The 81
| lent pews in our church will forth
into music, and when the conductor
takes his place on tn. Sabbath day
there will be a great host Of voices
rushing into the harmony. My Christ
ian friends, if we have no taste for this
service on earth what will we do in
heaven, where they all sing and sing
forever? I would hat our singing to-
49,