The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-06

orthe Obstacles TO Its AdvsI cen enen1-a
Singing Church is Always Successful
one.
Dr.. TaImase in his discourse rallies the
churches TO more hearty conEresauoH&t H.H-
ing and calls upon instruments Q! music -
ioin in the praise Of Cod. Inc text Is II
Chronic es V, IS, .'It came even 10 pass as
the trpmpeters and singers were as one 70
make one sound 10 be heard IN pra!s,ns ana
thanking the Lord.
The temple was done. 1t was the very
chorus of ali msgnifcance and pomp Splen-
dor crowded against sp;endoT. 1t was the
diamond nechlsce Of the earth. From the
huge pillars crowned with leaves and flowers
and rows Of pomegranate wrought out "a
FURNISHED metal, down even tothe tongs ana
snufers made out OF pure gold. everything
wss as complete as the God directed archl-
tect could make it 1t seemed as Il avlsion
from heaven had alighted on the mountains,
The day for dedication came Tradition
SAYS that there were in ana around aho&J
the temple on that day 100000 silver trump
cts, 10000 harps, 10000 timoreIS and 10
600 singers So that all modern demonstra-
tons at Dusseldorf or Boston seem nothing
compared with that. As this great sound
surged up amid the precious stones OF the
temple, it must have seemed ike the river OF
life dashing against the amethyst OF the
wall of heaven. The sound arose. and God,
as if TO show that he was well pleased with
the music which his children make ID al
ages, dropped into the midst OF the temple
cloud Of glory so overpowerins that the Oh
ciatiug priests were obliged 10 stop III the
midst Of the services.
The has been much discussion as 70
where music was born. thiuk that al the
beginning when TIE morning stars sang
tocetherand all the sons OF God shouted l"I
10Y" the earth heard the echo. The ciouH
on which the angels STOOD 10 celebrate the
creation was the birthplace OF song. Inc
stars that glitter At night are only 50 many
KEYS of celestial pearl on which God : mn
gers play the music OF spheres lna2lmaie
nature is full of Gods stringe3 and wind IN
s,runents. Silence itself-perfect silence
is only musical rest in GodS great anthem
of worship. Wind among the leaves, inSec
humming in the summer ai-. the rush OF BIZ
low upon beach, the ocean far out sounding
its everlasting psalm, the bobo!lnk on tn'
edge of the forest, the quail whlSthog "
from the grass are music. While Wasting
Blackwells island heard, coming from
window of the lunatic asylum, veEy SWee
song. II was sung by one who had lost he!
reason, and have come TO believe that even
the deranged and disordered elements OF ma
ture would make music 20 our ear Il we only
had acuteaess enough to listen suppose
that even the sounds II nature that are dig
l-a lS~
Gods ear. You know that you nay come
50 near to an orchestra that The SOUNDS ar'
painful instead of pleasurable, and thlns
that We stand so near devastating storm aao
friCthful whirlwind we caunot hear thai
which makes to Gods ear and the ear OF tht
spirits above US music as complete IS II i
tremendous.
I propose to speak about sacred music
first showing you its Importance and theI
stating some of the obstacles to It's advance
ment.
draw the first argument for the import
ance of sacred music from the fact that Goc
conlandedit. Through Paul he tells US t
admonish one another in psalms and hymn:
and spiritual songs. through David ne cs!es
out, ssSing ye to God, al ye kingdoms OF The
earth" And there are hundreds OF othei
passages might name, proving that 1t IS q:
much 8 mans duty to sing SIS It IS his duty
to pray. Indeed I think there are more
commands in the Bible 10 sing than there
are to pray. God not only asks for the bu
man voice, but for the instruments OF music
He asks for the cymhal and the harp and the
trumpet. And l suppose thst IN the las
days of the church the harp, the Lutte, tht
trumpet and all the instruments OF musk
that have given their chief aid to the theatel
and bacchanal viii be brought by their mss
ters and laid down at the feet OF Christ anC
then sounded in the eaurch's triumph OF
her Wy from suffering into glory. "Prals'
ye the Lord :" Praise him with your voices
Praise him with stringed instruments anC
with organs.
l draw another argument for the lupor
tance of this exercise from the impres
siyeness of the exercise. You know some
thing of what secular music has achieved
You know it has made its impression upol
governments, upon laws, upon literature
upon whole generations. One inspiring
national air is worth $4,000 men as stand
ing army. There comes a time II the battle
when one busle is worth 1000 muskets. Il
the earlier part of our civil war the govern
ment proposed to economic in bands O
music and many of them were sent home
but the generals n the army sent word 4
Washington: .sYou are making very grea
mistake. We are falling bsck ard fallloE
back. We have not enough music" have
to tell you that no nation or church can al
ford to severely economic in music.
Why should We rob the programmes O.
worldly gsyety when we have so many ap
propriate songs and tunes composed III oul
own day, as well as that magnificent iuheri
tance of church psalmody which has comt
down fragrant with the devotions OF Other
generaiions-tuues no more worn out thai
when our great-grandfathers climbed up OIL
them from the church pew to glory? Deal
cid souls, how they used to sing. And II
those days there were certain tunes marrle
to certain hymns, and they have lived Il
peace s great while, these two o.d people
and we have no right to divorce them. Borr
as we have been amid this great wealth o
church music, augmented By the composition:
of artists in our day, We ought not 10 b;
tempted out Of the sphere OF Christian har
noDy and try to seek unconsecrated sounds
1t is absurd for 8 millionaire to steal.
Many of you are illustrations OF what s
sacre6 song can Go. Through il you wer'
brought into the kingdom OF Jesus Christ
You stood out against the warrius and The
argument of the pulpit, but When in The
sweet words ofCharles Wesley, or John New
ton, or Toplady, the love q Jesus was sun!
to your soul, then you surrendered, as al
e-med castle that could rot be taken by
host lifts it. window 10 listen 10 h"rp trl.l
There was Scotch soldier dying IN New
Orleans and ScstGh I mister came in I
give him the consultations OF the gospel. Tn
man turned. over on his pillow and said
Don't talk TO me about religion Tnel
the minister began 10 sing fami ia- Rym'
that was composed BY David DicEenson be
ginning with the words:
Oh, mother dear, Jerusalem,
When shall | come I. thee:
Qa seoo y -o the froe NJ Dundee am