Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1897-10-01

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 a committee 10 go
and ask the elder if he would not stop.
You know that in many churches the
choir are expected 10 do all the singing,
and the great mass Of the people are ex-
pected 70 be silent, and if you utter
your voice you are interfering In that
church they stand, the four, with opera
glasses dangling at their side, singing
Crock Of ages, cleft for me, " with the
same spirit that, the night before on the
stage, they took their part in the
"Grande DuchesSe" OF Don Clio
vanni "
Ny Christian friends, have We 4
right TO delegate 10 others the discharge
Of this duty which God demands Of u.s.
Suppose that four wood thrushes propose
10 do all the singing some lVight day
when the woods are ringing with bird
voices 1t is decided that four wood
thrushes shall do all the singing Of the
forest Let all other voices keep silent.
How beautifully the four warble 1t is
really 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, 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 Suppose this delegation
Of musical performers were tried in
heaven. Suppose that four choice spirits
should try to do the singing Of the up
per temple. Hush now, thrones and do
minions and principalitiesl David, be
still, though you were the sweet sing
er Of Israeli Paul, keep quiet, though
you have come 70 that crown Of rejoic-
ing! 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? "HalleluiahW would cry
some glorified Methodist from under the
altar. Praise the Lordr' would sing
the martyrs from among the thrones.
Thanks be unto God, who giyeth US
the victory" a great multitude Of re-
deemed spirits would cry-myriads Of
voices coming into the harmony and the
i44,000 breaking forth into one accla-
nation. Stop that loud singing Stopi
Oh, no. They cannot hear me. You
might as well try to drown the thun-
der Of the sky or beat back the roar Of
the sea, for every soul in heaven has re-
solved to do its own singing. Alas, that
we should have tried on earth that
which they cannot do III heaven, and,
instead Of joining all our voices in the
praise Of tn most high God, delegating
perhays TO unconsecrated men and wo-
men this mo- = solemn and most delight
full service
Sparkling MS-'e.
Music ought to rush from the audi
ence like the water from rock-clea.,
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 50 nervous as to
sit in a pulpit and look off on an audi
ence with their eyes three-fourths closed
and their lips almost shut, mumbling
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 a coronation. Do not let US
sleep when we come 70 Saviour's
crowning. In order 10 proper discharge
Of this duty let us stand up, save as age
or weakness or fatigue excuses us. Seat
ed in an easy pew we cannot do this
duty half so well as when, upright, we
throw our whole body into it, Let our
song be like an acclamation Of victory.
You have a right TO sing. Do not sur
render your prerogative.
We want to rouse all our families
upon this subject. We want each family
Of our congregation to be a singing
school Childish petulance, obduracy
and intractability would be soothed If
we had more singing in the household,
and then our little ones would be pre-
pared for the great congregation on Sab
bath day, their voices uniting with our
voices in the praises Of the Lord After
q shower there are scores OF streams
that come down the mountain side with
voices ripping and silvery, pouring in
10 one river and then rolling in united
strength TO the sea SO 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 un-
I'll our families sing as they ought
There viii 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 Dctu IloIe ludu udAl on anu oAHNc e@AS
time of our grandfathers The silent
pews in the church will break forth in
TO music. and when the conductor takes
his place on the Sabbath day there will
bo a great host Of voices rushing into the
harmony My Christian friends, II 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 singing today might be like the Sat
urday night rehearsal for the Sabbath
morning in the skies ard we might BE-
gin now, by the strength and by the
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"
Effect Of the Czar's Visit on France.
met the other day on the Boulevard
des Italiens two friends, one OF whom
is a monarchist, the other republican