The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1898-01-03


conditions OF peace. Compulsory peace
is contradiction Of terms. Jesus be-
gan, then, at the very foundation. Peo-
pie grew impatient because the coming
or concord was not more rapid, but we
all very we'll know how slowly human
| ity accepts even the very best good for
itself. We see, therefore, that the work
| in the beginning was largely prepara-
tory, and underneath the surface. But
1t was true and durable work, neverthe-
less. But some, aye great deal of the
work wrought for the coming of per-
petual peace has been by force Of arms
We find martial music, then, in the very
midst of the churchs activity. And
since peace comes by active endeavor
we find the loyal disciple hungering
after that stirring concord and harmony
which is able to give him courage.
Likewise there are many expressions OF
pathos in the music Of the church. Nat
urally they come to us, for the natural
state of the human life Is. still present
with us, with it's defeats and its limita
tons. To be sure, the frictions of these
conditions are Modified by the ointment
Of grace, but the pathos remains and
breathes through much OF the music Of
the church.
But more than any other element APP
pears the triumph and spirit of victory,
1t breathes with no uncertain life
throughout even the pathetic. when
1 am weak, then l am strong" Though
the minor strain carry the theme and
thought to-day we cannot be separate
from the anticipation of the coming
time, when the limitations of the natur-
al life SHAH have been overcome by the
work of the Christ. This strain of hope
we discover at the very advent.
Suddenly, without any warning, there
appeared in mysterious concord with
the occasion this choir, trained some
where to sing ecstatically, and to sing
something with the understanding as
truly as with the heart. The world has
been past hope, past redemption, for
sooth, had 1t not paused to hear the an
gels Gloria in Excelsis.' 1t was not a
| choir limited to the size of the organ
loft or the dais about the altar. They
were in the open arch of the heavens,
with the whole earth for their foot
STOOL The most select choir of the
world scathe drals would have been beg
carly beside this. What a beginning
the music of the gospel had! Wonder
you that some of the finest conceptions
in harmony have come from sacred
themes? There are no such ideals In all
the realm of fancy, as those which you
find in the plain, simple fact Of the COM
ing of Jesus. Even the passion of our
Lord loses it's tragedy when viewed as
| -, o.t ,f ,l,o1o To-
thus. That vision sustained Him.
Through that rift in the cloud He could
see land and a people without any
sin, without the sharp cark of the agony
of sacrifice. This Illuminated the vast
expanse of the shadow in the border
land where was His special task. But
even the pathos Of the passion is set to
music, and the music gets it's power
from the fact None other has moved
more deeply the nearer Bach touched
what has seemed to many to be the very
heights of human attainment when he
accomplished the task he undertook
that of setting the tragedy of the cross
to music.
In the consideration of the theme, l
do not forget to give credit to the old
| ulSPCiSdllOh loI lLe llIdIly Dtdulllu
hymns in the psalter of the Jewish wor-
ship, but we must not forget the fact
that some of the most enhancing are
Messianic in spirit, and so prove what
I have said.
So many things lose their power be-
cause they are separated with force
, from their surroundings. The advent
would be the advent still If the music OF
the joyful fact were less prominent
but it's inspiration and it's buoyancy
would be gone. You set the diamond ir
gold, the painting in it's frame; as
quickly think to separate them, as tc
separate the magnificent facts of the
gospel from the music which helps tc
bring the facts before the world.
And if I do not previously err there is
a strain of praise in the whole divine
, plan, though the plan was perfected II
sacrifice. Some of the most unwelcomt
facts in the emancipation of the human
race have been heard (because set tt
music by people who, with fingers il
: their ears, would have rushed from place
to place. had the plain fact Of the gospe
been spoken. Thus has the leaven beer
introduced. We have an historical in
cident to prove it. Music was the
charm Of Martin Luther's life. He played
, the flute with Skill He composed many
excellent tunes and wrote many hymns
One Of his prosecutors said, THE whole
people is singing itself into the Luther
3 an doctrine" Doctrines which the PEG
, pie themselves would have Stunned hat
they come as doctrines but coming il
hymns and in music, they absorbed
them unconsciously
Again, while the music of the incar
l nation and birth of Christ has been ex
tensive still more music has been caus
1 ed or prompted by 1t than has beef
!; | written directly for it. And l believ
it is not stated too strongly, when
: say that practically the world did no
' sing before the Christ came. Since tina
} time everybody has been transforme'
3 by sweet sounds. / do not mean tina
: all have become regenerate Chat wer
j not true), but the worst individual /
9 better to-day for the coming of tn
Q King, and there are thousands VIII
4 have not yet accepted the Christ as
e personal saviour, who have been bene
I flied by the music that has been mad
Y possible by His coming.
D This music of the gospel dispensatiol
0 has wrought wonders We have seel