Marshall County independent. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1897-1902, 1901-12-06

Since that hour of glsdness in heaven
Christ has been the theme of every ex-
celent musical production. After the
immortal Handel had completed the
messiah" his masterpiece, with
streaming eyes, overcome by the match
less power of his own handiwork, he
cried out IN great emOtlOn-"I see the
heavens, and Christ on the throne of
God!" The harp of God in the hand of
shepherd boy subdued the turbulent
spirit of King Saul. Nor was this vic
tory less remarkable than the one that
lay the boastful giant low with Ked
ron pebble In his brain. The control of
voice and instrument whereby God
makes it possible for large soDls to
open their largeness in sweet sounds, is
an achievement and victory which
come only by gift of Cod. If song
hath awakened us out of stupor of
sin to righteousness, if music has ever
soothed the troubled spirit into piece,
whether by the soft lullaby of chris
tian mother, or the quiet strains of
some more dignifed hymn of the house
of God; if melody has even put iron
into our souls and fire into our action,
an inspiration that urged us on to con-
quest and vanquishing, then thanks be
to God for the victory through our
Lord Jesus Christi
Poetry and art, twin sisters, which
sit in our homes to comfort us and
smuse us when the days are long, have
their central inspirations in the Christ
theme. All books of beauty and power
are the children of the book, Gods own
word. The master minds that thrill us
with great thoughts have sat at the
feet % Jesus and learned of him. We
esteem highly in these better days the
NJ unificence of an Andrew Carnegie
because he gives numerous Libraries to
the great and lesser cities of the world.
But let us not lose sight of the fact
that stands shining and flashing, like
the angel at Eden's closed gates, at the
door of every benevOlence of mankind
the fact that when God gave Christ,
he gave all. In Christ and the gospel
are comprehended the whole rheims of
worthy book lore; he is the central pic
ture of all psintinos-the perfect form
in every garden of ststusry. Through
him the tongue learns to talk above
the ordinary prsttle of the every day
world and speaks words Of truth, power
and prophecy. Through him the HAND
has learned its skill to carve the rugged
oak into Installations, and fashion bold
ers of living rock into shapes of equis
ite beauty and perfectness. Through
him the eye appreciates the tints of
autumn leaves and sunset skies and on
canvas reproduce the glory of its vision.
Through him is the human spirit re.
deemed from the blighting powers of
sin and men walk again in the felicities
of uncursed garden with God. Thanks
be unto Him for his unspeakable gift.
"But what profiteth it a man if he
gain the whole world and lose his own
soulp Kings we would like to be-
kings indeed we cal, ourselves because
we sit OF thrones VIGOROUSLY ascenOed
The storms come like lambs and lie
down at our feet; distance seems like an
illusion in view of our mighty things of
speed and our message flashing wires.
We pierce the clouds and draw their
frey blood of power to drive the wheels
of our Industries and make our nights
as luminous almost as the day Our
courts are filled with the most sublime
music that can tingle in the ear and
held the beauty of Gods holiness in
things of color and of shapliness. Yet,
of what good is this whole pageantry
of royalty and glory If the end OF all is
the dust and ssb in a silent grave;
what does it profit if ell the world fol.
lows as vasssl at our back to obey our
slightest command, if the soul itself is
slave to the will of hell? But thanks
he to God which giveth us the victory
over all things-materisl, moral, spirit
usl, and through our Lord Jesus Christ
makes us to sit on thrones exalted
above every narrow Limitation in the
fine air and clear sky of the high place
of the power of the Almighty.
The victory of the human spirit over