Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-02-06

course III. Iuiluhke tdilS dtleHtlOu "
causes of thanksgiving that are seldom
recognized and shows how to cultivate
q cheerful spirit; text, Psalms xxxiii, 2,
"Sing unto him with psaltery and an
instrument of ten strings"
A musician as well as poet and con-
oueror and king was David. the author
cred rhythm and then played it upon a
harp. striking and plucking the strings
with his fingers and thumbs. The
harp is the Oldest of musical instru-
ments. Jubal invented 1t, and he was
the seventh descendant from Adam.
Its music was suggested by the twang
of the bowstring. Homer refers to the
harp in the "Iliad." 1t Is the most con
secratcd OF all instruments. The flute
is more mellow, the bugle more mar
tial, the cornet more incisive, the trum-
pet more resonant, the organ more
mighty. but the harp has q tenderness
and sweetness belonging to no other
instrument that l know of. 1t enters
into the richest symbolism Of the Holy
Scriptures. The captivcs in their sad,
ness "hung their harps upon the will
lows" The raptures of heaven are
represented under the figure of harp
ers harpng on their harps.' We learn
from coins and medals that In the Mac
cabean age the harp had only three
strings In other ages it had eight
strings. David's harp had ten strings
and when his great soul was atire with
the theme his sympathetic voice. &C
companicd by exquisite vibration OF
the chords, must have been overpower
ing.
With IA many things to complain
about as any man ever had DaviC
wrote more anthems than any Other
man ever wrote. He puts even the
frosts and haistorms and tempest:
and creeping things and flying fow
and the mountains and the hills anC
day and night into a chorus. Absa
lom's plotting and Ahithophels treach
cry and hosts of antagonists and sleep
less nights and a running sore coult
not hush his psalmody. Indeed, the
more his troubles the mghtier his sa
cred poems. The words "praise" ant
"song' are so often repeated in hi
psalms that one would think the type
settlers case containing the letters Will
which those words are spelled would
be exhausted.
In my text David calls upon the PEG
pie to praise the Lord with an instru
ment Of ten strings. like that which III
was accustomed to finger. The simple
fact is that the most of us. If we prais
the Lord at all, play upon one strin'
or two strings or three strings whcl
we ought to take harp fully chorde'
and with glad fingers sweep all til,
strings. Instead of being grateful 70
here and there a blessing we harper
to think Of, we ought to rehearse al
our blessings so far as we can recall
them and obey the injunction of m!
text to sing unto him with an instru
ment of ten strings.
Remember Daily blessings,
Have you ever thanked God for de
lightsomc food? What vast multitude
Ere a-hungered from day to day or ar,
obliged to take food not toothsom'
or pleasant to the taste! What mil
lions are in struggle for bread A Con
federate soldier went to the front ant
his family were on the verge Of star
walton, but they were kept up by TIL
faith Of child Of that household, who
noticing that some supply was sure t
come, exclaimed, Mother. | think Coz
hears when we scrape the bottom o
the barrel"
Have you appreciated the fact tina
on most Of your tables are luxuries tina
do not come to all? Have you realize'
what varieties OF favor often toucl
your tongue and how the sacchari'
and the acid have been afforded you
palate? What fruits, what nuts, wha
meats rcgale your appetite while man
would be glad to get the crusts ant
rinds and pcelings that fall from you
table. For the fine flavOrs and the lux
urious viands you have enjoyed for
lifetime perhaps you have never ex
pressed to God word OF thanksgly
ing. That is one Of the ten strings tina
you ought TO have thrunmed in prais
TO God, but you have never yet put 1t !
vibration.
Have you thanked God for eyesigh
as originally given to you or, after
was dimmed by age. for the glass tina
brought the page Of the book With
the compass of the vision? Have 30
realized the privation those suffer t
whom the day is as black as the nigh
and who never see the face Of father q
mother or wife or child or friend
Through what painful surgery man
have gone to get one glimpse of tn
light! The yes so delicate and beat
tiful and useful that one Of them
invaluable! And most OF us have tw
of these wonders of divine mechanism
The man OF millions Of dollars who r,
Gently went blind from atrophy of OF
tic nerve would have been willing I
give all his millions and become n da
laborer II he could have kept Off til
blindness that gradually crept over hi
vision.
You may have noticed how Christ
sympathies We're stirred for the bin,
Ophthalmia has always been prevaler
IN Palestine, the custom of sleeping @
the houseps, exposed to the dew an
the dying dust of the dry season, invi
Ing this dreadful disorder. A large PIE
centage Of the inhabitants could nj
tell the difference between u o'cloc
at noon and II O'Clock at night. "