The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-12-11

As you and 1 begin to join the redeemed
multitudes are we going with our friends?
Shall not our new song of gospel love
first be sung by some invalu s bed to
bring that sick man to Christ? Shall 1t
not be sung among the spiritual out
casts who never have bowed the knee
at the cross? Yes, my friends, our new
song should be a cheerful song, which
will lead people to surrender their lives
to the work of the Divine Master.
Song of Captivity.
well" says one chow can I sing a
song of cheerfulness and Of gospel hope
for myself or for others when every
thing seems to be going wrong in my
own life? 1 feel just as did the writer
of the One Hundred and Thirty seventh
Psalm. Then all was sadness and gloom
to him. He seems to see the Jews hud-
died together in captivity. There he
seems to gather them together. as the
Jews today are gathered at the foot of
Mount Moriah, at the "wailng place"
under the walls of the old temple. Their
captors come to them and cry: Sing,
sing Sing as you used to sing in Jerusa-
lemw But they answer How shall we
sing the Lords song in a strange land2"
Then you say to me: This coming
Christmas will find me in a strange
land. Why" you say, everything In
my life is so different from what 1t used
to be. So many of my loved ones are
gone. My daughter was here last Christ
mas She is gone now forever. Is 1t
mothers vacant chair, or fathers. or
a wifes or husbands? Yes, l have been
good giver to the grave, and that
grave has taken the best I have. It Is
not the time for me to sing; 1t Is the
time for sobs Then ! cannot give finan-
cially as I used to give. have had many
financial reverses during the past few
months Then cannot do as i used to
do for others. My own health Is grad
ually breaking How can | sing new
song? am like Rubinl and Bordoni and
Cuzzoni and Pasta and Malibran. After
their voices once went they were gone
forever" All, my friends, you can sing
the new song of hope and salvation II
YOU will The great trouble of your life
is not that you have had great troubles,
but that you have not waded way down
knee deep, hip deep. shoulder deep, lip
deep, into Gods promises and comforts
to get suitable inspiration for your new
song.
The great trouble with you is that
when trouble comes, instead OF throwing
yourselves more and more upon the di-
vine strength, you have let go OF God
strong hand and only depended on your
own strength. After Jenny Lind's name
had become famous as a singer her
voice began to fail. on" said she to
herself, IF I could only go and see Car
cia I know he would help me-" Manuel
Garcia was at that time the greatest
musical developer of primo donnas. She
left Stockholm and went to Paris. As
soon as she entered his studio and sang
Garcia said MY good girl, you have no
voice, or, rather, I should say you had
a voice, but you are now on the verge
90 losing 1t. Your organ is strained and
worn out. The only advice | can offer
is to recommend you not sing note Tor
three months. At the end Of that time
come to me and ! will see what can DO
for you" That was good advice for Man
uel Garcia to give to Jenny Lind but u
| IA not good advice for Christian teach-
| Ell to give you In reference to your learn
| ing how to sing the new song OF Christ
What you need Is not rest. not retire.
| ment, not seclusion you need to prac-
! tice your gospel throat. You need to
| learn how to sing the new song by delv-
| ing deep In the promises Of God, and
| then by singing Gods promises to your
| own life and to the lives of all around
| YOU Sing Singi Keep on singing. Sing
forth the promises of God. Sing what ne
has done for others. Sing about what