The Penn's Grove record., 1905-09-15
THE PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
DR.. CHARLES EDWARD LOCKE.
Subject : Music and Culture.

Subject: Music and Culture.
Brooklyn, N. Y.-Dr. Charles Edward
Locke, pastor of the Hanson Place NJ.
r.. Church, preached Sunday on "Mu-
sic as a Factor in Culture" He took
his text from Psalms ell: "praise
We the Lord" DR.. Locke said:
FROM that moment in the creation
when the morning stars sang togeth-
er n the brooks went singing down
the hillsides of Eden, and the birds
made glad the dawn of time with their
thrilling melodies, music has had an
1nd1sputable place in the world.
The study of music is a liberal edu-
cation. Music, like poetry. makes its
appeal to the noblest instincts Of the
SOU. 1t is said that the inhabitants
or Cynette, who sighted music, were
the cruellest of all the Greeks and no
other town was so immersed in lux
uries and debauchery.
Christianity was born with q song
OIL its lips. Mary sang in thrilling
measures of the Magnificent; the angels
sang i'll their tumultuous haIleluiah
cnorus; and the shepherds sang in
plalntive strains of quit ecstasy. And
the world has been singing ever snce.
Paganism does not sing; it laments.
Pagodas and mosques do not tighten
their sombre interiors with music,
but every Christian church. however
humble, is a conservatory of sweetest
melodies.
MUSIC is both a science and an art.
AS an art it does not, as DO painting
and sculpture, occupy itself in repro-
duclng nature-for it is itself a part
OF nature, and seeks to reveal itself.
Inc Egyptians first excelled in music.
but great strides were made by the
creeks under p~ythagoras. The word
music is derived from a Greek term.
which includes all the Tearing of the
MUSES.. or all the fine ar,s. music is
the most comprehensive. The males.
" OF the architect, the pictures of the
artlst, the rhythm of the poet and the
themes OF all these belong to the mu-
slclan, whether he sits at the instru-
ment or pours out his soul in vocal
melodies. The fable tells that Mer-
curry stretched strings of dried skin
across a shell, and, striking them. with
his fingers, invented the lyre. The
DOW as a musical instrument was prob
aDIy nrst used by the warrior, who.
as ne described his successes in bat
tie, twanged the string O. his bow.
IL was later discovered that the bow. /
when drawn across certain hollow OBJ
Jects, produced pleasing sounds
thence the lutte and the violin. Music
mas been called the universal language. /
and truly it is a means of communi-
cation between all souls. whatever
CLINE may have given them bir.-. IT
is the most responsive of all the arts
tine most human. 1t more nearly
DreatheS and sees and feels. 1t pos
SeSses all II ya;ying hues Of the
soul. The music Of the siren would
allure Ulysses to his death and the
monotonous tones of the bell buoy di-
the imperiled mariner to safety.
Tumultuous music is the completest
OF happy souls on festal
days: and tender, sombre strains in
terpret the language of sad hearts
"hen a nation mourns for its martyred
heroes. GlaG hallelujah, or peniten-
tlal psalm, expresses the contrasting
emotions of the soul.
Music was defined by our own Sid |
ney Lanier as 'love in search Of a
word" There is an inexpressibIe
something in the heart of man which
to define itself in speech. but. |
failing in this. music flies to his re-
lief and in melody he pours out his i'm
prisoned soul. Music is the language
Of the over-sOul; it is the soul pro-
!onging, or projecting itself. The high
est music cannot be expressed In
words. This is the explanation of the
ANGELS advent anthem and of all mu-
sic in worship. Tie deeper the soul
life the more is one conscious of feel
lngs beyond the limitations of articu-
late utterance. In the attempt of the
Unite soul to praise and glory the In
Unite, all earthly devices of language
Utterly fail, and music only. which
Is an adjunct Of the infinities, en-
ables man to sing what he ran never
express, his alteration and gratitude
to his great God and King. Conse-
1ueLtly, whenever religion is the sim
:erest, then music will be the purest.
Music is the echo of Gods voice in
the soul of man. Without that echo
mans soul is a cavernous abyss, filed
with specters of despair.
Music is a gift of God. Like all the
sciences, it is a radiation of divine
truth. P%ythagoras taught a close af-
Unity between music and astronomy.
He was right so far as no
SOS