Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1905-09-14
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:: SUNDAY SERMON :
y
4 A Scholarly Discourse by y
) DR.. Charles Z. Looke.

Brooklyn, N. Y.-Dr. Charles Edward
Locke. pastor Of the Hanson Place Nj.
z. Church, preached Sunday on "Mu-
sic as a Factor In Culture" He took
his text from Psalms cl:l: praise
yc the Lord" DR.. Locke said:
From that moment in the creation
when the morning stars sang togetn.
er and 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
indisputable place in the world.
The study of music Is liberal cdu.
cation. Music, like poetry, makes Its
appeal to the noblest instincts OF the
soul. 1t is said that the inhabitants
of Cynette, who sighted music, were
the crnellest of all the Greeks and no
other town was so immersed In lux.
uries and debauchery.
Christianity was born with a song
OF. it's lips. Mary sans in thrilling
measures of the Magnificent; the angels
sang in their tumultuOus halleluiah
chorus; and the shepherds sang In
plaintive strains Of quit ecstasy. And
the world has been singing ever snce
paganism does not sing; it Iaments
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 science and an art.
As an art it does not, as do painting
and sculpture, occupy itself in repro.
ducing nature-for it is Itself a part
of nature. and seeks to reveal itself,
The Egyptians first excelled in music,
but great strides We're made by the
Greeks under Pythagoras. The word
music is derived from Greek term,
which includes all the Tearing Of the
Muses.. or all the fine ar.s. music Is
the most comprehensive. The males
ty of the architect, the pictures of the
artist. the rhythm of the poet and the
themes of all these belong to the mI
sician, whether he sits at the instru'
ment or pours out his soul in vocal
melodies. The fable tells that Mer
curry stretched strings of GreC skin
across shell. and. striking them with
his fingers, invented the Tyre. The
bow as a musical instrument was prob
ably first used by the warrior. who
as he described his successes in hat
tie. twanged the string O. his bow
1t was later discovered that the bow
when drawn across certain hollow oh
jects, produced pleasing sounds
thence the lutte and the violin. Music
has been called the universal language
and truly it is means of commune
cation between all souls, whatever
cline may have given them bir:-.. II
is the most responsive of all the arts
the most human. 1t more nearly
breathes and sees and feels. 1t pos.
sesses all the varying hues of the
soul The music OF the siren would
allure Ulysses to his death and the
monotonOus tones of the bell buoy dl'
rect the imperiled mariner to safety.
Tumultuous music is the completest
expression of happy souls on festai
days: and tender. sOmbre strains III
terpret the language of sad hearts
when a nation mourns for its martyred
heroes. GlaG hallelujah. or peniten-
tial psalm expresses the contrasting
emotions of the soul.
Music was defined by our own Sid.
ncy Lanier ms love in search OF
word" There is an inexpressible
something in the heart OF man which
seeks 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 ii is the soul pro-
longing. or projecting itself The high.
est music cannot be expressed IN
words. This is the explanation of the
angels advent anthem and of nll mu.
sic in worship. Tie deeper the soul
life the more is one conscious Of feel.
ings beyond the limitations of articu
late utterance. In the attempt OF the
finite soul to praise and glory the In
finite. all ear hly devices Of language
utterly fail, '~1d music only. which
is M adjunct OF the intintes. ell
abes man to sing what he can never
express. his alteration and gratitude
to his great God and King. Conse.
queLtly, whenever religion is the sim
cerest, 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, filled
with specters of despair.
Music is gift of God. Like all the
sciences. it Is n radiation of divine
truth. Pythagoras taught close af-
tinity between music and astronomy.
He was right so far MS he went, but
music leads men up to the perpetual
throne of glory. of which stars and
consultations are but glittering scin.
tllations. st. Cecilia. receiving her
music from angel visitants, tells the
secret of the musicians power. Great
musicians are born, not made Their
extraordinary genius is an cndow-
ment manifesting itself in phemone.
nal ways in childhood. as in the cases
Of Mozart List aud Christine Nils
son.
The divinity of music further APP
pears in the fact that the greatest mu-
Sicians have been good men; and to
develop the mighty impulses which
they have felt in their souls the great
musicians have chosen lofty divine
themes. This was true of .lubal and
Job. of David with his harp. and Sol
ONION with his sweet songs. 1t was
true OF Beethoven. whose soulful SON
atlas have Won for him genuine
priesthood Of the emotions; and of
Bach, whose elaborate fugues have
been likened to Gothic temples in their
intricate details. 1t was true Of Men
dc!ssohn, who, in thirty eight years.
filled the souls of men with musical
pictures; and of Batiste and Schu-
mann; and of Chopin in his nocturnes;
and of wicrd il not umearthly pag-
amin, with his miraculous Stradivar-
las. 1t vas true of Mozart, whose thir-
ty-fve years gave the world such treas
ures from the Infinite that he is truly
edhaustless; and of List, who dying
as late rs 1856, seems to Eelong to
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