The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-09-14
The PULPIT.
A BRILLIANT SUNDAY SERMON BY
OR. CHARLES EDWARD LOCKE.
Subject Music and Culture.

BROOKLYN, \. 4.-Dr. Charles EdWaru
locke paSto: of the Hanson Place NJ.
E. Church, preached Sunday Oh "Mu-
sic as Factor III Culture" He took
his text from Psalms c.:1: praise
ye the Lord" DR.. Locke said:
From that moment in the creation
when the morning stars sang toSeth-
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 liOsral edu-
cation. Music. like poetry. makes its
appeal 70 tile noblest instincts OF the
soul. 1t is said that the inhabitants
of Cynette. who sighted music, were
the cruellest of all the Cracks and 10
other town was so immersed i'll lux
uries and debauchery.
Christianity was born with song
OF. its lips. Mary sang in thrilling
measures of the Magnihcat; the angels
sang in their tumultuous halleluiah
chorus; and the shepherds sang in
plaintive strains of quiz ecstasy. Aud
the world has been singing ever snce.
pasanism 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 Doth 4 science and an art.
AS IN art it does not, as do painting
and sculpture, occupy itself in repro
ducing nature-for it is Itself part
of nature. and seeks to reveal itself.
The Egyptians first cXcelled in music.
but great strides were made by the
Greeks under PythaSoras The word
music is derived from Greek term.
which includes all the learing Of the
MUSES.. Of all the fine ar,s. music is
the most comprehensive. The maies-
" of the architect. the pictures Of the
artist. the rhythm Of the poet and the
themes of all these belong to the mt
sician. whether he sits at the instru-
ment or pours out his soul in vocal
melodies. Tie fable tells that Mer-
curry stretched strings of Criet. skin
a.:ross a shell. and. striking them with
his fingers, invented the Tyre. Tie
bow as Il musical instrument was prob
ably first used by the warrior. who.
as he described his successes in lat
lie, twanged the string &C his bow.
4 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 a means of comailn!-
cation between all souls. whatever
cline may have given them bir:-.. 1t
is the most responsive Of al the arts
the most human. It more nearly
breathes and sees and feels. 1t pos
seSSeS all the va:ying lues OF the
soul. The music Of the siren would
allure Ulysses to his death and the
monotouous tones Of the bell buoy d.
rect the imperiled mariner to safety.
TumAltuous music is the comp!stest
expression of happy souls on feStai
days. and tender. so'nbre strains in-
te"pret the Language Of sad hearts
when nation morrns for its martyred
heroes Glat, hallelujah, o. .'eniten-
tial psalm. expresses the contrasting
emotions of the soul.
Music was defined Ivy our own Sid
ney Lanier as "love in search of
word" There is IN inexpres>ible
something in the heart Of mar which
seeks 10 define itself in speech. but,
failing in this. music flies to his re-
lief and in melody he ponrS out his i'm
prisoned soul. Music is the language
OF the over-soul: it is the sou: pre-
longing or projecting itself. The high
est music cannot lie expressed III
words. This is the explanation OF tie
angels advent anthem and Of Ill mu-
sic in worship. Tie deeper the soHi
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 tie In
finite. all earthly devices Of language
utterly fail. and music only. which
is an adjunct of the infnities. ell
ables man to sing what he ran never
express. his alteration and gratitude
tc his great God and King. Conse-
oueltly. whenever religion is the sin
cerest. then music will be the purest.
Music is the echo of Gods voice i'll
the soul of man. Without that echo
mans soul is a cavernous abyss. filled
with specters OF despair.
Music is Il gift Of God. Like all the
sciences. it is a radiation Of divin"
truth. Pythagoras taught close af-
finity between music and astronomy.
He was right SO far as he went, but
music leads men up to the perpetual!
throne Of glory, Of which stars aud
considerations are but slitterins scin-
tillations. st. Cecilia. receiving her
music from angel visitants. tells the
secret of the musicians power. Great
musicians are born. not made. Their
extraordinar? genius is en- endow-
ment manifesting itself in phemone
ia! ways in childhood. rs in the cases
of Mozart, List and Christine Nils
son.
The divinity of music further ap-
pears in the fact that the greatest mu-
sicians have been good men: and to
develop the mighty impulses which
they have felt III their souls the great
musicians have chosen lofty divine
themes. This was true of Jubal and
Job, of David with his harp. and Sol
onion with his sweet songs. 1t was
true Of Beethoven. whose soulful SON
atas have won for him a genuine
priesthood of the emotions; and OF
Rarh whose elaborate f1rueS have