Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-04-04
Caln1aSe
Sermon
By Rev.
Frank De Witt Talmase. ID. ID.

gong as an lnnuence OH nuLndh hle anu
character and especially OF gospel song
as a means of winning men from sin
to righteousness. The text Is | enron.
vi, 81, "And these are they whom Da-
yid set over the service OF song In the
house Of the Lord"
| well remember Sunday l once
spent upon the roof Of the cathedral al
Milan. had been away from home |
for many weeks and was very lonely
and homesck. Furthermore, | was
hungry for an old fashioned Christian
service Of the type of the American
meeting house. had been so long
witnessing the European desecration OF
the Sabbath that yearned for the SIM
pie service Of my own home church.
entered the cathedral Of Milan that
morning hoping that my longing for
worship might be gratified; but, alas,
none of it was there. That huge ca
thedral is capable of holding 10000
worshipers. Thousands Of people were
in the building that morning. but only
a little handful were seated about the
pulpit. Most of the people inside the
church were tourists wandering about
examining q statue here, tomb there,
beautiful column beyond. Sick at
heart, | turned away and began to
climb the stairs which led up to the
roof. Higher and higher | went until
| seemed to have left the world behind.
Alone was walking upon those lofty
heights amid the marble statues when
suddenly stopped short. Seemingly
from everywhere and yet from no
where in particular the sweetest an
them was rising In the upper air.
Like the summer wind which kissed
my cheek, could not tell from whence
It came. Then as the voices rose and
fell and finally died away in plain
tive whisper | said to myself, THAT
must have been like the singing at the
old temple Of Jerusalem" 1t seemed as
though choir loft was taking up the
refrain Of choir loft and the great
Asaph himself, the chief Of all the mu'
sicians and singers whom David ap-
pointed, was leading In the service OF
song
Sitting there that Sunday afternoon
on that Milan roof thought OF that
service of singers In Jerusalem 1900
( ,taro- ago and Of the singing OF the
long succession of all the generations
of singers that in the Christian church
have won their trlumphs during the
past centuries. 1t seemed as If they
were all united in one great service OF
song in stupendous harmonies, Tor
wherever you go you dnd the love or
music. The English plowboy sings as
he drives his team. The Scotch high
lander makes the glens and gray
moors resound with his beautiful
songs. The muleteer Of Spain cares
not who sits on the throne or stanos
behind It If they will let him have his
early morning carol. The vintager OF
Sicily has his evening hymn even be-
side the fire Of the burning mount
The fishermen Of Naples has his boat
song to which his rocking boat beats
time on that beautiful sea, and the
gondolier of Venice still keeps up nls
midnight serenade. So when travel
ing by land or by sea we find the In
nate love Of music waving her magic
wand over the cradle as well as In the
evening twilight of the grave. And In
spired poets and musicians OF the pas
and the present have merely harnessec
up that innate love Of the heart OF mar
and used it for God and for heaven.
A Talk About Music.
Today. God willing, want to leaC
you away from pulpit and lectern.
want to lead you away from altar an(
chapcel and out Of the church audi
torium and have you sit with me as
sat that day upon the roof of the Mllal
cathedral and give your thoughts L
tho sweet sounds in which the churcl
in all times has given praise to GOO
I vart to have little quiet talk VIII
you upon the influence of gospei song
And after this talk Is ended l wan
you to 90 home and reverently tax
down your hymn books and gathe
your children about you and teach thet
to sing praises to God and utter i
tuneful words the love of Christ 10
all men. And these are they whoI
David set over the service of song l
- the house of the Lord"
Now, why did David appoint mus
clans over the service of song IN tn
temple? First, because music is con
bination of beauties in sounds, and L
man can truly come to the higne
Christian life until he learns to appr'
ciate the beauties of all Gods CT
ations. God does not simply say
man. 81 am God, creator and ruler
but he says, 81 want you to notice TIL
- I have made everything beautiful
its time" Thus Jesus bade us look
the lily or the wild flower OF u
field and observe the care with whi(
God had produced masterpiece
colors. He makes the leaf Of that WI
flower so beautiful that artists for ce
turies have tried in vain to reprodu
|. its harmonies. oh, the marvelo'
- blending Of colors in the leaf OF OF
little daffodIl Then think OF GOO
architectural What is the cathedral
ST Peter In Rome, or the cathedral
ColoEne. or any of our architecture
masterpieces, in comparison with Z
grandeur of the Alps or the beauties
the Grand canyon? Gods love
beauty shows itself here, as 1t does
the flowers that are in these garde
again preparing to make the world
glorious garden. We know from all
works that he loves beauty and a
sure that when we strive to make
worship sweet and harmonious wi
his gift of voice and with musical
struments we are pleasing him.
r.. 80 kt,n rnioa Of OraQf nOn Qrpc