Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-04-04

let everything that hath breath praise
the Lord" When the time Of worship
which we spend in the Lords house is
so precious, would God be willing TO
waste any Of the time Of church service
In singing II music was not divine
means Of spiritual grace? Yes, here
after we must look upon music as
preacher We must reverently consider
our hymn books as second only In i'm
portance to the holy Bible itself. God
has placed his divine approval and IN
dorsement upon them.
The Importance Of Musie.
Why does God honor sacred music In
the salvation of men? This fact should
be easily analysed when you open any
hymn book and begin to sing the grand
old songs which have come ringing
down the corridors of the centuries.
What Is the keynote Of nlne-tenths-
ave. ninety-nine hundredths-of the
HYMNS which are sung? Gods wrathF
No 1t is Gods love- OF course there
are some of the old hymns which con-
tain warnings to the sinner, but IN
nearly all the hymns that we love the
central magnet of our affection is the
story they contain Of the cross and
Gods protecting care for his children.
He'll and the terrors of future punish
ment may lift their red lights of warn
Ing. but It is only the cross of Christ
that can make men cling to God as a
heavenly Father. Just read over the
/ favorite songs of your hymn book and
see if what J say is not true. Ana
this is the reason why the song when
IS sung after the sermon often does
more good than the whole sermon,
upon which the minister has expended
weeks of labor. Why? Because the
preacher too often wields the gospel
bludgeon. He is bound to declare the
whole counsel Of God, and sometimes
It must sound harsh. He says, The
end of sin IS death, and God will not
by any means accept the impenitent"
Then some sweet throated songstress
arises in the choir loft and lifts up her
voice in praise to him for his mercy
in redemption. AS the sweet message
of Gods love wings its way to the
heart of the worshipers men say, Il
will do this not because | fear hell, but
because Christ died for me and be-
cause Christ loves me-" Was not this
fact demonstrated in the great services
of Dwight L. Moody!
Moody and Sankey.
No intelligent man can study tine
work Of Americas greatest eyangei-
istic preacher unless at the same time
he follows the wonderful career OF
Americas most wonderful gospel sing
or "What do you think Of the work
of Ira D. Sankey?" asked one OF the
greatest and most influential ministers
of the west. HE is emphatically the
messenger of gentleness. This tac'
was never better illustrated than py
comparing the work Of a Moody and
a Sankey "Great team that" | said
ayes. a great team" WhyP Because
4 each mars work supplemented th'
work of the other man. Moody was
an earnest, conscientious preacher
Moody would stir an audience until
men and women could see their sin:
marching before them in an appalling
procession and they could realize thu
peril Of their condition. Then Sanke!
would sing Of the life line of the nine
ty and nine and the love of God toucn
ed the hearts of men until the who'll
audience would be melted into tears
Moody was essentially the ploWer ant
the sower Ira d. Sankey was tn
reaper. He was the one who coul'
> soften the heart and make sinners fee
the love of God by the power OF gospe
song. The blowing had to be done
: Each man supplemented the work o
the other man. Moody and Sanke
formed the most potent evangelist
team of the past century.
But there is another reason why go:
pel singing has been baptized by tn
= Holy Spirit for the salvation OF mel
Gospel singing stimulates the worship
er to do something for Christ 1t Is hi
=. part of the church service. The MIL
!, lister may be praying, but the member
!. of the congregation may not be follow
ing him in his prayers. While the mil
lister is preaching the solemn face
elder sitting before him may be plai
d ming how he is going to run his BUS
l ness the next day. That was a quail
d and beautiful compliment which Maj
l. Twain gave to his minister some IT,
l ago The great humorist met Il
n preacher at the door Of the church al
o or the sermon and said: "My dear do
h tor. YOU will have to make your sc
l. mons more uninteresting or l cam
u afford to come to church any NOR
3. Sunday morning in church Is the tin
It I always expect to plan my week
,e work. You are preaching such inte
'r esting sermons that have to pay g
% tention. and you must become mo
IN STUPID or else shall have to ST.
Or away" But, alas, what Mark Twa
% spoke In jest is only too true or son
IN hearers. Whether 1t is the fault OF {
minister or not, one fact Is certal
u Many merchant has planned out |
10 business deals during the .Sund
Il morning sermon, and many a tlr
10 mother has taken a short cat nap al
er ing the long prayer Of the Sund
e. morning service. But 1t is so differe
e. during the time of gospel singing 1t
to the difference of doing something I
:; Christ and sitting passive in your pc
a. a. The Group About the Piano
~ ~ why did your mother have you CT
~ dren gather around that piano to sin
oh What was her chief reason? 1t W
~ to get you to do something good
"a Keep you from doing something pc
W. W. lively harmful. o friends, do not TIL
co that the time you spend with your cn