Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-03

No 1t is Gods love. OF course there
are some of the old hymns which con.
tain warnings to the sinner, but I'm
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
Hell 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 / say is not true. And
this il the reason why the song which
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 Yields 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, al
VIII 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 the
work of Americas greatest evangel-
istic preacher unless at the same time
he follows the wonderful career of
Americas most wonderful gospel sing
err what do you think of the work
of Ira ID. Sankey?' asked one OF the
greatest and most influential ministers
of the west, "He is emphatically the
messenger of gentleness. This fact
was never better illustrated than by
comparing the work of Moody and
Sankey." "Great team that" l said;
yes, great team" Why2 Because
each mans work supplemented the
work OF the other man. Moody was
an earnest conscientious preacher.
Moody would stir an audience until
men and women could see their sins
marching before them in an appalling
procession and they could realize the
peril of their condition. Then Sankey
would sing Of the life line OF the nine
ty and nine and the love of God touch
ed the hearts OF men until the whole
audience would be melted into tears.
Moody was essentially the plower and
the sower. Ira d. Sankey was the
reaper. He was the one who could
soften the heart and make sinners feel
the love of God by the power OF gospel
song. The blowing had TO be done.
Each man supplemented the work of
the other man. Moody and Sankey
formed the most potent evangelistic
team OF the past century.
But there is another reason why Cos
pei singing has been baptized by the
Holy Spirit for the salvation OF men.
Gospel singing stimulates the worship
er to do something for Christ 1t is his
part Of the church service. The min
lister may be praying. but the members
or the congregation may not be follow
Ing him in his prayers. While the min
lister is preaching the solemn faced
elder sitting before him may be plan
ming how he is going TO run his bust
ness the next day. That was n quain.
and beautiful compliment which Mark
Twain gave TO his minister some time
ago. The great humorist met the
preacher at the door of the church aft.
er the sermon and said: my dear doc.
tor, you Will have TO make your ser.
mons more uninteresting or / cannot
afford to come TO church any more
Sunday morning in church Is the time
l always expect TO plan my weeks
work. You are preaching such inter
esting sermons that | have 10 pay at.
tention, and You must become more
stupid or else ! shall have 10 stay
sway" But. alas. what Mark Twain
spoke in jest is only too true of some
hearers. Whether Il is the fault OF the
minister or not. one fact Is certain
Many a merchant has planned out his
business deals during the Sunday
morning sermon, and many a tired
mother has taken q short cat nap dur
Ing the long prayer OF the Sunday
morning service. But IL is so differen,
during the time OF gospel singing. IL %
the difference OF doing something fol
Christ and sitting passive in your pew
Tho Group About the Piano.
Why did your mother have you chill
drep gather around that piano TO sing.
What was her chief reason? 1t was
to get YOU 10 do something good tc
keep you from doing something posi-
lively harmful O friends. do not think
that the time you spend with your cliff
dren singing IS wasted time. If som,
parents would do little less scoIdin;
and little more singing with thei
children perhaps they might have JUS
the same spiritual influence for goot
as had your saintcd mother when sh,
gathered the children about her ever,
Sunday afternoon TO sing the gospe
hymns.
But there Is another truth which
comes surging over me with over
whelming power when / think of tn,
divine purpose or sacred song That IL
the thought that the great hymnolo
gists have always been the gospe
teachers who have been able to over
leap all the barriers OF sectarian big
otry and narrow minded creeds. /:
| the great hyrnnologists have accom-
piished no other good at least they
have taught Us that Christ Inns many
other sheep who do not belong to oul
sectarian fold. In olden times tn,
| Episcopaliar rector would not allow
| the Presbyterian pastor to enter hi.
| chancel. And the Presbyterian anJ
the hard shell Baptist were just a.
bigoted in their way as their Episco
palian brothers. But no sectarian big