Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-04-03
Calnase
Sermon
By Rev.
Prank De Witt Talmase. d. D.

New York. March 29.-In this ser
mon the preacher tells of the power OF
song as an influence on human life and
character and especially of gospel song
as u means of winning men from sin
to righteousness. The text is Chron.
vi, 81, And these are they whom Da-
vid set over the service of song In the
house Of the Lord"
well remember Sunday l once
spent upon the roof of the cathedral at
Milan. ! had been away from home
for many weeks and was very lonely
and homesick. Furthermore, L was
hungry for an old fashioned Christian
service OF the type OF the American
meeting house. l had been so long
witnessing the European dissertation 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 gratifed; but, alas,
none of 1t was therel That huge ca
thedral is capable of holding 10000
worshipers. Thousands Of people were
in the building that morning, but only
Il little handful were seated about the
pulpit. Most of the people inside the
church were tourists wandering about
examining statue here, tomb there,
beautiful column beyond. Sick at
heart. l turned away and began to
climb the stairs which led up to the
roof. Higher and higher went until
! seemed 10 have left the world behind.
Alone was walking upon those lofty
heights amid the marble statues when
suddenly ] stopped short. Seemingly
from everywhere aud 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
1t came. Then as the voices rose and
fell and finally died away In a plain
tive whisper l said to myself, "That
must have been like the singing at the
old temple OF Jerusalem" Itseened as
though choir loft was taking up the
refrain Of choir loft, and the great
Asaph himself, the chief OF all the mu-
stcians and singers whom David ap-
pointed. was leading In the service of
song
Sitting there that Sunday afternoon
on that Milan roof 1 thought OF that
service Of singers In Jerusalem 5000
years ago and of the singing Of the
long succession OF all the generations
OF singers that In the Christian church
have won their triumphs during the
past centuries. 1t seemed as if they
were all united in one great service Of
song in stupendous harmonies, for
wherever you so you find the love OF
music. The English plowboy sings as
he drives his team. The Scotch high
lander makes the glens and gray
moors resodnd with his beautiful
songs. The muleteer OF Spain cares
not who sits on the throne or stands
behind IL IL 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 his
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 we'll as In the
evening twilight or the grave. And in
spired poets and musicians OF the past
and the present have merely harnessed
up that innate love OF the heart of man
and used Ii for God and for heaven.
A Talk About Music.
Today. God willing, l want to lead
you away from pulpit and lectern.
want 10 lead you away from altar and
chancel and out OF the church audi
torium aud have you sit with me as
sat that day upon the roof OF the Milan
cathedral and give your thoughts to
the sweet sounds In which the church
In all times has given praise to God.
want to have little quiet talk with
you upon the influence OF gospel song.
And after this talk Is ended want
you to go home and reverently take
down your hymn books and gather
your children about you and teach them
TO sing praises to God and utter In
tuneful words the love of Christ for
all men. And these are they whom
David set over the service OF song in
the house Of the Lord"
Now, why did David appoint musi-
Clans over the service OF song In the
temple? First, because music is a com
bination Of beauties in sounds. and no
man can truly come to the higher
Christian life until he learns to appre-
eiate the beauties OF all Gods ere
auons. God does not simply say to
man, Il am God, creator and ruler;"
put he says, Il want you to notice that
have made everything beautiful In
Its time" Thus Jesus babe us look at
the lily or the wild flower of the
held and observe the care with which
God mad produced a masterpiece In
coiors. He makes the leaf OF that wild
mower so beautiful that artists for cen.
turtles have tried in vain to reproduce
Its harmonies. Oh, the marvellous
blending OF cOlors In the leaf of one
little daffodili Then think of Gods
architecture! What is the cathedral OF
81 Peter In Rome. or the cathedral at
tAiogne, or any OF our architectural
masterpieces. in comparison with tho
grandeur OF the Alps or the beauties of
tns Grand canyon2 Gods love of
beauty shows itself here, as 1t does I'm
the towers that are In these gardens
again preparing to make the world a
glorious garden. We know from all hi
works that he loves beauty and ar.
sure that when we strive TO make hil
worship sweet and harmonious witt
MS gift or voice and with musical In
struments we are pleasing him.
Is not the voice OF a great congrega
ton lifting its song in praise ike tn.
sound OF many waters? Have you eve,
noticed how many times the Bibl,