The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-22
ANNIVERSARY
OF HANDEL
OBSERVED
AT THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN
CHURCH LAST EVENING.
Praise Selections From Noted Com.
poser-Lesson Drawn From Life
Of Washington.

Two most excellent numbers were
given by Miss Ellen Thomas at the
First Presbyterian church last even
Ing. The praise selections were from
the compositions OF George Fried
rick Handel and though among the
most difficult in sacred song, were
most artistically rendered. Miss
Biddle as pianist. displayed excep-
tional skill, both as accompanist and
in the offertory.
Speaking from the text, THY
statutes have been my songs In the
house of my pilgrimage" Rev. Carver
said in part:
There has always been something
o. wonder to us concerning the stories
OF the old south and Its slave life.
These enslayed men and women had
SC wonderous gift for turning their
house of bondage into a home OF
praise. There was spirit OF JOY. III
riany dusky life that was not even
approached unto by their free mast
ers. They seemed to have learned
secret of finding real Joy anywhere.
Obedience for many and one was
shorn of its hardness. There Is
similar note, of victory found in the
soldiers of Alexander anG Napoleon.
In some way these great leaders so
won the affection of their men that
the stern service Of war was more
loved than the freedom OF civilian lie.
Few scenes In history rival the scene
OF Alexander's death when the grim
heroes of many battles who had left
all and endured the perils of warheld
all day past the dying leaders couch
tlat they might once more see him
alive, or when. after Napoleon had es-
capped and returned to Paris, the scene
of those who had learned rull we'll In
long marches the awfulness of war,
come swiftly to place themselves
again beneath his standard And Ma
poleon seemingly learned also the sec
ret OF JOY in submission, for at Elba
he took for his motto, Happy Always
and Everywhere" No American life
better speaks this message than that
OF Washington. He. in giving and dar-
ing all for the cause he loved, was
III absolute self-subservience TO that
cause ever joyous and hopeful and con.
tented. This Is all instructive tor
every life must be life OF subServi'
ence to higher and greater factors and
powers. 1t matters not II we will IT
or not, we must recognize iron-clad
law and obey 1t. Gods eternal de-
crees and statutes are fact we must
make way for We all recognize
many OF these laws. Fire burns, sin
brings its fruits. and death comes re-
gardless of our wishes. All recognize
laws like these, but there are other
statutes In Gods great law which are
as binding and yet we try to evade
and shun them, 1t is concerning some
of these that tho psalmist speaks and
gives us The wondrous truth that law,
the iron-clad laws OF life can be
turned into songs and service become
not a burden but life of praise. Can
i; be that the soldier and the slave
has learned how to serve with JOY
while many one Of use. soldiers and
servants of no selfish man. but of the
loving and living God, have not yet
found that blessing
The life OF one like Handel, who
could turn stern duty into living mel
cdy and praise, or one like Washing
or the psalmist, who In law, found
songs of devotion. is surely an ex
ample for you and me. And do you
not remember how the Saviour on
that last night of freedom sang a
hymn, and, singing went 20 meet his
death? He must have often found
the sweet solace of song praiseful
comfort before or He would not have
so naturally turned to ii then.
The chief factor in this transforma-
tion of the duty into the joyous per-
forming Of joyous service is the chang
ing OF the point Of view If we can
view the result at which we aim. hard
ness of service is forgotten. This is
the great lesson Of Washington upon
this theme He and his men kepI
their mind on country free from for
oign tyranny and so with zeal endured
the privations and stern hardness OF
var with all its dangers, The writ
lngs of those who from time to time
visited their camps were amazed at
the determination found amid suffer
ing and want But it was the great
and glorious end for which they strove
that caused It They were glad to
make grim necessity but gladly to
he endured If America could win inde-
pendence.
You and I have a grand result to
work for, even the perfecting of char
acter, the bettering of mankind and
the glory OF the Christ to be real here
and now and all heaven ours here
after Is not this end enough In Its
6reat magnetism to change our service
into a song OF JOY that we are called
into such a noble service?
Service and obedience become Joy
when we love with our whole heart
the one to whom that service is rem
dered. Witness the Joy of the parents
service to their children Read again