River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-01-28


IS it in song almost
every time they
met for worship. The hymns of John
and Charles Wesley were a mighty
factor in the great Methodist revival
Henry Ward Beecher said he would
rather be the author of Jesus, Lover
of My Soul than to be the greatest
monarch on earth. The songs of
Sankey won as many souls to Christ
as the sermons of Moody. 1t was said
by workers in the great hippodrome
meetings of New York that not less
than two-thirds of the converts traced
their conversion to the singing. Alex
ander's leadership in song rivaled Tor
reys preaching in inducing people to
decide for Christ We heard DR.. Tor
rey preach to 5000 people in London
when about fifty came forward and
made confession of their newborn
faith in Christ. When the time came
to close the meeting, Mr.. Alexander
announced that all who wished to re-
main for a song service were invited
to do So and only a few hundred left.
Before this song service closed about
fifty more people had opened their
hearts to the gentler touch of the truth
in melody who had barred them
against the sturdy strokes of DR.. Tor
rey's sermon, though the strong, Bib
lical, dogmatic sermon was just what
many needed who would not respond
to the appeal of song. The city of Lon
don was full of the GLORY Song" 1t
was on the street, in the hotels and
even in the theaters. The singing
made good atmosphere for soul-win-
ming.
A Jest That Brought Song.
Barnum's circus came to Dublin
while Moody and Sankey were in the
midst of their great evangelistic meet
ings and one of the clowns thinking
that he could make laugh at Moody's
expense, said: II feel a little Moody
tonight" Another clown replied: II
feel a trifle Sankey- timonious, but in
stead of laughter they were greeted
with Kisses, in the midst of which a
man rose and with stentorian voice be-
gan to sing Hold the Fort for / am
Coming" The five or six thousand
people joined in the song and filled the
great tent with it's melody, while the
clowns disappeared.
In the great Welsh revival prayer,
song and testimony took the place of
preaching. A pastor carried his SER
mon to his large church every Sunday
for four months without delivering it.
The prayers, songs and testimonies
crowded it out. The people frequently
spent whole nights for the most part
in song and went to the mines in the
early morning to sing through the day
at their work. embarrassing the mules,
who had been used to oaths and blows
and hardly knew how to adjust them
selves to the new order. The best Of
preaching could not have kept the peo-
pie awake through the night or filed
them with joy through the day.
Place for Song.
Songs of praise to God should have
prominent place in our public meet
ings, but in the New Testament special
emphasis is placed upon songs to the
people. "Be we filled with the Spirit"
says Paul in Ephesians 5:1S. Speak
ing to yourselves in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs" Speaking to
yourselves" not to God, and for this
ministry of song to the people there is
special need of the fullness of the
Holy Spirit. Unsaved people are not
fitted for it, nor are Christians without
the enduement of the Spirit.
In Col 3:16 Paul again emphasizes
the ministry of song to the people.
Let the word of God dwell in you
richly, teaching you, admonishing one
another in psalms and hymns and spir-
itual songs"
The Solo Needed.
Some time ago we received by letter
from a Christian layman an earnest
protest against what he called the in
iquity of singing solos to the people,
declaring that all singing should be to
God and not to man. But the good
brother was mistaken. The solo should
be to the people and not to God. 1t is
not fitting that one should praise God
to be heard of men any more than that
he should pray to God to be heard of
men. In songs of praise all the people
should join in obedience to Psalm 67:3,
Let the people praise thee, o God, let
all the people praise thee" Psalms
hymns and songs" which teach, admon-
ish, exhort, inspire and comfort should
be addressed to the people and not to
God, while all praises should be spoken
to God and not to the people.
The gospel song is a message of
truth in melody to the people, and
many of the great hymns of the
church, like How Firm a Founca.
tion," Arise, My Soul, Arise" Come
Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy" and
Come Ye Disconsolate" are gospel
songs Whether sung by solo, quartet,
chorus, choir or congregation, they are
addressed to the people and not to
God, though prayer to God should al
ways go with them.