The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1909-01-09

INC SnurSn N1ofr.
The next great fact to which / would
call your attention is that OF your
church choir. Sacred singing is an i'm
portant part of church worship. There
fore We should be careful whom we
select as the members OF our choirs to
lead Us ia that song. II Is essential
that those leaders be living sweet. pure.
Christian lives. care not how bril-
liant a minister might be. you would
not knowingly select him for your
pastor II you knew he was immoral
or drunkard. Why should not the
same purity Of life be required Of the
members of our church cholrs1 1t is
I a shame TO see some people rising In
the choir lofts to sing the most sacred
words in our hymn books when every
one knows that they are living lives
that contradict the words they are
singing / have had men and women
In my choirs who never made any pre-
tense to religion. These members OF
the cholrs never attended prayer meet
ing. They never put their foot inside
the Sunday school. They did what
they were paid to do. and they did
nothing else. They sang psalm tunes
on Sunday and. as far as / can make
out. served the devil the rest OF the
week. God Will never bless church
unless that church has just as pure
and as conSecrated a choir loft as 1t
has a cOnsecrated minister Marx
that.
Lastly, want you to get into the
habit Of singing gospel songs wherever
you go. Learn to sing gospel hymns
On the street and In your home when
you are dressin Teach your chill.
dren to sing these songs In the same
way. There Is no easier way tc
spread the gospel and TO show PEG
pie that you are standing for Christ
than by singing about him when you
are at work. Have you ever attended
a great Methodist camp meeting? Then
you may have been impressed by the
preaching. But ! will tell you what
you were mostly impressed with and
what has fingered longest In your
memory. 1t was not the service in the
auditorium. but what took place after
the audience was dismissed. Then the
young people, mean all those who
were young in heart. and they all seem
ed to be young-formed In line and
marched around the grounds singing
some old hymn like We Are March
Ing to Zion. Beautiful. Beautiful
Zion" As they sang the very heavens
seemed to join in the harmonies. Oh.
how that music rings today In your
memories. Like a great army the peo-
pie moved as they sang. Cannot you
In the same way sing about Christ
when you are at work? Like q great
singing host let US move forward to
capture the round world for Christ.
There is a beautiful story told that
many years ago when Jenny Lind was
visiting this country she called upon
her countryman. John Ericsson. but the
famous inventor refused to see her.
Ericsson had a magnificent brain. but
he was no respecter Of persons. He:
declined to see her. Not to be put or.
Jenny Lind sent up her visiting card
She stepped to the foot Of the stairs
and began to sing. one OF the old Swed-
ish lnllabies with which the mothers
IN that faroff land are accustomed to
sing the children to sleep. At once the
door Of the inventors room opened
and Ericsson came TO greet his visitor.
weeping Ike child. The music had
opened the door Of his heart. So by
singing the old gospel songs on the
streets and in the homes we can win
multitudes for Christ. !
copyright. 1905 by Louis Klopsch.1