Show A SUNDAY SERMON Let us sing the praise and glory of God Dont 3 ou think that sounds better than the crude way of Let the congregation congrega-tion come to order and the choir will sing S etcI I am a warm believer in congregational singing From the commencement of ancient an-cient Israels wanderings we find that congregational con-gregational singing was a great and prominent prom-inent feature of worship True there were leaders but the congregations made a joyful joy-ful noise and joined in and sung praises unto God and came before His presence with singing Now I do not wish to enter into any con troVery upon the subject but wish to affirm af-firm iny iceling in favor of a united congregation congre-gation blending their voices in public sacred assemblies I have no objection to a choir 1 think it is a necessity especially as we have so many different nations represented in this country I also think it is the duty and right of a choir to lead but I still think there is much joy and sacred blessing to be enjoyed in this great spiritual exercise There is a triumphant blessing derived therefrom Who that has listened to a congregation singing that good old hymn but hissoul has gone out in praise viz All hail the power of Jesus name Let angels prostrate fall Bring forth the royal diadem And crown Him Lord df all Where good congregational singing is the custom the worshipper is never disappointed disap-pointed with the heavenly feast but is sometimes disappointed with the spirit and potency of the sermon Tell me of the first person that has not felt on attending a Wesleyan service and partaking of the spirit of singing but what nas been led to exclaim Surely it is no other than the praise of God and the very gate of heaven i What man ever attended divine service at the late H W Beecher Plymouth church or T DeWittTalmages tabernacle Brooklyn or C H Spurgeons tabernacle London or oven went to religious service in Exeter hall London and heard those beautiful words sung to the tune of the I Old Hundred Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise Him all creatures here below raise Him above ye heat only host Braise Father Son and Holy Uhost but what have felt that the Lord accepted their praise Those general praises of God in the assemblies as-semblies are the bright beautiful sparkling spark-ling waters rushing from the rocks all having a tendency in one grand harmonious harmoni-ous sound or as one of old has said like the rushing of many waters Wnat a grand sound we have at Niagara falls What sweet seraphic swells we are feasted with in this kind of singing and what a marked contrast to the twaddle wo are sometimes obliged to listen to from tho pulpit pul-pit Will you find me an utterly depraved character that passes by tho Sabbath scoool and hear those hundreds of dear little voices singing praises to their heavenly heav-enly king but whose heart is not touched and you sea the effect has upon him The man is softened and he thinks of his maker at once The national airs of England France Germany and other countries stir and tire up the armies navies and tho nation ao large ahd why should not the songs of Gods people umtelly stir and move Himself Him-self and His angels towards His people i Listen to that skylark tho cuckoo the nightingale the whippoorwill praising Him day and night You have your canary in your house and you admire him because of his song and yet when you go to worship wor-ship God you are afraid to sing because it is not fashionable to sing aloud God calls upon everything that he has created t opraise him Why should not man come to the front and take the suggestion of the Psalmist Lot the people praise thee 0 God Let all the people praise thee 0 that man would praise the Lord for his greatness and for his wonderful works to the children of men menLet them exalt him also in the congregation congre-gation of tho people tabernacle and praise him in the assembly of the elders 1 am indeed in-deed to think should wo be so blest as to surround tho great white throne and to gaze Upon Him that sitteth thereon and to seo Him upon the right hand and to stand with the four and twenty elders the hundred hund-red and forty and four thousand and be in that thing small and great which no man can number I tlnnic we will believe itwill be fashionable to praise Him I do not wish to depreciate solos duetts quartettes quintettes sextettes or any other scientific singing JMs is nice and beautiful and well suited to the praise and glory of man not much of God in it Too much jealousy bickering rivalry disappointment dis-appointment etc This is in better place on the stage the concert room or parlor tertaiuments All Thy work shall praise Thee 0 Lord UNCLE |