FROM THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON. D. D. 
 
 BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO 
 
 THE LIBRARY OF 
 
 PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 
 
 sec 
 
1 
 
 jdL 
 
 ■cm^- 
 
 PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY 
 
 &>■ 
 
 A SERMON, 
 
 PREACHED BY APPOINTMENT, BEFORE 
 
 THE SYNOD OF NEW-YORK AND NEW-JERSEY, 
 
 liOJSTESJD^'^l^E, i*^^., OCiOBISR ISth, lSG-±. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 REV. THOMAS S. HASTINGS, 
 
 P A S T <J K «> K THE \V E -■? T P U E S B V r E U 1 A N C H I. H C H , N E \V - Y U IJ K . 
 
 PUBLISHED BY DIRECTION OF THE SYNOD. 
 
 JOHX A. GRAY k GREEX, PRINTERS, STEREOTYPERS, AND BINDERS, 
 
 F I R E - P K O O K BUILDINGS, 
 
 CORNEK OF JACOB AND FRANKFORT STREE.S. 
 
 1865. 
 
NOV '^ 1^"^ 
 
 PRAISE IjS" the sanctuary. ,l 8 
 
 A SEEMO^, 
 
 PREACHED BY APPOINTMENT, BEFORE 
 
 THE. SYNOD OF NEW-YORK AND NEW-JERSEY, 
 
 [HOIN-ESD^LE, I>^., OCTOBER IStli, 1S64. 
 
 BY THE M/ 
 
 REY. THOMAS S. HASTINGS, 
 
 PASTOR OF THE "WEST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, NEW-YORK 
 
 PUBLISHED BY DIKECTION OF THE SYISTOD. 
 
 JOHX A. GRAY & GREEN, PRINTERS, STEREOTYPERS, AND BINDERS, 
 
 FIRE-PROOF BUILDINGS, 
 COKNER OF JACOB AND FRANKFORT STREETS. 
 
 1865. 
 
PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 " Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom ; teaching and admon- 
 ishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in 
 your hearts to the Lord." — Col. 3:16. 
 
 The text slioiild be so punctuated as to read tlms : '* Let the 
 word of Christ dwell in you richly; in all wisdom teaching 
 and admonishing one another ; in psalms and hymns and spir- 
 itual songs singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." 
 So the verse is divided in the edition of Hahn's Greek Testa- 
 ment, edited by my revered and beloved teacher, the late 
 Dr. Edward Robinson. This change in punctuation should 
 not be made merely for the accommodation of those who hold 
 that only such hymns are appropriate for use in the sanctuary, 
 as are strictly hymns of praise ; for some of the psalms are 
 didactic, and the rigid enforcement of such a principle would 
 rob our hymnology of some of its choicest treasures, and 
 would divest it of much of its practical efficiency. We ac- 
 cept the criticism upon the punctuation of tlie text ; but in 
 the full conviction that both didactic and admonitory hymns 
 have a right to that position in our psalmody, which the expe- 
 rience of the Church has assigned them. 
 
 " Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly :" when the 
 word so possesses the heart and brain of the Church as to 
 press for utterance, then the Church will sing, " making 
 melody in her heart to the Lord." This has always been the 
 case, as we shall presently have occasion to show. 
 
 The distinction which is made in the text between the 
 different vehicles of praise must be noticed in passing. By 
 "Psalms" we are to understand the Hebrew book of that 
 name, which was in common use in the synagogues: the 
 
4: PEAISE IN THE SANCTCJAEY. 
 
 " Hymns " were independent compositions, sucb. as are now 
 in use : the " Spiritual songs" {(l)daLg nyevfiariKotg) were proba- 
 bly sucli religious songs as were more appropriate for per- 
 sonal than for congregational uses. 
 
 " Singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord," — this 
 determines the spirituality of the service. It must not be 
 merely formal and artistic : it must be such as the Searcher of 
 hearts will receive : it must be heartfelt and sincere. Such 
 are the teachings of the text in relation to the theme which 
 the Synod have assigned me — " Praise in the Sanctuary. ^^ 
 
 The proper limits of discourse compel me to pass by many 
 things which it would be interesting to consider. I shall 
 treat the subject historically^ theoretically, and practically. 
 
 I. The history of Psalmody is full of instruction. We have 
 time for only a brief and cursory survey. I shall presume 
 on your familiarity with very much that belongs to this part 
 of our discussion, and shall notice only those salient points 
 which will aid us most directly in reaching and resting in 
 practical conclusions. 
 
 In the days of Solomon, of the thirty-eight thousand Le- 
 vites, four thousand were set apart to praise the Lord with 
 the instruments of music which David had made.* Two 
 hundred and eighty-eight chosen cunning men were '' in- 
 structed in the songs of the Lord."f So in the tabernacle 
 and in the temple, both the instrumental and vocal perform- 
 ers were selected from among the Levites ; and they were not 
 merely selected, but they were specifically trained for the ser- 
 vice of praise in the solemn assembly. You will notice here 
 these facts : That this interest was not expected to regulate 
 itself without special provision and culture ; that it was not 
 committed to strangers to the commonwealth of Israel ; but 
 only to those who stood nearest to the altar ; and that the 
 music was both instrumental and vocal. These are all the 
 points that we need to emphasize in the Old Testament his- 
 tory of this branch of worship. 
 
 We pass on to New Testament times. It was natural that 
 Christianity, finding art so thoroughly paganized, and so 
 essentially involved with the old idolatries, should be slow in 
 
 * 1 Chron. 23:5. f 1 Chron. 25 : 7. 
 
PKAISE IN THE SANCTUAET. 5 
 
 rescuing and culturing even the one art wliicli was most 
 necessary to her, and should, for a time at least, discard all 
 the other arts. Music she must have, but architecture, and 
 sculpture, and painting she would not have. After a time 
 she received them, and used them with marked effects ; but 
 when piety declined, then the Church began to cherish the 
 arts for their own sakes, and not for what they could do in 
 serving spiritual ends, and this proved disastrous. Art and 
 religion both suffered by the mistake ; for, when the Refor- 
 mation dawned, art was robbed of its highest dignity and 
 privilege, namely, to serve religion ; and so, compelled to 
 abandon religious subjects, it turned to those which were 
 unworthy and trivial, and was thereby degraded. In not a 
 few churches in the Low Countries the portraits of gen- 
 erals and of statesmen were suspended, when a religious pic- 
 ture would not have been tolerated, but would have been 
 denounced as a desecration. Whenever art has usurped the 
 higher place, and attempted to patronize instead of promot- 
 ing and serving religion, it has sooner or later been compelled 
 to vacate not only its ^isiirjped but even its rightful throne, 
 and to suffer a long humiliation as the just penalty of its 
 presumption. Such is the significant and important testi- 
 mony of history. But we are advancing too rapidly, and 
 must retrace our steps for a moment. 
 
 Of the Christians of apostolic times we read that " they 
 were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God ;" 
 and that " they did eat their meat with gladness and single- 
 ness of heart, praising God." Our Saviour himself, by his 
 own example, consecrated forever the service of sacred song. 
 I have not time to quote the testimony of Augustine, and 
 Hilary, and Chrysostom, and of others, as to the customs of 
 the Church in the early centuries. The primitive Christians 
 were marked in history by the fact that they sung hymns to 
 the praise of Christ. Music as an art was yet in its infancy ; 
 harmony was unknown ; and melody was only rudimentally 
 understood. The singing of the Old Testament and of apos- 
 tolic times was a mere melodic utterance of the sacred words. 
 In the fourth century choirs were introduced. As the art 
 advanced, and was better understood, the effort was made 
 
6 PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 more and more to deprive the people of their share in this 
 part of worship, by introducing music which they could not 
 sing. Ere long the clergy entirely monopolized the service, 
 by singing only in Latin. From the seventh century to 
 the Eeformation, the people had no psalm nor hymn, but were 
 silent in the sanctuary. There were indeed exceptional 
 cases, but this was the rule."^ At the dawn of the Reforma- 
 tion, all this was changed. In France, at the suggestion of 
 Beza, Marot, the poet of the Court, prepared and published 
 a version of a few of the Psalms in French rhymes. They 
 were received with immense favor. Calvin adopted them, 
 and published them in Geneva, with a preface from his own' 
 pen. So popular did they become in France, that the Sor- 
 bonne, though at first favoring them, felt itself compelled at 
 length, to condemn and oppose their use. Luther, as you 
 know, was not idle. He spent much time in looking for 
 some one who could write psalms and hymns for the people ; 
 and then published a small book in which the music and the 
 hymns were mostly of his own composition. The people 
 received this new treasure with the utmost avidity. Psalms 
 and ]jymns became the popular ballads. At Augsburg, in 
 1551, three or four thousand peoj^le were often heard singing 
 together. Burney says that at the hour of morning and even- 
 ing domestic worship, whole villages were resonant with the 
 praises of God. In the schools, founded imder the supervi- 
 sion of Luther and Melancthon, nearly one fourth of the time 
 was devoted to musical instruction. The epithet, '''jysalm- 
 singer^'^ became as common and as opprobrious as heretic. 
 This " infectious frenzy of sacred song," as it was styled, soon 
 invaded Ens^land. The new want there was met and satisfied 
 with the rude metrical version of the Psalms prepared by 
 Sternhold and Hopkins — " men," as Fuller expressed it, 
 " whose piety was better than their poetry, and who had 
 drank more of Jordan than of Helicon." Tlieir work has 
 been much ridiculed, but, as I think, profanely ; for it served 
 a high and holy purpose, and was equal to the demands and 
 capacities of its age. Tate and Brady followed with their 
 
 * Caesarius, Bishop of Aries, about 500 b.c. See Meander's " Light in Dark 
 riaces" P- V6, sq. 
 
PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 7 
 
 popular versifications ; and others not so conspicuous added 
 more or less to tlie liymnology. But soon a new epocli 
 dawned. 
 
 A Christian mother, training her children with patient care, 
 sought to develop in them that love of poetry which was 
 her own characteristic. After school hours she sometimes 
 induced them to compose a few lines, by offering tliem the 
 reward of a farthing. On one occasion the older son pro- 
 duced this couplet : 
 
 " I write not for a farthing ; but to try 
 How I your farthing writers can outvie." 
 
 It was Isaac Watts. With him began the new epoch of 
 psalmody. I need not and cannot stop to pronounce the 
 accustomed and deserved eulogy upon his name. Among the 
 least of his honors is the fact that room has been made for 
 him in Westminster Abbey. His name is inscribed upon the 
 heart of the Church forever. He was not satisfied to give 
 us the Psalms of David, as he expressed it in his title-page, 
 " imitated in the language of the J^ew Testament, and adapt- 
 ed to the Christian state of worship ;" he contended for a 
 larger liberty and wider range. He professed to be unable to 
 understand why " we under the Gospel should sing nothing else 
 but the joys, fears, and hopes of Asaph and David." He ima- 
 gined that " David would have thought it very hard to be 
 confined to the words of Moses, and to have sung nothing 
 else in all his rejoicing days, but the drowning of Pharoah 
 in the fifteenth of Exodus." Amid much and bitter opposi- 
 tion, he thus contended for hymns as the proper supplement 
 of psalms, and he made his hymns not only pious, but also 
 poetical ; for, as the North British Beview said, " God gave 
 him as his vocation to join together those whom men had 
 put asunder — mental culture and mtal ^iety f^ and so he fairly 
 earned the designation and distinction which ♦Montgomery 
 gave him in pronouncing him " almost the inventor of hymns 
 in our language." Tliere are many names which are hallowed 
 in our hymnology. Mrs. Steele, and Doddridge, and Cowper, 
 and Newton, and Heber, and Montgomery, and Kirke White, 
 and Lyte, and many others, will be held in perpetual remem- 
 
8 PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 brance. Next to "Watts, however, his great cotemporary, 
 Charles Wesley, born six years after Watts entered the minis- 
 try, is most deserving of the eulogy of the Church. The great 
 revival, in which he was the prominent instrumentality, gave 
 a new and a grand impulse to psalmody. That impulse was 
 felt in our own country. For, as Cotton Mather said : " It is 
 remarkable that when the kingdom of God has been making 
 any new appearance, a mighty zeal for the singing of psalms 
 has attended it, and assisted it.^'' During " the great awalcen- 
 ing,^^ in this country, the people so abounded in the singing 
 of praises to God, that Edwards felt there was need of guard- 
 ing and restraining influences. He wrote some cautions con- 
 cerning this subject, and discussed the propriety of " compa- 
 nies singing in the streets going to or coming from the place 
 of public worship."* There was at this time but little general 
 musical cultivation, either in England or in our own countr}^ 
 Popular secular airs, without regard to their associations or 
 quality, were appropriated to the use of the Church. The 
 earliest musical works in this country were republications of 
 English books. The harmonies were crude and ungrammat- 
 ical. But about the time of the Revolution, the idea of inde- 
 pendence of the mother country, so prevalent in other rela- 
 tions, began to be felt with reference to the music of the 
 churches. Billings, Bead, Morgan, Benham, Jenks, and 
 others, flooded the country with light and frivolous imitations 
 of the poorest productions of the English press. This state 
 of tilings could not last. The '-''Lock Hospital Collection^'' and 
 " The Harmonia Sacra " introduced a new era. The minis- 
 try united in earnest and effective endeavors to promote im- 
 provement in the art. The result was a great advance in 
 musical culture. Our press began to send forth new tune- 
 books, with increasing rapidity. After a time every year 
 witnessed the advent of at least one fresh claimant for popu- 
 lar favor. That period has virtually passed ; and now the 
 interest in hymns has been awakened to an extraordinary 
 degree. Yolume after volume has appeared, until the 
 resources for additions to our hymnology have become 
 
 * Edwards's Works, Yol. III. 401. 
 
PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 9 
 
 accessible and affluent to an unexampled degree. Tlie 
 natural result lias begun to follow. Hymns and tunes are 
 being brought together. The general diffusion of musical 
 knowledge has demanded that the tunes as well as the hymns 
 should be placed before the people in the manuals to be used 
 in the sanctuary. A great number of " hymn-tune books " 
 have appeared, and are now making their way among the 
 people, and a still larger number are probably yet to come. 
 The congregations can and therefore will sing ; and will have 
 the music with the words. 
 
 Must I apologize for having thus protracted this historical 
 review ? I think not ; for in it we shall find such guidance 
 and assistance for what remains to be considered as will make 
 it possible for us to reach more speedily the desired conclu- 
 sions. 
 
 II. In the light of this history let us seek and, if possible, 
 find the true theory of Psalmody. 
 
 First of all, we are impressed with the imperative claims 
 which come from the sacredness and the power of those 
 psalms and hymns in which the heart of the Church has 
 uttered itself in all the centuries. The importance of the 
 Hymn-Book should be emphasized. We would do well to 
 ponder Isaac Taylor's words. He says :* " In any system of 
 public worship, the constant element — that is to say, the litur- 
 gical — will always exercise a great influence over the varia- 
 ble part — the extemporaneous — in giving it tone and direction, 
 and in preserving a doctrinal consistency in the pulpit teach- 
 ing. It will be so at least wherever this liturgical ingredient 
 warmly engages the feelings of the people, and where it is 
 performed with untiring animation. In communities that 
 have laid aside liturgies in every other sense, the Hymn-Book 
 which they use, especially if psalmody be a favored part of 
 public worship, rules, as well the preacher as the people, to a 
 greater extent than is often thought, or than would perhaps 
 be acknowledged. The Hymn-Book, to such bodies, comes 
 in the stead of Creed, Articles, Canons, and presiding power." 
 These are strong, but, like all that comes to us from the same 
 
 * Wesley and Methodism, p. 94, sq. 
 
10 PEAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 source, tliej are well-weigliecl words, worthy of our consider- 
 ation. This branch of Christian literature cannot be too 
 highly regarded or too carefully watched. From the begin- 
 ning, the Gospel has sung its way into thousands of hearts 
 that could not have been otherwise reached."^ We must maecni- 
 fy the meaning and power of our hymnology. It gives wings 
 to the theology, and the thought, and the life of the Church. 
 I cannot do better than to quote the eloquent words of Basil 
 of Ceesarea, which are still fresh, though fifteen centuries old. 
 *' Psalmody, " he wrote, " is the calm of the soul, the repose 
 of the spirit, the arbiter of peace. It is the Church's voice. 
 Oh ! the sapient design of our Instructor, appointing that at 
 once we should be recreated by song, and informed by wisdom. 
 Thus the precepts of instruction are more deeply engraven on 
 our hearts ; for the lessons which we receive unwillingly have 
 a transient continuance ; but those which charm and captivate 
 in the hearing, are permanently impressed upon our souls. 
 From hence may not every thing be acquired ? Here the na- 
 ture of penitence is unfolded ; patience is here exemplified. Is 
 there a blessing to be named which here resides not ? The 
 splendors of theology beam effulgent ; Jesus is predicted ; 
 the resurrection is announced ; judgment is proclaimed ; the 
 sword of vengeance is unsheathed ; crowns of glory glitter ; 
 speechless mysteries astonish." 
 
 If Basil could say this, what should be said now, after there 
 have been added to what he so eulogized, all the best products 
 of fifteen centuries of Christian thought and aspiration ? Our 
 psalmody is full fifteen centuries richer and better than it was 
 when Basil wrote. 
 
 Khetoric might exhaust its affluence, and yet fail to do jus- 
 tice to the amplitude and sacredness and power of the lan- 
 guage of song, with which the Church has enriched and enli- 
 vened, stimulated and sustained her pilgrim march through all 
 the centuries. This sacred language, in which the thoughts 
 and feelings of the devout of every age have found grateful 
 utterance, must not be concealed, but only effectively conveyed 
 
 * It is noticeable that singing is becoming more and more a power in the foreign 
 missionary work. The Gospel is being sung in the streets of oriental cities, even 
 more than it is preached, and it can be sung where it cannot yet be preached. 
 
PRAISE IX THE SAXCTUARY. 11 
 
 bv Art to the verv soul of the living present. Music is sufH- 
 ciently honored by the dignity of such service. The melody 
 is for the psalm, and not the psalm for the melody. It cannot 
 be denied that music in itself, without the aid of words, has a 
 peculiar power, Avhicli may be and should be consecrated to 
 rehgious uses. Else why was there so much instrumental 
 music in tlie worship of the Tabernacle and of the Temple ( 
 Why did harp, and psaltery, and all inarticulate instruments 
 speak for the soul, and to the soul of the Sweet Singer of Is- 
 rael ? But when sacred words are committed to song, it is not 
 tliat they may seiwe the music, but that the music may serve 
 them. If they are concealed with the redundancies of art, 
 then they are desecrated : art is dishonored, and religion is pro- 
 faned. This point is vital to the true theory of psalmody. 
 Music is welcomed to the sanctuary, not to gratity artistic 
 tastes, not to relieve the monotony of the services, but to honor 
 God, by aiding the souls of the worshippers in rendering unto 
 him the choicest expressions of their love and homage. The 
 music should be worthy of such exalted service. It should 
 be faultless in conception, and in tune and time and style. 
 Only the lamb without spot or blemish should be brought to 
 the altar of our God. ** The lame and the halt" will not do for 
 the sacrifice. But the soul of the people must breathe life and 
 power into the music, and the music must be calculated to react 
 upon and elevate their soul. There are but two methods of 
 addressing the throne of infinite grace — prayer and praise. 
 Both are sacred in their nature and imperative in their obliga- 
 tions. Can we claim the full privilege of prayer, if we neglect 
 the duty of praise ( Is our piety scriptural, if it does not sing 
 as well as pray ? Is our spu-it evangelical, if we have on our 
 lips only a plaint, and not also a psalm i If the word of Christ 
 dwell in us richly, if we are '' filled with the Spirit,*' will we 
 not need psalms and h^Tans and spiritual songs, that we may 
 pour forth the fulness of our souls and make melody unto the 
 Lord I Can we delecrate to others, above all to *' aliens and 
 strangers,'* to the thoughtless and the godless, our personal priv- 
 ilege of praising our God i Will the histrionic and artistic 
 semblance of praise answer the claims of Him who searches 
 every heart, and waits upon each for the ofiering which is due 
 
12 PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 unto liis name ? This surely is preeminently a spiritual ser- 
 vice, and a service/br the jpeople. It is not to be classed, witli- 
 out profanity, among the secularities of the Church, to be reg- 
 ulated by merely artistic ideas, or on commercial principles. 
 
 It is preeminently the right and the privilege and the duty 
 of the people to take part in this service, and to so educate 
 themselves and their children, that they can worthily sing the 
 praises of Him who has said : '' Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth 
 me." * " The intent of singing," said Fuller, " is by a musical 
 pronunciation of affecting truth, to render it still more affect- 
 ing." " Great caution is necessary," said Calvin, " that the 
 ears be not more attentive to the modulation of the notes, than 
 the mind to the spiritual import of the words. Whatever mu- 
 sic is composed only to delight the ear, is unbecoming the 
 majesty of the Church, and cannot but be highly displeasing 
 to God."f There must be cultivation and refinement: there 
 must be instruction. But the process of culture must be car- 
 ried on under Christian influences, and with a Christian pur- 
 pose ; and the end must be, that " every thing that hath breath," 
 that " cdl the people " may unite in truly praising God. It 
 will not do to plead, as an excuse for silence in the sanctuary, 
 the lack of native talent. The power of speech and of song 
 go together. Whoever can speak can be taught to sing. This 
 has been suflSciently demonstrated. Therefore the responsi- 
 bility rests upon all. All cannot become artists; but all may, 
 and therefore should, learn to share, in some humble measure, 
 in the exalted privilege of praising God. 
 
 Such undoubtedly is the true theory concerning this subject, 
 and very few thinking Christian men attempt to deny this 
 theory ; but there are many who do believe it impracticable. 
 This objection must be answered in what remains to be said. 
 
 III. We have glanced at the historical and the theoretical as- 
 pects of our theme, and it only remains to consider it practi- 
 cally. There have been so many difficulties with choirs and 
 with music committees in our churches, that this subject of 
 praise in the sanctuary has come to be generally regarded as 
 one of the most delicate and difficult and embarrassing ones 
 
 * Psalm 50 : 23. f " Institutes," 2 : 118. 
 
PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 13 
 
 with which the Church has to do. The blame is generally 
 laid upon the singers : we are told that they are headstrong, 
 jealous, quarrelsome, and unreasonably sensitive. There is 
 doubtless too much ground for such charges. But the fault is 
 not chiefly w^itli the choirs. The Church does not sufficiently 
 feel her responsibility in this grave and important matter ; and 
 what she suffers is not so much the arbitrary infliction of trou- 
 blesome choirs, as it is the natural and deserved penalty of her 
 own shameful neglect of duty. Singing in the sanctuary is a 
 part of the worship, — that is the only defensible theory. Then 
 surely it should be regulated on the same general principles, 
 and with at least as much care as any other part of the wor- 
 ship. It should not be left to the direction of the Trustees, to 
 be farmed out for the purpose of securing such talent in the 
 choir as will furnish Tegular Sabbath concerts in the church, to 
 supplement the insufficient attractions of the pulpit, and so to aid 
 in renting the pews. The praise of the sanctuary should be 
 under the immediate direction of the Session, to whom is c :m- 
 mitted the charge of the spiritual interests of the Church. And 
 they should seek to dignify and exalt the service. The Pastor, 
 during the singing, should not be turning the leaves of his 
 manuscript, or be consulting with the Sexton or with an Elder ; 
 he should show, by his attentive and reverential manner, and, 
 if possible, by actual participation in the service, that he is 
 truly seeking to praise God. He should be an example to the 
 flock in this regard. Every minister of Christ should learn to 
 sing as well as to pray. If he has not been instructed, he is 
 wanting in one most important qualification for his w^ork. 
 There should be a choir. A precentor will prove a failure. 
 Because some of our large assemblies are successfully led by a 
 single voice, there are those who suppose that a precentor will 
 be sufficient for the leading of the praises of the sanctuary. 
 But it should be remembered that our anniversary gath- 
 erings, and our great convocations, are made up of the select 
 ones from many different quarters ; and in them are grouped 
 together such an array of voices as cannot be found in any 
 ordinary congregation. I say there should be a choir. But 
 its leader should by all means be a devout man, knowing what 
 it means to praise God. And the choir should not be made 
 
14 PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARYo 
 
 up without reference to the spiritual dignity and importance 
 of the service in which they are to lead. The young people 
 who gatlier in the choir will need to be supported and bal- 
 anced by those of calmer and maturer age. The Asaj^hs, the 
 Hemans, and the Jeduthuns must make some sacrifice, if ne- 
 cessary, that they may not vacate their places in the choir be- 
 fore those places can be judiciously and safely filled. The 
 Pastor and the Elders should often attend upon the rehearsals 
 of the choir, not only to show their interest in the subject, but 
 to maintain their proper supervision, and to continually re- 
 mind the singers of the sacredness and spirituality of the ser- 
 vice which it is at once their honor and their privilege to lead. 
 At these rehearsals, the blessing of God should always be in- 
 voked, and at least one hymn should be sung, not critically, 
 but devotionally, with such comments as the leader, the Pastor, 
 or an Elder present, may add to enforce the spiritual signifi- 
 cance of the words. The organist should be a Christian ; for 
 how can a man who is destitute of true religious emotions 
 make that noble instrument express, in harmony and melody, 
 genuine Christian feeling? how can he make it speak to ov for 
 the hearts of the worshippers 1 And, as already intimated, 
 the people should not be denied their rightful privilege of join- 
 ing in the service. Pather, by all possible means, they should 
 be invited and stimulated to the dischar^re of this sacred dutv. 
 The music should be put before them with the hymns. A 
 " hymn-tune book " is an invaluable help to secure the proper 
 habits in the congregation. Its very presence in the pew is a 
 direct invitation to the occupants to join in the worship. 
 "When such a book has been introduced, it will be both pleas- 
 ant and profitable for the congregation occasionally to be in- 
 vited to remain* after the weekly lecture or prayer-meeting, or 
 after some other public service, to rehearse together, both for 
 their improvement in singing, and for devotional enjoyment. 
 I think when w^e get to heaven, and join the unnumbered 
 choir, we shall wonder, not that we had so many meetings for 
 prayer, but that we had so few meetings for praise. The 
 hymn-tune book will secure many important ends. It will se- 
 cure the proper adaptation of the tune to the hymn ; it will 
 prevent the choir from singing tha.t in which the congregation 
 
PKAISE I^r THE S.INCTUAEY. 15 
 
 cannot join ; it will speak continually to the people concern- 
 ing their responsibility to aid in the praises of God ; and its 
 tendency will be to make the mnsic of the home the same with 
 that of the church. It will not deprive the choir of the privi- 
 lege of singing something by themselves, thus exerting an ele- 
 vating influence upon the congregation. They can sing an 
 introductory anthem at every service ; and by the style and 
 spirit of this performance, they can make the people feel the 
 refining and stimulating power of a worthy example. The 
 Pastor can do much good by occasionally preaching to his peo- 
 ple upon this subject, and by showing, by his example, that 
 he feels its importance. It will be necessary, especially in the 
 country, that the church be at some pains and expense to pro- 
 mote musical instruction. They may, to great advantage, oc- 
 casionally secure the temporary services of a teacher from 
 abroad. It may be excellent economy for them to select a 
 suitable Christian young man from their own number, and, at 
 their own expense, send him where he can receive thorough 
 culture ; for he will come back to them to make his influence 
 felt through all the congregation for many years. This will 
 cost something ; but it cost David sometliing to. provide four 
 thousand instrmnents of music for the Levites, and to educate 
 and maintain the choir of two hundred and eighty-eight chosen 
 singers ; and can we, any more than he, expect to off'er rinto 
 God, in acceptable sacrifice, that which has cost us nothing ? 
 
 If these practical principles are adopted, in dependence u]3on 
 God's blessing, I knoAv — (it is not a theory with me) — I know 
 that there will be the best results ; and we shall cease to hear 
 complaints of choirs, or to be afllicted in the sanctuary with 
 the jargon of discordant voices ; or to be insulted there with 
 the artistic flippancy and pretension of music and musicians, 
 that are borrowed from the devil, devoted to his service dur- 
 ing the week, but lent, or hired out, to the service of God on 
 the Sabbath. 
 
 There are many other things which press for consideration, 
 but I must relieve your patience. 
 
 My brethren, we have a work to do with reference to this 
 subject, which we have already neglected too long. God is 
 not so honored in our churches as he should be. The 2:lorv of 
 
16 PEAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 
 
 his great name is dear to our hearts. Let us then, I pray you, 
 see to it that praise, true. Christian praise, waits for hirn ever 
 in our sanctuaries. There is power with God not only in 
 prayer, but also in praise. Praise consummates prayer. God 
 often waits to bestow his blessing till he hears the voice of 
 Christian song. When Judali was threatened by '*' the child- 
 ren of Amnion, Moab, and Mount Seir,'' - then Jehoshaphat 
 did not only pray, but he appointed " Singers unto the Lord, 
 and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out 
 before the army." And it was when they began to sing and 
 to praise, that the Lord interfered for their deliverance, and 
 smote then- enemies. And, at the dedication of the Temple, 
 it was when the singers '' lifted up their voice with the trum- 
 pets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the 
 Lord, saying : For he is good ; for his mercy endureth for- 
 ever,'' — it was then, and not during the sacrifice or the prayer, 
 that the Temple was filled with a cloud, *' so that the priests 
 could not stand to minister, by reason of the cloud ; for the 
 glory of the Lord had filled the house of God."t It was when 
 Paul and SilQ.i sa/ig j}/mses, as well as prayed, that their bands 
 were loosed and the prison-doors were thrown open. So has 
 it always been, and so will it always be, for our God is jeal- 
 ous of his honor, and waits to be gracious till we give unto 
 liim the glory due unto his name. Praise is the fitting lan- 
 guage for the soul's deepest thought and highest aspiration. 
 God our Maker giveth " songs in the night." The Christian, 
 when his anguish is too deep for ordinary expression, breaks 
 forth into song, and so finds relief.* I saw a believer whose 
 sorrow I knew was superlative, stand by the open grave, which 
 was to receive all that was dearest to her heart, and sing, 
 when those who were not bereaved could only weep. The 
 mother of the "Wesleys, when dying, said to her weeping child- 
 ren gathered around her : " Children^ when I am gone^ sing a 
 jpsalm of praise .^" What rehef, alleviation, and comfort, can 
 the soul find that can lift itself toward God in song. The pil- 
 grim quickens his footsteps with the hymn of hope and hea- 
 ven ; the bravest soldier is he who can sing as he marches to 
 
 * 2 Chron. 20 : 22. f 2 Chron. 5:13. 
 
PRAISE IN THE SANCTUARY. 17 
 
 the battle. When the sailor can sing at the windlass, then the 
 anchor is light ! Song quickens the pulses of Christian living 
 lightens its burdens, alleviates its sufferings, soothes its sor- 
 rows, allays its fears, and stimulates its hopes. Brethren, the 
 Church of Jesus Christ, svhile militant, should ever be vocal, 
 and eloquent with her psalm and hymn of praise. With such 
 a God and such a Gospel every one should sing. Oh ! that we 
 and our people might be filled with the Spirit, that the Word 
 of Christ might dwell richly in us and in them ! Then would 
 all our sanctuaries be resonant with tliose true heart-melodies, 
 which are sweeter to the ear of the Father than the songs of 
 angels, because they connect with that sacramental hymn 
 which Jesus sang just before he went to the Mount of Olives.