only gather one or two scattered notices of our subject, and those bearing rather upon practices of private life than public devotion. The “merry” were to vent their joy in “singing psalms"; and St. Paul seems to allude to a sort of antiphonal music, when he wrote to the Ephesians, “speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your hearts to the Lord.” But such allusions as these do not show us how the Jews performed their music, nor do they give us one hint as to the relative importance bestowed on music under Divine guidance. We must of necessity go to the Old Testament for this, and there I venture to express an opinion that an investigation of the subject will surprise every enquirer, as he discovers the grand and affluent provision made by David for the continual musical service of the Jewish temple. There was a magnificent exuberance, and a most attractive symmetry, in this ancientchoir. Listen to the words of 1 Chron. xxiii. 5, " Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the Lord with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith." They must have wanted a monster orchestra, like that built for the Handel commemoration, to accommodate all these per. formers. And it almost takes one's short modern breath away to think that this glorious band of musicians was the ordinary staff upon which the service of the Temple rested. Then, to bear out my remark about the symmetry of the thing, there was, over and above this, a company of singers that nearly equalled the united choirs of all our cathedrals. Twelve times twelve, twice told, was the strength of these ancient vocalists. Such was the measure of “the man after God's own heart," the servant of Him who organized “the music of the spheres." And it has seemed good to the Holy Ghost to record for us the fact in 1 Chron. xxv. 7:—" So the number of them that were instructed in the songs of the Lord, even all that were cunning, was two hundred four score and eight.” Perhaps the plan was to take the twenty-four duo. decimal divisions of the force, and to use two of the dozens for each month of the year; thus making a grand responsive provision for the Psalms of the daily worship, and keeping in reserve, like a sort of musical “ Landwehr," trained voices who could be mustered for great occasions, to swell the spring-tide of sacred harmony. Who can calculate the thrilling effect of some of these services ? Surely “the dry and the tough,” who must bave been at least as much “hated of David's soul" as “the lame and the blind” mentioned in 2 Sam. v. 6—surely these pachy. dermatous individuals, if indeed that age produced them, must have been softened and suppled, as the sweet caloric of musical influence stole around and within them, driving into separation the compacted atoms of their indifference, and plimming them into unwitting pleasure and approval. Is it at all unlikely, also, that the prophetic fire kindled in ancient seers and poets under the spell of such music organized by the inspired Psalmist of Israel ? May we not owe some of our existing and priceless treasures to the strong tension of religious feeling, wrought up in this way to a strong crisis of adoration, and finding vent in “spiritual songs"? At any rate, this we know, that God was pleased to take the opportunity of an unusually great celebration of Jewish music, at the dedication of Solomon's temple, to manifest His presence, and to indicate thereby His sanction and acceptance. I refer to 2 Chron. v. 13 :-"It came to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they had lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For He is good, and His mercy endureth for ever, that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord ; 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.” This will probably be enough to show the importance attributed to music in the palmy days of Jewish supremacy; and the inference is quite irresistible, that if the style and profusion of musical resources in the ancient Temple emanated from the warm heart of David, yet it did so under Divine warrant and approbation. It would be hard indeed to show that there was anything transitory or typical in such arrangements. The sacred words, to which this music was wedded, are the heritage of the Church of God now, and will be to all time. And when we hear that a primitive people, in the earliest dawn of civilization, as we view the matter, were able to marshal and drill themselves into musical perfection,-and to overbear, perhaps overlook, the small hindrances and abuses that are sure to fasten, like parasites, upon all human undertakings,—we surely gather that there is a “use" in fine and moving music. We learn also, I think, that there is an “abuse" in a style of performance which does not keep up with the brisk march of the day, which does not satisfy educated tastes, and which cannot be expected to have that winning and constraining power which shall open a way into the souls of men for all that is “ lovely and of good report.” It may be said, however, that such a history as this of the Temple choir flouts all our endeavours, and leaves us in hopeless distance behind. True ; but it gives no standing ground to those who frown upon church music because it is good. My wish is to show that exertion, and thought, and liberality are well bestowed in making our services musically attractive. Let us at any rate set our standard high, though our approach to it be often miserably poor. In many country villages the best that can be done is to train the school children, get them to open their mouths, to moderate their tones, and to leave off the use of that natural “ plectrum” which comes so handy in their front teeth. In our towns also you may not be able to do more than throw your lasso, one by one, over a scratch team, and harness the steeds to the sweet car of sacred music as best you may. But honest endeavours never lose their reward. Except in multitudinous assemblies, like that gathered at Mr. Spurgeon's Tabernacle, you must have something to guide, nay to mask and to eclipse the great imperfections of mere congregational singing; where those who have voices, and those who have not, those who are blest with an ear for music, and those who are not, ladies naïvely indulging in what they call “natural seconds” (which constantly means unnatural thirds, at variance with the barmony of the organ),—where all these diverse elements tend to roughen and deteriorate the musical effect, you want imperatively a drilled and disciplined band of singers to take the lead, and overbear sounds uncouth and incorrect. But though we may be far enough from perfection, yet an onward and upward movement is quite perceptible. The spread of musical knowledge by means of cheap publications, the classes of Mr. Hullah, the formation of choral societies for the express purpose of improving church music in many dioceses,—these, and the accelerating progress of the age, tend to remove the defects of which musicians complain, and, in point of fact, there has been of late a great advance in the excellence of the music which forms part of our public worship. Let it be allowed, however, that if, by any stress of circumstances, church music becomes associated, in the minds of the rising generation, with what is inferior or bad, this is a condition of things not to be quietly, and still less complacently, endured. There is nothing in the word of God to countenance such a compromise; but there is a great deal to teach us that all our oblations, the gifts of our hands, the words of our lips, whether spoken or sung, be touched with remembrance of Him from whom all blessings flow, but who condescends to receive of His own from the creatures of His hand. The Church of England orders, for the sacred feast of the Lord's Supper, “the best and purest wheat that may conveniently be gotten.” I only desire that the principle of this direction may be taken as a guide in supplying music for our churches. A consideration of “the use and abuse of music” would not Vol. 70.—No. 403. 3 Y be complete without a word or two as to the sort of compositions, divine or human, which may legitimately be sung. Here the book of Psalms gives us an intimation of the mind of God. What can be more various than the style and subjects of these inspired effusions? From jubilant praise, to the most abased confession of recent sin, (like the 51st Psalm, which was dedicated by David “ to the Chief Musician,”) we find holy words associated with music. Epitomes of national history, prophecies of the Saviour's passion and glory, prayers and thanksgivings, public and private, rhapsodies and household words, bridal songs and funeral lamentations, encomiums upon the versatile perfections of the Holy Word; and, last, such lively delineations of the corruption of our nature, that St. Paul has recourse to this book, when he would prove to the Roman Church how far we have departed from original righteousness,-all these multifarious subjects of religious thought were chanted, we know, to harp and psaltery, by the skilled voices of men. Surely, then, the very structure of the Book of Psalms reads us a lesson, and proclaims to us that some very narrow notions are abroad upon this subject. What is technically known as the “hymn” is allowed its own free way without scandal or objection. It may pray, or praise, or confess, or rebuke, or exhort, or prophesy; and even Creeds have been sung, when they were first tortured into doggerel by Tate and Brady. But I think we must all be aware that there are excellent persons who look upon a Cathedral service where the Liturgy is rehearsed upon musical tones, more or less simple, from beginning to end, as almost, if not quite, a profanation of sacred things. The feeling in some quarters is very strong against such a mode of worship; and being so, it would be most unwise to interfere with the ordinary proceedings as carried on in our parish churches. Indeed, it requires with most persons a sort of apprenticeship to be able to admit a choral service within the pale of reverent and devout worship. We know of an instance of extreme aversion which appeared in the words of a clergyman who sought to swamp the necessity of any discussion upon musical services by citing the text, “ They that laugh now, shall mourn and weep.” Perhaps, without personal experience, it would scarcely be credited that such an argument had occurred to an educated mind; but persons who hold such trenchant opinions have not considered properly the structure of the Book of Psalms. Let us then sum up in brief what may be considered “the use and abuse of music in public worship.” First and foremost, let us find its “use" in consecrating to God's service one of the very choicest and most attractive faculties placed within the reach of the cultivated man. In the palmy days of the theocracy of Israel, the Church had the cream of music, and the world the skim milk. I fear we have now exactly reversed this distribution, and I ask if the anomaly commends itself to the sober reason of Christian men. Again, the “use” of music is to stimulate the devotion of the servants of God, and act as a channel for the warm stream of their thankfulness. We must consider how it shall avail best for such ends. In the early dawn of creation, “the sons of God” set us the example of “shouting for joy,” most musically, no doubt, most grandly, most religiously. And at the opposite extreme of time, when St. John cast his eagle eye onwards, and overshot the episode of frail humanity, giving us a glimpse of the fervent adorations of heaven, we find that even the raptures of “just men made perfect” are heightened by the sound of “harpers harping with their harps”; while the dimension and power of all earthly orchestras are thrown into the shade, and dwarfed into feebleness, by the record of the “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands," who sing the song of the Lamb. And once more, the “use” of music is to be found in its power to entice the careless within the reach of wholesome truth and Christian influence. Whatever may be the modern feeling on this subject, I have shown that to Hooker, and those Fathers whom he quotes with approval, such an end was thought worthy of care and attention. We hear of Evangelical men in various places giving way to the impulse of the time, and permitting even a choral service on Sunday evenings. In such cases their people demanded it, and would have gone elsewhere to seek the gratification they desired. Who shall say such concession is wrong? Is not this somewhat like the wisdom of the great Apostle, who " became as a Jew to those who were Jews," that by all means he might save some? And if they, like the author of the “ Christian Year,” have been men without any taste for the sweet art, and constrained to confess, as Keble did, “In vain with dull and tuneless ear, I linger by soft Music's cell, What to her own she deigns to tell;" then, as sacrificing more of private feeling, the more honourable is their wisdom in yielding to the wishes of others in such a matter, in order to win them to an acceptance of their views of eternal truth. Let us not be weakly timorous. There is always a lion of some sort in the street. But the brave man who faces what he considers dangerous, for the sake of others, is in a very safe |