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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 85, 9 April 1881, Page 4

x^- .z-,.-,~.';zr* At a publio meetiog held recently at Wellington, in connection with the meeting of the Presbyterian General Assembly there, the Rev. P. Macnicol made tho following remarks in au address on " The strength and influence of the Presbyterian Church throughout the world, and her mission io the future " :— " There is flrst the service of praise, with wbich our services usually open. What a power pertains to that, as it carries tbe tribute of adoring and grateful hearts to tbe throne of God. Xt is at once the repression of, and the raeaaß of strength to the divine faith. It has always been associate! with the energy of a living religion. When the Reformers broke the Bbackles of Popery one of ibe very first things they did WBS to give to the people the Psalms of David in the vernacular tongues, with music adapted to the culture of the timeß, aDd co through every period of a living revival of religious life. Watts and Wesley, and Michael Bruce came in with their psslras and spiritual songs adapted to tbe musical culture of tbeir times, and so provided for and fed the faith of the sons of God. Bat what a change haa passed over the musical culture of man since Wesley's time. liow widely it has got diffused now | compared with what it was then. You will hear the sounds of a piano in al- j most every house, and the tongues of men warbling io notes of song in almost every retreat. Why, even in primary schools provision is made for made for the training of the children in musical gift. How necessary it is for the Church of God to meet and provide for and lovingly fco absorb the change tbat passes over popular sympathy in connection with this aspect of general culture. If she is wise for herself and awake to her work she will see that ber service of Bongarealwayssuchas will meet the sympathies of her people, and give them the opportunity of pouring out their adoring hearts to God. To the very utmost extent to which this culture can be made tributary to devotion, the living Church will provide for. Moßt of us here are aware of the immense change which has passed over this part ofthe Christian universe within the memory of living men. "We almost remember when there were no tunes allowed in the Church but the Avid Aught, Coleßhill, and .Martyrs and so on. Such an arrangement could not be endured now, ' and would prove ruinous to men if it were attempted to enforce it. And nofc only so, bufc another change is passiDg over the Churches of Britain at this very moment in this matter of musical provision. Something higher in the reign of musical art is being called for. Hence, in one of the most recent productions of a hymn book in Scotland, there is an incorporation of the grand old hymn, the Te Deum, and of other scripture sentences set to the higher kind ot music, and a place given to them in the service of the Church. To such an extent ;is this element moving the Churches in Britain, thafc I felt astonished, the other day, as I

took up the most recent edition ot our. own hymn bood, to see that the Te Deum ia now included in it. Ifc seems to me to be the very highest wisdom for tbe Church to make provision in her service of praise for the expanding sympathy which flows out of extending culture in song, and in doing so that she keep it under her own control, so as to secure the employment of that music which is accordant with the genius of her own faith.