Importance of it to the church.

struct and manage as this; and no part is more interesting, more important, or will receive more good from right instruction, than this. It is a little fountain, but from it several little rills flow, small indeed now, but one which will swell and grow till each becomes a mighty river.

There may be an infant class or an infant school in connexion with every Sabbath School in the land. It ought to be so; and why is it not so? Is it not because we have considered these little ones too young? But may not this impression be a mere prejudice? Some thirty years ago our churches thought that every one must serve the devil till at least twenty years old; and the consequence was, that it was a very rare sight to see young men and ladies under twenty entering the church with the purpose of living for God. Few young people then professed to serve God. Was this not a very great mistake ? And shall our churches let Satan still have the very best part of life with which to take possession of the soul? No, they must not do it. Let every minister and every officer in our churches, and every Superintendent at once take up the subject, and resolve that there shall be such a class or classes connected with every Sabbath School in the land. Then shall we have begun at the right period of life, to sow the seed; and then will our blessed Redeemer gather to himself a glorious harvest,-for the garners of immortality.

CHAPTER IX.

SINGING IN THE SABBATH SCHOOL.

The savage

THE Soul seems formed for music. cannot be found so barbarous as not to have some way by which to create musical sounds; and the savage who, for the first time, hears the notes of a well-regulated band, will crouch down upon the ground, entranced by notes so far exceeding any thing of which he has ever before conceived. The band in passing through the street will draw every family to the window; the flute whose soft notes float over the still waters on the summer's evening, will cause the Indian to lift the paddle from the water, and let his canoe drift noiselessly down the stream. And the proudest monarch on earth will kneel and weep during some of the strains of the mighty organ, and the choir as they sing the Messiah.

War has pressed music into his service, and made the heart leap even upon the field of death, by the notes of the bugle, the trumpet and the clarion. The

The love of music universal. Music used in war.

Music used by pleasure.

horse and his rider both feel its power, and by it rush into the ranks of death. The charge is made, and man is brought breast to breast, under the united influence of music and the war-shout. What notes, deep, awful, and spirit-stirring, were those which rose over the field of Waterloo, as Death rode through the ranks, on his pale horse? The roar of cannon, the groans of death, and the murderous shout of battle are all softened down by music.

Pleasure has made music her waiting-maid. The ball, the dance, the theatre, would all expire, were it not that music gives her constant presence, and pleads with a voice so sweet, that the world cannot resist it. Any price will be paid for music, if it shall have the quality of being exquisite. The man is now living who annually receives more for the music which he creates on his violin, than would support eighty of our ordained missionaries. A lady who has earned great fame in the theatres in Europe as a singer, has been offered, if she would come to this country at least an equal sum. She declined the offer, and probably no sufficient inducements will be offered to cause her to come, and consequently the music of her voice will never be heard this side of the Atlantic. I mention these facts,-not to find fault, for that is useless, but to show the strong love which we all have for music.

Almost every nation, perhaps all nations, have national airs, by which the love of country is deepened, and

National airs. Music used by religion anciently. Music the parent of poetry.

a national feeling is created and maintained. The popular air, "Yankee-doodle," will probably create an American feeling as long as our nation exists; and the airs," God save the king," and "Rule Britannia,” will never cease to call the heart of the Briton to his own glorious Isle. The soldier from Switzerland, and from the Highlands of Scotland will weep at the national airs which call their hearts home to the place of their birth and childhood.

It is not a matter of surprise, then, that from the fall of man to the present hour, as we have reason to believe, religion has made great use of music to aid her disciples. It was early taught in the schools of the Prophets, and from them went out through the length and breadth of the land of God's people. Not only so, but God made special provision for its use, in giving to his church those inspired songs which bear the name of David, and which will be sung as long as the church exists on earth. From the days of David down to the third century of the Christian era, music was exceedingly simple, touching, and effective. It was the music of nature, so to speak, and consisted in little else than a refined delivery, superadded to sacred poetry. Music, in the most ancient ages of the world, was the parent of poetry. Deborah wrote her wonderfully sublime song, that it might be sung and committed to memory by the army of Barak. The great poem of Homer, it is said, is the daughter of music,-a composition which

Homer's influence.

Provision of Providence for music.

6

has had more influence upon the character of the earth, probably, than any other book in existence, except the Bible. From Homer,' says Pope,' the poets drew their inspiration, the critics their rules, and the philosophers a defence of their opinions; every author was found to use his name, and every profession writ books upon him, till they swelled to libraries. The warriors formed themselves upon his heroes, and the oracles delivered his verses for an swer.'

God has not only created the ear to delight in the melody of sweet sounds, but has created a most wonderful musical instrument for the use of every one. Between the top of the throat and the root of the tongue, he has made an enlargement,—a cavity of two or three inches, and most wonderfully lined it with delicate membranes, so stretched that the air passing through them makes a sound as through the reed of a clarionet. This would be a curious instrument, even if it admitted of no variation of sound; but it is furnished with five cartilages, which contract and expand the cavity at pleasure in different ways, so as to give different vibrations, and of course, different tones. In this small space, then, in the throat of every human being, is an instrument with a compass of from two to three octaves, which has the command of every semi-tone, and subdivision of note, swell, trill, &c.; and not necessarily exposed to the imperfections of artificial instruments, but so clear, so rich,