Adventist Music by J. S. WASHBURN

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Washington, D. C. · Jun 10, 1915

Adventist Music

By J. S. WASHBURN

J. S. WASHBURN

In every great movement connected with his work of creation and redemption God has always had special music exactly appropriate for the time and the occasion. At creation’s dawn there was no note of sadness in the anthem of praise when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy over the finished work, when the Supreme Judge himself had declared that all was very good. But when redemption is finished, in the song of praise there is added a minor strain sweeter than any chord in creation’s song, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” This sweetest song of all will have in it a pathetic touch of sadness, a memory of sorrow and pain, then forever ended. The song at redemption’s consummation is wondrously fitting for the glorious victory over death and sin.

When God had brought Israel through the Red Sea while their enemies, the Egyptians, were drowned, “then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” Ex. 15: 1.

Jesus sang with his disciples, and the inspired command by the apostle Paul is, “Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” Eph. 5: 19. Music, suitable for the time, has always played a most important part in all the history of the church and the Reformation. Luther was not only a great preacher, but a musician, a composer, and a sweet singer. In the darkest hours, when it seemed that only ruin and death were before him, he called his friends and sang with them songs of faith and trust appropriate for the great struggle through which they were passing.

With John Wesley was intimately associated his brother, Charles Wesley, the singer and song writer, who probably wrote more hymns than any other man. Among these is that immortal song that never will grow old, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul.” The music of Charles Wesley and the preaching of John Wesley were a combination of great power.

Coming down to modern times: with D. L. Moody, one of the sincerest and truest of all modern evangelists, was closely associated Ira D. Sankey, who performed the wonderful and before unheard-of feat of composing and singing at the same time, in the presence of a great meeting, the music of the song “The Ninety and Nine.” His earnest heart singing probably helped equally with Mr. Moody’s preaching, to accomplish a great work. Their names go down together in history, “Moody and Sankey,” the preacher and the singer.

In the early advent movement the hymns on the subject of the coming of the Lord, sung with intense earnestness and solemnity, had a wonderful effect on the hearers. James White, one of the great leaders in the great second advent movement of 1844, was very musical, a powerful and an excellent singer. And there were many others who sang with heart and soul and voice, and with telling effect, the message of the coming of the Lord. Many of us have heard one of the oldest living pioneers tell of his first acquaintance with the first angel’s message, and of the mighty converting power of the first advent song he heard, which brought him to acknowledge at once the truth of that message. At one time an Adventist company was arrested for disturbing the people with their singing. At the command of the judge before whom they were tried, they sang three of the thrilling advent hymns, and were set free at once, with the statement that “if people are disturbed with that kind of singing they ought to be disturbed.”

Think you that the close of this work will come and find us using any music inappropriate for our great message? Every great religious movement has had music of its own appropriate for the time and the occasion and for the special message. This message in its closing power will have such music. We do not need to imitate the music of Babylon, any more than we need to imitate the preaching of Babylon. Thank God that we have still some real advent music, but we shall have a far greater revival of distinctive advent singing appropriate for the most solemn and awful crisis the world has ever known. The old advent hymns when sung with the advent spirit, bring into the meetings the presence and power of God, whose Spirit is so effectively banished by much of the modern light music many have been accustomed to hear and to sing in the popular churches.

There was never before such a flood of cheap music, dance music, “ragtime,” as today. The Satanic, Sodomic dances of today are a sign that the end is just upon us. Many of the cheap, sensational, sentimental hymns of today, come from the same school of music. In speaking of modern revivals, “The Great Controversy,” that wonderful book, which should be studied today more than ever before, says on page 464, “There is an emotional excitement, a mingling of the true with the false, that is well adapted to mislead.”

It is true there are many grand old hymns, such as, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul,” “Nearer, My God, to Thee,” “Rock of Ages,” that will always be appropriate. Some modern hymns are good, but very many are of little real worth, and detract from an earnest prayer or sermon.

Let us sing of the coming of Christ, of the heavenly home, and of the great truths of our distinctive message. And let us select true, substantial music. God will no doubt have some music written expressly for the closing work, but many

of the old hymns, if sung with the spirit, would bring a mighty blessing to God’s people. It is sad to see that, to many, some of the sweetest, most spiritual of the old advent hymns are entirely new. May God give us a revival of true advent singing that will shake the world, and hasten the time when we shall join in the great victory song of Moses and the Lamb at the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Philadelphia, Pa.