the people and of a tender appreciation of God's loving sympathy, closing with an ascription of praise to His limitless love. The people ought now to be ready to sing

"Love divine, all loves excelling,

Joy of heaven to earth come down."

After the discourse a hymn in direct didactic relation to it may be sung:

"God is love, His mercy brightens
All the path in which we rove."

The postlude will be tenderly joyous and sympathetic in style.

There are many preachers whose nervous organizations would not enable them to adjust themselves to so tender an emotional key in developing the service. They would be entirely right in selecting as the opening hymn one of general praise and worship:

"Come Thou Almighty King,

Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise,"

or even the quietly majestic hymn,

"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee."

The second hymn may be more prayerful and tender:

or

"Guide me, O Thou great Jehovah,
Pilgrim through this barren land,'

"

"When all Thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys."

The final hymn may be more didactic:

"God is the refuge of His saints,

When storms of sharp distress invade;"

or the more stirring and forceful

"Give to the winds thy fears,

Hope, and be undismayed;"

or that wonderful pæan of faith in the divine love and providence,

"How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in His excellent word."

In this case the postlude will be bright and joyous, preferably with some soft and tender episodical passages.

In making out the program of the service, it is important that there be unity of feeling rather than of logic. This gives room for the interest the unexpected supplies. There must be progress of feeling as well as of thought. The long prayer or the music after it, be it organ or choir or hymn, should be the climax of emotion. It should be allowed to subside a little during the announcements and offering in order to rise to a still higher climax in the sermon and closing hymn.

In a tender, sympathetic service there is more danger of not taking the audience with you. If the music and the feelings suggested by the hymns are too quiet and depressing, there is danger of its acting as a lullaby, putting the people to sleep. Many a preacher wonders why some of his hearers are asleep before his text is fairly announced. In nine cases out of ten it is due to the depressing character of the music used in the devotional part of the service.

Of course, if the minister proposes to preach on "The Theology of Robert Browning" or " The Ethical Import of Upton Sinclair," or "Gideon's Hydrometer," or "Nimrod, the Prehistoric Hunter," he can turn his whole service over to his professional musicians, only asking that they observe the ecclesiastical conventionalities and supply music that will help draw an audience. The sermon and the music will be harmonious inasmuch as they are both on the same low secular plane.

Part III

Congregational Singing