Page:The Other Life.djvu/78

 sound. The words convey the sense or idea; the sound conveys the affection which originated and sustains the idea. Angels can detect in the sound of a man's voice the ruling loves and passions of his soul, and thence the secret key to his whole mental and moral nature.

This is the reason why a thing heard makes a more powerful impression than the same thing read; why oratory and music are more potent than the divinest philosophy; and why the pulpit, the bar, the stage, the forum are such mighty powers in the world.

Here, too, we see the necessity of public worship, in which divine truths are presented to the ear by speaking and singing. This is calculated to excite a sphere of devout affections which are insensibly communicated from one to another. The silent reading of a written sermon is a poor substitute for the magnetic fervor of the living voice, and the sweet brotherhood of choral music, which fire the heart with religious sentiment and stimulate the will to the obedient performance of religious duties.

The Christian who is not ready to speak, sing and pray with his brethren, to feel, think and act in a sort of choral harmony with the children of