The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-06-30
AMJ1SEMENTS.

held at Salisbury, the remarks of Hen
ry Lane, Esq, in the discussion on
popular Amusements," were reques-
ted for publication in the Middlebury
REGISTER and the Vermont Chronicle,
and we give them as follows:
What amusements may Christians
properly countenance and indulge in?
The necessity of amusement, is admit
ted by almost every one. They are ad-
mitted to be needful for the healthy
growth of both bouy and mind. Life
should not be an uninterrupted scene
of labor and gravity. There should be
serious action and there must necessari-
ly be seasons of amusement. The de-
sire for indulgence in active amuse-
ments, sports and recreations, has evil
IDENTIFY been given us for the purpose OF
promoting health and strength, they
are natural and proper, IL isin obedience
. to natural propensity. God formed
every faculty of pleasure and has sur
rounded us with the materials to gratify
the appetite of the eye, of the ear, and
every sense. We ought to view amuse-
ments, so long as kept within the
bounds of moderation, As consistent
with provldential design and should
give our warmest approval to those
recreations and general amusements
that will exercise and educate the ply
steal, as well as the mental powers, and
these amlsements should not terminate
with youth. lThey are of great impor-
tance TO health, to relieve the tasked
muscle and tasked brain in advanced
and middle life. Laboror study should
be suspended only that after intervals
for amusements they may be the more
successfully resumed. With these OBJ
tn III 10 nf n
wolves no degradation of character, is
i'm no sense an immoral or irreligious
act. Christians ought, all other things
being equal, to be most cheerful. Our
religion should be q cheerful religion.
| There is not one source of happiness
which it does not authorize. l know
| there are some christians who represent
religion as shrowded in gloom and
covered with scowls, and who would
| have every candidate for admission into
| the church leave all their mirthfulness,
and cheerfulness, without. This | do
not believe in, | believe in n cheerful
religion, and that christians should not
despise amusements. Mistakes here,
| keep many christians out of the church
| Let young christians bring all their
bounding spirits, all the dew and fresh
ness, and gladness of their youth, to the
Lord and into the church. Why should
they not, they are made in the verv inn
age of God, their mirthfulness came
from him, just the same as their memo
ries. The ringing laugh, and the mer-
ry song in their proper place, ere ac-
ceptable to Him, ,as well as broken and
contrite heart. Who has right to be
more happy than he who keeps Gods
commandments. The church wants
elasticity, cheerfulness, sprightliness,
wit and humor whether it belongs
to young people or old. God is not the
God of the dead, but ofthe living, not
of the sorrowful only, but of the rejoic-
ing. Are all amusements innocent,
| and healthful tn the christian: l think
not, and if not, what are the pure pleas
ures, and what the impure? What is
u safe rule for christians to observe i'll
deciding on the proper amusements for
themselves and their children? think
il should be this, avoid those that,
stimulate the passions, and corrupt the
morals and conscience. Indulge only
in those that make the body healthier
or the mind clearer andthe heart purer
those that conform in all res
poets to the decorum of Gospel morali-
ty. But of those amusements that ar,
healthy and proper, such as fishing
hunting, gaming, skating, music paint
ing and drawing, &C., that which may
be distasteful and exhausting to you
may be salutary and pleasing to me-
The effort to drop a fly over trout'
mouth, may require of you nervous
concentration, more eXhausting than
any physical or mental labor, while t'
me II might be the most salutary II
= cEeation | could have. You may haV'
such perfect delight for music, rs f
! spend every spare moment in this limo
. cent and elevating pleasure, while t.
Il me, if had no taste for it, | might g
to Ii as an unwilling school-boy goes +
, his task, and the music so sweet am,
pleasing TO you, might be harsh To IN,
ears. We are differently constituted
and should be very slow to condemn il
another, that which to him is pleasin
and proper because we may have II
relish for the same pleasures. do nc
propose to speak Of those amusement
which think proper for christians {
countenance, but only of some of thos
that think they should discountt
nance. There are many amusement
that belong to the same class, an
should be alike discountenanced. I'll
church to which l belong, the churc
+. in Cornwall, has rule reading liR
Is this.
IS Rule oath. Church members ougl
:, not to engage in dancing, gaming, {
card playing, nor whether at home
abroad. do anything which may tairl
be construed as countenancing sue
practices.
OF these sources of amusements, wi
/ speak. First as to dancing, thin
it Is an amusement as generally pra
ticed, yes as almost universally pra
ticed, that should be discouraged al
ly discountenanced by every christian, f
's. these reasons. First for the waste OF tim
One evenings dance will give the wis
to go again, you go twice, and you W
wish to go again, and again, until "
, are seized with restlessness, and CT
wing to go, until your desires becomes
10 passion, and not only the time consul
ed i'm the preparation for a dancing p;
les ty is wasted, the time consumed VIII
engaged In 1t, but it is waste of tin
afterwards. The morning followil
being heavy and stupid, you will was
The day will be confounded, dut
y poorly executed, or deferred, habits
u leisure and idleness, will ensue. II
wv not only waste OF time, but there is
t Is waste OF thought upon It, waste
money in the extravaganza of dress,
exhaustion of strength, an exposure
health. But these are the lesser obj
/, lions TO the dance. The leading Obj
ny tiar thaf 1 xvaulI npoa anainot