Morning journal and courier., 1883-01-29

 of God d-fearing men against the foulest de- | pravity in poetic and attractive form" Is : such hatred proof of narrow-minde dednass 1 Is it something that made the fathers blame worthy? But as to the theater in our time, this is the charge, which, if denied, has not i been disproved, that it is unclean and mor- i ally corrupting. Its evils are not incidental | and infrequent. I suppose no one will ques- ton the statement that high spiritual tone prevailing the community would empty many of the seats in our theaters, proving that there is an utter lack of harmony between right feeling toward God and a taste for ordinary exhibitions on the stage. In writ ings on this subject, we are told that some years ago in certain city an attempt was made to establish pure theater, in which nothing should be said or done to which the right minded could take exception It was complete failure. Christian people, we are sometimes told, should attend the theater in such numbers as to exert a predominating influence, and keep it above reproach. venture to say that the managers of the thea ters, in making arrangements for their exhi- bltions, never pay the slightest attention to the Christian element as such among the at- tendants. These managers as 8 whole are not Christian men. They are not in any real sense in sympathy with those who try to do the work of Christian church. The essen tial thing is to make money, and necessity is laid upon them to gratify the tastes of those who will bring the most of that The Chris tian people in this city, under any conceIv- able circumstances. could not support all the theaters in it. The expense would be enor- nous, and without neglecting every thing else on every night of the week they could not find time enough. But, as matter of fact, it is not the highest class morally that deter mines the nature of stage performances. And it has been demonstrated that uniformly pure theater will not pay. Not long ago the positive assurance was given that i'll certain 1I,<, q the moral sense of the community. And \ among other parts of the fulfllment of that promise have been the appearance of an act ress of not questionable character and of the Black Crook. am not affirming that there was \ consciously any disregard of the promise, | even in these cases. but am only reminding | you of a downward tendency. I give you \ sentence or two from published comment upon this last named exhibition when it was | first made in this country ''The initial even ' ing saw the theater packed, but with men, very few having. the temerity to take women \ to performance so very questionable. The first night of it's performance even New York was astonished and mortified and after few seconds would have hissed the lascivious ex- hibition but for the applauders carefully | posted through the house." Such thing as that has been on the theatrical programme within month in this city of churches and ! Christian homes, the seat of a great univer- | sity and many schools. And it was endured ! It was witnessed. And has there been spoken | 8 word of rebuke and of indignation loud | enough to be heard and to produce any | effect Is there to be no limit to permitted public indecencies And performance like
 this is not so essentially different as many
 might think from others. It is not like a
 volcano pouring forth smoke and
 ashes above a plain beautiful with orchards and vineyards Other plays
 less objectionable have been spoken of in de- koSl lafk ic, n,,a koS,, | faneness, vulgarity sneers at temperance and ! religion" Another Sis succession of hy l pocrisy, covetousness, drinking, gambling, jealousy and infideity." Another ''consists
 of adultery, murder, re marriage and subse- ! quent reappearance of the first wife to die in
 the house." And the names of these and
 such like have been in our morning papers
 and placarded on our streets in recent
 months Is the anxiety of some groundless
 in view of these things? Do they furnish
 harmless recreation? ''To the pure,'' we l are told, ''all things are pure" But we
 know that in this sense they are not Fur ! thermore in the words of Robertson, eff | that which is wrong seems pure then the
 heart is not pure but vitiated" But some ! plays are harmless, some are stimulating and
 instructive. Let that be granted. Yet may ! 1t not be that in witnessing them one gets
 pleasure, and profit if you please at too
 great cost to somebody? Shall the Christian
 stop to consider which side the force of
 his example is to be east Fathers and
 mothers, young men and young women, you
 who believe that the lasting foundations | of the State must be moral qualities and lives of purity, you who by public VOW | have taken upon yourselves the name of
 Christ, what think ye? Is the theater as 8
 whole good teacher of lessons in virtue ? ! Is 1t right-can it be right for those who are | washed in the blood of Christ to give it their patronage and sanction? Brethren, it has not been 8 pleasure to say these things. ! Under sense of my responsibility to God, to ! whom alone each one of us must give &C., | count, have spoken. Having said so much ! concerning what should not be done, let me
 call attention in closing to positive duty.
 In general it is the business of church of
 Christ to be aggressive. Not to be dissolved
 in the tide of worldly pursuits and pleasures,
 but to separate as much of the world as 1t
 can from the great mass and bring it into
 itself. It IS not to change except by becom- ing more Christlike. Those who become a
 part of it are to be changed by the renewing
 of their mind. But the church never wins
 victories by it's own strength. God will be
 inquired of to do the great things which it
 desires. Personal praying there must be in
 order to right personal living And praying
 of the church there must be in order that it's life shall be at it's best, as a unit. Prayer is the appointed means of securing the richest gifts that come from
 heaven. Our Lord himself found
 it to be so. ''It came to pass that when he
 was praying, the heaven was opened and
 the Holy Ghost descended in bodily shape like dove upon him. It was 'tas he
 prayed that the fashion of his countenance
 was altered, and his raiment vas white and
 glstening." At the time of the evening ob-
 lation when he was praying and presenting
 his suppication before the Lord the old
 prophet felt the touch of the angel Gabriel. Announcement was made of the birth of the
 Messiah's forerunner "when the whole null
 titude were praying without at the time of incense" The church was on it's knees
 before the day of Pentecost dawned upon the
 world. Filled with the Spirit, the members
 of church could not keep apart. Then they
 would flock to the place of prayer because it
 is place of safety, of comfort, of commun- ion with the Lord. If we love Christ with
 all our hearts, we shall want help in praising
 him. If a weight of desire for the salvation
 of men is upon us, the burden will be too heavy for us to carry alone. It will be a joy
 and help to know that with other believers
 we are in one place with one accord. So
 faith is increased when the children of one Father make common cause in seeking his
 blessing. Then the husks upon which some are content to feed will seem very dry, and
 this fact of itself will cause us l to ask God with redoubled earnestness to
 cause them also to hunger after righteous l ness, and to know what is the power and
 sweetness of his grace So will be felt the | force Of new love, and there will be no
 drawing towards or taste for the old pleas
 ures For then to live will be Christ. God
 help us all to hate that which is evil and
 cleave to that which is good. Then it can be said to us, ''Ye are salt, and ye are light, and men do see your good works and glorify your ! father which is in heaven" To be thus like the Lord Jesus among men, yet having our conversation above; teachers and helpers of | those about us by word and example, fur nishing,,unmistakabl illustrations ofIChristian principal in the conduct of life that is grand 1 and blessed.
 A Dismal Sunday.