The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-05-14
ON TRIAL
Opera II ouses, Theaters, Bowling
Alleys, Skating Kinks, Bto
Thoughts Drawn from the Destruction Of
the Temple by samaon-sermon by
Rev r. DO witt Tai
mage, u, ID.

ltybi hkhllhg-flhhbi anu hl btyleh
OF amusement, good and bad, on
trial. Tho text was from Judges,
xvi, 2bi "And II came 20 pass when their
hearts were merry that they said Call
for Samson, that he may make us sport,
Aud they called for Samson out OF the
prIson-houSO, and he made them sport"
Mr.. Talmage aaidi
There were three thousand people as
bembled In tho Temple OF Dagon, They
had como 10 mako sport OF oyeless SAM
son. They were all ready for the enter-
tainment They began 10 clap and pound,
Impatient for the amusement 10 begin, and
they crledi "Fetch him outl Fetch him
outW Yondor aoe tho blind old giant
coming led by the hand OF child into tho
very midst OF tho temple. Az his first ap-
poarance there goes up shout OF laughter
and dorialon The blind old giant protenda
no 10 tired and wants 10 seat himself
against the pillars OF the house, 30 no
says 10 the lad who leads himi "show mo
whore the main pillars are" Tho lad docs
90. Then tho strong man puts his right
hand on one pillar, and with tho might oSt
push that mortal ever made throws him
self forward until tho whole house comes
down In thunderous crash, grinding tho
audience like grapes In wlno-prosa.
Sand 80 u came 10 pass when their hearts,
were merry that they Saidi Call for
Samson, that ho may make us sport And
thoy called for Samson out OF tho prison
house, and he made them sport" In other
words, thore are amusoments that are de-
structiyo and bring down disaster and
death upon the heads OF thoao who prac-
tIco them. While they laugh and cheer
thoy die. The three thousand who per-
iShod that day In tho GAIA are al nothing
compared with the tens OF Thousands who
have boon destroyed body, mind and soul
by bad amusements and by good amu0O-
msnts carried 10 excess.
In this course OF sermons am now
preaching you must have noticed that
have no sympathy with ecclesiastical
strait. Jackets or with that Wholesale de-
nunclatlon OF amuaomonts 10 which many
are pledged. There arc great many who
denounco ball.playing They hato puE-
Elee. They dcspiso charados. They alb.
hor tableaux. Thoy sayi "Away with
all parlor gamosl" They talk IN II thoy
would like 70 have our youth dressed In
blue uniform, like tho children OF an orphan
asylum, and march down tho path OF lifo
10 the tune OF the "poad March In Saul"
They hate blue sash or n rosebud In tho
hair or tasaelod gaitor, and think man
almost ready for Sing Sing who utters a
conundrum. Young Mons Christian Assoc
Citations Of the country are doing glorious
work. They have fne reading rooms, and
all the Influences are Of tho bost kind, and
are now adding gymnasiums and bowl
ing alleys, whore, without any evil
surroundings, our young men may
get physical an we'll az spiritual
Improvement. We are dwindling away
10 .ohoatcd, woak.armod,
feoblo-yoiood race. Whom God calls Us 70
work In which Hs wants physical 40
well M spiritual athletes, would 10 God
that the time might soon como whom In
nll our colleges and theological ssminarios,
az at Princeton, a gymnasium shall DO
established. We spend seven years OF
hard study In preparation for the mlnis-
try, and como out with bronchitis and
dyspepsia and liver complaint, and thon
crawl up into tho pulpit, and tho people
sayi "Don't ho look HoavonlyW because
ho looks sickly. Lot tho Church OF God
direct rather than attompt 10 suppress tho
desire for amusement Tho best mon that
tho world ever know have had thcir
sports. william Wilborforoo trundlod
hoop with his children. Martin Luther
helped dress tho Christmas troc. Minis
tors have pitched quoits. Philanthropists
have gone a-skating. Prime Ministers
have played ball.
Show me man who novor lights up
with n sportfulnoss and has no sympathy
with tho rocroations Of others, and l will
show you man who 10 stumbling -block
10 tho Kingdom OF God. Such mon arc
caricatures Of religion. They load young
people 10 think that man Ia good In pro-
portion ns no groans and frowns and looks
sallow, and that tho height OF mans
Christian stature Ia In proportion 10 tho
length OF his face Iwould trado or nyo
hundred such. mon for ono bright-facod
radiant Christian on whose faoo arc tho
words. "Rejoico ovormoroW Our roli-
gion 10 n bright angol-foot bright, eyes
bright, wings bright. Taking hor place In
In tho soul, she pulls ropo that reaches
10 tho skios and sets all tho bells OF Heav-
On a-ehiming. There arc some persons
who whom talking 10 q minister always
feel II polite TO look lugubrious. Go forth,
o people, 10 your lawful amusement God
means you 10 DO happy. But whom thoro
are 30 many sources OF innocent pleasure
why tamper with anything that Is dam
gorous and pollutingi
Now, all opora-houscs, theators, bowl
ing-alloys, skating -rinks, aud all styles Of
amusement, good and bad, put on trial
to-day, and Judge Of thom by certain car
dinal principles First, you may Judge OF
any amusement by its hoalthful result, or
by its baloful reaction. II an amusement
sonds you homo at night nervous 30 you
can not sleep, and you rise In the morning,
not because you are slept out, but because
your duty drags you from your slumbcrs,
you have been whoro you ought net 10
h"N' bNNh ahVlo uVo HlnuhoIuVnNb UNIV
sond man next day 10 his work blood
shot, yawning, stupid, nauseated, and they
are wrong kinds OF amusement. There arc
entertainments that give u man disgust
with the drudgory OF life, with tools boz
cause they are not swords, with working.
aprons because they are not robes, with
cattle because thoy are not infurloted
bulls of the arena. II any amusement
sends you homo longing for lifc Of ro-
nance and thrilling adventure, love that
takos poison ard shoots itself, moonlight
adventures aud hairbroadth escapes, you
may depend upon II you sro the sacrificed
victim Of unsanttl0ed pleasure. Our
recreatIons nrointendod TO build up, and
IL they pull us down ~ to our moral or us
N eur physical strength, you may como 10
tho conclusion that they are obnoxious. ~
SUI further, thoso arnusemonN ars
tContlnsed on psgc 4, ,hNt