The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-02-07
POPULAR ADJUSTMENTS.
a sermon by the Rev. Chas. Hill in the NJ
Il. Church, February 1, 1891.

q Sermon by Inc Kew. ChaS. Hill III me VI
Il. Church, February l, 1891.
My SON if sinners eutice thee, cons ent tho
not.'-Prov., lXl0.
To eutice is ito coax; to decoy; t.
draw on, or instigate by exciting hopt
or DESIRE The enticements referred t.
in the text are enticements to evil, such
as are used by sinners and should be re
sisted While the enemy of souls seeks
to blind the minds of men and thereby
keeps out of sight rs far as posi- bic the
, Consequences of sin until the act is com
mitted, bis servants, who are ready to dc
his bidding, are saying to the young dis
, ciple, either by word or influence; You
are losing a great deal of pleasure; you
should not be Old before you are young,
come with US auG have a good time. The
world is not SO chilliOg AID cold as you
have imagined; you may, therefore,
venture INTO its atmosphere, conform to
its usage, and partaker of its pleasure
without harm to Your self" Almost
every young Christian Las felt the fore
of these enticements to greater or less
extent. 1t is my purpose to notice some
of the popular amusements o. the day
which are evidently of misleading ten
dency, to tue indulgence of which sin
ners would eatice the followers of J su5.
Among these, | name.
1. Wine drinking. There are many
who entice tie temperate t. the indul
gence of this vice. Evil is prcpagated
in the world by constant aud even self
sacrificing cffJrt on the part of its vo-
taries. The eucmy watches for souls
and his agents are ever vigiant and &C
tive il their efforts to scduce the rigbte-
GUS by Leading them III the paths of sin.
They appro !ch at such times, under such
circumstanc5 with such Establishments
and with such promises Of enjoyment,
that it requires very greI5 will power
to resist. Bat no matter by whom, or
under what cil cumstaaccs JOu may be
enticed, consent thou not. Do not yield,
there is ruin in the Wine cup. The Sigh
est taste may awaken a burning thirst
| for the deadly stuff, auG seUd ire aud
madness to the brain. Look rot upon
| the wine when il is re ], wAen it moveth
| it self Alright in the cap, for at the last
it biteth like a serpent and stiugeth like
an adder" There fore, if siAners entice
thee, consent thou nos.
2. Theatre going. That sinners eutice
the young iii this direction, none will
deny; they speak OF the wonderful abil-
lty of some great actor; they assert that
the theatre is school of morality where
We learn much of human nature; the
drama cultiyates the taste and that some
plays are as good as a sermon. With
these and similar statements, they say
come aud enjoy life, you will find it
both pleasant and profitable" They not
only appeal to the desire for pleasure,
but refer to tho example Of some pro-
Tossing Christians, they Say Mr.. So
and So, attends the theatre wien lie is
away fro n home, he is IA man OF broad
mind who has gotten away from old
fogyism; if he Can attend without injury
to him. self, SO can you, come aud cast
your lot in wish us To all these soli-
cita! lions, this text stands as a faithful
warning and says, my sou, if sinners en-
tice thee, consent thou not. Why? te
cause it is the way to ruin. 1t is Il we'll
known fact that the theatre is corlup.
ter of morals. There is scarcely an evil
incident to human lie, that is not por-
trayed at the theatre. l. is now aud
always has been as bad as the morals of
the community would ALLOW 1t to be. 1t
plays to the lower elements and along
the lower lines of social life, aud minis
tiers to the most perverted phases of
humanity. Some time ago the BroCk
Ign Times wrote to several prominent
clergy men, asking their opinion of the
theatre, and published their replies. |
Cardinal GibbOn OF the Roman Church
was constrained to admit his fear that |
the great majority of theatrical produc-
tions are highly pernicious and even
demoraiizi z. Bishop Foster OF the
Methodist Episcopal Church, was con-
WINGED that every true Christian will |
find he or she obtains spiritual strength |
and comfort by abstaniIg from all such |
doubtful forms OIL So called amu3ementS. |
DR.. Cuyler said. I'VE do not affirm that |
every popular play is immoral, or that |
every performance is impure, or that |
every theatre gOer is Gu the scent of So
cial excitement but the theatre is to be |
estimated as totality. and the whole
freud of the American stage is hostile |
to heart purity" Even heather morality |
and philosophy have condemned the |
stage as tending TO corrupt public morals.
This is the ground taken by Plato and |
Cicero nearly two thousand years ago,
and IL is safe to say that the piety and
the intelligence OF the church have al
ways condemned it. Henry Ward Bee
cher said i'll lecture to Young mer,-
III you would pervert the taste, go to the
theatre; if you would imbIbe false views
OF life, go TO the theatre; if YOU would
put yourself inc0iigib!y against virtue,
go 10 the theatle; il you world be in
fected with each particular vice il the
catalogue Of depravlty 50 to the theatre,
if parents wish to make their children
weary of homo and of quiet domestic
enjoyment, let them take them to the
theatre; il it be desirable Tor the young
to loatEe industry aud burn for fresh ex-
sand ,bam "a thpatra
is notorious that the bill OF fare at these
temples of pleasure, is made up to the
taste OF the lower appetites; that low
comedy and lower farce, running INTO
absolute ocscenity, are the ouly means
of filling tie house. The theatre that
would exhibit nothing but the classic
drama, would exhibit to empty seats.
They must be corrupt to live, and those
who attend them become corrupt This
was the opinion Of one of the greatest
preachers of his age. Then if the the
atre perverts the taste, il it gives false
views Of life, if it silences the voice of
conscience, if it infects with each par
ticular vice in the catalogue of depravlty;
if attendance at the theatre makes chill
dren weary of home and domestic erjDy-
ment, il it causes the young to lo;tthe
industry and to burn for fresh exciLeLneno,
if wicked men entce thee ia this dirCc-
ton, consent thou not. Some may say
these are tina opinions of meu who would
abridge our enjoymonts, but, did you
know that tie iuti,;el philosopher, R1s-