The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-12-08


ing in the consideration of either good or evil
must ever recognize two factors in the problem :
VIZ, the effect OF his choices upon his own char.
acter and the effect OF bis Influence upon Others
The law OF Christian love and even of an exalt.
ed humanitarianism requires that person
should foreg0 many things which might not be
perceptlbly Injurious to himself, but In the ex-
efclse OF which MS example might be cause
OF stumbling to others. A spirit Of worldliness,
self.indugence or selfshness always rebels
against highistandard of spiritual living. We
are TOO prone to make our choice and conduct
loregone conclusion. Instead of seeking light
vi listening TO the voice Of the spirit we say
Win a very significant emphasis: II am not 60
W. 10 give this up no matter what comes"
w resist light. We decide under the influence
~ ueslre and self-will and are almost disturbed
IL aany one suggests the need OF higher stand
a aaus OF Christian living. Are we not prone.
t Heaoyed TO constantly put away the very things
sSuat make us Christ-llke and a positively re-
ueemlng power in the world?
a. Notlce some OF the principal reasons against
.nT popular amusements of the day.
Ihey are intellectually demoraliZing. A high
type OF intellectual life is never to De found on
large scale In connection with general indul-
gence IN popular amusements.
lne chief objection to cards is their tendency
20 dissipation. Their chief evil Is in displacing
lhe good They displace books and good read
.ng. substantial reading is dstasteful to one
cheaper grade of intellectual life In the family
circle where amusement is the chief entertain
anent. Dr. washington GLADDEN. few years
ago sent a circular letter to about 200 represen-
tatlye young men IN the city where he resided,
asking If they would frankly state why, in their
opinion, 80 many young men absenied themselves
rom the churches, and neglected the exalted
claims of personal religion. de afterwards
CLASSIFIED their replies in little book entitled
Inc Young Men and the Churches" Let me
man not church member H' Wrote as follows:
My own opinion Is that many young people
nowadays feed themselves upon such highly
an extent in exciting pleasures Gas theatre
gong, dancing, &C., that church going Is irk-
some to them, and the best of sermons pail
s np1n ,neif pampered intellectual palates as
Here is another reply, and it shows the
rank and definite way in which young people
express their convictions. It attributes the lack
OF interest in religious services to little intel
ieetual culture, 10 these unmistakable words.
Ihey are not in the habit OF using their
Dralns." Another says: "Many young men have
loose and sometimes vicious tastes. Church.
WORK and church gowing, TO such, lack excite.
ment and the Kind of excitement necessary TO
these young men, who are right In the current of
youthful life, the love of pleasure has displaced
Doth high intellectual ana moral standard
ana resulted in an inferior grade o. character.
, Inc young man or woman who is TO secure
Tue grander elements of an exalted manhood
must begin very early to learn lessons OF self
and usefulness are open today for every young
person who covets wealth of intellect and soul.
early In life every boy and girl ought to be
tasting the delights that NAV be found In litera-
lure, 10 scientific and mechanical pursuits, in
amateur art in the study OF natural history.
Inere is plenty of room for harmless amuse-
ment In connection with high ideal of life, and
happy adjustment OF work and play, on the
oasis OF sound morals and true science finds
no occasion for the freedom OF the streets, for
late hours or feverish .excitements."
Society with its false standards and imperious
claims is bringing tremendous pressure to
pear upon the young people OF our city at this
very time, and upon the church of the living
God. The world is setting the standard and
not the church. 1t has so firm a hold upon
many Christians that the question no longer is
Lord what ayttt thou have me TO dO?" but''what
must do to keep my place In sOciety?"
Have not some of our choicest young people
said TO me, "Why II drop this and that am
excluded from society?" My only answer is. If
it has come to that the sooner we assert our in
dependence the better. believe ia the hero
ism OF young people. believe il they are en-.
couraged to follow Christ and their better i'm.
pulses, they can introduce new order of things.
They can reform society instead of being
ruined by it. When it actually comes to a
cnoice between this amusement or that and
Christ, there is only one thing to do. He who
betrays Christ for worldly pleasure is selling
his Lord for less than 80 pieces of silver, yea Is
selling his own soul for mess OF pottage.
,b IL Is not my purpose to specify the evils OF
evils are conspicuous and could be easily
pointed out For example, arecent writer has
shown very clearly that what gives dancing "its
feeling which II encourages" Its purpose"
he says. " is to produce, consciously or uncon-
sclously, form of emotional excitement, based
on the stimulation of the senses land it must be
granted" he ADDS, "that the purpose is admira-
bly, served Were it not for thfs free and pro-
miscuous intercourse between the sexes, he re-
marks, dancing as social Institution would
nave persisted. from inanition long ago, except
as a children's game"
Or take the element of fascination and dissi-
pation Ia anolner amusement. When one of
the prominent business men of this city told me
the past week there were mothers in the best
circles OF society In Portland who under the in
struction OF teacher spent from eleven O'clock
IN the morning until four in the afternoon about
the card table, taking lunch together in the
mean time, L agreed must sincerely with him
when he said II consider this a wicked waste
of time" The thought of such pleasure is to
my mind wholly uncomfortable In connection
with dignitied, pure. refined, exalted, Christ
son VINO is associated with this form of pleas
ure but the fact that society approves OF such
waste of time and energy is sufficient to i'm
peach social standards and condemn the in
strument of evil
My plea today is for Christianity that places
character ana usefulness first; that cultiyates
IN every person young or old a robust moral Wig
or, instead a self-iudugng pleasure seeking
spirit; that awakens aspiration for knowledge
life Is an assa1 le When person in mature
vacancy OF soul, which has itself been Great ed
by the very pleasure which can feyer build up.
It Is 10 me s1aas n.os sosnosrio. ,rl,n
Il
have never known a Christian who INDUCED
freely Ia the three chief forms of popular
amusements who was winner of souls and
loved TO tell OF Christ'S redeemng grace In per-
sonal work. While on the other hand / have
known such to be fatal cause of stumbling, to
many VINO mad not progressed far enough to
look away from human frailty to Christs per-
feet life and saving power.
70 Christ and to our own hearts.
these efforts NJ Incl ffu
disloyalty TO truth. Never check the leadiDgs
OF the Holy Spirit or shut out the light OF
heaven from the soul. Tt is absolutely safe, if
nothing but pleasure is considered, to trust
Christ. His mission is to enrich life not despoil
it. God Is not arbitrary. ssNo good thing will
be withheld from them that walk upriehtly."
A man Is not half a man until he can be true
to his convictions In face of an opposing world,
and until he has mastered those elements in
his life which clamor for indulgence at the ex-
pense OF manhood. He who would accomplish
anything for God or man must stem the tide of
wordliness and unfurl a more spotless banner
than that which waves over the multitude.
The power to choose the right at any cost
comes through the indweling grace of Christ.
We are never to ask how close can we come to
the world and still be Christians. That ques-
ton indicates an entire misconception of life,
and lack Of spiritual aspiration, If not posi-
tive love OF evil.
The only ambition which proves one to be
yytally IN IN t FELLOWSHIP with God is the
unceasing and intimate fellowship
with Christ. The boats on the Erie canal are
lifted from the Hudson river to the highest lev
els OF central New York by means OF series
OF locks. AT the required intervals the gates
are shut from behind and opened in front and
the waters pouring in from above lift the boats
at every point OF advance to higher and higher
levels. In no other way does soul approach
his God. The gates which let in the floods of
worldliness must be closed, and the soul opened
our response to these diviner Influences our
lives become rich and strong, beautiful and God