Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-03-26

NEW York, March 15.-The series of ser
mons DR.. Talmage is preaching in this city
and BrooklYa on "The Plaques of the
Cities" is attracting general attention.
At the morning service in Brooklyn and
at the evening services held under the
auspices of The Christian Herald. in this
city, the number Of persons who come to
hear the sermons is far larger than either
Of the buildings can accommodate. The
sermon to-day, which is the fourth of the
series, is on "Balefui Amusements" The
text was II Samuel, ii. IA: Let the young
men now arise and play before u.s.
There are two armies encamped by the
pool of Gideon. The time hangs heavily
on their hands. One army proposes game
Of sword fencing. Nothing could be more
healthful and innocent. The other army
accepts the challenge. Twelve men against
twelve men. the sport opens. But some
thing went adversely. Perhaps one of the
swordsmen got an unlucky clip, or in some
way had his ire aroused, and that which
opened in sportfnlness ended in violence,
each one taking his contestant by the hair,
and then with the sword thrusting him in
| the side, so that that which opened in in.
nocent fun ended in the massacre Of all the
twenty-four sportsmen. Was there ever "A
better illustration Of what was true then,
and is true now, that that which is limo
cent may be made destructives
What Of worldly nature is more i'm
portant and strengthening and innocent
than amusement, and yet what has count
ed more victimsf | have no sympathy with
straitjacket religion. This is very
bright world to me, aud propose to do all
can TO make it bright for others.
YOUTHS sPoRTIvENEss SHOULD NOT DE SUP
PRESSED.
never could keep step to a dead march.
A book years ago issued says that a Chris
tian man has a right to some amusements.
For instance, If he comes home mt night
weary from his work, and feeling in need
Of recreation, puts on his slippers, and
goes into his garrett and walks lively
round the floor several times there can be
no harm in it. | believe the church of
God has made a tremendous mistake in
trying to suppress the sportfnlness of
youth and drive out from men their love
OF amusement II God ever implanted
anything in US he implanted this desire.
But instead Of providing for this demand
of our nature, the church of God has, for
the main part, ignored it. As in riot, the
mayor plants battery at the end OF the
street, and has it Tired off so that every
thing is cut down that happens TO stand in
the range, the good as well as the bad, SO
there are men in the church who plant
their batteries of condemnation and fire
away unfortunately Everything Is CON
demned But my bible commends those
who use the world without abusing it, and
in the natural world God has done every
thing to please and amuse US. In poetic
figure we sometimes speak of natural OBJ
jccts as being in pain, but it is mere
fancy. Poets say the clouds weep, but
they never yet shed n tear: and the winds
sigh, but they never did have any trouble;
and that the storm bowls, but it never lost
its temper The world is rose, and the
universe garland.
And ! am glad to know that in all our
cities there are plenty Of places where we
may find elevated. moral entertainment
But all honest men and good women will
agree with me in the statement that one Of
The worst plaques Of these cities is corrupt
amusement. Multitudes have gone down
under the blasting influence never to rise.
If we may judge Of what is going on in
many OF the places Of amusement by the
;odomic pictures on board fences aud in
many Of the show windows there is not a
much lower depth of prongacy to reach.
At Naples, Italy, they keep such pictures
locked up from indiscriminate inspection.
Those pictures were exhumed from Pom
pei and are not lt for public gaze II the
eifrontery OF bad places Of amusement in
hanging ont improper advertisements OF
what they are doing night by night grows
worse in the same proportion, in fifty years
New York and Brooklyn will beat not only
Pompei, but Sodom.
To help stay the plague now raging |
project certain principles by which you
may judge in regard to any amusement or
finding out for yourself whether
it is right or whether it is wrong
BY ITS FRUITS KNOW 1T.
| remark in the first place that you can
judge of the moral character Of any amuse-
ment by its healthful result or by its bale
full reaction. There are people who seem
made up of hard facts. They are COM
bination of multiplication tables and sta
tistics. If you show them an exquisite
picture they viii begin to discuss the pig
ments involved in the coloring. II you
show them beautiful rose they will sub
nit it to a botanical analysis, which is only
the post-mortem examination of flower
They have no rebound in their nature
They never do anything more than smile.
There are no great tides of feeling surging
mp from the depths of their soul in billow
after billow Of reverberating laughter.
They seem as if nature had built them by |
contract and made a bungling job of il.
But, blessed be God, there are people in
The world who have bright faces, and |
whose life is a song, an anthem, a pecan of |
1f victory Even their troubles are like \
The vines that crawl up the side OF great
tower, on the top of which the sunlight |
sits, and the soft airs Of summer hold per-
petual carnival. They are the people you |
ike to have come to your house; they are
.he people like to have come to my house.
If you but touch the hem Of their gar
ments you are healed.
Now it is these eShilarant and sympa- /
.hetc and warm hearted people that are I
most tempted 70 pernicious annsements.
Ia proportion rs ship is swift it wants
strong helmsman; in proportion as a horse
is gay, it wants stout driver, and these I
people Of exnberant nature win do well to 4
look at the reaction of all their amuse-
II IL