Connecticut western news., 1891-03-18
HOW FOOLS MOCK AT SIN
DR. TALMAGE'S DISCOURSE ON BALE
 FUL ADJUSTMENTS.

cent and Injurious Qualifications. AL
 ways Important, Is Just Now of 1m-
 mense Importance.
 NEW YORK, March 15.-The series of sermons Dr. Talmage is preaching in this city and Brooklyn on ''The Plaques of the Cities is attracting gen. eral attention. At the morning service in Brooklyn, and at the evening ser vices held under the auspices of The Christian Herald in this city, the num- Der of persons who come to hear the sermons is far larger than either of the Buildings can accommodate. The ser mon today, which is the fourth of the series, is on "Baleful Amusements. ]" The text was II Samuel ii, IA, ''Let the young men now arise and play before us.'
 There are two armies encamped by the pool of Gibeon. The time hangs heavily on their hands. One army pro- poses a game of sword fencing. Noth- ing could be more healthful and inno- cent. The other army accepts the chal- lenge Twelve men against twelve men, the sport opens. But something went adversely. Perhaps one of the swordsmen got an unlucky clip, or in some way had his ire aroused, and that which opened in sportfulness ended in violence, each one taking his contest ant by the hair and then with the sword thrusting him in the side, SO that that which opened in innocent fun ended in the massacre of all the twenty four sportsmen. Was there ever better illustration of what was true then and is true now, that that which is innocent may be made de- structive2
 What of a worldly nature is more important and strengthening and inno- cent than amusement, and yet what has counted more victims2 have no sympathy with a straitjacket relig- ion. This is very bright world to me, and propose to do all can to make it bright for others.
 NATURES HEALTHFUL ADJUSTMENTS.
 never could keep step to a dead march. A book years ago issued says that a Christian man has a right to some amusements. For instance, if he comes home at night weary from his work and, feeling the need of recrea- tion, puts on his slippers and goes into 1,.o ho floor several times, there can be no harm in it. I believe the church of God has made tremendous mistake in trying to suppress the sportfulness o1 youth and drive out from men their love of amusement. If God ever i'm planted 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 a riot. the mayor plants a bat tery at the end of the street, and has it fired off so that everything is cut down that happens to stand in the range, the good as we'll as the bad, so there are men in the church who plant their batteries of condemnation and fire away indiscriminately. Everything is condemned. But my Bible comments those who use the world without s,bus- ing it, and in the natural world God has done everything to please and amuse us. In poetic figure we some times speak of natural objects as being s,o ;o n say the clouds weep. but they never yet shed tear; and that the winds sigh, but they never did have any trouble; and that the storm howls, but it never lost it's temper. The world is a 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 en tertainment. But all honest men and good women will agree with me in the statement that one of the worst plagues of these cities is corrupt amusement Multitudes have gone down under the blasting influence. nevei to rise. If we may judge of what is going on in many of the places of amusement by the Sod omic pictures on board fences and ir many of the show windows there is no1 a much lower depth of profligacy te reach. At Naples, Italy, they keeE such pictures locked up from indiscrim mate inspection. Those pictures were exhumed from Pompeii, and are not fl, for public gaze. If the effrontery O. bad places of amusement in hanging out improper advertisements of wha, they are doing night by night grow worse in the same proportion, in fifty years New York and Brooklyn will bea not only Pompeii, but Sodom.
 To help stay the plague now raging
 project certain principles by which yo, may judge in regard to any amusemen or recreation, finding out for yoursel
 whether it is right or whether it i wrong.
 JUDGE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS. I remark, in the first place, that yol
 can judge of the moral character O
 any amusement by it's healthful resul or by it's baleful reaction. There ar people WlIo SeeAt u1due up OI uoA'
 facts They are combination of mul tiplication tables and statistics If yol show them an exquisite picture the.
 will begin to discuss the pigments in
 volved in tho coloring. If you shoy them beautiful rose they will submi 1 it to a botanical analysis, which is onl the post-mortn,n examination of l flower They have no rebound il
 their nature. They never do anythin more than smile. There are no grea
 tides of feeling surging up from tn l depths of their soul. in pillow after bi] l low uf reverheratino laughter The
 seem as Ii nature had built them b
 contract and made a bungling job ou l of if