Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-16
FOURTH PLAGUE.
RgV. DR.. RALNlGgS SERMON ON BANEFUL
ADJUSTMENTS
That Are Everywhere Scattered Over toe Land 10
Entcs the Young Men 10 Rumble Down
ward PaIh Through the Gate Of Immoral
AttractOns-Ths Only HoP4.
sp.e.a! r.l.nan To Ne R.pt.,.r.

tention AT the morning service in
Brooklyn, and at the evening services
| held under the auspices of the Christ idl,
/ Herald, IN this city, the number of per-
sons 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
/ "Baleful AmuSementS. The text was
II. Samuel 2:l4: Let the young men
now arise aud play before us
There are two armies encamped by
the pool OF Gideon. The time hangs
heavily on their hands. One army pro-
poses game OF swOrd-fencing. Moth
ing could be more healthful and inno-
cent The other army accepts the
challenge. Twelve men against twelve
men, the sport opens. But something
went adversely. Perhaps one of the
SwordS-mcn got an unlucky clip, or in
some was had his ire aroused, and that
which opened in SpOrtfulneSS 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 innocent fun ended in
the massacre Of all the twenty-four
sportSmen. Was there ever a better H.
luStration of what was true then, and
is true now. that that which is innocent
may be made destructive?
What of a worldly nature is more i'm
tant and strengthening and innocent
than amusement, aud yet what has
counted more victims? have no SYM
pathy with Straight-iacket religion.
This is a very bright world to me, and
propose TO do all | can to make il bright
for others.
never could keep step to a dead
march. A book years ago issued says
that a Christian man has right to some
amuSementS; for instance, il he comes
home az night weary from his work,
and, feeling the need of recreation, puts
on his slippers, and goes into his garret,
and walks lively round the floor several
times, there can be no harm in il. l
believe the Church Of God has made
tremendous mistake in trying To sup
press the SportfulnesS Of youth, and
drive out from men their love of amuSe-
ment. II God ever implanted anything
I'm us. he implanted this desire. But in
stead Of providing for this demand
of our nature, the Church of
God has, for the main part, ignored il.
As ia a riot. the mayor plants a battery
at the end Of the street, and has il fired
of. so that every thing is cut down that
happens 10 stand iu 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 indiS-
criminately. Everything is condemned
But my Bible cOmmendS those who use
the world without abusing il, and in
the natural world God has done every
thing 90 please aud amuSe Us. In poetic
figure We sometimes speak of natural
objects As being in pain, but IL IS mere
fancy Poets say the clouds weep, but
they never yet shed a tear: and that the
winds sigh, but they never did have
any trouble; and that the stotm howls,
but 10 never lost its temper. The world
Is a rose, and the universe a garland.
BALEFrL ADJUSTMENTS.
And am glad TO know that in all our
cities there are plenty of places where
We may find elevated moral entertain
meut. Bur an honest men aud good
women Will agree with me In the state
ment that one OF the worst plaques OF
these cities is corrupt amusement. Mul-
titudeS have gone down under the blast
ing influence never TO rise. If We may
Judge of what is going on in many OF the
places of amusement by the >OdOmlc
pictures ON board-feuceS aud in many
of the shOw-windOwS. there is not y
much lower depth of pronigacy to
reach. At Naples. Italy, they keep
such pictures locked up from indis-
crimiuatc inspection. Those pictures
were exhmmed from Pompeii and are
not it for public gaze. II the etfrontery
of bad places of amusement in hanging
ont improper advertisement of what
they are doing night by night grows
worse in the same proportion, in fifty
years New York aud Brooklyn will beat
not only Pompei. but Sodom.
To help stop the plague now raging,
I project certain principles by which
YOU may Judge in regard TO any amuSe-
ment or recreation, finding out for
Yourself whether 10 is right. or whether
10 is wrong.
remark, in the first place, that you
can Judge OF the moral character OF any
amusement by It's heathful result, or by
its haleful reaction. There are people
who seem made mp Of hard facts. They
are q combination OF multiplication Ia
blcs and statistics. II you show them
an exquisite picture, they will begin to
discuss the pigments involved in the
coloring If you show them beauti-
ful rose, they will submit il to botan-
ical analysis. which Is only the post
morton examination of q flower. They
have no rebound in their nature. They
never do anything more than smile.
There are no great tides OF
feeling surging up from the depths Of
their souls, in billow after billOw Of re-
verberating laughter. They seem as il
nature had built them by contract, aud
made a buugling JOB out Of IL. But
blessed be God, there are people in the
world who have bright faces, and whose
life is a song. an anthem, poem of vic
tory. 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 sum
mer hold perpetual carnival. They are
the people you like TO have come to
your house; they are people ! like to
have come TO my house. II you but
touch the hem Of their garments you
are healed.
HOW THE Young MAN l. CAUGHT.
There is nothing more deprayiug
"a nrtrfGnfnnnfs d fnuf
are ful OF innucndO and low SuggeS-
tion. The young man enters. AT first
he sits far back, with his hat on and his
coat collar up. fearful that somebody
may know him. Several nights pass
on. he takes OIL his hat earlier, and
puts his coat collar uOwn. The blush
that first came into his cheek when any
thing indecent was enacted comes no
more 10 his cheek. Farewell, young
man. Nou have probably started on
the long road which ends in conSumate
destruction The stars Of hope will 60
ont one bv one. until you will be left
i'm utter darkness. Hear you not the
rush OF the malSetrOm, in whose outer
circle your boat now dances, making
with the whirling waters? But yOH are
being dr2wn In, and the gentle motion
viii become terrific agitation. You cry
for help. In vain, Nou pull at the oar
20 uut back, but the struggle will not
avail. You will be tossed, and dashed,
and shipwrecked, and swallowed in the
whirlpool that has already crushed in
its wrath ten thousand hulkS.
Young men who have Just come from
country residence TO city residence VIII