Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1896-04-08
RET. DR.. 1aLuaGE.
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Sermon.
Subject: "our Social Recreation.., ;,

Subject: s'Our Social Recreations. =
TINS; They that use this world a. n.
abusing I'll Corinthians vii. 81. 'And
came to pass, when their hearts were merry
that they said cali for Samson, that he ma,
make Us spor."-Judges xvi, Is.
There were 5000 people assembled in tn
temple OF Dagon. They had come to max,
sport ofeyeless Samson. They were all readl
for the entertainment. They began to claii
and pound. impatient for the amusement Il
begin, and they cried, "Fetch him out, fetcl
him out!" Yonder see the blind old gian
coming, led by the hand Of a child into tn,
very midst OF the temple. At his first appear
ance there goes up shout OF laughter ant
derision. The blind old giant pretends he 4
tired, and wants to rest himself against tn,
pillars OF the house. So he says to the Lac
who leads him, ''Show me where the maiI
pillars are!" The lad does so. Then tn,
strong man puts his right hand on one pillar
and his left hand on another pillar, and with
the mightiest push that mortal ever made
throws himself forward until the whole housi
comes down in thunderoQs crash, grindina
the audience like grapes in a winepresS
''And SO It came to pass, when their heart
were merry. that they said, call for Samson
tnaf ne may make US sport. And they callet
Tor Samson out Of the prison house, and b
made them sport"
In other words, there are amusements tina
are destructive, and bring down disaster ant
death upon the heads OF those who practics
them. While they laugh and cheer they die
The 5000 who perished that day in GAIA arr
as nothing compared to the tens OF thou
sands who have been destroyed by sinfu
amusements.
But my first text implies that there is I.
lawful use Of the world. as we'll as An unlaw.
ful abuse OF II, and the difference between
the man Christian and the man un-Christian
Is that In the former case the man MASTER
the world, while In the latter case the world
masters him. For whom did God make this
grand and beautiful world? For whom this
wonderful expenditure of color, this grace.
fulness OF line, this mosaic of the ground,
this fresco OF the sky. this glowing fruitagi
OF orchard and vineyard. this full orohestrs
OF the tempest. in which the tree branches
nute, and the winds trumpet, and the thun.
ders drum. and all the spIendor Of earth and
sky come clashing their cymbals2 For whom
did God spring the arched bridge OF ColOrs
resting upon buttresses OF broken storm
cloud? For whom did He gather the uphoL
stery OF fire around the window of the set.
ting sun? For all men, but more especially
for His own dear children.
IL you ouild large mansion and spread {
great feast after It to celebrate the compile.
tion OF the structure, do you allow strangers
to come IN and occupy the place. while you
AhA uSe youi OWh CntluItu LII IQ6 k1tCn6Q. OF
the barn, or the fields2 Oh, no! You say,
II am very glad to see strangers in my man.
sion. but my own sons and daughters shall
have the first right there" Now, God has
built this grand mansion OF world, and He
has spread a glorious feast in 1T. and while
those who are strangers to His grace may
come In. think that God especially intends
to give the advantage to His own children
those who are the sons and daughters of the
Lord Almighty, those who through grace
can look up and say, "Abba Father" You
cannot make me believe that God gives more
church bought by His own blood. II. there
fore, people OF the world have looked with
dolorous sympathy upon those who make
profession OF religion and have said: ''Those
new converts are going down into privation
and into hardship. Why did they not tarry
Its enjoyments and amusements and recrea-
! tions?' l say to such men Of the world.
4 "You are greatly mistaken" and before
| get through will show that those people
who stay out Of the kingdom OF God have
| the hardships and self denials. while those
! who come in have the joys and satisiactions.
In the name Of the King Of heaven and
earth serve a writ Of ejectrnent upon all
| the sinful and polluted who have squattei
| on the domain OF earthly pleasure as though
| 1t belonged to them, while claim in behalf
| OF the good and the poor and the true, the
| them. Hitherto, Christian philanthropists,
clerical and lay, have busted themselves
! chiefly in denouncing g ,nful recreattons, but
feel We have no right TO stand before rlen
and women In whose hearts there Is desire
! for recreation amounting to positive neces.
sity, denouncing this and that and the Other
thing, when We do not propose to give them
something better. God helping me and with
/ reference to my last account, shall enter
upon sphere not usual in sermonizing, but
| a subject which think ought 10 be presented
| at this time. propose now to lay before
| you some OF the recr-ations which arc not
only innocent. but positively helpful and ad
, vanfageous.
In the first place I commend, among In.
door recreations, music-vOcal and instru.
| mental. Among the first things created was
the bird. so that the earth might have music
| at the start. This world. which began with
| 20 sweet serenade. Is finally to be demol.
| lshed amid the ringing blast OF the archan.
! gels trumpet, 80 that rs there was music al
the start, there shall be music at the close
While this heavenly art has often been
dragged into the uses .of superstition and
OF high moral culture. Oh, 1t Is o grand
/ thing to have our children brought up amid
| the sound of cultured voices and amid the
| melody Of musical Instruments
There is in this art an indeecribabls
fascination for the household. Let all those
families who havo the means to afford II
have flute or harp or plano or organ. Az
! soon rs the hand ts large enough to compass
the keys teach it how 10 pick out the melody.
Let ali our young men try this heavenly art
, upon their nature. Those who have gone
Into it fully have found In 1t illimitable
; recreation and amusement. Dark days,
| stormy nights. seasons Of sickness, busir ess
disasters, will do little toward depressing
| the soul which can gallop off over musical
keys or soar In jubilnnt lay. 1t will cure
Y Ia fxa. Ts
passion. 1t will revive health. 1t will re-
! slaim dissipation. 1t will strengthen the
! Immortal soul. In tho battle OF Waterloo,
Wellington saw that the Highlanders were
falling back. He said: "What is the matter
| shere2" He was told that the band OF music
| had ceased playing, and he called up the
| pipors and ordered them to strike up an in
| spiriting air, and no sooner did they strike
, the air than the Highlanders were rallied
| and helped to win the day, Oh, ye who
! have been routed in the conflicts of life, try
! by the force of music to rally your scattered
1 battalions.
am glad to know that in our great cities
here Is hardly a night in which there ars
! aot concerts, where. with the best musical
| instruments and the sweetest voices, people
may find entertainment. Patronize such en-
tertainments when they are afforded you.
| Buy season tickets, II you can, for the Phil
harmonic and the Handel and Haydn socie-
ties Feel that the $3.50 or "a that you
spend for the purpose OF hearing an artist
play or sing is profitable investment. Let
your Academies of Music roar with the ac-
clamation OF appreclative audiences assem-
bled at the concert or the oratorio.
Still further, 1 commend. as worthy of
their support, the gymnasium. This institu-
tion is gaining in favor every year, and
, know OF nothing more free from dissipation
or more calculated TO recuperate the physi-
cal and mental energies. While there are q
good many people who have employed this
institution there Is a vast number who are
ignorant of its excellencies. There are
| men with cramped chests and weak
sides and despondent spirits who through
the gymnasium might be reused up to the
exubernnce and exhilaration Of life. There
are many Christian people despondent from
year to year who might through such an In
stitution bo benefted in their spiritual reia'
E,0zB. 1nere ara christian people who seem
to think that 1t is a good sign to be poorly
and because Richard Baxter and Robert Hal