The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-30
GOOD AND BAD RECREATIoNS.
A LESSON FROM sAMsON's DEMOLI-
TION OF THE TEMPLE.


Death and Destruction Brought
Down on the Heads of Those Who
Practice Them by Many Amusr-
ments-SOme Men Masters of Their
Amusements, other Men Their
slaves.
Washington. March 29.-In his sermon
to-day. DR.. Talmage discussed a subject
of universal interest, viz: "Our Social Re
creations" His text was chosen from 1
Corinthians, 7:3l: They that use this
world as not abusing it," Judges. 16.25:
'And it came to pass. when their hearts
were merry. that they said, call for Sam
son, that he may make us sport"
There were three thousand people as
sembled in the temple of Gagon. They
had come to make sport Of eyeless Sam
son. They were all ready for the enter
tainment. They began TO clap and pound,
impatient for the amusement TO begin, and
they cried, Fetch him out. fetch him
out!' Yonder 1 see the blind old giant
coming. led by the hand Of a child into
the very midst of the temple. At his
first appearance there goes up a shout
of laughter and derision. The blind old
giant pretends he is tired and wants TO
rest himself against the pillars
of the house: so he says TO the lad who
leads him: Show me where the main
pillars are"' The lad does so. Then the
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
fe whole house comes down in thunderous
in a wine-press. And so it came to pass,
when their hearts were merry. that they
said call for Samson, that he may make
us sport. And they called for Samson out
of the prison-house; and he made them
sport"
In other words, there are amusements
that are destructive, and bring down dis
aster and death upon the heads of those
who practice them. While they laugh and
cheer, they die. The three thousand who
persisted that day in GAIA, are as nothing
compared to the tens of thousands who
have been destroyed by sinful amuse-
mentS.
But my first text implies that there is a
lawful use of the world, as well as an UNI
lawful abuse of it, and the difference be-
tween the man Christian and the man UNI
Christian is. that in the former case the
man masters 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 eXpen-
diture of color, this gracefulness of line,
this mosaic of the ground this fresco of
the sky, this glowing fruitage Of orchard
and vineyard, this full orchestra of the
tempest, in which the tree branches flute.
and the winds trumpet. and the thunders
drum, and all the splendors of earth and
sky come clashing their cymbals? For
whom did God spring the arched bridge
of colors resting upon buttrcsses of bro
ken storm-cloud? For whom did he gath
er the upholstery of fire around the win
dow of the setting SUM- For all men; but
more especially for his own dear children.
II you build large mansion, and spread
a great feast after it, to celebrate the
completion of the structure, do you allow
strangers to come in and occupy the place,
while you thrust your own children in the
kitchen, or the barn. or the fields? Oh.
no! You say: Il am very glad to see
strangers in my mansion, but my own sons
and daughters shall have the first right
there" Now God has built this grand
mansion of a world. and he has spread
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 chdren-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 beileve that God
gives more advantages to the world than
he gives to the church bought by his own
blood. If, therefore, people of the world
have looked with doorous sympathy upon
and have said: Those new converts are
going down into privation and into hard
ship. Why did they not tarry q little lon
ger in the world, and have some of its en-
joyments and amusements and recrea-
tions"'-I say to such men of the world:
You are greatly mistaken" and before |
get through l 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 satisfac-
lions.
In the name of the King of heaven and
earth, serve a writ of ejectment upon
all the sinful and polluted who have
squatted on the domain of earthly pleas
ure as though 1t belonged to them, while
/ claim, in behalf of the good and the
pure and the true, the eternal inheritance
which God has given them Hitherto,
Christian philanthropists, clerical and lay,
have busted themselves chiefly in de-
nouncing sinful recreations; but feel we
have no right to stand before men ana
women in whose hearts there Is a desire
for recreation amount ing to positive ne
cessity, denouncing this and that and the
other thing, when we do not propose to
give them something better. God help
ing me and with reference to my last ac-
count, l shall enter upon a sphere not
usual in sermonizing, but a subject which
/ think ought to be presented at this
time. l propose now to lay before you
some of the recreations which are not
only innocent, but positively helpful and
advantageous.
In the first place, I commend. among
indoor recreations, music-Vocal and in
strumental. Among the first things Gre
ated was the bird, so that the earth might
have music at the start This world, which
began with so sweet a serenade, is final
ly to be demolished amidst the ringing
blast of the archangels trumpet, so that
as there was music at the start. there
shall be music at the close. While this
heavenly art has often been dragged into
the uses of superstition and dissipation,
we all know it may be the means of high
moral culture. Oh, ii is a grand thing
to have our children brought up amidst
the sound of cultured voices and amidst
the melody of musical instruments.
There is in this art an indescribable fas-
cination for the household. Let all those
families who have the means to afford it,
have flute, or harp, or piano, or organ
AS soon as the hand is large enough to
compass the keys, teach 1t how to pick
out the melody. Let all our young men
try this heavenly art upon their nature
Those who have gone into it fully have
found in it illimitable recreation and
amusement. Dark days, stormy nights
seasons of sickness, business disasters
will do little toward depressing the soul
which can gallop off over musical keys.
or soar in jubilant lay. 1t will cure pain
It will rest fatigue. 1t will quel passion
1t will revive health. 1t will reclaim dis
sipation. 1t will strengthen the immortal
soul. In the battle of Waterloo, We'll
lfngton saw that the Highlanders were