The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-08

door rSports-Fourdations For Soul Build
ins-The Last Hour.
WASHINGTON, March go. In his ser
mon today DR.. Talmnge discussed a
subject of universal interest-viz, Our
Social Recreations. His text was
chosen from I Corinthians vi, 81;
ssThey that use this world as not abus-
ing it." Judges XVI, 25: And itcame
to pass, when their hearts were merry,
that they said, call for Samson, that
he may make us sport.
There were 5, ,o00people assembled in
the temple of Dagon. They had come to
make sport of eyeless Samson. They
were all ready for the entertainment.
They began to clap and pound, impa,,
tient for the amusement 10 begin, ana
they cried, Fetch him out, fetch MN
out?" Yonder see the biird old giant
coming, led bv the hand Of a child IL
to the very midst of the temple, AT
his first appearance there goes up a
shout OF laughter and derislon. Inc
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. and, with the might
lest push that mortal ever made. throws
himself toward until the whole house
comes down 10 thunderous crash,
grinding the audience like grapes IN
wine press. "And so it came to pass,
when their hearts were merry, that
thev 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 amuse-
ments that are destructive. and bring
down disaster and death upon the
heads of those who practice them
While they laugh and cheer, they die.
The 5000 who periShed that day IN
GAIA are as nothing compared to the
tens of thousands who have been de-
stroyed by sinful amusements.
But my first text implies that there
is a lawful use Of the world as well as
an unlawful abuse of it, and the differ
ence between the man Christian and
the man unChristian is that IN the
former case the man masters the world
vh;Ie in the latter case the world mas
ters him. For whom did Gcd make
this grand and beautiful world2 For
whom this wonderful expenditure OF
color, this gracefulness OF
line, this mosaic OF the
ground, this fresco of the sky, this
glowing fruitage of orchard and vine
ward, this full orchestra of the tempest,
in which the tree branches Hute, and
the winds trumpet, and the thunders
drum, and all the splendors OF earth
and sky come clashing their Gym balls!
For whom did God spring the archeo
bridge of colors resting upon bUttresses
of broken storm clouo2 For whom
did he gather the upholstery OF ire
around the window OF the setting sun!
For all men, but more especially for
his own dear children.
If you build a large mansion and
spresd 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 felds2 Oh, not You
say, II am very glad to see strangers
in my mansion, but my own sons ana
daughters shall have the first night
there" Now, God has built this grand
mansion of 8 world, and he has spread
a glorious feast in it, 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 can
not make me believe 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 dolorous sym
pathy upon those who make profes-
sion of religion and have said,
''Those new converts are going down
into privation and into hardship; why
did they not tarry a little longerin the
world and have some of its enjoyments
and amusements and recreatlons"-l
saw to such men OF the world, You
are greatly mistaken" and before 1
get through I will show that those
people who stay out of the kingdom OF
God have the hardshins and self deni-
ais, while those who come IN have the
joys and satisfactions:
In the name of the King of heaven
and earth, Iserye writ OF ejectment
upon all the sinful and polluted who
have squatted on the domain OF earth
" pleasure as though it belong nged to
them, while I claim, IN behalf OF the
good and the pure and the true, the
eternal inheritancewhich Godhasglven
them. Hitherto Christian philanthro
pists, clerical and lay, have busted
themselves chiefly IN denounclpg SIN
full recreations, but feel we have no
right to stand before men and women
in whose hearts there is a desire for
recreation amounting to positive ne
cessity, denouncing this and that and
the other thing, when we do not pro-
pose to give them something better.
God helping me and with reference to
my last account, I shall enter upon
sphere not usual in sermonizing, but
a ! subject which 1 think ought to be
presented at this time. I propose now
to lay before you some Of the recrea-
tons which are not only innocent,
but positively helpful and advantage
ous-
Inthe first place, commend, among
indoor recreations, music-vocal and
instrumental. Among tie first things
created was the bird, SO that the earth
might have music at the start. This
world, which began with so sweet
serenade, is finally to be demolished
amidst the ringing blast of the arch