The Penn's Grove record., 1896-04-03
RET. DR.. TgLUG5E.
The Eminent Divine's Sunday
Sermon.
Subject, "our Social Recrentious.'

TEXTS: "They that use this world a. n:
abusing I'll Corinthians viii. 81. And
came 10 pass, when their hearts were merry
that they said, cali for Sam son, that he ma,
max US sport."-Jedges xvi, Is.
There were 5000 people assembled in TN
temrie OF Daeon. They had come to maxi
sport OF eyeiess Samson. They were all readl
Tor the entertainment. They began to ciaI
and pound, impatient for the amusement I,
pegin, and they cried. "Fstch hin out, fetcl
MIN out" Yonder I see the blind old gian
coming, led by the hand of n child into tn
very midst OF the temple. At his irst appear
ance there goes up a shout OF laughter ant
derision. The blind old giant prelends he b
tired, and wants to rest himself against thu
pillars OF the house. So he says to the LAT
VINO leads him, ''Show me where the maii
pillars are!" The lad does so. Then thu
strong man puts his right hand on one pillar,
n his leit hand on another pillar, and with
the mightiest push that mortal ever made
tnrows himself forward until the whole houst
ome down in thunderous crash, grinding
the audience like grapes in a winepress
"Anu SO 1t came to pass, when their heart
were merry. that they said, call for Samson
mar ne may make US sport. And they callet
Tor samson out OF the prison house, and h,
made them sport"
In other words, there are amusements tina
are destructive, and bring down disaster ant
ueatn upon the heads of those who practici
mem. While they laugh and cheer, they die
Ihe S0oo who persisted that day in GAIA ar,
as nothing compared to the tens OF thou
sanos VINO have been destroyed by sinfu
amusements.
Blu my first text implies that there is !
lawful use OF the world, as well as an unlaw.
Iui abuse OF 1t. and the difference between
the man Christian and the man un-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 world2 For whom this
wonderful expenditure Of color. this grace.
fuinees OF line, this mosaic OF the ground,
this fresco of the sky, this glowing fruitags
OF orchard and vineyard, this full orchestra
Of the tempest. in which the tree branche,
nute, and the winds trumpet, and the thun.
ders drum, and all the splendor OF earth and
sky come clashing their eymbals2 For whom
did God spring the arched bridge OF colors
resting upon buttresses OF broken storm
cloudP 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 " dear children.
II you build a large mansion md spread 4
great feast after 1t to celebrate the compile.
ton OF the structure, do you allow strangers
TO come in and occupy the place, while you
thrust your own children In the kitchen, OF
the barn, or the flelds2 Oh, no! You say,
II am very glad to see strangers In my man.
sion, but my own sons and daughters shall
have the1 FIRST right there Now, God has
built this grand mansion OF a world, and BE
mas spread a glorious feast in 1T, and while
those who are strangers to His grace may
come In, l think that God especially intends
to give the advantage TO HlsFown 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
advantages to the world than He gives to the
church bought by His own blood. II. thsre-
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 priyation
and into hardship. Why did they not tarry
Q little longer In the world and have some Of
Its e%njoyments and amusements and recrea.
fionsp" l say to such men OF the world,
"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 satisfactiops.
In the name OF the King Of heaven and
the sinful and polluted who have sauatted
on the domain Of earthly pleasure as though
1t belonged to them, while I ciaim In behalf
OF b good and the poor and the true, the
eternal Inheritance which God has given
them. Hitherto, Christian philanthropists,
clerical and lay, have busted themselves
chiefly In denouneing s nful reereations, but
l feel we have no right 10 stand before nen
and women In whose hearts there Is a desire
Tor recreation amounting to positive neees-
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 a sphere not usual in sermonizing. but
Q subject which I think ought 10 be presented
Ut this time. / propose now TO lay before
you some Of the recreations which are moi
only innocent, but positively helpful and ad
vantageous.
In the first place I commend, among in.
door recreattons, music-vocaI and instru.
mental. Among the first things created was
the bird. so that the earth might have music
Ut the start. This world. which began with
90 sweet q serenade, Is finally to be demol.
lshed amid the ringing blast OF the archan,
gels trumpet, SO that as there was music al
the start, there shalt be music at the CLOSE
While this heavenly art has often been
dragged into the uses Of superstition and
dissipation, we all know 1t may be the msani
of high moral culture. oh, Ii Is a grand
ia w huNO ouk AitA IOuku uU AmlO
the sound OF cultured voices and amid ths
Melody Of musical Instruments !,
There Is in this art an indescribabls
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 as the nand is large enough to compass
the keys teach II how to pick out the melody.
Let ali our young men try this heavenly art
upon their nature. Those who have gone
tk1 "a f.II,r kora fnpnb a., "a 1919
recreation and amusement. Dark DAYS.
stormy nights. seasons of sickness, busir ess
disasters, will do little toward depressing
the soul which can gallop of over musical
keys or soar in iubilant lay. 1t will cure
pain. It will rest fatigue. 1t will oue,l
passion. twill revive health. 1t will re-
Slain dissipation. It will strengthen the
immortal lou. In the battle OF Waterloo.
Wellington saw that the H~ighlanders were
falling back. He said; "What is the matter
Ehere?" He was told that the band Of music
had ceased playing, and he called up the
pipers and ordered them to strike up an in
spiriting air, and no soone did they strike
the air than the Highlanders were rallied
and helped to win the day, Oh, We who
have been routed in the conflicts OF life. try
by the force of music to rally your scattered
battalions.
/ am glad to know that in u great cities
here Is hardly a night in which there are
not 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 socle-
lies. Feel that the $1.50 or 90 that YOU
spend for the purpose OF hearing an artist
play or sing is a profitable investment. Let
YOUR Academies of Music roar with the ac-
clamation OF appreciative audiences Assem-.
bled At the concert or the oratorio.
still further, l commend. as worthy of
their support, the gymnasium. This institu-
ton 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 a
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 Respondent spirits who through
the gymnasium might be reused up to the
exuberance and exhiiaration OF life. There
are many Christian people respondent from
wear TO year who might through such an in
stitution bo benefited in their spiritual rela-
uo1I.. 1nere arc Unristian people who seen
TO think that II Is q good sign to be poorly
and because Richard Baxter and Robert Hal
were inyaIids they think that by the SAME
sickness they may come to the sam,
grandeur OF character. I want to tell IN,
Christian people Of my congregation thai
God will hold you responsible for yonr IN,
vaiidism II II d your fault and when, through
rlGht e-xaraise and ngRdenca. .yon might Il,