Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-04-04

They Are Not Fit Foundation For Soul
Building.
WASHINGTON, March 29.-In his SER
mon today d. Talmago discussed q
subject of universal interest-viz, "Our
Social Recreations. :" His text was cho-
sen from 1 Corinthians vii, 81, "They
that uso this world rs not abusing it.
judges xvi, 90: "And it camo to lass,
when thoir hearts were merry. that they
said, call for Samson, that ho may make
rs sport. y
There were 5000 people assembled in
the temple Of Dagon. They had como to
make sport of eyeless Samson. They
were all ready for the entertainment.
They began TO clap and pound. impa-
tient for the amusement to begin, and
they cried, Fetch him out, fetch him
out" Yonder 1 SOC the blind old giant
coming, led by the hand of child into
the very midst of the temple. AT his
first appearance there goes up 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 no says to the lad who leads
him, "Show me where the main pillars
arel" Tho lad does so. Thon 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 un-
til tho whole house comes down III
thunderous crash, grinding the audience
like grapes III winepress. And so 1t
came to pass, when their hearts were
merry, that they said, call for Samson,
that he may mako us sport. And they
called for Samson ont of the prison
house and he made them sport. y
III other words, there are amusements
that are destructive, and bring down
disaster and death upon tho heads of
those who practice them. While they
laugh and cheer, they die Tho 5000
who persisted that day in Gaza, are as
nothing compared to tho tens Of thous-
ands who have been destroyed by sinful
amusements.
For Use, Not Abuse.
But my first text implies that there 10
a lawful use CT the world, as we'll as al
unlawful abuse of it, and the difference
between the man Christian and the man
un-Christian is that i'll 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 Won
derful expenditure OF color, this grace
fulness of line, this mosaic OF the
ground, this fresco of the sky, this glow
ing fruitage of orchard and vineyard,
this full orchestra of the tempest, i'll
which tho 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 tho arched bridge of col
ors resting upon buttresses of broker
storm cloud? For whom did he gather
the upholstery Of fire around the win
dow of tho setting sun? For all men,
but more especially for his own dear
children.
If you build large mansion and
spread a great feast after it to celebrate
the completion of the structure, do you
allow strangers to come i'll and occupy
the place, while you thrust your own
children in the kitchen, or the barn, or
the fields? Oh, mol You say, 81 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 world, and
he has spread glorious feast in it, and
while those who are strangers to his
grace may come III, 1 think that God es-
pecially intends to give the advantage to
his own children-thoso who are the
sons and daughters of the Lord Al
mighty, 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 tho church bought by his own
blood. If, therefore, people of the world
have locked with dolorous sympathy
upon those who make profession of re-
licion and have said: "Those new con-
verts are going down into privatlon and
into hardship. Why did they not tarry a
little longer in the world and have some
of its judgments and amusements and
recreations?" say to such men of the
world, "You are greatly mistaken, " aud
before 1 get through l will show that
those people who stay cut of tho king
dom of God have tho hardships and self
denials, while those who come in have
the joys aid satisfactions.
In the ZANE Of the King Of heaven
and earth [ servo writ of ejectment
upon all the sinful and polluted who
have squatted on the domain of earthly
pleasure as though it belonged to them,
while claim i'll behalf of tho good and
the poor and the true. the eternal in
heritance which God has given them.
Hitherto, Christian philanthropists,
clerical and lay. have busted themselves
chiefly in denouncing sinful recreations,
but feel wo have no right to stand be-
fore men and women in whose hearts
there is a desire for recreation amount
ing to positive necessity, denouncinG
this and that and the other thing, when
we do not propose to give them some
thing better. God helping me and with
reference to my last account, l shall en-
ter upon sphere net usual i'll sermon
izing, but subject which l think ought
to be presented at this time. propose
low to lay before you some Of the rec
reations which are not only innocent,
but positively helpful and advantageous
The Charms of Music.
In the first place, commend, among
indoor recreations, music-vccal and in
strumental Among the first things
created was the bird, so that the earth
might have music at the start. This
world, which began with so sweet a
serenade, is finally to be demolished
amid the ringing blast of the archangel' 8
Al. ot