Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1898-06-22
HEALTnFUL AMUSEMENT
a is Essential to the Making OF a
Healthful Christian
u Is Not the True Spirit Of the Church to
trown "n Harmless and lnvigorating
sport sermon 10y Rev. 4. De
Witt Talmage. p.p.

mage In This discourse discusses
7nu>cmentS and applies tests by
which they may oe known as good or
bad. The text is Judges xvi. -: "And
u came 20 pass when their hearts
we're merry. that they said. call for
samson, that he may make us sport
Ana they called for samson ont OF
che prison hous; and he made them
sport
There were 5000 people assembled
an the temple of D2gon. They had
come 90 make sport OF eye,cs> samson.
They were ali ready or the entertain
meut. They began 10 clap and pound.
impaticnt,f for the amusement to begin.
au0 they cried. Fetch him out! Fetch
him QUIZ Wonder / see the blind old
giant coming. led 10y the hand of "A
child into the very midst OF
the temple At his first ap-
Pearance there goes up n
shout OF laughter and derision. The
blino old giant prctendS he is tired
and wants 70 rest himself against the
pillars OF the house so he saws TO the
lad who leads him, Bring me where
the main pillars are. The lad does
So Then the strong man put his
hands on one of the pillars. and. with
she mighticst push that mortal ever
made. throws himself forward until
the whole house comes down in
ihunderous crash, grinding the audi
ence like grapes in wine press. And
- II came TO pass. when their hearts
we're merry, that they said. Call for
samson, that he may make Us srort
Ana they called for samson out of the
prison house; aud he made them
spor- In other words. there are
amuSements that are destructive and
bring down disaster and death upon
the heads of those VINO practice them.
While they laugh and cheer, they die.
The three thousand who perished that
gay IN GAIA are nothing compared
with the tens of thousands who have
been destroyed. body. mind and soul.
by bad amusements and by rooa
smusements carried TO excess.
In my sermons YOU must have noticed
that l have no sympathy with ecclesi-
hstical straitjackets. or with that
wholesale denunciation OF amusements
TO which many are pledged l believe
the church Of God has made a ,re-
merdous mistake in trying TO suppress
the sport1ulnesS of youth and drive
out from men their love of amuse-
ment II God ever implanted any
thing in US He implanted this desire
But instead OF providing for this de-
mand of our nature the church OF God
has for the main part ignored il. As
IN a riot the mayor plants battery at
the end OF the street and has il fired
of, 50 that everything is cut down
that happens TO stand in the range.
the good As we'll as the bad. so there
are men in the church who plant their
batteries of condemnation and fire
away indiscri minately. Everything is
condemned. They talk a if they
would like 10 have our youth dress in
blue uniform. like the children OF an
orphan asylum, and march down the
path of life 20 the tune of the Dead
March in saul They hate a blue
sash. or a rosebud in the hair or a tas-
seled gaiter. and think n man almost
ready for the lunatic asylum who nj
tiers a conundrum.
Young Mems Christian associations
Of the country are doing glorious
work. They have fine reading rooms
ana all the Influences are OF the best
KIND, and are now adding rymnasi-
inns and bowling alleys where. with
out any evil surrounding. our Young
men may get physical as well as spir-
ftual Improvement We are dvindlinr
away 70 "a narrow-chested. weai ARMED
feeble-voiced race. when COD CALI, M.
10 a work IN which He wants physical
Is well rs s-iritual athletes. would
10 God that the time might soon come
rr "a aHrH #."
seninarics, as at Princeton. a cvuna-
sum shall be established We spend
seven years OF hard study i'm rrcrara-
ton for the ministry. and com. on,
with bronchitis aud dyspepsia. and
liver complaint, and then crawl nm
INTO the pulpit, and tine PEOPLE saw.
Doesn Doe look heavenly" because
be looks sickly. Let tine church of
God direct. rather than attempt Ca
suppress. the desir. for amusement.
The best men that the world ever
knew have had their sports NlGa,o
Nilberf0rce trundied hoop with Dbl.
children. Martin Luthcr hrIu.i dress
The Christmas tree Minister, have
pitched quoits. phi.anthroui,t- hav.
gone a-slSatiug Prime ministers hav.
played oall
Our communities are filled with mon
aud women Sho have 20 their soul, uu.
measured resources for -uarffuIne--
and trclc. snow m. man yylo never
lights up with spartfu're-- and has
NO sympathy with tn. recreation. OBJ.
others. ANS ] SSH. show vou man svuo
~ -tumh bling block fo the Eiuvlor
81 God. such men are car.cltures of
RELIGION.