The Yale expositor., 1901-05-24

innocent hilaritieS, while 1t repre-
hends amusements that belittle or de-
prave; text, II Samuel ii, IA, Let
the young men now arise and play be-
fore US"
There are two armies encamped by
the pool of Gideon, The time hangs
heavily on their hands. One army pro-
poses a game of sword fencing. Moth
ing could be more healthful and inno-
cent. The other army accepts the chal-
ylenge. Twelve men against u men,
the sport open. But something went
adversely. Perhaps one of the swords
men got an unlucky clip or in some
way had his ire aroused and that which
opened in sportfulness ended in vio-
lenee, each one taking his contestant
by the hair and with the sword thrust
ing him in the side, so that that which
opened in innocent fun ended in the
massacre Of all the "a sportsmen. Was
there ever better illustration of what
was true then and is true now-that
that which is innocent may be made
destructive?
What Of a worldly nature is more
important and strengthening and in
nocent than amusement and yet what
has counted more victims? l have no
sympathy with straightjacket relig-
ion. This is a very bright world to
me, and l propose 10 do all l can to
make it bright for others. never could
keep step to a dead march. A book
years ago Issued says that Christian
man has a right to some amusements.
For instance, if he comes home at night
weary from his work and, feeling the
need of recreation, puts on his slippers
and goes into. his garnet and walks
lively round the. floor several times
there can be no harm in it. / believe
the church Of God made a great mis-
t. take In trying to suppress the sport
fulness of youth and drive out from
men their love or amusement. If God
ever implanted anything in us. he i'm
planted this desire. But instead Of pro-
viding this demand of our nature the
church of God has for the main part
ignored 1T. AS in n riot the mayor
plants a battery at the end of the
street and has it fired off, so that every
thing is cut down that happens to
stand in the range. the good as well
as the bad, so.sthere are men in the
church who plant their batteries of
condemnation and fire away .indiscrim-
inately. Everything is condemned.
But Paul the apostle commends those
who use the world without abusing 1t,
and in the natural world God has done
everything to please and amuse us.
In poetic figure we sometimes speak
of natural objects as being in pain, but
it is a mere fancy Poets say the
clouds weep, but they never yet shed
tear, and that winds sigh, but they
never aid have trouble, and that the
storm nowls, but it never lost its tenn
per. The world is n rose and the uni
verse a garland. ...
FiaI Out for Yourselves
project certain principles by which
you may judge in regard to any amuse-
ment or recreation, finding out for
yourself whether it is right or wrong.
remark in the first place, that
you can judge of the moral character
Of any amusement by its healthful re-
suit or by it's baleful reaction. There
are people who seem made up of hard
facts. They are a combination of mul-
tiplication tables and statistics. If you
show them an exquisite picture they
will begin to discuss the pigments in
volved in the coloring. If you show
them beautiful rose they will submit
1t to botanical analysis, which is only
the post norton examination OF flow
er. They have no rebound in their
nature. They never do anything more
than smile. There are no great tides
of feeling surging up from the depths
of their soul in billow after billow OF
reverberating laughter. They seem as
if nature had built them by contract
and made bungling job out Of it. But,
blessed be God. there are people in the
world who have bright faces and whose
life is a song, an anthem, pean of
victory. Even their troubles are like
the vines that crawl up the side of a
great tower on the top of which the
sunlight sits and the soft airs of sum-
mer hold perpetual carnival They are
the people you like to have come to
your house; they are the people I like
to have come to my house. If you but
touch the hem Of their garments you
are healed, ,liqnp.g ;t..,@..
il Now, it is these exhilarant and SYM
pathetic and warm hearted people that
are most tempted 10 'pernicious amuse-
ments. In proportion as a ship is
swift it wants a strong helmsman, in
proportion as n horse is gay it wants
a stout driver, and these people, of ex-
uberant nature will do we'll to look at
the reaction of all their amusements.
II an amusement sends 'yoa home at
night nervous, so that you cannot
sleep! and you rise ZIP in the morning
not because you are slept out, but be-
cause your duty drags you from your
slumbers. you have been where you
ought not to have been. There. are
amusements that send a man next day
TO his work with his eyes bloodshot,