Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1903-05-14
Sbr,a time aoo 7 went fo call at house

some Time ago i WeIlb W Suli az
where there were several young men,, 10
one or two of them bore a message from
God which l am entirely sure it was wortl,
,heir while to hear. And, having failed
repeatedly to find them in, took mother
into nv confidence and spoke of my. q iii.
,ulty. eyes" she said, "they are so full OF
engagements outside of work hours that
they seem to have no time to think or any
hing else but pleasure. Lit is continuous
cound, and while they are at home ), 'hey arc
How many does that simple descrintion
it? But what is the upshot of it., why;
His. while life slips rapidly away God and
eternal relations are wholly crowded out.
The Young man subsists upon two diets
]iet of hard work and diet of hard play.
And the motive in the work is to get tho
means to play. while the motive in recrea
lion is often chiefly to get the health with
which to work and earn. But what sell
ish circle that describes! How narrow and
prizes only his capacity to labor and his an.
retite for play! Who so lightly values all
those divner elements of his being rs to he
willing to make no provision Tor their cut
ture! Lovers of pleasure rather than low
ers of God" IT is a terrible epiaph upon
us, whether living or dead "Thcy wor
SHIPPED and served the creation moro than
.he Creator, who is blessed forever. Where
fore God gave them up to their own hearts
lusts."' These are words to make us stop
md think.
| have often noticed that it is apt to be
the case that it is precisely those Young
men for whom God has done most who are
sptest to break away from Him and live
The most selfish lives. There arc noble, eX
.eptions to the rule, which shine like hca'
cons from Moses to Phillips Brooks. But
too often the privileged life Incomes
worldly life and does not tell IN the KING
dom of righteousness. Generally the love
of pleasure in some form has in such lives.
likes the weeds in your garden, rooted out
the love and service of God.
Men and women, we should try to see
life in its Wilderness. A great many peo'
pie have too little laughter. too little rec
reation in their lives. They would be
wholesomer minded, freer in spir t. i they
could get oftener out OF their dark pas,
sages and rigid grooves There are more OF
such people than we think. and they mise
great deal that God put, within then
are thousands of others who make them,
selves imbccile by the hcadlong pursuit OF
mere pleasure. They, never read, they
never think, they let their minds GO they
forget that they possess souls, but spend
their seasons in things that give them a ~
tie passing physical pleasure-in eating fof
the sake of eating, and dress and getting
themselves talked about, in contrivlng &c
have their names i'll some society organ
till these things come to be the absorbing
thirsts of life. What is not sacrificed by
these piddy people on the altar of theit
social ambition? Where docs not this sci
fshness, this love of voluptuous pleasure
this hard determination to force lite &c
yield them bodily comfort. even II God
and natures laws must be broken to do so
where does not this spirit lead?
And how ready are our leaders OF opin
ion, sometimes, speaking great swelling
words of vanity and sophistrv. to rldicnle
whispcrings of an educated and rcvcrcnf
conscience and to revise fol. the softer age
the statutes of nature and OF God!
Now these are some OF the phenomena.
What is the remedy? First, this: Put
pleasure in its true place--as the divine
Master did. If you look upon amusement
as the one great satisfaction OF HE, You
simply invert the intended order, aud IN
the end are not satisfied. Our deepest
want is the great inner reconciliation, we
may he diverted, we may for a white cS
cape from ourselves. but we shall never be
satisfied until the soul is at one with God.
4 brilliant writer. the author Of Cur
selves and the Universe reminds lis tha'
49, ;Lt 49, Lofnro I'm, but
'h,"'' ll,sn, p'"r tr n, NO. o,vetv from
thc .o,r sl.o That - Tho ncmcs;s Of
self When, on the contrary. the soul hns.
found its true life. the simplest things viii
serve A man then learns the heart
laugh"
To make men happy, my trends, we We
must not first iced them with pleasures OF
the senses; The primal condition OF nap
pineSs IS that they he true 10 VOC ana 10
cdrh other. -, De SOU Ganno' '""s" w.
own laugh till God has ilIIrd It, IN that
relation there are the nniail'ns wc.ispr','o -
of pleasure. IN Thy presence Is l'llcss OF
Joy: at Thy right hand there are pleasures
forever more. These things nave ! spn.
ken unit? You that My Joy miEhI remain I'm ~ !.
you ana mat your Joy nllshv pr ,unii,
i''S ~ ''' 49, ~ -. 49,. -. L.,