Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1903-05-16

one or TWO OF mem | more 4 message from
God which am entirely sure it was worth
repeatedly to find them in, / took mother
into my confidence and spoke OF my diff.
Guilty. Yes" she said they are so full OF
engagements outside or work hours that
they seem TO have no time to think of any
thing else but pleasure 1t is a continuous
round. and while they are at home they are
so utterly tired out that they rest
How many does that simple description
fit: But what is the upShot of it? Why.
this. while life slips rapidly away God and
eternal relations are wholly crowded out.
The Young man suhssts unon two diets-a
diet OF hard work and diet Of hard play.
And the motive in the work Is TO get the
means to pay: while the motive in recrea-
ton is often chiefly to get the health with
which to work and earn. But what Il sell
fish circle that describes, How narrow and
poor and shallow is the Young man who
prizes only his capacity to labor and his ap-
petite for play, Who so lightly values all
those diviner elements OF his heing as to he
willing to make no provision for their cul
ture' Lovers of pleasure rather than low
srs Of God. 1t Is a terrible eptaph upon
Us. whether living or dead: They wor-
SHIPPED aud served the creation more than
the Creator. who is blessed forever. Where
fore God gave them up TO their own hearts
lusts. These are words to make Us stop
and think
have often noticed that it is ant to he
the case that it is precisely those Young
men for whom God has done most who are
ATTEST TO break away from Him and live
the most selfish lives. There are noble eX-
reptions to the rule. which shine like bea.
cons. from Moses to Phillips Brooks. But
too often the privileged life Incomes a
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 ard 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 he
wkolesomer minded frcer in spirit. il they
could get oftener out of their dark pas
sagcs and rigid grooves. There are more OF
such people than we think. and they miss
great deal that God puts within their
reach in His many sided world. Bnt there
are thousands of others who make them
selves imbecle by the headiong pursuit OF
mere pleasure. They never read. they
never think. they let their minds go they
forget that they possess souls. hut spend
their seasons in things that give them lit
tie passing physical pleasure-n eating for
the sake OF eating. and dress and getting
themselves talked about, iii contrivins 10
have their names in some society organ,
till these things come 10 be the absorbing
thirsts of life. What is not sacrificed by
these giddv people on the altar OF their
social ambition? Where does not this sell
fshness. this love of vouptuous pleasure.
this hard determination TO force life to
yield them bodily comfort. even II Gods
and natures laws must be broken to do so
where does not this spirit lead?
And how ready are our leaders or onin.
ion. sometimes. speaking great swelling
words OF vanity and sophistry. 10 ridicule
whisperings of an educated and revercnt
conscience and to revise for the softer age
the statutes OF nature and OF God,
Now these are some of the. phenomena.
What is the remedy? First. this: Put
Measure in its true place-as the divine
Master did. Ii you look upon amusement
as the one great satisfaction OF life. YOU
simply invert the intended ORDER and in
the end are not satisfied. Our deepest
want Is the great inner reconciliation. We
may be diverted, we may Tor While cs.
cape from ourselves. but we shall never be
satisfied until the soul is AT ono with God.
\ brilliant writer. the author OF Our
selves and the Universe" reminds us tina.
men called Napoleon the unamusahle."
Talma might play before him but
the conoueror extracted no gavctv from
the performance. That is the nemesis of
self. When. or the contrary the soal has
found its true life. the simplest things will
serve. y man then learns the hearts
laugh
To make men happy, my friends. we
must not first feed them with pleasures OF
the senses. The primal condition OF hap.
piness is that trey be true to God and to
each other. The soul cannot laugh its
own laugh till God has filled it, In that
relation there are the miaiiing weilsprings
of pleasure. In Thy presence is fulness of
JOY: at Thy right hand there are Pleasures
forever more" These things have | spo-
i-at, 10 hot
you and that your JOY might be full.
When we know that satisfaction OF dwell.
ing in God and having God dwell in us. we
have security against inordinatc lower de-
sires Of every kind. One did not have TO
warn Washington against wasting his time.
or Gounod or Beethoven against making
discords.
Then we should have care to retain. as
far as may be, the freedom. the mobility.
the wholesome interest in the rightful
amusements of others. especially of young.
er persons, which will keep us in touch
with them.
II OF: diversions and amusements grow
on the same stem as our religion: il they
are part OF one organic unity. there will be
no trolb.e about their regulation. There
will creep in them no poison of wilful law
breaking. no grmace al an uneasy, con.
science stricken soul trying to escape from
Itself. no waste of time and faculty. no
hunger foT vulgar display Being in the Sc
cret OF God we shall have entered into the
secre; OF the chid's heart and ike in sen.
sib.e relations with every part OF Gods
great world
The lasting pleasures of life are not tie
fleeing pleasures of the senses, hut those
of the mind. the soul. the shirt. the pleas.
urc which comes from a cultivated intellect.
from sound and noble thinllin.-. from re.
fined tastes, from love and sympathy and
service.