The Newtown bee., 1906-04-06
TOWN TOPICS.
LITTLE SERMONS.

I
| LITTLE SERMONS.
A THEATRE PARTY IN LENT.--BY o. o.
WRIGHT.
Rom. IA p. Happy is he that cond emneth
| not himself In that thing which he alloweth.
The writer is not a stickler for
forms, ceremonies, nor literal ObServ-
ances of days and seasons; but when
the Church people, Catholic and Prot
estant, of this good old town, in which
for nearly two centuries the inhabit-
ants have been taught to reverence
the great religious seasons of the
Christian Year, deliberately plan
theatre party in Lent, and canvass the
community to sell tickets, and charter
a special train to bring them home, 1T
seems like a challenge to ones sense
of duty, and to ones feeling of honor
toward our Lord and Master: at least
and grief, that such a thing should
happen.
am aware of st Paul'S words: Zone
man esteemeth one day above another;
another eSteemeth every day alike
Let every man be fully persuaded in
bis own mind" 1t is a, matter of con-
science, to be sure. To those who do
not see anything in Lent to observe,
going to place of amusement, in such
wise is, perhaps, no occasion of offence,
unless it may be in the sense of unfit
ness and inconsistency on the part of
those who are under the social and
moral obligations of their Churches
not to do such things. Every recur-
renee of this season brings US the jokes
and jeers of the world because of the
dislOyalty, or trifiing, Of those who pre-
tend to practice self-denial in the
Lords name; and in one sense what
ever offends one body of Christian peo-
pie should be offensive to every true
follower of Christ, for we are all Of
TIE same hOuSeh hold of the Faith.
most sacred, is our religion. And if
we are not true to our own highest
ideal, what a failure we do make of it!
II the light in US be darkness how
great indeed is the spiritual night in
which we grOpe and stumble through
life! The best We have is our faith,
hope, and love in Christ; and that we
have in the Church, whatever we may
call ourselves, for there is but one
Lord. Lent is the season in which the
great majority of the Christians in the
and humiliation of Christ, in the forty
days Of fasting and prayer. The spirit
of Lent is Self-denial, following the
example of our Master and Saviour; to
deny ones self is the essential princi-
pie of the moral life which makes the
true follower of the Son of Man. This
is fundamental. We have his word for
it: "If any man will come after me,
let him deny himself, and take up his
cross, and follow me-"
Not only that, we deny ourselves for
1n co0x1 Of o%1 F0r
own moral discipline. We are parts
OF the whole in our religion as in every
thing else. 'FOr none of us liveth to
himself, and no man dieth to himself"
Therefore it seems to me, that for
every good reason we are bound to con-
slider the highest moral and spiritual
welfare of all, in every line of conduct |
which directly touches the social con-
ditions Of the community. I am not |
writing in censorious spirit: l be-
lieve in the largest liberty of the |
not opposed to theatre-going under |
proper conditions; I too would gladly |
honor our talented friend in his chosen |
profession, in season not pre-occupied |
with more serious matters. The spirit |
of enterprise which could induce 14O |
persons to enlist in such a pleasure |
trip, at such a time, is in itself COM
mendable; but to seek self-gratitica tion |
when the spirit of the hour is self
sacrifice; to deny the highest spiritual |
ideal for the sake of any lower standard |
of conduct; to honor man when the |
call of duty is to honor God; and that |
too in times such as these when all |
thoughtful devoted Christians are be- |
ginning to honor each other in the
honoring Of our LOrd,-in His fasting
and temptation, as in His cross and |
passion, death and resurrection,-is, to |
say the least, unfortunate and dis
heartening.
1t is not mere matter of taste,
opinion, nor prejudice, but serious |
question, einvolving the deepest prin-
ciples and highest concerns OF life. AS |
the Editor of the Outlook says in one
of bis excellent Lenten meditatiOnS on |
the Temptation Of Jesus: "TO crave |
the higher and accept the lower is not |
only to take evil for good, but to
awake at the end in the bitter humili- |
alton which not only acknowledges de- |
feat but knows that it has been duped,
blinded, and cheated, and that the |
gold which shOne afar is but a dust |
heap when the end is reached.
Among the multitudeS who have lost |
their way in the world none are fur
ther from the path of honor, peace, |
and victory than they who have mis- |
taken the kingdoms of the world for
the kingdoms of holiness and
have fallen down before the evil spirit |
instead of worshiping the most high
God."