Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1906-06-15
ADJUSTMENTS A GIFT OF GOD.
By Rev. C. @. Wright

By Rev. C. Q. Wright
Shall he not with him freely give ,.s
all things ?-ROmans s: 81.
The earth is the Lords and the full
ness thereof. Corinthians 20: 81
All things are yours.-l. Corinthians
8: 81.
How shall we amuse ourselves,
sanely and in good conscience" was
the question before Il recent meeting or
a young mems social organization IN
Philadelphia. This is question OF
public morals that must be considered
and settled by the common council OF
the kingdom of God.
Says one editorial paragraph: II you
once make a rule that Il man cannot De
gay and at the same time Sodly, you
will be more apt to decrease godllness
than to destroy gayety
Last Thanksgiving day | heard
prominent Presbyterian minister say III
his sermon: Religion that brings mis-
ery is not born of God. Make
the people happier and you will make
them better" And one of the conser-
vative religious papers recently sad :
Let us never be afraid in innocent
ioy. Ask for the spirit OF JOY
and that genuine and religious optim-
ism which sees in God Il Father ana
asks no pardon for His benefits"
We need heartening up, invigorating,
diyerting-we need more Of Gods out
doors and a return to our childhood for
from our arms, the caper from our
heels. the call from our lungs and the
song from our hearts.
AS to the moral character Of sports
and Dastimes, it is we'll to remember
that they have no character of any kind
except that which the individual gives
them 1t is for every man to decide
whether his amuSementS shall be lnno-
cent or otherwise, as he does with his
tongue and hand.
Why should Satan be allowed to car
~ off every joyful and useful diver
sion. as the Philistines did the ark OF
God? 1T is for the good people to recap
ture them-to retake the high places
and pleasant Strongholds-tO make Il
crusade to reconquer and cleanse and
occupy these God-given gardens of the
life that now is.
Misuse has created much of the pre-
judice against the expurgated pleasures.
They have an acquired reputation.
"Vice is perverted virtue and the
evil use of good things brings many viz
tuous things into disfavor.
How unfortunate that the abuse OF
good gifts from on high should have
been allowed to give them bad name
and place them upon the social and &c
clesiastical blacklist But most unfor-
tunate is the selfish intolerance that So
multiplies forbidden things" as to
make it next to impossible to enjoy life
in good conscience; So
The fine hum0r Of the Masters re-
buke, I'VE strain at Il gnat and swallow
q camel" still applies to many self-ap-
pointed misguided kill-joys who GO
about labelling forbidden fruit and pla-
carding edicts against everything which
they themselves do not enjoy or which
gives them occupation.
The young and vigorous want recrea-
ton, the old and heavy laden want re
taxation God gave this relief to both
and his people should rejoice to allow
it to them. Nor will they necessarily
abuse the indulgence. The foolish, who
also abuse food and raiment, will oft
times persist in the wrong use Of pleas
ures, and in pursuing pastimes that
waste mind and body; but the reason
able can be guided and trusted in all
sions.