Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-08-02

OF work. and has distributed TO every
man his work" Is II not just In this
connection that we may be Justified in
finding fault with the professional
sport. the man who gives up his whole
life to pleasure? When the main thing
in college and university life is ath-
letics are we not justified In protest
ing that lifes main purpose Is being
lost sight OF? Play and amusement is
but side issue In life; when IL be-
comes the whole thing. then II Is
harmful and sinful. no matter whether
the amusement In question be In the
forbidden category or not; then even
an innocent amusement becomes NOR
ally bad. Amusement is to work what
whetting the scythe Is to harvesting:
he who never stops to create an edge
tolls hard and cuts but little. while
he who whets the scythe all day cuts
none. II the mother enjoys amuse-
ments more than she does her chill
dren. the wife more than her domes
tic duties. the husband more than his
home. the man more than his labor.
and the student more than his books.
then Amusemsnts are harmful and
wrong.
II. The true Christian viii see 70 Il
that his amusements are really rccre
alive. and not disstpauvsL
A man may Ne 20 long In . bath
that he eomes out Of Il exhausted. OF
he can take q plunge or shower and
come out better prepared for the du-
ties of life. So 10 II with amusements:
they may dissipate rather than recre
ate. Having . good ume 10 not always
recreation: Il may be Just the oppo
site. The amusements OF the Christian
should build up the whole man--phys.
ically. mentally, morally and spirit
uaily.
/. The Christians pleasures will
recreate physically. The body OF the
Christian is n temple OF the holy ghost.
Therefore he must keep his body in
as good. clean. pure and healthy q
condition as possible. The body needs
relaxation Il needs rest from the
strain and tension OF life; II needs
TO be better fitted for the real tasks
that lie within its sphere OF labor. Bad
thinking often comes from lack OF ex
ercise Some people do not have
enough body Ito cover the mind with
decently" There may be time when
Il is my duty 10 play rather than pray,
70 romp rather than read. 10 take n
good brisk walk rather than prepare
n good talk.
The test the Christian must apply
10 his pleasures is: do they recreate
and restore the waste tissues OF the
body? Excess In athletics is not rec
reation. Young men have died from
overstraln in running; girls have been
ruined for life by excessive rope
jumping. Many pleasures dissipate
the powers OF the body instead OF
recrcating them.
.. The pleasure of the Christian
should recreate mentally. The physical
must not be developed at the expense
OF the mental Giantism must not
supplant intellectualism. Mind 10
greater than body. as Gladstone and
Bismarck are greater than John l..
Sullivan or James Jeffries. The Chris.
tian must ask himself. therefore.
What effect do my pleasures and
amusements have upon my mind. my
thought. my thinking? DO they build
up. ennoble. purify. sanctify. or do
they debase. defoul. besmirch. de-
bauch? Is my thinking higher. nobler.
more God.like because OF the pleas
ures In which engage?" All things
are not to be judged by the eye. the
mind discerns also. Shakespeare
speaks OF the man who hath body
filled with a vacant mind. gets him TO
rest crammed with distressful bread"
The Christian is TO Judge his amuse
ments by this standard Apply this
principle 10 literature? What books
do we read? II the Christians mas.
ter should inquire: What readest
thou" what would be our reply? Be
ware lest our minds become diseased