Year: 1878




come to you drudgery and after awhile you will
lose your place, and afterwards your respectable
IT, and last Of all your soul. Idleness is next doo
to Villainy, thieves gamblers, burglars shopliften
and assassins are made from the class that have
nothing to do When the police go to hunt up
culprit, they seldom go to the busy carriage factory
or behind the counter, where dilgert clerks aTt
employed. But they go among the groups Of idlers
The play is going on at the theatre when luddenly
there Is scufIle going on in the top gallery Wha
isit2 A policeman has come in, and leaning ovt
has tapped on the shoulder of young man. say
ing Il want you, sir" He has not worked during
the day, but somehow has raked together shill
Ing or two, to get into the top gallery, He Is ar
idler, The man on his right hand ls an idler, and
the man on his left hand is an idler.


During the past few years there has been great
deal OF dullness in business. Young men have
complained that they have little TO do. II they
have nothing else to do they can read and i'm
prove their minds and hearts. These times are
not always 10 continue. Business is waking up
and the superior knowledge that In this interre
gnum of work you may obtain will be worth fifty
thousand dollars Of capital. The large fortunes Of
the next twenty years are having their foundations
laid this winter by young men who are giving
themselves to self improvement. | went into q
store in New York and saw FIVE men all Christians
sitting around, saying they had nothing 10 do. II
is an outrage for a Christian man to have nothing
to do. Let him go out and visit the poor, or dis
tribute tracts or go and read the Bibleto the sick
or take out his New Testament aud be making hiS
eternal fortune Let him go into the back office
and pray.


Shrink back from idleness yourself, and In 9th.
ers, If you would maintain right position, Good
old Ashbel Green. at mole than eighty years oil
age, was found busy writing, and some young man
said to him why do you keep busy; 1t is time fol
you to rest ?" He SAID, 81 keep busy to keep out
of mischief" No man is strong enough to be
idle.


Are you fond Of pictures2 If so, will show
you one Of the works Of the old Master. Here
tits:


81 went by the field Of the slothful and by the
vineyard OF the man void of understanding and
too, 1t was all grown over with thsrns, and nettet
had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall
was broken down. Then saw and considered II
we'll. Hooked upon 1t and received instruction
Yet little sleepa little sumber, little folding OF





one that traveleth and they went as an armed
man."


don't know another sentence in the Bible more
expressive than that. 1t first Kisses softly like
the fuse Of a cannon, and at last bursts like a
hfly-four FOUNDER. The old proverb was right
1.-THE devil tempts most men, but idlers tempt
the devil" ....


SECRET OF LONG LIFE.


young man came to q man Of ninety years Of
age an6 said to him, "How have you made out to
live so long and be 80 well2" The old man took
the,youngster to an orchard, and pointing out
some large trees full Of apples, said II planted
these trees when boy, and do you wonder that
now am permitted to gather the fruit of them o.
We gather in old age what we plant in our youth.
Plant In early age the right kind Of o Christian
character, and you will eat luscious fruit In old
age, and gather these harvest apples in eternity
Again urge you to avoid the perpetual pleasure
seeker. believe in recreation and amusement.
need 1t as much as need bread and go to my
gymnasium with as conscientious purpose as
go the Lords Supper and all persons with san
guine temperament must have amusement and
recreation. God would not have made us with





sometimes to indulge in it. We will go forth from
the festivities of the coming holidays better pre-.
pared to do our work. God has hung in sky, and
set in wave, and printed on grass, many rounde.
lay; but he who chooses pleasure seeking for his
work does not understand for what God made
him. Our amusements are intended to help us in
some earnest mission The thunder cloud has an
eagle exquisitely purpled, but with voice that jars
the earth, declares: II go to wather the green
fields" The wild flowers under the fence are gay
but they say: 1--WE stand here to make room for
the wheat field, and to refresh the husbandmen
on their noOning." The stream sparkes, and
fOams, and frolics, and says 81 90 to baptize the
moss. l love the spots on the trout, IslaBe the
thirst Of the bird. l turn the wheel of the mill
rock in my crystal cradle muckshaw 'and water
lilly" And so, while the world plays, It works.
Look out for the man who alwaysplay ysand never
works,


You will do well to avoid those whose regular
business 1t is to play ball, skate or go boating
All these sports are grand In their places. never
derived 10 much advantage from any ministerial
association as from ministerial club that went
out to play ball every Saturday afternoon in the
outskirts of Philadelphia, These reereations are
grand to give muscle and spirits for our regular
toll. believe in


MUSCULAR CHRISTIANITY.


A man Is often not 30 near God with weak
stomach as when he has BtloDg digestion. But
shun those who make 1t their life occupation to
sport. There are young men whose industry and
usefulness have fallen overheard from the yacht
on the Hudson or the schuylklll. Here there Isl
beauty in the gliding Of boat in the use Of skates
In the soaring Of well struck ball, and never
see one fly but inyoluntarily throw up my
hands to catch 1t; and as far as laying an injunc.
ton upon ball playing or any other innocent
sport, | claim them all as belonging Of right to
those who toll in the grand industries Of church
and State,


But the life business Of pieasdfe seeking al
ways makes IN the end q criminal or q sot
George Brummell was smiled upon by all Eng.
land, and his life was given to pleasure. He
danced with peereSses, and swung a round OF
mirth and wealth and applause, until exhausted
Of purse, and worn out Of body, and bankrupt Of
reputation and ruined ofevil, he begged biscuit
from grocer, and declared that he thought
dogs life was better than mans s.,s o. A
Such men will crowd around your anvil, or
0eek to decoy you Off They will want you to
break out in the midst Of your busy days to take
= ride with them to Coney Island, or to Central
Park. They will tell you Of some people you
must see; Of some excursion that you mus. take;
of some Sabbath day thatyou ought to dishonor,
They will tell you Of exquisite wines that Won
nuattaste; OF costly operas that you must hear;
u wonderful dances that you must see; but be-
ore you accept their convoy or their companion.
hip, remember that while Il the end Of a useful
lie, you may be able to look back to Kindness
lone, to honorable work accomplished, to power.
y helped, to good name earned, to Christian
influence exerted, to saViOr's cause advanced
These pleasure seekers on their death bed have
nothing better TO review than torn base ball.
icket for the races, an empty tankard, and the
ast out ruins Of earousal; and as in the deiir
nm Of their awful death they clutch the goblet
nd press It 10 their lips the dregs Of the cup flow
ng upon ther tongue win begin to hiss and un.
oil with the adders of an eternal poison.