DR. TALMAGE'S SERMON. oma Recreations Good and Bad. “Thay that nee this world as not abusing it.” Cor. 7:81. “And it ome to pass, when their hearts were merry, thas they sald, call for Samson, that he may make us sport.” Judges 16: 25. Wx are entering the gayest season of thie year. The wintel opens before us the gates of a thousand amusements, some of thém good and some bad. One of my texts will show you that amuse- ments may be destructive; my other text will show vou that amusements may be under the Divine blessing and direction. There were three thousand persons assembled in the temple of on. They had come to make sport of eyeiess Samson, They were all ready for the entertainment. They began to clap and pound, impatient for the amuse. ment to n, and they cried, ‘Fetch him: out, fetch him out!”’ Yonder I see THE BLIND OLD GIANT coming, led by the hand of a child into the very midst of the temple. At his first appearance there goes . a shout of laughter and derision. The blind old giant pretends he is tired, and wants to rest himself against the pillars of the house; so he says to the lad who leads him, “Show me where the main pillars are!” The lad does so. Then the strong man puis his right hand on one pillar and his left hand on another pillar, and with the mightiest push that mortal ever made, throws himself for- war | until the whole hose comes down in thunderous crash, grinding the audi- ence like grapes In a wine-press. ‘‘And s0 it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they sald, call for Samson, that he may make us sport, An'l they called for Bamson out of the prisou-house: and he made them sport.”’ In other words, there are amusements that are destructive, and bring down disaster and death upon the heads of those who practice them. While they laugh and cheer, they die, The three thousand who perished that day in Gaza, are as nothing compared with the tens of thousands who have been destroyed by sinful amusements. But the other text implies that there 18 4 LAWFUL USE OF THE WORLD, as weil as an unlawful abuse of it. and the difference Letwien the man Chris tiap and the man un-Christian is, that in the former case the man masters the world while in the Iater case the world mas.ers him. For whom did God wa~e this gracd and beautiful world? For whom this wonderful exjeud ture of color, this graccfuln-ss of lipe, this mosaic of the ground, this fresco of the sky, this glowing fruitage of or hard and vineyard this full or- chestin of the tempest, in which the tree Lranches flute, aud the winds trompet, and the thunders drum, and all the splendors of earth and sky come clashing their cymbals? For whom did od spring the arched bridge of colors resting upon buttresses of broken storm- cloud? For whom did He gather the uptheistery of fire around the windows of the setting sun? For all men, but mo: ¢ especially for His own dear chil- «ren, THE HEIRS OF THE if you build a large mansion, and spread a great feast after it, to cele- brute the completion of the structure, do you allow strangers {o come in anc occupy the place, while you thwust your own children in the Kitchen, or the barn, or the fields? Oh, no! You say, “1 aw very glad to see strangers in my mansion, but my own sons and daugh- ters shall bave the first right Clere.” Now, God has bullt this grand man sion of 3 world, and He has spread a glorious feast in it, and while those who are strangers to His goace may come in, I think that God especially jotends to give the wdvautage to His own enildren—thess who are the sons and the daughteis of the Lord Al mighty, those who through grace can look up and s8Y, “Abba, Father.” You cannot make me believe that God gives snore advantages to the world than He gives to the Church bought by is own blood, 1f, therefore, people of the worid liave looked with dolorous BY I~ pathy upon those who make profess.on of religion, and bave said, **Those new converts are going down into privation and into hardafiip. Why did they not tar- ry a ‘ttle longer in the world, and have sce of Hs anje 2 and amusements and recreations®rl] say 0 such men of the world, “You are greaily mis- taken; and before I get through I will show that ine pple who stay vut of the Kingdom: of. have the hardships and self-denlals, while those who come iz; have the joys and satisfactions, This morning, in the name of the King of heaven and earth, I serve A WRIT OF EJECTMENT upon all the siaful and polluted who have sguatied on the doisain of earthly pleasure as though it belouged to them, while I =laim, is behalf of the zood and the pure and the true, the eternal in- Iwritence which God has given the, YWitherto, Oltistian philanthropists, wlevicnd and lay, have busied themselves clijelly in dex ounclog sinful recreations; bist 1 feel we have no right to stand before men and women in whose hearte WORLD, to have our children brought up amidst the sound of cultured voices, and amidst the melody of musical instru- ments. There is in this art an indescribable fascination for the household. Let all those families who have the means to afford it, have flute, or harp, or piano, or organ, As soon as the hand is large enough to compass the keys, teach it how to pick out the melody. Let all OUR YOUNG MEN try this heavenly art upon their nature, Those who have gone into it fully have found in it illimitable recreation and amusement. Dark days, stormy nights, seasons of sickness, business disasters, will do little toward depressing the soul which can gallop off over musical keys, or soar in jubilant lay. It will cure pain, It will rest fatigue. It will quell passion, It will revive health, It will recalm dissipation, It will strengthen the immortal soul. ' In the battle of Waterloo, Wellington saw that the Highlanders were falling back. He sald, **What is the matter there?’ He was told that the band of music had ceased playing, and he called up the pipers and ordered them to strike up an inspiriting air; and no sooner did they strike the air than the Highlanders were rallied, and helped to win the day. Oh, ye who have been routed in the con- flicts of life, try by the force of music to RALLY YOUR SCATTERED IONS, I am glad to know that In our great cities there is hardly a night in which there are not concerts, where, with the best musical instruinents and the sweet- est voices, people may find entertain- ment. Patronize such entertainments when they are afforded you. Buy sea~ son tickets, if you can, for the “Phil- harmonic’’ and the ‘‘Handel and Haydn societies, Feel that the dol- lar and a half or two dollars that you spend for the purpose of hearing an artist play or sing is a profitable invest- ment. Let your Steinway Halls and your Academies of Music roar with the acclamations of appreciative andience assembled at the concert or the Ora- torio, still further: I commend, as worthy of their support, BATTAL- THE GYMNASIUM, free from dissipation, or more calcula- ted to recuperate the physical and men- tal energies. While there are a good many pecple whe have employed this institution, there is a vast number who are ignorant of its excellences, There are men with cramped chests and weak sides and despondent spirits who through the gymoasium might be rous- ed up to exuberance and exhilaration of life, There :re many Christian peo- ple despondent from: year to year, who benefited in thelr spiritual relations ceat hilarities, Do not sit down with the rheumatism, wondering how chil- dren eax go on so, Rather thank God that their hearts are so light, and their laughter is so free, and that their cheeks are so ruddy, and that their ex- pectations are so radiant. The night will come soon enough, and the heart- break, and the pang, and the desolation —it will come soon enough for the dear children. But when the storm actuall clouds the sky, it will be time enough for you to hau! out your reef-tackles. Carry, then, into y.-vr homes not only the ; INNOCENT SPORTS AND GAMES which are the inventions of our own day, but the games which come down with the sportfulness of all the past ages—chess and charades and tableaux and battledore and calisthenics and lawn-tennis, and all those amusements which the young people of our homes know so well how to contrive. Then there will be the parlor socialities— ups of ple assembled in your omes, with wit and mimicry jovialty, filling the room with joy from the door to the mantel, and from the carpet to the ceiling. Oh, is there any exhilaration like a score of genial souls in one room, each one adding a contri- bution of his own individual merriment to the aggregation of general hilarity? Suppose you want to go abroad in the city then you will find the panoroma and the art gallery and exquisite collections of pictures, You will find the Metropol- itan Museum and the Historical Society room full of rare curiosities, and scores of places which can stand plainly the test of what is right and wrong in amusements, You will find the lee- turing hall, which has been honored by the name of Agassiz in natural history, Doremus in chemistry, Boynton in geology, Mitchell in astronomy, John B. Gough in moral reform, and scores and hundreds of men who have poured thie wit and genius and ingenuity through that particular channel upon the hearts and consciences and imaginatious of men, setting this country fifty years farther in advance than it would have been without the Jecture platform. I rejoice in the popularization of OTTDOOR SPORTS, I hail the croquet ground and the fisher- In natural that when the cesus-takers rep- resents a city as having four hundred thousand inhabitants, there are only two hundred thousand, since it takes at least two men to mount to one man, 80 Ge- pleting and anoerving and exbausting is tis metropolitan life. We want more fresh air, more sunlight, mo e of the abandon of field-sports. I cry out for it in behalf of the Church of God as well as in behalf of the secular interests, 1 wish that this winter our ponds and our rivers and our ( be all aquake with the shout of the swift skater, warm weather heel and the COGS, Robert Hall were invalide, they think | come to ihe same grandeur of charso- ter. I want to tell the Christian jeo- ple of my congregation that God will hold you responsivi: for your invalid- ism if it is your fault, and when, | through ight exercise and prudence, you might be athletic and well, The eifect of the body upon the soul you acknowledge. Put a man of mild disposi. tion upon the animal diet of which the indian partakes, and in a little while his blood will change its chemical pro- portions, it will become like unto the blood of the lion or the tiger or the aud become fierce and unrelenting. The body has a powerful effect upon the soul, There are good people who ideas of heaven are all shui out with clouds of fobaceo-sugoke, “Tnere aie people who dare to shatler THE PHYSICAL VASE in which God has put the jewel of eternity. Thers are men with great hearts and intellects, in bodiex worn out by their own neglects—magnificent machinery, capable of propelling a Great Eastern across the Atiantic, yet fastened in o rickety North River pro- first, because he had a noble soul, and secondly, because he had a muscular development which would ! ave enabled him to thrash any five of his perseeutors if it had been Christian so to do. Physical development which merely shows itself in fabulous Hfting, or in perilous rope-walking, or in pugil- istic encounter, excites only our con tampt; but we confess to greal admira- tion for the man who hag a great soul in an athletic body, every nerve, muscle and bones of which 1s consecrated to right uses, Ob, it seem to me outrag- eous tat men, through neglect, should allow ther physiea! health to go down beyond repair-—-a ship which ought, with all sail sét and every man at his post, to be carrying A WICH CARGO FOR ETERNITY, employing all its men in stopping up leak ! When you may, through the gymnasitn, work off your spleon and your queralousness and one-half of your physical and mental ailments, do not urn your back upon such a grand medicament. Still further: I commend to you a large class of parlor panes and recrea- tions, There Isa wij of making our homes a hundred-fold more attractive bol expt to kom thelr chiro awe fror: -utside dissipatinos unless they MAKE THE DOMESTIC CIRCLE ity the erystaliine billow. We shall have the smooth and grassy You will corue back from: the culdoor ex- ercises, with strengti your arm and eye and courage in your Leart. kingdom of darkness, we want not only and stout lungs and mighty muscle, 1 biess God that thers sre 56 many yecroa- tions that kave not on them any taint of iniquity ; secreations in which we may body, for the clearing of the intellect, for the Mumination of ihe soul, PFHILANTHREOPFHY. atiof which I commend to you, and that is the pleasure of doing good, | sition, who by one heavenly touch have wakened up and become blessed and buoyant, the goound under their feet and the sky over their heads breaking forth iato music, “Oh, ' says sone young man in the house today, “1 should like that recreation above all others, bus I Lave not the means.’ M» Aéar brother, Jet us take an account of stock this morning. You howe a large estate, if you only realize it. Two hands, Two feet. You will kave, per- haps, dering the pext year at least ten dollars for charitable contribution. You will have twenty-five hundred cheerful Jooks, if you want ww employ thetn. You will have five thousand pleasant words, if you want ic speak them. Now whit an mount that is to stast with | Yon go out to-morrow mornisg wd you see a case of real destitution by the way-side, You give him two cents, The blind man hears the pennies rattle in his hat, and he says, “‘Thack you, sir: God bless youl” You pass down the street, trying to look indifferent ; but you feel from the very depth of your soul A PROFOUND SATISFACTION that you made that man happy. You go on still farther, and find a poor boy with a wheelbarrow, jig to gt up on the curbstone, He fails in the at- terupt. You say, “Stand back, my lad ; let me try.” You push it up on the curbstone for him pass on, He wonders who that well-dressed man was that halped. him, pau a great joy to to the boy, bn, sur own soul. You will not get over young man, and you have helped your. self, WIlICHI WAS THE HAPPIER? Colonel Gardiner, who sat with his elbow on a table, spread with all ex- travagant viands, looking off at a dog on the rug, saying, “How I would like to change places with him; I be the dog and he bs Colonel Gardiner ;'’ or, those two Moravian missionaries who wanted to go into the lazaretto for the sake of attending the sick, and they were told, “If you go in there, you will never come out. We never allow any one to come out, for he would bring the contagion,” Then they made their wills and went in, first to help the sick, and then to die. Which was the hap- pler—Colonel Gardiner, or the Moravian missionaries dying for others? Was it all sacrifice when the missionaries wanted to bring the Gospel to the negroes at the S arbivioes, and, being denied the privilege, sold themselves into slavery, standing side by side, and lying side by side, down in the very ditch of suffering, in order that they might bring those men up to life and God and heaven? Oh, there is a thrill in the joy of doing good! It is the most mag- nificent recreation to which a man ever puts his hand, or his head, or his heart, But, before closing, I want to im- press upon you that mere secular en- tertainments are NOT A FIT FOUNDATION for your soul to build on. I was read- ing of a woman who had gone all the rounds of sinful amusement, and she came to die, She said “I will die to- night at six o'clock.” “Oh,” they said, **I guess not; you don’t seem to be sick.” “I shall die at six o'clock, and my soul will be lost. 1 know it will be lost, - I have sinned away my day of grace.” The noon came, They desired to seek religious counsel, “Oh”? she said, *‘it is of no use, Myday is gone, § have been all the rounds of worldly pleasure, and it i<too late, I shall die to-night at six o'clock.” The duy wore away, and it came to four o'clock, and to five o'clock, and she cried ouz at five o'clock, “‘Destroyed spirits, ve shall not have me yet ; it is not six, it 's not six!” The moments went by, and the shadows began to gather, and the clock struck six ; and while it was striking her soul went. What hour God will call for us 1 do not know-—whether six o'clock to-night or three o'clock this afternoon, or at one o'clock, or at this moment, Sitting where you are, falling forward, or drop- ping down, WHERE WOULD YOU GO TOY? Put our hour for adjourning has al. will soon be here, and from that hour It will bea a solemn hour, If from our death-pillow we have to look back and a dart that will strike through our soul, sharper than the dagger with which Virginius slew his child. The memory of the past will make us quake like Macbeth, The in- and :keleton as Meg Merri dies, fovever drop. ————— AA The Gioy and the Elephant, Many sears ago one of the mort {am- in country was Od Columbas, one of his summer trips through Vir- in the neighboring town of Hea Dave gave him first eundy, then cake, and then finally cried: and slipped a piece of tobacco Is his ger and enjoy Old Coinmbus’ disg ast and anger. seized him and whirled him upward through the opening overhead against the roof of the stable. Unburt by his unex; ‘od rise Dave dropped on the hay m. boys below, supposing tis to be the taimtion: “Dave, Dave, do tha! again!” Dave comfortably seated out harm's way. very samestly answered: “NO buys! I only do that trick once a day.” es A RIS 5 A The Preacher Shot the Rabuit Free. A few digs ago a prominent Baptist clergyman of Louisville, with a deacon went lo Bardstown on a hunting expedition, Their luck was proverbially bad. In fact, during the whole days wandering, they failed to find anything worthy of op and shot, On their way home they chanced upon a boy who carried a pet rabbit with a Strip of ribbon about its neck, minister had an idea, It would not do to buy the rabbit outright and then kill it, but even the most scrupa- lous could not object if he gave the owner twenty-five cents for a shot at is friend, the deacon, com- Jimented the scheme, So thes boy was balled and the preacher engaged him in on give you twenty-five cents for one shot at rabbit,” he sald, t,”” answered the : dd SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON. Buxpay, JAN, 8, 1888, The Multitude Fed, LESSON TEXT, (Matt, 14: 1321. Memory verses, 19.21) LESSON PLAN, Toric oF THE QUARTER | King tn Zion. Gorpex TEXT FOR THE QUARTER: He is Lord of lords, and Kiag of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. —Rev. 17 : 14. Jesus the Lessox Toric: The King's Follow- ers Desitlute, Lesson {1 The Need Multitude, va, 15.15. Outline : 3% The Blender Saphir ve 16-18 * {4 The Avandaot Meal, va 19-21, GoLpeEN Text: Jesus said wnto them, I am the bread of lfe.—~Joln 6; te Dany Home READINGS: M.—Matt, 14 : 13-21. The King's followers destitute, T.~Mark 6 : 34-46, Mark’s paral- lel narrative, allel narrative. T.—~John 6 : 1-14. narrative, F.—-Mait, 15 and fed, 8.~—Exod. 16 : 11-3L manna. 8, —John 6 : life. snail John's parallel : 82-30. Four thous. Fed whith 27-40, The Bread of ES _—~,o-oB P LESSON ANALYSIS, I. THE XEEDY MULTITUDE. L A Desert Place: He withdrew....to apart (13). Come. ...apart into a desert place, and rest a while (Mark, 6 : 31). The child. ...was in the deserts till she day of his shewing (Luke 1 : 80). He came out and went into a desert place (Luke 4 : 42). We are here in a desert place (Luke 9 ; IL. A Great Multitude : He came forth, and saw a great mul- titude (14). a desert place | (Matt. 4:20). | Jesus saw great multitudes about him (Matt. 8: 18), | Great multitudes came together to hear {Luke 5 : 15). these lay a multitude of... . sick, blind, halt, witbered (John 5 : 3). I NIL A Pressing Need : Send the multitude away, that they { may bay themselves food (15). { They continue with me now three days and have nothing to eat (Matt 15 : 32). {If I send them away fasting....they { will faint (Mark 8: 3). | Whence are we to buy bread, that these { may eat? (Jolin 6: { Work. . “w i { {In i i 5). unto eterngl life (John 6 : 27). 1 “They followed him.» Whence? (61 Whither? (7) what results? (See context. ) 2. “He had compassion on them.” With ture ; (2) Its objects ; { (4) Its consequences, 1. “Send the multitudes away.” (1 An emergency for the disciples ; ( An opportunity for the Lord. An illustration of human folly, 11. THE SLENDER SUIPLY. | L A Stupendous Undertaking : They have no need to go away ; give | ye them to eat (16). | (Exod. 16 : 4). : Thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water (Exod, 17: 6G). i Pe giveth food ali flesh ! 136 : 50. | He giveth to the beast his food (Psa. i 145: 9). 0 {Psa | IL A. Great Necessity : two fishes (17° | Shall all the fish of the sa be gathered + +. to suffice them? (Nam, 11: 22), ‘If the Lord should make windows in { heaven, might this thing be? (2 Kings i 1:2) { Who bath despised the day of small tidings? (Zech. 4 : 10. | Two hutdred peanyworth of bread is { mot sufficient (Johu 6: x LHL A Vompetent Helper: And he said. Bring them hither to me (181. | He spake, and it was done (Psa. 33: 9), { He himself giveth to all life (Acts £7 «an 2% 5 7 God, who giveth us richly all things to enjey {1 Tim. 6: 17). { God, whe giveth te all liberally (Jas, 1:90) 1. “They have no need to go away.” {1) An urgent need, as seen by the disciples ; (2) No need at all, as seen by the Lord = The need they had ; (2) The nesd they had not. 2, “But five loaves, and two fishes» (1) Night's small supply ; (2) Faith's limitless resources, {1} Small in the disciples hands ; (2) Great in the Lord's hands, 3. “Bring them hither to me.” (1) The little provision ; (2) The doubt- ing carriers; (3) The omnipotent receiver, IL. THE ADUNDANT MEAL. 1. Blessed of the Ford : He blessed, and brake and gave the loaves (19). The people will not eat until he come, becaase he doth bless tie sacrifice (1 Sam. 9: 18). and brake (Matt, 115 Enjoyed to the Fail: They did all eat, and were filled (20), such as be blessed of him shall juherit the land (Psa, 37 : 22). The blessing of the Jord, it maketh rich (Prov, 10 : 22). Likewise also of the fishes as mich as they would {John 6 : 11). Ye ate of the loaves, and were filled {John 6: 26). 1 “Looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake.” (1) Filial devotion ; (2) Lordly benediction 3 (3) Kindly ministration. —The supply of food (1) Bent from heaven ; (2) Prepared on earth, 2. “He gave the loaves to the disci- ples, and the disciples to the muiti- tudes,” (1) The fountain of good ; {2) The channel of good; (3) The destination of good. —{1) The giver; (2) The bearers ; (3) The recipients, 3. “They did all eat, and were filled. ”’ (1) Famishing ; (2) Ped ; (2) Filled. LESSON BIBLE READING. 2-6), Po Elijah, at Sarepta (1 Kings 17 © 13- 6). For Elijah under the juniper tree {1 Kings 19 : 4-8). In the famine &t Samaria (2 Kings 7 : 1-6, 16), For five thousand persons (Matt. 14 : 15-21; Mark 6 : 85-44; Luke 9 © 12-17; John 6 : 5-14). For four thousand persons (Matt, 15: 82-38; Mark 8 : 1-8), For the apostles, at the seaside (Jolu 21 : 4-13), LESSON SURROUNDINGS. The narrative of Matthew here fol- lows the chronological order, omitting at this point no important incident oi which we have any record elsewhere, The only passages in the other Gospels which require notice, in connecting this lesson with the last, are Mark 6 : 30, 31; Both these narrate the re- 13) was the need of rest in consequence 41). This was probably the chief reason, that the news of the murder of John The time was just before the third Passover, April, 782—A. D. 20. The place was the east gide of the lake, not far from eastern Bethsaida {see Luke 9: 10). an A Compromise. An ancient looking darkey, who had been told that the price of admission to the race ground was only ten cents, ap. in company with his young wife, whe was evidently his sec- When informed that it would fore he said: “Phat seities us” “We might pay just once,” she “It's fhmpossible, Dat’s our rent “But it’s gwine to be awful excitin,’ “Mebbe so, but we shan’l see Lhe in- “Won't you please go in to please me?” she said, as she patted him on “Lucinda, look yere!” he replied, as bie faced her. ‘In de fust place I ain't In de next place we'd be killed. In de third place boss racin’ ain't no account dese mighty wicked, an’ de Lawd might shet us out o' heaben.” “But yeu were gwine to go in for “Wall, mebbe 1 was, but dv you I was gwine to keep one eye shel and repeat de Lawd’s Pray’r all de time. We'll bev some lemonade an’ go back hum.” Times Have Changed. Aged Philanthropist. “I ean’ see why you should be discoatented. You make a great deal more than 1 did when I began ay career as a journeyman in the same trade,” Workingman, “Bat a workman's expenses are higher than they were then,” PY. “I have figured on thet and find that the cost of everything Js Jess in proportion to the wages paid now than it was when I was young; yet I saved money, made 8 start for mysell and got rich, while you twlk as if you hadn't enough ahead to bury you.” W. “Too true! it's a hand, cruel world, 1 don’t see how you got abead. How much were your assessments?" “What assessments?” uiforms and brass bands and and officers and delegates and funds for strivers wnd--"" PY. “My geacions! We had no ex- penses of tii kind.” W. “Xo womder you got rich.” I EA IN. Mrs. Mackay's Feather Cloak. Hetiz ai Fad.bse! 5 if il |
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