"AMUSEMENT.—ITS PLACE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE."

Waikato Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2112, 21 January 1886, Page 2

"AMUSEMENT.— ITS PLACE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE."

Lecture by Bi-iiop Barry. I That distinguished pr >! it 1 of the Anglic in Church. Dr. Bnrv, Bishop of Sy Im-y, who i-, on a holid iv tour tn tli ■ Like-*, was kind pnou^'li to in ike .1 lin'.ilv in his journey in order ti) hi *ct tin 1 wi«hes ot Atciideni'oii Willis and give tho people at Cambndgo an opportunity of he.uing an .id lie-s- from him. According to announcement, th° Right Rev. Prelate delivered a voiy instructive and thoughtful l^ctuio in the Town Hall. Cambridge, on Monday evening l.i^t, the sublet being " Ainu-ement ; its place in the Chi i*>ti.ni life.' 1 Owing to the shortness ot the notice tho attend nice was only nvtdeiato; but thoso who were piivileged to listen thoroughly appreci tted the «ound common sen,e view of the subject tiented ipon by one of the gtc it le idei-* of the Estiblished Chinch. L)r Birryhasa clear delivety, and the in inner- of a polished, highly educated gentleman, with the earnestness of a Chtistian teacher. Mijor Wilson occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the lecturer His Lordship, who wa< giected with applause, «aid it suggested lt-olf to him to re \ lew in a plain and simple m inner what place "a'misements " h\«l iv o-ir oidmniy live*. Ho would not address in this way those who had no regard for the duties of lie or who did not eek t > riso to tlnse f'uties. There was an id : i that Christianity was of so so'ious a rhincter that there could bi no place m it for "iiinu-e-ments." There were tho-e who hid givat Ham pies nbmt enjo\iug even innocent amu-ements and who denounced tho-e who did so. Nothing was more demoralising than living like that ; it was one thing in the irv but a \erv different thing in practical life. He asked them to hear what th'i Church had to s-ay aH >ut amusements. Wh.it wa-> amusement ? His definition of it wis th it it was relaxat on. The very name " amusement denoted relaxation, a rest or a rehxing from tho ordiniry occupitinis of life. What was the chief law of hum in life? Work. With imny. certiinly, it wis not a mere necessity. To be able to direct our v. ill for some fors^eu purpose vv is a ptivilege of man, therefore the*/ war.' *'>!" to lav aside their daily lab nirs for objects which gave them rest and enj'ym-nt. (rod, in His providence, had forced fie'ii upon men, and had 'riven them crti.n faculties. These faculties were like seed so.\ n in the giouud. They wvrc undevelope i in the child, butgrew and assumed sh ip" by work. As regards the.r influence on t l ie body and mind, a life of idleness wis only the beginning of deciy. Work was forced upon them as a mean* of education in oi dor to develop their faculties. They each owed a duty to their fellow-men, and must contribute their quota to the progr.>«s of hum uiity. Everyone had a productive woik to perform and that was his expected conti ih'itwn to the progi ess of his race. In well ordered & lcietv there should be no s-ieh thing a< i lleness. They should h.ave the highest nntives for work, for, as 8. Puil says, they weie then fellow-woikers with God. G.id used men as instruments to work out His divine plan-. It wis therefore, man's privilege to work with G >d, and to know it. There was the individn il class of work, one's own business, to which we devote so much of our time. We had our work as citizens. Everyone had tin power allowed by law to become an active worker m his. capacity as a citi/en. Vgain theie was work to be done in the Chuich of Chiist. A Christian who strove to save his own soul and did not also sttive t > save others was no Christian. This law of work pie-s-mted itself to th»m as a practical reality. Having asserted the existence ot this 1-w of work as the livv of life, he asked them to consider the true functions of amusement. He de'incd auiu-e ment as relaxation from the stress of the work of life. The fourth commandment declared that there should hi sk di}-. of work and one d\y of lest. That was part of the law of God. There needed no comment that this day of rest was a necessity. It was wisely ord lined in order that nun should not sink into a mere drudge and by incessant toil we.ir out his lif>\ Therj wis the. rest derived from tho repose of s'eap, but even in sleep it i> doubtful whether the mind was quite at rest, as die uris caused a disturbance. Amusements were a sonice of education to ccitain uuts of their nature, and generally, they created go id spirits, brightness, and other emotions allied to the affection-. There was a very old proverb that " All work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy," which was emphatically true. Amusements h. id functions intended to save tlipm from drudg j iy, and without them their natures would not gam elas ticity. They were a pirt of that blightness of life God had intended for them, and He sought t > promote the happiness of oven the lowest creatines. Evoiy father was pleased to sec his childien happy and merry. If it was m> with our eirthly father, why not with God, fieir Heavenly F.ither? Some of the best characters he had known were those who had this bi i<rlitue->s in their natures. Therefore, amusements were a biithright designed by God for hit. creatures. Children require amusements, which to men often appaar very trivial ; but what would their c'lillren be without those enjoyments designed for them. The capacity for enjoying amusements varied accoiding to character. There were some characters so shadowed bv troubles that the capacity for entering into amusements of any kind seemed to have died out. Taking tr.en's character-* and ages in general, theie was a wide necessity for entering into amusements. What had Christianity to say on this important subject? Christianity tuight a serious thing, and that this life was a pieparation for a life beyond the grave. In all Christian literature was to be found a tone of seriousness and solemnity. We were taught that the work of life is a struggle for good and against evil. Christianity, therefore, taught them to look at life as a serious thing ; it absolutely denounces as irrelevant any attempt at what they called amusements, joys, pleasures, being made the great object of life. It taught them to seek some higher objects in life. It warned them that even in amusements there was responsibility. Oh-i^t said that every idln word and idle de»d or thought would havp to bo acT wnr-Hl f >r. They never could shake off th.Mr responsibility before God. Every idle wori, coming lightly from the heart, sh >wed what they really were. Christianity el»> "ited the tune of their a nusements. Relixition, as mere fun, they, as they giew older, 10-t dl taste for : so Christianity vv mid e\alt the ohaiacter of relaxations as life passed on and deith drew near. Christianity would save them from making amusements the staple of their existence. True Chiistianity would always recognise the necessity of relaxation iv the light he had put it, f>r (lod delighted to see his people bright and h «ppy. As Christians they mutt lo >k at the subject plainly. There were different kinds of amußeiHßnt*. Separating all those that were coarse, they could divide amusements into two great c'asses. The first b^l mged to that state of mnd which was purely passive, receiving impressions and pleasure from without, without exercising any physical energy. Amusement was to be found in looking at natural heauty. Thpre was great enjoyment and relaxation in beholding the grandeur of nature, the green fields, the blue mountains and the mighty sea. The impressions they made on the "senses wpre a relaxation, and this kind of delight increased as they grow older. Young people were, too energetic for the serious contemplation of nature. Then there was the beauty of art ; great delight was found in looking at the aits of mm, such as pictures, fine sculptures and noble buildings. Again, there was music, the poetry of the people, and which came horn.; to all except a very small number, who had no ear or taste. It was one of the irost delightful forms of amusements, and he advised all the young to cultivate its taste. To tho masses it afforded the greatest means of relaxations in the shape of oratorio-*, concerts, &c. There was no change so marked as the increased taste for music Amongst the mass of men. Then there was literature, and the vivid impressions gained from light reading, such as story books, and books of travel and adventure. He thought the reading of a good novel a most delightful relaxation, and he approved of light literature if pure and free fiom rankness. It was a form of relaxation that also came home to the mass of men. In free libraries works of fiction were largely read ; few went to them for study. It came nparer to a medium of education than any other form of amusement hs had mentioned. There was a vast am >nnt of yellowback literature, which was absolutely unwholesome, and those who use 1 it would suffer ; but light literature, of which, thank God, there was so much, provided whole* some enjoyment. There were the concert, the theatre, &c, to which they went for amusement, and to throw off the strain of life. Tiiere was no harm whatever in going to suoh places if they are kept free from vicious admixtures. Dramatic entertainments were a mo*t delightful pastime, and the drastic instinct was very strong

in tlii' in is-<. 13 it tltTi) v, •,-» s i mnjli ot tin* ljvi md m-ioiis ill tiio wurM fi i. :t 'v.is imp iisible to |»re\ f >\i! riil'H nee». The ■>ti,.T \\ i- > i iiiip-ii t i'il t'nt m linw' lun'K it iii'*ri*h >i fi Ji'.i 1 .! ti the tio i,£!>*li n, be(MIIiIMCMI I 'IpCllt-lltllt lull, .Hid .1 power for domm .ills i '-tn i. u 'ion it -ii'inld b"e<iti.e a power ftn ciluf iti-iri. Ai^ai.i, there v .is gmd ««>ci il intcicinin" \li''i> people di'!i n 'ht m t.ilk fri'O "Hid unre«ti Miiad — soci il lntoicour-o at» t'li-V en.oyed it in their own horn. «. where l.i Mit m- vi ii ut. tnd ui'iid r>'-ponds td mi iid. Tliu s2c.unJd.iM lupioentod atnusoui'Mits of tin* ntnu '•oit, winch c.uno withniit any sen >vi en 'com i.ititiii. To those uli'i \\ ui k ii a 1 miMi the lund and thoio who wmk Inid uitli t'l'j mind, clnncru of ocaipiti'Hi wi^ l i itself a fui tv df iel.ix.ituni. It wis ill \t<iy well in youth, but wlniii the luat .md l.uitliPii <if the. d.iy had h»i'ii I) n in- it w'h a, ditfei Mil thing. Tlins cnu'rwi't, foothill and Ijoitin^ were of tlio ■ictivi> k'ii"l - of n»l.i\atio»i. They were pocnliir to tin- Knjflish r.i-^ v . In France .«i'l (ieini my tli..if woieveiy fuw g.unes, thdiisjli in BW»'>ist:ci tln-y >\ere the cqu.ils of Biiton-. Thou wduj .i. nmiisQinuntt, howovci, w,n 10--t wlh'ii pui-ncd for K nn - Oiickct follow.'d .'i a profovion was woik, and so with athletic c>nt">t-. for cups, Sic, which ce.ised to be ainiii3ment<. Tnere thould .iKii n it b> too gr.Mt seriousness Rnon to those (,miii.»s In sutno schools in Jvi^l.uid yuMti 1!'1 !' i!iip»rt.uic • wis attached to the cipt mi of tlu cncket dub or the "stroke" in tlu: bat now th m t> tir-»t placi m cl i»sics. Theic was creat imp irtancognen to ,i but taco or cricket in itch, .md an im unit of c l-jrtry .*nd lenoiiitit'si whu'h ceased to bcconi" while•j niui .uiddiew uoiind them t'lespuit of tr.i'iiitling. S» Aitli h ir-o racing. In the colonies . i \.i-t . i uount of tinn and money was spent on tlu>>e .unuvjin'nts, which w.is uttcily wnmsr, and this amount of tyrioii*-ncs-f deg.'iier.itcs into gimbling. Ha\ing given these few illustrations of the chief forms of amusements, and of the passive ,iud iecopti\e .is well a-» the actho kinds he now c\nie bick to the starting point. Christimitv in tea hin^ them the working out of the law of woik lnld th it God himself designed amusements as being simply a pirt of rela\a*i m which is a necessity for tint education which He ha-» intended for His children. Amuvini'iits in the ri^ht placj no Ciiiisti,i:i should dano-mcc. Thero u.i, a tendi'iicy in the conditions of th • Nineteenth Centuiy, and especially in coloni.il life to make amusements of prim u yand woikof second iryconiideration, and thus eoimy towjids d^stroyin? than* \.ilue.ib uii.h 'iin'iits. Th -y should lo ik fit th'j subject fioni a dilferent point of mow, sobi'ily and alw.iv*« as advancing the welfaieof m in ( Ap)il iu-.e). Aiehdeacm Willis mo\ed a vote of thmkt to His Lordship for his mteiestiug and lucid address. Mr T. Wells supp irtod the in >tion in a tew appreciative remarks, and the meeting then terminated,