But having said so much, it is necessary to guard against improprieties and excesses in amusements. And yet, to determine what amusements are to be allowed, and what condemned14, is no easy matter; for, while some kinds of amusement are evil in their own nature, and necessarily injurious, others are evil and injurious only on account of their excess, or of the manner in which they are pursued, or of the[183] evils that are associated with them. My object is, not so much to point out what amusements are wrong, as to give you some rules by which you can judge for yourself.
I. Never engage in recreation at an unsuitable time.—To neglect duty for the sake of amusement is not only wrong, but it will exert a bad influence upon your character. It tends to produce an immoderate love of amusement, and to break up all orderly and regular habits. Let your invariable rule be, “Business first, and then pleasure.” Never suffer any kind of amusement to break in upon the time appropriated to labor or study.
II. Never do any thing that is disapproved15 by your parents or guardians16.—They desire your happiness, and will not deprive you of any enjoyment17, unless they see good reason for it. They may see evil where you would not perceive it. They regard your highest welfare. They look beyond the present, to see what influence these things will have on your character and happiness hereafter. They are also set over you of the Lord; and it is your duty not only to submit to their authority, but to reverence18 their counsel.
III. Engage in no amusement which is disapproved by the most devoted19 and consistent[184] Christians20 of your acquaintance. I do not mean the few cross and austere22 persons, who always wear an aspect of gloom, and cannot bear to see the countenances23 of youth lighted up with the smile of innocent hilarity24. But I mean those Christians who wear an aspect of devout25 cheerfulness, and maintain a holy and consistent life. Their judgment26 is formed under the influence of devotional feeling, and will not be likely to be far from what is just and right.
IV. Do nothing which you would be afraid God should see.—There is no darkness nor secret place, where you can hide yourself from his all-searching eye. Contemplate27 the Lord Jesus Christ as walking by your side, as he truly is in spirit; and do nothing which you would be unwilling28 that he should witness, if he were with you in his bodily presence.
V. Do nothing the preparation for which unfits you for religious duty.—If an amusement in which you are preparing to engage so takes up your mind as to interfere29 with your devotional exercises; if your thoughts run away from the Bible that you are reading to anticipated pleasures; or if those pleasures occupy your thoughts in prayer; you may be sure you are going too far.
VI. Engage in nothing on which you cannot[185] first ask God’s blessing30. Do you desire to engage in any thing in which you would not wish to be blessed and prospered31? But God only can bless and prosper32 us in any undertaking33. If, therefore, your feelings would be shocked to think of asking God’s blessing on any thing in which you would engage, it must be because your conscience tells you it is wrong.
VII. Engage in no amusement which unfits you for devotional exercises.—If, on returning from a scene of amusement, you feel no disposition34 to pray, you may be sure something is wrong. You had better not repeat the same again.
VIII. Engage in nothing which tends to dissipate serious impressions.—Seriousness, and a sense of eternal things, are perfectly35 consistent with serenity36 and cheerfulness. But thoughtless mirth, or habitual37 levity38, will drive away such impressions. Whatever you find has this effect is dangerous to your soul.
IX. Reject such amusements as are generally associated with evil.—If the influences which surround any practice are bad, you may justly conclude that it is unsafe, without stopping to inquire into the nature of the practice itself. Games of chance are associated with gambling39 and dissipation; therefore, I conclude that they[186] cannot be safely pursued, even for amusement. Dancing, also, is associated with balls, with late hours, high and unnatural40 excitement, and dissipation; it is therefore unsafe. You may know the character of any amusement by the company in which it is found.
X. Engage in nothing which necessarily leads you into temptation.—You pray every day, (or ought to,) “lead us not into temptation.” But you cannot offer up this prayer sincerely, and then run needlessly in the way of temptation. And if you throw yourself in the way of it, you have no reason to expect that God will deliver you from it.
XI. If you engage in any recreation, and return from it with a wounded conscience, set it down as evil.—A clear conscience is too valuable to be bartered41 for a few moments of pleasure; and if you find your conscience accusing you for having engaged in any amusement, never repeat the experiment.
XII. Practise no amusement which offends your sense of propriety42.—A delicate sense of propriety, in regard to outward deportment, is in manners what conscience is in morals, and taste in language. It is not any thing that we arrive at by a process of reasoning, but what the mind as it were instinctively43 perceives. It resembles[187] the sense of taste; and by it one will notice any deviation44 from what is proper, before he has time to consider wherein the impropriety consists. There is a beauty and harmony in what is proper and right, which instantly strikes the mind with pleasure. There is a fitness of things, and an adaptation of one thing to another, in one’s deportment, that strikes the beholder45 with sensations of pleasure, like those experienced on beholding46 the harmonious47 and beautiful blending of the seven colors of the rainbow. But when propriety is disregarded, the impression is similar to what we might suppose would be produced, if the colors of the rainbow crossed each other at irregular angles, now blending together in one, and now separating entirely48, producing irregularity and confusion. The sensation produced upon the eye would be unpleasant, if not insufferable. Among the amusements which come under this rule are the vulgar plays that abound49 in low company, especially such as require the payment of forfeits50, to be imposed by the victor. In such cases, you know not to what mortification51 you may be subjected. Frolics, in general, come under this head, where rude and boisterous52 plays are practised, and often to a late hour of the night, when all sense of propriety and even of courtesy is often forgotten.
XIII. Engage in nothing of doubtful propriety.—The apostle Paul teaches that it is wrong to do any thing the propriety of which we doubt; because, by doing that which we are not fully53 persuaded is right, we violate our conscience. It is always best to keep on the safe side. If you were walking near the crater54 of a volcano, you would not venture on ground where there was any danger of breaking through, and falling into the burning lake. You would keep on the ground where it was safe and sure. And so we should do, in regard to all questions of right and wrong. Never venture where the ground trembles under your feet.
XIV. Do nothing which you will remember with regret on your dying bed.—It is well always to keep death in view; it has a good effect upon our minds. The death-bed always brings with it pains and sorrows enough. It is a sad thing to make work for repentance55 at such an hour. That is an honest hour. Then we shall view things in their true light. Ask yourself, then, before entering into any scene of amusement, how it will appear to you when you come to look back upon it from your dying bed.
XV. Do nothing in the midst of which you would be afraid to meet death.—When preparing[189] for a scene of pleasure, how do you know but you may be cut down in the midst of it? Sudden death is so common that it is folly56 to be in any place or condition in which we are not prepared to meet it. Many persons have been cut down in the midst of scenes of gayety, and the same may occur again. A man in Germany was sitting at the gaming table. His card won a thousand ducats. The dealer57 handed over the money, and inquired how he would continue the game. The man made no reply. He was examined, and found to be a corpse58! Similar scenes have occurred in the ball-room. In the midst of the merry dance, persons have been called suddenly out of time into eternity59. A gentleman and lady started in a sleigh, to ride some distance to a ball, in a cold winter’s night. Some time before reaching the place, the lady was observed to be silent. On driving up, the gentleman called to her, but no answer was returned. A light was procured60, and he discovered, to his amazement61, that he had been riding with a corpse! At no moment of life are we exempt62 from sudden death. He who holds us in his hand has a thousand ways of extinguishing our life in a moment. He can withhold63 the breath which he gave; he can stop the vital pulsation64 instantly; or he can break one of the[190] thousand parts of the intricate machinery65 of which our mortal bodies are composed. No skill can provide against it. We ought not, therefore, to trust ourselves, for a single moment, in any place or condition where we are unwilling to meet death.
XVI. Do nothing for which you will be afraid to answer at the bar of God.—There every secret thing will be revealed. What was done in the darkness will be judged in open day. “Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment.” A young man, on leaving home to enter the army, was supplied with a small Bible, which, though a thoughtless youth, he always carried in his pocket. On one occasion, after a battle, he took out his Bible, and observed that there was a bullet hole in the cover. His first impulse was, to turn over the leaves, and read the verse on which the ball rested. It was the passage just quoted. It brought before his mind all the scenes of mirth and sinful pleasure in which he had been engaged, and pressed upon him the fearful truth, that for all of them he was to be brought into judgment. It was the means of[191] awakening66 him to a sense of his condition, and led to a change of heart and life. And why should not the same solemn impression rest upon your mind, with respect to all scenes of pleasure, and lead you carefully to avoid whatever you would not willingly meet at that awful tribunal?
If you apply these tests to the various amusements that are in vogue67 among young people, you may readily discern what you can safely pursue, and what you must sternly reject. It will lead you, especially, to detect the evils of all theatrical68 performances, balls, cards, and dancing parties, country frolics, and all things of a like nature. But it will not deprive you of one innocent enjoyment. A girl, ten or twelve years old, made a visit to a companion about her own age. Both of them were hopefully pious69. On returning home, she told her mother she was sure Jane was a Christian21. “Why do you think so, my daughter?” inquired the mother. “O,” said the daughter, “she plays like a Christian.” In her diversions she carried out Christian principles, and manifested a Christian temper. This is the true secret of innocent recreation; and it cuts off all kinds of amusement that cannot be pursued in a Christian-like manner.
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1
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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incessant
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| adj.不停的，连续的 | |
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steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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laborious
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| adj.吃力的，努力的，不流畅 | |
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5
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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elasticity
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| n.弹性，伸缩力 | |
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maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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relaxation
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| n.松弛，放松；休息；消遣；娱乐 | |
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eschew
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| v.避开，戒绝 | |
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emblem
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| n.象征，标志；徽章 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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blithely
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| adv.欢乐地，快活地，无挂虑地 | |
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14
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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15
disapproved
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| v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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guardians
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| 监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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18
reverence
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| n.敬畏，尊敬，尊严；Reverence:对某些基督教神职人员的尊称；v.尊敬，敬畏，崇敬 | |
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19
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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22
austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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countenances
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| n.面容( countenance的名词复数 )；表情；镇静；道义支持 | |
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24
hilarity
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| n.欢乐；热闹 | |
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devout
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| adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness) | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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27
contemplate
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| vt.盘算，计议；周密考虑；注视，凝视 | |
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28
unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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29
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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30
blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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prospered
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| 成功，兴旺( prosper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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33
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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34
disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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36
serenity
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| n.宁静，沉着，晴朗 | |
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habitual
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| adj.习惯性的；通常的，惯常的 | |
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38
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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gambling
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| n.赌博；投机 | |
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40
unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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41
bartered
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| v.作物物交换，以货换货( barter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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42
propriety
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| n.正当行为；正当；适当 | |
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43
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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44
deviation
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| n.背离，偏离；偏差，偏向；离题 | |
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45
beholder
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| n.观看者，旁观者 | |
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46
beholding
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| v.看，注视( behold的现在分词 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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47
harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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48
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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49
abound
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| vi.大量存在；(in，with)充满，富于 | |
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50
forfeits
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| 罚物游戏 | |
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51
mortification
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| n.耻辱，屈辱 | |
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52
boisterous
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| adj.喧闹的，欢闹的 | |
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53
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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54
crater
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| n.火山口，弹坑 | |
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55
repentance
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| n.懊悔 | |
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56
folly
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| n.愚笨，愚蠢，蠢事，蠢行，傻话 | |
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57
dealer
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| n.商人，贩子 | |
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58
corpse
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| n.尸体，死尸 | |
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59
eternity
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| n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷 | |
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60
procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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61
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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62
exempt
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| adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者 | |
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63
withhold
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| v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡 | |
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64
pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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65
machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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66
awakening
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| n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的 | |
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67
Vogue
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| n.时髦，时尚；adj.流行的 | |
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68
theatrical
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| adj.剧场的，演戏的；做戏似的，做作的 | |
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69
pious
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| adj.虔诚的；道貌岸然的 | |
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