ART. II.-AMUSEMENTS.

A Plea for Amusements. By FREDERIC W. SAWYER. New York: APPLETON & Co., 1847.

ALTHOUGH the work before us is somewhat out of date, the subject of it is one of perpetual interest; and although we cannot plead for amusements precisely after the manner of Mr. Sawyer, we shall hope to speak in accordance with the Scriptures, and with the views of enlightened and serious Christians.

In the life of our Savior, we have an example entirely to our purpose; and with a consideration of it, we commence the discussion. When he had called and charged his twelve apostles, he sent them forth to teach and preach in the villages of Judea and Galilee." And they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."

Their mission accomplished, the apostles returned unto Jesus, and made report. "They told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest awhile; for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

Christ called his disciples originally, and he calls them now, to labor in his service. His language to them is: "Go, work in my vineyard." But when they have worked, until the necessities of nature require relaxation, he then permits and commands them to rest. It is as much their duty to rest, under such circumstances, as it is to work, under others. It is as really a sin to over-work in the service of Christ, as to under-work. It may not be so common a sin. It may not be one into which, in this lazy, trifling world, we are so likely to fall. Still, we have no more right to violate the laws of our being (which are the laws of God) one way than the other; and the violation of them in either way is sure to bring its penalty along with it.

In the example above quoted, we have the authority of our Savior for seasonable rest. And his teachings on this subject are in strict accordance with those of the Scriptures generally, and with those of nature. The God of Nature has not only made work an indispensable condition of living comfortably in this world, but he has made abundant provision also for rest. Every morning has its evening, and every day its night, when weary

mortals are constrained, by the very necessities of their nature, to repose, to rest.

Rest may be total, as in quiet sleep; or only partial, as in gentle, agreeable relaxation, diversion, or recreation. We use these three terms, not because they are of precisely the same import, but because, in their several imports, they are all equally to our purpose. Relaxation implies continuance of labor, but with less of vigor, with less intensity of application. And this constitutes a species of rest. It is often all the rest we need.

Diversion implies, not a total suspension of effort, but the withdrawing of the jaded mind or the weary body from some particular kind of effort, which has become wasting and injurious, to some other kind which is lighter, easier, more agreeable. Thus the student, wearied in the investigation of a difficult subject, diverts his mind by light reading, or by some easy and pleasant occupation. And the tired laborer diverts himself by some agreeable change of employment.

Diversion is a relief and blessing to us, in every period of our lives. The secret of managing peevish, crying children is, not to scold them, but to divert them. Turn off the little troubled mind from the worrying thought, or the painful object, and fix it upon something else. This is the only mode of relieving a certain class of diseased minds. The monomaniac, for example, has occupied himself so constantly with some engrossing subject; he has thought so much of it, and talked so much, and felt so deeply, that he can now think of nothing else. He has dwelt upon the one idea till he has become absorbed in it, and cannot rid himself of it. He has no longer the control of his own thoughts and feelings. Now the only way to relieve such a person is, to divert him. Change the scene; introduce him to new and diverting objects; draw his thoughts and his sensibilities, if possible, out of the deep channels in which they have been running; and the diseased mind will soon recover, a normal, healthy action will ere long be restored.

We used the term recreation in this connection. This is of more general import than either of those above defined. It denotes primarily an end, a result, but more commonly the means of producing such result. A recreation is literally a restoring of the exhausted mind or body to that state of health and vigor which had been temporarily lost. But the term is more commonly used to denote some pleasing, invigorating, health-giving exercise, by which such restoration is effected. It may be a walk, a sail, a journey, a song, a cheerful conversation, a change of scene or employment. A diversion generally operates as a recreation, though every recreation is not a diversion. And the

same remark may be made with respect to relaxation. Recrea tion, as we said, is the more general term, including under it the other two.

With this necessary definition of terms, we come back to the example of our Savior. When he directed his disciples to turn aside, and rest a while, he did not intend, probably, a total rest. He did not wish them to lie down and go to sleep. Certainly, he did not limit them to such a rest as this. What he intended was, that they should take time, after their severe labor, to recreate, to recruit, to invigorate and strengthen their wasted powers, and thus prepare for greater usefulness. How he would have them spend their season of recreation, we cannot now say. Perhaps in agreeable conversation, in recounting past experience and adventure, in prayer, in praise, in seeking and receiving new lessons of instruction. In some way, he would have them recreate and refresh themselves, and prepare for new scenes of labor and usefulness.

Recreations, then, of the right kinds, and within proper limits, are not only permitted to us, but enjoined upon us. They are enjoined by the very necessities of our nature. They are enjoined by the authority of our Savior. They are as really our duty as prayer, or praise, or study, or preaching, or anything else. Thus much, we think, may be safely said in behalf of needful recreations.

We now advance a step, and inquire whether the same can be said in behalf of amusements. What are amusements? Much depends on the idea attached to this term. Some writers (among whom is Mr. Sawyer) regard amusements and recreations as the same. They use the words interchangeably. And if this be correct, then the same authority may be pleaded for them both. But is this a proper use of terms? Are the two things the same? We think not. There seems to us to be a wide difference between them-a difference indicated both in the etymology of the words, and in their more general and respectable use. We know not indeed, that any full line of distinction can be drawn between external acts, leaving all amusements on the one side, and recreations on the other. Such a line might be drawn, we think, a certain way; but whether it could be carried entirely through, it is not material to inquire. The distinction on which we would chiefly insist, is internal. It lies not so much in the outward act, as in the motive, the object, the end in view. A recreation, from the very structure and meaning of the word, is something which recruits, restores, and prepares the man for better service, and should be engaged in, always, with this end in view. But an amusement, in its motive, is quite another thing. This is to pursue

pleasure for pleasure's sake. It is to engage in pleasurable occupation, not so much to be invigorated and benefited, as to be amused-to be gratified, in other words, for the mere pleasure of it. Such is amusement, in the strict and proper acceptation of the term; amusement, as distinct from needful recreation. And such it is confessed to be, by those, in general, who pursue it. Ask that young man who was out almost the whole of the last night at the ball-room, or the bowling-alley, or at some other place of amusement, and who got up late this morning, with parched lips, and an aching head, and a fluttering pulse, whether he went there for the purpose of recruiting and restoring exhausted nature, and whether such has been the effect of his debauch upon him. He will tell you, if he is honest, that the pow ers of nature, so far from being recruited, have been wasted, and that he had good reason to expect beforehand that it would be so. He went to his amusements, not to be recruited and strengthened, but to be pleased. He went for the enjoyment of it, from motives of personal gratification. And the young lady who danced till four o'clock this morning, will, if she is honest, confess the same. Her amusement, she knows did not recruit nature, but exhausted it. It did her no real good, either physically or morally, nor did she expect beforehand that it would. But she went to be pleased. She went from motives of personal gratification.

Such, then, are amusements; and such is the manner in which they differ from needful, laudable recreations. In external act, they differ frequently; there being many amusements which can never be resorted to for purposes of recreation. In purpose, in motive, they differ always; the motive of the latter being to recruit and restore, and thus prepare for greater usefulness; the motive of the former being a love of pleasure, or the desire of personal gratification.*

With these explanations, we come back to the question: Are amusements authorized in the Scriptures? There is authority, we have seen, for recreations. Is there like authority for amusements? And if so, where are we to look for it? You will say, perhaps, in the Old Testament; and in proof of it will refer us to the annual festivals of the Israelites; and to other great and joyful occasions, in which they were accustomed to sing and to dance.

* Very frequently, the same external acts or courses of action change their character with a change of motive, and from being recreations, become amusements. Thus a student participates in a game of ball, or of quoits, as a recreation. It is needful for him, and he has no other object or end in view. But he soon becomes attached to the game, and pursues it far beyond what the purposes of recreation require. He pursues it for the mere pleasure of it. It has now ceased to be a recreation, and become an

amusement.

The annual festivals of the Israelites were seasons of pleasant recreation, and of devout religious worship and instruction. They drew the people together from all parts of the land, and were well calculated to render them not only pious, but social and happy. But there was nothing in them, so far as we have been able to discover, of the nature of amusements, properly so called. Certainly there was not, as they were instituted, and before they had been perverted and abused.

On occasions of great rejoicing, the Israelites were accustomed to sing and to dance; but then their dances were not for amusement. On the contrary, they were a part of their religious worship. Such was the dancing of Miriam and her associates, on the shore of the Red Sea.* Such was the dancing of David, when he brought home the ark of God. Such is the dancing referred to by the Psalmist, when he says: "Praise God with the timbrel and the dance." "Let them praise his name in the dance." This dancing was evidently a part of religious worship-" praising God;" and is no authority whatever for dancing as an amuse

ment.

It is remarkable, that wherever dancing is spoken of in the Bible, except as a religious exercise, some mark of reprobation is usually put upon it. Witness the following passage from Job: "They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. Therefore, they say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways." Witness the dancing of the daughter of Herodias, which pleased Herod, and resulted in the murder of John the Baptist.

In

But to return to the subject: Where, we ask again, are amusements, in the proper sense of the term, authorized in the Scriptures? If any one can tell us, we will gladly listen to him; for we do not know where. Let him give us the chapter and verse. But we go farther, and insist that amusements, as they have been defined, are virtually forbidden in the Scriptures. spirit, in motive, they are contrary to some of the cardinal requisitions of the Bible. They are so, in that they are selfish. Amusement, we have said, is the pursuit of pleasure, for pleasure's sake, or it is the plunging into pleasurable courses, the mere sake of personal enjoyment. And is not this selfish? We regard avarice and covetousness as selfish, in that they are the love of gain, for the personal gratification which gain affords; and ambition is accounted selfish, in that it is the love of power, for the same reason; must not amusements then be accounted

for

* Miriam, at this time, could not have been much less than ninety years old;— rather too far advanced to dance for amusement.