Tired Church Members.
by Anna Warner.
I suppose one never goes heartily into any bit of Bible study, without finding more than one counted upon. And so for me, searching out this subject of Christian amus.e.m.e.nts some curious things have come to light.
As for instance, how very little the Bible says about them at all. It was hard to find catchwords under which to look. "Amus.e.m.e.nt"? there is no such word among all the many spoken by G.o.d to men. "Recreation"?--nor that either; and "game" is not in all the book, and "rest" is something so wide of the mark (in the Bible sense, I mean) that you must leave it out altogether. And "pastime"? ah, the very thought is an alien.
"This I say, brethren, that the time is short." [1]
Redeem it, buy it up, use it while you may,--such is the Bible stand-point. It flies all too quickly without your help.
"My days are swifter than a weaver"s shuttle." [2]
"Pa.s.s the time of your sojourning here in fear." [3]
Not in frolic. So you can see that I was puzzled. However, by patiently putting words together, noting carefully the blanks as well, some things become pretty plain; and the vexed question of Christian amus.e.m.e.nts is answered clearly enough for those who are willing to know. But as we go on searching and comparing, think always of the command once given and never repealed:
"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." [4]
For we call ourselves Christians,--that "people of laws divers from all other people"; and now we are consulting our statute book.
You think, then,--says somebody,--that Christians are to do nothing but work, work, from morning to night: that the Bible forbids all play and all pleasure? No, I think nothing of the sort. But let us see what it really does say. "To the law and to the testimony,"--and abide by them.
To begin then where most of all, perhaps, the old and the modern times are like each other,--feasts have always been in vogue and always permitted; only for Christians, like all else that concerns them, with a special set of regulations as to time, manner, and behaviour. You do not think of this when you dress for your dinner party: you did not suppose the Bible meddled with such things. Nay, it "meddles" (if you call it so) with the very smallest thing a Christian can do.
The feasts of old time were in all essentials so like the feasts of to-day, that not all the changes of race, dress, and viands can much confuse the likeness. There is the great baby celebration for Isaac,[5]
and the wedding feast for the daughter of Laban,[6] and the impromptu set-out in Sodom wherewith Lot thought to entertain the angels.[7] There are the great gatherings of young people over which Job was so anxious;[8] and the yearly sacrifice at the house of Jesse "for all the family," [9] reminding one of our Thanksgiving.
Then follow state dinners of amity between two contracting powers; as when Isaac feasted Abimelech,[10] and David feasted Abner.[11] Then court entertainments: the birthday feast of Pharaoh to all his servants, when he lifted up one and hanged another, and the birthday feast of Solomon which marked his entrance upon a new life of duty, opportunity, and promise, and which he kept like a young heir coming of age.
These are all well known to us: and alas, so also are the feasts of social excess, like those of Nabal;[12] and the idolatrous feasts of the men of Shechem,[13] and of the king of Babylon;[14] wherein men praise only "the G.o.ds of gold, and of silver, of bra.s.s, and of iron, of wood and of stone."
"And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operations of his hands." [15]
"A feast is made for laughter,"--but this laughter is "mad"; utterly interdicted to all those who would "live soberly, righteously, and G.o.dly"
in this world.[16] Such "revellings" are cla.s.sed among "those works of the flesh which are manifest"; there can be no question about them: the "revellings, banquetings," [17] for which "the time past of our life may suffice us." [18] That time when we were without G.o.d in the world, walking as other Gentiles walk. With all such "recreations" the true Israel have absolutely nothing to do.
Does it follow then that a Christian must stand aloof from all festivities that are not wholly among Christian people? Not quite that.
"I am a companion of all them that fear thee," said David,[19] and it certainly looks ill for a man if his habit is the other way. Yet there are exceptions, there must be,--else, says the apostle, "ye must needs go out of the world." [20] But like everything else for you and me, it is all within regulations. First as to the going.
"If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go--" [21]
And then follows the first rule. Whatsoever you can do there Christian-wise; whatsoever you can join in that will not implicate you as a possible worshipper of _his_ idol that bade you--even the G.o.d of this world--that do. But otherwise there is the strictest hands-off! And for two reasons.
"Eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake." [22]
No matter if it be something as simple as eating and drinking. That is the instance given by the apostle, the eating of meat which had been first offered to an idol. And just as once the missionaries in a far off Eastern island never tasted beef for two whole years, because they could get none which they were sure had not been so offered; in like manner are you called upon to absolutely let alone everything which may cast even a doubt upon your loyalty to your Master.
Can you go to the entertainment so, keeping your garments spotless? Can you go as the Lord did?
"And Levi made him a great feast in his own house; and there was a great company of publicans and others that sat down with them." [23]
Pharisees murmured, but the Lord knew why he went.
"And Jesus answered them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick." [24]
If you can go thus, to do your Master"s work; mingling with his enemies to win them for his friends; seeking their company not for their wealth and place, but rather because of their deepest need and danger; not for their gaiety, but for the abounding joy you would fain make known to them out of your own heart-store: then I should say again: "If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go,"--_go_!
But beware of compromises,--that specious temptation not to make religion disagreeable. It can never be really that if it is the true thing,--a burning fire, a shining light,--but some one has well said: "When religion loses its power to repel, it loses also its power to attract."
It must be intense, active, clear enough to do both. "The disciple is not above his Master. If they have called the Master of the house Beelzebub, how much more them of his household"![25]
And it is only as an uncompromising servant of the Lord Jesus, that you can ever hope to do anything for him. On all days, in all places, you must count yourself on duty and under orders. You cannot pledge a man in the wine cup to-night, and to-morrow plead with him to escape for his life. You cannot join in the "foolish talking and jesting, which are not convenient," [26] and afterwards reason of "righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come": or if you do, people will not listen. You will find that, like Lot, you have "lost your spiritual credit." "He seemed as one that mocked, to his sons-in-law."
"I had dined every week all winter with Dr. ----," said a lady to me, "and never guessed that he was a clergyman till yesterday!" Johnson said of Burke, that "you could not stand with him five minutes under a gateway in a shower of rain, without finding out that he was an extraordinary man,"--and how long shall it take people to learn that you are a Christian?--one bought back from slavery, called to be a saint, heir of a kingdom? Ah, how ready men are to parade their worldly honours; their orders of merit and badges of bravery; but leave their Christian colours at home, and hide their uniform with a pair of the world"s overalls!
Alas!--"If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for battle?" [27]
Yes, if you can go into mixed society as the Lord went, then go. But otherwise, for your own enjoyment, a different model is set.
"Then Jesus, six days before the pa.s.sover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment." [28]
How exquisite the picture! how rare the intercourse, how precious the results! A few of the Lord"s own people met together with the Lord himself; the one expensive thing mentioned being bought for him. It was only "a supper"; and there were sorrows before them, and sorrows behind, and only the spikenard was "very costly,"--that consecration to G.o.d which gives him all we have: but its fragrance filled the house. And not all Arabia was ever so perfumed.
And must Christians give no other feasts but such as that? some one may ask. There is another sort mentioned, nay even insisted upon; but if the first looks to you dull, the second will seem--impossible! You will find a full description of it in Luke xiv. 13. And so far as I know, this is the only sort of great entertainment that Christians are encouraged to give; ruling out in toto the t.i.t-for-tat customs of modern society. "For they cannot recompense thee." But it also spares you the perplexing question of full returns, for _these_ people have given you nothing.
Only the Lord has given,--and now bids you keep open house for him in his absence. And do you see? the great Master of a.s.semblies will count the invitations as given to himself, and will one day make a royal return for them all when he cometh in his kingdom. "They cannot recompense thee."
[29] What!--never invite your friends unless they happen to be poor? O, yes indeed,--invite them, enjoy them, make much of them, precious things as friends are; yet _spend_ the most on the portionless lives that are all around you. There are fancy fountains in the rich man"s grounds, throwing up jets of water just to catch the sunlight: let your small rills of refreshment flow silently to places where the tide is out and the streams run dry.
"They cannot recompense thee; but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." [30]
And as soon as you make ready a blessing--not a compliment--in your hand, unfashionable dresses will not matter, untutored tongues will sound sweet; and your feast will be all glorified, for the Lord himself will be there.
"Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared." [31]
"The Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow," [32]--"the poor that are cast out" [33]--these were Israel"s special charge under the law. But the gospel gives deeper work.
"When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbours; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee. But when thou makest a feast call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee; for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just." [34]
The Lord dates the note of payment far ahead, but indeed I think he is better than his word, and deals out much coin as we go along; it is such wonderful pleasure to fill an empty cup! This is "recreation," true and sweet; for of all the refreshments from one"s own toil and sorrow, I think ministering to other people is about the best.
I have said nothing--is it needful to say aught?--of the Bible rules for _behaviour_ at a feast. One is ready to imagine that _Christians_ do only that which is "lovely, and of good report." Yet notice a few things.
"They love the uppermost rooms at feasts," [35] was spoken of the Pharisees; but to his disciples Christ said: "Whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant." [36]
"When thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room." [37]
Other things follow close and easily upon that.
"Be courteous."--