Value of Recreation
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benefit and elevate those with whom we associate, and better qualify
us and them to more successfully attend to the duties devolving upon
us as Christians.
We cannot be excusable in the sight of God if we engage in amuse-
ments which have a tendency to unfit us for the faithful performance of
the ordinary duties of life, and thus lessen our relish for the contempla-
tion of God and heavenly things. The religion of Christ is cheering and
elevating in its influence. It is above everything like foolish jesting and
joking, vain and frivolous chit-chat. In all our seasons of recreation
we may gather from the Divine Source of strength fresh courage and
power, that we may the more successfully elevate our lives to purity,
true goodness, and holiness.
Love of the Beautiful
Even the great God is a lover of the beautiful. He has given us
unmistakable evidence of this in the work of His hands. He planted
for our first parents a beautiful garden in Eden. Stately trees were
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caused to grow out of the ground, of every description, for usefulness
and ornament. The beautiful flowers were formed, of rare loveliness,
of every tint and hue, perfuming the air. The merry songsters, of
varied plumage, caroled forth their joyous songs to the praise of their
Creator. It was the design of God that man should find happiness in the
employment of tending the things He had created, and that his wants
should be met with the fruits of the trees of the garden.
God, who made the Eden home of our first parents so surpassingly
lovely, has also given the noble trees, the beautiful flowers, and every-
thing lovely in nature, for our happiness. He has given us these tokens
of His love that we may have correct views of His character.
He has implanted in the hearts of His children the love of the
beautiful. But by many this love has been perverted. The benefits and
beauties which God has bestowed upon us have been worshiped, while
the glorious Giver has been forgotten. This is stupid ingratitude. We
should acknowledge the love of God to us in all His creative works,
and our hearts should respond to these evidences of His love by giving
Him the heart’s best and holiest affections.