Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1826-02-02

f. ces oil hating, aud making War, and
killing men Tor which il seems, there
IS "a lime." as well as for dancing
There is still another difficulty in the
text, winch just now occurs TO me -
What kind of dancing does the text
intend! for it is certainly matter ofno
small consequence to 'aIue Christian,
to dance in scriptural manner, as
well as at the scrip,ural time.
Now to avoid mistakes on poin'
OF such importance, | have consulted
every passage in the @Bible whi h
speaks OF dancing; the most important
OF which permit me to submit to your
inspection.
Exod XIV. 90 "And Miri.n thc
prophecies, The sister OF Aaron, took =
umorel ia her hand, and all the ~o-
men went OUT after her, with limbrels
aud wlh danees This was on ac
count of the overthrow OF the Egyp
t,dns 10 the Red sea
judges ri 81 The daughter of Jep
thai, came out 10 NEE hlm with tim
DIels aud with dances" Tnls was al
so on accOun, OF The victory over the
enemies of Israel.
JUICES xxi. 81 "The yearly feast
IN Shiloh was a feast unto the Lord Ii.
which The daughters OF Shiloh wem
forth IN dances" This was done as
an act of religious worship
2 Sam vi. Ia 30 "And David
danced before the Lord with all ms
might " But the irreligious Michael
came out 10 meet David, AMI said
How glorious was ,he King of Israel
10 day, who uncovered himself to DAY
in the eyes of the hand MAIDS, of HI,
servants, as one of tie vain fellows
shamclessly uncovereth himself -.
Dinclng 1t seems, was sacred riic
and usually performed by women
AT that day, it was pervert, Il from II,
sacred use by none but vain fellows"
destitute of shame David vindlcates
himself from her irony, by saying, IL
was before The Lord" admitting, iha!
had this not been the case, her rebukc
would have been mcrited
/ sam xviii. 6. % account of tn,
victory of Saul and David over thc
PnlIstines, "lhe women came out OF
all the cities of Israel, singing ana
dancing"
PsaI. cxlix. 3. Get them praise
his name in the dance" Ps. xxx Ii.
Thou hast tree.i for me my mourn
ing INTO dancing" The deliverance
here spoken OF was recovery from
sickness, and the dancing an expires
sion OF religious gratitude and 10Y.
Exod xxi 10. "As soon as he came
nigh unto the camp, he saw the calf
and the dancing" From this it ap
pears that dancing was part also of
idol worship.
Jer XXI. a ooh virgin of Israel,
thou shalt again be adorned with Thy
tabrets, am go forth in he dances of
them tina: make merry" This pas
sage predicts the return from cap,ivi
ty, and the restoration OF the divine
favor, with the cons quent expression
OF religious Joy
Mat XII II. owe have piped IN
toyou and ye have not danced; we
have mourned unto you, and ye have
not tamen,ed." That is, neither the
judgments nor the mercies OF Cos pro
duce any effect upon this ineor. Igloie
generation. They neither mourn
when called to mourning by his pro
violence; nor refuge with the usual to-
kens of religious joy, when his mercles
demand their gratitude.
Like XIV 25. Now his elder son
was in the field; and as he came, and
drew nigh unto the house, he heard
music and dancing The return OF the
prodigal was joyful event for which
she grateful father, according to ,hs u
sages OF the Jewish church, and the
exhortation of the Psalmst, Praised
the Lord in the dance
Eccles. iii. 4. A time 10 mourn,
and a time 10 dance Since the jew
ish church knew nothing of dancing,
except as a religious ceremony, or DIS
an expression of gratitude and praise,
the text, is declaration that the pro
videncc of God sometimes demands
mourning, and sometimes gladness and
. ratlude
Matt xiv 6. "But when Hcrod's
birth day was kept the daughter o. He