The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1881-08-18
dance with them that make merry.

| OdDC0 Win Iu0n GudI AnahS mOll
-Jer. xiii; 4. This passage pre-.
diets the return from captivity, and
the restoration of divine favor,
with the consequent expressions OF
religious joy. "We have piped
unto you, and ye have not danced
we have mOurned unto you, and ye
have not lamented." Matt. xi; II.
That is, neither the judgments nor
the mercies OF God produce any ef-
feet upon this incorrigible genera
tion. They neither mourn when
called to mourning by His provi-
dences, nor rejoice with the usual
token of religious joy when His
mercies demand their gratitude.
''Now his elder son was in the field,
and as he came and drew nigh unto
the house, he heard music and dane
ing."-Luke, xvi; 25, The return
of the prodigal was joyful event,
for which the grateful father, &C
cording to the usages OF the Jewish
church and the exhortations of the
Psalmist. praised the Lord in the
dance. "a time to mourn, a time
to dance" ."-Eccles. iii; 4. Since
the Jewish church knew nothing OF
dancing except as religious cere
mony, or as at expression of graft
tude and praise, the text is a dec
laration that the providence of
God sometimes demands mourning,
and sometimes gladness. "But
when Herod's birthday was kept,
the daughter of Herodias danced
before them, and pleased Herod."
In this case the dancing was per
verted from it's original object to
the purposes of vanity and ostenta
tion. "Wherefore do the wicked
live, become old, yea, are mighty
in power? They send forth their
little ones like a flock, and their
children dance. They spend their
days in wealth, and in moment
go down to the grave. Therefore
they say unto God, depart from US,
for we desire not the knowledge OF
thy ways; what is the Almighty
that we should serve him, and what
profit shall we have if we pray unto
himP"-Job, xxi; Z IL. Their
wealth and dancing are assigned as
the reason of their saying unto
God Depart from u.s." and OF their
not desiring the knowledge OF HIS
ways, or of serving Him, or pray
ing to Him. From the preceding
quotations it will sufficiently ap
pear:
l. That dancing was a religious
act, both of the true, and also OF
idol worship.
2. That it was practiced exclu
sively on joyful occasions, such as
national festivals or great victories.
3. That it was performed by
maidens only.
4. That it was performed usual
ly in the daytime, in the open air.
in highways, fields or groves.
5. That men who perverted dane
ing from a eacred use TO purposes
of amusement were deemed infa-
nous.
6. That no instances OF dancing
are found upon record in the bible
in which two sexes united in the
exercise, either as an act of wor-
ship or amusement.
7. There is no instance upon
record of social dancing for amuse-
ment, except that of "the vain Afel-
lows" devoid of shame; of the ire
ligious families described by Job,
which produced increased Impiety
and ended 10 destruction; and of
Herodias, which terminated in the
rash vow of Herod and the murder
c f John the Baptist.
1 congratulate you, sir, on the
assured hope which you seem to
have attained that you are "a true
christian, and on the meekness
and modesty with which you have
been able to express it, and most
sincerely do 1 join with you in the
condemnation of all "hypocrites :"
| am affectionately, etc,