The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-12-08
Is DANCING A SlSp
a Sermon on the Subject by Rev. }. a.
Hopkins Last Night. g

Il.
his theme being Dancing He opene
n with d legend ithe Apostle John, to Il,
: effect that he was one day playing witt
:, partridge, when hunter asked hin
how he could spend his time SO. "Wh,
dost thou not keep thy bow Away
strungP" he asked. "Les. Il might los,
its spring." he said. "Then," said III,
times relax"
Q Man, MIR. Hopkins went on, need.
amusement. He Is tho only animal thal
laughs, and when God gave him tLip
iacnlty he intended It should be used
:. but mans amusement should be recrea.
r ton, not the ruling passion OF bis life.
Man should not work all tho time, nor
DO think God intended bis religion 10
deprive US OF the hearty enjoyment , 1
e harmless morriment. 1t 10 mistake for
!. young people to think religion Ia a dars
, anu gloomy thing, or that Christians are
all the time wishing they could indulge
in things from which they abstain. tbs
Christian life is tho most Joyous.
But DO not think you may safely in.
) dulIe in everything that amuaes. There
are amusements In which we can engage
without being contaminated or unduIy
fascinated, such as games OF skill and
gymnastics. Others arc doubtful, such
as card playing and all games OF chance,
the theatre and dancing. do not say
how far you should indulge in the first
or might in the second. The responsi.
bility lies with you. Iwant with you 10
CAREFULLY INVESTIGATE
them. ltthey are good for you and pro.
mote the interests Of the church, want
you to enjoy them. II not, we ought to
know It.
Amusemcnts change with the ace.
We have gotten away from tho cladia.
torlal combats and bull fights and prizs
nights oil barbaric times, and nov enjoy
the theatres, the progr ssive euchre, the
billiards and the silly wi ks-and the
dance, whlc b are relics OF barbarism, and
think Christians, at last, will outrrow
these after awhile, for do not think
they Will stand the ELECTS OF greater
light turned on them by the pulpit and
the press, nor will they stand the test Of
the Scripture texts:
wv neither, therefore, ye cat or drink,
or whatsoever you do, do all to the
glory of God" (T Cor. x, 3l)
abstain from all appearance of evil"
II Thes. v, %
Some one will say, il l apply that rule
twill take away other amusements in
which Christians indulge. Well, it is
the gospel rule; it is reasonable rule.
rule Christians should delight in. It is
with this as the Savior said oianotber:
All men cannot receive this saying.n
All christians cannot receive this rule at
once, hut | believe they can grow to de.
light in it. .
AS a good rule to test amusements, let
me give you this: II after having en-
gagged in it you feel better spiritually,
feel stronger, feel more love for Christ
and the church, 60 again and again. But
ii on the other hand it tends to draw you
away from religious life, or you excuse
it by saying it fs not as bad as something
else; or il it leads you into evil associa.
tions or brings
BLUSH OF SHAME
to unsullied souls, or destroys your rel
ish for daily duties and becomes one of
the chiefpursuits Of your life, you will
know you are on dangerous grounds.
Thls much on amIsements in general.
desire tonight to consider the subject
OF dancing.
Dancing Is leaping or moving with
measured steps, or to musical accom-
panlment, either alone or in company
with others, with regular succession OF
moVements;to to move nimbly or merrily
up and down, or back and forth; to ex-
press pleasure by motion; 10 caper; to
frisk.
So you see to dance may mean simply
the harmless play of children, or it may
mean exercising or accompanying music
alone, and there is no harm in il then.
But that is not what the modern dance
means.
Various religious dances spoken OF in
the Bible were referred to. Even in one
OF these, Sauls daughter despised David
because "he uncovered himself like one
OF the vain fellows" Then nen who
perverted dancing from n sacred use to
means OF amusement were deemed in.
!, famous.
:. II few friends have alittlc dance in a
parlor, Of the proper figure, we. should
make no objection. But dances may be
claased as the parlor dance, the ball, the
stage dance, and one leads to the other.
The tendencies OF dancing are toward
evil. There is line which, like the
railroad bridges, "you Cross at your own
peril. This warning is needed in
( Wheeling. A gentleman said yesterday
he never saw Wheeling so full OF
dances.
speak next OF
THE ASSOCIATIONS
Of the dance. The passion stirring mu-
sic is there. Drink is often there. You
are in close touch with the vicious
man whose hand you would not touch on
the street. The dancing master is there !;
would you invite him into your home
have your daughter marry him?
| On this head Mr.. Hopkins read nu-
merous powerful extracts from other
discourses on dancing, saying it dc.
stroyed spirituality in the dancer, and
the example to others was bad.
| hsst a. sAO Suai AID VI hItl AGlAOub
. The gratifying of passion is the chief
one; the pleasure OF the sensations.
In relation to the position in dancing,
he said il one were found in that position
; on the street she, would be arrested, and
kicked ont OF her home.
The dress in vogue is unhealthy and
even indecent. The society dancer is like
Eye-she is naked, and not ashamed.
They have nothing above the waist but
n narrow strip OF clothing, lib .ral coat
OF cosmetics and lively Imagination.
Imagine man praying in the midst of
women in full dress
Other evils are the unhealthiness of
the exercise in excess, late hours, wasted
time, wasted lives. Sometimes a dane.
) er's end is in drunkard's grave, some.
| times in brothel.
In closing, Mr.. Hopkins summed up
and as sked: Shall We dance2 Yes, il be.