Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1894-10-17
REV. DIR. TALMAGE
TIE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun
DAY SERMON.
SUBJECT "The Quick Feet"

1FNT: 'When Herod'S birthday was kept
the daughter OF Herodias danced before them
AMI pleased Herod."-Maithew xiv, 6.
It is the anniversary of HeroI's birt thday.
Tho palace is lighted. The highways lead.
in- thereto are all ablaze with the pomp oil
invited guests. Lords. captains, merchant
princes, the mighty men OF the land, are
coming 10 mingle in the festivities. The
table is spread with all the luxuries that
guest. wnite robed and aDoinie1 and
perfuned. come in and sit al
the table. Music, The jests evoke
roars Of laughter. Riddles are prCpoundei.
Repartee Is INDUCED. Toasts are drunk.
The brain is befogged. The wit rolls on
into uproar and blasphemy. They are not
satisfied yet. Turn on more light. Pour
out more wine. Music. Sound all the
trumpets. Clear the floor for dance |!
Bring in Salome. the beautiful and
accomplished princess. The door opens.
and in bounds the dancer. The lords are
enchanted.
Stand back and make room for the brill
fant gyrations! These men never saw such
"poetry OF notion Their soul whirls in
the reel End bounds with the bounding feet.
Herod forgets crown and throne ard every
thing hut the destinations OF SalOme. Allthe
magniflcence OF his realm is as nothing now
compared with the splendor that whirls on
from side TO side. corresponding with
the motions OF the enchantress. His
soul is thrilled with the pusations OF the
feet and bewitched with the taking posturrs
and attitudes more and more amazing AZ
ter awhile he sits in enchanted silence look
ing at the flashing, leaping. bounding beau-
ty, and as the dance closes and the tInSlinS
cymhals cease to clap and the thunders
of applause that shook the palace begin
10 abate the enchanted monarch swears TO
the princely performer, "Whatsoevcr
thou shalt ask OF me will give it thee, 10
the half of my kingdom" Now, there was
in prison at that time a minister OF the gos-
pei OF the name of John the Baptist, and he
had been making a great deal OF trouble by
preaching some very plain and honest SER
mons. He had denounced the sins of the
king and brought down upon him the wrath
of the females of the royal household. At
the lnstigatfon of her mother Salome takes
advantage of the extravagant promise of the
king and says, "Bring me the head OF John
the Baptist on a dinner plate"
Hark to the sound of feet outside the door
and the clatter OF swordsI The execution
ers are returning from their awful errsn 1.
Open the doori They enter and they pre-
sent the platter TO Salome. What is on this
platter? new glass Of wine TO continue the
uproarious merriment? No. Something
redder and costlier-the ghastly. bleedin.
head OF John the Baptist, the death glare
still in the eye, the locks dabblei with the
gore, the features still distressed with the
last agony.
This woman, who had whirled so grace
fully In the dance, bends over the awful bur-
den without a shudder. She gloats overtns
blooi. and with rs much Indifference as
waiting mail might take tray of empty
glassware out of the room after enter
tainment Salome carries the discovered head
of John the Baptist, while all the banqueters
shout with laughter and think it goo joke
that in so easy and quick 4 way they have
got rid of an earnest and outspoken minister
of the gospel.
laII 1f1r-
that style of amusement and exercise, that
from many circles it has crowded out all in
telligent conversation. You will also admit
that II has made the condition Of those who
do not dance, either because they do not
know how or because they have not the
health to endure il, or because through con-
scientious scruples they must decline the eI-
srcis-, very uncomfortable. You will also
admit, all of you, that II has passed in many
cases from an amusement to dissipation.
and you are easily able to un ierstand the
bewilderment of the educated Chinaman.
who. standing in the brilliant circle wher-
there was dancing going on four or five hours
and the guests SCENE / exhausted, turne to
the proprietor of the house ami said, "Why
don't YOU allow your servants to do this for
you?'
You are also willing to admit, Whatever he
your idea in regard to the amusement that /
am speaking of. and Whatever be your idea
of the old ashioned square dance, and o
many of the professional romps in which |
can see no evil. the round dance is admins
trative of evil an ought TO be driven out
all respectable circles. am by natural tenn
permanent and religious theory opposed TO
the position taken by all those who are hor-
riffed at playfuness on the part OF the
young. and who think that all questions are
Neutrality-suspicious. of decrncy and morals
by the position of the feet. while, on TN,
other hand, 1 can see nothing but ruin, TEN
poral and eternal, for those who go into the
dissipations OF social life-'issipationz which
have already despoiled thousands of young
men and young women OF all that fs NOBLE
in character and useful in lie.
Dancing is the graceful motion Of the
body adjusted by art to the sound and
measure OF musical instrument or OF the
human voice. All nations have dance l.
The ancients thought that Castor an
mans. But whoever started it all cline
have adoDted it In ancianf timas fhs'
had the fss,ll 6an.e, the military
dance. the meri.irorial Cance, the bac-
chan lian dance. N que ms and lorl Is
swayed TO an | fro IN tie gar tens, and the
rough backwoo ism4n with this exercise
awakened the ecno Of the forest. There
is something in the sound OF lively mus c
TO evoke the movement of the han
and foot, whether cultured or un
cultured. Passing down the street
unconsciously keep step 10 the soun of the
-
with bis foot beats time wnile his soul rises
upon some great harmony. Wnile this is So
y Il civilized lands, the red men Of the foresI
have their scalp dances, their green corn
dances, their war dances. In ancient times
the exercise was so utterly and completely
depraved that the church anthematizsd it.
The old Christian fathers expressed them
selves most vehem"ntly against II. ST.
Chrysostum says "The feet were not given
for dancing, but TO walk moiestly; not t.
leap impudently, like canels." One of the
dogma's OF the ancient church reads
"a dance is the devils possession, and he
that entereth into a dance entercth into his
possession. As many PAGES as a man makes
IN dancing, SO many pases dos he make to
hsii." Elsewhere the old Gogmas declare
ihisi "The woman that slnSeth in the
dance ia the princess of the devil, and those
I nat answer are her clerks. and the bsholders
ars his friends, and the music is his bellows,
and the hIdIers are the ministers OF the
devil. For. AZ when hogs are strayed, II the
hogsherd call one all assemble together, 50
when the devil calleth one woman 10 sing
in the dance. or 10 play on some musical In
struments, presently all the dancers gather
together" This indiscriminate and univer-
80! denunciation of the exercise came IRON
the tact that it was utterly and completely
depEaSsd.
Social dissipation is the abettor OF pride.
II is the instigator of jealousy. 1t Is the sac
riflciai altar of health. 1t is the dehler OF the
sOul. 1t is the avenue of lust, and 1t Is the
curse of every town on both sides OF the sea.
Social dissipation 1t may be hard TO draw
the line and say that this is right on the one
side and that is wrong on the other side. Ii
IS not necessary that we do that. for God has
put throne in every mans soul, and ap-
peal 10 that throne to-day. When man does
wrong, he knows he does wrong, and When
he Goes right he knows he does right, and to
that throne, which Almighty God lifted In
he heart OF every man and woman. appeal
As to the physical ruin wrought y tne
dissipations OF social life there can oe ho h
doubt. What may we expect OF Peop'e. e.
work all day and dance all nightI Ans.
awhile thew will be thrown on socfetv ner-
vous, exhausted imbeciles. These Pe19p
who indulge in the suppers and the midnight