Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-04-10

r. rs WRONG TO PLACE YOURSELF
IN THE WAY OF TEMPTATION.
DANCING HAS BEEN DENOUNC-
ED BY ALL RELIGIOUS SECTS.
SOMD AUTHORITIES QUOTED.
YESTERDAYS SERVICES IN
OTHER CITY CHURCHES.

At the Chapline Street M. e. Churcn
last evening, the pastor, the Rev. VIM. ].
Hardness, Phi. D.. preached a very inter-
esting sermon on the subject: Can a
Christian Dancer" taking the negative
side of the question. The reverend speak
er said in part:
Have no fellowship with the unfruitful
works of darkness. but rather reprove
them "-Eph. 8: IL
An old writer has we'll said, 1--WE have
too much gunpowder about us to go
in the way of sparks" the evil that Is in
US only needs the touch of temptation to
wake it up into activity. We may feel
secure in times of peace. but we know not
how we will stand in times of war. II
temptations came to us in the sunlight
Of reason, we would be able to meet them;
but as they approach through the dark
avenues of doubt, we are often overcome.
We must watch against it as well as
pray against it.
Though amusementS have been given to
man for the purpose of resting his mind
and body, yet Satan has so perverted them
that they are often instrumental in max
ing man forget God and eternity. Among
the different amusements offered by soci-
ETY. to-day there is none that reaches moro
or has as great an influence as the dance.
1t may rightly be called the queen Of
amusements," and in treating with this
subject 1 desire to deal with 1t wholly
from the standpoint of Christianity and
particularly to those who have promised
to take Gods word as their rule land guide
in all matters regardless Of public opin-
ion and personal desries.
Dancing denotes a lively, brisk exer-
else or amusement, in which the move
ments of the person are regulated by art
in figure, and by the sound of instruments
in measure, leaping and stepping to the
sound of the voice or an instrument" 1t
may be said that it is as old as the world
and prevails in rude as well as in civilized
nations. Children, as well as the lower
animals, dance and ganbol as If by in
stinct. All the early records, sacred and
profane, make mention Of 1t. 1t conSti-
tuted a. part of religious worship and GER
emonies. We see them dance before their
affairs and around the statues of their
gods We may turn to the old Coryban-
tian dance of Crete and Phsygia, which
was exceedingly wild in character. 1.-THE
performers fully armed, rush about with
great alacrity, shouting fiercely and
clashing their shields or the Psychic
dance, with it's somersaults, tumbling and
leaping, that they might be quick in their
movements; or to the peasantry of Eu-
rope, who at sunset hours, under the wide
spreading trees, make the simple steps
to simple music in their ordinary dress,
while the aged parents look on with APP
probation; yet all these answer the same
purpose that the evening dance of the ma
tives of Africa perform after they have
returned from a successful hunt.
1t is not against these or against the
mere act of dancing that l wish to cali
your attention as being sinful, for thu
mere act of a merry and thoughtlesa
child in play is no harm, but a benefit
The mere act of taking wine is not sinful,
if taken for disease, but when taken for
pleasure, and evil results may follow not
only to the participant, but to a weaker
brother then it becomes a sin. So the
simple dance itself may not do any harm
but when it leads to other things it be-
comes crime. The idea which l wish you
to consider with me is that dancing which
is universally practiced in large or small
assemblies. indeMcate dress, unwarranted
freedom of intercourse between the sexes,
lively revelry, excitement, forgetfulnss
of God and thorough woridliness, which is
directly contrary to the obligations. of a
Christian
And it is but right for me to state at
the beginning that the common express
sion that is SO often used, that no decent
and respectable person will indulge in it, :"
is false: for many a person unconscious
of the evil and it's results, occupy the
highest position of responsibility. Yet
when the evil is known and its influences
are not checked, then the parties become
hypocrites and are unworthy of the po-
sftion they may occupy.
AS every question has two sides to it.,
it would be but fair to consider this ques-
ton in both of its phases l, The advan-
tages pertaining to it'll. The Bible Advo-
Gates 1t. The word dance; is found in the
Old Testament twenty-one times and in
the New five times, and yet there is not
a single passage that indicates an en-
couragement to the modern dance. If
God favors dancing, then he favors kill
ing. The Bible says there is a time to
Dance "a time of war; "a time to hate -
"a time to kill Does he commend
hatred, war and murder? God shall judge
the righteous and the wicked, for there is
time for every purpose and every work.