You don't know what you are missing of happiness in this world and what
you may miss in the world to come. I do not ask you to take my life for
an example. That would be a poor example, indeed. We do not have to take
any human life for a copy. The life of Christ is the one true example
for us all, and I believe that when we stand before, the great Judge of
all, the question will not be,_ if we have lived as well as this
professing Christian or that church member_, but if we have lived our
life as nearly like the life of Christ as we could.
And right here let me say a few words to professing Christians and
church members who dance. I say "professing" Christians because I
believe there is a vast difference between a _Christian_ and a
"professing" Christian and church member who dances.
To be a _Christian is to be Christlike_, and I believe there is nothing
_Christlike_ in partaking of such pleasures as have been described in
the foregoing pages, even though you indulge no further than the license
of the waltz. And even granting (if this were possible) that you only
engage in the indecent and suggestive position and motions, without a
single sinful thought or feeling, do you believe that your Heavenly
Father could say to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
Thou hast spent the evening to my honor and glory. Thou art in the
world and not of it. Thou hast done nothing that could cause thy brother
to offend, but hast set a good and Godly example. Thou art letting thy
light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify
your Father which is in heaven. Thou art denying thyself and taking thy
cross daily and following me. I left my home in glory and lived and
suffered and died the death of the crucified that thou mightest take
thine ease, dance, drink, and be merry, and then, lay down thy cross and
take up thy _crown_ in glory to be with thy Savior and be like Him."
"The Son of man cometh at an hour when ye know not."
If he should come and find you at the dance, locked in the embrace of
another woman's husband, do you feel that he would consider you ready?
Do you not feel the slightest fear that He would say, "Depart from me, I
never knew you?"
Ah, my friends, I should fear it very much. I should fear that to my
account would be laid the sin of the harlot.
You say that you dance very properly. What have you to say for those
who, looking to you for a Christian example, see that you, a church
member, dance, and conclude that there can be no harm in it for them, so
they indulge and are ruined by it, and in after days are to be found
leading a life of shame in the brothel, all because of your example
which led them to take the first step on the downward road?
Do you believe that when you shall both stand before the bar of God for
just judgment that none of her sin will be laid to your charge?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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