dance, the lady permits her partner to draw her close to him, with his hand on her waist, and their other hands clasped, while they whirl away under the inspiration of music, and circumstances which engender emotions and results more easily imagined than described.

Now, should some gentleman friend be so rude or forgetful as to, when visiting the same lady at her home, in her parlor where all is quiet and naught to stir the passions or emotions, clasp that lady's waist and take the same liberties with her person which were permitted without blush or rebuke in the ball-room, what a howl would be raised; and the unfortunate being would have been as well off, in the sight of many excellent people, if he had committed the one unpardonable sin. The mere circumstance, too, that he may be a man of unspotted character, while it is occasionally possible that the ball-room companion may be a libertine, cuts no figure in the case.

What makes the difference? Do the glare of many lights and the enchanting sound of music, coupled with the fact that the world is there, atone for such grave actions on the part of the otherwise pure and good?

Beyond question, then, it is not the "time to dance" when a lady is posturing as she would not in private and a gentleman is handling her person as he would not dare to do in the privacy of her home.

Rule Fifth.-Whatever may be safely indulged in as an amusement, without imputation of immorals, by a Christian woman, may be also indulged in with impunity by her minister.

But ministers of the gospel, by one common con

sent, are not only not expected to participate in the modern social round and square dances, but are absolutely forbidden to do so. Why? Answer: Because these dances have the "appearance of evil."

Finally, who, of all that dance, and have danced, have been the better fitted for the battle of life thereby? What citizen was ever made more honorable, trustworthy and true in consequence of his expert dancing? What woman was ever made more virtuous, loving, kind, noble and true because she could dance perfectly?

What possible good, what real virtue, what noble inspiration, has ever come to the individual or to the race therefrom? Echo answers, "What?" Is it

necessary to put these questions conversely? Nay. It is not difficult to find and trace the evil resulting from the modern social dance.

J. C. TULLY.

HONOR ALL MEN.

A SERMON.

"Honor all men."-I. Peter ii. 17.

That we should honor all men is the demand of Christianity. Still leaving the human heart to its own native and unaided impulses, what man on the face of this green earth is capable of doing so? Notwithstanding, we can not help being impressed by the fact, that when this religion that commands, "Honor all men," takes hold of a man, it makes him honorable in the estimation of the whole world. Not only this, but nations that love this religion best are in the world's estimation most honorable. Is a continent subdued almost in the lifetime of one man; do cities spring up like magic; and does human genius stand before us in its highest state of development, in subduing to man's use the forces of nature; then, these achievements are the fruit of that religion that commands, "Honor all men." Or, are we lifted up to heaven by having the love of heaven brought down to our desolate hearts, with its floods of light and its radiance of glory; is peace given to our troubled souls; and are we made to know that there is a rest for the weary, this is still the work of the same religion.

But how does Christianity make men honorable? It has but one instrumentality, one motive power. This is the gospel. "I am not ashamed of the gospel of

Christ," says Paul, "for it is the power of God to salvation, to every man that believes it." "And I am determined," says the same apostle, "to make known nothing else." But what is the gospel? It is foreshadowed by all the types of the Jewish and patriarchal ages, and is the burden of the prophecies. It is a story: and this story is four times told; once each by Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; and always by the apostles in their preaching. The pagan version of this story is as follows: Against whom, when his accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed, but had certain questions against him, of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, and whom Paul affirmed to be alive" (Acts XXV. 18). So poor, mean, weak and contemptible was this gospel, in the estimation of the civilization of old pagan Rome; yet by its effects it proved that the weakness of God is stronger than men, and the foolishness of God wiser than men.

But again we ask, what is this gospel? The Jews at the first had put to death the Lord Jesus, and when they knew that the disciples worshiped him as God, they murdered Stephen, and scattered the church at Jerusalem to the four winds. Still, it was not till Peter had said in the house of Cornelius, "Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but, in every nation, he that feareth God and worketh righteousness is accepted with him," that the wrath of the Jews was stirred up to the uttermost. Let it be noted that this Jewish anti-Christian party was not at the first the poplace; for "the common people heard him gladly." The elements of this opposition are drawn out in history by Luke, as follows: "Their rulers and elders,