Health and Happiness
And why should not men do these things if the law forbidding them
is abolished? No message from earth or heaven can forcibly impress
the intemperate and the licentious who are deluded with the theory that
the law of ten commandments is abolished. Many professed ministers
of Christ exhort the people to holiness of life while they themselves
yield to the power of appetite and the defilement of tobacco. These
teachers, who are leading the people to despise physical and moral
law, will have a fearful record to meet by and by.
Health, truth, and happiness can never be advanced without an
intelligent knowledge of, and full obedience to, the law of God and
perfect faith in Jesus Christ. The Lord uses no other medium through
which to reach the human heart. Many professed Christians acknowl-
edge that in the use of tobacco they are indulging a filthy, expensive,
and hurtful practice. But they excuse themselves by saying that the
habit is formed and they cannot overcome it. In this acknowledgment
they yield homage to Satan, saying by their actions, if not in words,
that, although God is powerful, Satan has greater power. By profession
they say, We are the servants of Jesus Christ, while their works say
that they yield subjection to Satan’s sway because it costs them the
least inconvenience. Is this overcoming as Christ overcame? Or is it
being overcome by temptation? And the above apology is urged by
men in the ministry, who profess to be Christ’s ambassadors.
Many are the temptations and besetments on every side to ruin the
prospects of young men, both for this world and the next. But the only
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path of safety is for young and old to live in strict conformity to the
principles of physical and moral law. The path of obedience is the only
path that leads to heaven. Alcohol and tobacco inebriates would, at
times, give any amount of money if they could by so doing overcome
their appetite for these body-and-soul-destroying indulgences. And
they who will not subject the appetites and passions to the control
of reason will indulge them at the expense of physical and moral
obligations.
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