Chapter 39—Health
Adam and Eve in Eden were noble in stature, and perfect in sym-
metry and beauty. They were sinless, and in perfect health. What a
contrast to the human race now! Beauty is gone. Perfect health is not
known. Every where we look we see disease, deformity and imbecility.
I inquired the cause of this wonderful degeneracy, and was pointed
back to Eden. The beautiful Eve was beguiled by the serpent to eat of
the fruit of the only tree of which God had forbidden them to eat, or
even touch it lest they die.
Eve had everything to make her happy. She was surrounded by
fruit of every variety. Yet the fruit of the forbidden tree appeared more
desirable to her than the fruit of all the other trees in the garden of
which she could freely eat. She was intemperate in her desires. She
ate, and through her influence, her husband ate also, and a curse rested
upon them both. The earth also was cursed because of their sin. And
since the fall, intemperance in almost every form has existed. The
appetite has controlled reason. The human family have followed in a
course of disobedience, and, like Eve, have been beguiled by Satan: to
disregard the prohibitions God has made, flattering themselves that the
consequence would not be as fearful as had been apprehended. The
human family have violated the laws of health, and have run to excess
in almost everything. Disease has been steadily increasing. The cause
has been followed by the effect.
God gave our first parents the food he designed that the race should
eat. It was contrary to his plan to have the life of any creature taken.
There was to be no death in Eden. The fruit of the trees in the garden,
was the food man’s wants required. God gave man no permission to eat
animal food until after the flood. Every thing had been destroyed upon
[121]
which man could subsist, and therefore the Lord in their necessity gave
Noah permission to eat of the clean animals which he had taken with
him into the ark. But animal food was not the most healthy article of
food for man.
106