Health
109
until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the
wickedness of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken me.”
God would have his people clearly understand that they will be
visited according to their obedience or transgression. Wickedness and
disease have increased with every successive generation. The land has
labored under the curse which man has brought upon it because of
continued disobedience. “The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the
world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth
do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof;
because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, bro-
ken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the
[124]
earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate.” Many marvel that the
human race have so degenerated, physically, mentally, and morally.
They do not understand that it is the violation of God’s constitution
and laws, and the violation of the laws of health, that has produced
this sad degeneracy. The transgression of God’s commandments has
caused his prospering hand to be removed.
Intemperance in eating and in drinking, and the indulgence of base
passions have benumbed the fine sensibilities, so that sacred things
have been placed upon a level with common things. Nadab and Abihu
drank too freely of wine, and the result was, they used common fire
instead of sacred, and were destroyed for thus dishonoring God. When
appetite is left to control reason, sacred things are not discerned. God
expressly commanded the children of Israel not to eat swine’s flesh.
The heathen used this meat as an article of food. God prohibited the
Hebrews the use of swine’s flesh because it was hurtful. It would fill
the system with humors, and in that warm climate often produced
leprosy. Its influence upon the system in that climate was far more
injurious than in a colder climate. But God never designed the swine
to be eaten under any circumstances. Swine were useful. In a fruitful
country, where there was much to decay upon the ground, which would
poison the atmosphere, herds of swine were permitted to run free, and
devoured the decaying substances, which was a means of preserving
health. Other animals were forbidden to be eaten by the Israelites,
because they were not the best articles of food.
If the Israelites had manifested a spirit of submission to God’s wise
prohibitions, he would have removed from them everything injurious
to their health, and would have suffered no sickness to be among them.