584
      
      
         Counsels on Health
      
      
        to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
      
      
        Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written, The
      
      
        people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play. Neither let us
      
      
        commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day
      
      
        three and twenty thousand.... Now all these things happened unto them
      
      
        for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom
      
      
        the ends of the world are come. Wherefore let him that thinketh he
      
      
        standeth take heed lest he fall.”
      
      
         1 Corinthians 10:5-12
      
      
        .
      
      
        Patterns of Piety
      
      
        Seventh-day Adventists, above all other people in the world, should
      
      
        be patterns of piety, holy in heart and in conversation.... Should they
      
      
        who make so high a profession indulge in sin and iniquity, their guilt
      
      
        would be very great.... Those who do not control their base passions
      
      
        cannot appreciate the atonement or place a right value upon the soul.
      
      
        Salvation is not experienced or understood by them. The gratification
      
      
        of animal passion is the highest ambition of their lives. God will accept
      
      
        nothing but purity and holiness; one spot, one wrinkle, one defect in
      
      
        the character, will forever debar them from heaven, with all its glories
      
      
        and treasures.
      
      
        Ample provisions have been made for all who sincerely, earnestly,
      
      
        and thoughtfully set about the work of perfecting holiness in the fear
      
      
        of God. Strength, grace, and glory have been provided through Christ,
      
      
        to be brought by ministering angels to the heirs of salvation. None are
      
      
        so low, so corrupt and vile, that they cannot find in Jesus, who died for
      
      
         [569]
      
      
        them, strength, purity, and righteousness, if they will put away their
      
      
        sins, cease their course of iniquity, and turn with full purpose of heart
      
      
        to the living God....
      
      
        I was referred to this scripture: “Let not sin therefore reign in your
      
      
        mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield
      
      
        ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield
      
      
        yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your
      
      
        members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”
      
      
         Romans 6:12, 13
      
      
        .
      
      
        Professed Christians, if no further light is given you than that contained
      
      
        in this text, you will be without excuse if you suffer yourselves to be
      
      
        controlled by base passions....