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Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene
To become intelligent upon the subject of hygiene is the duty of
every family professing to believe present truth.
Appetite and passion are overcoming thousands of Christ’s pro-
fessed followers. Through familiarity with sin, their senses become so
blunted that evil seems attractive to them, rather than abhorrent. The
end of all things is at hand. God will not much longer bear with the
crimes and debasing iniquity of the children of men. Their sins have
reached unto heaven, and will soon be answered by the fearful plagues
of God upon the earth. They will drink the cup of his wrath, unmixed
with mercy.
Church Trials—The abuses of the stomach by the gratification
of appetite are a fruitful source of most church trials. Those who eat
and work intemperately and irrationally, talk and act irrationally. It
is not necessary to drink alcoholic liquors in order to be intemperate.
The sin of intemperate eating—eating too frequently, too much, and
of rich, unwholesome food—destroys the healthy action of the diges-
tive organs, affects the brain, and perverts the judgment, preventing
rational, calm, healthy thinking and acting. In order for the people
of God to be in an acceptable state with him, where they can glorify
him in their bodies and spirits, which are his, they must with interest
and zeal deny the gratification of appetite, and exercise temperance
in all things. Then they can comprehend the truth in its beauty and
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clearness, and carry it out in their lives, and by a judicious, straight-
forward course give the enemies of our faith no occasion to reproach
the cause of truth. God requires all who believe the truth to make
special, persevering efforts to place themselves in the best possible
condition of bodily health, for a solemn and important work is before
us. Health of mind and body is required in this work; it is as essential
to a healthy religious experience, to advancement in the Christian life,
to progress in holiness, as is the hand or foot to the human body. God
requires his people to cleanse themselves “from all filthiness of the
flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.” [
2 Corinthians
7:1
.] All who are indifferent, and excuse themselves from this work,
waiting for the Lord to do for them what he requires them to do for
themselves, will be found wanting when the meek of the earth, who
have wrought his judgments, are hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.
Cooking—For want of knowledge and skill in regard to cooking,
many a wife and mother daily sets before her family ill-prepared food,