Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1888-12-07
AN OBNOXIOUS DIET.
DIR. TALMAGE ON MANS DEPART,
MENT OF THE INTERIOR.

The Heart AMI the Liver Are Only a Few
Inches Apart. and What Affects One Ar.
fects the Other-some Dieting Parallels
A Discourse Delivered in the BROOKLYN
tabernacle.
lert-'And these are they which We shall
nave in denomination among tho fowls the owl
une yniture and the bat. These also shall be
uhclean to you among the creeping things that
creep upon the earth: tho chameleon and the
snail. Levitt. ri, ID, 10.
The Bible offers every possible variety
OF theme, OF argument, and of illustra-
ton. We care not much in what kind of
q pitcher the water of life is brought, if
1t is only the clear, pure water. God
gave the ancients list of the animals
that they might eat, and list of the
animals they might not eat. These peo-
pie lived in hot climate, and certain
forms of animal food corrupted their
blood, and disposed them to scrofulous
disorders: depraved their appetites, and
bemeaned their souls. A mans food,
when he has the means and opportunity
togftselecting it, suggests his moral nature.
Tie reason the wild Indian is as cruel as
the lion is because he has food that
gives him the blood of the lion. A Mis-
sionary among the Indians saws that by
changing his style of food to correspond
With theirs, his temperament was entirely
changed. There are certain forms Of
food that have tendency to affect the
moral nature. Many Christian is try
ing to do by prayer that which cannot
be done except through corrected diet.
For instance, he who uses swine's flesh
for constant diet will be diseased in
body and polluted in soul-all his litur-
gles and catechisms notwithstanding.
The Gadarene swine were possessed Of
the devil, and ran down steep place
into the sea, and all the swine ever since
seem to have been similarly possessed.
In Levi,icus God struck this meat off
the table of His people, and placed be-
fore them bill of fare ut once health
full, nutritious, and generous.
But, higher than this physical reason,
there was q spiritual reason why God
chose cettain forms of food for the an
clients. God gave a peculiar diet to His
people, not only because He wanted
them to be distinguished from the. sur
rounding nations, but because certain
birds and animals, by reason of their
habits, hive always been suggestive of
moral qualities. By the list of things
from which they were to abstain, God
wished to prejudice their minds against
certain evils; and in the list of lawful
things given He wished to suggest GER
tein forms of good. When God solemnly
forbade his people to eat the owl, the
vulture, the bat, the chameleon, and the
snail. He meant to drive out of His peo-
pie all the sins that We're thus emblem
lied.
BALEFTL EFFECTS OF owL1sHNEss
AMONG MEN.
l take the suggestion of the text, and
say that one of the first unclean things
the Christian needs to drive out of his
soul is the owl. The owl is the melan-
choly bird of night. 1t matches out
whole proods of superstitions. 1t is
doleful and hideous. When it sings it
sings through its nose. 1t loves the
ness of the day. Who has not slept in
the cabin near the woods, and been
awakened in the night by the dismal
"too-hoo" of the owl? Melancholy is
the owl that is perched in many Chris
tian soul. 1t is al unclean bird, and
needs to be driven away. A man whose
sins are pardoned and who is on the
road to Heaven, has no right to be
gloomy. He says: Il have SO many
doubts That is because you are lazy"
Go actively TO work in Christ's cause
and your doubts will vanish. You say:
II have lost my property" but reply.
you have infinite treasures laid up in
Heaven You say: Il am weak and
sickly and going to die" Then be con-
graduated that you are SO near eternal
health and perpetual gladness. Catch
few morning larks for your soul and
stone this owl off your premises.
CHEERFULNEss AS A PANACEA FOR ALL
EVIL.
AS little girl was eating. the sun
dashed upon her spoon. and she cried,
20, mamma, have swallowed spoon
full of sunshine?" Would God that We
might all indulge in the same beverage!
Cheerfulness-it makes the homeliest
handsome; it makes the hardest mattress
soft; it runs the loom that weaves but
tercups, and rainbows, and auroras. God
made the grass black? No, that would
be to somber. God made the grass red?
No, that would be to gaudy. God made
the grass green. that by this parable all
the world might be led to subdue cheer
fulness. Read your Bible in the sun
shine. Remember that your physical
health is closely allied to your spiritual.
The heart and the liver ore only Few
inches apart, and what affects one az
fects the other. A historian records
that by the sound of great laughter in
Rome, Hannibals assaulting army was
frightened away in retreat. And there
is in the great outbursting Joy of q
Christian soul that which can drive back
any internal besiegement. Rats love
dark closets, and Satan loves to burrow
in gloomy soul. Rejoice in the Lord,
Dye righteous! and again I say rejoice!"
Hoist the window Of your soul in this,
the IL o'clock of your spiritual night.
Put the gun to your shoulder and aim at
the black jungle from which the boot
ing comes; pull the trigger and drop
that croaking. loathsome, hideous owl
of religious melancholy into the bushes.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT Go.-
Again: taking the suggestion of t'''
text, drive out the vulture from ys,.r
soul. God would not allow the Jews 70
eat it. 1t lives on carcasses; it fat: .ns
among the dead: with lcaden wing it
circles about battletields. Wilson, the
American ornithologist, counted 237
vultures around one carcass. If CROSS
ing the desert when there is no sign of
wing i'll the air, camel perish out of
the caravan. Immediately the air begins
to darken with vultures. There are
many protested Christians who have u
vulture in their souls. They prey upon
the character and feelings of others. A
doubtful reputation is banquet for