The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-11
Subject: Does Religion Increase
the Days of Ones Life"
The Erroneous Idea That Religion
is Only Associated With Death.
It is a Chariot For the Living, Not
a Hearse For the Dead.
Religion. 80 Far From subtraoting From
Ones Vitality, Is q Glorious Addi-
tion-It is sanative, Curative
and Hygionlc.


TO the diet Of Daniel and his abstemous
habits, the Rev, 7. Dewitt Talmage, DID,,
gave out the hymn beginning
"Glory to God Oh high,
Let heaven aud earth ppyn
lie announced as the subject of his ser
mon: Does Religion Prolong Liie?" and
preached from the text found in Psalm
lxxxxi, 10: with long life will satisfy
him." Following is the discourse in full
Through the mistake Of its friends re-
ligion has been chiefly associated with sick
beds and graveyards. The whole subject
to many people is odorous with chlorine
and carbolic acid There are people who
cannot pronounce the word religion with
out hearing in il the Clipping chsel of the
tombstone cutter II Is high time that
this thing were changed, and that religion,
instead OF being represented as hearse
To carry out the dead, should be repre-
scnted rs chariot in which the living are
10 triumph.
Religion, so far from subtractng from
ones vitality, is glorious addition. II is
sanatiye, curative, hypienic. II IL good
for the eyes, good for the ears, good for
the spleen, good for the digestion, good
for the nerves, good for tho muscles
When David, in another part of the
Psalms, prays that religion may DO domi.
nant he does not speak 81 IL ~ n mild
sickness, or an emaciation, or an attack OF
moral and spiritual cramp; he speaks Of il
~ ''the saving health Of all nations"
while God, in the text promises longevity
10 the pious, saying: "With long life will
! satisfy him"
The fact is that men and women die too
soon. IL is high time that religion Joined
the hand OF medical science in attempting
20 improve human longevity. Adam lived
$50 year. Mcihusclah lived OGD years.
AS late In the history OF the world IA YES.
pasian, there We're nj one time in his en-
pirc iorty.iy people l3j years old. So far
down ns the siNtecnth century, Peter Zar.
tan died nj lS5 years ~ agc. do not say
that religion will ever ilke the race back
TO nntcdiluyian longcv but do say the
length Of human life VII be greatly inn
proved.
II Is said In Isaiah: "The child shall dio
100 years old" Now, II according 10 Scrip.
turc the child il TO b. 100 years old, may
not the men aud women reach 10 300 and
100 and 500? The fact is that We arr mere
dwaris and skeletons compared with somo
OF the generations that are 10 come. Take
the African race. They have been under
bondage for centuries. Give them chance
aud they develop Frederick Douglass or
q Tousslint LOuyorturc. And II the
white race shall bo brought from under the
scridom oi sin, what shall fe the boly2
what shall be- the soul3 Religion las only
Just touched our world. Give IL full pow.
~ Tor few centuries aud who can tell
what will be- the strength u man and the
beauty Of woman, and the longevity Of alp
My design Is 10 show that practical ~.
ligion Is the friend 81 long life. prove II
iint, from the fact that ID makes the care
oi our health n positive Christian duty.
Whether We shall keep early " late hours
whether We shall take food dig,stiblc or
indgcstiblc, whether them shall be
thorough Of incomplcie mastication. are
questions very often deferred 10 the realm
Of whimsicality; but The Christian man
lifts this whole problem u health into the
accountable aud the liyinc. lie says
"Gol has given me thi body, and lie has
called II the temple oi lhc Holy Ghost,
and Ia deiace H. affairs 0r mar ~ walls or
crumblo Us pillars Is UJd.dciying sacri-
lcgc."
lie secs Coils calig1phy In every page
Anatomical and ply iuIugical. lie SAYS
God has given me wonderful body Tor
noble purposcs.'
That arm with thirty two curious bones
| welded by i1Hy-six curious muscles, and
all under the brains biography; $50
pounds Of blood rushing through the
heart every hour, the heart In twcniy-iouf
houn beating 100000 Zines, during the
| twcnty.i0ur hours overcoming resistance
amounting 30 22i, OCpuO pounds OF
weight. during tho SAM tIms tho lung.
taking la fiity seven hlH.hcads Of air and
/ all this mechanism not more mighty than
delicate and easily Disturbed and dcmol.
ishcd.
The Christian man rlg 10 himscli "Ii l
| hurt my nerves, II I hIH my bmin, II |
/ hurt any NJ my physifI. faculties / insult
God aud call for dire viribuiion." Why
did God tell tho Leyla not b. offer 10
| Him In sacrifice animals imperfect and
/ dscascd2 lie meant iU tell ~ In all the
| ngus that We nre to of, m God our very
best physical condition and n man who
through irregular or gIuii0n0us eating
ruins his health IL nj offering 30 God
such sacrifice. WIZ nd Paul write for
bis cloak nj Troas2 My should such a
great man ~ Paul b. anxious about q
thing ~ Insignificant o. nn oycrc0aR II
was because he knew That with pneumonia
and rheumatism ho would not be worth
half NJ much 10 God and the church as
with respiration easy md loot free.
An intelligent Chrhinn man would con.
slider u an absurdity IN kneel down at
night and pray Gods protection, while at
the same time he kept ilie Windows Of hts
bedroom tight shut a,rnsi fresh air. lie
would Just a. soon think Of going out on
the bridge between NV York and Brook
Ign, lcaping of and iLln praying God 10
keep him from getting burt. Just ~ long
~ YOU defer this whole subject Of physical
health " the realm OF phimsicality or 10
the paslry-cook OF 10 Tic butcher OF 90 the
baker or 10 the apothccafy or 10 the cloth
Ter, you are not actin .iko a Christian.
Take care Of all your phys.cil iorccs-nery'
Gus, muscular, bone, brain, cellular tissue
for all you must b. brought TO iudg
ment.
Smoking your nervtns system into nd
gets, burning out the coating OF your stoml'
ach with VINE logwoodcd and sirychnincdl
walking with thin sho,. 10 make your ioel
look DELEGATE, punched u Ihg waist unu