Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-09-30
THE REV DR.. T. DE WITT TALMAGE'S
PRESCRIPTIONS FOR LONGEVITY.

HIS Text Was. NV 18th Long Life VIII
SntiSGs ':im'-IIcIp In Practical
RrIiEion--t Protest Against DIssi-
pRtions-ucStros rrs al Life.
lCopsuehi loui. sIop.ch. 1871
WAsHISGToS. SEPT. 2i.-ln this dis
course pr. Tamagv gives prescriptions
for the prolongation Of life and breaches
the gospel Of physical health. The text
is Psalms xci. Ii. with long life will
satisfy him
Through the mistake OF its friends re
lieion has been chiefly associated with
sick beds and graveyards. The whole
subject 10 many people is odorous with
chlorine and carholic acid There are
people who cannot pronounce the word
religion" without hearing in il the clip
ping chise Of the tombstone cutter. Ii
Is high time that this thing were changed
and that religion. instead OF being repre-
scented as n hcarse To carry out the dead.
should be represented as chariot in
which the living are to triumph.
Religion. so far from subtraciing from
ones vitality. is glorious addition. IL y
sentative. curative. hygienic. II is good
for the eyes. good for the ears. good for
the spleen. good for the digestion. COOL
for the nerves. good for the muscles
When DAVID in another part Of the psalm
prays that religion may be- dominant. he
does not speak Of il as n mild sickness Or
an emaciation or an attack of moral AMI
spiritual cramp. He speaks of il as ''tha
saving health Of all nations" while God
in the text promises longevity 10 the pi-
Gus. saying With long life will | satisfy
him." The fact is that men and women
die too soun. II is high time that religion
joined the hand Of medical science in at
tempting 10 improve human longevity.
Adam lived .Gin years: Mcthusclah lived
1868 years. A. late IN the history ~ the
world rs NcspaSian there were nj one
time in his empire - people 49, years
old. So far down aS the sixteenth cen
tvry Peter Tartan died AZ iSa years OF
age. do not say that religion will ever
take the race back TO antediluvian Ion
gevity. hut do say the length IF life will
be increased.
4 Hundred Years Old.
II is said in Isaiah. The child shall de
a hundred years old" Now. il. accord
Ing 10 Scripture. the child is 90 be n hun
drcd years old. may not the men aud We
men reach 10 300 and 400: The fact is
that we are mere dwarfs and skeletons
compared with some of the generations
that are To- come. Take the African race"
They have been under bondage FOR cen
turtles. Give them a chance. and they
de- ,.lop Frederick Douglass or a Tous-
saint L'OHverture. And. il the white
race shall BE- brought from under the
serfdom 81 sin. what shall be- the body.
what shall hc the soul: Religion has
only just touched our world. Give il full
power for few centuries. and who can
tell what will be the strength Of man and
the beauty of women and the longevity
OF all?
My design is Ia show that practical re-
ligion is the friend Of long life. | prove
il first from the fact that ii makes the
care OF our health 4 positive Christian
duty. Whether we shall keep early or
late honrs. whether we shall take food
digcstiblc or indiEcstible. whether there
shall be- thorough or incomplete masti
cation. are questions very often deferred
Ia the realm of whinsicaliiy. But the
Christian man lifts this whole problem
of health into the accountable and t.ic
divine. lie says. tod has given me
this body. aud he has called il the temple
Of the Holy Ghost. and 20 defacc its al
tars or mar its walls or crumblc its pill
lars is God drfying sacrilcge." He
sees Gods caligraphy in every page.
anatomical and physiological. lie says.
God has given mo wonderful body
foI noble purposes that arm with 81
curious wielled 10y 10 curious
muscles and all under the brains tcicg
raphy. 3.O pounds Of blood rushing
through the heart every hour the heart in
"a hours heating 100000 times. during
Tha 81 h..fsva tho lam snE in - hnue-
heads OF air. and all this mechanism not
more mighty than delicate and easily dis
turbed aud demolished. The Christian
man says Ia himself. IF | hurt my
nerves. il hurt my brain. il | hurt any
Of my physical faculties. insul, God
and call Tor dire rctribltion." Why did
God tell the I.cvtes not Ia offer Ia him
in sacrifice animals imperfect and dis
crsed; lie meant 10 tell us in all the
ages that we are u offer 10 God our very
hest physical condition. and n man who
through irregular or ClutionnuS eating
ruins his health il not Offering to God
such sacrifice. Why did Paul write for
hi. cloak NJ Troas: Why should such a
great man ms Paul hc anxious about
thing 50 insignificant as an ovcrconit II
was because be- knew that with pneu
monia and rheumatism hr would not hc
worth half rs much 10 God AMI the
church as with respiration easy and foot
free.
Care For Your Physical Forces.
An intelligent Christian man would
consider il an absurdity Ia kncel down AZ
night and pray and ask Gods protection
while NJ the same time he kept the win
dows Of his bedroom tight shut against
fresh air. He would just n soon think
Of going out on The bridge between New
York and Brooklyn. lcaping oil and then
praying to God 10 keep him from getting
hurt Just rs long nS y"u refer this whole
subject of physical health To- the realm 81
whimsicnliiy or 70 the pastry cook or to
the butcher or To- the baker ar To the
apotherary or To the clothier you are not
acting like n Christian. Take care Of all
your physical forces nervous muscular.
bone. brain. cellular tissue-for all you
must be- brought 60 Judgment. Smoking
your nervous system into iidgcts burning
out the coating 81 your stomach with
wine iogwoodcd aud strychnincd. walking
with thin shoes 10 make your feet look
delicate. pinched NJ the waist until you
are nigh cut in two and neither part
worth anything. grnaning about sick
headache and pnlpitation "f the heart.
which yOu th'nk came from TOD. when
they came from your own ally
What right has any man or woman a.
defacc the temple Of the Holy Ghost;
What is the ear? II is the whispering
gallery Of the soul. What is the eye? II
Is the observatory Gnd constructed. its
telescope sweeping the heavens. What
IL the hand. An instrument So wonderful
that. when the Earl of liridgcwator he
queathed in his will $1,000 for treatises
60 be- written on the wisdom. power and
goodness Of God. Sir Charles Bell. the
great English anatomist and surgeon.
found his greatest Illustration in the con
struction Of the human hand. devotine
his whole book 10 that subject. So won
derful are these bodies that God names
his own attributes after different parts