The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1900-02-21

CO HIS sermon of Dr. Talmage pre-
sents a gospel for this life as we'll
- as the next and shows what religion
does for the prolongation Of earthly ex-
istence: text, Psalm Xci., 16, with long
life will satisfy him."
Through the mistake Of it's friends re-
ligion has been chiefly associated with
sickbeds and graveyards. The whole SUD
ject to many people is odOrous with chlo-
rine and carbolic acid. There are people
who cannot pronounce the word relgion
without hearing in it the clipping chlsel
of the tombstone cutter 1t is hlgn tlme
that this thing were changed and that re-
ligion instead of being represented as
hearse TO carry out the dead should be
represented as a chariot in which the liv-
ing are to triumph.
Religion. SO far from subtracting from
ones vitality, is a glorious addition. 1t
is sanitive, curative, hygienic. 1t is good
for the eyes, good for the ears, good for
the Spleen good for the digestion, good
for the nerves, good for the muscles.
When David, in another part Of the
Psalms prays that religion may be domi-
nant, he does not speak Of it as a mild
sickness or an emaciation or an attack
Of moral and spiritual cramp. He speaks
OF it as 1.-The saving health of all nations"
while God in the text promises longevity
to the pious, saying, with long life will
l satisfy him."
The fact is that men and women die
too soon. 1t is high time that religion
joined the hand of medical science in at
tempting to improve human longevity.
Adam lived $50 years. Methuselah lived,
96a years. AS late in the history of the
world as Vespasian there were at one
time in his empire forty five people 135
years cid. So far down as the sixteenth
century Peter Tartan died at 1S3 years
of age. | do not say that religion viii
ever take the race back to antedlluvian
longevity, but l do say that the length of
human life will be greatly improved.
1t is said in Isaiah XIV, 20, The child
snail die hundred years Old Now, il,
according to Scripture, the child is to be
a hundred years old, may not the men
and women reach to 300 and 400 and
500? 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 centuries. Give them a
chance and they develop Toussairt
rOuverture. And If the white race shall
be brought out from under the serfdom
OF sin what shall be the body? What
shall be the soul? Religion has only just
touched our world. Give it full power
for few centuries, and who can tell
what will be the strength of man and the
beauty of woman and the longevity Of
all?
Religion aud Longevity.
My design is to show that practical re-
ligion is the friend of longevity; | prove
it, first. from the fact that it makes the
care Of our health q positive Christian
duty. Whether we shall keep early or
late hours, whether we shall take food
digestible or indigestible, whether there
shall be thorough or incomplete mastica-
ton, are questions very often referred to
the realm of whimsicality, but the Chris
tan man lifts this whole problem OF
health into the accountable and the vine.
He says, "God has given me this body,
and he has called it the temple of the
Holy Ghost, and to Geface its affairs or
mar it's walls Or crumble its pillars is a
God defying sacrilege." He sees Gods
caligraphy in every page-anatomical and
physiological. He says, GOD has given
me a wonderful body for noble purposes"
That arm with thirty-two curious bones
welded by forty-siX curious muscles, and
all under the brains telegraphy-35O
pounds Of blood rushing through the heart
every hour-the heart in twenty-four
hours beating 100000 times, during the
same time the lungs taking in ffty-seven
hogsheads of air, and all this mechanism
not more mighty than delicate and easily
disturbed and demolished
The Christian man says to himself, IF
/ hurt my nerves, if | hurt my brain, il
| hurt any of my physical faculties, l in
suit God and call for dire retributon."
Why did God tell the Levites not to offer
to him in sacrifice animals imperfect and
diseased? He meant to tell us in all the
ages that we are to offer to God our very
best physical condition. and man who
through irregular or gluttonous eating
ruins his health, is not offering to God
such a sacrifice. Why did Paul write
for his cloak at Troas? Why should
such a great man as Paul be anxious
about thing SO insignificant as an over
coat? 1t was because he knew that with
pneumonia and rheumatism he would not
be worth half as much to God and the
church as with respiration easy and foot
free.
Prayer and Fresh Air.
An intelligent Christian man would CON
slider it an absurdity to kneel down at
night and pray and ask Gods protection
while at the same time he kept the win
dows of his bedroom tight shut against
fresh air. He would just as soon think
of going to the top Of his house and leap
ing off and then praying to God to keep
him from getting hurt. Just as long as
you refer this whole subject of physical
health to the realm of whimsicality, or
to the pastry cook, or to the butcher, or
to the baker, or to the apothecary, or to
the clothier you are not acting like a
Christian. Take care Of ali your physical
forces-nervous, muscular, bone, brain,
cellular tissue-for all you must be
brought to judgment.
Smoking your nervous system into fidg-
cts. burning out the coating of your stom-
ach with wine logwoo1ed and strychnin-
ed. walking with thin shoes to make your
feet look delicate, pinched at the waist
until you are nigh cut in two, and neither
part worth anything, groaning about sick
headache and palpitation of the heart,
h aIh l. Il 4