Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-02-17
THE HUMAN BODY.
BY Rev. J. T. N. Johnston

thoughts, and good thoughts as well as
bad ones have physical basis. Hence
my subpect, the human body. Back
Of all vice is physical basis, behind
all virtue is physical basis. All
character has a bodily basis, hence
Scripture puts emphasis on giving to
the human body.
When Christ was on earth he gave
much attention to the body. He was
constantly opening blind eyes, straight
ening crooked limbs, unstopping deaf
ears and removing leprosy spots.
When those eyes of our Savior caught
sight of a diseased or defOrmed body
his first thought was to make it whole.
Sin. either by heredity or by actual
commission, he well know caused all
defOrmities in body and he came to
combat sim We should be glad that
we live in an age when church is be-
ginning to realize that the gospel is to
make men happy and useful in this
world.
There was a period even in the
Christian church when the body was
held in contempt, a time when it was
supposed that there was an antipathy,
an enmity, between the body and the
spirit.
This early depreciation Of the body
arose from misunderstanding of the
word flesh; like the pagans around
them Christians began to think Of
the body as sinful in itself, and the
cause and occasion Of all sin. An en-
lightened philosophy and pure Chris
tianity regard the body Of man as the
masterpiece Of Gods creative power,
as far above the body Of the brute as
human speech is above the grunt, or
reason above instinct 1t requires more
skill to construct a mans body than
planet. To the eye of It's Maker the
body Of man is more beautiful and
resplendent than any star in the firma-
ment
When our Lord dignified human ma
ture by assuming mans body, he glo-
rified 1t. "Know We not that your
body Is the temple of the Holy Ghost?
Therefore, glorify God in your body"
In every age men have lavished treas
ure, time and toll upon temples, upon
buildings where they supposed God
dwelt, but, says the apostle, it is far
nobler ambition and a more acceptable
service to perfect the human body,
Gods living, breathing, throbbing,
thinking, conscious temple.
The Greeks developed the intellect
and the body. Their civilization failed
because they ignored the spiritual. But
the Christian should develop the entire
man. body, mind, and spirit Man
should glorify God with his body as
truly as his spirit, for they are both
Gods, "Glorify God In your body,
which is his" Are we doing this?
Are we keeping our bodies clean
with water and sweet with purity?
These hearts, hands, feet eyes, ears
and tongues Of ours are put parts Of
our bodies, which should be used only
In acts, deeds and words that will gloi-
rify God.
The tongue is one of the most unruly
parts Of our bodies, and perhaps 1t is
harder to glorify God at all times with
1t than with any other member. If
there had been stenographer for
every one of us for the last month and
he had taken down every word that
escaped our lips, all that we have said,
either In earnest, jest, joke, insinuation
or. oath, and it should be read out here
tonight before this congregation,
would not some things be heard which
would not make your Savior and mine
appear glorious?
Again, there are other sins which so
degrade and defile the body as to make
1t theme too painful for children Of
God, Of refinement and culture and del
icate sensibilities to dwell upon. To
speak on this theme from the pulpit
surely requires the most infinite rev.
erence. l have always hesitated here
lest my rebukes should be like the lights
of ancient Pharos, which at times oc-
| cuSlOleu Ille lOSS VI lue very SIlDS
they were meant to save. But, friends,
young and old, 1 would persuade you
with tears in soul, If not In eyes, that
there is no enemy so dangerous, de-
grading and destructive to the human
body as the sin Of unchastity.
If you will not be wooed by persua-
sive appeals, 1 beseech you in the
name of Jesus, who died for your
body as we'll as your soul, to be arous-
ed by those awful words Of inspira-
ton, Him that defileth the body God
will destroy"
Remember that the vicious and vir-
tuous life has physical basis; that
little by little you are establishing In
your bodies trunk lines of virtue or