The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1921-04-09
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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON.
APRIL 10, 1921.
Topic: Bible Reading About
Health. / Corinthians 6:19.
20; I Corinthians 6;2i-27.
G. REV. j. j. DICKEY. {
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health?
Does the Bible teach that disease Is
curse sent upon men as punish
ment for their sins, or does 1t teach
that disease is the result of mans vio-
lation of the laws Of health?
Certainly God has stamped upon
mans nature certain laws Of health
which being violated brings disease,
and If obeyed produces health. We
are told by scientists that one-half OF
the deaths is the result of preventable
diseases. When disease has been in
Cured God often uses 1t to bring man
to seriously consider their relation to
God, and this often results in mans
reformation. Gods interest in the
health Of mankind was clearly shown
in the laws of Moses. That code has
much instruction on food and santa
ton. Temperance in eating and in
drinking and in exercise is one Of the
most effective means of promoting
health; and temperance Is every
where urged in the Bible. The appe-
titles of the body when too freely in
dulged inevitably produce evil results.
In the text of the lesson Paul says,
But | buffet my body, and bring it
into bondage. lest by any means after
that have preached to others I my
self should be rejected" Here the
idea is brought out that to lose con-
troll of the body imperils the soul. We
are taught in the Bible that our bodies
are temples of the Holy Ghost there
fore they should be kept pure.
We have no account of Christ ever
being sick The presumption is that
he was subject to the laws of health,
Jesus healed diseased bodies Just as
he healed diseased souls, but this does
not argue that he was the author of
disease any more than the author of
sin. In the third epistle of John he
wishes that "the we'll belived Gaius
might prosper and be In health, even
as his soul prospered."
The Bible is not a book on either
hygiene or sociology but from its
teachings we can easily gather that
christian people are obligated to
study and practice both. A clean heart
naturally inspired desire for clean
body, and the love of God leads one to
look on the condition of his neigh
Dor
The church is taking more interest
in the bodies of men today than for
merly. The relation of soul and body
is very intimate. The sayings of the
Latin poet, Horace-"A sound mind in
sound body"-has become a slogan
OF the church. The church now holds
itself responsible for ignorance of the
masses who suffer from their lack of
knowledge of the laws of health and
it is well that it so. In-.last Sundays
lesson we were exhorted Ito present
our bodies a living sacrifice holy,
acceptable to God" II they are holy
they must be free from pollution,
Drugs and narcotics that enervate the
body must be denied. The laws of eat
ing drinking must be observed, Clean
Illness practiced and no unholy act
performed by these consecrated tenn
pies of the Holy Ghost There is much
food for thought here, and we do well
to study the question assiduously. The
abuse of the body is undoubtedly
sin, and sin separates us from God.
Violent exercise is not healthful. The
all-night dance is sin against the
body, so is the violent practice of the
prize fight. Let us study Gods laws
both in the Bible and in his great book
of nature and conform our lives to the
teachings contained therein.