the best culture we
can give to a mind locked in a feeble and tormented body. No proposition
is clearer then, than that we should nurture, cherish, and invigorate
our bodies with the most watchful care and rigid and healthful
discipline. It is wicked to neglect or abuse them. We violate the most
sacred principles of duty when we harm the dwelling-places of our souls.
To carelessly expose ourselves to any physical danger, to engage in any
species of dissipation or intemperance, to ruthlessly waste in any way
the physical energies which God has given us, to recklessly weaken,
sicken, mar, or injure our bodies is as much a sin as to violate the
commands of the Decalogue, or deny in practice the principles of the
moral law. God will not hold such an offender guiltless. The visitation
of His retribution is and will be upon such transgressors. It is our
duty to be healthy, to obey the physical laws of our being, to possess
sound and active bodies. Every pain, fever, sickness, is a retributive
evidence of a violation of these laws; and for every such violation we
not only suffer physical evil, but we suffer mentally, morally,
socially, and spiritually. We belittle ourselves in the sight of God and
men, bemean ourselves in the presence of the moral law, and stay more or
less our progress in the great educational work of life. If we would be
eminently pious, benevolent, and good, we must be healthy. If we would
be endowed with wisdom, virtue, and love, we must be healthy. If we
would win men's deepest confidence and God's highest approval, we must
be healthy. If we would develop most vigorously all our powers of mind
and heart, and give the richest possible culture to our souls, we must
be sound in body. If we would impart the greatest possible intellectual
and moral vigor to the generation to come, we must obey the laws of
health. If we would progress most rapidly in the divine life, and win
the brightest laurels for our spiritual brows, we must cultivate well
our physical powers. Life's attainments and heaven's joys are not a
little affected by our physical conditions. We are of those who believe
that we have no right to abuse our bodies, no right to be the puny,
feeble, sickly things the most of us are; no right to carry about
consuming disease and cankering maladies that eat out our joys and waste
our powers. We have no right to make our bodies pestiferous hospitals to
bear about the seeds of disease, weakness, and misery. Our