LESSON 21:
More on Simple Remedies
1: Education in health principles was never more needed than now. Notwithstanding the wonderful progress in so many lines relating to the comforts and conveniences of life, even to sanitary matters and to the treatment of disease, the decline in physical vigor and power of endurance is alarming. It demands the attention of all who have at heart the well-being of their fellow men.
2: Our artificial civilization is encouraging evils destructive of sound principles. Custom and fashion are at war with nature. The practices they enjoin, and the indulgences they foster, are steadily lessening both physical and mental strength, and bringing upon the race an intolerable burden. Intemperance and crime, disease and wretchedness, are everywhere.
3: Many transgress the laws of health through ignorance, and they need instruction. But the greater number know better than they do. They need to be impressed with the importance of making their knowledge a guide of life.
4: A practice that is laying the foundation of a vast amount of disease and of even more serious evils, is the free use of poisonous drugs. When attacked by disease, many will not take the trouble to search out the cause of their illness. Their chief anxiety is to rid themselves of pain and inconvenience. So they resort to patent nostrums, of whose real properties and chemical composition they know little, or they apply to a physician for some remedy to counteract the result of their misdoing, but with no thought of making a change in their unhealthful habits. If immediate benefit is not realized, another medicine is tried, and then another. Thus the evil continues.
5: People need to be taught that drugs do not cure disease. It is true that they sometimes afford present relief, and the patient appears to recover as the result of their use; this is because nature has sufficient vital force to expel the poison and to correct the conditions that caused the disease. Health is recovered in spite of the drug. But in most cases the drug only changes the form and location of the disease. Often the effect of the poison seems to be overcome for a time, but the results remain in the system, and work great harm at some later period.
6: By the use of poisonous drugs, many bring upon themselves lifelong illness, and many lives are lost that might be saved by the use of natural methods of healing. The poisons contained in many so-called remedies create habits and appetites that mean ruin to both soul and body. Many of the popular nostrums called patent medicines, and even some of the drugs dispensed by physicians, act a part in laying the foundation of the liquor habit, the opium habit, the morphine habit, that are so terrible a curse to society.
7: The only hope of better things is in the education of the people in right principles. Let the people he taught that restorative power is not in drugs, but in nature. Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health. In case of sickness, the cause should be ascertained. Unhealthful conditions should be changed, wrong habits corrected. Then nature is to be assisted in her effort to expel impurities and to reestablish right conditions in the system.
8: Pure air, sunlight, abstemiousness, rest, exercise, proper diet, the use of water, trust in divine power, these are the true remedies. Every person should have a knowledge of nature's remedial agencies and how to apply them. It is essential both to understand the principles involved in the treatment of the sick and to have a practical training that will enable one rightly to use this knowledge.
9: The use of natural remedies requires an amount of care and effort that many are not willing to give. Nature's process of healing and upbuilding is gradual, and to the impatient it seems slow. The surrender of hurtful indulgences requires sacrifice. But in the end it will be found that nature, untrammeled, does her work wisely and well. Those who persevere in obedience to her laws will reap the reward in health of body and health of mind.
10: Too little attention is generally give to the preservation of health. It is far better to prevent disease than to know how to treat it when contracted.
11: It is the duty of every person, for his own sake, and for the sake of humanity, to inform himself in regard to the laws of life, and conscientiously to obey them. All need to become acquainted with that most wonderful of all organisms, the human body. They should understand the functions of the various organs and the dependence of one upon another for the healthy action of all. They should study the influence of the mind upon the body, and of the body upon the mind, and the laws by which they are governed.
12: We cannot be too often reminded that health does not depend on chance. It is a result of obedience to law. This is recognized by the contestants in athletic games and trials of strength. These men make the most careful preparation. They submit to thorough training and strict discipline. Every physical habit is carefully regulated. They know that neglect, excess, or carelessness, which weakens or cripples any organ or function of the body, would insure defeat.
13: How much more important is such carefulness to insure success in the conflict of life. It is not mimic battles in which we are engaged. We are waging a warfare upon which hang eternal results. We have unseen enemies to meet. Evil angels are striving for the dominion of every human being. Whatever injures the health, not only lessens physical vigor, but tends to weaken the mental and moral powers. Indulgence in any unhealthful practice makes it more difficult for one to discriminate between right and wrong, and hence more difficult to resist evil. It increases the danger of failure and defeat.
15: The foundation of all enduring reform is the Law of God. We are to present in clear, distinct lines the need of obeying this law. Its principles are as everlasting and unchangeable as God Himself.
17: The body is the only medium through which the mind and the soul are developed for the upbuilding of character. Hence it is that the adversary of souls directs his temptations to the enfeebling and degrading of the physical powers. His success here means the surrender to evil of the whole being. The tendencies of our physical nature, unless under the dominion of a higher power, will surely work ruin and death.
18: The body is to be brought into subjection. The higher powers of the being are to rule. The passions are to be controlled by the will, which is itself to be under the control of God. The kingly power of reason, sanctified by divine grace, is to bear sway in our lives.
19: We need to be awakened to the duty of self-mastery, the need of purity, freedom from every depraving appetite and defiling habit. We need to be impressed with the fact that all our powers of mind and body are the gift of God, and are to be preserved in the best possible condition for His service.
20: Apart from divine power, no genuine reform can be effected. Human barriers against natural and cultivated tendencies are but as the sand-bank against the torrent. Not until the life of Christ becomes a vitalizing power in our lives, can we resist the temptations that assail us from within and from without. The above information was taken from the book. 'Ministry of Healing, pages 125:130.
21: We have already learned in our previous study that Saturday, the Seventh day, is God's Sabbath. Then why do some people observe Sunday instead? Does the Bible approve the observance of Sunday? Some people say, it is not a big matter which day you keep so long as you do keep one day in a week. But the principle of obedience to God is involved in a life and death question.
22: We read, "In vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men. This people honoreth me with their lips but their heart is far from me. Mark 7:7, 8, 6. God will not accept and substitute. Breaking any one of His commandments is sin and the wages of sin is eternal death.
23: There are eight references to Sunday in the Bible. Let us see them one by one to know the purpose of the reference. Actually, the word Sunday is not found in the Bible, but the term, "First day of the week" is found eight times. We shall now read these references.
24: The first text is Matt 28:1. "In the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher." We have already understood that this first day is Sunday, the day Jesus rose from the grave. The record was given by Matthew about 30 years after the ascension of Christ and he still says, "the first day" and not the Sabbath.
25: Our second text is found in Mark 16:1. "And when the Sabbath was past Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and Salome, had brought sweet spices that they might come and anoint Him. And very early in the morning the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun." Here again it is speaking of the same event as in Matt. 28:1. They visited the sepulcher and found it empty for Jesus had risen very early. This record also was given about 35 years after Christ by Mark, but he does not call it the Sabbath.
26: The third text is found in the 9th verse of the same chapter of Mark. "Now, when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils." It does not say it was the Sabbath.
27: As Jesus ended His work of creation on the 6th day or Friday, and rested on the Sabbath day or Saturday, likewise He ended on the 6th day His work of redemption and rested in the tomb on Saturday. And early in the morning He rose from the grave and still calls it the first day of the week.
28: Luke 24:1 is our fourth Sunday text. Let us see if anything is said here about keeping Sunday holy. "Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning they came unto the sepulcher bringing the spices which they had prepared and certain others with them." This too is speaking of the same event and does not sanction Sunday sacredness. Luke wrote this about 32 years after Christ and still calls the Sabbath, Sabbath and the first day, the first day.
29: The fifth Sunday text is found in John 20:1. John wrote this gospel about 70 years after the ascension of Christ. In case he would have been worshiping on Sunday or if he would have understood its sacredness, he wouldn't have called it the first day. Rather he would have called it the Sabbath.
30: We read, "The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark unto the sepulcher and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulcher." Here again John simply gives a historical reference about Sunday, the first day of the week.
31: Verse 19 of the same book, and the same chapter is our sixth text Let us read, "Then the same day at the evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst and saith unto them, Peace be unto you." Here the disciples were assembled not for worship, but for fear of the Jews. What is more, this was after the Sunday sunset which was actually the beginning of Monday, because according to the Bible, the day changes at sunset. Mark 1:32.
32: The seventh Sunday text we find in Acts 20:7. "And upon the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight." This speaks of a special meeting held by Paul at Troas, and was a night meeting as we find in verse eight. "And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together." This meeting was on what we call Saturday night, Paul walked 9 miles to Assos the next day, Sunday.
33: Our eighth text is 1 Cor. 16:1, 2 "Now concerning the collection for the Saints as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you lay by him in store as God hath prospered them, that there be no gathering when: l. come." This refers to a collection for the poor saints, and was to be laid by in store at home, and had no reference to any public meeting.
34: Friends, no Bible text attributes holiness or sacredness to any day except the Seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord.
35: No man-made way will ever take us to heaven. Jesus is the only way to heaven. He says, "No man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." If we accept this Way, we shall one day be privileged to go to Heaven. God help us so that we will not look for any excuse but accept the plain, "Thus saith the Lord." There is our eternal safety.
