Talk About Health by Jos. Clarke

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Oct 2, 1866

Talk About Health.

By Jos. Clarke

It is one of the beauties of God's works, that all his arrangements are well-timed. Thus, at every breath, as the lungs inhale the pure air from the atmosphere, the blood, which has become impure in its quality, having given off, in its travels over the animal system, its life-restoring elements, meets this pure air in the lungs, and appropriates to itself all that is good; and as the lungs throw off the air now worthless, the blood thus casts off its corrupt elements, and starts, refreshed and purified, on its mission of life. Every pulsation of the heart sends this vitiated blood into the lungs, nearly corresponding with the regular supplies of air inhaled from without.

We say that the work of God is all perfect. How all nature attests to this! And if man's physical system is so admirable in its working now that his existence is reduced to so short a period, and this embittered by disorder and pain, how noble, how admirable must he have been, when first from the hand of his Maker! As Adam inhaled the pure air of Eden, how he must have rejoiced in his perfection of health and strength!

We are told that the movement now being made in the direction of reform in diet, and all those matters relating to health, is a part of present truth; and as such it is gladly received. But as a matter of present utility it is exceedingly well-timed. At the present time fatal diseases are raging around us, and those who live out the principles of the health reform are exempt. They have health, while disease and death are dismaying the stoutest hearts around us. At this sickly season of the year, when agues and fevers rage, and a new and malignant form of flux is baffling medical skill, and carrying scores to the grave, the ranks of the health reformers are unbroken here. Not a case has happened among us, to my knowledge, of this disease, except one instance of one who varied from the rule, and this was a mild attack.

When the Lord warned Lot, the notice was timely. When he would have the children of Israel prepare to leave Egypt, he gave them timely notice, so that they might be prepared; and we notice in present truth a divine hand leading God's people, step by step, preparing them for the stirring scenes before them.

How it cheered us, some years since, to hear the ministers speak upon the plan of organization! Our souls were strengthened in staying up their hands in this matter. That has passed; and what a well-timed move was that, which placed us as a people in our true light before the world, as we passed, or met, the exigencies of the late war.

Now the health reform is doing much for us. And, if in so short a time it accomplishes so much for us, what will it effect in a few years, when impurities shall be still further expelled from the physical system, and the whole brain and nervous system be as it were renewed, and free from the effect of unwholesome food. And this, not one or two are accomplishing, but a whole people. Truly we have reason to praise the Lord.

JOS. CLARKE.