p. 621 | Health and Temperance by A. Sims

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 15, 1885

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 11, No. 39.

Health and Temperance.

By A. Sims

Dishonoring God by Tobacco Using.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 Cor. 10:31.

It is very evident that God has created man for a great and noble end,—the glory of Himself. Man is expected and commanded to make everything he does subserve to this end; and what cannot conduce to this purpose must not be done. He must not eat, nor drink, nor do anything, that will not be for the glory of God; in short, it must be the one ruling motive of his life to please his Lord. How clearly and strongly is the common use of the weed condemned by this rule! Is a drug so deleterious in its effects upon the human frame, so injurious to man's soul, and the coadjutor of drunkenness, conducive to the glory of God, as it is commonly taken? Who will dare to say that the puffing and blowing, the spitting and chewing of tobacco users, together with the time lost, money squandered, health injured, and bad example set, is for the glory of God? What tobacco devotee who loves the Lord, would like, before lighting his pipe, or cigar, to get down on his knees and beseech Heaven to bless the weed to the good of his body and the glory of his God? Would he like to say, Lord, let the consumption of this tobacco into smoke, or a piece of useless filthy quid, be acceptable unto thee, and nourish my body? I trow there are but few even of the most confirmed tobacco consumers who would feel like doing such a preposterous and wicked thing. Yet no man is at liberty to consume anything upon which he cannot ask God's blessing, and which he knows will not be for his glory. It is utter folly to argue that because there is no passage in the Bible that says, "Thou shalt not use tobacco," therefore it is quite lawful to use it. The Bible is essentially a book of principles, and it is left to common sense and honesty to apply these principles. In the passage above we have a clear and safe guiding principle for every circumstance and condition of life. It is too plain to be misunderstood; it bears right on the subject in question, and, surely, if we wish to be led by Bible teaching at all, we will not in the very face of this principle (which is tantamount to a direct command) complain that the Scriptures say nothing against the use of tobacco.—Rev. A. Sims.