FREDERICK M. ROSSITER, M. D by Frederick M. Rossiter, M. D.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park, Washington, D. C. · Sep 25, 1913

FREDERICK M. ROSSITER, M. D

By Frederick M. Rossiter, M. D.

The Gospel of Health—No. 2

FREDERICK M. ROSSITER, M. D

WHEN Christ was severely tempted to satisfy the needs of the physical body, he said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Food is no doubt the principal physical means of imparting energy to the body, but from the Scriptures we learn that God has other means of imparting energy to the body and of promoting life. I believe that we are warranted in assuming from the teaching of the Bible that the man who is filled with the Spirit of God has a source of power for imparting energy to the body that the unconverted does not have. The scripture with which Christ met the devil gives that idea. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” Christ had been fasting forty days, and though emaciated, yet he was strengthened by the Holy Spirit, with which he had been baptized.

An angel of the Lord prepared two meals for the prophet Elijah, and he “went in the strength of that meat [food] forty days and forty nights,” while making a journey on foot in a rugged country. 1 Kings 19. Moses was in the mount with God forty days and forty nights twice, and the record says, “He did neither eat bread, nor drink water.” Ex. 34:28. Many have fasted forty days or more, but with marked emaciation and loss of strength. But no one was ever able to go a third of that time without water and live. Yet Moses hastened down the mountain, and seemed to be in his usual strength and vigor. When the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, he was able to do wonderful feats of strength.

These are all special instances, yet they show that God has other means than physical food for maintaining the forces of the body, and of promoting its endurance. Note the statement, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” “Shall not;” it does not say that he does not. The great majority of men are living by bread alone, but this is contrary to the plan of God. Every “Shall not” we are told contains a promise. Are we availing ourselves of the promised blessing in this instance? I am sure that there is a great blessing in this truth for us.

From this, however, we are not to take the position that the Lord will sustain us, and abstain from food for a week, or a month, or longer, and thus save a food bill and avoid loss of time. That is not the point. The Lord has given us food to eat, and we should eat it, and be thankful, too. Christ was filled with the Holy Spirit when he went into the wilderness. Moses was filled with the Spirit of God when he went up into the mount. Elijah was filled with the Spirit of God, even though he was running away for his life, for the record is, “He arose, and went for his life.”

It is the privilege of every converted man, woman, and child to be filled with the Spirit of God. It awaits our demand and reception. Every blessing, says the spirit of prophecy, will follow in its train. This being so, then health and endurance must go with it; for these are certainly great blessings, and necessary to the carrying of this message.

We are told that sickness could not exist in the presence of Christ, for a great healing power went with him. When the apostles were filled with the Spirit on the day of Pentecost, this mighty healing power went with them also, and it is not unreasonable to suppose that that same power imparted new vigor and life to their own bodies.

Paul, in writing to the Romans, says: “He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” Rom. 8:11. These bodies that we dwell in are mortal bodies, dying, subject to disease, yet the Word says that the Spirit dwelling in the believer shall quicken his body, or impart life to it. Is not this a blessed thought? Because of this should we not have more abundant life right now, and so be able to present better lives and our “bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God”?

Again, in 2 Cor. 4:11, we read: “For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” Christ worked hard. He was weary and footsore. He labored “in season, out of season.” He spent whole nights in prayer and came forth, we are told, braced and invigorated for the day. If, then, the life of Jesus is made manifest in our mortal bodies with the impartation of spiritual and mental vigor, there must of necessity be physical blessings also. It is possible that we may so spiritualize some of the promises of the Lord that we shall fail to obtain the blessings of health, and for this reason even fall short in the spiritual blessings. The Spirit of Christ dwelling in us will lead to obedience in matters pertaining to health.

In Isa. 40:28-31 we have promised blessings that are not very often applied to the body, and yet I believe are intended to be thus applied: “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”

The gospel is to restore the complete man, spiritually, mentally, and physically. “He giveth power to the faint.” It may be by taking food, or by resting, or by prayer. “Man shall not live by bread alone.” Is it not time that we were recognizing the beauty, power, and force of these words in a practical way for every-day use?

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength.” If we are living in sin, the Lord cannot bless us with spiritual power even though we wait upon him. Is this not just as true physically? I see no reason why it is not. The Lord cannot bless us with health when we are doing things that injure the health and produce physical disease. So then those who are living in harmony with the laws of health can expect that the promise, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,” will be fulfilled to them.

Often those who are physically weary are wonderfully refreshed by attending a prayer-meeting, or by a Bible study, or by secret communion with God.

One time during the ministry of Christ, he and the disciples had made a long journey by foot, and about noon they came to Samaria, to Jacob’s well, where Jesus sat down. The record says he was “wearied with his journey.” At this place the Lord preached one of the most wonderful sermons in all the Bible, and to one person. While he was resting at this well, his disciples returned and “prayed him, saying, Master, eat. But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that ye know not of. Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him aught to eat? Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

In the breaking of the bread of heaven to the poor, lone woman of Samaria, Christ was physically refreshed. He did not live by bread alone. The disciples thought that others had brought him food during their absence. In the giving of the gospel message he received new strength and vigor. It was food to him. Listen to these words, “My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.” Surely there is a lesson in this for us, and a blessing. In “Desire of Ages” we read, “He saw her drinking of the water of life, and his own hunger and thirst were satisfied. The accomplishment of the mission which he had left heaven to perform,

strengthened the Saviour for his labor, and lifted him above the necessities of humanity. To minister to a soul hungering and thirsting for the truth was more grateful to him than eating and drinking. It was a comfort, a refreshment, to him. Benevolence was the life of his soul.”

The fact is if people would eat less food and eat better what they do eat, there would be more of a disposition to trust in the power of God for sustaining strength and for spiritual endurance. Christ did not abstain from eating and drinking, and we should not, because food is a means to an end. But too much food is a hindrance, and while the body may be able to adjust itself to the extra burden for a period of years, the higher powers of the mind suffer at once; and whatever affects the mind immediately and directly acts upon the spiritual sensibilities. As many small blows will eventually break a great rock, so many slight influences that dull the spiritual senses may result in the loss of a soul eventually. We cannot afford to take any chances. At the very time that the “still small voice” may be anxious to speak to us, we may not be in a state of keen spiritual sensibility. So I say that we cannot afford to take any chances. We must at all times be just like the wireless receiving-stations, always ready to receive a message from the courts above. How much more terrible would have been the results of the “Titanic” disaster if the wireless operator on the “Carpathia” had not had the receiver to his ear, heard the call for help, and so saved hundreds of lives. If we are in a spiritually receptive condition at all hours of the day or night, we may be able to rescue many a human being who otherwise would be shipwrecked. The only way we can be in this condition is to study and practise intelligently and sensibly the gospel of health.