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Review and Herald, Vol. 77, No. 39.

MRS. E. G. WHITE
Earlier text: MRS. E. G. WHITE

SOWING FOR PHYSICAL AND SPIRITUAL HEALTH

By David Paulson; W. S. Sadler

David Paulson & W. S. Sadler

THE USES AND ABUSES OF WATER.

The body may be described as a living form through which a stream of matter flows; and water is the principal element that composes this stream. Sixty per cent of the entire body is composed of water. This is distributed as follows: the bones contain twenty-two per cent; the muscles, seventy-five per cent; the liver, sixty-nine per cent; the kidneys, eighty-two per cent; the blood, eighty per cent; while the different secretions of the body contain from ninety to ninety-nine per cent.

WATER PRE-EMINENTLY THE LIQUID FOR MAN.

If we had a basketful of oranges, we could add a considerable quantity of beans without increasing the bulk. A handful of sand could be tossed in, and it would disappear between the beans. Then we might take a quantity of fine emery dust, and this would be lost amid the particles of sand. And after all this, the bulk would be no greater than at the beginning. This is a crude illustration of the ability of water to absorb other substances. And the fact that it can carry in solution so many things, is what makes it such a particularly useful agent in the human body. Man will die much more quickly if deprived of water than if deprived of food.
It is by the means of water that the nourishing elements of the food are carried to different parts of the body; likewise nearly all the excretory products are carried away dissolved in water. Some of the most important physiological processes that take place in the human system are absolutely dependent upon the presence of water for their performance.

WATER THE TISSUE CLEANSER.

Water is the best fluid to cleanse the body. We use it outside to cleanse the surface, and nature is continually washing the inside in a similar manner. In fact, every cell in the body performs its action surrounded with water: even a thin covering of fluid surrounds the entire brain. So, after all, we, like the fishes, really live in the water.
The total amount of fluid taken into the body every day is about four and one-half pounds. In other words, the average person in one month drinks his own weight in water. This same quantity leaves the body more or less laden with impurities. The kidneys carry off forty-six per cent of the total amount that is eliminated; the skin, thirty per cent; the lungs, twenty; the alimentary canal, four.
If water is taken into the system more or less laden with filth, it will necessarily be limited in its ability to carry off impurities. It will be like trying to wash clothes in water that is already as much soiled as are the clothes. The water is likewise very liable to contain living organisms, which may be the active cause in producing such disorders as typhoid fever, malaria, etc.

USE OF WATER AT MEALS.

While it is a matter of such extreme importance to secure the necessary amount of liquid to encourage the different tissue changes that must take place in the body, and to insure proper elimination, it does not at all follow that it is either helpful or healthful to drink any considerable quantity of liquid during the meal. It has become very deeply fixed in the public mind that eating and drinking are parallel functions, and must go together. The habit of drinking a great deal of fluid at meals is extremely pernicious in many ways:—
First, nature is never wasteful. If the salivary glands find that the mouth is full of fluid, they do not take the trouble to supply saliva, because there is moisture enough in the mouth; but, unfortunately, water can not digest starch. It is a noticeable fact that those foods which contain a large per cent of liquid, contain practically no starch.
Second, the food is not sufficiently masticated, as the water tends to wash it down into the stomach prematurely.
Third, in the stomach it dilutes the gastric juice, which in many cases is already too weak, and thus proteid digestion is retarded.
Fourth, it actually hinders the mechanical work that the stomach should perform upon the food elements. A simple illustration will make this clear. If a rubber bag be filled with water, and a cooked potato be dropped into it, no amount of pressing or rolling of the bag will mash the potato, for the force will all be expended upon the water; but if the water be poured out, then the potato can be crushed easily. The same principle applies to the stomach. If it is filled with water, the three series of muscles that make up its walls may contract vigorously, but their force is simply spent upon the fluid, and the churning process does not have an opportunity to work upon the food substances.

EVILS RESULTING FROM THE HABITUAL USE OF WATER AT THE EXTREMES OF TEMPERATURE.

Drinking or sipping hot water, as near the boiling point as the tongue and tissues of the mouth will allow, has a paralyzing influence upon the stomach, particularly if long continued. On the other hand, and perhaps more pernicious, is the habitual use of ice water and iced foods. Laboratory experiments have demonstrated that the stomach digestion takes place only at a temperature very near one hundred degrees. A glass of ice-cold lemonade, hastily swallowed at mealtime, may readily cause almost a complete suspension of digestive activity for at least half an hour. At the same time, this temperature does not hinder the activity of any germs that may have been taken into the stomach with the food, and thus they have abundant opportunity to produce various fermentations and decay. Yet such persons will wonder why they are suffering from digestive disturbances.

THE WATER OF LIFE.

“And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.” Rev. 21:1. “Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thougreatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water.” Ps. 65:9. This last Scripture would indicate that the water which now flows upon this earth has its origin in the river of life; but sin, as in many other things, has wrought considerable change in the pure water intended for man’s use. God’s standard is one of absolute purity, but Satan is ever seeking to lower this standard. His policy toward the water of life is one of contamination, thereby seeking to make it harmful, instead of serviceable, to man. In the Scriptures water is used as a symbol, not only of the cleansing power of God, but also of the work of the Holy Spirit. It was David who said: “Purge me, . . . and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

WATER AS A SYMBOL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

“And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” Acts 2:17. In referring to the Holy Ghost, God says, “I will pour out of my Spirit.”
Physiology teaches us that three fourths of the human body is liquid; that we live, as it were, under water; that we think and act under water, the entire physical man being ever bathed in the liquid. Our bodies are, as it were, baptized in water. What a beautiful symbol of the baptism of the Holy Ghost! Just as the physical man must live, think, and act under water, so the soul, the spiritual man, should maintain its existence and carry on all its functions under the influence of the Holy Spirit, the water of the soul, the water of life indeed.
“Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.” John 4:10. Here Jesus speaks of the living water, which he himself gives to those who ask for it. Just as physical thirst may be quenched by water, so the thirst of the soul may be quenched by the waters of life. God is just as willing to give us the latter as the former, for it is written, If any man hunger and thirst after righteousness, he shall be filled. “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.” John 7:37. Will the soul so yield itself to the cleansing—washing—of the Spirit of God, which is presented to us in the symbol of water, that this Spirit may be in us a well of water springing up unto everlasting life? For, as Christ has said, in John 7:38, “He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

THE TISSUE CLEANSER OF THE SOUL.

Just as water is the great tissue cleanser of the body, so the Spirit of God is the great moral tissue cleanser, which is to permeate every fiber of the soul, to wash, to cleanse, and keep it pure. Undoubtedly this is the great truth brought to our view in John 15:3, where Jesus said: “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” The word of God is to us the well of salvation, from which and through which we are to obtain the water of life, the Spirit of God. “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.” Isa. 12:3.
The word of God is not the Spirit of God, but it is the channel through which man obtains the Spirit. Do you desire to be filled with the Spirit, baptized of the Spirit, led of the Spirit? Then make sure that your soul is filled with the word of God, which to us is the vehicle of the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God is within man, seeking to cleanse the man; and what we need to do is to place at his disposal the cleansing power of the word of God, with which to do the work. “That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word.” Eph. 5:26. Thus water is the symbol of the Spirit of God, or, rather, of the Spirit of God using the word of God for the purpose of cleansing, purifying, and sanctifying those who have yielded their lives and wills to the influence of this word.
Just what the water of this world does for the physical man, is what the water of life will do for the soul when recognized and received. The word of God is the great spiritual purifier, through which all things spiritual must be made to pass, in order to make sure that we receive into our moral nature none of the counterfeits, perversions, or contaminations that the adversary of souls is seeking at present to disseminate everywhere.
These ordinary things of time very often have linked with them the extraordinary truths of eternity. We are to be filled with the Spirit: “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit.” Eph. 5:18. We are to be baptized with the Spirit. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” Acts 1:8. Thus, with the Spirit in us and about us, we are, as it were, baptized—completely immersed—in the Spirit. Our every thought, movement, and impulse should be born of the Spirit.
Copyrighted, 1900, by David Paulson and W. S. Sadler.

A CUP OF WATER “IN MY NAME.”

By J. C. Musselman

J. C. MUSSELMAN.
(Agency, Iowa.)
In Mark 9:41 we read: “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” These words have a literal, present meaning as well as a future, spiritual one; for the plain, simple fact is set forth that a cup of water given in God’s name, “because ye belong to Christ,” is sure of a reward. Both the giver and the receiver belong to Christ; and though this fact may not be recognized by either, it is none the less true; and it is for this reason that God would have even the smallest act of mercy, kindness, or hospitality done in his name.
It is also evident that we are not to take the narrow view of giving a cup of water simply because of the request. No; it is “because ye belong to Christ” that it is to be given, and it is of first importance that this should be fully recognized and appreciated, in order to obtain the reward promised.
If we give only a cup of water or a dinner, how can God reward us for what we have done? How can a blessing accompany the bare gift that brought no new knowledge of God?
It is easy enough to give in his name, and with the understanding that it is “because ye belong to Christ,” if each understands the simple act of giving as manifested in Christ, who gave himself—all of self.
But many “have not so much as heard whether there be” any Christ, and many more fail to realize the fact that they are his.
So, with your gifts, impart a knowledge of Christ as the Friend and Saviour of all. Find out whether the recipient acknowledges this fact, and then deal with him either as a fellow comrade in Christ or as a needy child of God. So shall you give “in his name.”

Christ Revealed Through Humanity: Heaven's Appointed Channels

“WHILE our Saviour is the great source of illumination, forget not, O Christian, that he is revealed through humanity. God’s blessings are bestowed through human instrumentality. Christ himself came to the world as the Son of man. . . . Every individual disciple of the Master, is Heaven’s appointed channel for the revelation of God to man.”

HOME MISSIONARY WORK.

By Geo. H. Smith

GEO. H. SMITH. (Lincoln, Neb.)
A LETTER received from one of our busy sisters affords a striking example of practical home missionary work. It reads as follows:—
“I have been looking for missionary work this week, and have found it. Last Wednesday I went to assist a sick woman, who has only an incompetent servant to look after everything. The latter was washing, so I made the beds, swept the floor, cleaned the lamps, and washed the dishes. Then I went to grandma’s, brought home her clothes and washed and ironed them.
“Thursday I helped a woman cut and fit a dress, and gave her some of our papers to read. I also loaned an old man, who is a great reader, a copy of ‘Thoughts on Daniel,’ and shall let him have ‘Thoughts on Revelation’ next.
“Friday I went to a home where the mother is very ill, combed her hair, made her as comfortable as possible, and then fanned her as long as I could spare time.
“It is only a little I can do, but I wish to overcome some of the public prejudice against our people in this place, so that you will have better success with your meetings when you come.”
This woman has a family to look after, yet she finds time to help others. I wish our people everywhere would do more of this work. We shall not know all the results of our labor in this world, but we may be sure of one thing,—the truth will find its way more quickly to hearts softened by these little acts of kindness, and “Thoughts on Daniel and Revelation” and our papers will be read with much more interest when we “learn to labor” than when we fill people’s heads with ideas and furnish material for argument.
God bless the home missionaries!

Persons Full of Themselves Are Empty

“No PERSONS are more empty than those who are full of themselves.”

OUR GREATEST DANGER.

By A. L. Hollenbeck

A. L. HOLLENBECK. (Mt. Vernon, Wash.)
God’s word teaches us that this is the time, above all others, when we may look for light from heaven. It is not some time in the future, but now, that we are to expect a refreshing from the presence of the Lord. As the army of Israel watched for “the sound of a going in the tops of the mulberry trees,”—the appointed signal that the Lord would work for them,—so we should watch for the movings of God’s providence; for he is about to glorify his name through his people.
The way is prepared for the message to go quickly to all the inhabitants of the earth; but God’s people are not yet prepared for the work of gathering the harvest. They will not be prepared until they learn to lean upon God, until they make him their strength, and until Christ alone, and not self, shall be exalted. When they shall say, from a humble and reverent heart, “He must increase, but I must decrease,” then God can work through them for the salvation of souls.
When the angels of God finally cease their efforts in behalf of those whose works do not correspond with their profession, and hasten to the aid of those who are earnestly praying for light and for the Holy Spirit, those who are left behind will be easily allured by Satan to accept his counterfeit work; for he will undertake to counterfeit the very work and power of the Holy Spirit as manifested in the time of the “latter rain,” and he will make them believe that they are keeping pace with the message, and will even give them power to “prophesy, to cast out devils, and to do many wonderful works.” Matt. 7 : 22, 23. In their blindness, they will go along, as they suppose, with the message; but, oh, what a gulf separates them from the people of God!
The true followers of Christ, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, will soon be doing a work similar to that done by Christ and the apostles; while those who profess to know the truth, but have neglected to connect themselves with the only source of strength, will, under the direction of Satan, soon be doing a work similar to that done in the days of Christ and the apostles, which brought reproach upon the cause of Christ, and persecution upon the faithful workers. The work of the former will stand the test of God’s word; but the work of the latter will not bear its close scrutiny. The one class come to the Judgment questioning when they ever fed or clothed Christ, or ever visited him when he was sick. Matt. 25 : 37–40. The other class will come boasting of the great things they have done for the Lord. Matt. 7 : 21–23.
Clothed as an angel of light, Satan, with his counterfeit work, will advance parallel with the closing work of God. We may receive the Holy Spirit, which “awaits our demand and reception,” and at last wear the starry crown of victory; or we may neglect to heed the injunction, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost,” until we are ensnared by the deceptions of Satan, and at last are compelled to accompany the satanic host, as they go to meet their final doom.
With the mouth confession is made; but profession and possession are both proved by works. The people like to hear us confess what we profess and possess; but for proof that it is really so, they always prefer to consult our works. Let us confess unto salvation, that our works may go beforehand to judgment. And then let every voice proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” And, better still, let the character of everyone be such that the church and the world may look upon the Redeemer.

THOUGHTS FOR VISITORS.

By Mrs. B. J. Cady

MRS. B. J. CADY.
(Tahiti.)
LATELY we made some suggestions in regard to hospitality. But the responsibility is not all upon one side by any means. The visitor is under obligation as well as the hostess. Solomon’s advice to the latter is: “Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor’s house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.” The margin renders it thus, “Let thy foot be seldom in thy neighbor’s house; lest he be full of thee, and so hate thee.” This advice is not meant for those who, of necessity, are dependent upon the hospitality of others; but it is for those who go to extremes in visiting their neighbors. There are persons who seldom seem to be busy at home, but who have plenty of time to run around the neighborhood. Their neighbor may be very busy, and unwilling to leave her work and sit down simply to talk of worldly matters for an hour at a time, yet this visitor thoughtlessly intrudes. If she regards her work so important that she can not neglect it, and excuses herself, the caller is liable to take offense.
A woman who is in the midst of a washing, or preparing a meal that must be ready at a certain hour, can not conveniently leave her work. “Yes, but I tell her to keep right on with her work, and I will sit in the kitchen and visit with her.” This would suit some housekeepers very well; but there are those who have large families to care for, and who must superintend the work of others, besides working themselves. Such are often unable to talk and at the same time properly carry on their work; for the conversation distracts their minds, thus hindering them much in their work. All callers should be a little sensitive, and quick to understand the circumstances under which they find their hostess, and know enough to shorten their call or visit, if they see that it is interfering with her work or comfort.
He who never knows when to go is in great danger of making himself unwelcome. Perhaps his own home is next door, so he refuses an invitation to stay to dinner; yet he talks with the head of the house over some pet project until long past the dinner hour, keeping the family waiting for their dinner, and also his own family waiting for him at home. When he visits his friends in the evening, he never seems to get sleepy; but when one remarks upon the lateness of the hour, he suggests that “it never is late till morning.” If his host finds other hints of no avail, and finally gets up and winds the clock, then perhaps he takes offense and goes home.
Some have but little leisure for reading during the week, and when Friday evening comes, expect a pleasant time reading and studying the Sabbath-school lesson. But, behold! a Christian neighbor chooses that time to visit, and as he does not care to study the Sabbath-school lesson, and prefers to talk instead of read, their plans are thwarted. They feel disappointed and dissatisfied with the way in which the evening is spent. Knowing that we ourselves often like to read and study during the Sabbath, we should avoid visiting and troubling others unnecessarily upon that day.
If you are a guest in a family for any length of time, do all you can to lighten the cares of your host and hostess. The woman of the house may be told not to go to any extra trouble for you, but do not suppose that she will or can obey. The presence of visitors always adds to the housework; for, naturally, the hostess wishes her visitors to enjoy both her cooking and their stay with her. She knows, and has helped to cultivate, the tastes of her own family, but not those of her visitors. In order to please them she feels that she must take extra pains with the cooking, and have an unusual variety of food, so that they will surely be able to find enough to gratify their appetites. Besides the cooking, there are many little extra things for her to do, because of the increased number in her family. Then, too, she must entertain her visitors, and that leaves her less time for the actual work of the house.
There are many little things that the guest can do to help. Even men can make up their own beds, hang up their clothes, and tidy their room. I have known them to do it, and have also noticed how much it pleased their hostess. Women and girls can wash dishes, sweep, and help about the cooking, and can help even with washing, ironing, and mopping, if circumstances make it convenient for them to do so; or perhaps they can be of more assistance if they do the sewing and mending. There is such a variety of work in any household that a guest can always find plenty of ways to be useful. If you simply ask for something that you can do to help, many women are too modest to grant your request. So, in most cases, you will need to urge the matter. Even then some women who really would very much like your help will still refuse to assign you your work. You must notice for yourself what needs to be done; and when you see something you can do, do it. Always try to do it well, for some women would rather overtax their strength that their work may be done well than to see it carelessly performed. And it is always our duty, when in the homes of others, to do the work to please them. Even a little task, if well done, is appreciated.
Besides this, one should not make the hostess any more extra work than necessary. She should not be expected to prepare an extra meal each day, because the visitor fancies that he can not eat with the family, at the regular hour. Provided one is strictly temperate in his habits of eating, he can change the hour without suffering inconvenience. As visitors, we should not ask our host and hostess to make any unnecessary sacrifice for our sakes.
It is very annoying to have guests act as if nothing were quite good enough for them; for surely one should always feel truly grateful for hospitality, even if things are more comfortable at home. Careless persons, who spill water on the furniture and carpet, and thoughtlessly break or otherwise injure articles highly prized by the owner, are not welcome in any home. Clothing, books, etc., should not be left lying around in a disorderly fashion, and furniture and other household articles should always be replaced after using. Shoes should be well cleaned upon entering the house, so as not to track in dirt upon the floor. Women are often annoyed by the thoughtlessness of visitors who seem to think that it does n’t matter how much disorder and dirt they make, since they need not clean it up themselves.
The children are quick observers, and notice every action and word. The next time they are reproved, the answer is liable to be, “Well, Mr. — does so, and I don’t see why I can’t.”
When others are kind enough to open their homes to us, and cheerfully receive us into the family circle, we ought to appreciate the favor, and try to make our stay with them a mutual blessing. Unless positively necessary, we should never intrude where we are unwelcome, nor force ourselves upon those who already have as many as they can properly entertain.

WHEN I HAVE TIME.

When I have time, so many things I’ll do To make life happier and more fair For those whose lives are crowded now with care; I’ll help to lift them from their low despair, When I have time.
When I have time, the friend I love so well Shall know no more these weary, toiling days; I’ll lead her feet in pleasant paths always, And cheer her heart with words of sweetest praise, When I have time.
When you have time! The friend you hold so dear May be beyond the reach of all your sweet intent, May never know that you so kindly meant To fill her life with sweet content, When you had time.
Now is the time! Ah, friend, no longer wait To scatter loving smiles and words of cheer To those around whose lives are now so dear; They may not need you in the coming year— Now is the time.
— Medical Missionary Record.

LITTLE PEOPLE.

A dreary place would this earth be, Were there no little people in it; The song of life would lose its mirth, Were there no children to begin it.
No little forms, like buds, to grow And make the admiring heart surrender; No little hands on breast and brow, To keep the thrilling love-chords tender;
So sterner souls would grow more stern, Unfeeling nature more inhuman, And man to stoic coldness turn, And woman would be less than woman.
Life’s song, indeed, would lose its charm, Were there no babies to begin it; A doleful place this world would be Were there no little people in it.
— Selected.

HOUSEHOLD HINTS.

It is well to keep lamps about two-thirds full of oil.
Flatirons should not be allowed to become red hot, as they will never thereafter retain heat properly.
“Kitchen tables may be made ‘white as snow’ if washed with soap and wood ashes. Floors look best scrubbed with cold water, soap, and wood ashes.”
Cheese-cloth is now used by the progressive housekeeper for dish-towels, scrub-cloths, bread-cloths, dusters, strainers, etc. It has entirely taken the place of the greasy dishcloth.
It is said that “a small sponge saturated with oil of lavender and hung near the bed, or a handkerchief moistened and laid near an invalid’s couch, will be found an efficient aid in driving away intrusive flies.”

EMPLOYMENT

Many women can spend time each week in seeking to save their neighbors; and every woman, by the help of the Lord, can walk daily with God in her own home, so that the Lord can say to her, “Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.” Perhaps no questions are more perplexing to the many burdened home-keepers intrusted with the care of children, than, How shall the children spend the time when out of school? and what shall they be encouraged to engage in as they grow to manhood and womanhood? These are important questions.
“It is essential for parents to find useful employment for their children, which will involve the bearing of responsibilities as their age and strength will permit. The children should be given something to do that will not only keep them busy, but interest them.
“The active hands and brains must be employed from the earliest years. If parents neglect to turn their children’s energies into useful channels, they do them great injury. When the child is old enough to be sent to school, the teacher should co-operate with the parents, and manual training should be continued as a part of his school duties. . . . Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who is one with the Father, the Commander in heavenly courts, was the personal instructor and guide of the children of Israel; and among them it was required that every youth should learn how to work. All were to be educated in some business line, that they might possess a knowledge of practical life, and be not only self-sustaining, but useful. This was the instruction that God gave to his people.
“In his earthly life Christ was an example to all the human family; he was obedient and helpful in the home. He learned the carpenter’s trade, and worked with his own hands in the little shop at Nazareth. . . . He was not willing to be defective even in the handling of tools. He was perfect as a workman, as he was perfect in character. By precept and example Christ has dignified useful labor. . . . In the children and youth an ambition should be awakened to take their exercise in doing something that will be beneficial to themselves, and helpful to others. . . .
“The children of the wealthy should not be deprived of the great blessing of having something to do to increase the strength of brain and muscle. Work is not a curse, but a blessing. . . . The Christian religion is practical. It does not incapacitate one for the faithful discharge of any of life’s essential duties. . . . Children trained to the practical duties of life, will go out from the home to be useful members of society.”—“Special Testimonies on Education.”
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