I have often heard people say, “Oh! this is only sweet cider; it is perfectly harmless, and even healthful.” Several quarts, perhaps gallons, are carried home. For a few days it is sweet; then fermentation begins. The sharp flavor makes it all the more acceptable to many palates, and the lover of sweet wine or cider is loath to admit that his favorite beverage ever becomes hard and sour.—The Review and Herald, March 25, 1884.
(Te 94.1)
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The Only Safe Course—Persons who have inherited an appetite for unnatural stimulants should by no means have wine, beer, or cider in their sight, or within their reach; for this keeps the temptation constantly before them.—The Ministry of Healing, 331.
(Te 94.2)
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If men would become temperate in all things, if they would touch not, taste not, handle not, tea, coffee, tobacco, wines, opium, and alcoholic drinks, reason would take the reins of government in her own hands, and hold the appetites and passions under control.
(Te 94.3)
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Through appetite, Satan controls the mind and the whole being. Thousands who might have lived, have passed into the grave, physical, mental, and moral wrecks, because they sacrificed all their powers to the indulgence of appetite.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 37.
(Te 94.4)
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Chapter 3—The Intoxicating Effects of Wine and Cider
VC
Persons may become just as really intoxicated on wine and cider as on stronger drinks, and the worst kind of inebriation is produced by these so-called milder drinks. The passions are more perverse; the transformation of character is greater, more determined, and obstinate. A few quarts of cider or sweet wine may awaken a taste for stronger drinks, and many who have become confirmed drunkards have thus laid the foundation of the drinking habit.—The Review and Herald, March 25, 1884.
(Te 94.5)
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Temperance in Labor—We should practice temperance in our labor. It is not our duty to place ourselves where we shall be overworked. Some may at times be placed where this is necessary, but it should be the exception, not the rule. We are to practice temperance in all things. If we honor the Lord by acting our part, He will on His part preserve our health. We should have a sensible control of all our organs. By practicing temperance in eating, in drinking, in dressing, in labor, and in all things, we can do for ourselves what no physician can do for us.—Manuscript 41, 1908.
(Te 139.1)
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Living on Borrowed Capital—Intemperance in almost everything, exists on every hand. Those who make great exertions to accomplish just so much work in a given time, and continue to labor when their judgment tells them they should rest, are never gainers. They are living on borrowed capital. They are expending the vital force which they will need at a future time. And when the energy they have so recklessly used is demanded, they fail for want of it. The physical strength is gone, the mental powers fail. They realize that they have met with a loss, but do not know what it is. Their time of need has come, but their physical resources are exhausted.
(Te 139.2)
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Everyone who violates the laws of health must sometime be a sufferer to a greater or less degree. God has provided us with constitutional force, which will be needed at different periods of our lives. If we recklessly exhaust this force by continual overtaxation, we shall sometimes be losers. Our usefulness will be lessened, if not our life itself destroyed.—Fundamentals of Christian Education, 153, 154.
(Te 139.3)
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The mass of the inhabitants of this world are destroying for themselves the true basis of the highest earthly interest. They are destroying their power of self-control, and making themselves incapable of appreciating eternal realities. Willingly ignorant of their own structure, they lead their children in the same path of self-indulgence, causing them to suffer the penalty of the transgression of nature’s laws....
(Te 141.1)
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Our habits of eating and drinking show whether we are of the world or among the number that the Lord by His mighty cleaver of truth has separated from the world. These are His peculiar people, zealous of good works.—Manuscript 86, 1897.
(Te 141.2)
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Temperance in All Things—In order to preserve health, temperance in all things is necessary,—temperance in labor, temperance in eating and drinking. Our heavenly Father sent the light of health reform to guard against the evils resulting from a debased appetite, that those who love purity and holiness may know how to use with discretion the good things He has provided for them, and that by exercising temperance in daily life, they may be sanctified through the truth.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 52.
(Te 141.3)
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The advocates of temperance should place their standard on a broader platform. They would then be laborers together with God. With every iota of their influence they should encourage the spread of reform principles.—Manuscript 86, 1897.
(Te 141.4)
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The apostle understood the importance of the healthful conditions of the body for the successful perfection of Christian character. He says, “I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.”(1 Corinthians 9:27)—Redemption; or the Temptation of Christ, 57-62.
(Te 148.1)
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Habits, Tastes, and Inclinations to Be Educated—Nothing can be more offensive to God than to cripple or abuse the gifts lent us to be devoted to His service. It is written, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”1 Corinthians 10:31.
(Te 148.2)
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In every important work, there are times of crisis, when there is great need that those connected with the work should have clear minds. There must be men who realize, as did the apostle Paul, the importance of practicing temperance in all things. There is work for us to do—stern, earnest work for our Master. All our habits, tastes, and inclinations must be educated in harmony with the laws of life and health. By this means we may secure the very best physical condition, and have mental clearness to discern between the evil and the good.
(Te 148.3)
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Intemperance of any kind benumbs the perceptive organs, and so weakens the brain nerve power that eternal things are not appreciated, but are placed on a level with common things. The higher powers of the mind, designed for noble purposes, are brought into slavery to the baser passions. If the physical habits are not right, the mental and moral powers cannot be strong; for great sympathy exists between the physical and the moral. The apostle Peter understood this, and raised his voice of warning: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.”1 Peter 2:11.
(Te 148.4)
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Right physical habits promote mental superiority. Intellectual power, physical stamina, and length of life depend upon immutable laws. Nature’s God will not interfere to preserve men from the consequences of violating nature’s requirements. He who strives for the mastery must be temperate in all things. Daniel’s clearness of mind and firmness of purpose, his power in acquiring knowledge and in resisting temptation, were due in a great degree to the plainness of his diet, in connection with his life of prayer.
(Te 156.1)
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There is much sterling truth in the adage, “Every man is the architect of his own fortune.” While parents are responsible for the stamp of character, as well as for the education and training, of their sons and daughters, it is still true that our position and usefulness in the world depend, to a great degree, upon our own course of action. Daniel and his companions enjoyed the benefits of correct training and education in early life, but these advantages alone would not have made them what they were. The time came when they must act for themselves,—when their future depended upon their own course. Then they decided to be true to the lessons given them in childhood. The fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, was the foundation of their greatness.—The Youth’s Instructor, July 9, 1903.
(Te 156.2)
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Tracing Intemperance to Their Own Tables—Many mothers who deplore the intemperance that exists everywhere, do not look deep enough to see the cause. Too often it may be traced to the home table. Many a mother, even among those who profess to be Christians, is daily setting before her household rich and highly seasoned food, which tempts the appetite and encourages overeating.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 75, 76.
(Te 156.3)
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Satan is no novice in the business of destroying souls. He well knows that if he can lead men and women into wrong habits of eating and drinking, he has gained, in a great degree, the control of their minds and baser passions. In the beginning man ate of the fruits of the earth, but sin brought into use the flesh of dead animals as food. This diet works directly against the spirit of true refinement and moral purity. The substance of that which is taken into the stomach, passes into the circulation, and is converted into flesh and blood....
(Te 161.1)
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God requires that His people should be temperate in all things. The example of Christ, during that long fast in the wilderness, should teach His followers to repulse Satan when he comes under the guise of appetite. Then may they have influence to reform those who have been led astray by indulgence, and have lost moral power to overcome the weakness and sin that has taken possession of them. Thus may Christians secure health and happiness, in a pure, well-ordered life and a mind clear and untainted before God.—The Signs of the Times, January 6, 1876.
(Te 161.2)
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Reform as the New Convert Sees It—When the message comes to those who have not heard the truth for this time, they see that a great reformation must take place in their diet. They see that they must put away flesh food, because it creates an appetite for liquor, and fills the system with disease. By meat eating, the physical, mental, and moral powers are weakened. Man is built up from that which he eats. Animal passions bear sway as the result of meat eating, tobacco using, and liquor drinking.—Counsels on Diet and Foods, 268, 269.
(Te 161.3)
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Intemperance in Variety of Dishes—I go farther. Temperance should be practiced in the cooking of the food and in the variety of dishes provided, that the mother may be spared all the labor possible. A great variety of food is not essential for the sustenance of life; instead, it injures the digestive organs, causing a war in the stomach. With the blessing of God, plain, simple food will sustain life, and be the best for the entire being.
(Te 161.4)
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To Breast the Tide of Evil—Many suffer in consequence of the transgression of their parents. While they are not responsible for what their parents have done, it is nevertheless their duty to ascertain what are and what are not violations of the laws of health. They should avoid the wrong habits of their parents, and by correct living, place themselves in better conditions.—The Ministry of Healing, 234.
(Te 175.1)
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Greater Moral Power Now Required—The necessity for the men of this generation to call to their aid the power of the will, strengthened by the grace of God, in order to withstand the temptations of Satan, and resist the least indulgence of perverted appetite, is far greater than it was several generations ago. But the present generation have less power of self-control than had those who lived then. Those who indulged in these stimulants transmitted their depraved appetites and passions to their children, and greater moral power is now required to resist intemperance in all its forms. The only perfectly safe course is to stand firm, observing strict temperance in all things, and never venturing into the path of danger.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 37.
(Te 175.2)
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Begin With Infancy—Let parents begin a crusade against intemperance at their own firesides, in their own families, in the principles they teach their children to follow from their very infancy, and they may hope for success.—Testimonies for the Church 3:567.
(Te 175.3)
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Daniel’s Example—No young man or young woman could be more sorely tempted than were Daniel and his companions. To these four Hebrew youth were apportioned wine and meat from the king’s table. But they chose to be temperate. They saw that perils were on every side, and that if they resisted temptation, they must make most decided efforts on their part, and trust the results with God. The youth who desire to stand as Daniel stood must exert their spiritual powers to the very utmost, co-operating with God, and trusting wholly in the strength that He has promised to all who come to Him in humble obedience.
(Te 189.1)
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There is a constant warfare to be maintained between virtue and vice. The discordant elements of the one, and the pure principles of the other, are at work striving for the mastery. Satan is approaching every soul with some form of temptation on the point of indulgence of appetite. Intemperance is fearfully prevalent. Look where we will, we behold this evil fondly cherished.
(Te 189.2)
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Honorable to Refuse—The followers of Jesus will never be ashamed to practice temperance in all things. Then why should any young man blush with shame to refuse the wine cup or the foaming mug of beer? A refusal to indulge perverted appetite is an honorable act. To sin is unmanly; to indulge in injurious habits of eating and drinking is weak, cowardly, debased; but to deny perverted appetite is strong, brave, noble. In the Babylonian court, Daniel was surrounded by allurements to sin, but by the help of Christ he maintained his integrity. He who cannot resist temptation, when every facility for overcoming has been placed within his reach, is not registered in the books of heaven as a man.
(Te 189.3)
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“Dare to be a Daniel, dare to stand alone!” Have courage to do the right. A cowardly and silent reserve before evil associates, while you listen to their devices, makes you one with them. “Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be My sons and daughters.”2 Corinthians 6:17, 18.
(Te 189.4)
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I thought Brother A shook his head, saying it was not necessary for him to attach his name to the paper. He understood his duty and should advocate the cause of temperance all the same, but felt not called upon to bind himself, for there were exceptions in all these things.
(Te 201.1)
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He handed the same paper to Brother B, who took the paper, looked it over carefully and said, “I am of the same mind of Brother A. Sometimes I feel the need of something to stimulate me when I am weak and nervous, and I don’t want to pledge myself that under no circumstances will I use wine or liquors.”
(Te 201.2)
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There was a sad, grieved look expressed in the countenance. He passed on to others. There were about twenty or thirty who followed the example of Brethren A and B. He then returned to the first two and handed them the paper and said in a firm, decided manner, yet a low tone, “You, both of you, are in the greatest danger of being overcome upon the point of appetite. The work of reformation must commence at your tables and then be carried out conscientiously in every place under all and every circumstance. Your eternal destiny depends upon the decision you now make. You both have strong points of character and are weak in some directions. See what your influence has done.” I saw the names of all who had refused to sign written upon the back of the pledge....
(Te 201.3)
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Again he presented the paper and in an authoritative manner said, “Sign this paper or resign your positions. Not only sign, but upon your honor carry out your decisions. Be true to your principles. As God’s messenger I come to you and demand your names. Neither of you have seen the necessity of health reform, but when the plagues of God shall be all around you, you will then see the principles of health reform and strict temperance in all things,—that temperance alone is the foundation of all the graces that come from God, the foundation of all victories to be gained. Refuse to sign this and you will never have another solicitation. You both need your spirits humbled, softened, and let mercy, tender compassion, and dutiful tenderness take the place of coarseness, harshness, set and determined will to carry out your ideas at any cost”....
(Te 201.4)
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Bring your children to God in faith, and seek to impress their susceptible minds with a sense of their obligations to their heavenly Father. It will require lesson upon lesson, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little.—The Review and Herald, November 6, 1883.
(Te 215.1)
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Teach It as a Privilege and Blessing—Let pupils be impressed with the thought that the body is a temple in which God desires to dwell; that it must be kept pure, the abiding place of high and noble thoughts. As in the study of physiology they see that they are indeed “fearfully and wonderfully made,”(Psalm 139:14) they will be inspired with reverence. Instead of marring God’s handiwork, they will have an ambition to make all that is possible of themselves, in order to fulfill the Creator’s glorious plan. Thus they will come to regard obedience to the laws of health, not as a matter of sacrifice or self-denial, but as it really is, an inestimable privilege and blessing.—Education, 201.
(Te 215.2)
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A Great Victory if Seen From the Moral Standpoint—If we can arouse the moral sensibilities of our people on the subject of temperance, a great victory will be gained. Temperance in all things of this life is to be taught and practiced.—The Signs of the Times, October 2, 1907.
(Te 215.3)
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Each to Answer to God Personally—Obedience to the laws of life must be made a matter of personal duty. We must answer to God for our habits and practices. The question for us to answer is not, What will the world say? but, How shall I, claiming to be a Christian, treat the habitation God has given me? Shall I work for my highest temporal and spiritual good by keeping my body as a temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, or shall I sacrifice myself to the world’s ideas and practices?—Manuscript 86, 1897.
(Te 215.4)
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Personal Work for the Intemperate—Work for the intemperate man and the tobacco user, telling them that no drunkard shall inherit the kingdom of God, and that “there shall in nowise enter into it anything that defileth.”Revelation 21:27. Show them the good they could do with the money they now spend for that which does them only harm.—Medical Ministry, 268.
(Te 243.1)
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Work, Pray, Uplift—The wretched victim of intemperance may refuse to seize the opportunity of regaining his manliness by breaking with Satan. Is it any less your duty to strive to awaken the soul dead in trespasses and sins by doing all that human effort can do? Jesus will work wonderful miracles if men will but do their God-given part. In his own strength man can never recover souls from Satan’s grasp. A union with Christ only can accomplish this restoration. Man must work, he must pray, he must uplift the discouraged and hopeless by his human endeavor, while he grasps the arm of the Mighty One, and wrestles as did Jacob for the victory. His cry must be, I cannot, I will not, let Thee go unless Thou bless me.—Manuscript 87, 1898.
(Te 243.2)
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Why the Temperance Message Is Vital—The Christian will be temperate in all things,—in eating, in drinking, in dress, and in every phase of life. “Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.”1 Corinthians 9:25. We have no right to indulge in anything that will result in a condition of mind that hinders the Spirit of God from impressing us with the sense of our duty. It is a masterpiece of satanic skill to place men where they can with difficulty be reached with the gospel.—The Review and Herald, August 29, 1907.
(Te 243.3)
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Laymen Called to Public Temperance Work—A working church is a living church. Church members, let the light shine forth. Let your voices be heard in humble prayer, in witness against the intemperance, the folly, and the amusements of this world, and in the proclamation of the truth for this time. Your voice, your influence, your time,—all these are gifts from God, and are to be used in winning souls to Christ. Visit your neighbors, and show an interest in the salvation of their souls.—Medical Ministry, 332.
(Te 243.4)
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Not to Be Deterred by Ridicule—Our ministers should become intelligent upon this question. They should not ignore it, nor be turned aside by those who call them extremists. Let them find out what constitutes true health reform, and teach its principles, both by precept and by a quiet, consistent example. At our large gatherings, instruction should be given upon health and temperance. Seek to arouse the intellect and the conscience. Bring into service all the talent at command, and follow up the work with publications upon the subject. “Educate, educate, educate,” is the message that has been impressed upon me.—Christian Temperance and Bible Hygiene, 117.
(Te 245.1)
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Chapter 4—Temperance Education an Objective of Our Medical Work
VC
Established to Preach True Temperance—Our Sanitariums are established, to preach the truth of true temperance.—Counsels on Diet and Foods, 162.
(Te 245.2)
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Presented From Moral Standpoint—In our sanitariums our ministers, who labor in word and doctrine, should give short talks upon the principles of temperance, showing that the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, and bringing to the minds of the people the responsibility resting upon them as God’s purchased possession to make the body a holy temple, fit for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As this instruction is given, the people will become interested in Bible doctrine.
(Te 245.3)
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There must also be presented the moral pestilence that is making the inhabitants of the world today like the inhabitants of the world before the Flood—bold, blasphemous, intemperate, corrupted. The sins that are practiced are making this earth a lazar house of corruption. These sins must be sternly rebuked. Those who preach must uplift the standard of temperance from a Christian standpoint. As temperance is presented as a part of the gospel, many will see their need of reform.—Manuscript 14, 1901.
(Te 245.4)
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God requires that His people shall be temperate in all things. Unless they practice temperance, they will not, cannot, be sanctified through the truth. Their very thoughts and minds become depraved. Many of those looked upon as hopelessly depraved, will, if properly instructed in regard to their unhealthful practices, be arrested with the truth. Then they may be elevated, ennobled, sanctified, fit vessels for the Master’s use. Go with your hands full of proper reading matter, and your heart full of the love of Christ for their souls, reaching them where they are.—Manuscript 1, 1875.
(Te 252.1)
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Organize and Prepare for Effective Work—We need to work in the interests of temperance reform, and to make this question one of living interest. This is one way in which we may become fishers of men. A good work is being done in the circulation of our literature. Form yourselves into companies for the prosecution of a vigilant work. Learn to speak in such a way that you will not give offense. Cultivate gentleness of speech. Let the grace of Christ dwell in you richly, speaking to one another encouraging words. I make an earnest appeal to all our people, Come into line, come into line.—Manuscript 99, 1908.
(Te 252.2)
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Sound the Warning—God’s people are to be of a ready mind, quick to see and to avail themselves of every opportunity to advance the Lord’s cause. They have a message to bear. By pen and voice they are to sound the note of warning. Only a few will listen; only a few will have ears to hear. Satan has artfully devised many ways of keeping men and women under his influence. He leads them to weaken their organs by the gratification of perverted appetite and by indulgence in worldly pleasure. Intoxicating liquor, tobacco, the theater and the racecourse,—these and many other evils are benumbing man’s sensibilities, and causing multitudes to turn a deaf ear to God’s merciful entreaties.—The Review and Herald, June 23, 1903.
(Te 252.3)
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