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Counsels on Diet and Foods
realize as he did the necessity of glorifying God in our bodies and
spirits, which are His. Overeating is the sin of this age.
The word of God places the sin of gluttony in the same catalogue
with drunkenness. So offensive was this sin in the sight of God that
He gave directions to Moses that a child who would not be restrained
on the point of appetite, but would gorge himself with anything his
taste might crave, should be brought by his parents before the rulers of
Israel, and should be stoned to death. The condition of the glutton was
considered hopeless. He would be of no use to others, and was a curse
to himself. No dependence could be placed upon him in anything. His
influence would be ever contaminating others, and the world would
be better without such a character; for his terrible defects would be
perpetuated. None who have a sense of their accountability to God
will allow the animal propensities to control reason. Those who do this
are not Christians, whoever they may be, and however exalted their
profession. The injunction of Christ is, “Be ye therefore perfect, even
as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” He here shows us that we
may be as perfect in our sphere as God is in His sphere.—
Testimonies
for the Church 4:454, 455, 1880
The Course Plan Incites to Gluttony
218. Many who discard flesh meats and other gross and injurious
articles think that because their food is simple and wholesome they may
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indulge appetite without restraint, and they eat to excess, sometimes
to gluttony. This is an error. The digestive organs should not be
burdened with a quantity or quality of food which it will tax the system
to appropriate.
Custom has decreed that the food should be placed upon the tables
in courses. Not knowing what is coming next, one may eat a sufficiency
of food which perhaps is not the best suited to him. When the last
course is brought on, he often ventures to overstep the bounds, and
take the tempting dessert, which, however, proves anything but good
for him. If all the food intended for a meal is placed on the table at the
beginning, one has opportunity to make the best choice.
Sometimes the result of overeating is felt at once. In other cases
there is no sensation of pain; but the digestive organs lose their vital
force, and the foundation of physical strength is undermined.