e to the glory of God. The primary object in our
eating should be to sustain life and promote health and strength, that we
may be able to labor for and glorify God.

If we have a pure and undefiled conscience and are conscientious before
God, and fully comprehend that we are not our own, but that we are God's
property and that we should glorify him in our body and our spirit, we
then most certainly would eat and drink such things to the extent of our
knowledge as are most conducive to development of physical energy, and
mental activity. It is not a lust of the flesh if we eat and drink to the
glory of God. Temperance in natural God-given food and drink is the law of
Heaven. It is of surfeiting that the Son of God warns us to beware. Luke
21:34. There are a great many things in creation which God never designed
for the use of man as food and drink. Temperance does not mean a moderate
use of these things. Their use is wholly forbidden.

Again man may by certain processes change the natural into an unnatural
and make it in opposition to God's law. Because man has not always had the
glory of God as his object in eating, drinking, and clothing, but became
intemperate in the things which he allows, many have through the lust of
the flesh been led to indulge in things from which the Word of God and the
laws of health demand total abstinence. The injurious indulgences are so
many and various as to furnish subject enough for volumes. We can only
mention briefly the ones that are most generally indulged in, and which
are destroying soul and body.

Alcohols.

All whiskies, rums, brandies, and fermented wines contain a certain amount
of alcohol. It consists of hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, and is a powerful
antiseptic. It is the intoxicating ingredient found in distilled liquors.
An appetite for spirituous liquors is unnatural. It is true this appetite
may be inherited, but because the child apparently takes naturally to
these strong drinks is no proof they are a natural drink.

The word alcohol is not used by any of the writers of the New Testament.
Paul speaks of wine and says that the bishop must be a man "not given to
wine" (1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7), and of the deacon, "not given to much
wine." Ver. 8. To the church at Ephesus he says, "Be not drunk with wine,
wherein is excess: but be filled with the Spirit." Eph. 5:18.

He recommends wine to Timothy: "Drink no longer water, but use a little
wine for thy stomach's sak