Proverbs 14:30 A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones. A "sound heart" is a heart that gives its supreme affection to the supremely good. All other hearts are more or less rotten. Such a heart, the text informs us, is the condition of physical health; it is the very "life of the flesh." True, science can demonstrate this fact in many ways. Physical health requires attention to certain laws; these laws to be attended to must be understood; the understanding of these laws requires study; the proper study of them is only insured by a supreme sympathy of heart with the law-giver. Every man's experience, as well as science, attests this fact. The influence of the emotions of the heart upon the state of the body even the dullest recognises. The passions of grief, disappointment, anger, jealousy and revenge, in proportion to their strength derange the bodily system. On the other hand, pleasurable emotions give buoyancy and vigour to the body. I. THAT A MAN'S BODILY HEALTH, WHERE THE ORGANISATION IS NORMALLY GOOD, IS VERY MUCH IN HIS OWN HANDS. Heaven has given us the means and the motives to cultivate happy conditions of the heart. "Keep thy heart with all diligence." We infer from this fact — II. THAT CHRISTIANITY IS AN INDISPENSABLE AGENT IN REMOVING MAN'S PHYSICAL DISEASES. III. THAT MEDICAL SCIENCE WILL ALWAYS BE INEFFECTIVE UNTIL IT PRACTICALLY CONCERNS ITSELF WITH THE MORAL DISEASES AND CURES OF THE MIND. The medical practitioner should know — (1) That it is unscientific to ignore the fact that moral evil is the source of all physical evil, and — (2) That it is unscientific to ignore the fact that there is no agent to remove moral evil but Christianity. We infer — IV. THAT AS THE TRUE MORALITY OF THE WORLD ADVANCES, THE PHYSICAL HEALTH OF THE WORLD WILL IMPROVE. A drainage to carry away all the foul passions of the heart is the desideratum. The man who is most successful in his efforts, through Christianity, to promote a moral renovation of hearts is the greatest philanthropist. (D. Thomas, D.D.) Parallel Verses KJV: A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.WEB: The life of the body is a heart at peace, but envy rots the bones. |
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