The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1892-12-13
CHRISTIAN ENoEAvoR.

Topic f-r the Week Beginning Dee. ~.
Comsnent by Rev. s. II. Doyle.
ToPIc--What has the year taught us7
Gam. vii, IL; Pct III, 1913.
There are times and seasons for all
things; times for activity and mac
tivity, for business and for pleasure, for
pressing forward and for pausing to re-
call the past and to contemplate the
future. No time is more appropriate
for the last than the close Of the year.
Experience ought to be good teacher.
Each year we ought to profit by the
failures and successes of the year just
gone. What, then, has the past year
taught us?
/. The Lord will help us. Sam. vii,
10. Hitherto hath the Lord helped
u.s." This was Samuel's experience. The
Lord had given them victories before,
and this led him justly to conclude that he
would in the future. We can only judge
OF how one will act by how he has acted.
Applied to man this is not q perfect rule,
for man changes. But applied to God
it is an absolutely perfect test, for God
is the same today as he was yesterday,
and will be the same tomorrow as he is
today. II he has helped us this is con-
elusive proof that he will help us. Has
he then helped us in the year just past?
Truly he has. In the hour OF tempta-
ton who gave us power to stand? In
| the hour of affliction who bore us up? In
| the time of conflict who gave US victory?
| The answer in each case Is the Lord.
We may not always have recognized
| his helpful hand, but still 1t has ever
been about as. Hitherto hath the Lord
helped u.s." and hereafter he will help
US. Trust him, thank him, obey him.
2. The secret of successful and
happy life. / Pet. iii, 10, II, "He that
will love his life and see good days, let
him refrain his tongue from evil and his
lips from speaking guile; let him es-
chew evil and do good; let him seek
peace and preserve it." This is the
apostles rule for long, prosperous aud
happy life. Is it not correct? AS we
look over the past year, what was it
that caused all the misery, sorrow, woe
| and unhappiness we suffered? Was it
not injudicious, harmful, unpleasant,
false words, the failure to shun and
avoid evil places, evil men and evil prac-
tices, or the neglect of good and the seek
ing Of peace? To some of these, in va
ried forms, all the unhappiness and fail
ures Of life may be traced. Therefore
If you earnestly desire that your life
should be long and your days peaceful
and prosperous, keep your tongue from
reviling, evil speaking and slandering.
Avoid doing any evil against God or to
your neighbor, but be ready to do good
and to overcome evil with good. Seek
peace with all men. This will insure
Gods blessing, mans favor, your OWL
happiness and success.
j 3. The secret Of successful approach
to God. ] Pet. iii, 10, 1.-THE eyes of the
Lord are over the righteous, and his
ears open unto their prayers, but the
face of the Lord is against them that dc
evil" Has not the past year proven these
wordsi When we faithfully served the
Lord, were honest and upright in all oul
dealings and Stunned all forms Of evil
, did he not hear us when we called II
him? AS in the past, so in the future
the ears of the Lord will be open to the
righteous. ...
: Bible References-Gen. xviii, 1922
} Josh. w, 0; Ps. xxxiv, 1914; xxxvii
27-29; Isa. i, 10, II; Acts XVI, %; Rom
, Xii, 1921; xiv, 10; Heb. xii, 10, Ia; Jas
1, 1896; v, 16; Ill John xxi; Rev. xiv, 5