Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-07-06
CHRISTIAN ENDEANOR.
Topic For the Week Beginning July 10.
Comment by Rev. ;. II. Doyle.

Topic For the Week Beginning July 10.
Comment by Rev. 5. H. Doyle.
ToPIc.-The conservation of ability .-Hag
Il 10; Mark xii. 29-3l.
prayer for the international Chris
tian Endeavor oonvention.)
All have not the same talents and
abilities in life. God has placed some
in high position and some in low. To
some He has given great wealth, to
others poverty. To one man He gives
power and influence; to another Ee
does not. Some men have five talents.
some but two, some but one. But
whether much or little has been given
1t has all come from God and should be
used for Him.
/. Ability should be consecrated to
Sod because it is the gift of God. All
things belong to God and are gifts from
God, given not to be used for ourselves.
hot for Him.
The silver is mine and the gold is
mine, saith the Lord of hosts. THE
earth is the Lord S and the fullness
shereof, " saith TIE psalmist. 1t is God
who exalteth one man and debaseth an
other. The man who has five talents re-
eeived them from God They therefore
belong to God and should be consecrated
to Him. Great talents possess a great
danger We are apt to be proud and
selfish, to imagine that the greatness is
inherent in ourselves, and that we can
use it for our own glory and advance
nent. No matter how great may be our
talents and ability, let US remember
that all comes from God, and thank
Him by using all our gifts for Him and
His cause.
2. Ability should be consecrated to
God, because it brings great responsible
ity. God will demand Of US an account
for all He has given Us. The man who
had five talents had to account for five
talents We often envy those who are
rich, those who occupy high positions
in life, and wish we had similar riches
and positions, but when we think what
great responsibilities come with these
things had we not perhaps better thank
God that He has withheld them from
US. Think of accounting to God for the
use of 81, 900, 600! Think of accounting
to God for the power and ability to in
fuence for good or evil hundreds or
thousands of human beings, possessing
immortal souls The only way to bear
the responsibility of ability, however
great or small, is to consecrate it to God,
TO use it not as belonging to ourselves,
but to Him.
3. Ability should be consecrated to
God, because it is a divine command
that our all should be given to him.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God
with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul, and with all thy mind, and with
all thy strength" This, says Christ, is
the first commandment. With heart,
soul, mind and strength, with our en-
tire beings, We are to love and serve
God. This is His own commandment.
Abilities of head, heart and hand are to
be used for God, however great or how
ever small they may be. All that we
are, all that we may hope to be, all that
we have, comes from God and should
be used therefore for Him.
Bible Readings. - Deut. Vi, To-
Judges vii, 1923; Sam. xvii, +5-54;
II Sam. xii, SO, 80, Ps. xcvi, 7-13;
civ, "a; cxxi, Is; exxiv, Is; Math.
XIV, 1870; Luke xvi, 1881; xix, 11-27;
Rom. Xii, /; Cor. Vi, -, 20; Y, 81;
Eph. iv, 1116.