Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-04-06
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
Topic For the Week beginning April 10
Comment by Rev. $, II. DOYLE.

Topic For the Week beginning April 10.
Comment by Rev. 5. II. Doyle.
ToPIC.-Conqu.ring the fear of death.-,John
viii, 5l-54; Lil /, 2l-26. IAN Easter song serv-
ice suggested
Death is a universal enemy Of man
kind. 1t holds sway in every land and
CLINE. 1t has struck terror to millions
of human hearts. What glorious news
TO humanity that death has been con-
quered and the grave need no longer be
feared! This is the message of Easter
When Christ arose, He overcame death
not merely for Himself, but for all who
are His. The humblest disciple Of Christ
in the world can say 80 death, where
is thy sting? . grave, where is thy vic
tory? The sting of death is sin. " But
Christ cleanses us from sin, and there
by removes the sting from death. The
pardoned Christian no longer has any
fear of death.
/. The testimony of Christ proves
that the fear of death has been con-
quered for the Christian. John viii, 81,
reads "Neiily, verify, say unto you
if man keep My saying he shall never
see death. Christ Is not speaking Of
spiritual death, but physical death. He
does net mean one who obeys Him will
never pass through the grave. but that
what is called death to the Christian is
not death. The Christian never dies.
Obedience to Christ leads to immortal
life. Death Is only change from tenn
poral to eternal life and therefore need
not be feared. This is Christ's testi-
mony, and it is true If WE keep His
word, if we obey His commandments,
we need never have any fear of death.
Are we obeying His commandments?
This is our part i'll conquerlng the fear
of death. Christ has done His part. Are
we doing ours?
2. The experience of the Apostle
Paul corroborates the testimony of
Christ that death has been conquered
phil i, 20-26) With what cheerful
courage Paul here speaks of death! He
is a prisoner at Rome. His future is yet
undecided. Whether it will be life or
death he does not know, but in either
case he declares he will magnify Christ
in his body Christ, he says, shall
be magnifed by my body, whether it
be by life or by death. To live is Christ,
to die is gain No fear of death in
such language as that. Instead of fear
ing death he looked upon it as per
sonal gain, for then he would be with
Christ, and when, later on, he did know
that the end was before him he calmly
wrote to Timothy, Il am now ready 10
be offered up and the time Of my de-
parture is at hand =" The experience of
Paul is the experience of all Christians
when they come to the dying hour.
Death may seem to Us te have still a
sting III it, but when we come to die
God Will give Us dying grace. 'Expir-
ing saints have often said that their last
beds have been the best they ever slept
upon. Many have inquired, Can this
be DEATH To die has been so different
from what they expected it to be. so
lightson1e, so joyous. = ~ ca, though
walk through the valley of the shadow
Of death, l viii fear no evil, for Thou
art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff
they comfort me.
Bible Readings -Ps iii. IS; xiii,
Is; Xvii, !; cXviii, 6; Isa. XIV, s.
Eek. XXXyii, p; Hos. xiii, IA: John V,
"a; VI, 20-21; Acts vii, 54-6U Rom
viii, ~, % l Cor. XIV, 54-5S; Tim.
iv, Z, 8; Rev, ii, 10,