Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-08-29
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR.
U0Dac For the Week Beginning seDt.
NCOmment by Rev. =. II. Doyle.

RsDic For the Week Beginning seD<.
4-COmment by Rev. $. II. Doyle.
Tuslc.-seek souls.--Luke w. Ito.
The parallels of the lost sheep and
tho lost coin, which form our study,
were spoken by Christ as a result of
criticism against Himself for associat-
ing with publicans and sinners. THE
Pharisees and scribes murmurcd. say
ing, This man receiveth sinners and
eateth with them" In answer to this
charge Christ pointed out by these
parallels that He came to seek and to
find lost souls. Seeking souls was
Christ's mission on earth. Seeking
souls Is the mission of every Christian
and of every Christian church. Christ
il our example and our inspiration in
this as In all other respects.
l. The soul should be sought be-
cause il Is lost. 1t was a lost sheep
and lost coin that were sought. Had
their owners not realized that they
were lost they never would have sought
them; hence before we will be earnest
soul seekers we must realize that the
soul is lost 1t is lost If unsaved
through Christ-lost in sin. lost to God.
lost to heaven, lost to eternal life But
many do not realize 1t. Many mini
mize sin. They look upon it as weak
ness, a defect. but not of serious char
acter. They do not realize that IL is
a transgression of Gods law, punish
able by the eternal death of the soul.
Let us keep this clearly in mind. Tn
saved souls are lost souls. This should
inspire us to fidelity in seeking them.
2. The soul should be sought because
1t Ia valuable The lost sheep and the
lost coin We're valuable: hence they
were sought. The soul is valuable
transcendentally so. above sheep, coins
or all the world. He who knows the
bliss of heaven and the pangs Of hell
has estimated the value of the soul as
greater than that OF the whole world
If a sheep. a coin. are diligently sought
because of their value, how much more
the soul should be sought because Of
its value.
& The soul should be sought dill
gently and persistently. The shepherd
sought the sheep until he found IL.
There were DIFFICULTIES and hardships
In the way. but these did not dlscour-
age him. His efforts ceased only when
they had been crowned with success.
In such a spirit we should seek souls
until we find them. The search should
never be abandoned until success has
been accomplished. 1t may require
months-yea, even years-of patient
tolls and labors. prayers and tears, but
still we should persevere. 1t was a
long way from heaven to Calvary aud
n hard way. yet Christ trod ii that
souls might be sought and saved. Can
the servant do less than his Lord?
4. There is joy in soul seeking and
soul finding. There is joy in soul seek
ing. Soul seeking may become pas
sion if heartily entered into. upon
which our own souls feed and live.
But here at least possession is infinite
ly better than pursuit. If joy in seek
ing, what rapturous joy in finding and
what joy in being found, The seeker
rejoices. the sought rejoices. friends re-
Joice. the angels Of God rejoice, the
Master rejoices. the Father rejoces
What wave of joy is started when a
soul is sought and found. Have you
ever experienced this joy? If not. seek
in Christ lost soul until you find il.
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Arrange n special programme, study
ing Christ as n soul seeker" Have
prepared papers or address and The
Ninety and Nine" sung as n solo.
PYR1 r pEApySCs
Dan. xii. 3; Math. ". 1920; John
iii. 6: Acts Ii, 3747; iii, ITO; viii. &c
40; Rom. xi, 10. IA: | Cor. vii, Is;
Tim. iv, 16; Jas. V, 20.