Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-03-06
CHRISTIAN ENpEAvoR.
Topic For this Week Beginning
March I0-Comment by Rev. 5. II.

Iopfc For tbs Week beginning
March IO--comment by Rev. 5. II.
Doyle.
Torrc.--A castaway.--I Cor. tx, 24-27. a tenn
peranos meesing)
In these verses Paul likens the Chris
tiaz life TO a race and TO boxing con-
test. To the residents of Corinth these
illusions would have particular force.
They were prominent features in the
dsthnian games which were celebrated
near Corinth and which were of the
greatest interest to all its inhabitants.
The isshmian games were the chief
glory Of Corinth ana at the time when
Paul wrote had even thrown the Olym-
pic games into the shade.
These Illustrations gave the apostles
a splendid text upon which to preach
sermon on the subject Of temperance,
not sobriety temperance in drink, but
Temperance in all things. One Of the
chief requisites Of success in these ath-
letic contests was temperance in all
things. Every man that strives for
the mastery chat strives to win in
contest is temperate in all things"
The contestants in these Grecian games
were required to be temperate. They
had to develop great powers Of en-
durance, and this could only be done
by long training and self denial. They
had to be pure, sober and enduring;
to obey orders, to eat sparely and sim
ply and to bear effort and fatigue for
ten months in advance" Temperance
is also required in the Christian race
and in the fight of faith. and if the
athlete was willing to endure so much.
to practice such self denial for the fad
ing crown of isthmian pine, how much
more willing we should be to deny our
selves, to be temperate in all things,
that we may win an incorruptible
erown-a crown of righteousness, a
crown of eternal life.
Temperance in all things requires
that the body must be in subsection to
the mind and that the mind must be in
subsection to Christ. The body was
never intended to be the master of the
mind. but its servant-the instrument
by which the desires of the mind were
to be carried into effect. In intemper-
ance the body is master and not serv-
ant; its desires and appetites are SUI
preme. But for spiritual discipline the
mind must be in subsection to Christ.
If the mind besgoyerned by Christ, and
the body by the mind, we have true
Christian temperance and self control.
1t requires a serious and continuous eff
fort upon our part to bring about such
a blessed and desirable condition.
Pauls self denial was a real one and
not a shadow. He had a definite goal
before him and not an uncertainty and
that he might win it he put forth Sc
rious effort. 1t was no shadow fight
in which he engaged. 1t was not
beating of the air, but bruising of
himself. BY great self denial he kept
his body under and brought it into sub
lection. And thus only can we become
temperate in all things.
The disastrous results of intemper-
ance should inspire US to temperance.
BY intemperance the contestant lost
would lose an immortal crown, Il
keep under my body and bring it into
subsection. lest that by any means.
when l have preached to others, my
self should be cast away" 1t was only
by fulfilling certain requirements that
an applicant could enter the games. If
he failed, he was rejected; he was a
castaway. Paul displays here an anx-
fety lest having trained others to meet
these requirements he should fail in
them and be rejected. Such thought
is sufficient to cause anxiety. Hell
after preaching" is an awful thought.
And the possibility of losing such
crown should inspire all men to any
endeavor, to any self denial, that it
may not be lost
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Let the temperance committee ar
range a temperance programme.
BIBLE READINGS.
Ps. i. 1-6; Prov. XXX, l; xiii. Is; %
80; Dan. i, lit; Math. xvi. 24-2I; Cor.
vi. $40; Gal. V. 1926; Titus /, 10; Ii.