Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-01-09
CHR -rIAN ENDEAvoR.
Topic For the Week Bcginnfng Jan.
1S-Commept by Rev. 5. III. Doyle.

AsN-lOmmcuN py heN. >. m, bSytc-
ToPrc--youthfal consecration.-Eccl XIII l.
Remember now thy Creator in the
days of thy youth, while the evil days
come not nor the years draw nigh when
thou shalt say, l have no pleasure in
them" These words were written by
one who had failed to do what these
words demand He had spent his life
in foolishness and selfishness. and with
bitter remorse and regret he had learn
ed in old age that he had made a mis-
take, and he tried TO warn others
against this mistake. He spoke from
bitter experience, and we should there's
fore hear his voice.
The wise man In these words calls
upon us TO remember God, TO remem-
Der that there is a God and that He is
our God, and to do this in the days of
our youth. Ii we do not, evil days viii
come upon us. sickness, afliiction and
maybe death. and we may not have the
opportunity; If we do not, years win
draw nigh in which we have no pleas
ure, no desire either for the world or
for God. and we will be incapable of
remembering God and consecrating our
lives to Him. Youth. therefore. is the
proper time for remembering God and
consecrating our lives to Him.
l. Youth is the easiest time for con-
secrating the life to God. This is the
experience and testimony of all men.
In the days of our youth the heart is
easily touched. faith is easily aroused
and service more gladly and willingly
rendered. As we grow older all these
things become harder. The heart Is
hardened, we become skeptical and
distrustful. and our lives are often so
engrossed with the things of time and
sense that we feel that we have no time
to remember or to serve God. There
are many men and women in the world
today who are anxious to serve God.
but delay in the matter has made it
hard thing for them to do. They wish
now that they had consecrated their
lives to God in their youth. Let us
profit by their experiences.
2. Youth is the right time to conse-
crate the life to God What justice is
there in spending the best and most
years of our lives in the service of self
and the world and then at the last mo-
ment, when they are worthless and
useless. to bring them and offer them
to God? Yet many have this idea Of
conservation. They want to be saved.
but they want to serve themselves first.
1t is a dangerous principle to live upon
and most ungrateful and unjust one
Would you smoke cigar and offer the
ashes to friend? No man would
Why. then. will we burn our lives into
ashes and smoke and come ana offer
these to God? VIII we treat God worse
than human friend? If we do we
will find that God is not to be Knocked.
God wants the best or nothing, the
best love of our hearts and the best
service of our lives. We cannot give
Him these If we put off doing it until
we are old.
3. Youth is the safest time to conse-
crate the life to God. Youth is the
only safe time in which to consecrate
the life to God Who has any guaran-
tee that he will live to be old? Who
has any mortgage on the future? Who
can say, Il will serve myself today and
God tomorrow How do you know
that you viii have tomorrow in your
life? Good intentions for the future
will not serve God or save the soul.
The way to hell and not the way to
heaven is paved with them. God de-
mands present remembrance and pres
emit service Remember now thy Gre
ator." not Remember thy Greater to-
but now" 1t IS the only
time to do it. Begin in the beginning
Of thy days to remember Him from
whom thou hadst thy being and keep
on according to that good beginning.
Cali Him to mind when thou art young
and keep Him in mind throughout all
the days of thy life and never forget
Him. Guard thus against the tempta-
tions OF youth and thus improve the
advantages OF it,"
THE PRAYER MEETING.
Have biographical meeting, study
ing the lives of men who have early
themselves to God. such as
Joseph, Samuel. Timothy, Martin Luth-
er, Richard Baxter. etc.
BIBLE READINGS.
l Sam. iii. ITO; Kings Ill. 5-14; Ps.
kill. 1-3. Prov viii. II: xii. 8; lisa ly,
6, Z; Lam. Iii. 81: Math. vi. 33: Luke
xviii, 1917: ii Tim. iii. 14-17.
to Missionaries and Civil