Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-01-01
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Nopic For Week Beginning Jan 5.
Comment by Rev. :. II. Doyle.

TopIc For week Beginning Jan D.
Comment by Rev. :. IL. Doyle.
Toric-Thss which comes frst.--Matt- vi, SO;
Gen. xii, 2. s; Matt. viii. %
On the first sabbath of the new year
1t is appropriate to study, first, things
In our lives. Life is made up Of many
elements. All are important. No ele-
ment of life is to be lightly esteemed.
The most Insignificant phase of life
may be tremendously important to US.
But some elements of life are more i'm
portant than others. Some are to be
placed first, with others second. That
it Is important to know the things
which should come first in life is APP
parent to all. Ignorance on this sub
ject might lead us to give undue oNl-
phasis TO that which is of least impor-
lance at the expense of that which is
most important Many are placing the
secondary things of life first and as a
result are wasting or running their lives.
Esau ruined his life by failing to APP
preciate what should have been of
first Importance in his life, and many
modern Esaus are following in his foot
steps.
The topical references suggest sew
eral things that should come first in
our lives.
/. The kingdom of God should come
first. seek We first the kingdom of
God and His righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you"
Life presents two kingdoms before us
the Kingdoms of the world and of God.
Which shall be sought first? Many seek
first the kingdom of the world, expect
ing to enter the kingdom of God when
success in the world has been achieved.
But this Is not Christ's idea of the rela-
tive Importance Of these kingdoms. He
says to His disciples, Seek We first the
kingdom of God" But what about the
things of the world? The man who
seeks first the kingdom of God may
leave these things to God. God con-
trolls the kingdom of this world as well
as His own kingdom, and to those who
are truly His children He viii give all
of this world that is needful and con-
sistent with His eternal good.
2. Thanksgiving and prayer should
come first. The first thing that Abra-
ham did when God promised him the
land of Canaan was to erect an altar
in His name His first act after he had
pitched his tent between Bethel and
Hal was to build an altar unto the
Lord and call upon the name of the
Lord" Abraham's affairs signified
thanksgiving and prayer. For the new
blessings that come into our lives with
each new day we should erect affairs Of
thanksgiving and prayer to our Lord.
8. Service to Christ should come first.
Jesus said unto him, Follow me, and
let the dead bury their dead" In no
better way could Christ have enforced
the principle that service to Him
should come first in our lives. No duty
is more sacred than the duty we owe
to our dead, and yet Christ here de-
clares that even this duty is second to
that which we owe to Him. Follow
me- and let the dead bury their dead"
Thus is the supreme claim of Christ
upon our lives enforced. If it stands
above our most sacred duty, it stands
necessarily first above all other duties.
..Christ first should be the motto of
our lives.
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. XIV, II; l Sam. i, Oil; Ps.
CIV, Is; cxxxvii, 5, 6; Prov. iii, 1918;
Eccl. xii, 1, IS, IA; Mark ii, IA; John
tx, 4; / Cor. xii, 81; II Cor. viii, 5.