Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-09-17
sn..l~rfAx FxpEAvoR.
&crfe r~~ the Week B~gtnnfnE sept,
x1-Cesameaf BY Rev. :. n. Doyle.


sf-cesameaf BY Rev. :. n. Doyle.
TogIs--The faIinezx Of Cod, how So
rarssi-EgA ii ll-2L
Ia the topical references we have
nEe OF the tnpst remarkable prayers 10
be found Ia the word Of God. Paul
was usaE 81 prayer. he not only
prayed for himself. but his pra yeFs
were constantly offered 20 the throne
Of God for Christian people every
where and especially In behalf o. the
Christian chnrches In which be WAS
Interested Ike wrote 70 the Romans
that without eeasing he made mention
OF them In bis prayers. and Ia this let
ter 70 the Epbesians we hare al Mss
t-at5on * one Of his best prayers o.
fere1 In the behalf OF a Christian
ehurch- This prayer consists Of pref
ace q fogr petitions and the fellow
ing 6oxog8Eys Wow unto Him that Is
able % DO exceeding abundBntiy above
an that We ask or thiak. according to
TIE tower that wcrketh IN as, unto
Him be glory in the church by Christ
Jesus throughout al ages. world with
out end Amen"
Az a contamination OF aEl the petI-
tons Of this prayer Paul prays that
the Ephesizns may be filled with all
the fullness Of God" This Is a peculiar
expression IL does not mean that It Is
possible for the Ephessans to contain
the fuElness Of God This would be
absurd They are finite; God Is In
A~s4R . -. 81 ~.
sfble TO confSBe iafinIty I'm the lif-its
of fniteness- What Paul asks Is that
the Ephestans may be Hlied with the
same sort Of grzces and Projections
that are characteristic Of God They
could not contain In themselves the
perfect love that Is contained IN God,
and yet to the measure OF their fun
ness they could contain the same kind
OF love as characterizes God The Off
ference would be in the degree and
not In the quality. The smaller vessel
could be filed from the larger one and
possess the same material contained
In II. although Il could not contain
the same amount In this sense Paul
praFs that the Ephesians may be slIed
with the fuilness Of God. He asks that
they may have the rraces of character
characterize God. He possessing In per
fection what they would possess In
inperfectien.
The question asked n the topic n.
How in this fullness Of God to he re-
ceived7 In the topical reference IT is
suggested by Paul that II is to be the
result Of the possession Of the quail
Ties which be has prayed for before.
There are four OF these petitions !.
Paul prays that they may be strength
ered with might In the inner man by
the Holy Ghost. . He prsys that
Christ may dwell tn their hearts by
faith. 3. He prays that they may be able
to comprehend what are the breadth
and length and depth and height OF
the love Of God. 4. He prays that they
may be able 20 know tire love OF |
Christ which passeth knowledge. The |
result Of all these petitions Is TO be the |
fuiiness OF God They include the pos
session Of the Holy Ghost, the indwcil- |
ing Of Jesus Christ and the eompre- |
hensfon Of the love Of God and OF /
Christ II. therefore, we want to know |
how we may be filed with the fullness
Of God, answer is found here. The |
Holy Ghost WIN strengthen us: then |
Christ must dwell in our hearts. and, |
being rooted and grounded in love. we |
must apprehend and understand the |
love Of God and the love OF Christ |
Being thus possessed Of God and thus !
understanding the character Of God. |
we cannot but also possess she dlsposi- |
ton OF God The Holy Ghost and the
Lord Jesus Christ cannot dwell In our
hearts without manifessinS themselves |
In our dispositions and IN our lives
Being OF the same nature as God. they /
win Impart this nature TO Us. aud we |
VIII possess to the fullest measure !
possible the same disposition and the |
same character that God himself pos
eesses
BIBLE READINGS.
John !. 1918: I'll. 1896: xiv. I-s; Acts
I. iii; Cor. I'll. 5-I4: Gal '. 1926: |
Eph 4. 1-I2. Col /, 1920; d. $40; iii. |
i2-17.