Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1903-08-05
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.

Topic For the Week BEGINNING Aug.
9-Comment by Rev. 5. III. Doyle.
\ Topic.-Less6ns from Paul: How we
may get his passion for souIs.-Rom. l.
Hi.
Few people lave ever been truly con-
Eerted but that they have had, to
some extent at least, a desire for the
conversion Of others. No sooner had
ANDREW found Jesus as the Messiah
khan he sought his brother Peter and
Bed him to Jesus, and this desire for
fhe salvation of others has always
been looked upon as one of the evil
hences of true conversion. But some
men have been characterized by this
desire far above others. The salvation
of the souls of men has been a passion
mith them-it has been their meat and
drink. Conspicuous among such stands
the apostle Paul. He was all things
to all men if thereby he might save
some, and so great was his desire for
the salvation of his countrymen, who
mere Israelites, that he declared that
he could wish himself accursed from
Christ for their sakes. In other words,
Die was filed with such a burning de-
sire for their salvation that he would
have sacrificed his own soul if thereby
The could have saved theirs. Few in
deed have been possessed with such
passion for souls, and we may well
contemplate it in the great apostle.
with the hope and prayer that TO some
lextent at least his mantle may fall
upon US and that we may be filed
with a deeper desire than ever before
flor the salvation of the souls of men.
Paurs passion for souls is expressly
Iset forth in his letter to the Romans:
81 long to see you that | may impart
unto you some spiritual gift often
times | purposed to come unto you
that | might have some fruit
among you also as among other gem
titles And with these expressions of
Ehis desire there are also some explana-
jtions of it which may suggest to us
lhow we may also become possessed of
ut.
! l. Paul appreciated his own saliva
tion. He delighted to call himself
fPaul. bond servant of Jesus Christ
No one more than he realized that sal
walton was of grace and that at the
same time it was of inestimable value.
Appreciating the great gift that God
had bestowed upon him, he was anx-
aous that it should be received by 9th
ers. If we only appreciated car owa
salvation more we would he filed with
"a greater desire to see the souls of 9th
ers saved.
2 Paul realized his Indebtedness TO
the unsaved Il am a debtor both to
the Greeks and TO the barbarians; both
ito the wise and to the unwise; SO rs
much as in me is l am ready TO preach
the gospel" The saved owe a debt to
the unsaved. We have the gospel and
can give it to them. and therefore we
lare under the obligation TO do so.
Christ has commanded us to preach
the gospel to every creature. This debt
should impress itself upon US and not
be allowed to be lightly set aside. If
we could only feel as the apostle felt
when he said, WOE is me if | preach
not the gospel" we would have a more
burning desire to save the unsaved.
dHi Adu ldilu III pONti VI the
gospel TO save. II am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one who
ibelieveth." Paul earnestly believed in
the power of the gospel to save. Do
we? We profess to believe it. but do
we practically believe it? If so would
we not be more anxious and jealous for
the salvation of the souls of men? The
gospel can save. 1t is ''the power of
God unto salvation" Believing this
let us seek more earnestly TO apply the
gospel as a saving power to those about
us.
BIBLE READINGS.
lisa. ill., Z, Dan. xii, 8; Matt. X, I. s.;
xviii. 10. 90; Luke xiv. %; John i, So
AZ; Rom. tx, 10; | Cor. tx 1923; Tim
Nv nc. To Dow