Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-03-09
CHRISTIAN rNDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning March ID.

Beginning March ID.
Topic.-Appetites that unmake men
Ban. V, Is, 2-2S.
1t has been calculated that over so
per cent of men WHO start out in a
business career in life fail in it some
time and that the vast majority of
men who live to be threescore years
and ten are at that age dependent up
ON some one else. This is u sad record.
Failure in business. failure in self sup
port, are not pleasant experiences, and
yet there are failures that are even
worse than these. Many men who do
not fail in business are nevertheless
unmade men. and, taken together with
all others who are unmade morally
and spiritually. they compose a great
host of men. And what is sadder in
life than an unmade man, the failure
of one who possessed talent and OPP
portunity and yet by yielding to some
base appetite unmakes himSeif-a
Brutus. unmade by inordinate ambi-
don; Mark Antony, unmade by sen
suality; a Belshazzar unmade by an
inordinate desire for show and vain
glory; a Napoleon, unmade by glut,
tonyl
The appetites that unmake men are
not a few They are intemperance,
lust, gluttony. ambition. the greed for
gold and many others. Nor is it the
appetite itself that is at fault. but the
inordinate and immoderate develop
ment and exercise of it, Every appe-
tite of life has its legitimate place and
purpose. but if ii be abused in many
cases ii leads to ruin and destruction
When God looked upon the world which
He had made His verdict upon ii was
that it was very good, and the world is
still good today if we use it properly.
Il Is not the use of the world that I'M
makes men, but the abuse of it, II is
one of the sad facts of life that that
which is good may be abused and be
come an evil. Proper ambition is most
worthy, and without it success in life
Is highly improbable. But the path
way of life is strewn with the wrecked
lives of an inordnate ambition. The
desire for wealth is not of itself fault.
bot when greed becomes n god the bet
tsr self of the man is soon unmade The
physical appetites play an important
part In our lives when properly con
trolied. but when they are abused, when
they are debased into gluttony, intern
parance and lust, now soon they IN
make the man.
When it comes 10 the appetites, there
fore, the problem TO solve is how TO use
them and not abuse them. how to con
troll them instead of having them con-
troll us, how 10 have their influence in
making us what we should be rather
Hight problem. To solve il successfully
we need the wisdom and grace Of God
as well as the exercise of our best care.
Judgment and power Of will Constant
earefulness should be our attitude.
Some things such as intemperance,
should be guarded against altogether
Total abstinence is the only safeguard
against strong drink. In other cases.
where proper Indulgence of the appetite
is necessary, We must by divine and
personal power keep ourselves masters
Of the situation. Every appetite must
be held firmly in hand. Therefore let
US watch and pray that We enter not
into temptation
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. xix. 24-a6; II Sam. Nv. 10, with
III Sam. xviii. 9-15; Ps i. 1-6: Prov. i'll.
II; Xxx. l; xiii. Is; 20, p. 1852; Matt.