Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-05-03
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
BEGINNING May g.
BY REV. S. II. DOYLE.


BY REV. S Fl. DOYLE.
Topic.-The making of Christian; his
exercise.-Jas. i, 22--i.
In the growth of a Christian exercise
plays as important part as it does in
the development of the physical man.
Spiritual life. like physical life, grows
by exercise. II we neglect to use the
muscles of the body tl;ey become weak
and powerlcss, but IL we judiciousiy
exercise them they become all tie
stronger An unused organ cf the body
loses the power to perform the function
for which it was made. bit whom pros
erly used il gains ia power IN the
dark recesses of Mammoth cave the
fish are sightless. having LOST the pow
er II see by the long disuse Of the or
gan of sight On tie other hand, peo-
pie deprived of their sight become
greatly acute IN the senses Of hearing
and of feeling through tlIeir more fire.
quent use Of these senses. Neglect
leads TO loss and use to gain. These
laws hold good both in the physical and
the spiritual world. II We possess gifts
and talents and neglect them We lose
them, but il we viii use them for the
glory of God ana the good of Humanity
they will increase in numbers and in
efficiency. Unto every one that hath
shall be given and lie shall have abun-
dance. but from him that hatS not shall
be taken away even that which he
hath"
The Christian should exercise in good
deeds. BE We doors OF the word and
not hearers only" We should be hear
ers. but our religious experience should
not be limited to hearing the truth. The
man who only listens TO the truth may
think he is a Christian, but he deceives
himself To listen well, even to speak
well, does not make Christian or in
crease Christian virtues. Not every
one that saith unto me. Lord. Lord.
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
but he that doeth the win of My Fa-
ther which is in heaven Deeds deter
mine character and destiny. And the
more we do the more we can do. The
more we give the more we will find We
can give. The exercise of the gifts we
already possess in prayer, in song and
In service of any kind will increase the
efficiency of these gifts.
Works of philanthropy we should
ever be advancing. Pure religion and
undefiled before God AMI the Father
Is this, to visit the fatherless and the
widows in their afliction." Philan-
thropy is an important part of religion.
It increases also with exercise. The
more we visit, the more we sympathize
with those about us in the Affections Of
life, the greater becomes our desire Ia
visit and TO comfort the afflicted about
us and the more God viii use US in the
ministry of consolation.
The Christian should grow in person
al purity land TO keep himself IN
spotted from the world" There are
many people who limit James dedni-
ton of religion to philanthropy, but
this falls far short OF the truth. Ma.
are faithful in visiting the afflicted wh1
fail miserably in keeping themselves
unspotted from the world. They aTC
selfish and ungodly. ard yet because
they are kindly and beuevoienly IN
clined in disposition they deceive them
selves and others often into thinking
that they are unusually religious. But
God is not deceived. He demands pure
hearts and pure lives and separation
from the world. Love not the w1Sld.
neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world the love OF
the Father is not in him" Let Us
therefore exercise ourselves in all the
Christian graces and virtues. and in 50
doing we VIII grow in grace" toward
the perfect pattern Of Christian charac-
ter set before US in Christ Himself
BIBLE READINGS.
Matt. vii, :, S, u; XIV. 31-4G; Luke
viii, 46; Rom. Y, 1-5; XII. 9-21; | Cor.
XIV, IS; Gal. vi. 40; I Tim. ". Z, s:
d. :