Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-06-27
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
BEGINNING July 1.


BY REV. s. II. DOYLE.
Topic.-H amility. the foundation of vir-
tue.-Matt. Xxx. 20-2S; l Pet V, 5.
The foundation of the Christians life
Is faith, and faith is gift of God.
~By grace We are saved, through faith,
and that faith is not of yourself: IT is
a gift Of God" Upon faith the Apostle
Peter declares that the Christian is to
build his character by adding one
Christian grace to another until he
reaches the supreme grace of charity
or of love. The first thing 10 be added
to faith, according to the apostle, is
virtue. and beside this, giving all
diligence, add to your .aith virtue"
The Greek word translated virtue
does not meaa purity, but courage,
valor, manly strength. The necessity
of adding virtue in this sense to our
faith is apparent. Faith is frequently
tested our God is an infinite God,
and cannot be fully comprehended by
the human mind, which is finite. Chris
tan faith in all ages has been the
subject of attack by skeptics, infidels
and atheists. Courage must therefore
be linked with faith. Otherwise faith
itself may be lost or we may be over
whelmed and tormented by doubt and
mistrust. The Christian needs to be
strong. In the face of all doubt and
unbelief he must be able to stand firm
and mistaken, believing in God though
he cannot solve all the problems of
Gods being or understand the deal
ings of Gods providence with him.
or Justify the ways of God TO man"
IL our knowledge of God and His ways
were full and complete. faith would be
no element in our religion. Knowledge
eliminates faith. But in religion faith
is the all essential element. I'VE walk
by faith and not by sight" And walk
ing by faith requires courage. strength,
valor or, as the apostle puts 1t, virtue.
Since virtue is so essential to faith
and life, based upon faith, whatever
conduces to virtue is of great impor-
lance to us, The topic suggests that
humility is the foundation OF virtue.
The truthfulness of this position can
not be denied. The truly humble man
is the strong man. He is strong with
God. In pride the Pharisee exalted
himself In prayer, while in humility
the publican exalted God and debased
himself, yet he went down to his
house Justified rather than the other"
Jesus warned James and John that
high place in the kingdom was to be at
tained only by humility. Human pride
cannot force an entrance into the king
dom of God or receive its honors. HUI
miliy is necessary for entrance into
the kingdom. and he that ''humbleth
himself shall be exalted" Is law of
the kingdom OF Christ The humble
man Is strong with his fellow men.
Sincere humility gives a man strength
in relation TO men so far as his faith is
concerned. Humility is not disturbed
by assaults upon its faith. 1t bows be-
fore God in submission and seeks not
by presumptuous understanding To
search out God. Humility makes a
man strong In himself. When | am
week" says the apostle, Il am strong"
The realization of personal weakness
sends us to God, in whom is all
strength and from whom we derive our
strength. Therefore serve the Lord
with all humility of mind
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. XIV, SO; xviii, u: xii. Ii: lisa.
lvii, -; Mic. vi, S. Matt xviii, II; Luke