Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-05-16
CaRr~riAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer -eefing Topic Fer the Week
Beginning May 20.
BY REV. S. II. DOYLE.

Topio.-Lessoas FROM the lives OF Elijah
and John the Bapu 5t.-Luke !, l4-lI; !
kings xviii. 9o-Sa. "a temperance tople)
The doctrine of the reincarnation of
the human soul either in another hU-
tln body or any other form of earthly
lie is not taught in the Scriptures and
Is rejected by Christianity, but that
men in different generations may pos
kess the same characteristics and have
essentially the same mission to per
form is readily recognized. Elijah. the
prophet of the Old Testament. and
John the Baptist. the forerunner of
Christ iii the New Testament, stand out
as the most conspicuous Illustration of
this fact to be found in the Scriptures.
In the prophecy of Micah chapter iv,
81 we have the statement, Behold, |
will send you Elijah. the prophet, be
fore the coming OF the great and dread
full day ot the Lord" From that day
on the Jews expected Elijah 10 return
In person before Christ should appear
And Ell did appear-not in actual
person. uGt in the person Of John the
Baptist. in the sense that he lin spirit
and power resembled the Old Tesla
ment prophet. This resemblance is
very striking. Even in personal APP
pearanee. in manner of living and Of
dress, John. the forerunner of Christ, re-
semblel The great prophet of Old Tes-
lament tunes as well as in the more
importllt facts of their lives, which
form the subject of our study.
1. Elijah and John resembled each
other in their characters. They were
striking in appearance and austere in
their lives. The allurements of the
world had no attractions for them
They lived largely apart from the
world and disdained its follies and
sins. There is no question as to the
abstinence of Elijah from participation
In the mad whirl of sin and frivolity
and especially from the curse of strong
drink. The same was true of John the
Baptist He spent his life apart from
the world and by his vow of separa
ton unto God was pledged to abstain
from wine and strong drink of any
kind. And all who are indeed conse-
Grated unto God must come out boldly
and be separated from the sins and
follies of the world. Love not the
world nor the things Of the world Is
enjoined upon every child of God.
Goods heroes must be free from even
the semblance of temptation. They
must stamp their lives high from the
beginning by the solemn vow of self
denial and abstinence" Are you such
an out and out Christian or one who
Is trying to follow Christ while still
clinging to the world? If so. remem-
Der Christ's own words, NO man can
serve two masters" and pray for grace
to come out from the world and for
power to ''avoid the very appearance
of evil"
2. Elijah and John resembled each
other in their missions Elijah's great
est mission was TO call an idolatrous
people from the sin of ldolatry back
to the worship of the true and living
God. Johns mission was similar in
character. He was to prepare the PEG
pie of God for the coming of the Saw
Jour by calling them to repentance
Of sin and to abstinence from sin.
Like Elijah, his great predecessor. he
was a voice in the wilderness calling
unto the people TO repent and to be
baptized. that the day of the Lord
might come. And this. too, should be
the mission of every child of God. Set
apart ourselves, we should call upon
others to dedicate themselves to God
The world today as seldom ever be-
fore needs in the lives of Gods people
the manifestation of 1.-The spirit and
the power Of Elijah and John the Bap-
fist 1t demands and has a right to
demand a sterling Christianity, one
that rings true at any cost, and when
1t does not find it in processing Chris
dans ii exercises the right which ii
also possesses TO severely and merci-
lessly criticise those who profess to be
what they are not. The world recog-
Mics and honors the man who lives up
to his belief. though it does not accept
1t, but it despises and condemns the
man who processes to be a Christian.
but fails to show 1t in his life. The
way for Christians to overcome much
of the criticism of the world is to be
Christians. Replace inconsistency with
absolute and sincere consistency and
the world will be disarmed of its great
est weapon Of criticism and. best of
all, many in the world will be won to
the love and service of Christ.
BIBLE READINGS.
Lev. X. o, 10; lisa. V. IL; Joel /. 5:
Amos vi, 1-6; Mum. vi, LA; Deut. xxi,
1921; Prov. xiii, 20. 81, 1885; Rom.
xiii, 12-14; Gal. V. 1926; Eph. V, IS.
ProvfdentiaIiy Preserved.
From a f,aaat bagnE,,r -. .srt