Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1906-03-28
stsJIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Toeic For the Week
Beginning April I.

Topic. Lives that endure.-Matt. vii,
IA, Is; Cor iii. 10-15; Eph. ii, 1922; Cor.
vi, 1913; IL Tim, ii. 14-19. tConsecration
meeting.)
The desire to lead life that VIII en-
dure or to do something that will be
memorial to us after we have passed
away from life is very strong and
very natural one Few men want 10
be forgotten when they die. The vast
majority want TO be remembered
That he might be remembered Absa-
lom built pillar in the kings dale, and
all the Absaloms are not dead yet.
But, more than this, men want to be
houorably remembered. No man wants
the evil that he does to live after him
and the good to be inferred with his
bones. We want the best that is in US
to be remembered. We would If we
could blot out the weaknesses and fall-
ures of or lives and leave only that
which is worthy of remembrance An
Gent kings only inscribed their Yicto-
ries on the monuments they erected.
They wished their defeats to be for
gotten. But, alas, we cannot do so ON
the memorials of our lives. All things
endure. We are remembered for all
that we have been and all that we have
done; hence if we want to leave an
honorable name among men we must
live honorably-we must cease to do
evil AMI learn to do we'll" ''eschew evil
and do good"
But the temporary endurance OF our
lives is not all that we are to consider.
Few of our memories long endure in
this life. Only few names endure be-
yond q generation or two. Those who
know US soon pass away also, and, as
in ancient Egypt a new king arose
who knew not Joseph, new generations
arise who know not US. A life, then
really to endure must make an impress
sion upon the future, upon eternity.
And to do this life must be spent on
eternal things. No purely temporal
achievements will insure endurance
for the future. All temporal things Will
pass away. The most substantial
earthly monument will sooner or later
crumble to dust. Today nothing but
remnants remain of the vast works OF
the ancients, and when centuries shall
have passed these remnants shall en-
tirely pass with them. The fortunes OF
the financially successful are soon
spent: the laws of the greatest states
men will become obsolete and forgot
ten: the wisdom of the greatest philos-
ophers will see the day when it is look
ed upon as folly; the work of the great
est artists will be dimmed by that of
their successors, until the day dawns
when there shall be q new heaven
and a new earth, for former things tall
former thingsl shall pass away"
The life, therefore, that endures must
touch eternity. And consequently II
we want our lives to endure we must
not spend them upon the things which
are seen, for they are temporal, but
upon the things which are not seen,
which are eternal. Character endures
forever: treasures laid up in heaven
by self sacrificing Christian life here
endure; moth and rust do not destroy
them. Christian work endures, espe-
eially if it be the work of saving hui
man souls. A saved soul is forever
saved and is an eternal monument to
the one who in the providence of God
has been instrumental in its salvation.
We want our lives to endure. There
fore let us consecrate them more fully
to the service of God. Let us give our
lives to God in Jesus Christ, and they
will endure forever, and let us make
our life work rebound to the honor and
glory of God, and it will endure for
ever.
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. xxi, 1 Feel. xii, IS, IA; Dan.
XII, 8; Matt vi, 1921: XIV, 31-46; Cor
XIV, 81, IS; II Cor. iv, II, IS; V, /;
Tim. iv, {, s; Pet. t. 80; Rev. iii, 10;
xii II