Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-22
Christian Endeavor Hour
Conducted BY Grace Livingston Hill-Lutz.

Christian EndeaVOr Hour
Conducted BY Grace Livingston Hir-Lutz.
Fos. Sunday, September %. 1906.
Topic: "a Strong VIII: How to Get It and Use
1t for Temperance" Peter iv ILL
l. For as much then as Christ hath suf-
fered for us in the flesh. arm yourselves
likewise with the same mind; for he that
hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from
sin.
2. That he no longer should live the rest
of his time to the lusts of men, but to the
will of God.
3. For the time past of our life may
suffice us to have wrought the will Of the
Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness.
lusts, excess of wine, revelings, banquet
ings and abominable idOlatries:
L. Wherein they think it strange that We
run not with them to the same excess OF
riot, speaking evil of you:
5. Who shall give account to them that 10
ready to judge the quick and the dead.
g. For this cause was the gospel preached
also to them that are dead, that they might
be judged according to men in the flesh,
but 1--we according to God in the spirit
z. But the end of all things is at hand:
be ye therefore sober and watch unto
prayer. =
..
charity among yourselves; for charity shall
cover the multitude of sins.
o. Use hospitality one to another without
grudging.
10. AS every man hath received the gift,
even minister the same one to another,
as good stewards of the manifold grace OF
God
IL. If any man speak, let him speak as
the oracle of God; if any man minister let,
him do it as of the ability which God
giveth: that God in all things may be glori-
fed through Jesus Christ, to whom be
praise and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
The Lesson.
Temperance means self-control. Then
for every one Of US this lesson Is, and not
merely for those who are tempted to drink
strong drink. Primarily our topic Is for the
discussion Of the question of Intoxicating
liquors and their use, but the same rule
that applies to one indulgence or sin may
apply to all. There are numerous other
sins, some Of which belong to eacn one of
US, which should be classed under the head
of intemperance, so that no one can excuse
himself from attending to the truths herein
set forth, because he or she has never been
in the habit Of touching intoxicating liquor.
We may be drunkards in yielding to any
other kind of appetite and letting 1t get
the control Of us. Gluttony. impurity, ex-
cess of any pleasure. are all easily classed
with drunkenness, but there are other sins
the sins of the tongue and the temper, the
SIN Of selfishness and conceit, that often
get full control Of a man and make him as
much of beast in human form as if he
rolled in the gutter under the influence OF
some drug. If we only have a sharp tongue
and quick temper, we need this lesson of
the strong will and how to get 1t and use 1t.
If horse is running away down hill
toward dangerous railroad crossing with
train coming on one side and pre-
cipitous river bank on the other the man
who sits in the back seat and helplessly
wrings his hands and screams, or who
jumps out, is likely to be killed; but the
man who chambers over the seat and dash
board, IL necessary, and reaches the flying
reins and pulls hard on the horseis bit, do
ened animal is likely to accomplish some
thing. He has the will to stop that horse.
His mind is set on doing all he can. The
man who bewails his faults, yet says he
cannot help it," that he was born with an
unfortunate appetite which gets the better
of him, will never control himself, simply
because he has not the mind to do so. He
does not wish to control himself. That is the
first foundation for a strong will-the wish to
have it. Arm yourselves likewise with the
same mind" we are told. The mind to do
Gods will, the mind that Jesus had, the
mind to suffer in the flesh if necessary, but
to get control somehow, no matter what
comes.
Look over your own faults and ungov-
erned appetites. Do you find you have
real desire to have them under your con-
troll? Are you sorry with burden unbear-
able when you yield? Do you have the
mind to do better? Or do you secretly re-
joice in the yielding?
If you have not this mind in you to get
full control of your God-given powers, then
the first thing to do is to ask Him for that
wish, that desire, that mind" ask Him
Gay and night until He gives it you.
And your prayer will be answered AS you
ask the mind will grow, the desire to please
Him to whom you shall give account
some day. The desire to live according
to God in the spirit"
Then comes the injunction "be We sober,
and watch unto prayer" The control of a
spirited horse is not gained all in minute.
You do not know at what moment he will
shy at some object in the road, or become
frightened and start to run again. So with
your body and its many feverish desires
and appetites. You must be constantly
on the watch, with the lips always ready
to pray for help
In every temptation there Is one instant
when we are conscious that we are about
to Yield to something wrong, and when we
could stop il we willed to do That we
do not is because we have not got the same
mind in us that Jesus had. Let us pray
with heart and soul, day and night, that
the mind of Jesus may grow In us and then
trust that God will do for us what He has
promised The yielding even once to any
temptation makes it twice as easy to yield
the next time and twice as hard to resist.
Applied Truth.
One of Mr.. Moody's converts in the north
of Ireland years afterward said: Before
my conversion I had acquired more than
liking for strong drink. How often tried
in my own strength to free myself from the
letters in which I was bound hand and
foot. But 1t was Of no avail. 1 would yield
when strongly tempted. Since the Lord
came to my help against the mighty I can
praise Him that He has set me free. Never
once have I even the desire to taste that
which was my greatest snare. To my
Father in Jesus be all the praise!'
It is said that Peter the Great made a law
that IL any nobleman beat or ill-treated his
slaves he should be looked upon as insane,
and guardian appointed to take care of
his estate and person. Peter himself once
struck his gardener, who, being keenly sem
sitive, went home and died In few days
from the humiliation. Peter hearing about
It exclaimed with tears: Alas! l have
civilized my own subjects, have conquered