Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-05-01
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Ts7ic Fsr sns Week
Cs-n,a.rc Il: =

by re-. s 3. DOYLE.
Topic.-The pr@er - a eonttais.i I.fe.--
Phil. ", 1920.
In the last few years We hare heAro
much about rs.'tail kinks o. lle, ~
ticularly re ~treauous lse' III, I'll,
simple life. Each has had (.ist...,'.,-,,..s!l
ed advocates Tie strenuous life has
been nreaeh he'll by No less 4 perSoasg e
than the pres..ielt of the Unite. States
and Pastor Wagner of France has d.s
tinguished hiuself by proclaimng Ii
doctrine of the simple life 1t Is Ger
tainly IA consGnlmation devoutly TO IL
wished that life might be character
Ted Icy more simplicity. that t.ie mIIG
of men III sslt not be 50 absolutely a.
sorbel With the one idea of anlassiIs
wealth. bnt that they might rea.,7e th;;
while life is real. life is earnest" ye'
their CreIto.. cid not plan that it should
become one mad rush to heap up richie
or to DO anything else that may ereu
be more worth the doing God mndi
man to enjoy tbs life as well as tn,
life to come. and when it is So strenr
Gus that anxiety is its chief charac ter
istic or 50 simple as to be useless to
mankind and improbable to God. the
aim of Efe is nut achieved. Paul au-
vocates the true ideal of life-the con
tented life. His life was most stresu
Gus in one sense. for 10 man WAS
ever buster or accomplished more il,
one lfetirse. III another sense it wa>
q simple life, for it had but ole ~.
preme obje"t-l.is own salvation alla
the salvation CT others. From woi'.t.-
~ standpoint it was, not always sue
cessful. He was often hungry, often i.
peril by land and by sea, often perse
cuted. and, on the other hand. he O. TO-.
abounded IN plenty, had times of peace
and security ard the blessings OF the
dearest friendships. But, whether hi,
lot was one of Joy or sorrow, pleasure
or pain, prosperity or adversely. il
mattered not, for his great soul h;ld
learned in whatever state he was there
with to be content. And no life is So
blessed as the contented life. Would
that all of US enjoyed larger shar,
Of 1t.
!. The contented life as defined by
Paul was not contentment with his
personal spiritual attachments. He
was discontinued with himself. for IN
the third chapter of this letter to tn.
Philippians he declares that he had
not attained perfection. but was eve:
reaching forward toward it. pressing
toward the mark for the prize of tn
high calling of God in Christ Jesus
We need to guard against any spiritual
self complacency. This is usually the
contentment of spiritual death rattle,
than sign of advanced spiritual life
The Pharisees possessed this kind OF
contentment., They were so certa;.
of their spiritual condition that the.
thanked God that they We're not rs
other men, and yet Christ called them
''whited sepulchers" and declared th1'
to His disciples unless their righteour-
ness exceeded that of the scribes arl
the pharisees they were not fit for the
kingdom of heaven.
2. The contented life as defined by
Paul refers to contentment with the
external conditions of life, with the 10.
that God has apportioned to us in Ike
This is the contentment that all me,.
need. And this is true regardless o.
the conditions of our lives socially ol
financially. Many of us imagine thai
contentment is possible with the pos
session of wealth and high social anG
political position; that If we could only
crafty our desires we would be con
tented. But this is gross mistake
The wealthy are often the most dis
eontented and unhappy of people. The
more we have the more we crave.
Pleasure pals. Prosperity wearies.
No, the rich as well as the poor need
the solace Of contentment. To many
Sheir wealth is a burden. Without
Christ 1t is always dissatisfaction.
FL ! had only my Millions said a
dying rich man, II would be most mis-
eSable, but have Christ, and He is
worth more than ALL"
3 The secret Of the cOntented life is
b be learned, and Christ alone can
1Daeh it. Paul says II have learned
- be content. He was probably not
always %, but Christ had taught it to
him. Christ gave him strength to bear
fortune or misfortune. II can do all
things through Him that strengthened
me-" Christ taught him to live by
faith instead of craving the worlds
wealth to live by; Christ taught him
that the spiritual should be emphasized
above the physical and the eternal in
preference to the temporal, and con
tentment came. Christ can teach us
these same things, and through Him
We can learn the secret Of content
ment-
BIBLE READINGS.
Ps. xvi. Ill; Prov. xiv. LA: Eccl w.
Is; Matt V. 3-6; vi, 24-34; John xiv.
1-3, 81; Rom. v. is; viii, IS, %; ]
Tim. vi, 6.
An Echo From st. Pierre Cathedral.
A man never grows great without
storm and stress and struggle anv