Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-07-10
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning July "a.


God to Moses on Mount Sinai during
the stop OF the children of Israel at
that place while on their way from
Egypt to Canaan. These command
ments, written upon two tables of
stone referred in the first four to
mans duty TO God and in the last four
to mans duty 10 his fellow man. These
laws were not part of the ceremonial
laws, whic& We're done away with
when Christ came. but they were mora;
laws-laws concerning right and wroEg
and therefore eternally applicable
A distinguished United States senator
once said, The Ten Commandments
have no place in politics." but when
later on he became IA statesman with
out job he found that the people of
his state did not agree with him. The
Ten Commandments have a place in
every age and in every form of life
where right and wrong are involved.
The first four commandments pertain
to our duties to God. They rightly
come first and should come first in our
lives. No man can do his full duty to
his fellows unless he first sustains the
right attitude toward God. These com
mandments are therefore especially
worthy of our prayerful study and ear
nest practice
/. The first commandment exalts
God and denounces idolatry Thou
shalt have no other gods before Me-
God must be supreme in our lives or
He has no place in them at all. Idola-
try has always fourished in heather
lands. Nor need we think that we are
exempt from the temptation TO 1t be-
cause we worship no visible idols.
Anything that occupies our hearts and
lives above God is an idol. 1t is some
thing that comes before God. and ii
must be subordinated and God given
the supreme place or we are idolaters
and are under the condemnation Of
God as breakers of this command
iment May this be our prayer:
The dearest idol have known.
Whate'er that idol be,
Help me TO tear it from Thy throne
And worship only Thee
2. The second commandment con
ldemns the worship of images Many
of the ancients worshiped images not
as gods, but as representing the gods,
and such worship is not wanting in
some professed Christian churches to-
day. But image worship soon leads to
iidolatry and for that reason should be
avoided. The worshiper of an image
Of Christ at first simply representing
Christ soon leads to the worship OF the
image alone The visible takes the
place Of the invisible, and only the
image is worshiped. All thought of
the reality lack of II is forgotten, and
we bow down to the works of mems
hands instead of to God and our Saw
four. This commandment is most
sweeping in its scope-"Anythlng in
the heaven above. the earth beneath or
the waters under the earth" Let US
exercise great caution aud not be led
into idolatry through what may seem
a practical way of worshiping God
3. The third commandment con
dennis profanity and includes in 1t all ir
reverence toward sacred things. Thou
shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain" Yet how rapidly is
profanity increasing. 1t is most
senseless Ain. and yet it Is ever on
the increase. In public places Of all
descriptions profane and vulgar Ian
guage is daily heard. Devout women
and innocent children have their pure
hearts shocked by this baseness of
man. 1t is an outrage to public de
cency, and human laws against it are
vigorously enforced. But. although 1t
q. Cnl r,n11 ;x,,
less who taketh His name in vain"
Nor are men the only offenders. Won
en- and girls are often profane, having
formed the habit Of using the Lords
name In vain. Let US guard our
tongues and speak only reverently
Gods name and revere all sacred
things
4. The fourth commandment enjoins
the keeping of the Sabbath day. Re
member the Sabbath day to keep it
holy The Sabbath day was institut-
ed at the close of the creation and lat
er Incorporated into Gods law Yet
what dissertation Of the Sabbath there
Is today. Gods house Is deserted. His
word is neglected, Christian service Is
ignored, and the day is given up to
unnecessary work, lazy loafing about
the house, visitation among friends
and pleasure seeking. Many excuse
themselves by saying. TT is the only
day I have" But the opposite is the
real case. 1t is the only day that is
not ours. God gave US six out of sew
en- and kept one for Himself. VIII we
rob Him of that:
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. i, 1; Deut V. II; Jer. XIV, 5. 6;
Josh. xiii. II; lisa. xiv. $40; Ps.
icxxxv, 1921; Lev. xix, 1-3, IL, Il;
John ii, 3d. ill, 8; John V, 81.
Christian Endeavor In Ireland.
Eight years ago there were in Ire
land eighty Methodist Christian En-
deavor societies. Today there are $50.