Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-05-15
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning May 10.

BY REV. S, Il, DOYLE.
Topic.-Iittle faults that spoil our lives.
Song of Solomon, ii. 10. CUnion meeting
with the Juniors3
The Song of Solomon Is a poem of
human love in which the mutual love
between Christ and the church is ale
gorically set forth. The topical refer
ence suggested above consists of but
single verse--"Take us the foxes, the
vines are tender or are blossoming.
The exact meaning of this verse is
very much disputed. The most prob
able explanation is that it is the call of
the maiden to her lover to go with her
into the vineyard and catch the little
foxes that destroyed the blossoms of
the vines. The foxes, or little jackals,
were very numerous in Palestine. They
were seldom more than fifteen inches
in height, yet they could do considera-
Bile damage, for, because of their size,
they could enter the vineyards when
the larger ones could not, and the de-
struction of the blossoms was as seri-
GUS as the destruction of the clusters of
grapes later on. The little foxes, there
fore, needed to be carefully guarded
against lest unawares they should do
great damage to the vineyards
The little foxes in all times have been
used figuratively to illustrate little sins.
They may seem so small as to do no
harm, and yet how many lives. freed
from great evils, are spoiled by petty
little sins and faults. The little foxes
did not cut down the vines or tear
away the branches and yet they spoiled
the fruit, which was the important
thing after all. So our little sins and
faults may not wreck our entire lives,
they may not reduce us to poverty and
rags or cause us to be cast out of the
church of Christ on earth, and yet they
do spoil our lives to great extent and
greatly cripple our influence for good
How many things that may seem
rifiing and unimportant impair our
usefulness in life. Personal conceit,
the tendency to exaggeration, little
S'white lies" an unpleasant disposition,
an air Of superiority-these and many
other like attributes may make our en-
tire lives barren and unfruitful. In a
life where luscious fruit should abound
the blossoms have been eaten away
and the life is spoiled.
Little sins and little defects, if fos-
tered, grow to larger sins and larger
faults. Little foxes grow into great
ones. So little sin, If tolerated, may
grow into large one. Moderate drink
ing, which to some may seem so HARM
less, may lead to drunkard's grave
Self conceit may develop into the worst
form of hypocrisy. Little deceits and
white lies may lead one to become a
great liar. The only thing, therefore
to do is to destroy them while they are
little. The cub may be easily handled !;
the grown animal becomes the master
take the foxes, the little foxes. that
spoil the vine"
And how little sins multiply! Great
sins are rare. In lifetime we may
not commit one of the greater sins.
and yet the little ones may so multiply
that ruin and misery may come to us
Let US be constantly on our guard and
save ourselves from all sins. little or
great.
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. xii, 24-2S; xxi, $40: xxx, 10;
II Cor. xiii, 10-14; Rom. i, 1882; Jas
Iii, ITO; iv, 1877; l Pet. ii, Is; Heb.
II, 3.