Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-01-09
CHRISTIAN ENpEAvoR.


BY REV. S. H. DOYLE.
2opac.-How Gods image is preserved
= US or lost.-Gen. i. &c; Col. ill., Ito GA
nmperance topic)
The dignity of man has been recog-
nfxed and emphasized from many diff
f0ent standpoints. We look at his
physical makeup and are amazed at
the wonderfulness of his body; we ex-
anime his intellectual attributes and
are still more surprised; we behold the
workmanship of his hands under the
direction of his mind and gaze in Won
der and in admiration. Under this
spell we feel ike exclaiming with the
psalmist, Thou hast made him lit
tie lower than gods and hast crowned
him with glory and honor; Thou hast
put all things under his feet" But
nothing that man can say or think be
gins to express the dignity of man as
it is set forth in the Scriptural asser-
ton that he has been created in the
image OF God. And God said, Let Us
make man in our own image, after our
own likeness. = So God created man
in His own image, in the image of
God created He him. Here we see
the highest glory and dignity Of man
s-reated2in the image of God,
The story of man in his relation to
tie image of God may be told in three
chapters:
/. Man was created in the image
OF God. This does not refer TO his
physical appearance. God is a spirit,
and mans likeness to Him consists in
his possession of the attributes that
characterize the spiritual nature Of
God-His mental, moral and spiritual
qualities. God thinks, and man was
created with the power to think; God
10 perfectly holy in all His moral at
tributes, and man was created in per
q. feet holiness; God is spiritual. and man
was created with spiritual nature as
well as a physical one. Under these
conditions CT perfect likeness God and
man lived upon terms Of the most ia
miliar character God walked with
man in the garden in which He had
placed him. He talked with man, and
their intercourse was like that between
man and man today Would that ii
sver might have remained so and that
man might have escaped separation
from God, with all its attending woe
and sorrows!
2. The image of God in man
was disfgured by sin. The perfect
man was tempted, and, yielding TO the
temptation, the image of God in him
was grossly marred. He still possesses
the same attributes as God, but nc
longer in the perfection that God pos
Desses them. His thoughts are evil and
his Imagination vain. He still has !
moral nature, but it is corrupted with
sin There is still spiritual side t
his character, but he no longer lives IL
perfect spiritual communion with God
BIS spiritual nature Is debased and his
manhood degraded. And all is the re
suit Of sin, yet man persists in sin
There Is no picture in life so sad I
look upon as the image of God debaset
and degraded in the image of man
And nowhere perhaps is this debase
ment so perceptible as In the case OF
drunkenness. To see man under tie
influence of intoxicating liquor and tc
remember that he possesses the image
of God is sad sight indeed. The mere
thought Of thus degrading the image OF
God should forever make this particu
lar sin loathsome TO US and forever
guard us against falling victim to this
prevalent, but most degrading vice.
8. The image of God disfgured by
sin may be restored in Jesus Christ
the Son of God. Through Adam the
image of God in all the human race
was marred, but in Christ it may be
restored. In Adam all died. in Christ
m may be made alive. The blessed
news Of the gospel is that in Christ
we may "be renewed in knowledge
after the image of Him who created
us." Have we been renewed? Have
we received again the perfect image
Of God in Christ or do we still possess
the marred image of God? 1t shonlG
take no time for US to decide that we
should accept Christ and His work fol
n, and thus again bear the perfect
image of our God and once again live
IN closest fellowship and communion
with Him.
BIBLE REFERENCES.
Gen. v, 1; Ps. viii, IS; c, 1-3: Acts
wi, 22-32; Rom. vii, 1925; xiv, 1923;
III Gov IT. 10 10 no.