Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-03-13
cHausrIAN ENDEAvoR.

BY REV. $. II. DOYLE

by REV. S. II. DOYLE.
Topic-vshat is success2AProv- iii, 1-1S
Success in purely technical sense
ais the ..sslinment of proposed OBJ
1ect." Il. tits sense the man who
makes it tie object of his life to win
q great fortune and does so is success
full in that he accomplishes what he
has aimed for But the word as used
In our topic has much broader me3f-
ing. 1t refers to success in life. What
n a successful life? To this question
varied answers would be given by diff
fereDt people. 1t all depends upon our
conception of life. To many people the
amassng of wealth Is success, to 9TH
ers tie attainment of high position,
and u others again it is the winning
of fame in one form or another. Bat
life is made up of many interests. aid
the reaching of no one goal will neces-
sarily mean success. Many men have
reached positions of wealth. of high
honor and fame. and yet their lives
have isan failures. They themselves
In no few instances would be the FIST
to pra@ounce them so. Let us then
get NJ false idea of success.
What. then. is success? If compelled
to answer this question simply aud
plainly, what better answer could be
given than that success is the faithful
performance OF all the duties OF life
that devolve upon us. God brings ey-
cry human being into this world for
purpose. and he who comes the near
est to the fulfllment of that purpose IS
succe 5sful. whether he dies rich or
poor. occupying high or humble psi
ton or his name be known or IN
known to the world. He is successful
who at the end of life can look back
and say with the Master. II have fin
ished the work which Thou gavest me
to do" And nothing else is success.
Honors won in one direction will not
make up for failure to perform to
duties OF life in other directions.
Success in this highest and truesJ
sense embraces the duties owed t.
God, to our fellow men and to Gu.
selves. God must stand first in ever!
successful life. The life that ignores
or neglects God Is the saddest of fail
ure To neglect God is to neglect tie
soul, the highest. the immortal part Of
cur being, and of course there can b
no success in such life. Then we
sustain various relations to the rest o.
the people of the world. A selfish life
IL never successful life. The NAL.
who thinks not of his duties to others
or, even worse, mistreats them for tie
accomplishment of his own personal
ambitions, cannot be looked upon as
successful. We also owe duties to our
selves. and these are not to be neglect
ed or abused.
Solomon was most competent =
speak with authority upon the suGtc'
of success. His experiences IN t.;1
things which the world commoni
looks upon as success make his wor
Of especial value upon the subject i.
had wisdom. wealth, pleasure, POKE
honor, fame. Perhaps he has nere-
been surpassed in the glory and splen
doris of earthly honors that were hi
And yet he does not declare that thes
things spell success. He ignores Tier
and exalts especially obedience to CO.
the right treatment Of our fellow me:
and the cultivation of the personal vii
tues that make good character as tae
essential things in life. As his life
drew TO close he looked back upon Il
all, and. forgetting all earthly spien
dor and glory. he declared: Fear Coz
and keep His commandments. This Il
the whole duty of man" Do this, and
your life will be successful. Other
wise it will be failure. Which vii!
you choose to make it?
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. j. I; iv, 10; vii. II; xi. IS:
xii, l. 2; Eel ii. Ill; xii. /. Is, IL;
Matt. v. liz; vi. 24-34; John xvii, IA