Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1907-03-20
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic Far the weess
Beginning March II.

BY REV. 5. II. DOYLE,
Topic-rhings yoa have learned from
noble men and women outside the Bi3.c,-
Thess- l. rs
The first epistle of paul g. the cansel.
ut Thessaloaca is of particular inter
est for the reason that ii was the IL;
letter ever written by tae great apostle
TO q ciiurch which lie had organized
The rrhesss.loniaa Christian OF TIL
early church mist have possessed the
Christian Cfaces to remarkable &c
gree. What greater tribute TO Their
lives and characters could the anossia
have paid than when he said he re
memhered without ceasing their warl.
of fait, and Ia or of love and patieac,
Of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ In T.,
sight of God and our Father?" n
what manner coald higher praise be
expressed than when he said Of then,
"Ye are examples to all that believe
in Mace onia and .Achaia:, and again
"In every place your faith toward Go,
is spread ahcead:" OF few churches
indeed. could such tributes be paid
and we are dee7ly impressed with tn
possibilities for good of genuine
Christian life.
What Parl aYd others learned from
the lives Of tn Christiaas ut These
lonica we ,aay learn and lrosab,y ~
learnin~ from the lives of no't.e rae
and women. not only in the Bioia. b
out of it. Tie lives of Bible cha-ae
tiers are si.nply hunan lives. TIE me,
and women OF whom we read tae-s
had their wealnesse and the Bib.s
makes no attempt to ignore these. l.:
all the Christian ares noble men az:
women have lived. and there are MAJ.
saints of God in the world today wsl1se
lives are an example and an inspira
ton to others.
AS we think of the lessons we havr
learned from such lives we may classi
fy them under the heads used by the
apostle in describing the influence o
the Thessalonians. Some lives have
taught us lessons on the work of faith
Who has not known or known of sonle
men and women whose lives teach
this lesson? All true Christian work Is
SWOIk Vi ltlllD. trou liNs L.
faith. They suffer sacrifices ard prac
dee self denials in advancing the king
dom of God because they believe IL
God and in Jesus Christ. His Son. The
Tabor of love" is another lesson thai
comes to us from the lives OF others
The saints of God do His work not
hope of reward. hut in loving gratitus
to Him for all Ee has done for them
In any Christian church many exam
Piles of this character may be seen. an
they have existed in all the ChriStia:
centuries. Again. the lives Of Other
teach US patience and the patience o
hope" Many Of US are impatient an
especially anxious to have all on
hopes in life realized. But here al;
there. especially among The a%el ssili.
of God, we fad examples OF thc So
cerest trust and patience Their lls-e
are benedietion 10 us as they pltient
" wait the win of God in all thing
But above all there are those who's,
lives reveal the Master TO us. Is VIZ
look upon them we can see that ''t'ae.s
have been with Jesus and have laarne
Of Him" The Split and mind of the
Master seem to surround them as !;
halo. and being with them IS like being
with Him This topic suggests to u
the Importance Of association with tbs
good and the noble both in literature
and in daily life. The lives of Others
are by example molding our lives. an6
we should want only the best in1u
ences about us. And what we want
others to be to us we should be tc
those whose lives are influenced by US
Let us live more closely to Christ that
His life may be more and more exem
plifed in ours.
BIBLE READINGS.
Matt. V, 16; II Cor. viii, is; Rom
xiv, Z; Tim. iv -: II Tim i. s: Tit. ii
Ills; Cor. xiii. 13: Heb xi. 4; xii. 1. .
Rev. ii, 10.