Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-09-30
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning Oct. 4, 1909.
BY REV. 8. H. DOYLE.

BY REV. 8. H. DOYLE.
Topic.-Songs Of the hearth. Our
vows and their fulfillment.-Ps. cxvt. Con-
secration meeting.
The One Hundred and Sixteenth
Psalm was undoubtedly written by
King Hezekiah as an expression of
his gratitude to God for sparing his
life, as recorded in lisa. xxxviii, 1-5.
The authorship of the psalm has been
ascribed to others. But there is no
Incident in the Bible that in any way
Hezekiah, and that does so with
marked exactness. Isaiah announced
to Hezekiah to put his things in Or
der. for the reason that he was to
die. The king turned his face to the
wall and prayed unto the Lord. wept
bitter tears and undoubtedly made
vows unto the Lord, for he declares
in the psalm that he will fulfill his
vows. God heard his prayers, and he
opened the psalm by saying: Il love
the Lord because he has heard my
voice and my applications. because
He inclined His ear unto me; therefore
will call upon Him as long as live"
Success in prayer inspires to contin-
uance in prayer.
The psalmist then describes his con-
dition as nigh unto death and how the
Lord saved him from death, dried his
weeping eyes and kept his feet or
himself from falling into mistrust or
denial of God because of his attic
tons. In deep gratitude for all Gods
blessings he cries, What shall rem
der unto the Lord for all his benefits
toward mew
In answering the question, what
shall l render unto the Lord?" the
psalmist emphasizes the fact that he
win pay his vows unto the Lord.
Twice he says. 81 will pay my vows
unto the Lord now in the presence OF
all His people," the second time adding,
an the courts Of the Lords house, In
the midst of thee, o Jerusalem" And
the psalm closes with the exhortation.
"Praise ye the Lord" 1t is beyond
question, therefore. that Hezekiah had
made vows unto the Lord during his
illness. Most of us follow his exam
pie. In times Of adversely and illness
we make solemn and sacred vows unto
God. As we follow the example Of the
psalmist in making vows. we should
do the same in our attitude toward
them after God has heard our prayer
and restored US or helped US in the
hour Of need.
First-The psalmist declares that he
will pay his vows unto the Lord
Vows unto God Of any character are
very sacred. Human vows are tmpor-
tant and should be paid. but much
more should We pay our vows unto the
Lord. But do we always do so? All
our religious vows are unto the Lord.
Shall we refuse to keep faith with
God?
Second.-The psalpist says that he
will pay his VOWS nov" unto the
Lord. He will not postpone their full
fllment This il the weakness Of too
many. They intend to fulnA their
promises to God, but postpone them.
It is 10 easy to procrastinate-to put
OF the payment Of our pledges. The
psalmist did not fall into this error.
snow" while Gods benefits were
fresh in his mind, he would fulfill
them. II you have vowed to God and
not fulfilled It. do It, and do 1t now.
Third.-The psalmist declared that
he would publicly pay his VOWS. I'm
the presence Of all the people. In the
courts Of the Lords house." he paid
bis VOWS to God. Have we vowed
thus to express our gratitude to God
for some especial blessing? Have we
promised Him that il our lives are
spared, II adversely passes away,
we will accept Christ as our Saviour
and publicly confess Him or do some
special work In the church or among
men? If so, we should do lido 1t at
once and In Gods house.
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. xvii, 1-8; xviii, 1922; XIV.
9-15; Ps. CIV, 40; Mum. xxi, 1-3; Ps.
cxxxii, 10; Rom. XII, l. 2; Acts xviii.
1921.