Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-12-02
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning Dec. s, 1908.
BY REV. s. H. DOYLE.


Beginning Dec. s, 1908.
By REV. s. H. DOYLE.
Topic.-Commending our society.-vI.
secretion meeting.
Profession without possession is
fashion in religion as well as in every
other relation in life. The man who
processes to be a Christian and whose
life Is inconsistent does intolerable
harm both to himself and to others.
He harms himself, fer If the counter
felt Is Of any value to him the reality
would be of much greater value, and
when it comes to religion Gods grace
b free and accessible to all, and it is
sven easier to be a true Christian than
false professor Of religion. The in
consistent Christian also harms others
There Is perhaps no greater stumbling
block in the way Of unsaved men who
really want to be saved than the in
censistencies of the many who profess
to be Christians. 1t should not be so.
but nevertheless 1t Is. Who would
Judge physician by patient who
only pretended to take his medicine,
but really did not do so? Who would
Judge a lawyer by a client who only
Dretended to follow the counsel he had
given? Why should men, then. judge
Christianity on different basis? Look
ut the Christ, who was sinless! Behold
the multitudes of Christians who in
spite of all the temptations Of life do
possess the Christ spirit and live a
consistent Christian life! II men
would do this they would be dealing
honestly with Christianity, Judging 1t
by the real coin instead of by the
counterfeit But all Inconsistency is
not In the church Inconsistent judg-
ment Is no better than an inconsistent
life, and yet many will doubt or deny
the power Of real Christianity because
they know some inconsistent Chris
tians, not realizing their own incon-
sistency In so doing.
After all. though, consistent Chris
tan living is invaluable. 1t is inval-
liable to ourselves. II we do not live
mp to what we confess, it Is absolute
proof that our confession is false. If
consciously and knowingly we engage
In q sinful life, we must know in our
own hearts that we have only the
form and not the power of religion.
But what Is the form without the
realtty< What is the shadow with
out the substance? For our own sakes
let us examine ourselves and see IL by
a changed life we can prove that our
hearts have been really changed by the
power Of the Holy Ghost. James well
says that a sweet fountain cannot send
forth bitter water. nor a fig tree bear
olives, nor a grapevine figs.
A consistent Christian life ON the
part Of processing Christians is inval-
liable to all with whom we come in
contact in life. Men may not read the
Bible, but they read us. They may
know little about Christ first hand, but
they will get their conceptions of Him
through us. I'VE are living episties,
known and read of all men, And
what do they read In us, in cur daily
life, our speech, our actions? Do they
read that we have been with Jesus"
or do they read a Misrepresentation of
Christ that keeps them from finding
the real Christ?
BIBLE READINGS.
Prov. xxi, !; Ecci. xii, IS, IA; Isa /.
IA; Matt. vi, Is; vii, Is; John iv, "a;
Acts II, 43-47; Matt. vii, 1920; ii Cor.
III, 1-6