Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1908-01-08
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning Jan. ~, 1908.
BY REV. s. VI. DoyI

BY REV. s. VI. DOYLE.
Topic.-The true center OF hfe.-Johr
~, lilo.
Every human life revoiFes around
some center, some ore supreme idea
br ambition. whether the person is
conscious OF il or not. Our lives arc
very much like the solar system. which
has the sun, around which the planets
and satellites revolve. This is not their
only movement. All sweep through
space. The satellites reyolve about the
planets. and each planet rotates upon
Its axis. But the center OF their eX-
istence is the SUI. BY it they are held
In place and around 1t they move III
regular orbit. So every human life has
Its central sun, There are other in
terests in life, but around this center
the life revolves. and its character is
determined by tine character of the cen
ter of it's life. Moreover. there are
centers and centers, and therefore it
behooves US to find. If possible. what
should be the true center of our lives.
That the true center OF life is not to
be found Ia any merely earthly enter
prise or ambition has been demon
strated time and time again. Life Is
broader dian time. 1t stretches beyond
time to eternity. and the iemporai can
never ft.l!y satisfy that which is eter-
nal. Lie is more than physical. 1t is
also spiritual, and the spiritual can
never tud supreme satisfaction III taat
which ia physical. Cardinal Woisey
centcrtsl his life about his king and
died broken hearted at the kings in
gratitEjs,. Solomon centered his lie
around earthly things and when an old
man declared that they were vanity.
The world alone, with all its greatness.
attractiveness and possibilities aIoft.''
nc true center for our lives. ana FROM
the many who have tried to find it SO
and have made dismal failures OF their
lives the young should take warning;
and guard against following in theft
footsteps.
The only true center of life is jesus
Christ His own parable OF the vine
and the branches" is conclusive proof
Of this fact. He is the vine. and His
disciples are the branches. The life OF
the branch centers In the vine. Cut i.
from the branch. and it dies. Make 1t
Inaccessible to life OF the vine, and its
own life and usefulness cease. Ii is
eutodown and destroyed instead of be-
ing tenderly cared for. for it is barren
instead Of fruitful. \ barren branch
ON living vine is sad sight. but Ill
flnitely more sad Is the sight of a bar
rem life, made so by failure to abide il
Christ and to find in Him the center Of
It's life, its aspiration and hopes, its
entire being Nor Is life centered in
Christ cut of from the affairs of the
world. In Christ alone can we compre-
bend life in its relation to the world
and rightly fulfill the purposes Of our
lives not only toward God not only
10 far as our personal lives are con-
cerned, but also in Rlation to the
world about us. The man whose life is
centered In Christ will find the most
Joy in the world which He had made
and will accomplish for man in the
elevation and uplift Of mankind. Is
your life self centered, world centered
or Christ conferred?
BIBLE READINGS.
Deut viii, 8; Ps. xvi, Sill; xvii, i;
xxxvi, 8; xci. 14-16; Eccl. /, II, IS; ii.
lit; xii, Is, IA; Gal. ii, 20; Col. iii, III;
John v, II.