Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1909-03-31
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning April 4, 1909.
BY REV. s. II. DOYLE.


BY REV. s. II. DOYLE.
Topic lessons for men from the
book Of Proverbs.-Prov. viii. LII. Cen
secretion meeting.
The book Of Proverbs was written
Solomon wrote three books Of the
ecriptures--the Song Of Solomon, prob
ably when he was young; Proverbs
during manhood and Ecclesiastes when
he had reached old age.
A proverb Is short, pithy saying
setting forth moral or spiritual
truth. it was peculiarly suited to
Hebrew poetry. which is largely COM
posed of comparisons and contrasts.
Oriental sages were fond Of using the
tproverb or parable. which is really
proverb enlarged Solomon chose the
proverb In which to express his phi
1oeophy Of life The Psalms and the
Proverbs bear an important relation
to each other and express the different
characteristics of the authors. although
they were father and son. The Psalms
OF David are largely devotional. while
the proverbs are practical David
lived closer to God than Solomon and
was therefore better qualified than
Solomon to be the psalmist OF israel
Solomon on the other hand, was more
4 man of the world and better under
stood the practical affairs Of men than
his father and was therefore the bet
ter equipped to be the poet Of prac-
teal admonition In these facts we
may learn a useful life lesson. Devo-
ton, close living to God in the inward
dife. comes first in our lives, but 1t
should be followed by the practical
application of inward feelings and
principles to the outward life. As the
Proverbs follow the Psalms. the prac-
teal should follow the devotional.
The book of Proverbs has been d.
vided into three divisions:
First.-Addresses to the young, chap
tiers Fix.
Eecond.-Addresses. more varied. to
all classes, ranks and ages, chapters <
xviv. az
Third. Collections Of extant records.
made by scribes under the orders Of
king Hezekiah. chapters xxv-xxix.
s.These are also proverbs Of Solomon
which the men Of Hezekiah. king Of
Judah. copied OUT prov. XIV. II.
To sum up all the life lessons Of the
book Of Proverbs is impossible. but
some Of the prominent evils against
which Solomon warns us In various
parts Of the book are as follows:
/. Filial impiety. The. duty Of chill
dren to parents is emphatically urged,
occupying space In no less than nine
passages. This duty needs to be en-
phasized today. American children
and young people seem especially ad-
dicted to the sin of hlial impiety. Solo
mon condemns it and calls upon chill
dren to reverence, love and obedience
to parents.
2. EVIL company. Nothing is more
harmful in life than evil companions,
and Solomon lays great stress In his
warnings against 1t.
8. Impurity. The sin of impurity,
even to the extent of RIGHTEOUSNESS, is
one Of our greatest curses today. Young
people especially should read in private
EOlomon's fearful pictures Of its re-
SUITS and be warned against it.
4. Untruth. On nine occasions Solo
mon speaks Of this subject Dishon-
esty. untruthfulness and deceit In all
forms are denounced. We live In an
age much given to opposites of these
in business, politics and social life.
Eolomon's warnings should therefore
be needed.
3. Slothfulness. No writer surpasses
Solomon In denouncing sloth. He pic
lures its results as disappointment, de-
cay and poverty. "Drowsiness shall
elothe man with rags"
6. Intemperance. This is another
modern curse that Solomon pictures
in its awful final results-its brawls.
impurities, exhaustion and delirium.
al issuing from the wine cup.
z. Solomon exalts wisdom-not the
wisdom of books, but practical wisdom,
the knowing Of right and wrong and
doing of right and avoiding the wrong.
BIBLE READINGS.
Filial impiety. /. 8. 8: vi. 20, 81; Xxx,
20; evil company, i, 1910; iy, 1919; i'm
purity, ii. 1919; vii. 6-27: xiii q, %;
sloth. vi, Gil: intemperance, Xxx. 1;
xiii, 49, 29-35; xxi, 4-6; wisdom. /,
%; iv, 10; viii. 1-9, L.