Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-04-06
CHRISTIAN ENDEAv0R.
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
BEGINNING April 10, 1910.

Beginning April 10, 1910.
Topic.-God is here.-Ps. cxxxix, 1-12.
Comment by Rev. Sherman H Doyle.
d. d.
A knowledge of the writings and
especially the poetical writings of the
world is a part of a literal education.
1t is necessary to the cultivated mind.
But when it comes to religious poetry
to be ignorant of the Psalms, the
greatest religious poems, is not recon-
pensed by knowledge Of Dante. Mil
ton. Tennyson and Browning In
holiness of thought and in expressive
beauty of language we find nowhere
outside Of this psalm the great attri-
butes Of God-His omniscience, His
omnipresence, His completeness
strikingly set forth. 1t is not surpris-
ing that this magnificent psalm should
be pronounced 1.-THE crown of the
Psalms" The omniscience of God is
described In the first six verses. His
omnipresence from the seventh to the
twelfth verses, and after denuncia-
ton of the wicked Q3-1Sl as the result
of meditation upon the Holy God His
omnipotence is described in the nine
teenth to the twenty-second verse, and
the psalm closes with a prayer for
Gods teaching and leading:
Search me, 0 God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my thoughts,
And see II there be any wicked way in
me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
One striking feature of this psalm
which is a meditation upon the great
attributes of God is its individual ap-
plication. The psalmist speaks not of
the greatest attributes of God as re-
lated to the people of the world or to
the universe in which we live, but
as related to himself alone. Thou
hast searched me and known me-, ETC..
Gods full knowledge of Himself;
"Whither shall l go from thy Spirit"
etc, God everywhere present to him;
81 am fearfully and wonderfully
made" his omnipotence as applied to
his own creation, to which he adds,
"Wonderful are thy works, and my
soul knoweth Qt right WE'LL This
characteristic of this psalm could be
applied with great force today. Men
think too much of their own great
ness and not enough of Gods. More
over. meditation upon the supreme at
tributes of God will lead us to see our
own insigni1cance, our own weakness
and the absolute need of His perfect
knowledge about us. His constant pres
ence with us and His almighty power
to keep us. Since there is one who
knows all things, who is everywhere,
no matter where we may be. who has
all power to keep US at all times and
in all places, we should not try to
put our life in His care and sovereign
keeping
That God possesses the attributes
which the psalmist ascribes to Him is
not to be doubted.
1. God knows all things This the
psalmist learned by experience. (a)
He knows our thoughts 80 Lord.
me. Thou UNDERSTANDABLE my thoughts
afar off," No matter how far we may
be separated from God, He knows our
thoughts, for in His omniscience HE
has searched u.s." o. God knows our
words, "for before a word is yet on
my tongue, for o Jehovah, Thou know
est it altogether Before we speak
God knows what we shall speak. (c)
He knows our ways. Thou art ac-
Quainted with all my ways" He is
omniscient, knowing thoughts, words
and deeds. This fact should lead us
to guard our thoughts, speak only well
with our tongues and do only what
He would have us do.
2. God is here, everywhere. How
strikingly the past sets forth the om-
nipresence of God. In heaven he can
say, God is here" in hell, God is
here" in any part of the earth, Sod
Is here" in light or darkness, "God is
here" for light and darkness are all
alike to God. To Him night is as
light as day. No one can hide himself
from God, and no one need try it
Adam tried 1t, but failed. Jonah had
enough in trying to run away from
God The only way to flee from God
is to fee to Him in Jesus Christ
3. God is omnipotent, all powerful.
This omnipotence is illustrated in our
creation and in all His wonder
full or marvellous are the works. We
need search God far more than He
needs us. Let us therefore seek Him
In Christ and find safety beneath His
wings.
BIBLE READINGS.
Gen. xviii, 10-17; Josh. /, II; Ps
cxxi; John iv, 21-24: xiv, 1923; XIV, 10;
Matt. /. %, %; xviii. 20; xviii, 10, 20;
Acts xvii, 22-34.
"Work, Work"
Martin Luther when once asked by
his friends what his plans for the fol-