Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1910-03-09
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvoR.
Prayer Meeting Topic For The Week
Beginning March 10, 1910.


Beginning March 10, 1910.
Topic.-Patient faithfulness that wips
the crown.-Rev. Ii. Lilo. IS. 10. Comment
By Rev. Sherman H Doyle. D. D.
The book of Revelation is divided
Into seven parts, each one Of which Is
subdivided seven times The first gen.
Oral division is that of the churches,
Of which there are seven, and each one
y described just as they were In
Johns time, and vet typical Of the
churches in all ages. Most churches
today can find in one Of them de-
ucription Of itself. In this review Of
seven typical churches Christ finds
none altogether good and none alto
gether bad. He praises the good, de
nounces the evil and gives warnings
against the continuance Of the evil.
The letters are addressed to the AN
GELS" or pastors, Of the churches,
showing the high estimation Of the
pastoral Office that Christ Himself
possessed, a position which certain
classes Of people, who are trying al
most constantly to be1ittle the Chris
tan ministry, might well observe and
ind In it profitable example.
The circumstances in which the
churches of Johns day found them
selves no doubt led Christ in writing
to them to emphasize patient faith
fulness' or faithfulness in connection
with spirit of patience. 1t may be
easy to be faithful under difficult cir
cumstances if we could only give way
to our Impotence amid the Difficult
ties. But to be both faithful and pa
tent under sore distress is a united
virtue, well deserving the Saviour's
commentator. They lived in trou-
blous religious times. These churches
were largely made up of gentiles, who
found it hard to give up the faith and
forms of long years of training. Then
practically still cling to the Jewish re-
ugion. False teachers and false doc
nines rapidly arose. Outside persecu-
lions made a Christians life an uncer-
tain quantity. Martyrdom was Of FIRE
uuent occurrence To be faithful and
to be patient at the same time must
have sorely tried the souls Of men.
Yet they were faithful and especially
patient. Christ frequently says, Il
know thy patience" The early Chris
tians were not all saints. but they did
possess an abundance Of patience,
which is worthy our emulation today.
Patience Is not the overcrowning viz
the Of the present age, but when we
think Of the patient faithfulness Of
these early Christians. who endured
even martyrdom without a murmur,
and the example Of Him who, though
lied like lamb to the slaughter, yet
opened not His mouth" we should
learn to exercise to far greater e1-
tent than we do patience In our faith
fulness
Christ places high reward upon pa
tient faithfulness. To the church Of
Smyrna, which He declared must pass
through many trihulations and trials.
He also said, Fear thou none Of these
things which thou shalt suffer; behold
the devil shall cast some of you into
prison that ye may be tried, and ye
shall have tibulations ten days "a
short time; be thou faithful unto death
mot only until the end Of life, but in
death. II it should be martyrdom), and
] will give thee crown. Of life" or
eternal life as a crown. What pre-
ciOus promise for patient faithfulness!
Eternal life as a crown! The same
promise holds good to US. The Chris
tan life today Is not pathway Of
perfect peace. There are still trials
and tribulations to be endured and
things to suffer, but II we, too, are
faithful and patient In our faithful
ness there is laid up q crown Of eter-
nal life for us-Christ's reward for
fidelity amid trials and fluctuations.
Let US see that none OF us lese that
crown which Christ has prepared for
uA.
BIBLE READINGS.
Matt. XIV, 31-46; Rom. Y, is; viii,
"A, %; Phil. Ii, LIP; Cor. tx, 2427:
II Tim. Nv, Is; Jas. i, liz; Tim. vi.
II, II; Pet. j, 1-9; ", A.
A Heartening Word.
A Minnesota pastor says: glory in
Christian Endeavor work, upon which
God has set His seal.
/ remember when q lad Of fifteen in