Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-10-18
CHRISTIAN ENDEAvOR



Beginning Oct. q, 1911.
Topic--Lessons have learned from
things.-1er. kill LILO: Matt. xxi. 1922.
Gan object meeting) Edited BY Rev.
Sherman IL. Doyle. D. D.
mon method Of instruction today. 1t
is the underlying principle of the kin
dergarten and is being used more and
more In the instruction and education
Of adults both along academic and
religious lines. On the lecture plat
form, In the classroom and in the pull
pit sight as well as hearing Is being
utilized in .impartlng knowledge as new
er before, and 1t needs no demonstra
ton to convince us that truth in the
concrete is more interesting and I'M
pressive than truth In the abstract
Nor need we reason upon the fact that
everything in life is capable OF teach
ing useful and important lessons. The
poet has well said that there are
Sermons IN stones.
Books in running brooks
And good In everything.
We cannot therefore spend too much
time in cultivating the powers OF OBJ
servation and deduction that we may
learn lessons from things.
The Bible Is particularly apt In using
object lessons as method of instruc-
ton. In the Old Testament we have
many Illustrations Of the striking pres
entation of truth through objects, and
Christ, who spake as never man
spake," fully recognized the usefulness
Of objects in presenting moral and
spiritual truth. The book Of nature
was frequently used by Him as text
book on ethics and practical theology.
In the flowers, the trees. the fields.
He saw many useful lessons, and we
may do well to hear God speaking to
us in all things that He has made.
l. The lesson from the linen girdle.
In the type Of linen girdle God
taught His ancient people that He
would punish them for their unfaith-
fitness and unprofitableness. AS the
girdle was to cleave to the loins Of a
man, SO Israel was to cleave unto
God, but they were faithless; hence
God instructed Jeremiah to hide {
linen girdle in the Euphrates river.
Afterward the prophet found that 1t
was marred and improbable, and God
declared that He would thus mar "Ahe
pride Of Judah and the great pride Of
jerusalem" The nation had been sin
full and faithless. and by this object
lesson God taught that 1t would he
punished. Sin always mars the hu-
man life and makes it improbable to
God and brings forth His disapproval
and punishment. Let us learn the les
son that we should cling to God and
not to sin, lest we, too. should be the
objects Of His displeasure and pun
ishment.
2. The lesson from the Roman coin.
By this object Christ teaches that su-
preme allegiance and obedience are
due to God. Trying to entangle Christ
In His talk, His enemies asked Him
whether it were lawful to render
tribute to Caesar. II He had said
mo" they would have charged Him
with disloyalty to the Roman govern
ment, and had He said yes" without
qualification they would have declar-
ed that He was disloyal to His own
nation. Making them say that the
image on a coin for which He had
asked was Caesars, He discounted
them by saying. Render therefore
unto Caesar the things which are
Caesars and unto God the things that
are Gods" The coin bore Caesars
image and suDefscription. It was his
and should be rendered unto him.
There could be no disloyalty to any
one else IN giving unto Caesar what
belonged to him But this was not
all. They bore the image Of God and
should therefore consecrate their life
to Him. Supreme loyalty in life is
due to God. All duties Of life are to
be faithfully performed both over all
and above all We belong to God and
should faithfully serve Him. Love
to God Is the first and greatest COM
mandment. and 1t is impossible to
rightfully perform the duties Of citi-
Eenship and other duties without first
being obedient to Him.