Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-11-13
CHRISTIAN eaOElvOa
Prayer Meeting Topic For the Week
Beginning Nov. II, 1912.

Beginning Nov. IL, 1912.
Topic.-aistakes often made.-Prov xiv,
la Can honorary members meeting)
Edited by Rev. Sherman II. Doyle, p. d.
No man has ever lived who has not
made mistakes. 1t was mistake for
Eve TO listen to the voice of the tempt
CT and mistake for Adam to disobey
the direct command of God. These
were the opesing wedges, and to make
mistakes has been so common with
mankind ever since that 1t has been
well said. ITO err is human" Almost
every day and every hour we are max
ing mistakes-doing the things that we
ought not to do and emitting to do
what ought to be done. There Is
no such thing as human infallibility
which precludes the possibility of error
In Judgment and In conduct Every
man must say with the hymn writer.
THE mistakes of my life have been
many" To consider these mistakes
and by the grace of God to guard our
selves as far as possible against them
and to correct them when made Is In
deed the part of wisdom.
1t L. serious mistake to make light
OF sin. Fools" says the wise man.
make q mock at sim" No matter how
learned we may be or how wise in
many things, We are but fools IL we
make light of sin and mock at its char
acter and its consequences. Yet this 10
one Of the great mistakes OF our age.
Sin Is looked upon as an inherited NOR
al defect, for which we are not respon-
sible; as an imperfection Of lower an
imal existence from which we have
been evolved; as merely the absence Of
love for and interest In our fellow hu-
man beings. But such conceptions Of
sin are an awful mistake. The Bible
teaches that sin is transgression OF
the law Of God and that escape from
the punishment Of sin is impossible
All human history corroborates the Bib
lical doctrines of sin and Its conse-
quences, and he is fool indeed who
makes the mistake Of doubling these
doctrines.
Procrastination Is q serious mistake.
To put Off anything of Importance is
an error. We should never put OF
until tomorrow what can be done to-
day" This is especially true when it
comes to the salvation of the human
soul Yet here especially men are apt
to procrastinate. They do not so
often deny the claims of Christ upon
them as they postpone the acceptance
of Him as their Saviour. They do
not reject Him absolutely. but only
for the present They intend to be
saved, but not now. Their intentions
are good. but good intentions alone
take man nowhere. 1t has well been
said that hell Is paved with good in
tentions" What mistake to delay
action upon such a serious matterl
The New Testament records but one
instance of what may be called a
deathbed repentence-that Of the dy-
ing repentant thief. Yet many are
postponing the salvation of their souls
until their dying hour-a hideous mis-
take indeedl How shall we escape II
cannot escape. To do so would be to
escape God. and such a thing Is i'm
possible.
1t is a mistake to think that we can
SOW wild oats and reap good grain.
I'VE see the failures In other mems
lives. We see that they do wrong and
suffer the consequences. We see that
they reap just what they Sow. But
too often we make the mistake Of
thinking that 1t viii be different with
us-that we can do as they do, yet.
unlike them, be immune from the con-
sequences. What follyl There is a
way that seemeth right to man. but
the end thereof is the way Of death"
and death for every one who follows
the way without single exception.
BE not deceived. God is not Knocked.
Whatsoever a man soweth. that will
he also reap" Nature knows no ex-
ception to this law. nor Is there any
exception in the life Of man.