Christian Endeavor

Topic. - Serreta of srrong lives. - Jjuke vil, 18-28. (A temperance meeting suggested.) The strong life orcharacter thatis set before us in our topical reference as our model for fmding the secrets of strong lives is that of John the Baptist. Hard]y could a better hnve been choseu, particujarly to apply the subject of temperance. We not only have the life of John as testimony of the nobility of his character, but we have aremarkable declaration of the Lord Himself in favor of this opiniou. This is a pleasant testimony, too, f rom the f act that it came as a tribute to John just after he had intimated his doubt concerning Christ. In the highesttermsof unmeasured confidence Christ 8peaks of him, deolaring that "among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist" When Christ upoke of John in such glowing ternas, ■we need not hesitate to take his life as a model one to illustrate the secret of etrong lives. One secret of a strong life, as illustrated in John, is the wiilingness to accept privation. John lived for years in the wilderness, with nothing to gratify taste, with barely snfflcient to austain life and with only the roughest kind of dress. This privation was necessary that he might perform the work which God had for him to do. One secret of strength is wiilingness to endure hardships, to suffer privation. The oppoaite weakness in this particular makes many wcak men, particnlarly as a resnlt of intemperance. Men will not suffer privation, they vul not deprive theruselves of that which satisfies their physical appetites, and the resnlt is weakness, whereas they might have been strong, influential men if they had endured privation. Another secret of strength illustrated in John is moral courage. John had the courage of his convictions. He even denounced the king and queen for their sins, as well as the common people. Moral courage is an absolute necessity to gnard against the evils of intemperanee. Scarcely a boy grows to manhood without being tempted again and again to indulge in strong drink, and he must have the moral courage to refuse and to stand by his refusal, or he will f all beneath the temptation. Au other secret iswillingsubjection to the will of God. John did to the -very best of his ability the work which God had laid out for hini to do. He was faithfnl, even to death, to the -work comraitted to his charge. If we follow the path that God lays ont for us in life, in His way, our lives will be strong indeed. Bible Eeadings. - Ex. xv, 1, 2 ; I Saín, xvii, 32-37; Ps. xviii, 1, 2; xxvii, 1; xxviii, 7, 8 ; xxix, 1 1 ; xlvi, 1 ; Ixviii, S4, 85; Job xii, 13-25; Isa. xii, 2; xl, 29-31; Prov. x, 29; II Cor. xii, 9, 10? Eph. iii, 14-19; Phil. iv, 13, 14; I Pet v, 10.