THE SABBATH.

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 18 (Supplement)

THE SABBATH.

A NEW YEAR SONG Thangsglving and the voice of melody, This New Year’s merning call me from my sleep; A new, sweet song is in my heart for Thee, Thou faithful, tender Shepherd of the sheep. Thou knowest where to find and how to keep The feeble feet that tremble where they stray; O’er the dark mountains, through the whelming deep, Thine everlasting mercy makes its way. The past is not so dark as once it seemed, For there Thy lootsteps, now distinct, I see; And seed in weakness sown, from death redeemed, Is springing up, and bearing fruit in Thee. Not all that hath been, Lord, henceforth shall he— A low, sweet, cheering strain is in mine ear. Thanksgiving and the voice of melody Are leading in from heaven a blest New Y'ear. Anna Letitia Waring.

USING THE PAST THE THINGS THAT A'RE BEHIND At the beginning of a new year people wish happiness to their friends, and it is to be hoped frame good resolutions and ask Divine help for keeping them. Y r et the common suggestion, here is a new year; take advantage of it to forget all that has gone before and push ahead ’ is had advice for a church, or a nation, or a soul. Try as a man may to forget his past it will not forget him; what he believed and did in the year lately ended must influence, for better or worse, his creed and conduct in the year newly begun. A certain hymn begins by asserting that “the year is gone beyond recall,” but, except in the chronological sense, this is quite untrue. Even our vocabulary refutes it; we can and do recall the last 12 months, to And them vivid in our memories. Indeed, the Latin poet was not far wrong when he said that to be able to enjoy the past Is to live twice over. For all men, in short, the past is a present possession, and to decide how to put it to the best use is of real importance. Guidance about it will not be found by misinterpreting a tew words written by St. Paul. Long ago a sermon by F. W. Robertson, entitled “Christian Progress by Oblivion of the Past,” led the way in using the Pauline phrase, “forgetting the things that are behind,” without due regard to its context. When the passage as a whole is studied, it becomes clear that the things behind which the Apostle makes it his rule to forget are no more than such degrees of spiritual success as he has already gained. Instead of halting because he has made so much progress he is Resolved Still to Press On, like a runner in a race still unfinished. So far from trying deliberately to forget the past he recalls in detail the story of his early years and his con-

version, while his regular practice .when wishing to illustrate the doctrines he urged was to turn to the spiritual history of his race. In both \ these habits he set an admirable J example. To encourage an intelligent ! acquaintance with the past must al- i ways be a principal aim of sound I education, and the need of it is in- j creased by the tendency to belittle our j indebtedness to bygone generations. 1 Religious teaching will hardly deserve its name unless it helps children to ; notice the spiritual warnings and en- ! couragement with which history j abounds, and lo see how much of the i liberty and knowledge now taken as ; a matter of course was won for them | by the piety and heroism of their fore- i fathers. Of great value, too, can be the wise j use of a man’s own past. Its treasure I grows with increasing years; the old ; age of many has been made radiant by j their store of happy memories. Not j that they lost interest in the present; j on the contrary, they were sympa- j thetic with the young and enthusiastic j about some modern changes. Y’et I nothing helped them so well to over- | come the weakness and querulousness of old age as the power of slipping ] back into those vanished years which j were rich in healthful vigour and ! tender friendships and joys. To meditate in this fashion might be called day-dreaming, but much more truly it is to foresee eternity, when all good things and every right happiness shall be restored. indeed, to make the best use of the past is always to Let Memory Revive Thoughts of life’s happiest days, not of its disappointments and sorrows. A natural instinct helps in this, causing early pleasures to be remembered when early troubles are forgotten. And that may be not merely an instinct but a presage of a future stage when everything we now regret shall be wiped away as though it had never been. Profitable warnings and guidance, no doubt, will be derived from the recollection of past failures. Y'et wha! ch’pfly thoughts of the vanished years will bring are feelings of gratitude and encouragement for the future. It is because God has been our iietp in ages past that He is our hope for years to come. VIRTUEB DEFINED In the autobiography of Benjamin Franklin is given the following as his maxims of life:— Silence.—Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Order.—Let all things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Resolution.—Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you receive. Frugality.—Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself—i.e., waste nothing. Industry.—Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Sincerty.—Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Justice.—Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Moderation.—Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Tranquillity".— Be not disturbed at trifles, or at aocidents common or unavoidable.