Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-01-08

IAAfA~ 80 A~a
Glalaess nnd saauoss ninFlos IL ear hearts
to-day. a. ne enter aPon the aHknosn his
tory ii another vczrs sadness In yies ufthc pact
-.su,ee els 81 lcasi. - in the fruiti0n q The
urr-rat and autiein4iion Cor the fature.
IA isa tine for relies aud rrheciion. Apd
uhile the EXPRESSES Il the past arr frush IN
cur miIsds, and cur puFpsses Cor the future new
" forunesl; While thu Trquieia q the departed
year l. tolling IN our eaTs. and happy grrciinEs
isr the :. Ncw Year" aN On eur hp-. ltt AZ
.it down With curselrrs and God 10 one hour
ofearnosi thonghi, that the teachings a the past
be not fergutict, and the future enicrcd uPon,
unprsPsFcd.
GLAnNEss.
We -houh have rladness In our thoughts to-
day. God has hem especially gracious 10 rs as
a congregation and people during the year noW
gone. Let that goodness call forth our gratitude!
In temporal things We have received much
blessing. No destructive tempest has swept
over our community leaSing dtsolation aud suf-
ferine in its path. No sweeping feed has carried
away our possessions in its rrsisiless current
No burning druuih has scorshed the soil. and
shriycled TO noihingnoss the tender blade. No
deyouring flame has taken lfrom any Of our
number, the shelter and comfort Of Home. No
wasting disease has swept by our dwellings.
carving away our Lowell ones like the leaves Of
Autumn before the wind. Other eongrega-
tions and communities have been visited with
these Affections. We have been spared.
We also have been blessed in a better way.
The Lord has remembered Zion. Many and
frequent have been the tokens Of His spiritual
favor TO this people. In the Public Congrega-
ton, in the Sunday School, In the meetings for
PRAYER and communion here and there Throughout
the year, there have been Manifestations Of our
st,ior's presence, that will be our possession
when these tend,r associations shall have been
severed, these familiar faces seen no more, these
Z" New Years Greetings" forever over. What
ever loss may come TO us of other thing, many
Of us will be richer for eternity, in the memory
Of this years ioy. But best Of alias We come
around the Table Of our Lord to-day, VIC com
muue with not few OF those, who one year, age,
were strangers to the experiences Of Sa,ior's
love and blessing.
SADNESS.
"Sorrowful yet always rejoicing" says the
Apostle Thus cur experience is. Tho we have
been glad, We too have wcpt. II was siid at the
Anniversary Of our Sunday School one year
ago, that there had been no death Of any Of its
members for the previous year. IL was spoken
with trembling, for such an occurrence seemed
unusual among 20 large number. How little
did We know which golden link from our happy
chain would be broken first. At our very next
concert, while We were singing and talking
about the :" Beautiful Home " of God's children,
one of our number kept from meeting with us,
was nearing that place Of rest and peace. The
Good Shepherd had need of her in His upper
fold, " and lie took her in His arms and folded
her to His bosom. Death came next to the rlan
of years; husben and father is taken away.
Iii. next admonition was for those Just entering
upon the active duties Of life. Maturity and
childhood have each contributed Of their num-
her to the dead-and now the young man lays
down to die. Nor has the cloud Of sorrow lift
cd, before il casts another dark shadow upon
the same lonely household. This time the Mas
ter takes from parents arms, precious child a
" Flower the earth too rudcy pressed" And
finally the mother of iourscorc years, lays down
her weary, yet cheerful burdens. Others fam
lilies Of our congregation have been called to
mourning, by the death ofabscnt members 9th
err still there are to-day, who wait upon the
sick, with the sad thought that thsmay be the
last New Years meeting they shall ever have
with them on earth.
H0PEFULNEss.
We escrow not cs they who have no hope.
Tho few that were with us in the beginning
Of our journey have fallen by the wayside, VIC
still have cause for joy.
In the blessings Of heart and life, which God
has given, we have reason TO trust in Him
with greater confidence. BY the grace with
which he has sustained in sorrow, We may learn
to lean more fully upon him in coming days.
"His is an arm that neur tires,
When human strength gives way;
His is a love that never fails,
When human loves decay"
Two dangers need to be avoided (which pre-
sent themselves in such times of reflection and
anticipation as the present One, that in the
retrospect Of the past year, we give not up to
Encouragement, at the discovery over our indi-
yidual faults and failures. Self examination is
good but VIC should seek not to possess so mueh
Of it as to unfit us for future labors. Remen-
brance of former weaknesses should be retained,
but we should not think so much of these, rs
to have no thought for present duties.
The other danger is too general purpose in
regard to future services In the crowd Of
labor that comes TO on;'s mind ON such n time
as this, we are burdened with the necessity of
doing much, and we want to do large things.
So VIC wait for the great opp rtunities to come,
and miss the more specific and really the most
important works of life. Wcwill do well if we
think enough ofthe past to keep us humble, and
give more thought and care to the minute de-
tails of life and character.
As congregation, as christians, as individ-
uals in preparation for another years work zoe
hare need of the spirit Of Charity. AS we en-
ter upon this New Year, VIC may with Shylock,
place our feet upon the lar, and with the Jews
persistency exact of others, what we feel they
owe to us; but it is poor foundation on which
to build.
1t is human to err--'tis Divine to forgiye;-
it is like the adversary of all good, to seek or
be willing to crush the heart, or hurt the char
actcr of our fellow beings by reminding them
or others, in countenancc or deed or word, of
the wrongs they have committed. Encourage
ment to sin we are not to giye-better lose a
hand or foot than to do it; but help to the wan
dcring and the sinner, we should seek to lend,
with warm hearts and ready hands.
2. We need the spirit Of forgiveness.
e The Sandal tree perfumes, when riyen,
The AK that laid 1t low; fH
Let him that hopes to be forgivca
Forgive and bless his foe"
At all times we need to possess n iorgiving
spirit--for without such, we have no hope Of
pardon for our SINS but at such times as this,
we need it in particular. We want to enter
this year with clean books
3. We need the spirit Of sympathy.
The Apostles call, " BE kindly affectioncd
one to another with brotherly love, ;" needs fire.
quently to be repeated in these times, when there
are SO many forces that tend to limit our af-
fections and make our friendships even of sell
fish nature. We need to feel for others as
preparation to do them good. We have need of
enlarged hearts, for our own good as well.
We give to truth warmer, richer soil. by
making the SORROWS and cares of others more