The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1896-01-30
SELECT RELIGIOUS READING.
BEarSSrSo A NEW YEAR.


The old aud time.honored way OF begin
ming New Year was to sit down and cata-
logue all ones SINS and then for ea h blotted
page OF life turn over a new leaf, write on its
margin
"Henceforth shall none but pure and virtu-
Gus deeds
BE here recorded"
A sincere and commendable resolve in every
case, no doubt. but how seldom adhered to
amid the stress OF unceasing temptation and
the burden OF long established habit! Ere
tho fitst quarter of the year was spent. what
tempest of signs aud tears has been wont to
rise over broken resolves and betrayed
promscsl What an infinitely small propor-
tion OF the good. old-fashioned New Years
vows was ever kept!
And why not2 Il not the earnest, serious
vow n good way TO begin n reform? No;it
is superficial. Vows, are, as n rule, Of very
slender moral value. They are simply tho
expression OF II strong emotional tendency or
purpose. We all know how little vows nrc
trusted or esteemed in practical affairs.
inan vows he will pay you ono hundred dol
lars, which he has borrowed, in three months
time. Do you 70 away satisned2 Hardly.
| lou cXhort from him written and signed
statement that he will pay the money, and
| then you feel safe. for he has allowed you 10
| put the moose of the law about his throat ;and
| 10 the shame of human nature be- IL said that
/ this sort seems to be the only binding agree
| meut between man and man.
No, the VOW Is always superficial. II docs
| not 50 Gccp enough. II docs not sufficiently
| compel and Involve. A man may promise
/ with the most earnest and sincere good.
/ will, yet when the stress comes, his vow may
/ snap like arccd And as the strength OF his
I promise 10 others. so u Il apt 10 be To him
i sclf-iudecd It will he even weaker TO him
/ self, NJ n rule. because he does not stand in
! such whOlcsom' fear Of the weak creature ho
/ kuuws himself to be-
The old way Of beginning New lcar, then
I the yuwiug, lcni-turning ways mere
| convention md pleasantly Most v US show
| the Il gre 90 which We estecm II b the light
way We speak of Il. When absolut Y serious
/ 1t Is good ~ far as II goes, but, unfortunately
| IL doesn't 20 far. Tho expressed resolve TO
"brcak or 10 change ones habit, TO do tho
| right thing hitherto uudOnc, and leave un-
| done the wron., thing hitherto done, is prac.
ti'ally Of very little ethical account. satan
rs,tlcs a million such fallen resolves beneath
/ h'- feet, as the November wind rustles the
! groom promises of the spring. Few lives are
p, fttormcd hy mgrs resolves.
| va, thoa. l. the strong moral and ethical
| lcsun ng? In whnt way may We rightfully,
! and with some measure of confidence, enter
| upon the personal life Of u New Year?
First. by taking heart OF courage from the
| victories and achievements OF the year that
| IL past Nothing succeeds like success, is
/ "A pToVerh that l. n good deal more than hait
| true The u'cumuative power OF either good
or evil Is tremendous. II you have gained
| any victory over Yourself during the yenr, or
accomplished any distinctivcly good work, or
attained at any high spiritual experience, 1t
shall be u tower OF strength for you in the
year To come. Take the moral impetus OF
every good thought or word, or deei, In
your past iii" to help you on your heaven
ward way iu the wear To come. There are
courage and strength In tho memory OF past
achievements. Think on them
Then. again, YOU shnll begin your New
Year we'll. II you pray God To help you make
1t Il better year than last. prayer Is dis
tinctly different from Il vow. II Is humber,
less self-rcliant function. When you VOW TO
put the rcsponsibiiity-t a large degree mt
any rate-uuon yourself. But when you
pray, you appeal to God TO bc the source ot
your strength and the sustainor OF your en-.
dcayOr. vow implies confidence; prayer
implies humility. IL is infinitely better To 80
forth withrrsoever, saying, God help me
than To 90 saying. IL will!' God can make
your New Year blessed and fruitful. He VIII,
If YOU ask Him. But there is little in the
spirit Of the VOW that Is not also prayer
which His Omnipotence will sustain.
Finally, to begin your New Year well, be-
gin II with immediate righteousness. DO
not wait until the second Of January to do
any good thing. Do II the first thing In the
morningof tho first days Of the year The
contemplating, lazy piety that d"voies even
n day to the luxury of imagining what II
will do has too little backbone or vital energy
TO accomplish anything Important, though
the centuries OF God were hers The man
> who really means to be- better Christian IN
1896 than in 1895 will certainly not let the
Observation-Disclosures part OF tn,
New Year slip away without doing something
TO prove II.
Rejoice pray-work! These are the three
good ways 10 begin the New Year Don't si
down to make VOW, aud don't start journa
Z to prove how impcrirctly you will keep them
just emphasize the good that has alway'
been in your life, pray for the new righteous
, ness that you desire, and begin the goo'
work OF the New Year "a promptly as the sui
begins his. II you follow these directions
you viii not be called upon to shed any tear
over the turned leaf which the wind OF thu
world blew back again.