The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-01-29
RELIGIOUS READING.
BEGINNING A NEW YEAR.

BEGINNING NEW YEAR.
The old and time-honored way Of begin.
ming q New Year was to sit down and cata-
logue al ones sins, and then for ca blotted
page of life turn over new leaf, write on Its
margin .....' .,' X .
"Henceforth shall none but pure and virtu-
Gus deeds IL yf.
Be here recorded" zt =
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
the first quarter of the year was spent, what
a tempest OF sighs and tears has been wont to
rise over broken resolves and betrayed
promises! What an infinitely small proper
tion OF the good, old-fasbioned New Years
VOWS was ever kept! rta
And why not2 Is not the earnest, serious
VOW q good way to begin a reform? No; E
Is. superficial. Vows, are, as rule, OF very
slepder moral value. They are simply the
sexbfsssion OF a strong emotional tendency or
purpose. Wesll know how little vows are
trusted or esteemed, in practical affairs. A
3man VOWS he will pay yop one hundred dol
lars whlch he hag borrpwsGin three months
tms Hon .rsas sss sS s. ysa ssssas Ia aas
statement that De yin tpay ths money, and
then you feel safe. for he has slloxe6 you g
put the moose OF the law about Pc throst sanc
to the shame of human nature BE tf seld g11y
this sort seems to be the only bindfAG a8feos
ment between man and man.
No, the VOW is always superficial 1t does,
not so deep enough. 1t does not sutncienuy
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 reed. And as the strength OF his
promise to others, so Is 1t apt to be to him
self, as a rule because he does not stand In
such wholesome fear Of the weak creature he
knows himself to he. iGh-
The old way OF beginning New Year, then
the vowing, leaf-turning way-is mere
convention and pleasantly. Most OF us show
the degree to which we esteem 1t By the light
way we speak OF It. When absolutely serious
It Is good as far as 1t goes, but, unfortunately
1t doesn't go far. The expressed resolve to
"break of" to change ones habit, to DO the
right thing hitherto undone, and leave un-
done the wrong thing hitherto done, Is prac-
tically Of very little ethical account. Satan
rustIes million such fallen resolves beneath
his feet, as the November wind rustles the
green promises of the spring. Few lives are
reformed by mere resolves.
What, then, Is the strong moral ana etnicai
beginning? In what way may we rightiuily,
and with some measure Of confidence, enter
upon the personal life OF 7 New YearI
First, by taking hea t OF courage from the
victories and achieyem ..Ls OF the year tnat
Is past. "Nothing succeeds like success, is
o proverb that Is good deal more tnan naii
true. The accumulative power OF eitner good
or evil is tremendous. II You have gained
any victory over yourself during the year, or
accomplished any distinctiyely good Work, ,or
attained at any high spiritual experience, It
year to come. Take the moral impetus OF
every good thought or word, or deed, In
your past life to help you on your heaven
ward way in the year 10 come. Cnere are
courage and strength In the memory OF past
achievements. Think on them -.
Then, again, you shall begin your New
Year well, II you pray God to help you make
1t better year than last. A prayer Is dis
tinctly different from VOW. It Is humblsr.
less self-reliant function. When you VOW to
put the responsibililty-to large degree at
any rate-upon yourself But when you
pray, you appeal to God to be the source OF
your strength and the sustainer OF your en-
deayor. A VOW implies confidence; prayer
implies humility. It is infinitely better to 60
forth withersoever, saying. "God help me!
than to 60 saying 81 will" God can make
your New Year blessed and fruitful Hewiil.
il you ask Hin. But there Is little In the
spirit OF the VOW that Is not also prayer,
which His omnipotence win sustain.
Finally, to begin your New Year well, pe-
gin 1t with immediate righteousness DO
not wait until the second OF January to 90
any good thing. Do 1t the first thing In the
morningof the first days Of the year. The
conten plating, lazy piety that devotes even
a day to the luxury of imagining what 1t
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
three-hundred- -and-sixty-sixth part OF the
New Year slip away without doing something
to prove it.
Rejoice-pray-work! These are the three
good ways to begin the New Year. Don't SIT
down to make vows s.and don't start journal
to prove how imperfectly you will keep them.
Just emphasize the good that has always
been in your life, pray for the new righteous,
ness that you desire, and begin the good
work OF the New Year as promptly as the sun
begins his. Ifyou follow these directions,
you will not be called upon to shed any tears
over tho turned leaf which the wind OF the
world blew back again. :,