The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-01
LESSONS oF THE DYING YEAR.
Rev. DIR. Fairs Sermon at the hide
pendent Church.

pendent Church.
At the independent Presbyterian Church
yesterday morning. the pastor, Rev, Or.
Fair preached a sermon app, opriate 10
the closing of The year His text was from
Deuteronomy 1916, "Ye shall henceforth
return no more that way"
The life of Moses was nearing the end
and In its close the great law-giver gain
cred the people around him and reviewed
the past As the Hebrews looked back
over the way by which they had come,
they saw many places where they were
straitly shut in and sorely pressed. IheH
path had not always been bright or ea7N'
but led at times through the gloomiest
and most tangled portions of the wider
ness Many a battlefield stood out TO
view: many a grave lined the way where
they had shed bitter tears and lett loved
one to sleep In the lonely desert lney
had climbed many desoiate rugged MI.
and gone down into many dark an
cherries valley of humiliation. Bur TINS
retrospect revealed also many essings.
The path though hard and tortuous, was
marked at ever step with shining ploo.s OF
Gods goodness.
The whole way was spanned with the
rainbow of promise and under IT'S arch
they had marched steadily forward 20 vac
tory When they nuHStitl, Nui Ht"NN'7
ly mamma fell around their sleeping teuts,
man did eat angels food, the corn OF
heaven; when they thirsted, the rocks
gave forth springs in their perpleXites,
the pillar of cloud always guided. In ths
very beginning of the journey, when the
sunshine flashing on the spears OF Fha-
raoh's host and reflected back by the sea,
seemed 70 give the lie to Gods promise,
Ills por,ey had saved them, ana
across the intervening years they
could still hear the echoes OF MI
Rams timbrel and the songs of the dane
ers. -,
said Or Fair 1--WE may recall many
trials and shadows that gathered over the
path but we recall also many mercies
Indeed the blessings far outnumber the
troubles. Even when the cloud of af-
Fiction lowered over the home, II con-
tained the Angel of the Covenant VINO
lowered above us on poised wing ana lald
His hand in benediction on our bowed
heads Looking back, we remember
MANY DAYS that were cloudless. when
heaven seemed to be about us and we
walked hand in hand with God, as friend
with friend True we may nave some
times come 10 the valley of trai, but
we more often came to Berachah. the
valley of Thanksgiving. The path was
lined with blessed resting places ON me
way. Bethel and Elm and Ebenezer' Je-
ah-iireth the Lord VIII provide; Je-
hoyah-nissi the Lord my banner; Je-
hovah Isidkem, the Lord my righteous
ness: Jehovah shalom, the LORD my peace
and above all, Calvary, with its cross,
great mountain peaks of blessing like
steps to the eternal throne on which the
feet of the King came down to bless as.
How many blessings the year brought
to us as individuals, to our homes, to our
church, TO our city, to our country sah
DR.. Fair Truly we can soy: Thou
crownest the wear with thy goodness; all
thy paths drop fatness.' But this retro
spect revealed also 20 the Hebrews many
sins and shortcomings. As they looked
back they saw many places where they
murmured against God forgot His kind
ness, compromised His truth, longed for
the heshIpots of Egypt. They recalled
that dark spot where they, the chosen
people who had heard Gods voice at
Sinai fell PROSTATE in worship before 4
golden calf
80. rs we look back over the past year"
Dr. Fair continued, are we not conscious
of derelicuon in duty? Are we nearer TO
God than when II began? Have we adj
vanc d upon the way, and Is our faith
stronger and are our hearts humber and
purer? Are we not rainier living in the in
diligence of the same sins and in the neg
lect of The same duties, fighting over the
same battles and revolving around the
same center? Let us learn the lesson Of
tie passing years, improve the heeting
tin e ard live earnestly our lives, with I'M
faNering trust in God and boundless hope
in the future move bravely onward"
"Old year. farewell, with all Thy trouble
Thou will bring US no more heartarhes
and no more tears. Farewell, with all Thy
heautiful and holy visions which have fad
ed and left no shadow of their loveliness
in the dead wastes Of life. Farewell, with
all thy blessings. We forget Thy frowns in
thy smiles. Thy rugged face is dear to us
we drop tears upon thy dying couch. When
We meet again at the judgment bar, may
II be as friends, may we not shrink from
Thy record nor tremble at thy coming"