Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1902-01-10
GRASP OPPORTUNITIES.
DR.. Talmage Says New Year Will BE
One of the Greatest of
All Time.
The Worlds Normal Condition Will BE
Reformed.

WASHINGTON, d. Gin this, Dr. Lar |
IMAGES first discourse for the new year he
speaks words of encouragement to all the
timid and doubling. The text IS Exod aus
beginning of months; it shall be the hrst
month of the year to you"
The last month of the old year has
passed out Of sight, and the first month OF
the new years has arrived. The midnight
gate last Wednesday opened and January |
entered. She deserves better name, for
she is called after Janus, the heather
deity who, they supposed, presided over |
doors, and so might be expected to PRESIDE
at the opening Of the year. This month
was of old called the wolf month because, |
hungry wolves came down seeking food |
and devouring human life. In the missals
of the middle ages January was represent
ed as attired in white, suggestive or the
snow. and blowing the fingers, as though
suffering from the cold, and having bun.
die of wood under the arm, suggestive OF
the warmth that must be klndled. -,
Yes, January is the open door, OF the
year, and through that door will come
what long professions, some OF them pear
ing palm leaves and some myrtle, others
with @arlands of wheat and others with
cvpress and mistletoe. They are coming,
and nothing can keep them back.the
events of a twelvemonth. 1t will, think,
be one of the greatest years OF all time.
It will abound with blessing and disaster.
| National and international controversies
of momentous import will be settled Year
! of coronation and dethronement, year thag
! will settle Cuban and Porto Rican ana
| Philippine and South African ana Chlnese
destinies. The tamest year. for many
| decade past has dug its millions or graves
| and reared its millions Of marriage affairs
| We can expect greater events IN this
wear than ever before, for the worlds pop
uIation has so vastly increased there are
so MANY more than in any other year to
| laugh and weep and triumph and PERISH
| The michtier wheels of mechanism have
| such wider sweep. The fires are kindled
in furnaces not seven times but seventy
times heated. The velocltles whifIing
through the air and sailing the seas ana
tunneling the mountains Will make uhpre'
cedented demonstration.
Would to God that before the now open
| ing year has closed the earth might cease;
to tremble with the last cannonade and
the heavens cease to be lighted up with any an
more confederation of homesteads and the
foundries that make swords be turned
into blacksmith shops for making pioW'
shares.
The front door Of stupendous year, has
opened. Before many OF you there VIII Dt
twelve months of opportunity Tor making
the world better or worse, happier or more
!; miserable. Let us pray that II, may be
, wear that will indicate the speedy redemp
fion of the hemisphere. Would to- Goo
that this might be the year in when UNI
) | three GREAT instruments now chiefly uset
for secular purposes might be put to thel
, mightiest use in the worlds evangehZIa
, ton - the telegraph, the, telephone, IN
l monograph. Electricity has, such. poten
tongue, such strong arm, such sWlIV wing
, That it NAV be the angel that st. John say
l and heard in apocalyptic vision when 4 7
: started back and cried out, Il saw anoCf
er angel flying in the midst Of heaven nay
inc the everlasting gospel to preach unV
/ them that dwell on the earth and to ever
e nation and kindred and tongue and PEI
l. pie" r4 uot =
y the heads of the disciples at the Penteeo,s
and why not the world CALLED TO 200 u
e tongue of electric fire? Prepare your "a "a
q teries and make ready to put upon u
wires the world wide message or 'Whos
~ ever will" =,
ID has the greatest height and depth OF col
- The rivers are bound in crystal cham
~ The fountains that made highest leap.
C. the summer parks now toss not one le
y for every drop would be q frozen Yea
10 The sleds craunch through the hard sno'
- Warmest attire the wardrobe can a1ol
he is mt on that we may defend ourselv
N against the fury of the elements. Harde
/: of all the months for the poor, let ls
"a the season of greatest generosity on /
~ part of the prosperous. How much SCI
is lie of coal or pair of shoes or a coat OF
le shawl may do in assuagement OF suiIeri
Ill between the lst of January and the ISL
- February God only knows, Seated by, o
VI warm registers or wrapped IN 1urs Thl
be make us Independent of the cutting Jar
zip arv blast. let us not forget the frelt
- hearth and the thin garments and I
80 hacking cough and the rheumatic twin
nG OF those who through restitution ind
dS ! in winter an agony. Suppose each one
bo us take under charge one poverty-strlcR
ho household or one disabled man or one
ut yalided woman. On our way home tr
5h. such a charity, though the wind may
EST bowling and the night tempestuous,
in. should not wonder i we could near vo
to Of Main and by the pool of Bethesda
no inc, "Tnasmuch as we did it to them,
'ut Oh, the might of the cold! The arc
lat and antarctic invading the temperate 20
INT ! The victories of the frost-as when
Id Thames in 1905 became firm as any Or
and the inhabitants crossed and recros
II on the ice and booths and places OF U
os- porary amusement were built On the I'D
III New York Harbor was paved with ice
CIV that the people passed on foot to the
Of Joining islands. But the full story OF,
lay cold will never be known The lips WI
Two | would have told it were frozen and
i've fingers that would have written it "
per benumbed Only here and there tact
800 pears. In 1851 the cold was so terrific
nds the wolves entered Vienna. In laos IL
,or SO cold that wine was cut with mater
%, and distributed among the soldiers.
nds 1894 n whole forest was killed by the
rod. Mt Ravenna. In 1853 the Black Sea
no frozen over. As we go further back
'n' frosts are mightier, but as we come
pet ther down the frosts lessen. =
eks The worst seventies have been hal
Tar. and the SHOWS have lost their depths,
the thermometers announce less Ter
falls of temperature, and the time
come when the year will be one Long
worlds normal condition will be reforl
the worst climates will be corrected.
ates could not have a millennium with
% q nary blast possible.
,i~ Do not read your almanac backW
eng Do not 90 out and ask the trees hung
lchc icicles by January storm whether,
Ter will ever again blossom in May and
breo in June. We are moving toward
ll worlds redemption. The frozen tears
age melt the river of gladness will resum
ara / flow, the crocus will come up at the
the of the snowbank, the morning, star
at open 'ne JGor i1t s yn1 arms" all ar
III the world. 1t
peo- The January of frost will be aboli'
hia and the balm and radiance OF OWN
a rli mosphere will fill the nations II 20
'sed not see it and hear it for yourself
f 50 at the utmost your grandchildren WI
left and hear it. The heavens will take
oeic in the conflict between, righteousness