The Grenada sentinel., 1904-01-02

!: !;
NJ
NV rYMlHA are wisely and
1MW{E$sS3& SO far as they ap-
M, VN< propriate and as
MN-)Al simulate the lessons
and experiences of
h e yesterdays.
Days should speak, and multitude OF
years should teach wisdom" That is,
the yesterdays should speak their mes
sage of admonition, of encouragement,
Of hope to the to-days; they should
bring of their stores of wisdom which
have been gathered as the fruitage OF
years and give instruction to the young
to-days> The words of our text are the
words of Elihu, the young man who
speaks after Jobs three aged friends
have concluded their long harargues to
the afflicted man. Elihu was modest, or
at least affected to be- and with becom-
Ing difference, of which he is conscious
ly proud, he waits until the men Of gray
hairs have spoken. Well would it be II
young men of to-day were as modest and
deferential in the presence of their
elders. Men of mature years and vener-
able age should speak first, says Elihu.
But in his words there is an implied re-
buke which is suggestive. 1t is as
though he said to these three aged phil
osophers: The days and multitude Of
years of your observation and expert
ence and learning should have enabled
you to speak and teach wisdom, but, he
goes on to sav in the ninth verse, great
men are not always wise; neither do the
aged understand judgment" Years do
not always bring wisdom, nor do they
always qualify man to speak profltably
| and wisely. Days Should" however,
''speak, and multitude of years should
teach wisdom" Each day should bring
forth its treasure to add to the life, and
each year should teach its lessons and
| bestow the wealth of wisdom with which
| it has been endowed. But too often the
days melt into weeks and the weeks are
swallowed up of the months, and the
months are soon lost in the years as they
glide swiftly by, and thoughtlessness
and heedlessness.> worldliness and self
seeking rob the days and weeks and
months and years Of their offerings Of
! true wisdom and enduring blessing.
CUSTOM has marked the first day of
- the New Year as the occasion Tor
noting in an especial way the fight
OF time. From the most ancient times
the beginning of years as marked by
the calendars of the different nations
and peoples has been characterized by
ceremonies and observations of special
recognition. The Jews, the Egyptians,
the Chinese, the Romans, the Moham-
medans and other nations, although
differing as to the time from which
they reckoned the commencement of
the year, all regarded it as day of sDe-
cial interest. Americans in the larger
cities of the country where the Chi
nese are found in any numbers are
reminded at the present day of the
difference between the calendar COM
monty in use among the principal ma
tons of the world and that of China
by the elaborate celebration OF the Chi
nese New Year. 1t is the great day IN
the Chinaman's year, and the day Is
given over to festivities and religious
ceremonies of various kinds. The Jews
to this day observe the New Years
day of their own Jewish calendar with
great faithfulness and solemnity. The
celebration of New Years day is of pa
gan origin. The early Christian ia
thers-Augustine, Ambrose and others
forbade in Christian use all festive
celebration Of the day, because of the
immoral and superstiti0us 0bservances
of the pagan festival. The Christians
however, were directed to open the
year with day of prayer, fasting and
humiliation. But New Years day is
not a religious or church day, except
in the Roman Catholic church, where
it is observed as a holiday of strict
observance and religious ceremony
Upon the Christian of the Protestan,
denominations it has no direct claims
body of Christians in the world but in
some manner and to some degree gives
recognition to the day. It may be II
a watch night service, in which thu
closing hours Of the Old Year and th<
dawn of the New Year are passed il
songs of praise and worship, in prayer
Scripture reading and testimony.
, may be prayer service or other man
ner of religious exercises on New
Years day. 1t may be New Year,
dinner or social, or it may be only !,
thought and reference to the day at th'
regular religious services preceding it'
dawn. 1t is time Of accounting, ,
. summing up Of days past and a though
for the days which the New Year will
count OF day by day. and only Civ
! up the secrets OF those days as they ar,
revealed by. the days unfoldings
Days should speak, and the New
!. Years day is the time when the day
.. Of the year which has gone should hav
. opportunity to speak and cast the inllu
efice Of their experience upon the day,
} Of the year just begun.
lit IS an old and trite saying tha
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