Durango semi-weekly herald., 1906-01-04
NEW YEAR OBSERVATIONS.

ne ioio"iHS sermon delivered b.
Rev. Ferguson OH the new year yes
terday morning at the Presbyterian
church is quite interesting and shoul,
he given careful perusal:
Sing aloud unto God our strength
make joyful noise unto the God o
Jacob. Take psalm and bring hith
eT the tim5rel. the pleasant harp witt
the psaltery. Blow up the trumpet il
me new moon, in the time appointed
on your solemn feast day. For this
is statute for Israel, and a law OF
the God of ,Iacob."-Ps., sl:!-i.
New Year is an old institution. One
finds indications of its observance as
iar back as Moses The sacred his
torians associate its origin with the
dehverance OF the chosen people from
the bondage OF Egypt A feast was
instituted at that time for its com
memoration which was known as tn,
Feast of Trumpets.
So the festival at the outset had
religious aspect God himself gav,
command at the time as follows
This month shall be to you the be.
ginning of months. the first month o.
the year, and you shall keen it M
10 the fourteenth day of the same
MONTH" and measures were taken Al
once to bring the whole nation into
obedience to him. Moses announced
laws for the regulation of the season
aud preparations were made for its
celebration. Labor of every kind was
quilted, and, having set their house
hoIds In order and opened the publ,
places of worship, the people met to
eether 10 perform their VOWS, men
women and children; and. renewing
their covenant relations TO each other
sought to rekindle their devotional
zeal at the altar of God.
Nor should the practice be relegat
ed TO Judaism. The same sentiment
is meant to insinuate itself into the
present.
God still speaks through the mouth |
OF patriarch. seer and prophet. The |
ceremonial forms OF the old dispense |
ton are out OF date, yet truths back |
of them are OF perpetual duration |
Man Is man, no more, no less, where
soeyer found. His desires, needs and
aspirations arerhe same in every re
sion. His highest good now lies In
the WAY of his highest good in the
past And, since so much is true
there are several pertinent sugges
i'ons for this generation in the ancient
custom under consideration. None
can do better today than to learn
some of the lessons taught in connec
tion with the old New Year
|. Observe that the occasion was
a call to prayer.
New Year was begun in the house
of God There the people assembled
themselves together, and, when the
signal was given. settled down in 81
lent devotion. The eyes of the con |
srcgation were fastened on the thin
thread of incense which rose from
the censor in the hand of the priest |
and, as sweet spices were thrown or
the fire, the performance helped to
deepen their spirit of worship. Ev |
erybody felt that the aroma which |
filed the room was symbol OF the
fact that the petitions of their heart.
were an Offering much more accept
able than the incense of the cgnser in
the estimation OF God.
This is also truth recognized
among us. Our own church sets apart
the first week in the year as a week |
Of prayer. and asks its members to
so observe the season. In response |
10 the call some of us are going to as
sembe tomorrow evening and every |
evening next week in the lecture room
for prayer, and the hope is that a.
many as can do so will join us. Om
especial need is deepening of the
congregation, and the easiest and bes
way to attain this Is to get ourselves
into touch with the Holy Spirit. Go
keeps his great heart open to us, lik,
the armament was open above iht
altar of incense; and, like the mist
which rise from the river and return
in rain, our petitions come back to Us
in the form of blessings of heaven.
and, if we would assure ourselves ol
spiritual things during the coming
months. we should address ourselves
to God. God is the best companion
any of us can ally ourselves with on
New Year
9 Observe that the occasion was
to drill the people in the word of God
New Year was set apart for definite
instruction in the Bible. The priests
made special selections from the Law
at the time. and the prophets reat
them in all of the synagogues Of TN
kingdom. Ezra formed the entire ma