Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1920-12-31
The Old Year and
the New
A Sermon for New Years Eve
BY
REV. STEPHEN PAuLSoN

NY Times are in Thy hand.-Psalm sl.l5
q AID and solemn are the last hours
Of the dyilg year Only few
months ago a New Year was
given unto US, fresh and pure from
Gods great storehouse of time 1t
Ras spent It's life upon the earth, and
rs footprints will never be effaced.
Fne departing year has brought to us
Gods numberless blessings: 1t has
seen many noble deeds done, and ii
las seen progress in many depart
nents of life
The passing OF another year must
emphasize TO every thoughtful person
ahe swift flight of time Looking
backward over the past years of our
Nfe they seem to shrink to the size
" beads strung around child's neck.
Seeking an image of mans career, the
prophet sees his days swifter than
weaver's shuttle; his years swifter
shan an arrow. curving as 1t rises to
IT'S fall. What is mans life7 he asks.
1t is a cloud dissolving in the sun
Anime. II is summer brook swollen
by sudden rains. but soon running out
and leaving the stones bare again.
Ii is tale that Is soon told
These last days of the old year urge
as TO husband well the time that is
means only leaf to the rine. a clus-
ter; TO the tree, new ring of wood.
But to man a year means large
portion of his life which has been
used or wasted. Youth often unthink.
ingly throws all responsibilities on the
years 10 come. To him everything
seems possible in the future Then he
thinks to have time for education.
Then he will practice economy and
thrift, let the present be prodiga as
IT may The morrow will suffice for
the forming Of habits and the building
of character. So dazzled by the flu
ture the youth allows the years to
slip through his hands, and the result
Is a man who is an intellectual infant
and moral feebling. As you pause
now and think over the past, you
must realize that the morrow holds
no harvests which the laborers called
yesterdays did not sow and cultivate.
There was an ancient custom OF put
ting an hourglass into the coffin of
the dead to signify that their time
had run eut--a useless notification TO
them. Better put the hourglass into
the hand of every living man to show
him how swiftly the sands of life do
flow. But, after all. time is of value
only as we make the best use of it.
We live in deeds. not years, in thoughts.
not breaths:
In feelings. not in figures on a dial
We should count time by heart-throbs.
Who thinks most, feels .hs noblest. acts
the best
The old year may hold our many
failures, many disappointments many
bitter regrets The New Year holds
ont to us hope and promise. for my
times are in Thy hand, o Lord. II
should comfort us when we think of
the breyity of our years, to realize
by contrast the length of Gods years.
We have but short time To work,
and it is well TO remember that In
order that we NAV be dilligent. But
God has q whole eternity in which
80 work, and IL is well TO remember
that also, so that we may cease from
Tretfulness and impatience at the slow
progress of His kingdom among us.
Jesus Christ has not ceased from His
redemption of the world, nor has God
been defeated in HE plans for hu
luanlty, for the times Of men and
a0i'onS are in His hand