THE DAY OF REST.

Te Aroha News, Volume VI, Issue 334, 16 January 1889, Page 4

THE DAY OF REST.

The long-established usage of presenting and receiving gifts at the beginning of the year, in token of friendship, forms the most attractive subject for our thoughts. Most young people take an indescribable pleasure in wondering what they will receive as their New Year's gift, whence it will come, and from whom ? Now Year's morn dawns upon more Mmijng laces than any other, tor it is the time of pleasing suspense, whether the hopes it bring\s forth are ultimately realised or not. Frequent are the glances of awakened curiosity which indicate that, expectation reachos its climax. To those who tlrivo to looic beyond the bulwaik of obscurity with which time hems in the present and hides the future, the new year aflords a source for renewed expectations find mote sage inflection; a subject for their didactic us weila*> ecstatic musings. Bvsuch eighteen hundicd and eighty-nine will have fcho pag^s or U.s iccoidsciitically examined. The shrewd, petsoxei ing man ol bu&inoss, at the clo^c ot tin, year, examines his books with the utmost care, and balances hio accounts with rigid scrnpulo-aty,toa i -certfiiu how ho .stands as regards pioiK," realised with UiGhLatemenL of the previous -\ ear's Uading. Theio aie other examinations which should take place, not in account-bookn but in the mind, which lotor to laatt't.s or much dtepw interest (,han those or business. We allude to (hose heart-sen things which cause us to mauo the long catalogue ol good resolutions which too often remain as witnesses afjamsl; us that wo arc " fco one thing constant never." At the&e seasons which seem so specially adapted lor lcfleclion, one often sees in Lho shop windows, or otherwise advertised for sale, books or pamphlets called " Aids to SelF-e\amina-cion." Certainly, at first thought, there appears but little need of them, for a hundled solemn and impoitant questions ui&h into the mind ol the least thoughtful amongst us to assist in that task. But there ib a guide which we com mend to you with greater confidence than those— one which the wisest men ofeveiy age have chosen toaid them m the seli-evun-ination that they found so essential lo the maintenance oi nobility of Clnistum manhood. We speak of the Bible, that bouice ol many a mourner's comtoifc, that chait which has pointed out for eu many heait--ack piigihns the minow iuad to the Mire haven of icst, that encout aging monitor winch ctncct^ the attention of those who tiead along the path of di.L^, to the glo.y, honoui, and innnoitality 1 i u Inch it uid^. The \oicc of the Word )Adt> u.s pa_se on this, the threshold of anothei >cai, and looking back upon that winch la. past, talcing into sad review the host of sins with which its iocotd U inscribed against ua, decide vhelhei we will now gne our lieait to God, and commence the new year with prayer loi that Dnine gat, oi ' clean heait and a iui wed spirit " There is an eloquence Loo in the flying f.iuu whioi, seems to take up the warning of God* Word and bid ua ' choose this day w hon: we will t-ervc.' If wobtndv the biogiaphies of the raui whom eveiy li^ht-thinkinc mind must select a^ worthy ot emulation we hud that then choice, though possibly unostentatious, even perhaps unob^ervec uy 6uon rviiio«c, \t. a-, cliac tliey would servt God, and come into his prc-ence with that acceptable gilt or o tie ring o£ "a broker heart and a coatnfco spuit"' Scripture record i& ladianb w ith the vntuous deeds oi its hoiocs, then splendid courage and uoblt acts of magnanimity weie imaiiably the ie&ultb ot tlieu wise choice m gi\ ing" then heart's host, *orv ice to God. the lepefcifcion of tho glonous acts to which ihoir Christianity led fauin is> meant to teach us that the bwneuL will bu all on our side if we give our heat ts to Gcd. This, then, is, the gieat now j eat'a gift foi which each ought to p:ay — "Cieateinmc a clean In..i:t, and iene\\ a ugnt &piiit within mc ' Tliar- would bo oho manner k which Da<- id u[iou a new ywi, anc if we follow ie uAutnpJo, eighteen hundroa and eightj -in je will bo 10 us a jcar of true opnitual pio-spciity, for oui ])iayei will not go auan^weved if it i a earnest. The urcaf God of heo-von and earth has solemnly piomiscd, "Anew heai twill 1 give you. and I will put my Spn.it with .1 \ou, and cau.se )ou to walk in my statutes., and ie shall keep m> judgments and do them.' \\ r e uuiaL nob dtiay, for lime ilie^ apace, anc thioughout bacied wiit we lind that the command i& tliat we avail ourt>ol\esof the guice which i& this day oii'cied to us. We need not ask you which you consider the best, choice witn winch to begin the year. It, ib easily and unanimously agreed that ir resolving; Co take upun us the yoke of Christ we are choosing tho best service for the next year. That which we have moat need to urge upon each othci, is the immjcluitt fulfilment ol this demand upon our judgment. We aie thio day to determine whethei wo will give our hearts to God or to sin and Satan. Why do we hesitate ''. Is it a hard yoke which God imposes '! [s he a dreadful taskmaster upon whoae forehead the frown of wrath is ever gathering blacker, or is he a ty- , lannicdl rewaider 01 undescivod vengeance? No He i& not one of biiesc. A benign &unle ol eucouiageinent bits upon his brow, winch sheds its hallowed radiance into the inmoat soul of the Pimpled of hih children. A garland ot sweet piomibes iunounds his wntten laws. Truly -he ie glorious in hohuchb, a God oi might, majesty, and dominion, yet a God of love. This is the grandest attribute of all — the secret of victory over btubboru heart* winch duty could not bind, and thieatcmnga could not awe. This i& tho power which subdues his sei vants into then v.i'ling captivity. If I such aie the- inestimable attribute^, of his bounty, why do we halt ! ft cannot be that hell luich charms for as, 01 that fcheie is a music 111 the word " lost ' that we love to hear ? The^e would nut cause us to hesitate ; they irould serve Co warn u- from fcho wrath to come. But iSaian has other forms than those of winch even fcho picLurenllsourimagination with horioi. It he presented himself to us m all his own undisguised hideousness, and with the breath of helJ, and the scowl of a demon, said, fl Will you choose zne as your master, and you may spend the year in sin ?' our course would bo that instant determined against him. With trembling- voices, aud terror-stricken hearts, we should turn our attention co that course which alone will bring a truly happy new year, exclaiming, " The Lord, he is our God, hhr, we will follow !" Being fully awaie that inosfc men would hate sin, and touch not the unclean thing could they but see it in all its viciousness, Satan has learnt to assume a more popular guioe, and by many fair persuasions, with the potent agency of littles continually at work, he has laid hold of, and the foulstaiu ol hij touch lemains upon, tho fair and godlike qualities inherent in the soul of man. Naturally we are inclined to sin ; it has indeed many charms for our woak humanity, and under* the artful disguise which the most doadly sins assume it might not bo wondered at if for want of a better guide than our own inclinations we made a wrong choice, But a better guide is given us foy this apeoial purpose. Tho way is too eWk and dangerous for us toiollow without a light— that light is given. God's Word is to become the light to our path, and when the day of trial loms most darkly

uponusitwillwithencouragingwordsstirup our zeal to press forward toward the prize of our high calling;— toward the beacon to which the guide points, that source ot sinner's hope who says of himself, " I am the way, the Truth, and the Life." Taking to ourselves the advantages of this guide to our Master's mansion, learning by it the faith and works of bhat blessed service, why need we halt ? Every year, ay, every that we remain in the service of sin it draws u.s tighter to itsctt, and it is not until we strive to escape from it that we know what hold it has upon us. It enticingly whispers, " Wait till next year ; at the least put off to-day." 0 the potency of delay ; unobberved it creeps into habit, and not until custom has become too strong to be broken through does it exert its most disastrous influences. But it must be broken through at whatever sacrifice if we are to be saved. Let tho opening of the new year record us as giving our hearts to God.