The Old Year The
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GENERAL CHURCH PAPER OF THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTISTS Vol. 108 Takoma Park, Washington, D. C., December 31, 1931 No. 53 I can sing of temptations and failures That I sometimes have had by the way, The Can sing how the blessed Redeemer Has lifted my feet from the clay. And the New Year shall tell of the triumphs That Jesus can give every hour; Old Year Yes, the New Year shall tell what the Old Year Can never again have the power. We can sing of some hands that are vanished and And the voices of loved ones now still, Whose music our hearts once enraptured, And lives with their sunshine did fill. Yes, the Old Year has given and taken, the New Its dreams are all gone with their lure; Let us turn now and face the bright New Year With hearts set to dare and endure. Let's forever, then, leave the dead ashes, For the fire of the Old Year's burnt out With pictures which glowed for a moment, By Mary Valliant Nowlin As breath of time stirred them about; They are now left all scattered and lifeless, And cold on the hearthstone of night. For the day of the Old Year is ended, Forever has passed out of sight. But the New Year, with leaves all unfolded, Is ours to write on what we will, WILL sing you a song of the Old Year, Of deeds that shall tell for the Master, Of the New Year I cannot now sing; The unwritten pages to fill. Its record is yet all unwritten, We thank God it is ours to embellish I know not what songs it may bring; With praises to Jesus our King, But the Old Year has filled up its pages, He who giveth us beauty for ashes, Has closed them for you and for me, And songs for the New Year to sing. They are folded away with the ages, Nevermore unfolded to be. CHORUS: Its story is yet all untold,, CHORUS: Its story is yet all untold. Its story forever is told, Let us fill up the unwritten pages Its story forever is told. With praises to Jesus our King. 0, nothing can change the record, Its story forever is told. (Can be sung in the tune: "The Half Has Never Been Told")' Ox=x).=xx=>coc=x)o.=:.0c>oocaoa00000csoc>cy=oc>oc000r=x>c>o<=x>c=xrcz:ocx>c)oc4x=x() "HILKIAH DELIVERED THE BOOK TO SHAPHAN" IN the reign of good King Josiah it Heart-to-Heart Talks With Our Readers was necessary to cleanse the kingdom By THE EDITOR of Judah and the city of Jerusalem, as well as the temple, from much de- filement, because of the wicked idola- I try practiced under his predecessor. DOING AS WELL AS YOU KNOW itate also of all Thy work, and talk of Thy doings." Ps. 77: 2-12. As they purged, the temple and en- IN his Sabbath school last Sabbath, deavored to put things in orderly ar- Prof. H. A. Morrison emphasized the We need frequently, as does this ray, they found a copy of the book of necessity of every one's doing the best teacher and as did King David, to re- the law. This was first discovered by he knows. How can we do less than member "the years of the right hand Hilkiah, the priest. I have no doubt this, and expect God's favor ? How of the Most High," to "remember the that Hilkiah read the book most ear- can we go on day after day in con- works of the Lord," His "wonders of nestly. He read in it the instructions scious sin, and expect that God will old." We shall find, as we recount which the Lord had given to His peo- answer our prayers? "To him that God's mercies, that the spirit of com- ple, His warnings against idolatry, knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, plaining will be turned into the spirit and His threatened judgments in case to him it is sin." of praise, and instead of doubting His people did not return to Him. Brother Morrison emphasized that God's care and love for us, we shall realize that He who has been with us He could not keep the message to it was proper for us to seek for new himself. He carried it to Shaphan light; but while we are doing this, let in the troubles of the past will be with us still. the scribe, saying, "I have found the us be sure that we live up to the light book of the law in the house of the we have. The one who in his neigh- BUSINESS AND CHRISTIAN Lord." And we may well believe that borhood, in his church, in his home, COURTESY Shaphan the scribe perused the book I and in the consciousness of his own I ENTERED a grocery store yesterday with intense interest. He realized heart, is doing from day to day, by to make a small purchase. The what the message meant, not alone to God's grace, the best he knows, can bright-faced young man who stood at him, but to the whole kingdom of Is- take hold of God with confidence, and rael, and the record is that "Shaphan seek Him indeed for new light and for the cashier's desk near the entrance, bowed to me most pleasantly. I looked carried the book to the king." Thus the leadings of His Holy Spirit from the message was passed on from one day to day. at him sharply, wondering if he knew me and if I had ever met him before, to another. RECOUNTING GOD'S BLESSINGS but saw that he was a total stranger. To the king, the book made a mighty Then I observed that every one who appeal. He felt that he was responsi- I RECENTLY attended a church school entered the store received from him, ble for God's people, over whom he teachers' institute. In the devotional as far as time would permit, the same had been made an overseer, and he in meeting following a Bible study many cordial greeting. turn appealed to the prophetess of the excellent testimonies were borne. I I secured what I wanted, a seven- Lord for light and instruction. Hul- was impressed particularly with one. cent purchase, and stood in line to dah assured him that the judgments A teacher told of how she kept a book pay my bill. Before me was a young which were written in the book would in which she recorded the blessings of and beautiful woman who had a verily be fulfilled, but that because God which came to her from day to basket loaded with things she had the king had received the message and day. When she is inclined to feel secured, and who passed to the cashier was seeking to act upon its instruc- discouraged, she takes this book and a goodly sum of money. He was very tion, the Lord would not send the reads over the many ways in which cordial in his thanks. I wondered judgments in his day. God has blessed, her under difficulty how he would treat me, a homely, Has there come to us the message I and trial, and the victories He has gray-headed man with a seven-cent of the Lord? Do we know from con- given her in her experience. purchase. But there came the same ditions existing in the world that the I immediately connected this in my hearty and cordial "Thank you" for Lord is soon to appear in the clouds thought with the statement of the the nickel and two cents which I de- of heaven ? Have there come to us psalmist • posited on the counter. the riches of His grace in the forgive- "In the day of my trouble I sought the As I passed from the store I won- ness of sins? Do we know of the Lord : in the night my hand was stretched out and did not cease: my soul refused to dered why it was that I could not be great Sabbath reform that is going to be comforted. I remembered God, and more courteous in all my relations the world, preparing a people for was troubled : I complained, and my spirit with my fellow men, why I did not Christ's coming? was overwhelmed. Thou holdest mine eyes always greet them with a kindly smile Then it is for us to pass on to the waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. or a hearty handclasp. I mean to do Shaphans of our day the message we "I have considered the days of old, the better in this regard, and I pass the have received. Let us be diligent in years of ancient times. I call to remem- suggestion on to you. doing this, even as Hilkiah was dili- brance my song in the night: I commune Let us be courteous toward all men. gent in giving the book to Shaphan, with mine own heart: and my spirit made We have to do with all classes, with even as Shaphan was faithful in car- diligent search. all kinds of people who make up the rying the book to the king, and as the "Will the Lord cast off forever'? and will He be favorable no more? Is His world, and some of these are peculiar king, moved by the message it con- mercy clean gone forever? doth His in their ways and unpleasant in their tained, took immediate steps to bring promise fail forevermore? Hath God speech and demeanor.