BY THE AUTHOR OF COPSLEY ANNALS," ETC. ILL the New Year bring greetings Blithesome and gay? Long-looked-for meetings, Joy's sunny day? Father, we know not, Will the New Year bring weeping, Will the New Year bring sleeping, "One Thing Besired." Father, most tender, All to Thy keeping; BY THE REV. F. S. DALE, M.A., VICAR OF DARTFORD. 1 Year, desire and determine to live a new, that is a higher and better, life. "One thing have I desired of the Lord."-Ps. xxvii. 4. NEW Year calls us to a new life; not in every case to a different kind of life, for some of us, thank God, have been seeking to live the life of faith and holiness in the days of the years that are past; and yet we should all, as we enter upon a New VOL. XII.-NO I. There has been, in the past, too much of self-seeking and self-pleasing; too much of conformity to the world, of indecision. for God, of restlessness under His chastenings, of unbelief and suspicion. There has been too little prayer, too little work, too little love! There are, no doubt, many B things in the life of each one which need mending: infirmities of temper; neglect of duties; a tendency to this or that besetting sin; a hankering after some form of worldliness. But instead of bewildering ourselves by looking at all our weaknesses, let us begin the Year by fixing our thoughts upon the "One thing" which David desired-the enjoyment of God's presence, the full light of His countenance-to feel more confidently that His eye is upon us for good, His ear open unto our prayer, His hand supporting us, His Spirit strengthening us. "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the House of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple." Ask God, then, for a double portion of His blessed Spirit, that henceforth this may be your "one desire" above all others, -to enjoy closer communion with Him, to gain a deeper knowledge of the love of Christ, to win Christ, and to be found in Him. Let everything stand second to this "One thing." Do not burden yourself with many rules; but keep heart and eye upon this-"fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ." If by grace you are enabled to make this your motto for the Year-" One thing have I desired of the Lord "-then all shall be well. In times of tribulation and in times of joy God will fulfil this your desire. If your life be spared to the year's end, each day shall prove a day of new blessing; or, if death cut short your days on earth, God will but hasten your desire, to fulfil it more perfectly in that New Jerusalem where you shall be exceeding glad in His presence for ever; where there is no Temple, "for the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb are the Temple of it." |