p. 3 | Crowning of the Year by DANIEL NETTLETON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 21, 1915

Crowning of the Year

By DANIEL NETTLETON

DANIEL NETTLETON

"Thou crownest the year with thy goodness." Ps. 65: 11.

God puts crowns on years as well as on men. The coronation of kings is usually a grand and impressive occasion. Much is said about it for many weeks and months before it takes place. Many travel long distances to see the event. But when God puts his crown of goodness upon the year, how little is said about it by those to whom the new-crowned year brings blessings and joys untold.

Now, lest we forget, let us count our many blessings, and thank the Lord for all his benefits. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits." Children of the heavenly King should speak their joys abroad. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights." Every gift is a thought of his love, and his thoughts are very precious to usward. How great is the sum of them!

The crowning of the year with God's goodness reminds us of our utter helplessness and dependence upon him. "In him we live, and move, and have our being." "He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." His hands are open to supply all our returning needs, and the most precious and important of our blessings come to us without our asking.

He does not have to be prompted by our importunate prayers, to give us life, food, raiment, and many other blessings which all alike enjoy. The gift of our Saviour, our eternal salvation, comes to us without our asking. John 3: 16 is not an answer to prayer; it is the evidence, the everlasting token, of eternal goodness which will crown all the years of time.

Let us not forget the goodness, but let us forget all the unkind and bitter and unpleasant things of the past year, gather up all the roses, the lilies, and the sweet forget-me-nots, and strew them in the path of the coming year; and that will help make his reign a new and happy season.

But God has another crowning of the years of his goodness, to which we look with intense interest and glad anticipation. It is the crowning of the "King of kings." In heaven a great and glorious event is soon to take place. All the representatives of the principalities, the powers, and the dominions of God's great empire, will be there. The redeemed and the holy angels will unite in singing,—

"All hail the power of Jesus' name! Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown him Lord of all."

"And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him." Then he will come to the earth to gather the saints for his kingdom.

O, will not this be the crowning of the years of his goodness? Will not this be a new and happy year? "He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new." Let us, dear brethren, take up anew the work of telling the glad tidings of the soon-coming King to all this world. This old world is staggering under its load of sin and sadness. The awful wars and fightings of men have drenched our earth in blood. The world cries out for the King of Peace. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Let us do more in 1915 than we did in 1914, to send the joy of his salvation to the nations that sit in darkness, that they may see the King in his beauty; for with long weeping their eyes have grown dim. Their needy conditions appeal to us to send them the glorious gospel which will make a marvelous change in their lives, and they, too, will rejoice with us in the blessed hope. And as we go on to finish the work in this generation, let us toil with the sunlight on our faces, and sing as we toil:—

"Joy to the world, the Lord will come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare him room, And heaven and nature sing."

Port Townsend, Wash.