The beginning of a new year is a favorite time for making new promises, vows, and resolutions, which are usually broken or forgotten, and are repeated year after year, almost always with the same result. Such promises amount to but little. The Lord does not ask us to promise to obey him, but he asks us to obey him. He does not ask us to resolve, and covenant, and agree for months to come, but he asks us to serve God to-day, and trust Him “who is able to keep us from falling” for strength in the future. Most of men's promises are made under circumstances of excitement, and are the direct fruit of a sinful course. When men have wandered, and feel condemned, they take a batch of fair promises as a peace-offering to the Lord, to find pardon and comfort. It is easier to promise for six months to come than it is to do one present duty now. “What did you give for that horse?” said a man to his fellow one day. “I gave my note.—Got it cheap, didn't I?” That man's note was worth as much as most of the promises men make to the Lord. What does he care for our notes or pledges? He requires us to love and obey him to-day. Let us do this and trust in him for the morrow. It is related that Mr. J. Hunt, whose labors God so greatly blessed amongst the cannibal Fijians, when about sixteen years of age, was seized with a fever, that threatened to prove fatal. Death was brought to his thoughts, with the deep conviction of his unfitness for the solemn change. Years after, in referring to this time, he says, “I thought it would be of no use to promise the Lord I would serve him if he would spare me, as I had often made such promises and broken them. The only way appeared to me to begin to serve God there and then according to the light I had. So I fell on my knees and began to pray. After prayer, I read my Bible in earnest, but began with the book of Revelation, which considerably affected me, though I understood but little of what I read, having no one to guide me. The conviction thus awakened and promptly and honestly yielded to, ripened into a true conversion, and a permanent change of heart.” This is the true way. Do not waste your energies in promising to serve God, but begin! begin at once, and while your promises may be weak and worthless, God's promises will ever prove a sure foundation, an unfailing trust and rest.