THROUGH the good Providence the best disiplined, there are of our God we have been brought passions, which sometimes gain to the beginning of another year. The asceudancy over reason, and This is a season, which natur. give cause to the susceprible ally awakens solemn reflection. heart for very

bitter repeotance, To consider, that we have clos. It is these, which we determine ed another important period of to overcome; to watch thein jeal. existence; and that whether im- ously as our most dangerous en. proved or neglected, it will neve emies; and such resolutions are er return, must surely arrest, generally formed at the returns of at least for a moment, the at. these great divisions of life, when tention of the most thoughtless. reflection is awakened, and the Nor will those, who are most soul, turned upon itself, is forced faithfully devoted to duty, whose to meditale upon its solemo des. lives are filled up with improve- tiny. ment and usefulness, find such But it surely must be an alarm. seasons passing over them with ing thought, if at the end of the out some painful remembrances. year, which we commenced with For he must be sadly ignorant such deliberate purposes of aof himself, or else most arrogant. metitument, perhaps at the same ly presumptuous, who can de- time appealing foi our sincerity elare, that in the course of a to the Searcher of bearis, and whole year, he can remember no imploring his spiritual strength hour misspent, no useful opportu- to assist our weakness; we find nity neglected, no duty undone, our solemn promises forgotten, not anything, which, were he and the year which we had vow. permitted to retrace this period, ed to consecrate to God, spent, he would wish to alter.

like those, which preceded it, in Almost every man, whatever the service of the world, and in may be his character, feels at the indulgence of disordered passome time or other the paugs of sions. The man who fivds himcompunction and forms resolu. self in a stale like this, has sure. tions of amendment. For in ly reason to tremble. Life is opery mind,we may not except passing by him without any of Vol. IV,

1

its great ends secured. Advancing resolutions, and to animate our age, that ought to witness his in- Christian obedience at the comcreasing purity, is but confirming mencement of this year. What the dominion of his bad habits; innumerable tokens of the divine and though every step, he takes, merey do we not see in them! brings him nearer to death, he is our enlivened spirits; our cheerinore and more unfit to meet it. ful fire-sides; the enlarged and

We should therefore consider various comforts of our domesit as among the infinitely diver- tic abodes; the active industry sified means, which our heavenly and successful enterprise of our Father employs for our salvation, citizens; the new impulse given that our life is marked out into

to commerce; the satisfactions such divisions, as may warn us and gains of a regular, honoraby their returns of the rapid ble trade, instead of the chances flight of time, and of the solem- of a hazardous, and, to say the nity of eternity.

least, a selfish euterprise; but It

may be regarded as one most of all, the deliverance from grand system of adnouition; con- the horrors and demoralizing in. nected with that sublime and fuence, inseparable from a state harmonious disposition of the of war, with the long train of heavenly bodies, which so glori- comforts attending peace;—are ously displays God's handy all so many testimonies of that work.

"goodness of our God, which But besides this common in- calls us to repentance,” and instruction, which every returning vites us, with the commencement season gives us of the progress of a new year, to dedicate our. of time, the beginning of each selves anew to his service. new year has generally some ad. But there is danger, lest amonitions, peculiar to itself. midst such overflowings of the The last year we were warned divine bounty, we grow presumpby the judgments of God. We tuous and careless. We must were suffering the accumulated therefore connect with our sense evils of war; and our prospuels, of the blessings, the solemn as individuals, and as a nation, admonitions, which this season were, at besi, depressing. But brings us; of their uncertain na

the scene is delightfully ture and of our uncertain lives. changed. Through the adora- Remembering the instruction of ble providence of him, “who the apostle, that the time is short, forms the light and creates the and that the fashion of the world darkness, who makes peace and is passing away, we shall learn creates evil,” our public burdens to rejoice, as though we rejoicare removed, our fears are turn- ed noi," we shall realize; that it ed to joy; we are restored to the is not for man to be confident, incalculable blessings of peace. whose life is like the taper, that These have frequently been ex- the feeblest breath may extinbibited as subjects of gratitude guish. We shall not rely with any and praise. They may also be fond security upon the enjoyimproved to quicken our holy ment of our friends, because, like

DOW

ourselves, they may fail and die. dence, the success, that crowns We shall not boast of any dis- our labors, and the hopes, that tinctions, which a capricious enliven our prospects, will be so world may withdraw at pleasure. devoutly improved, that should Nor if riches increase, shall we our souls this year be required set our hearts upon them; be- of us, we may be welcomed to cause at best they cannot redeem that region of uninterrupted a brother or purchase a moment's peace,

where God and Christ respite from the grave. The shall be all our confidence, and

, thought of death and of immor. our joys shall be unmingled by tality will chasten every please any fear. ure; and all the smiles of Provi.

THE VARIOUS PURPOSES FOR WHICH OUR SAVIOR SUFFERED

AND DED.

SECOND CLASS.

The various forms of speech in what way they were exposed, adopted by our Savior and his is not here 'stated. Bui his love apostles, in speaking of his suf. was to be expressed in giving ferings and death, have given his own life to ransoin them from rise to many opinions respecting some impending evil. their design and efficacy. To form correct opinions on the sub- Therefore doth my Father love jeet, we must compare scripture me, because I lay down my life with scripture And to aid those that I might take it again. No who wish to examine the subject man takeih it from me, but I lay impartially, I shall exhibit sev. it down of myself: I have power eral classes of texts, and make 'to lay it down, and I have power some brief remarks on each class,

to take it again. This com.napdFIRST CLASS.

ment have I received of my faFor even the son of man came ther. Johns 17. 18. not to be ministered unto, but to For to this end Christ both minister, and to give his life a died and rose and revived, that ransom for many. Mark x. 45. he might be Lord both of the dead

I am the good shepherd: the and living. Rom. xiv. 9. good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.-And I lay down my In these passages we are inlife for the sheep. Jobo x. 11, 15. formed, that Jesus laid down his

life that he might take it again, This language was used by our and that he might be Lord both of Savior himself. It presuppos. the dead and the living For ,

: es that those, for whom he would this be bad received authority or Jay down his life, were exposed commission from his Father. to some great evil, which render- His resurrection from the dead, ed the sacrifice necessary to their was not only a pledge of the ressalvation. On what account, or urrection of believers in him, but

REMARKS

REMARKS

THIRD CLASS.

REMARKS.

it was also preparatory to his ex. Whereupon neither the first alt: lion to ihe right hand of God, testament was dedicated withas a Prince and a Savior, and to out blood. Heb. ix. 16.-18. his raising the dead and judging Macknight's translation. the world.

For where a covenant is, there

is a necessity that the death of And as Moses lified up the the appointed sacrifice be serpent in the wilderness, even brought in. so must the son of man be lifted For a covenant is firm over up, that whosoever believeth in dead sacrifices, seeing it never hiu should not perish but have hath force whilst the appointed eternal life. For God so loved sacrifice liveth. the world that he gave bis only Hence not even the first covebegotten Son, that whosoever bee punt was dedicated without blood, Jieveth in him shoold not perish, Heb ix. 16.-18. but have everlasting life.' John iii. 14-16.

That ibe translators of the bible The bread that I will give is in common use mistook the apos. my flesh which I will give for the tle's meaning in this connexion Įife of the world. John ri. 51. is perhaps now admitted by all REMARKS.

who have attended to the subject. As the brazen serpent was lif. In the preceding chapter the ted up in the wilderness as an apostle had spoken of the Mosaic appointed medium for the heal. dispensation as the first covenant, ing of the Israelites who were ex. and had quoted the prophecy of posed to perish; su the Son of God Jeremiah 'relating to the gospe! was exhibited on the cross, for dispensation or "new covenant.” the healing and salvation of sin. In this chapter he pursues the

In both cases the remedy. same subject; and in the verses · was of God's appointment, and quoted he teaches us that as the ',

be an expression of his love and Sirai covenant 'was ratified by merey.

the death and blood of appointed FOURTH CLASI.

victims, so the gospel covenant The texts to be exhibited in was ratified by the death and this class will be given not only blood of the Messiab. The rataccording to the common version, ification of the gospel covenant, but according to the translation or dispensation of mercy, was of Dr. Macknight, who is sup- therefore one of the purposes for

, pored to have expressed more cor. which our Savior laid down his rectly the meaning of the apos- life. tle. Common version.

Christ hath redeemed us from For where a testament is, there the curse of the law, being made must also of necessity be the death a curse for us that the blessing of the testator,

of Abraham might come on the For a testament is of force Gentiles through Jesus Christ. after med are dead: otherwise it Gal. iii. 18, 14. is of no strength at all, while the But now in Christ Jesus ye Bestator liveth.

who sometimes were far off, are

pers.

$

FIFTH CLASS,

REMARKS.

made nigh by the blood of Christ. reconciliation for the sins of the For he is our peace, who hath people. Heb. ii. 10. 17. made both one, and bath broken For we have not un High Priest down the middle wall of parti. who cannot be touched with the tion between us; having abolish feeling of our infirmities; but was ed in his flesh the enmity, even the in all points tempted like as we law of commandments contained are, yet without siu. Heb. iv 15. in ordinances, to make in him- Though he were a Sou, yet self of twain one new man, so

learned he obedience by the brugs making peace; and that he might which he suffered. Heb. v. 8. reconcile both unto God in one

REMARKS. body by the cross, having slain Several reasons are here given the enmity thereby, and came for the sufferings of Christa and preached peace to you who First. It became God to make were afar off and to them that the Captain of our salvation perwere nigh, Eph. ii. 18.-17 fect through suffering. Secondly.

Blotting out the hand writing It was important that our Savior's of ordinances that was against disposition to obey should be manus, which was contrary to us, and ifested by becoming obedient untook it out of the way nailing it to death. Thirdly. It was importo his cross Col, ji. 14.

tant that by personal sufferings,

and by experience of the trials of By these passages we are in this world, he should be prepurformed that one purpose of our ed as our high priest to sympa. Lord's death was, to abolish the thize with us in the afflictions of Mosaic rituals, which had been the present life. as a wall of separation between

SEVENTH CLASS. the Jews and the Gentiles, and a Behold the lamb of God which great occasion of enmity. Anoth- taketh away the sia of the world. er purpose was, that the bless. Joha. i. 29. ing of Abraham might be extend- For even Christ, our passover, od to the Gentiles, that the Jews is sacrificed for us. 1 Cor. v. 7. and the Gentiles should be plac. For as much as ye know that ed on equal ground, as to privi. ye were not redeemed with corleges and the hope of salvation ruptible things, as silver and gold, by the Messiah, and that he might from your vain conversation rereconcile both onto God.

ceived by tradition from your

fathers; but with the precious For it became him for whom blood of Christ, as of a Jamb are all things and by whom are without blemish and without spot; all things, in bringing many sons who verily was foreordained unto glory, to make the Captain before the foundation of the world of their salvation perfect through but was manifest in these last suffering.-- Wherefore in all days for you, who by him do bethings it behoved him to be made lieve in God, who raised him up like unto his brethren, that he from the dead, and gave him might be a merciful high priest in glory that your faith and hope things pertaining to God, to make might be in God i Pet. i. 18.-21.

SIXTH OLASS.