en sent
His Only-begotten Son into the world as at this time, to redeem us from
the world,--which, most surely, was not lightly done; and we also learn
His thoughts about it from the words of that most merciful Son,--which
most surely were not lightly spoken, "The wicked," He says, "shall go
into everlasting punishment."

Oh that there were such a heart in us that we would fear God and keep
His commandments always! But it is of no use to speak; men know their
duty--they will not do it. They say they do not need or wish to be
told it, that it is an intrusion, and a rudeness, to tell them of death
and judgment. So must it be,--and we, who have to speak to them, must
submit to this. Speak we must, as an act of duty to God, whether they
will hear, or not, and then must leave our words as a witness. Other
means for rousing them we have none. We speak from Christ our gracious
Lord, their Redeemer, who has already pardoned them freely, yet they
will not follow Him with a true heart; and what can be done more?

Another year is now opening upon us; it speaks to the thoughtful, and
is heard by those, who have expectant ears, and watch for Christ's
coming. The former year is gone, it is dead, there it lies in the
grave of past time, not to decay however, and be forgotten, but kept in
the view of God's omniscience, with all its sins and errors irrevocably
written, till, at length, it will be raised again to testify about us
at the last day; and who among us can bear the thought of his own
doings, in the course of it?--all that he has said and done, all that
has been conceived within his mind, or been acted on, and all that he
has not said and done, which it was a duty to say or do. What a dreary
prospect seems to be before us, when we reflect that we have the solemn
word of truth pledged to us, in the last and most awful revelation,
which God has made to us about the future, that in that day, the books
will be opened, "and another book opened, which is the book of life,
and the dead judged out of those things which were written in the books
according to their works[3]!" What would a man give, any one of us,
who has any real insight into his polluted and miserable state, what
would he give to tear away some of the leaves there preserved! For how
heinous are the sins therein written! Think of the multitude of sins
done by us since we first knew the difference between right and wrong.
We have forgotten them, but there we m