ADDRESS ON THE NEW YEAR.

"And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand, stretched out over Jerusalem."--1 Chron. xxi. 16.

My dear reader, the old year is now gone, no more to return, save to give in its account, either for or against us in the last great day of reckoning; and the new year opens upon us under circumstances of no common interest and importance. I do not think that we can have a more faithful picture of the present state of England, than that which the passage before us presents. The angel of divine justice had done his work throughout the land; seventy thousand had been cut off by the pestilence; and now, what did David see? The angel with his drawn sword, not smiting, but only threatening Jerusalem; that favoured city, the city of the living God. He had a "drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem!"

Oh! that we may be willing to lift up our eyes, and see the real posture at this present moment of our dear country. It will do no good to shut our eyes to the threatened vengeance: it may give us a little present ease and quiet to do so, but what will it do in the end thereof? A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple, (that is, the foolish,) pass on, (blindly, carelessly, saying, what harm is there?) and are punished."

Now see what awful visitations have befallen other countries: think of that terrible plague, the cholera morbus, which is thought, since its first appearance in 1818, to have cut off four millions of Hindoos, and has suddenly swept into eternity its tens of thousands throughout the continent of Europe: think of the wars and rumours of wars which have been tearing and distracting nearly all the nations of the earth: think of the spirit of anarchy

and rebellion which seems to be let loose on every side: think of the little likelihood there is of our being able to escape the pestilence, if indeed it is not already in our country; for however strict the quarantine laws may be, and however careful our government and other authorities, the smugglers will still go on with their sinful traffic, and are very likely to convey the infection in their goods: think too of the disturbed, uneasy spirit which prevails throughout our land; and then say whether our posture is not that of much sparing mercy, inasmuch as the angel has yet forborne to strike; but that of much threatening and alarming aspect, inasmuch as we see the near and advancing approach of those miseries, which other nations are enduring. And then, if we think of our deserts as a nation, the wonder is, not that we find ourselves in a fearful, unsettled state, but that we are yet spared. For oh! what glaring and dreadful sins still stain our country. What habits of profaneness, of Sabbath-breaking, of intemperance, prevail! What could God have done more that he has not done in it? how freely has he sent his blessed Gospel amongst us; what means of grace enjoy; what a spirit of education has gone forth through the land wherefore when he looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? God had every reason to look for some national return for our national mercies; but though many, it is hoped, are indeed walking in the ordinances and commandments of the Lord blameless, who can say that this nation has the stamp and character of a God-fearing nation? who can say that its families in general call upon his name, that his Sabbaths are nationally hallowed, and his name reverenced? Oh! there are not only not the grapes of a healthy and abundant vintage, but there are the wild grapes in awful profusion of ungodliness and folly!

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I tremble for my country, when I think of the doom that she deserves, and which may perhaps await her. It may be, that she has indeed filled up the measure of her iniquity, and that her doom is sealed. Well, the Judge of all the earth will do right. We must be dumb and open not our mouths. And while poor, unconverted, Christ

less souls feel the full weight of the vengeance, to their dismay and ruin, let the little flock of faithful followers of Jesus keep close to their leader, and he will not fail them. He will hide them in his pavilion, till the tyranny be overpast; and make them to know, that "in returning and rest they shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be their strength."

But, my readers, while we lift up our eyes to see the danger, and assure ourselves of the security of Christ's real followers amidst every storm, I wish that we should all be impressed with the peculiar duty that lies upon us at this present moment, while the angel is standing with the drawn sword stretched over us, but not as yet striking. The threatened evil may be averted. Jerusalem was spared. "The Lord commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof." Why? Because David and the elders of Israel clothed themselves in sackcloth, and fell upon their faces: and because David gat himself to his Lord right humbly; and did not spend his breath in upbraiding others for their sins, or even in confessing the sins of others; but charged the guilt home upon his own soul, and prayed and said, "even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed:" and further, because David built his altar, and presented his burntofferings and peace-offerings. For these reasons, the plague was stayed.

Now, my friends, let us go and do likewise. Let us look to ourselves. Let us begin this new year with the work of godly sorrow and confession. Let us examine

wherein we have each of us sinned and come short of our duties. Let us prostrate our souls before God in deep humiliation. Let the confessions of our public prayers be entered into with more life and feeling; let our family prayers be more marked by the language of humble acknowledgement of guilt and unworthiness.

Let our

closets witness to the same strains of penitence and contrition. And let us build our altar and bring our sacrifice into the service. May we not appeal with hopeful contidence to the grand sin-offering, the Lord Jesus? Cannot his blood cleanse away all our national guilt, and propiti

ate the favour of heaven? Does it not cleanse from all sin? Let then our cries ascend with all our souls to heaven: O! holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three Persons and one God, have mercy upon us, miserable sinners. By thine agony and bloody sweat, by thy cross and passion, by thy precious death and burial, by thy glorious resurrection and ascension, and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, good Lord, deliver us. O Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, grant us thy peace; have mercy upon us. O Son of David, have mercy upon Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ. Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ.

us.

Let us pursue this course, and all will yet be well with us. And I cannot but yet hope well for our dear country. It has been chosen by God to be in a striking manner the depository of his truth, and a light to the rest of the world; and though there has been I fear an unfaithfulness to our deposit, and a dimness of our light which may well expose us to his threatenings; still I believe that he has reserved to himself many thousands throughout the land who have not bowed the knee to his rivals; and they will be wrestling in prayer and supplication; and will give their Lord no rest, until he sheath the sword of his justice; and bring us forth bettered by his warn ings to serve him with redoubled vigour; and to go forward with him in that work of mercy, which shall not stay its course, until it has blest and beautified with salvation all the dark and waste places of the earth.

The Editor subjoins the Prayers appointed to be offered at this season in our Churches and Chapels, and strongly recommends them to be used daily in family worship.

Most gracious Father and God, who hast promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto Thee, look down we beseech Thee, from heaven Thy dwelling place, upon us Thy unworthy servants, who, under an awful apprehension of Thy judgments, and a deep conviction of our sinfulness, prostrate ourselves before Thee. We acknowledge

t to be of Thy goodness alone, that whilst Thou hast visited other nations with pestilence, Thou hast so long spared us. Have pity, O Lord, have pity on Thy people both here and abroad; withdraw Thy heavy hand from those who are suffering under Thy judgments, and turn away from us that grievous calamity, against which our only security is in Thy compassion. We confess with shame and contrition, that, in the pride and hardness of our hearts, we have shewn ourselves unthankful for Thy mercies, and have followed our own imaginations instead of Thy holy laws. Yet, O merciful Father, suffer not Thy destroying Angel to lift up his hand against us, but keep us, as Thou hast heretofore done, in health and safety; and grant that, being warned by the sufferings of others to repent of our own sins, we may be preserved, from all evil by Thy mighty protection, and enjoy the continuance of Thy mercy and grace, through the merits of our only Mediator and Advocate Jesus Christ.-AMEN.

O ALMIGHTY GOD, who by the many instances of mortality which encompass us on every side, dost call upon us seriously to consider the shortness of our time here upon earth, and remindest us that in the midst of life we are in death, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Give us grace to turn unto Thee with timely repentance, and thus to obtain, through the merits of our Saviour, that pardon to-day, which to-morrow it may be too late to seek for; that so being strengthened by Thy good Spirit against the terrors of death, and daily advancing in godliness, we may at all times be ready to give up our souls into Thy hands, O gracious Father, in the hope of a blessed immortality, through the mediation, and for the merits, of Jesus Christ our Lord,-AMEN.

TRIUMPH OF GOD OVER HIS ENEMIES.

(BY CHRISTOPHER NESS, 1680.)

It is a most sacred and undeniable truth, that the wicked plotteth against the righteous. The mouth of the Lord, the God of truth, hath spoken it. (Psalm 37. 12.) This is the church's malady in all the ages of the world; it hath been so in times past, both before the flood, and after it ; under the Law, and under the Gospel. It is so in time present, and it will be so for time to come,