A Seasonable Memento for New Years Day, Sermon · Part 3
[THIRD PART.]
III. Years of Remarkable Providences, in a way of temporal Salvation and Mercy, are alſo Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High, to be remembred by us.
Indeed this Character is, in providential Reſpects, properly enough applicable to every Year. For the ſame almighty Hand, which originally formed all Things, ſtill ſupports and governs the Univerſe, from Year to Year; perpetually ſuperintending the whole Circle of Cauſes and Effects, in every Syſtem of his Creatures, natural and moral. The World is his, with the Fulneſs thereof: and his Eyes are always upon it, from the Beginning of the Year, even to the End of the Year. The Day is his, the Night alſo is his, and He keeps up their alternate Succeſſion thro' out the Year. The Number of it's Months is with Him, and He continues their regular Series, with all the Variety of their Complexion, Produce, and Influence. He revolves it's different Seaſons. Summer and Winter, Seed-time and Harveſt, Cold and Heat, have their yearly Returns by his Appointment and Efficience. The Heaven, Earth, and Sea, the Sun, Moon, and Stars, Fire, Air, and Elements, with their various Powers, Motions, & Operations, are all under his ſupreme Dominion, his continual Direction, and Controul. He perpetuates the diſtinct Species of created Beings, maintains their Order and Dependance, & excites, ſuſpends, or limits, and over-rules their reſpective Virtues and Actions, according to the Counſel of his own Will.—He preſerveth Man and Beaſt, and giveth Food to all Fleſh. He ruleth in the Kingdoms of Men, and is the Governour among the Nations, preſiding over all the Affairs and Intereſts of Societies and Perſons, diſpenſing all that Variety of temporal Good, which brightens the Year from Time to Time. Our annual Preſervations and Deliverances, Succeſſes and Supplies, our daily Benefits, Supports, and Comforts in every Part of the Year and Period of Life, are the Reſults of a vigilant and bountiful Providence. Nor is there a ſingle Year, how little ſoever diſtinguiſh'd by uncommon Occurrences, but what is repleniſh'd with the Mercies of God and with myſterious and vaſt Events, that witneſs to his Being, Perfections, & Government. So that even the moſt common Years may with Propriety be ſtiled Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High: and the Inſtances of his Care and Kindneſs from Year to Year, in general, are numerous and ſignificant enough to deſerve our grateful Acknowledgements, and a frequent ſerious Recollection, with a View to the practical Returns expected from us. God requires, that we regard the Operations of his Hand: Vaſt are the Advantages of doing this, but equal the Miſchiefs of neglecting it. God hath a Book of Remembrance written before Him, wherein are recorded all his Providences, and all our Improvements: and e'er long He will call us to a Reckoning, nor ſhall we be able to give an Account of our Stewardſhip, with Joy, and not with Grief, unleſs we practiſe that Obſervation and Remembrance of his Dealings with us, which make up ſo great a Part of the Duty of the Chriſtian Life. Whoſo is wiſe, will obſerve theſe Things. Nor indeed without firſt obſerving, ſhall we be able to remember them: & without remembring them, we ſhall but evilly requite the Lord.
But ſtill ſome Years are diſtinguiſh'd in Providence, and by Way of Eminence claim this Character in our Text: which therefore we ought to ſet an Afteriſm upon, and ſignaliſe in our grateful Commemorations. There's a Diverſity of Years, even as a ſovereign God is pleas'd to change the Times and Seaſons. Some are made remarkable by Judgments: nor are theſe to be unheeded or forgotten by us. But our Text points at Years of a contrary Aſpect, brighten'd with proſperous Events, & recommended to our delightful Remembrance by benign Diſpenſations, wherein the Goodneſs of God appears with a ſuperiour Luſtre. Sometimes a particular Year has glorious Diſtinctions put upon it, by great Deliverances, or notable Preſervations; ſometimes by ſignal Victories, and Succeſſes in War, or elſe by the more deſirable Reſtoration of Peace; ſometimes by the Recovery or Increaſe of Political Liberty, by a happy Adminiſtration of Civil Government, and wiſe Conduct of the publick Affairs; by a remarkable general Health, & Multiplying of the People; by a large Produce of the Huſbandry, by the Flouriſhing of Trade, & Proſperity in Buſineſs; and as the Conſequence of all, by an uncommon Flow of temporal Bleſſings, as well for Conveniency, Delight and Ornament, as for Subſiſtence and neceſſary Uſe. — Be the Year ſignalis'd in any of theſe Regards (and much more, if in all or many of them) it is to be reckon'd among the Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High, crowned with his Goodneſs, and claiming our Remembrance.
God hath in the Scripture-Hiſtory given us laſting Memorials of his wonderful Works in ancient Times, which we ſhould often review, with ſerious Meditation: Nor ſhould we ſlight the Memory of leſs diſtant Ages. We ſhould remember and contemplate God's Works of Kindneſs to the World in general, and towards his Church in ſpecial; but more particularly his Mercies to that Branch of it in Great Britain, and in theſe American Regions, where we dwell.
If we reflect on the Story of New England, whether reſpecting it's Beginnings or Improvements, we ſhall find ſome of the moſt wondrous Works of God preſenting themſelves to our View, great Salvations and great Benefits, worthy to be had in everlaſting Remembrance. We ſhould frequently look back on the firſt Times of New England, and not forget thoſe Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High. Such, in an impartial View of the Caſe, were thoſe diſtinguiſh'd Years, wherein our pious Forefathers flying from the Face of Perſecution and Oppreſſion, God gave them Deliverance, ſought out a Place of Retreat for them and for their little ones, bro't them ſafe over the wide and dangerous Ocean, and planted them here in a good Land, by his own Sword driving out the Heathen Natives to make Way for his People, and honouring them with eminent Tokens of his gracious Preſence, Protection, and Benediction. — Nor has He been a Wilderneſs to the ſucceding Generations; but his Paths have been Mercy and Truth toward his People, even unto this Day, when for our great Degeneracies He might juſtly conſume our Years in Trouble. Tho' there have been Years wherein we have ſeen Evil, yet have there been alſo Years of favourable Viſitation: we have faſted and ſeen that the Lord is good, and have experienc'd the ſaving Strength of his Right Hand. O that it may be our Care to obviate that Reproach, which the Iſraelites incur'd, They ſang his Praiſes, they ſoon forgat his Works! And may there never be Ground for that Complaint againſt this People, There roſe up another Generation, which knew not the Lord, nor the Works that He had done for their Fathers!
Now to ſingle out a few very memorable Times, and not go back beyond the Memory of many yet alive: — Never to be forgotten is that glorious Year 1688, ſignalis'd as a Year of the Right Hand of the moſt High, by that moſt ſeaſonable Interpoſition of Divine Providence in the wonderful REVOLUTION; delivering us from the Perils we were in of Popery and Slavery, two of the moſt comprehenſive Miſchiefs, and ſecuring to us our invaluable Laws and Liberties, the Rights of Conſcience, and the Religion of Proteſtants. — Again, Never to be forgotten is that glorious Year 1714, ſignalis'd as a Year of the Right Hand of the moſt High, by the happy and moſt ſeaſonable Acceſſion of the illuſtrious Houſe of HANOVER to the Britiſh Throne; Preventing that imminent Danger the Proteſtant Succeſſion (in the Fate of which all our valuable Intereſts muſt be involv'd) was in at that Juncture, when deep-laid Plots of Papal Enemies and falſe Brethren threatned to ſubvert it; and ſurpriſingly diſconcerting all their ſubtil and malignant Schemes, but happily delivering the Nation, the Proteſtant Diſſenters in particular; and promiſing us the uninterrupted Enjoyment of our religious and civil Immunities and Privileges, under the Protection of a Train of Proteſtant PRINCES; and by the eſtabliſh'd Succeſſion to the Crown taking Place thus ſeaſonably & with this auſpicious Circumſtance, giving a fair Proſpect of extinguiſhing the Hopes of a Popiſh Pretender, and therewith our Fears of a Popiſh Government.—Once more, Never to be forgotten is alſo the glorious Year 1745, ſignalis'd as a Year of the Right Hand of the moſt High, in the marvellous Reduction of CAPE-BRETON, by a few New England Troops, cover'd by a ſmall Britiſh Squadron; an Event, wherein much of GOD ſignally appear'd, his Right Hand was lifted up, and his Arm wro't valiantly, our Enemies themſelves being Judges; an Event truly, if view'd in all its Circumſtances, ſcarce parallel'd in modern or ancient Hiſtory (excluſive of Miracles) and promiſing rich Advantages to the Britiſh Dominions, by a juſt Improvement of ſo important an Acquiſition, if annexed (as I wiſh it may be) to the Crown for ever. — In fine, Never to be forgotten is the wonderful Year 1746, ſignalis'd as a Year of the Right Hand of the moſt High by a Variety of his mighty Acts; in particular by the Suppreſſion of the late horrid and traiterous REBELLION in Scotland; and by wondrous VICTORIES, which, we preſume, have broken the Power of our Enemies in Italy, and greatly ſtrengthned the Hands of our Allies; as alſo by the moſt ſurpriſing Salvation wro't for New England and theſe Britiſh Colonies, in defeating the late grand Enterprize of our French Enemies againſt us (that under the Conduct of Duke D'ANVILLE) when they appear'd on our Coaſt with a formidable Armada, and vaſt Naval Armament, with a conſiderable Body of Land-Forces on board, and Thouſands on Shoar waiting to join them, breathing Slaughter and Ruin, and bent on Revenge for the Loſs of Louiſbourg. But happily for us, happily for Annapolis in particular, how did God diſappoint their Hopes, and blaſt their Undertaking! By repeated Storms, ſcattering, breaking, or diſabling their Ships; By Sickneſs, deſtroying a Multitude of Lives (among the reſt, cutting off their Commander in Chief) and greatly reducing their Strength; By dividing their Counſels, and turning their Wiſdom into Fooliſhneſs; By intimidating them with the Proſpect of Vengeance (human, if not Divine) purſuing them; & by all haſtning them back, with Sennacherib's Fate, loaded with Confuſion and Diſtreſs; without ſuffering them to execute any the leaſt Branch of their vindictive Deſign againſt us, & indeed without ſuffering us to give them the leaſt Obſtruction. — Here was the Finger of God! We ſtood ſtill, and ſaw his Salvation; and it was marvellous in our Eyes. Well may we ſet up our EBEN-EZER, and ſay as Samuel on a like Occaſion, Hitherto hath the LORD helped us. Surely his Name is a ſtrong Tower, and his Preſence a Wall of Fire round about. Some truſt in Chariots, and ſome in Horſes, in Fleets and Armies, in Fortreſſes and Artillery: but we will truſt in the Name of the Lord our God. When our Enemies and our Foes came upon us to eat up our Fleſh, they ſtumbled and fell. They are brought down and fallen. The Snare is broken and we are eſcaped. They intended Evil againſt us; they imagined a miſchievous Device, which they were not able to perform. Bleſſed be the Lord, who hath not given us a Prey to their Teeth. We will praiſe Him, for he hath heard us, and is become our Salvation. Verily the Right Hand of the Lord hath been exalted: & hath done great Things for us, whereof we are glad. Let us declare his Works with Rejoycing; record them in our Memories, and hand down Memorials of them to Poſterity. Yet let us rejoyce with Trembling, ſenſible of the Frowns mixed with the Smiles of Providence, and fearful of forgetting and abuſing the Mercies of God, of forfeiting and loſing them, and careful to apply the Remembrance of them to it's genuine devotional and practical Purpoſes. Let the Experiences of Years paſt ſerve to animate our Faith and Hope and Prayer in reference to Years future. When under diſcouraging Proſpects, let us check our Unbelief and Deſpondence; and ſay with the Pſalmiſt in our Text, This is my Infirmity; but I will remember the Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High. — And let us take good Heed to ourſelves, leſt we forget the Lord our God, in not remembring his Teſtimonies, and in not keeping his Commandments, which He hath ſhewn us in his Word, and has been enforcing in his Providence, by many obliging and endearing (as well as chaſtning & mortifying) Diſpenſations. It was a Divine Admonition to Iſrael of old (Deut. 8.) Beware that thou forget not the Lord thy God, in not keeping his Statutes— Leſt when thou haſt eaten, and art full, and haſt built goodly Houſes, &c. then thine Heart be lifted up, and thou forget the Lord.— But thou ſhalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee Power to get Wealth. — O that there were ſuch an Heart in us, and in all this People, thus to remember God, in remembring his Commandments, to do them, that it might go well with us and with our Children for ever!
But I muſt not forget, there are Salvations and Benefits of a more private Reference, by which particular Years are often made peculiarly memorable to ſubordinate Societies, Families, and Perſons (even in a Time of publick Troubles) and in which God expects, that thoſe ſo diſtinguiſh'd do ſee and remember his Hand, his good Hand upon them. As therefore we ſhould frequently review our paſſed Years, in general, ſo let us in particular reflect ſeriouſly this Day on the laſt Year. Has it been a Year brighten'd with ſingular Bleſſings and Salvations to any of us perſonally, or to our Houſes, or the little Communities we are ſpecially concern'd in? Has the Year been diſcriminated by proſperous and happy Occurrences, or merciful Preventions of Accidents and impending Calamities; by remarkable Meaſures of Health, or Recoveries from dangerous Sickneſs; by uncommon Succeſs in Buſineſs, or ſignal Preſervation of any important Intereſts; by an uninterrupted Series of comfortable Enjoyments, or ſeaſonable Supply of our Wants; by eminent Degrees of ſocial Happineſs, or new Acceſſions of relative Advantages, &c.? We ſhou'd then enrol it among the Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High, to be ſolemnly remembred by us. And accordingly we ſhould on this Occaſion (as they, 1 Chron. 16.) record and thank and praiſe the Lord God of Iſrael: remembring his Works that He hath done, we ſhould give Thanks to his holy Name, and glory in his Praiſe.
Yet I muſt again remind you, that not a mere oral Commemoration, nor a mere indolent abſtract Remembrance, will ſuffice. But if we would wiſely conſider the Doings of the Lord, as it ſhould be a deliberate, univerſal, and permanent Conſideration, ſo it muſt be ſincerely purſu'd to it's genuine Ends, be accompany'd with grateful Sentiments and Affections, and be productive of all correſpondent Practice. We ſhould highly value the Divine Favours done us; admire the merciful Kindneſs of God to us; and think of it with an inward Senſe of Gratitude, Love, and Delight; yet alſo with humble Reverence and godly Fear, in the Apprehenſion that He who has done ſuch great Things for us, is able to do as great Things againſt us, and will, if we are evil and unthankful. We ſhould fear the Lord, & his Goodneſs. When I conſider (ſaid pious Job) I am afraid. — At the ſame Time while contemplating what God has done for us, we ſhould recollect what we have done for Him. Let us then examine our ſelves: Have we been ſuitably improving the Divine Patience to it's holy Ends, and bringing forth Fruit with Patience, while God has ſpared us in the Year paſt? Have we been uſing our Liberty, Plenty, Health &c. to the Honour of God? Have we been doing Good in our Places, and abounding in the Fruits of Righteouſneſs? Have our Souls proſpered, and been in Health? What Conqueſts have we gain'd over our ſpiritual Enemies? What Progreſs have we made in the Race ſet before us, under our diſtinguiſhing Advantages? Are we now forwarder in this, than we were a Year ago? Thus, while conſidering God's Ways, we ſhould alſo conſider our own Ways. This implies no Confuſion of Ideas, but the different Meditations are well conſiſtent; and the different Paſſions, ſpringing from them, have a Congruity and Subſerviency to one another, & conſpire to promote the ſame ſolid and ſubſtantial Purpoſes in the Chriſtian Life. — The Goodneſs of God, with which the Year has been crown'd, leadeth us to Repentance; and as He remembreth all our Sins, ſo ſhould we remember our Faults this Day, and mourn them as ſo many practical Contempts of his Providential Kindneſs to us in the Courſe of the Year. — And now, ſolicitous that we mayn't tranſfer uncancel'd Debts into another Year's Account, we muſt remember and conſider CHRIST, our Paſſover ſacrificed for us; and be acting Faith in Him, that by the Blood of Sprinkling we may have our Sins blotted out. As we ſhould on this Occaſion pay our Acknowledgements to Chriſt in his Regal Character, eye Him as having the Reins of Providence in his Hand, and own Him the ſovereign Diſpenſer of all our Bleſſings; and as we ſhould do Him Honour in his Prieſtly Office, by confeſſing it intirely owing to his mediatorial Interpoſition, that we have thus long been repriev'd from Hell, & that our Years on Earth have not been all darken'd with Calamity and cover'd with Horror; and ſhould accordingly give Thanks to his Name, and by Him offer the Sacrifice of Praiſe to God: So we ſhould at the ſame Time be receiving the Atonement, which this our great High Prieſt hath made once for all, and which needs not to be repeated as that under the Law was every Year, but is of abiding Virtue from Year to Year, and always applicable for the Remiſſion of Sins. — Yet not contenting our ſelves with a Faith that only looketh back, we muſt now alſo look forward to the Year & Time enſuing, and exerciſe Faith in Chriſt, both as the Lord our Righteouſneſs & our Strength; looking to Jeſus, for Grace to help in every Time of Need, to fortify us againſt future Temptations to Sin, and enable us to glorify God by a good Converſation in Chriſt, that we may ſtill ſee his Salvation. We ſhould now be renewing the ſincere Conſecration of our Perſons, our Time and Talents, to the Service of God, with a humble Reliance on CHRIST; going forth in his Strength, and making Mention of his Name, even of his only: perſuaded by the Mercies of God, we ſhould now preſent our Bodies a living Sacrifice, reſolve upon the obeying his Will, & the diligent Imitation of his perfect Example, by doing all the Good we can in our ſeveral Places: but to this End we ſhould earneſtly aſk for the Supply of the Spirit of Chriſt, from a Conſciouſneſs of our own Inſufficiency, as of our ſelves, for this Obedience of Faith and Life of Gratitude. — And thus entring on the new Year, we may truſt it will be a happy Year to us. The Experiences of one Year may and ſhould in this Caſe encourage us to hope in God for the needful Mercies of another Year. The Evidences we've already had of his Goodneſs, Faithfulneſs, Wiſdom and Power, ſhould engage us to confide in his Providence for the Year & Time to come, ſhould eſtabliſh our Hearts amidſt all the Shakings of the World, and check our uneaſy Apprehenſions, tho' we ſee Clouds and Darkneſs gathering all around us.
But ſtill let us begin the Year with ſolemn Acts of unfeigned Reſignation to the Will of a ſovereign God, as to all the Events of it; mindful of the Changes we are liable to in a mutable World, and not vainly preſuming on the Continuance of Life and Proſperity, ſo as to forget our Dependance on God, and neglect the Duty of Submiſſion to his Pleaſure, as the Manner of ſome is, whom the Apoſtle has admoniſh'd (Jam. 4.) Go to now, ye that ſay, To Day or to Morrow we will go into ſuch a City, and continue there a Year, and buy and ſell, and get Gain: Whereas ye know not what ſhall be on the Morrow; for what is your Life? It is even a Vapour, that appeareth for a little Time, and then vaniſheth away. For that ye ought to ſay, If the Lord will, we ſhall live, and do this or that. — Alas, how frequent are the Inſtances of Mortality? How many round about us, in the Space of a Year, have had their Days number'd and finiſh'd? And have any of us that ſurvive, a Leaſe of our Lives, that we ſhould allot on continuing a Year longer? In all Probability ſome (if not many) of us will never ſee another New Year's Day: nor indeed are we ſure of Life for an Hour or a Moment. O let us begin this Year with the affecting Thought, that our Breath is in God's Hand, that the Time is ſhort, that the Night cometh wherein no Man can work, & our Opportunity is awfully uncertain. — You that are in advanc'd Years, had Need walk circumſpectly, not as Fools, but as Wiſe, redeeming the Time, becauſe the Days are evil: and ſuch of you as have hitherto forgotten God, had need haſten to remember Him, ſince the Graves are ready for you, and in Death there is no Remembrance of Him.— You that are in middle Age, and have to this Day been loving the World, but deſpiſing your Souls, and diſregarding the Years of the Right Hand of the moſt High, O how long, ye ſimple ones, will ye love Simplicity, and hate Knowledge! Now pity your neglected Souls, and mind the one Thing needful, a Part in Chriſt. What is a Man profited, if he gain the whole World, and loſe his own Soul? An Intereſt in Chriſt will in a dying Hour be worth ten Thouſand Worlds to you. — And you that are in younger Life, but walking in the Way of your own Heart and in the Sight of your own Eyes, ſerving divers Luſts and Pleaſures, will you not be perſuaded to a juſt Concern, that now without Delay you may have Grace whereby to flee youthful Luſts, and remember God in the Days of your Youth! Surely the Time paſt may ſuffice you to have purſu'd the Pleaſures of Sin: & know it, that you, as well as others before you, may die in Youth, and if your Life be found among the Unclean, tho' your Days on Earth be few, yet the Days of Darkneſs ſhall be many, & the Iniquities of Youth and Childhood will be repaid with the never-expiring Horrors of eternal Judgment.
And now, it there be any among you, whether elder or younger, awaken'd to a ſerious Solicitude for your Souls, O turn you to the ſtrong Hold, ye Priſoners of Hope, that by the Blood of the Covenant ye may eſcape out of the Pit, wherein is no Water. Are you ſolemnly affected with the Apprehenſion, that this may be your dying Year, and inquiring what you ſhall do to be ſaved? Let it be your inſtant Care to get into Chriſt by Faith, and ſo into a juſtify'd and ſanctify'd State. Thus you will be in an habitual Readineſs for Death; and if you ſhould die this Year, it will be a Year of Salvation to you. — Yet let not Believers, who are already in this State of habitual Readineſs to die, reſt contented with any preſent Attainments, but be labouring to get and keep in the beſt Poſture of actual Preparedneſs for the great Change, ſo, whenever it comes, it will be not only a ſafe and happy, but a welcome and joyful Change to you. God's Call to you this Day is like that to good Hezekiah, Set thine Houſe in Order, for thou ſhalt ſurely die. But however (like him) you may deprecate dying young, or dying ſpeedily, perhaps the God of your Life may deny your Requeſt, and not defer your Death, as in his Caſe, for fifteen Years, nor yet for fifteen Months. It may be your Lot, as well as that of others, not to be ſuffered to continue by Reaſon of Death, ſo much as for a Year, or a Week, or even a Day longer. Be ye ready (watch and pray) for ye know not the Day nor the Hour. — It was Job's wiſe Reſolution, All the Days of my appointed Time will I wait, till my Change come. Let this be the Purpoſe of our Heart this Day. Now waiting implies the being in a State and Frame of Readineſs. Let us accordingly be waiting for our Change, in the daily Expectation of it, and a daily Preparation for it; giving Diligence to make our Calling and Election ſure. Then, tho' we ſhould die quickly, or ſuddenly, we ſhall die ſafely, and may hope to die triumphing in Chriſt, who has diſarm'd Death of it's Sting, and turned the Curſe into a Bleſſing to his People. Our dying Year will truly be a bleſſed Year to us, a Year of the Right Hand of the moſt High, a Time of Love, and follow'd with an Eternity of Bliſs, with Fulneſs of Joy at God's Right Hand for evermore. AMEN.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Foxcroft, A Seasonable Memento for New Years Day (1747)