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ending, its moral and spiritual results have been still more calculated to call forth sober reflection. Who can estimate the sins that during its hours have been registered in the great book of God's remembrance? Who can reckon the vain and frivolous thoughts, and the corrupt and grasping desires that have trooped through the minds of earth's thousand millions; the words of folly, of anger, of harshness, or of detraction that have fallen from their lips, and the acts of positive crime, or the omissions of positive duty that are chargable upon them? When we remember the crimes of our entire world that have risen up before God during the hours of this year, the untold millions of its iniquities that have gone reeking with the foulest and rankest iniquity to heaven; how dark must be the register of these circling days? If to this we add that nearly thirty millions of our race have ended their state of trial and gone to that changeless condition where he that is filthy is filthy still, a vast majority of them ignorant of "the only name given under heaven and among men, by which we can be saved," its moral results become tinged with a still deeper hue of sadness, and swell to a still vaster importance. And the feeling of gloom that comes over us like a wintry cloud, as we prepare to lay this year in the tomb of centuries, to slumber until it shall be summoned as a witness at the judgment bar, is a feeling that is most appropriate to our position. We feel how fleeting are our years, how soon they have passed, how few have been their valuable results, and we are ready to join with the Prophet leader of Israel, in the high and melancholy breathings of his manly spirit in that beautiful Psalm, that utters at once the requiem and the epitaph of the departed year-"We spend our years as a tale that is told."

But the year has had its sunshine as well as its shade, its smiles and joys as well as its tears and sorrows, and we should also write on our memorial stone, "hitherto hath the Lord helped us." It has been a season of crowded blessing from God, as well as of crowded sin from man.

On each of us individually the year has dropped blessings from above, all along its hours and moments. Life, health, prosperity, peace, the unbroken family circle, the merry laugh of childhood, the radiant brow of youth, the undimmed eye of age, the ruddy light of the unquenched fire on the hearth, and the rich music of sweet voices in the homestead, all these have been ours, and are so still. And even if a shadow has fallen on the hearth, it has only darkened the lights of earth to brighten those of heaven, and to make the home above more attractively beautiful, by transferring to it the loveliest things of the home below. Let us then strive to "forget not all His benefits," for the year has been full of them.

Let us examine how we have met these tokens of kindness from above. God has given much to us, how much have we given to Him? We have bestowed much time and money on our own families, how much have we on His? What portion of our income have we given to Him?

During the coming year, some of the eyes now tracing these lines, shall close in death. Will they open in Life? They shall cease to look on the things of earth, will they look on the things of heaven? Let us each press this thought on our own hearts, and set our houses in order. Let us enter this year, as if it were our last, and then whether it be or not, we shall close it with the greater joy. If we enter it as sincere and believing Christians, our next New Year may be where there are no sad memories, no wintry skies, no faded leaves, no chilling winds, but the bright, unfading loveliness of that better country, that is far, far away.

THE

PRESBYTERIAN MAGAZINE.

EDITED BY

C. VAN RENSSELAER.

"Stand

ye

in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls."-JER. 6:16.

VOLUME IX.-1859.

PHILADELPHIA:

JOSEPH M. WILSON,

111 SOUTH TENTH STREET, BELOW CHESTNUT STREET.

1859.

PREFACE.

It is hard work to edit a Magazine, when editorship is mixed up with other work. This continues to be our personal complaint against ourselves, for the sake of our subscribers.

And yet to deny that we have much enjoyment in this, and in other work, or to say that we do not furnish a Dollar's worth of good matter to our subscribers during the year, would be (we think) untrue.

Providence presents an increased variety of subjects for discussion, and we shall endeavour to do our best to inculcate sound sentiments, and to promote the cause of religion by our labours.

Nov. 30th, 1859.

C. V. R.

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