The Monitor

THE reflection of saint Paul, “ Having obtained help of God, I continue unto this day,” must be considered as seasonable at the commencement of the year. Permit the MONITOR, to urge each reader, to apply it personally. What but help from God, could have sustained you, to be now a “ prisoner of hope.” Consider; THE SENTENCE OE DEATH IS PASSED UPON

“ Dust thou art and unto dust shalt thou reluin,' was the sentence passed on the public head of our race, and in him on all his posterity. * Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death [sentence of death] hath passed on all inen, for that all have sinned." As ove that has siuned, sentence of death by the Judge of all the earth, has passed upon you. It has been in the power of Hiin who passed the sentence, to have executed it at any moment. You have therefore, not only been dependenį on the power of God, but on his mere niercy for your continnance to this day. Like the felon who deserves to die, on whom the sentence of death is passed, but who waits the decision of his judye to fix the moment of its execution, you have been a monument of the Divine forbearance, even to this hour. Consider again; that the sentence of death, under which

you lie, HAS BEEN EXECUTED ON A HUNDRED GENERATIONS. Yonder sun, in his stated revolutions has witnessed its execution on the world before the fluod, and on the pride and glory of Assyria, and Persia, Macedon and Rone. This sentence has been executed in all countries and in all past, ages; on the honourable and the base; the rich and the poor; the learued and the ignorant ; the aged and the young. Since his last annus al circuit, the sun has seen its execution on millions of your fellow prisoners, younger than you ; on thousands near your age, whose actual sips were fewer and whose abuse of the Gospel less than yours. Rank or wealth, genius or beauty, reprieved none of these. When thousands on your right hand, and ten thousands on your left hand, have fallen, and in this number near relations or intimate acquaintances have been included, what but help from God, has preserved you?

3d Edit.

Death has thinñed the ranks of the young the past year. Some of his victims have laid months under the $ cold clods of the valley." From burying others the feet of the young men who bare” them have but just returned. Did those youths anticipate last January that all things seen and temporal, was, with them, compressed into the narrow compass of a few months ? Did they calculate that the season of preparation for ETERNITY, was, with them, limited to but a part of the Sabbaths and days in the year they had then commenced ? But why are you in the land of the living, while they are removed to the land of silence and darkness, except through help obtained of God?

It is not unsuitable, to remind our readers, that heads of families have not been exempted the past year, from having the sentence of death executed on them. Here, one in the bloom of life, was only permitted to know parental affection, without the performance of parental duties, and then removed. There, another has left a widowed consort and weeping orphans. Reader, are you in conjugal life? That has formed no security that you should behold this day. Have you a helpless infant or very dependent families ? These things did not exempt others the last year from death. Wly then are not your consorts widowed, and your cirldren FATHER"LESS Or MOTHERLESS ? Must you not say, “ Having obo tained help of God, I continue unto this day!"

Once more; Consider, that YOU HAVE THE SENTENCE OF DEATH IN YOUR OWN BODIES. Seeds of disease and mortality, have been, secretly or openly, uudermining your constitution. The dust of your bodies, like other dust, has a tendency to sink to the earth. How conclusive this evidence, that it is only through help from God, you yet continue.

Books

The Monitor, Volume 1