The Old Year and the New.
THE pale patriarch, surrounded by his immense host of descendants—seasons, months, weeks, days, hours, minutes and seconds—summons us to his immediate presence. "I have called you hither to commit to you my last and most solemn message. I am only one of the six thousand princes of time. Time is the son of eternity. From eternity down to the youngest second, all ages and years, and seasons, and months, and weeks and days, and hours, and minutes, are God's messengers; entrusted with his richest benefits, and commissioned to bear them to man. My mission, like that of my predecessors, is ended. Before my departure, I remind you of the same. My office has been one of ceaseless love. If you marvel that I am encompassed by such a host, I have only to inform you, that they have been my faithful assistants as well as my affectionate children; and that the reason of their multitude is the multitude of God's benefits to man. A smaller number would fail to distribute his abounding mercies. There is not one, in all this array, who has not been thus employed. And ere I die I will question them in your presence, and you must report their testimony in the sanctuary:— "Seasons—What have you given to man?" And the four seasons answered—"God's benefits." "Months—What have you given to man?" And the twelve months answered—"God's benefits." "Weeks—What have you given to man?" And the fifty-two weeks answered—"God's benefits." "Days—What have you given to man?" And the three hundred and sixty-five days answered—"God's benefits." "Hours—What have you given to man?" And the nearly nine thousand hours answered—"God's benefits." "Minutes—What have you given to man?" And the half million minutes answered—"God's benefits." "Seconds—What have you given to man?" And the thirty millions of seconds answered—"God's benefits." "Servants of God, ministers of Christ," said he, "you have heard their uniform answers. With my own fast failing breath I confirm their truth. I have superintended their toil. I know that our whole mission has been occupied in the distribution of God's benefits. You have seen the dying year, repeat to your hearers that you yourselves must die, that they must die. Tell them that the garden of pleasure will then be as desolate as are now the fields of nature to me. There is but the one hope, the inheritance which is incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away. God's benefits begin with life but do not end with death; they commence on earth only to multiply in heaven; and while they enrich in time, they will endure throughout eternity!" So saying, the dying year arose and stood by the side of the new, acknowledged him as his successor, and resigned the scepter to him, and bowing to his attendants, beckoned to his own and ascended with them, vanishing among the welcoming stars. The New Year glanced at the happy transit and then dispersed on errands of mercy through all the earth; to meet again when another New Year shall hang out his signal through the sky, and come to enter on his reign. But lo! the New Year stands in the aisle. The seasons, months, weeks, days, and minutes are waiting without. "Why art thou here? thou youthful prince of time." "I am here" he answered, "to strengthen your appeal. I am here to promise a continuance of God's benefits to those who shall honor his cause. I am here to say to the people, If during all my term you would have every month, week, day, hour, minute, and even every second bless you, attend to the interests of personal salvation. Pay your vows unto the Lord in the presence of his people. "It is not mine to say whether you shall live or die; whether the family shall remain united, or be separated; or whether chastenings shall be many or few. But this I do aver, that he who remembers God's benefits toward him, during the term of my predecessor, with the most grateful devotion has the greatest reason to hope for their renewal and increase throughout my own."—Sel.