Chapter XXIX: First Meeting in the Year

I. Look backwards on the past year.

1. On your _sins_.

They are many—great—mighty. You need forgiveness, and Christ is
_ready_ to forgive. Neh. ix. 17. Make this your prayer for the past
year, ‘Lord, pardon mine iniquity, for _it is great_.’ Ps. xxv. 11.

On your sins towards your _husbands_. Provocation—temper—carelessness
of their comfort—an unyielding spirit. Again must you say, ‘Pardon
mine iniquity, for it is _great_.’

On your sins towards your _children_. Neglect—bad
example—prayerlessness—cross tempers—hasty slaps. Again you must say,
‘Pardon mine iniquity, for it is _great_.’

2. On your _sorrows_.

Poverty—sickness—death. Yet your sorrows not so many as your sins.
How have you been helped through them! Have you _profited_? Heb. xii.
10. God has been teaching you, have you learnt the lesson?

3. On your mercies.

You can count your sorrows. Try and count your mercies, they are more
than can be numbered. Ps. xl. 5. How undeserved they were! You have
counted your days of sickness—have you those of health? Your hours of
mourning—have you those of joy? Your children taken—have you counted
your children spared? &c., &c. Were you thankful? Gen. xxxii. 10.

II. Look forward on the opening year.

On what? Can you tell?

How uncertain, you know not what will be even on the morrow. Jam. iv.
4. Prov. xxvii. 1. Who will be taken? Whose husband? Whose child?

You know not.

Therefore, ‘be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye _think not_ the
Son of Man cometh.’ Matt. xxiv. 44.

Can _you_ say, ‘Even so come, Lord Jesus, _come quickly_?’