NEW YEAR’S LETTER

Jan. 1786

My dear Friend,

I am often with you in spirit. I behold your clear sky and bright sun; and I can feel some of your bracing air, and your constant fine weather. I do rejoice in them, because you do; but truly, Sir, I do not wish myself in your place! Although I am happy in your happiness, yet these is something even here far beyond your country; for we are not without our enjoyments.

I live in an element, and when my sky is clear, and my sun shines bright, and I feel some of its warm beams, and I breath its pure ether—These are real blessings; they come down from the Father of lights—gifts like himself. He gives his Spirit to enlighten and to enliven our spirits, that being one with his Son, we may live upon his fulness in earth and heaven. And when this spiritual life is enjoyed, there is a failing somewhere, if its influence does not extend to the body, and make the whole man better.

My physician prescribes for both: he speaks a peace and a calm to the inward man, which reaches the springs of bodily life, and makes them move with delight. The nerves feel it; they are brisk and active; he puts joy into the heart, which does good like a medicine. No doctor like mine. You have made use of him for your soul, but I would recommend him to you for the life that perishes. What! if you should leave off medicine, and forget your skill in it, and live more by faith for the present life, I could infallibly insure the success. There is a something not to be described, that he gives, which operates according to promise, and by a divine power, witness Rom. 15:13, &c. &c. Take a little specimen of our testimony for him in the new year. Our motto has been generally Hebrew—The present was, “I am Alpha and Omega:” Alpha is the first, Omega is the last letter of the Greek alphabet. So Christ is the Beginning and Ending, and all between from first to last. He is all in all, Rev. 1:8, saith the Lord himself, the God of truth, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the great I AM, from everlasting, the Almighty, Jesus the God of nature, the God of grace, the God of providence, the God of glory. He is the first author of all the divine works in creation and in providence, the first cause of all the divine works in grace and in glory: he is the beginning and the ending; all things are made by him, and for him.

Blessed are they who have begun the new year looking to Jesus; they will find in him every thing they can wish to save them from sin and misery, and to make them truly holy and eternally happy; for blessed are all they that put their trust in him. We are come together this morning to devote ourselves afresh to his service, and to begin the year as we hope to end it, in the faith of the Son of God. He is our Alpha and Omega; and yours, I hope. I will give the heads of our subject, the rest your own meditation will supply.

1. He is Alpha, the God of nature, who created all things in heaven and in earth, that exists, (excepting sin) owes its being to Jehovah Jesus; for he is of the same essence, has the same attributes and perfections with the Father. This truth stands upon a rock, and is the foundation of our faith, namely, that Immanuel, the God-man Christ Jesus, is the Alpha and the Omega of our salvation.

2. The God of grace: for as he is the Lord God Almighty, what could be wanting in his life to make his obedience for us an infinite righteousness; or in his death, to render it a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice for sin? And the benefit of his life and death can come to you and me in no way, than as an act of the freest grace. We cannot receive it by any other means than by believing the Father’s testimony concerning his Son. Are we wise unto salvation? It is the teaching of our great Prophet Jesus; he is the Author and the Finisher too of that faith, by which we reap the fruit of his atonement and of his righteousness, and by which also we enjoy all the graces of the Spirit in earth and in heaven; as John 1:16. And, among the rest a life of sweet dependence on him for all temporal things; for he is

3. The God of providence: when he has taught us the safety and happiness of trusting our souls in his hands, he calls for the exercise of this, by leaving our bodies, and all their concerns, with him. He calls for it—”cast all your care upon me for meat, and drink, and clothing, I will provide. Trust, and be not afraid, I will manage your health, and comforts, yea, I will make sickness and troubles real blessings.” O Sir, this is paradise; it is the believer’s present heaven. He lives by faith at all times, and for all things, bad and good, sick and well, poor as well as rich; in all, he has fellowship with Jesus, who satisfies his heart, that he loves him too well to try him with anything but what is for his good. This is a sovereign antidote against all temporal distresses, and really turns them into spiritual blessings. It is our philosophers’ stone; I pray God you may find it, and hereby enrich yourself with all you want, as well as all you have; yea, with the unsearchable riches of Christ: for he is

4. The God of glory, lengthening his grace into eternity. For this he gave himself unto death; it was to purchase for us eternal life, as you may see John 17:20, to the 25th verse. In this prayer I wish you and the family an interest.

Pray for your’s,

In our dear Lord,

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