Thoughts For Advent. __Philippians__ iv. 8. "__For the rest, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are modest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are holy, whatsoever things are amiable, whatsoever things are of good repute; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise of discipline, think on these things__." Page 306 Sermon XXII. Fraternal Charity. I __Epistle St. John__ ii. 10. "__He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is no scandal in him.__" Page 322 ----------------------------- {13} {14} {15} Sermon I. Remembrance Of Mercies. (For New Year's Day.) Isaiah lxiii. 7. "I will remember the tender mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord for all the things that the Lord hath bestowed upon us." In the midst of our mutual congratulations at a time like this, whilst we are wishing a happy future year to those we love, we cannot wholly forget the year that is past, and all that it brought to us for good or evil. I would not, my dear brethren, cast a shadow upon the bright pathway of our hopes; I would not dampen in the least the ardor with which we joyfully set out upon another year's journey of life. May it be as happy in its realization as we could wish it to be! But I fear for the future happiness of him who forgets the happiness of the past. The anticipated joy of life yet to be lived is linked with those other joys that are past--joys over blessings whose richest fruit should be the lessons of experience they have taught us. {16} Would we like to enter upon a new year wholly ignorant of the past one? I think not. We have learned many things while it has been passing--lessons of wisdom upon which we rely to make the future better and happier. Much there may have been to regret. Alas! how much for some of us; but the remembrance of even that shall be good for us. There are many of the same stones lying in the roadway ahead of us that we stumbled upon last year. Now we shall not come upon them unawares. There are many of the same beautiful but poisonous flowers growing in the valleys of repose where we shall stop to linger for a while, as we did in days gone by. We shall recognize them, and the beauty that deceived us before shall not deceive us again. Blessed is the man who remembers. But there is so much good to remember! And in that remembrance so much to make the heart thoughtful, cheerful, and hopeful. It is this thought which I wish you, my brethren, this morning to reflect upon: the duty and pleasure of remembering the mercies of God--His __tender__ mercies, as the prophet so aptly calls them.