At the Close of the Year
As we reflect on the past year, we should give thanks to God for His love, care, and providence, and trust Him to guide us through the future.
John Newton preaches about the importance of uniting hearts and tongues in loud thanksgivings to sing the Savior's praise, acknowledging that every breath we take is owed to God who sustains us from the womb to childhood and youth, leading us through dangers and showing us mercy. He emphasizes the need to trust God with our future, casting all our cares upon Him, praising Him for the past, and trusting Him for the rest.
Text
Let hearts and tongues unite,
And loud thanksgivings raise:
'Tis duty, mingled with delight,
To sing the Saviour's praise.
To him we owe our breath,
He took us from the womb,
Which else had shut us up in death,
And prov'd an early tomb.
When on the breast we hung,
Our help was in the Lord;
'Twas he first taught our infant tongue
To form the lisping word.
When in our blood we lay,
He would not let us die,
Because his love had fix'd a day
To bring salvation nigh.
In childhood and in youth,
His eye was on us still:
Though strangers to his love and truth,
And prone to cross his will.
And since his name we knew,
How gracious has he been:
What dangers has he led us through,
What mercies have we seen!
Now through another year,
Supported by his care,
We raise our Ebenezer here,
"The Lord has help'd thus far."
Our lot in future years
Unable to foresee,
He kindly, to prevent our fears,
Says, "Leave it all to me."
Yea, Lord, we wish to cast
Our cares upon thy breast!
Help us to praise thee for the past,
And trust thee for the rest.
Sermon Outline
- The Duty of Thanksgiving
- God's Love and Care
- Trust in God's Providence
- We should leave our cares to God
- He will help us through the future
Key Quotes
“To him we owe our breath, He took us from the womb, Which else had shut us up in death, And prov'd an early tomb.” — John Newton
“Now through another year, Supported by his care, We raise our Ebenezer here, 'The Lord has help'd thus far.'” — John Newton
“Yea, Lord, we wish to cast Our cares upon thy breast! Help us to praise thee for the past, And trust thee for the rest.” — John Newton
Application Points
- We should take time to reflect on God's love and care for us, and express our gratitude to Him.
- We can trust God's providence and leave our cares to Him, knowing that He will help us through difficult times.
- We should cast our cares upon God and trust Him to guide us through the future.