Litchfield enquirer., 1862-01-02
SHORT SERMONS. BY A LAYMAN.-No. TEH.
ON THE NEW YEAR.
TEXT" Ring out he Old
 Rim in the Ne,g.n

x1A4.-' . lung OM M6 CtN Ring in Me New." My BELOVED HEARERS The reflections that crowd upon the bedizened brain of your reaec. tive preacher upon this occasion, are as many and various as the hues of the chameleon or the spots of camelleopard. Since your preacher last addressed you, the year 1861 has simmered down, dried up, begged out, and gone the way of it's venerated ancestors. What an existence it had What one of all the years that have gone before it, which bear the common name of old grandfather 1900, has ever witnessed more varied history than it has seen through it's green, gold and silver-bowed spectacles? I won't re- hearse, for you all know it, some of you to your sorrow-and we will only pray that at the end of 1862, which we have just heard "rung in," we may be permitted to ornament with more be. coming tail.
 But, my pur-blind hearers, methinks hear some of you say, what is the old year to me?' More, much more than you seem to apprehend. In its life it deepened the furrows that Time had gently marked out on the comedy countenances I see before mo, cropped out the white hairs from the barren polls of your shiny topknots, and in its dying struggle, hit us all kick that sent us
 just another and long notch nearer our ever- lasting homes.
 It seems but few short months since the late year came in as bright as tin teapot at a boarding house teatable, on the happy, the care less and the bithe-and but yesterday it went out of sight, like the aforesaid kettle tied to dogs tail, with as much misery as it was possible to append to its brief narration.
 But what is gone is gone for good, as the man said when by mistake he dropped twenty-shi. ling piece for cent into the missionary box, and there is no use trying to get our moneys worth back out of 1861.
 Let us try to look rather into what the New Year has ill store for us, and consider how we may best speculate, that we may reap the lar gest return.
 My hearers, let me exhort you to begin the new year with new resolutions. Let me beg of you to commence clean page in the journal of existence, and if 8 single blot of meanness or vice or immortality should perchance stain its rnsuied whiteness, rub it out, pray you, be- fore it becomes dried and fixed forever. Many of you profess as much religion as you can well carry off without grunting but l want to see you practice more morality, and now is the time to commence it. It is my particular desire that you should henceforth avoid all hypocrisy, cupid ity, venality, jealousy and revenge, and take up the weapons of honesty, truth, charity, tempe rance and love; knock the devil himself down, should he presume to cross your path, and keep pushing straight ahead for the goal of righteous ness, as though the hel-hounds of Hades were barking at your heels.
 My hearers, what happier New Year could wish you than this? What year will this be on which we have just entered if the whole world could only have the advantage of your preachers discourses, and profit by them! want you. my friends; to look upon the new year as one of good omen. Don't let the ghosts of evil frighten Hope out of her senses but imagine you see nothing but bright, beautiful, sunny spots and cheery prospects between this and twelvemonth to come. Look not back aud lament for what is past and gone; but let the enticements of the fu- ture beckon you forward. Take off your coats, roll up your sleeves, apply the grease of persev- erance to your elbows, take fresh swig at the bottle of ambition, and push ahead like an oppo. sition steamboat. Then you will be as happy and prosperous as the years arc long, and so wish you all
 A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
 N. B. As l expect to exchange next week with Brother Beaverdan,, a hard-shell Baptist of the hardest kind, trust that the sentiments of that eminent Professor in the water cure depart ment of religion will find warm response in your midst-particularly as you are not, all of you, steady partakers of that fluid.