PREFACE. THE Editors are aware of the responsibility which attaches to them, in so conducting the Magazine as to render it a vehicle of correct religious sentiments; and an antidote to those errors which exist, and are abounding, in this country. Judging of the approbation with which their labours are received by the religious public, from the increased demand for the work during the past year, they feel a fresh stimulus for exertion to promote its future credit; that the fund arising from its profits, for assisting the widows of ministers, may be abundantly enlarged. For this purpose, they respectfully solicit the zealous co-operation of their numerous and respectable correspondents, by future communications; and, at the same time, they take this opportunity of offering them their grateful acknowledgments for past favours. As the object they have in view by their Essays is the diffusion of Evangelical truth, they will readily admit into that department of their work short and well written pieces, calculated to elucidate and establish the doctrines, or to delineate the spirit, and enforce the practice, of Christianity. The union of these they deem of high consideration, and cannot therefore witness in some persons, without much concern, a disposition to separate them. Yes they most sincerely lament, that any attempts should be made to lower the standard, and diminish the importance, of moral and Christian conduct, no less than to invalidate and decry the doctrines of Divine revelation. The Editors rejoice, that by some recent valuable works, attention has been revived and excited to the cause of Nonconformity and religious liberty; and they most earnestly recommend to Dissenting Parents, the important duty of instructing their children in the knowledge of their distinguishing principles and practices. The gradual progress of the gospel in the united kingdom, and in the islands surrounding its shores, the establishment of schools and itinerant preaching in Ireland; the revivals of religion, and the multiplication of Bible and Missionary Societies in America; together with the continued success of Missionary labours in all parts of the globe; are considerations which must cause the heart of every friend of God and man to exult for joy. These they have with pleasure recorded, which cannot have failed to have excited in the numerous readers emotions of thankfulness, as well as afforded motives of encouragement for exertion and prayer. Happy if all were actually employed in their respective spheres, and esteemed it the main business and honour of their lives to promote the interest of Christ! Time is short. What numbers, since the commencement of the year that is now drawing to a close, have finished their earthly career! How loudly does the warning voice, even from the palace to the cottage, resound, "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh." "How many sleep, who kept the world awake The readers of the Magazine may expect a well executed Portrait to accompany the Numbers, as often as the proceeds from the work will defray the expense, without injury to the widows, to whose use the profits are exclusively appropriated. year. That surrounding objects might not improperly occupy my! attention, I extinguished my taper. I heard, or seemed to hear, a small still voice; it said, AT this interesting season of the year, we usually look into our affairs; should we not, also, examine our spiritual state, and ask ourselves with the utmost solemnity the important questions, How do" Mortal! whence comest thou?” matters stand between God and A profound silence ensued, till our souls? Are there not books again its accents broke upon that intimately affect our eternal mine ear; again it said, "Morwelfare, about to be opened? tal! whither goest thou?" I fell Surely there are; how mindful prostrate before the present Deity. should we be of them! I adored him who formed me; It involuntarily exclaimed, O my God, teach me to review the past, and to look forward to the future, with every suitable emotion of heart. Teach me, O The last evening of the event ful year which has been added to the periods of eternity, I with drew from the world to hold converse with him "who seeth in secret." I entered my closet" teach me to number my days, I closed the door. My mind and to apply my heart unto was deeply solemnized with the wisdom." thought, that, perhaps, I should never see the close of another VOL, IX. The solemn questions thus addressed to me, awakened every B the tyger. Ambition, infernal, faculty of my soul to serious and devout reflection; idea crowded on me after idea, till my heart was full, and I knew not how to avoid at least attempting a reply to the momentous queries of my invisible, but present and be-A proper name to call thee by, expresloved Monitor. I come, Lord, said I, from witnessing thy hand in the afflic tions of my poor Of all thy horrors? pregnant womb of ills! Of temper so transcendently malign, neighbours. I have seen erished That toads and serpents of most deadly many fa kind Suffer me, also, to plead with thee, O thou Father of mercies, for the afflicted, the poor, and the destitute. milies once affluent, and numerous Compar'd to thee are harmless." others who resided in decent and O God of peace! thou hast comfortable circumstances, sud-affected the mighty work. Speak denly reduced to penury and dis-again, give but the mandate, and tress. I had fondly hoped that the they are closed for ever. return of peace to my long afflicted country, would have been the harbinger of commercial and domestic prosperity: but, alas! I have found that "thy hand is stretched out still." An unproductive harvest, and a diminished trade, have taught me that thou hast other rods with which to chastise the nation, besides that of war! Still I would bless thee, O my God, that thy almighty voice has been heard, stilling the fury and madness of the nations. At thy command, the devouring sword is universally sheathed: let it be drawn no more for ever. No more let the fields of Europe, be covered with torrents of human blood, Let her golden harvests be no more trampled to pieces by contending armies, or be consumed by the conflagration kindled by the fiery breath of war. Let not the cries of the orphan andthe widow - the lamentations of brother for brother of the father for the son of the son for the father, again pierce our ears, or pain our hearts. Ah! where is the much vaunted dignity of man-where his boasted natural propensities to virtue! The tyger of the forest spares his kind, he preys not on O let not thine anger endure for ever. Hast thou not said the needy shall not always be forgotten: that the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever!" Let the cries of the destitute labourer, and of the distressed artizan, "enter into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth." I magnify thy name, O God, that thou hast inclined. the hearts of the rich to be boun tiful, and that many of the poor that cried, are partaking of the blessings of their liberality. Teach them, also, by thy Holy Spirit, O Lord, that "they build too low who build below the skies;" and let thy goodness lead them to, repentance," that "by patient continuance in well doing, they may seek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eternal life." I come, Lord, to express my unfeigned joy, that the past season has been an eventful one to the interests of the divine Redeemer. New churches (to the pious heart, how inexpressibly, pleasing the transition from the sanguinary triumphs of the rapacious con-: queror, to the bloodless con |