is in all the Churches;" but Memorials also of the Lord's goodness to his departed saints in the hour of trial, which are eminently calculated to encourage others in the like circumstances. Among our ESSAYS, which have necessarily decreased in number as our Missionary Intelligence has increased, will be found many from the pens of our deceased Editors, Messrs. Eyre and Fuller,* Doctors Haweis, and Ed. Williams; to whose names we are sorry to add, within the current year, that of Mr. GREATHEED, who had been a constant and valuable contributor from the beginning of our Work. Our REVIEWS, though necessarily brief, have given, we believe, a fair and impartial account of the greater part of religious publications and if they have not been equally critical with those of larger works, we hope they have generally been candid; commending where we could conscientiously commend, and never censuring where the cause of truth did not appear to require it. We could, however, refer to many articles by the contributors above named, which, for discrimination and acuteness, would bear comparison with those of any other similar publication. In the article of RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE, we have the satisfaction to know that our MONTHLY MISSIONARY CHRONICLE is of increasing interest, and looked for by with as much anxiety, and read with as great many pleasure, as the National Gazettes, which record sanguinary battles and dear-bought victories, are sought and perused by the most eager politicians. To conclude-while we feel grateful both to our Readers and Correspondents for encouragement and assistance, we desire above all to render Glory to HIM, who alone, while he blesses us, can render us instruments of blessing to our fellow men-to Him therefore be all the praise. Amen. Dr. Ryland reckons sixty-three pieces by Mr. F, within our first twenty volumes.-Life of Mr. Fuller, p. 235. THE commencement of a New Series of the Evangelical Magazine, at the close of the thirtieth year of its progress, calls for grateful reflections and acknowledgments from all its friends, but above all from its surviving Founders. Of twenty-four names that were originally pledged for the stated assistance of the publication, and for the charitable distribution of its profits, more than one-half, in the course of so long a term, have been blotted out from the book of temporal life. "The Editors," it was said in the Preface," are composed of Churchmen and Dissenters of different denominations, uniting their efforts in one common cause, who will endeavour to diffuse liberal sentiments, wheresoever the providence of God may direct this little confluence of Christian doctrine and catholicism to wind its peaceful course." VOL. I. Tesides several Episcopal clergymen, (one of whom was the ostensible Conductor of the work) ministers of the Independent, Baptist, and Calvinistic Methodists, concurred in its publication; the Arminian Methodists having already long. supported a similar periodical work. Since then the Evangelical elergy, and the Baptist ministers, have published separate Magazines; and their places, as contributors to this, have been supplied by ministers of the Church of Scotland, and of different Secessions from it. These changes, however, have in no wise altered the first purpose and character of our publication. It retains the original catholicism of its principles, and perseveres in every benevolent object for which it was set on foot. But the providence of God has opened to it paths of usefulness then unknown, and has enlarged B its sphere of beneficence beyond all that could be conjectured at its formation. "From that part of the work," said the Editors, "which relates to the progress of the Gospel throughout the kingdom, some good may reasonably be expected. It is a species of information entirely new, and very important." Thus far has the performance in this respect, by the blessing of God, surpassed the promise! Pious ministers, and fellow Christians of various denominations, who had before been alienated from each other, became hereby mutually acquainted and endeared. Their reciprocal prepossessions yielded to better information, and they communicated, by this vehicle, their desires and plans of co-operation for the general good. Our Baptist brethren were already engaged in efforts to spread the Gospel to distant heathens: but within two years from the commencement of this Magazine, (and almost wholly by its means,) the Missionary Society, comprehending every other class of its conductors, was instituted, with evidences of zeal and brotherly love beyond precedent, and congenial (blessed be God!) hitherto with its practical result. The ardour that was excited for the spiritual benefit of remote, unenlightened nations, naturally increased the general concern for that of thoughtless and ignorant professing Christians. Hence numerous and extensive associations were formed for preaching and reading sermons in the long-neglected hamlets, villages and towns of England; and the Religious Tract Society was formed (by members of the Missionary Society) to furnish the multitudes that were learning to read with interesting and instructive memorials, adapted to their comprehensions and benefit, by simplicity, seriousness and brevity. To enumerate the various beneficent institutions that have been formed by communications through this Magazine, would greatly exceed our present limits. We are not aware of any religious associ ation of the kind that has not been promoted, more or less directly, by this work. It is well known that the magnificent fabric of the British and Foreign Bible Society itself was founded by members of the Religious Tract Society: and nothing, indeed, could be more natural than that those who endeavoured, by brief Tracts, to excite in multitudes a concern for salvation, should be anxious to supply them with the only volume of Inspiration. It was also by exertions of the same zealous classes, that stated means were first employed for the conversion of the Jews.Neither can it be deemed unfair to represent this Magazine as the prototype and stimulus of almost every other evangelical periodical work that now issues from the press, if it be considered, that when this commenced there existed scarcely any Magazine or Review that was conducted on similar principles. Extending our views to other nations of Europe, to America, to many remote pagan countries, and our hopes to the reasonable results of exertions that are now so widely spread, so zealously promoted, and so liberally supported; and connecting these with the facts already stated, it appears to be no easy task to fix the bounds of utility to a publication so slight, so simple, so obnoxious to prejudice, so much beneath the notice of the noble, the mighty, and the wise of this world-as the Evangelical Magazine! Let the credit which it has never claimed as a composition, redound to the Principles on which it was founded, and by which it has ever been conducted. Let it |