THE FIFTH SERIES OF THE GOSPEL MAGAZINE, AND Theological Review. 1839. CONSIDERABLY ENLARGED. VOLUME THE FOURTH. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, to day, and for ever. Whom to London: Printed and Sold for the Proprietors, BY A. DAY, No. 17, GOSWELL STREET, W.ROW, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET, AND BY ALL BOOKSELLERS IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. PREFACE. LORD, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations; let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish thou the work of our hands upon us, yea Lord, the work of our hands establish thou it, We have now, through the good hand of God upon us, completed our FORTY-THIRD year, that is, FIVE HUNDRED AND SIXTEEN monthly campaigns, in the service of the greatest of Commanders; an unprecedented protracted term, not known even in the history of military exploits; and what adds to the singularity, is, having enlisted in the ranks a mere subaltern, without a patron, without the dignity of having Reverend prefixed, or Doctor affixed; not one appendage to set us off. No mercenaries hired for a stipend to obey a master, but volunteers, without pay or emolument. Here we stand upon an exalted pedestal, above our cotemporaries, many of whom are in possession of large incomes, who will not move an inch, or unfurl their banners without remuneration; that is, in plain language, neither pray, preach, nor write, without money; not labourers, but loiterers, seeking the fleece, and not the flock; devourers, never having enough. As this may be the only opportunity we shall ever have to address our readers, we think it right meet, and our bounden duty, but also a debt we owe to ourselves, to leave upon record our gratuitous and disinterested toil in the gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; |