THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY. CONTAINING CONTRIBUTIONS FROM MINISTERS AND MEMBERS OF VARIOUS EVANGELICAL DENOMINATIONS. JOHN JOHNSTONE, 15, PRINCES STREET, EDINBURGH; AND 26, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON. MDCCCXLVII. PREFACE THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY was commenced two years ago, under the sanction of a number of the leading ministers of various Evangelical denominations in Scotland. It had for its object these three things: First, To provide a weekly and popularly conducted periodical, in which the great salvation might be declared, and Bible principles and duties illustrated and enforced. Second, To "lift up a standard," and aid in providing a defence, against "the enemy," who, whether in the form of Infidelity, which denies the Gospel, or of Popery, which perverts it, is "coming in like a flood;" and Third, To exemplify and help forward that which, in our day, is so earnestly desired, and for many reasons so urgently needed, viz., the visible unity of Christians, and their co-operation in those things on which they are agreed. In all these respects, those connected with THE CHRISTIAN TREASURY have striven to the best of their ability to carry out the original design of the undertaking; and the cordial and unsolicited testimonies which have been borne, publicly and privately, to the character of the periodical, encourage them to hope, notwithstanding much felt shortcoming, that, to a large extent, they have succeeded. The reasons which thus led to the establishment of the publication still exist-the course of events since that time having but served to increase their urgency. The miserable condition of multitudes in our land-who are living careless under the curse, "without God, and without hope in the world"-calls for every available agency that can be employed to rouse them from their fearful slumber, and make them flee from "the wrath to come" to the "refuge" provided. The insidious and silent advance of latitudinarism and infidelity is an alarming fact, known specially to those whose avocations lead them to mingle with the artisans who crowd our workshops and manufactories. And not only the growth of Popery, in the form of actual and avowed conversions to its faith, but the miserably lapsed state of feeling entertained by many regarding it, and the readiness, or even eagerness, displayed by our leading legislators to give more and yet more of the power of our country to the Beast, are things to which it would be madness to shut our eyes, and which call for an earnestness of prayer, a constancy of watchfulness, and an energy and perseverance of action, more loudly than any crisis which has occurred in our nation's history since the time of the Revolution. Still farther, since our periodical was commenced, the cause of Christian union has made great advances; and the formation and proceedings of the Evangelical Alliance-whatever imperfections may, in the view of some, attach to these-give promise of a brighter and happier day for the universal Church, than a few years ago might have been expected so soon to dawn. serve. All these considerations, together with the knowledge of the benefits which hitherto the Lord has been pleased to send to not a few, through our instrumentality, encourage us to proceed, which we will now do, praying, and asking our readers to pray for us, that we may have grace given us to occupy our position wisely, and in such a way as to advance the cause of Him whom in all our efforts we would seek to To the many good and eminent men who have hitherto favoured us and served the Christian public by their contributions to our pages, we would render our respectful acknowledgments, and would hope for a continuance of their kindly interest and aid. To our subscribers also we are, of course, under obligation. It will be our assiduous endeavour to make our periodical even more worthy than hitherto of their attention and perusal. |