PREFACE.

THE departure of the year has ever been, with us, a period of solemn reflection and anticipation. As we listened, in the hush of night, for the sound of the joy-bells, to tell us that the hand of God had not yet stayed the shadow on the dial, we knew not that we should hear them, or the trumpet of the archangel; and memory, responsive to the present thought breathed forth, with her still voice, the solemn words of a great and gifted spirit.

"And thou, gay voyager to the breezeless sea

Of infinite oblivion, speed thou on!

Another gift of Time succeedeth thee,

Fresh from the hand of God! for thou hast done
The errand of thy destiny, and none

May dream of thy returning. Go! and bear
Mortality's frail records to thy cold

And silent prison-house :-the midnight prayer
Of suffering bosoms, and the fevered care

Of worldly hearts-the miser's dream of gold-
Ambition's grasp at greatness-the quenched light
Of broken spirits-the forgiven wrong,

And the abiding curse. Aye, bear along

These wrecks of thine own making. Lo! thy knell

Gathers upon the windy breath of night,

Its last and faintest echo! Fare thee well!"

And yet these lines only shadow forth the varied agonies which shake the soul of man, and which will only be revealed in the day when every heart shall be unrolled like a scroll, by the glance of the Divine eye. But the same days that bring woe to the children of the world, have only brought continued mercies to the children of God-these, indeed, desire not to recall the past, since it bears to the throne of God, the evidence of their love and their obedience. They welcome the fresh year as another gift to be enjoyed— another field in which they may labour for the truth of God.

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Christianity is a religion of love; and that love, if it abide in the heart of the Christian, will ever urge him to bring the mourning children of earth to the fount of living water, where they drink and thirst no more; and if the misery of individuals plead so powerfully with his heart, the spectacle of convulsed and agonized nations presents still greater claims to his sympathy, benevolence, energy, and self-sacrifice. And when, in the varied dramas of human existence, has one ever opened in more awful grandeur than the present age?

The social and political systems of every European nation are crumbling to pieces, either under the influence of sin, or the increased development of Christianity; and it must be confessed that the energies of evil were never organized so completely as at the present time. Whether, therefore, the next age shall be a blessing, or a scourge to humanity, all rests with the disciples of Christ.

No specious democracies no organization of labour no free field for capital-no PATERNAL Governments, nor Ragged Schools, nor Emigration Societies, nor Land Plans, nor the thousand and one schemes of "world betterers," will ever quiet the world again. The church of Christ alone can regenerate the world. God, from love to his children, has waived the immediate exercise of his own power, and given them the high honour of waging war against the world, the flesh, and the devil, in order that they may become the heirs of the universe. It is the bounden duty of his servants to stand forth in the beauty of holiness, and fight for the glory of their God and their Redeemer. But if they be cowards, preferring inglorious ease to sustained and glorious action, then the Lord will himself vindicate the majesty of his own name; and it may be that He will command the same angels that cursed the cowardly inhabitants of Meroz, to curse us-to curse bitterly because we came not to help Him in His contest with the high and mighty of the earth and if so, we shall wither away beneath that curse till we become spiritually dead. Brethren, think on these things.

The printing press, the great agent in the first Reformation, must be equally powerful in this, the second Reformation. And for this reason, it has been the constant aim of the Editor of the HARBINGER, to furnish the brethren and by their means, the world also with a constant stream of pure and deep knowledge, concerning the various aspects and doctrines of Christianity, so that the MILLENNIAL HARBINGER is a continual preacher to the family, the church, and the world.

The volume just concluded, both in the quality and quantity of its contents, is every way superior to any of its predecessors. Among the various valuable contributions, we especially point out the Essay on Moral Philosophy, by A. Campbell, which is distinguished for profound and varied knowledge. If any one desire to fully appreciate this essay, we advise him to peruse a few treatises on Moral Philosophy: if he do so, he will then understand the value of this masterly essay. The various other Essays, including those on Natural Theology, Discipline, Reformation, Second Coming of Christ, &c. are of a high character, and worthy of repeated perusal.

If the brethren will wade through Paley's Natural Theology, they will return with increased pleasure to the perusal of the HARBINGER. We recommend them to perform these two experiments; they will then discover that the essays in the HARBINGER possess a very rare characteristic—they are SEQUENTIAL-they PROVE something. It is possible that the arrangements and contributions to the HARBINGER may not be altogether faultless: it can only be accounted for in the fact, that the Editor and his Contributors -like the Angels and Prophets of God-learn progressively.

With regard to the ensuing volume of the HARBINGER, the Editor has in his possession many valuable articles by A. Campbell, which he intends to insert in the present volume; and among the serial contributions, will be found A. Campbell's Letters from Europe, beside Letters, Lectures, and Essays on Roman Catholicism—the Questions of the Present Age, and many valuable Essays from the pens of the various gifted brethren in the United Kingdom. Conjoined with these will be found an increased amount of News from the Churches, Miscellaneous Information, &c.

Before concluding, we shall say a few words regarding the Editor of the HARBINGER. For the space of thirteen years he labored for the truth as the Editor of the old and new series of the CHRISTIAN MESSENGER; this labour being added to the arduous responsibilities of a family, a business, and a pastor's office. If the brethren will refer to the former volumes of the Magazine, they will see that his constant object has been, to increase its circulation, and usefulness to the cause of Christ. Now if gratuitous labour, and pecuniary sacrifice, be any reason why gratitude is due to him from the brethren (and we are old-fashioned enough to think so)-that gratitude cannot be better shown than by their obtaining an increased circulation for the HARBINGER. If they do so, the Editor will either reduce the price of the Magazine, or enlarge its contents. Which of the two results shall take

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place, will depend upon the mind of the brethren -as to whether they love KNOWLEDGE better than MONEY, or MONEY better than KNOWLEDGE. hope they will recollect Jane Taylor's witty maxim, "ONE HONEST ENDEAVOUR IS WORTH TEN FAIR PROMISES." By so doing, they will hasten the time when the whole universe shall resound with the sublime song, "Hallelujah, for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth."

Nottingham.

J. G. L.

[NOTE. As the years roll on, and the wheels of nature carry down all the living-the wise and learned, as well as the ignorant and foolish of every generation, for one event happeneth to all—so it is the constant and anxious prayer of the righteous, that others may be raised up, who, with increased power and influence, will bear testimony for Him who is the resurrection and the life, and who is destined to bring all things into subjection to himself, that God may be all in all.-One characteristic of the MILLENNIAL HARBINGER is, that it pleads for liberty of speech and of pen among the enlightened, the gifted, and the talented of its patrons. An Apostle has said to such brethren, you may all speak one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted. "For, as in one body we have many members, but all the members have not the same office; so we, the many, are one body under Christ, and individually members of one another. Having, then, gifts differing according to the grace given to us ;-if prophecy, act according to the measure of faith; if a ministerial office, in that office; if one is a teacher, in teaching; and the exhorter, in exhortation." Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in humbleness of mind esteem each other better than yourselves: not aiming every man at his own interest, but every one also at the interest of the other.-On this principle it is, that we have solicited a preface, with other articles, from the pen of Brother J. G. Lee, for the forthcoming volume; and, from the Essays already published, we have no doubt they will be read with interest and edification by all.-In again casting ourselves upon the candour, liberality, and support of brethren and friends, we avail ourselves of the opportunity of expressing our obligation to all those who have sought to increase the interest, and promote the circulation, of this periodical. We feel anxious to obtain an amount of patronage equal, at least, with that of our associates in this department of labour. It is true, while we receive the thanks of many from different parts of the country, for thus circulating light and truth in the world, the public voice, at present, is not in our favour. We have to bear with those who seem anxiously awaiting the termination of this, and all periodicals of a similar character. But, were each and all to become silentwhich is not very likely to be the case-still the cause for which we plead will not die, either in this or succeeding generations. When men have tried every possible scheme, of their own devising, to ameliorate the condition of the human family, and proved them to be unavailing-we indulge a hope that they will then unanimously put in practice the scheme of inspired wisdom and truth, propounded in the New Testament. Bnt, previous to this, they must renounce themselves, take up the cross, sit at the feet of Jesus, and learn of him who was meek and lowly in heart.] J. W.