Christian's Penny Magazine...........

4,133,442 9,820,383

Clear Profits on the Magazines and Interest on Stock, about £15,674.

Distributed to Aged Ministers and in aid of Insurance on the lives of Ministers, about £7,660.

At the close of last year an urgent Appeal was made for general and vigorous co-operation. It was shown that more than half the original subscribers are now dead and gone, and that the ranks require to be constantly replenished.

The Tract Society, also, in this matter presents an aspect truly remarkable. Their five Magazines enjoy the full benefit of its all-embracing organization wherever the English language is spoken. Their popularity is also exceedingly enhanced from their wholly undenominational character.

Next comes the Sunday School Union, with its six Magazines, all excellent and highly adapted to their object. These, too, have all the advantage of being entirely undenominational, as well as of an organization comprising 300,000 teachers, and 3,000,000 scholars, whose branches run through every county, parish, city, town, village, and hamlet in the British Isles, sustained by an ardour and energy all but omnipotent!

Last, not least, must be added no fewer than seven Scottish Magazines-all started likewise since our Magazines begun-all undenominational

also, got up every way in the best style, and sold much cheaper than they could be if produced in London. This is a most formidable affair to the English Magazines.

Brethren! all this supplies matter for rejoicing; but it also furnishes you with temptation to neglect a paramount and an imperative dutythe support of your own denominational Magazines! Novelty has charms for the thoughtless, and even the thinking are not always proof against its influence. The claims of these Magazines on you are personal, prior, and paramount. They alone contribute to the comfort of your Aged Ministers! They alone state, expound, enforce, and when necessary, defend your principles! They alone publish in extenso the Papers of your Union, and the Reports of your Societies, and promote their interests by unwearied advocacy. These Magazines are a stupendous power for good; but the power might be trebled by trebling their circulation. They teem with matter of the most valuable character, supplied by the best and ablest men of our own and of other bodies, of this and of other countries.

I do trust that the present Appeal will meet with the response to which it is entitled, and which the interests of the Denomination demand. In thus speaking I take the lower ground, but the lower involves the higher, the cause of the Lord, and the salvation of man! With a very moderate measure of zeal on your part, we might easily have an increase next year of 20,000 on the WITNESS, and 60,000 on the Penny Magazine! Let us speak plainly: were our friends to aid us as heartily as we serve them-yea, or as heartily as we aid our friends-we should be satisfied. If "he that has friends must show himself friendly," should not he who is friendly be surrounded with friends, when he aspires to serve not himself but them? All the Denominations are making fresh efforts to diffuse their own Magazines. Will not the Independents, in this as in everything, aspire to occupy a foremost place? Brethren, "Consider what I say, and the Lord give you understanding!" J. C.

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