THIS Volume comprises the Services held in Edinburgh and at Manchester, as well as those in London, an act which the Editor deemed due to the generous affection of the multitudes who, in both those places, have done themselves immortal honour by the heartfelt homage they have rendered to Robert Moffat. The feelings and character of that great Missionary, not less than the honour and interest of the glorious cause to which he is devoted, united in demanding some record of those events which occurred in connexion with his departure. When therefore, the Editor prompted this measure, Mr. Moffat himself-notwithstanding his characteristic modesty and strong aversion from whatever might be construed into ostentatious display,-cheerfully concurred in it. It No pains have been spared to render the book worthy of the occasion; for while the services of one of the first Short-hand Writers* of the present day, were secured, his verbatim reports were submitted to the several speakers, and revised by their own hands. may not be uninteresting to state, that the revision of Mr. Moffat's portion of the manuscript was effected on board the "Fortitude," in the Downs, it having been found impossible to attend to it earlier. It was returned, however, to the Editor, with very little alteration, so that both the Sermon and the Addresses are now given to the Public nearly as they were uttered, with all the flow, freedom, repetition of fact and of phraseology, colloquial looseness, streaming redundancy, poetic figure, and touching tenderness, which marked the extemporaneous eloquence of this extraordinary man, a circumstance which will doubtless be appreciated. The multitudes who hung on his persuasive lips, by a very slender exercise of * Mr. Johnson, whose admirable reports of the May-meetings for many years, in the "Patriot," have done so much to promote the interests of Christian philanthropy. the imagination to supply his noble presence and melting accents, may, as often as they choose, have their pleasure, in some measure, repeated. The Editor, in his narrative, remarks, and reflections, interspersed throughout the volume, has endeavoured to combine the useful with the pleasing; and he ventures to hope, that the description of the Mission House and its Museum will be welcomed by his youthful readers throughout the world. He commends the book with particular earnestness and affection to the Sunday School Teachers of the British empire; a class of agents, whose importance, in relation to the Work of Missions, can hardly be estimated. From their numbers mainly, the ranks of the foreign army are, from time to time, replenished, and to them he looks both to mould a Missionary Church at home, and to augment the Hosts of the Lord abroad. He confidently hopes that this volume will be adopted by them as a manual, and will materially serve to nourish, in their generous bosoms, the spirit of this exalted enterprise. The Editor, in conclusion, considers it due to himself to state, for the same obvious reasons which induced him to make a like intimation in the preface to the Farewell Services of the late lamented Williams, that he derives no pecuniary benefit from this undertaking, and has no interest whatever in its success. On his part, it is altogether a labour of love; and, however humble, he assuredly considers it, -a labour of honour! A small monument, but one which will not soon perish, is here erected to a great man, a distinguished benefactor of the most oppressed portion of our species; and to the Editor it has afforded no ordinary satisfaction to have been the instrument of rearing it. JOHN CAMPBELL. Tabernacle House, March 6th, 1843. |