THE BAPTIST REPORTER, AND MISSIONARY INTELLIGENCER. NEW SERIES-VOL. IV. (WHOLE SERIES-VOL. XXI.) EDITED BY JOSEPH FOULKES WINKS. 1847. LONDON: SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, AND CO., STATIONERS-HALL COURT. LEICESTER: PRINTED AND SOLD BY J. F. WINKS. PREFACE. Every return of the last month of the year is to us a peculiarly solemn season. Many things unite to make it so. The deaths we have recorded during the past twelve months-of seniors, and equals, and juniors-powerfully remind us of the frailty and brevity of human life, and that whatsoever we find to do we must do with all our might. Gratitude to the Father of Mercies is however the predominant feeling. Through his good band upon us we have been again permitted to go through our appointed task; and one more year's labours are now completed. The last will come; but our times are in his hands. Wisdom and goodness are with him. He doeth all things well. To our subscribers we have, as usual, a few things to say. In our success or failure we must presume they feel an interest. We have not succeeded so well during the past year-our sales instead of increasing, as formerly, have decreased—not much, but yet they have decreased, and we deem it right that you should know the fact. Various causes have operated to produce this depression—the famine and the money panics chiefly. But there have been other causes, and one especially which, though accidental, operated, we fear, to our injury. We refer to the proposed coloured picture of the baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch. On the cover of our March number we gave a full explanation of this matter, and printed also copies of notes from respectable individuals to whom we submitted the specimens, all of whom agreed that the picture was a failure, and ought not to be published. The loss to us was considerable, as we had printed about two thousand more copies of the January number in expectation that they would be required. We also incurred considerable expense in other ways -all which was lost. We did our best to fulfil our promise—the fault was not ours—and our loss was great. When we found that the artist could not supply a perfect coloured picture, for which, it will be remembered, we were to charge threepence, we then promised that we would have a wood engraving executed, which we would supply gratis. This we have now done. Further we ought to be allowed to explain that there is considerable difficulty in getting an artist to upderstand what you mean by a baptism. The prize paintings of John baptizing our Lord in Jordan might be mentioned in proof. And before we could get a drawing of the engraving we have now furnished, we were under the necessity of having an oil painting executed under our own superintendence, by an artist on the spot. We trust, therefore, that we shall be acquitted of all blame in this business, which has cost us much anxiety and expense. Now, however, as we have been brought into practical acquaintance with the difficulties, we shall be better |