The present number of the Christian’s Friend forms, according to previous announcement, the first of a wholly new series. Instead of being mainly devoted, as before, to the reproduction of valuable articles from a periodical no longer published, it will now contain, if the Lord will, articles written by brethren well known to saints at large.
“The object proposed in the new series is chiefly the ministration of truth to young believers—to those who have newly been brought, by the grace of God, upon the ground of separation—to such as have few opportunities of profiting by the exercise of oral ministry—indeed, to all who need to be grounded and established in foundation truths. This will include, as the Lord may lead and enable, simple expositions, exhortations, formal statements and applications of elementary doctrines, indications of dangers, whether from within or from without, exposure of current errors, and, without being controversial, defense of the special testimony entrusted to those who are gathered out to the name of Christ. In a word, the aim will be to minister Christ according to the need of souls.”
The writer may be permitted very earnestly to crave the fellowship of the saints, in undertaking the superintendence of the work. He has been greatly encouraged by the generous readiness with which brethren have promised, in dependence upon the Lord, their help in the contribution of papers suited to the object proposed. But conscious as he is that their and his labor will be utterly in vain without the Lord’s guidance and blessing, he ventures to ask the prayers of the saints, to the end that the needed wisdom may be given, so that the glory of God, in the edification of His children, “may be the end and aim of every paper that may henceforward appear in these pages;” and thus to Him, from whom alone the wisdom can proceed, shall be all the praise!