It is our sorrowful duty to have to inform our readers that it has pleased the Lord to take to Himself His servant, our beloved fellow-laborer, Mr. Charles Stanley, who for more than ten years has edited Things New and Old. In these pages he has told out, in his own simple way, the truth as taught him by the Holy Spirit, while pondering over the word.
For more than fifty years it was his privilege and delight to proclaim all over the country the glorious gospel of God, and to have the joy of knowing that there were given him many souls for his hire.
He was also used of the Lord to write many tracts, millions of which have been circulated, and he had the happiness of knowing that these were blessed to the salvation and deliverance of many souls. Some of his tracts have also been translated into various languages, one quite lately being published in Japanese. He was written to from all quarters for tracts, and gave them away very freely. His preaching and his tracts brought him a widespread correspondence in this and other lands, in which he was greatly interested, and he gladly gave aid and advice as the Lord enabled him.
On Saturday, March 29th, Mr. Stanley penned his last paper for this magazine on “Christ Feeding the Multitude.” He had had a hard week of correspondence, and was feeling weary, but was otherwise in his usual health. On Lord’s day morning, the 30th, he read with his dear wife Psalm 39 and went to the breaking of bread. Hymn 79, “Rest of the saints above,” was sung, and also Hymn 12.
He prayed in the meeting and was expecting to preach in the evening. He returned home and sat down to dinner, rose for a moment, but on returning to the table he immediately stretched out his arm, and his head sank upon it. On his dear wife endeavoring to raise him, she found his spirit had fled: he was with his long-loved Lord and Master. His remains were interred in the Rotherham Cemetery on Thursday, April 3rd, in presence of a numerous company of sorrowing friends, but who were able to rejoice, for his sake, as one for whom it is now “far better.”
The principal events connected with Mr. Stanley’s labors have been published in “Incidents of Gospel Work.”
May all the readers of Things New and Old be as “meet” and as “ready” for a like summons, and for the coming of the Lord, as was the late Editor, and one day join him above, to be forever with and like their Lord, is the desire of The Publisher.
Correspondence to be sent to 20, Paternoster Square.