ANOTHER year has glided away, and once more we lake up the pen to introduce a fresh Volume of FAITHFUL WORDS to the reader its contributors are snore numerous — its stories are no less varied than those of its predecessors. Here is the Volume: it shall speak for itself. This opening remark is made with the utmost thankfulness to God, and with gratitude to the writers, who from all parts of the country have so generously contributed papers this year, being actuated by the disinterested desire of helping on the work of the gospel. Eternity is at hand, and, when life battlefield is exchanged for the glory on high, high Honor will accrue to every servant of Christ who sought with a pure heart to serve the Lord. Not even the gift of a cup of cold water to a thirsty disciple will be then forgotten, neither will the presentation of the words of life to longing souls then lose its reward, however humble the “cup” which contains the living water.
The stories of the Volume are all vouched for as literally true. Most of them relate occurrences within the personal knowledge of the writers; many of them are life experiences of those who narrate them.
We appeal to the Christian generosity of our friends and co-workers still to do their utmost in maintaining the character and the circulation of the Magazine, invoking the aid of pen and personal interest. The “depression” that has prevailed has told to some extent upon our circulation, and we call upon our friends to help us, by making the Magazine more widely known; for while our individual subscribers are more numerous than during any previous year, some who once were enabled to make grants of some hundreds of copies to needy gospel workers can no longer do so, or, at least, do so on a smaller scale than before — hence we ask each of our numerous subscribers to introduce FAITHFUL WORDS to the knowledge of one friend or one neighbor, and by this means the accumulative force of various small efforts will more than supply the deficiency felt by the decrease in strength of the few larger ones.
Christian worker, the time is short! And to reader and writer it is shorter than it was even one year ago. Seize the God-given opportunity of the present, passing moment — use the talent of the fleeting hour in view of eternity and the Lord’s approval; be simple-hearted and single-eyed for Him, and you will not have to wait for heaven to receive your reward, for divine joy shall possess your spirit. Work for eternity. In a little while the questions which agitated the hearts and taxed the zeal and energy of so many during the bygone year will be but as a dream. Remember, each golden grain of the word of God sown in a human heart during the past year will be found again — no dream, but a living reality in eternity.