THE closing year calls us to the pleasing task of once more sending out our volume, which, with its plain speaking, we ask our readers to accept in all good will. The truth should ever be plainly, while lovingly, spoken, and to hide eternal realities from the mind is both false and cruel. The Bible is the book of truth; therein lies open the record of eternal things which the infidelity of our day seeks to hide from men’s hearts. We have endeavored, and shall continue to endeavor, to speak in the plainest speech of heaven and of hell, of the immortality of men’s souls, and of eternal salvation in Christ, and in Christ alone; and whilst so doing we look for the co-operation of Christian friends who value the gospel of God as of priceless worth.
Let us remind our readers that this year, as heretofore, the stories related in our Magazine are perfectly true. The greater number came under the personal observation of those by whom they were written. We are necessitated to make this remark, as enquiries come to us at times from persons, who believe not in conversion to God nor in answer to prayer, challenging the veracity of some of our papers.
To our numerous correspondents, who have so kindly and patiently continued to help us, we tender our most grateful thanks, and while so doing, would press upon them the continued need of our paper month by month. There is no dearth in our day of gracious incidents of conversion to God, or of God’s answering of prayer, and we trust that our Christian friends who are favored with such testimonies will not forget to record them for the benefit of the readers of FAITILFUL WORDS. We have ample evidence of the lasting good that such testimonies effect in lives, once lived for self and the world, now spent in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Saviour.
One who helped us with many a paper has been called to his rest this year. He often told us that, laid aside as he was from active. ministry in the vineyard, it was solace to him upon his couch of suffering to pen a few lines in the exaltation of Christ, and to send them abroad through these pages. Sure we may be that in the day that is coming every opportunity which God gave us here, and which we used, will be remembered with joy and thanksgiving.
We would especially ask our friends and helpers to induce their poorer neighbors in the village or the neglected street to become subscribers, and to take in the Magazine for themselves. Long experience shows that no one begrudges its monthly cost, and that what persons procure for themselves is valued far more than what is given or lent to them.