By the Editor
YOU and I, my dear readers, have been travelers for another year, on our way to eternity. This year is fraught with more tremendous issues for the world than has ever been known before. We stand appalled at the awful sacrifice of human life; at the mad ambition of a ruler that has darkened the universe with the pall of death. At his command more than a million men have died. An order given from his imperious lips has been, during the last fortnight, the death warrant of one hundred thousand men. The menace of his wrath is heard in the unceasing roar of his mighty cannon, and in the unavailing rush of his squadrons to the charge. It is heard, too, in the dying groans of strong men in their agony, and of weeping women and children in their wild despair. Oh! the pity of it! But God allows it, and we must pray and pray that the strife may soon be over. What desolated homes and broken hearts must haunt that awful man, who shadows the earth as a type of the coming “man of sin.” God will deal with him. Let us seek those things that make for peace and humbly serve our God.
The Palladium
We have opened this building again for gospel preaching. Our first meeting was on October 11TH. We are making special efforts to get the soldiers in. The first man to enter the building on our first Sunday was a soldier. May that be a good omen for coming blessing to them. One dear brother stood outside and brought in ten soldiers. I shook hands with two young soldiers as they were leaving, and one said, “Would you please give me one of your large bills, sir?” I said, “What do you want it for?” He answered, “I want to put it up in the barracks so that some of the other fellows may come to the preaching.” A Christian friend went out with them, and said they were deeply impressed.
All through November and December, and perhaps longer, we hope to hold these meetings from eight to nine. We give a Testament to every soldier who comes to the meetings. Thanks to many dear friends who have responded so well to my appeal for books and tracts, we have been able to give to the soldiers in the barracks and depots in Exeter. We have also sent some thousands to the soldiers at the front. I give an extract from a letter from the Christian to whom we sent them to be forwarded: —
“Your most welcome box and parcel of precious seed have reached me today. I very gratefully thank you for your kindness in sending it. It will indeed be found acceptable and useful. The men will rejoice in it. I can make good use of all you can kindly send me, for we are sending daily boxes and parcels. ‘How can I be Saved?’ will be welcomed by sailors and soldiers. I value it highly. The soldiers are also making good use of French tracts, and I need more for them. Again very gratefully thanking you for your very welcome and acceptable help.”
Please, dear friends, continue to send, for the need is great. I have had one thousand “Safety, Certainty and Enjoyment” given me, and two thousand “How can I be Saved?” and one thousand Gospels from the Scripture Gift Mission, and two hundred Testaments from the Trinitarian Bible Society. To ALL the dear friends who have sent, many anonymously, I return hearty thanks. I always like to acknowledge the gift personally if the name is given.
God would have us all, I am sure, do everything we can for our soldiers now. We must pray for them, and for the loved ones they leave behind. We must pray, too, for the widows and the fatherless, and for all who are mourning over the fallen today.