WE have now come to the end of the tenth year of our labor in connection with the Christian’s Library. Several reasons suggested to us the advisability of discontinuing the magazine, but then again the remembrance of the rapidly increasing apostasy, the love of many growing cold, the unrest and upheavals everywhere amongst the Lord’s people have spurred us on again; and with prayer and casting ourselves afresh upon the source of infinite wisdom, almighty power, and everlasting love, we go forward for another year.
We are aware that we have not always pleased some; on the other hand, many have written their thanks and hearty fellowship in the stand we have felt bound to make in faithfulness to the Lord and His truth and we must ever remember the words:
The Lord’s people, walking in various paths of Christian fellowship, have been shaken up as never before in the United Kingdom, America, and the Colonies. We wish, if it be possible, to be helpers of all such—not in any spirit of “Stand by thyself, I am holier than thou,” but as members of one body, servants of one Lord, and children of one Father—pilgrims, too, in the same wilderness, and heirs of the same glory.
We are constantly receiving letters from dearly loved brethren in the Lord, scattered, divided, and separated the one from the other―heartbroken letters, yearning after the fulfillment of our blessed Lord’s prayer to His Father:
To all such we would say:
“Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:22Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. (Philippians 2:2)).
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, loving to the brethren, be pitiful, be courteous” (1 Pet. 3:88Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: (1 Peter 3:8)).
We earnestly desire the prayers of all our readers, even if we may not have their unqualified approval, and we would assure all that our one desire is the Lord’s glory in the establishing of anxious and awakened souls, and the help of young or old who are seeking to know the will of the Lord more perfectly.
Let the coming year, if the Lord tarries yet a little longer, be one of more prayer, of greater reality, and more whole-hearted consecration to Him who died for us at Calvary, who lives for us at God’s right hand, and who is soon coming to plant us in our heavenly inheritance, never more to grieve Him by our folly, our sins, or our mistakes.
ED.