It is with praise and
thanksgiving that we complete and send forth this first volume of Things to
Come.
Many have been the tokens of the Divine
favour; and great has been the encouragement which we have received from all
parts of the world.
We thank all our kind friends and helpers,
and pray that God may own this volume, so far as its contents are in accordance
with His Truth as revealed in His holy Word, and use it for His own glory,
giving all needful grace and strength for the time to come.
THE EDITOR.
29, PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON,
E.C.
May 16th,
1895
VOLUME 2
PREFACE.
---------------------
---------------------
By the
grace of God a second volume has been completed.
It has
been a year of grave difficulty, the enemy has done his utmost against our
journal, and this, perhaps, is one of the best proofs we could have as to its
power and usefulness.We have not been
without many tokens of our Lord’s presence, for power, faithfulness and blessing;
we rejoice also in the letters of gratitude from friends in all parts of the
world who praise God or our testimony.We plead with them all to continue their support, so that, having
reached our present position, we may go forward, being used of God for
increased usefulness and blessing.
THE EDITOR.
39. WARWICK LANE, LONDON, E.C.
VOLUME 3
PREFACE.
__________________________________
____________________
…
We close our third Volume greatly
encouraged by increasing testimony from all parts of the world from those who
believe in the truth and power of the Word of God.
We are thankful for the grace which has
kept us, and given us an ever-increasing desire to glorify Christ and abase Man.
As the sings of His coming abound, our great
aim is to "make ready a people prepared for the Lord,” and to sound forth a
faithful witness for Him while He is still keeping silence.
Soon will He arise and send forth His
command, "Gather My saints together unto Me.”Till that moment arrives, may He accept and own and bless our feeble
services.
THE EDITOR.
39. WARWICK LANE, LONDON, E.C.
May
17th, 1897.
VOLUME 4
PREFACE TO VOL.
IV.
__________________________________
____________________
…
We thank God and take courage in closing
our Fourth Volume of Things to Come.
Letters from all parts of the world
testify to the deep thankfulness of many readers for its testimony: and for
making the Word of God more clear and precious to them.
This, and our joy in God at being thus
preserved in the Old Paths, and used by His to help others to tread in them, is
our only but sufficient reward.
No study
brings such peace to the soul or happiness to the life as the study to show
ourselves approved unto God (2 Tim. 2:15).This alone will make us workmen that need not be ashamed.
THE EDITOR.
39. WARWICK LANE,
LONDON, E.C.
VOLUME 5
PREFACE.
__________________________________
____________________
It is with deep thankfulness to God that we have been
enabled to bring this fifth volume to its close.
Uninfluenced by the "praise of
man" on the one hand, or the "fear of man" on the other, we have
been kept on our way; and in the midst of many labours have had grace
sufficient for the day.
We
commend this volume to our readers in the full consciousness of many
infirmities and failures; asking God to graciously accept our services, and to
over-rule all to His own glory.
May our
readers have grace to unlearn as well as to learn; and ask themselves with
respect to all they know, whether it was learnt from God or from man.
If the
latter is the case, then we urge upon all the happy duty of re-examination and
re-consideration; and if it be God's Truth, to learn it over again from God;
and if it be of man, to reject it.
If
Things to Come is any help in the performance of this duty, to God be all the
glory.
THE EDITOR
VOLUME 6
PREFACE.
__________________________________
____________________
IN no
previous year has God so owned and blessed Things to Come.
Letters from all parts of the world bring us tokens of His presence and favour,
and do more than encourage us: they fill our hearts with joy and our lips with
praise.
With His help we shall go forward
without care either as to the praise of man on the one hand, or the fear of man
on the other hand, studying only to show ourselves approved unto God as workmen
that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth.-2 Timothy
2:15.
THE EDITOR.
VOLUME 7
PREFACE.
__________________________________
____________________
AGAIN we have to praise the Lord for His wonderful
goodness.He has given us an increased
measure of blessing during the past year, both in the large accession to the
number of our subscribers, and in the letters which so many of them write
testifying of the blessing and help which, through God, they owe to Things
to Come.Our space is too precious
for us to give extracts from these letters, though it would rejoice the hearts
of our readers, as it does our own, to read the testimonies received from all
parts of the world.
May
Things to Come continue to form this bond of union and sympathy with the
scattered members of the One Body who seek to rightly divide the Word of
Truth.The injunction to thus divide the
Word is introduced by and thus connected with the precept "Study to show
thyself approved unto God.”As much as
to say – If you rightly divide the Word of Truth, men will not approve
of you, for it will upset so many of their traditions: but never mind about them."Study to show thyself approved unto
God.”You will then have no need to "be
ashamed,” either before God or men.
May
the Lord make each of our readers such a "workman,” and enable each to engage
in the happy "study” of seeking His approval.
THE EDITOR.
25 CONNAUGHT STREET,
LONDON,
W.
VOLUME 8
PREFACE.
__________________________________
____________________
THIS Volume completes our eight year, and never was a
year so full of blessing as this.Evidence comes to us from all parts of the world which shows how
wonderfully the Lord is using Things to Come to deliver many from
Spiritual bondage.We wish our space
permitted us to give extracts from some of the letters which our readers so
kindly send us. They are a great encouragement, and afford overwhelming proof
that our "labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
While
most of our readers see that Religion is not Christianity, many, thank God, are
discovering that Christianity is not a religion at all.But there are many also who have come out
from the Christianized Paganism of Christendom, and yet fail to see that they
have settled down in a Christianized Judaism of their own.Subjection to ordinances, and obedience to
religious rites, had a divine place in Judaism while God was dealing with men
in the flesh.But in Christianity we are
not in the flesh.We died with Christ
and have been buried and raised with Christ.Is not Christ enough?Are we not
complete in Him?May we all be able to
answer, Yes, from a blessed experience; and may God deign still to use and
bless Things to Come. to bring many souls into that liberty wherewith
Christ makes His people free.
THE EDITOR.
25 CONNAUGHT ST.,
LONDON, W.
VOLUME 9
PREFACETOVOL.IX.
ANOTHER year has passed, amid blessing and encouragement, for which we
praise "the God of all grace.”He has
supplied all our need, and been a very present help in the needful time of
trouble.
Letters
from all parts of the world assure us of the usefulness of Things to Come;
and testify as to many readers being delivered from human tradition and
religion; and of their being led more and more to feed upon the written Word,
and to be occupied with Christ, who is the "living Word.”
We have learned the important lesson of 2 Tim.
2:24-26, which has to do with the different vessels of "a great house.”In dealing with these (Christians, not
worldly opposers), we are told "The servant of the Lord must not strive (i.e.,
contend); but be gentle unto all [of them]; apt to teach, patient (Greek,
bearing up under the evil they would do, in injuring or hurting the
feelings and breaking the hearts of their fellow-servants).”In meekness instructing them that oppose
themselves; if God, peradventure, will give them repentance to the
acknowledgment (Greek, with a view to their fuller knowledge) of the truth: and
that they may recover themselves (Greek, wake up) out of the Devil’s snare, who
are taken captive (Greek, having been taken alive) by him, at his will (Greek,
with a view to their doing his will).”Satan has his object in thus using them; but God has His own object; and
that is that our patiently bearing up under it all, and by not contending with
them, they may wake up from the snare in which they have been caught, and come
into a fuller knowledge of the Truth.
May we, as
"the Lord’s servant,” desiring to obey this command, yet reap the blessing for
which we strive; and be used by Him to still instruct and teach by means of Things
to Come.- THE EDITOR.
25 CONNAUGHT STREET, LONDON, W. (England).
May
15th, 1903.
VOLUME 10
PREFACETOVOL.X.
IT
is with deep thankfulness to God that we complete our Tenth Volume.Amid journeying oft, and the opposition of
some, we have the constant abiding sense and overwhelming evidence of God’s
blessing upon us and of his presence with us.
We are
seldom a day without letters from various and most distant parts of the world
testifying as to the increasing value of Things to Come.
We profess
only one desire, to put "God first,” to make Him everything and man
nothing.To exalt Him and abase
man.To honour His Word and glorify His
Christ is our unchanging motto.Our one
desire and determination is to "delight ourselves in the Lord” and in His word,
and leave Him to look after our honour and interests, and to defend us against
all enemies.
In looking
forward to another year we would say with David (Psalm 56:10,11):-
" In God will I
praise His Word;
In the Lord will I praise His Word;
In God have I put my trust;
I will not be afraid what man can do unto
me. ”
THE EDITOR.
25 CONNAUGHT STREET, LONDON, W.
VOLUME 11
PREFACETOVOL.XI.
THROUGH God’s grace and strength we have completed another Volume, and
have been blessed with abundant evidences of the Lord’s presence, and with
tokens of His blessing.
From all
parts of the world we receive the most encouraging letters, showing how
opposition has been broken down; how prejudices have been removed; how
difficulties have been overcome; how strength has been received; and comfort
bestowed by the ministry of God’s Word.
When it
comes to a Spiritist abandoning the practices of years and burning the Spiritist
books (as in Ephesus, Acts 19:19); when we see a Musician giving up his musical
services for spiritual worship; when we hear of zealous sectarians wasting no
more time in making a "unity of the body,” but "endeavoring to keep the unity
of the Spirit;” and changing what was a source of strife and contentions for
that which is "the bond of peace”; when we find bitter opponents becoming true
friends, helping us to build the things they once sought to destroy, we may
well feel humbled in the dust at the favour and blessing of our God, and have
our hearts filled with praise and our lips with thanksgiving.
And,
further, when others, unsolicited, make translations of Reprints into French,
German, Spanish and Japanese, what can we do but rejoice with joy unspeakable.
We could
fill many a Number with nothing but letters of thanksgiving received from those
to whom Things to Come has proved a blessing; and from many who tell of
happy fellowship in its testimony; but we must not take up space with these
when it can be used for God.Still, our
readers will be glad to know of such facts.
When we
think of the wonderful way in which God is using Things to Come, we feel
that it ought really to be the one work of our life, instead of our Magazine
having to be edited in odd moments, in the early morning hours, between
unceasing duties, and on distant journeys.
But the
Lord knows all, and He knows that our one desire is to have His approval.
We have
ceased to be moved by the oppositions of Brethren, for we have seen so many of
them becoming our friends and helpers, that we look on all such opposers as
those who may soon be standing on our side and holding up our hands.We could tell of one Assembly which at first
"judged” and condemned Things to Come, but have since become such warm
supporters as to send on several occasions Ł 5, and once Ł 10,
for the Editor’s personal use as "the Ox that treadeth out the corn” for them.
We pray
for a rich blessing on all our readers, asking them to help us in making known
to others what they value themselves.
THE EDITOR.
25 CONNAUGHT STREET, LONDON, W. ENGLAND.
VOLUME 12
PREFACETOVOL.XII.
THE blessing we were able, by
God’s grace, to report in issuing Vol. XI. To our readers, has been fully
maintained during 1906.
Not only has it been maintained, but the
evidences of it from all parts of the world are such that we were never more
encouraged than we are at the present moment.
We feel we ought to let our readers know
that receipts from sales and advertisements are not sufficient to pay our
monthly bills; but our God has never left us; and has supplied all our
need.Thank-offerings for blessings
received through Things to Come have been enough to make good all deficiencies.And He, who has supplied our need in the
past, can continue to do so in the time that lies before us.
In thus leading us, we have ears to hear
His voice saying:- "Put not your trust in man”; "Cease from man”; seek not "the
praise of man.”Be not influenced by
"the fear of man.”Let not thy work be
De-structive merely, but Constructive; not merely negative, but positive.Witnessing for God alone; standing fast by
His Word, and making known His Truth.
With these convictions we are entering
upon our New Volume, and have pleasure in calling attention to the prospectus
of the forthcoming articles on several important and interesting subjects.
We would urge all our readers to do their
utmost in making our Journal known as widely as they can among those who are
studying to show themselves "approved unto God.”
May writers and readers alike pursue this
great "study,” and God shall have all the glory and we all the blessing.
E. W. BULLINGER.
25 CONNAUGHT STREET,
LONDON, W. ENGLAND.
VOLUME 13
PREFACETOVOL.XIII.
DEAR FRIENDS,
IT is with pleasure and heartfelt praises to "the God of all grace” that
I am able to send out this, our Thirteenth Volume: for, on two occasions during
the past year there were fears lest the superstitions of some might be
justified, and that the thirteenth year would prove fatal to the
existence of Things to Come.
One
circumstance was my own serious break-down in health in the Spring; the other
was the death of one of our readers in the Autumn whose generous support, for
some years, made it unnecessary for me to bring the Financial needs of Things
to Come before our readers.
This
beloved friend (whom I never saw in the flesh) took the deepest possible
interest in our Magazine and read all the many encouraging letters which have
been received from our readers in all parts of the world, and which were sent
on from time to time.This friend knew
the joy of deliverance from the bondage of all "systems,” including the one
which boasts of being outside of them all; and whose bondage has broken more
hearts than any of them.So great was
the gratitude to God, and to Things to Come for the liberty and the
"bond of peace” which is the blessed experience of all who recognize only the
spiritual unity of the "one body,” that no offering was considered too great if
it helped to deliver others from the inevitable "divisions” and "strifes,” and
"contentions” which are gendered by the attempt to make a corporate unity.
The
other loss, that of health, has been graciously restored by God.
May He,
who has done such things for us, do still more, and add the needed gifts of
wisdom, and knowledge and patience that Things to Come may be still carried
on without looking for the "praise,” or heeding the "fear,” or begging for the
help of man.
I have
been so wonderfully led and guided in preparing the Editorials for next year,
and the writing came so easily that I "assuredly gathered” that, the God who
was thus preparing the seed for the soil, had prepared also the soil for the
seed, and would prepare the sower for both.
Having
done so great things for us we may all, indeed, be "glad” and feel assured that
the same God will give an abundant "increase” and continue to add His blessing
to our labours.
Yours, in His happy service,
E. W. BULLINGER.
"BREMGARTEN,”
NORTH END ROAD,
HAMPSTEAD, LONDON, N.W.
November 11th, 1907.
VOLUME 14
PREFACETOVOL.XIV.
DEAR FRIENDS,
OUR hearts have been drawn out, during the past year,
to greater faith in, and knowledge of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
We have
been occupied with the faith of those who have "heard” God; and our own faith
has been stimulated, and we have gone forward to receive what He reveals "from
faith to faith.”
We look
forward in the coming year to stretch out still more to "the things which are
before,” and to go on to seek out truths lost in the dark ages, and never
wholly recovered.
The
tether of tradition has kept us from reaching all that the Great Shepherd has
provided for us in "the green pastures” of the Word; and the unceasing cry of
faithless shepherds crying "Back” to this, "Back” to that, has prevented us
from going forward.
We have
been indeed "otherwise minded” than the great Apostle who bade us to be
followers together "of him” (Phil. 3:17); but our prayer is that God will
fulfill His promise to reveal even this, and many other precious things unto
us, that we may "walk by the same rule” and "mind the same thing.”
Let us
press toward the goal, even our calling on high, of God, in Christ Jesus.
We thank
God for an increase in the number of our readers; but more especially for the
increase in their spiritual growth, of which many have written to testify from
the remotest parts of the world.The testimony
of one is the testimony of all; "The Bible has become a new book to me, but I
find myself very much alone.”
Never
mind!Abraham was alone, when he
"believed and gave glory to God.”Caleb
and Joshua were nearly alone, when Israel believed not; Paul was alone when "no
man stood by” him; and his and our beloved Master was alone, when they "all
forsook Him and fled.”
Some of
David’s "mighty men” accomplished their mightiest deeds "when the en of Israel
were gone away,” and "when the people fled”; but this was the very time when
"the LORD wrought a great victory” (2
Sam. 23:9-12).
If we
are thus alone in the world, let us at least be united in our fellowship in the
truth of His Word, and in Him who is the Truth.