WITH
our December number we write a few words by way of Preface to our new volume,
No. XV.
We do it with
heartfelt thanks to God for His leading, preserving, and guiding grace.
He has led us on
to a greater knowledge of Himself and His Word.Seldom have we made greater advances; or drawn more from the
inexhaustible treasures of His Word.
It would be a
sin for any of us to suppose that we know all; and have nothing more to
learn.This would be to treat the Word
of God like a human book; to act as though it could be exhausted by us; and
that we had nothing more to learn.
"A good Scribe
is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his
treasures things new and old” (Matt. 13:52).
If we are to
have nothing "new,” but always the "old,” then there is no need for Things
to Come.But we need the old as well
as the new, and the new as well as the old.
"The well is
deep,” and blessed be God, "we have something to draw with,” even the Spirit of
truth, Whose mission it is to show us "the things of Christ” and "things to
come.”
We have thus
been able to recover some things so old that they appear to be new; and we hope
to go on with renewed strength and courage.
In October we
had to take our friends into our Confidence, and though it was not without pain
that we did so, we have been abundantly rewarded.We have been overwhelmed with letters of
sympathy, from the highest and the lowliest at home and abroad.
The Lord has
made our way quite clear for the future, and if our friends only fulfill their
promises of help we shall go on our way without care.
Yours in His service,
E. W. BULLINGER.
"BREMGARTEN,”
GOLDER’S HILL, HAMPSTEAD,
LONDON, N.W.
November, 1909.
VOLUME 16
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
THANKS to you, and the blessing of
God on your kind thoughts and gifts, all care as to finances has been removed
from our mind during the past year.
Our appeal in October, 1909, brought
forth so many letters from hitherto unknown friends that we were overwhelmed
with praise and thanksgivings.
We had no idea of the extent to which God
is using Things to Come for the instruction and blessing of his people
in the remotest parts of the earth until we made that appeal.
It was impossible to reply privately to
each correspondent, but we hereby tender our grateful thanks to them all
collectively, and put on record the fact that their letters of cheer and
comfort, fellowship and encouragement filled us with fresh strength for our
work.
If our friends will each kindly repeat
their gifts, great and small, during 1911, we shall not know one sleepless
night or anxious moment as to meeting all the liabilities connected with our
magazine.
We are exceedingly thankful to record a
decided increase in the number of our Subscribers.During the first eight months of this year
(1910) there has been a total increase of 358 copies, or close on 40 per
month.This is decidedly encouraging,
and a clear proof that the papers inserted during that period have attracted a
larger circle of readers.
Instead of giving our own words and then
quoting a text as a buttress to support them, we shall continue to use God’s
Word as a fountain, out of which we shall draw for our own instruction, as well
as for that of our readers.
Yours in Christ’s service,
E. W. BULLINGER.
"BREMGARTEN,”
GOLDER’S HILL, HAMPSTEAD,
LONDON, N.W.
November, 1910.
VOLUME 17
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
ANOTHER
year has added its
abundance of testimonies to blessing received through the pages of Things to
Come.For this we thank the Giver of
all spiritual gifts.
Our readers have continues their kind
help which has enabled us to pay our way, and has kept us without any anxiety,
besides enabling us to send out a larger number of free copies.
Our publishers report that, taking an
average of fifteen months, they can report a substantial increase; and the last
quarter shows a slight upward tendency.
The number of subscribers, compared with
the preceding year is well maintained.
For this we thank God, and enter on
another year, blessed with bodily health, and with an increased desire to show
ourselves "approved unto God.”
With the continued support and prayers of
our readers, we shall be preserved without care.
Yours in the Lord’s service,
E. W. BULLINGER.
"BREMGARTEN,”
GOLDER’S HILL, HAMPSTEAD,
LONDON(ENGLAND), N.W.
November 15th, 1911.
VOLUME 18
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
THROUGH the grace and
goodness of God we have been enabled to complete our eighteenth volume of Things to Come.
We have had
abundant showers of blessing in letters from many of our readers in all parts
of the world; and we heartily thank them for their encouraging words.
It humbles us when we learn how God has
deigned to own and bless our efforts when all we have done is only through His
own gifts, material as well as spiritual.
We have been preserved in health and
strength, notwithstanding the many demands on our time and strength by other
work which press upon us, almost beyond measure.
We ask for your continued prayers and help,
so that we may be kept without care in our service for you and for God.
Yours in "that blessed hope,”
E. W. BULLINGER.
"BREMGARTEN,”
GOLDER’S HILL, HAMPSTEAD,
LONDON(ENGLAND), N.W.
November, 1912.
VOLUME 19
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
IT is with sorrowful feelings
that we close the nineteenth volume of Things to Come.
The sad death
of the revered Editor in June last brought to a close the work of nineteen
years, during which he had been the means of opening up to so many the
treasures of the Sacred Word.
For this faithful witness to the riches of
Divine Revelation, we give devout thanks to Almighty God.Since the pen fell from the hands of the
beloved Dr. Bullinger the work has been carried on mainly by means of the
materials which were already in his hands.
It is hoped that ere long it may be
possible to make an announcement as to a permanent editor.
Meantime, readers may be assured that there
will be no lowering of the flag, but the same testimony will continue to be
borne to the authority and inerrancy of the Divine Oracles, and the importance
of "rightly dividing the Word of Truth.”
Those who have contributed articles in the
past are warmly thanked, and assured that their continued interest will be
highly appreciated.
Grateful acknowledgement is also made of
the support hitherto given, on such a generous scale, to the Publishing Fund;
and with a continuance of the same, the work of the Lord will not languish in
our hands.
Yours in "that blessed hope,”
THEACTINGEDITOR.
c/o
MISS ELIZABETH DODSON,
"BREMGARTEN,” GOLDER’S
HILL, HAMPSTEAD, N.W.
November, 1913.
VOLUME 20
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
AT
the close of the first
year since the death of Dr. Bullinger, we look back upon days in which the Word
of Truth has been increasingly precious to those who, by Divine grace, have
been enabled to "divide” it aright.
We rejoice to have had the privilege, in
the course of the year, to publish articles from the illuminating material left
by the late Editor; and we are very grateful that beloved brethren still with
us have contributed articles that have been highly appreciated by the readers
of Things to Come.
We also acknowledge with gratitude the
support which has been given, and given so generously, to the Publishing
Fund.The Lord is standing by our
witness; and we are assured that He will continue to do so.
We live in solemn times.If, on the one hand, we seem compelled in
some quarters to SEARCH (and in vain) for signs of the Faith, on the other hand we cannot but
see around us tokens of that "distress of nations, the sea and the waves
roaring,” which, in the Word of Prophecy, belong to "the time of the end.”
May God keep us true to His Word and
occupied with the things of Christ!"The
night is far spent; the day is at hand.”
Yours in "that blessed hope,”
THEEDITOR.
c/o
MISS ELIZABETH DODSON,
"BREMGARTEN,” GOLDER’S
HILL, HAMPSTEAD, N.W.
November, 1914.
VOLUME 21
PREFACE.
DEAR FRIENDS,
WITH
this volume Things
to Come concludes its testimony after a little over 21 years’ service, its
first number having appeared in July, 1894.It is with sorrow that we take leave of our readers, but we believe it
is manifestly the Lord’s will.
Throughout these years hundreds of letters
have testified to the blessing brought by this little monthly witness, an
expression frequently used in them being, "The Bible has become a new
book.”No appeal has ever been made to
man’s authority, doctrines, or traditions.Its motto has always been, "study to show thyself APPROVED UNTO GOD”
As many have expressed a wish to know some
particulars about the editorship during the last two years, it may suffice to
say that the undersigned, who was closely associated with the late beloved Dr.
Bullinger, conducted the magazine for three or four months after his death,
when one of considerable literary ability and experience, who wished to remain
anonymous, undertook the work.He,
however, was obliged to resign it in the spring of the present year, when the
former arrangement was resumed, a valuable colleague being found in one who
also was closely associated with the Doctor’s work, but who wishes his name be
withheld.
We would here repeat the thanks due to him
and other helpers and sympathizers which we have endeavoured to express on the
last page of the volume.
It only remains, in taking leave of our
readers, to "commend them to God and to the word of His grace.”That alone can build them up.
All man’s efforts have an end.Things human pass away.One abides.
