THE EDITOR'S CLOSING ADDRESS TO HIS YOUNG FRIENDS.
Dear young friends,—We are nearing the close of another year, and we may be nearer the close of our mortal career than we think. What a mercy if we belong to Christ! If so, we are blessed indeed, for those who are His are forgiven their iniquity, are justified from all unrighteousness, are reconciled to God, and made "accepted in the Beloved." Oh, that you, dear reader, may enjoy that blessed portion! Then, come poverty or wealth, sickness or health, life or death, all will be well with you. All such are the children of God, and none besides. To those who love Him, He will say, "Come, ye blessed of My Father"; but to those who are "without Christ" He will say, "Depart, ye cursed!" Which will be your lot? God grant that you may be taught to flee as sinners to Him who "died for the ungodly," and who has said, "Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise cast out." We trust you will never find rest and peace only in coming to Christ. If our feeble labours in sending forth the Gleaner are but blessed to this end, we shall be amply rewarded, and we wish the Lord to have all the glory.
Dear young friends, we do not ask you to join the "Salvation Army," so called, but we hope you may be an army yourselves, seeking to spread abroad good reading among both young and old; and we believe that the Gleaner and Sower will be found most acceptable and adapted for such a purpose, therefore we ask you to join the "Try Army," and shall be glad to receive the names of any who are willing to enlist, to whom we will send sixteen Magazines, post free, monthly, for one shilling and twopence. The postage rate, however, will not allow us to send a less number at a reduction, but a larger number can be sent in proportion, for schools. The Almanacks are nicely got up, and will be found useful to put on walls in bed-rooms, &c. We hope that you will get orders for as many as possible. We will send fifteen for one shilling, post free; no less number can be sent at a reduction. This we do to encourage our readers to obtain subscribers, and to spread abroad the Magazines. The Yearly Volumes are very nice books for presents. Gleaner, picture boards, very attractive, three volumes, four shillings; Gleaner, cloth, also Sower, cloth, three volumes, five shillings, post free.
Now, dear young friends, we hope you will become a "Try Army," and that we shall see pleasing results arise from your efforts. We hope, too, if spared, shortly to greet you again with "A Happy New Year," and may the Lord bless you each and all with the best of all blessings, that we and you may rejoice together in His mercy, and live to show forth His praise.
Trusting you will not forget us, and that we may still be helped to pray and labour for your good, we remain,
Your affectionate friend,
The Editor.
P.S.—Scatter abroad our Friendly Words, 1s. 6d. per hundred, post free. All are pleased to receive them.
AN EXPLANATION.
In inserting the article, "The Fish that Swallowed Jonah," in last month's Gleaner, we had no idea of controverting the testimony of Scripture, but merely to show that the quibbles raised by sceptics, as to the truth of a whale being able to do so, are at least very silly. God could very easily prepare a whale for such a purpose. But, as sharks are included in the term used in the original by Christ, the word "fish," as in Jonah, would be quite as correct.
The Editor.