Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 13
March 22, 1962
NUMBER 45, PAGE 4,13a

"Thank You"

Editorial

Someone has said that gratitude is "the queen of all the virtues." Cicero wrote, "A thankful heart is not only the greatest virtue, but the parent of all other virtues." The great fault of many of us is our failure to express that gratitude, our acceptance of the riches and blessings of life with little or no effort to let either God or man know how truly appreciative we are.

The Gospel Guardian in recent months has been receiving an increasing number of letters of commendation and encouragement from dedicated Christians throughout the world — and for them our hearts are filled with gratitude and thankfulness. As the tragic clouds of division and apostasy continue to threaten the peace of God's people, more and more of them are awakening to the awful danger. And again and again we receive words of appreciation for the work being done by the men who write for this paper in an effort to stem the tide. We want to share just a brief handful of them with you:

Watertown, Tennessee: "Keep up the good work in the Gospel Guardian. I surely do enjoy it."

Dallas, Texas: "A close friend and brother in Christ has given me several copies of the Gospel Guardian. I've enjoyed them all very much, and as a result I am now mailing you my subscription for this very fine paper."

Saigon, Viet Nam: "Please renew my subscription to the Guardian. I have always enjoyed it very much, especially for its `open door' policy. Keep up the good work."

Pomona, California: "The paper gets better all the time. I enjoy it next to my Bible. You have some very, very good writers. I don't want to miss a single issue."

Burkburnett, Texas: "I am enjoying the Guardian very much, and share it with others when I find someone who likes to read it. I am sending in my renewal for two years."

Nashville, Tennessee: "How grateful I am that God has raised up men who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to stand firmly for the truth! The Guardian is truly a bulwark against digression in the church today."

Pensacola, Florida: "I knew your father and loved him. I think J. D. Tant would be proud of a son who battles the same foes he fought so long and so valiantly — digression and all that goes with it."

Louisville, Kentucky: "I especially enjoy Brother Douthitt's writings. He is one of the best Bible students I've ever read after. Give us more of his articles."

Seattle, Washington: "The Guardian has meant much to my family and me. We almost 'scrap' over who gets it first when it comes."

To these, and to uncounted scores of others who have written in similar vein through the years we say "Thank you!" Such letters are a constant source of encouragement and strength. They serve to let the faithful men who write for this paper know that their work is not in vain. And while no one would write with any other purpose than to please God, still it is heart-warming to know that many thousands of others share a like precious faith with us, and are appreciative of the efforts put forth.

There are a great number of loyal friends and co-workers who not only write in, their words of encouragement, but continue to show "by their actions" that they appreciate the paper — they have the practice of sending in new subscriptions, both those they buy themselves, and those they encourage others to buy. Many thousands of staunch supporters through the years have first become acquainted with the Guardian through the generous impulse of some friend who sent them a "gift subscription." Only $5.00 per month will suffice to send the Guardian to thirty different families! We like to see this happen; for the more people who become familiar with the kind of teaching we are doing, the greater the number who will accept the truth and stand firm in their opposition to error. There are many who do not write letters of encouragement -- they just show it in the most eloquent way of all, by interesting others in the paper! Subscriptions are the life-blood of any journal, religious or secular. We are grateful that our subscription list is growing; but we are impatient to see it grow more rapidly. Are YOU willing to help?

We have what we believe to be some articles of unusual merit scheduled for publication later this spring. We believe they will be of value not only to old readers but to many who are just becoming acquainted with the Guardian. To all who have helped in every way to support and extend the influence of this journal for good, we can only say from the depth of our heart, "Thank you"! Shakespeare said that "Thanks is the exchequer of the poor." In which case that is the bank both the paper and its editor and writers must draw on to let our readers and supporters know our appreciation for their loyal help.