PROSPECTUS OF THE SIGNS JANUARY 1, 1923

Elder Lefferts was for years, the pastor of Welsh Tract Old School Baptist Church in Newark, Delaware - ed.

With this number of the Signs, the paper enters upon the last decade of its first century. It has outlived the life of its founder, the late Elder Gilbert  Beebe, by forty years. It has also surpassed the lives of the other editors who have gone on before us: Eldors William L. Beebe, Bonton Jenkins, and F. A. Chick and brother Benton Boebe, Doubtless it shall outlive the present editors. We are sure it shall if the Lord's purpose is that the paper be maintained, for nothing but his purpose has enabled the paper to be upheld and circulated for the past ninety years.  Hitherto has thou Lord helped us.  

As is known, the Signs circulate among those who believe in the absolute predestination of all things. That was the second of the original principles which Elder Gilbert Beebe enumerated in the original prospectus, published it in the Signs in 1832. That, as well as the other nine other points mentioned in the original prospectus, ars tho principles for which this paper still stands. We should not think any man would be eligible for the editor of the Signs who is not in full sympathy with the principles for which the paper has always stood. It certainly would not be honest for any man to accept the responsibility of this work and then secretly to subvert the paper to matters and issues for which it was not originally intended and which should be in contradiction to the original prospectus. For ourselves, we do not hesitate to say that when that day comes that we no longer believe the points of doctrine which the Signs has always advocated it shall be our plain duty to resign from the paper. 

Until then we shall continue to solicit the support, cooperation, and forbearance of our readers in our endeavor, by the grace of God, to give them a sound and clean paper. We have specially mentioned above the second point of the original prospectus, for the absolute predestination of all things not because it is any more important than the other nine points, but because it seems to be today tho one point of contention among Old School Baptists in some parts of the country. fn our writings, and in our preaching, we have never made a hobby of this one point, and very seldom use the word "absolute," unless necessary to do so to emphasize our position.

But whether we expressly mention the word '(absolute or not, it must be understood that we, in no sense, limit the predestination of God. Far be it from us to set bounds to his eternal purpose, or to measure with our finite judgment his immutable decrees. Wo mention this particularly inasmuch as it has come to us as a suggestion that it might be well for the Signs to drop the word  "absolute."

All we have to say to that is that we would as soon discontinue the paper altogether as to give anyone the least impression that we had departed from the original principles for which the Signs was called into being. The word can be no more objectionable now than it was ninety years ago unless we have grown unduly sensitive, than our forefathers, to the doctrine which declares emphatically that God is altogether sovereign in all his acts and attributes, and if we have grown oversensitive so that a word causes us to tingle with apprehension, then more is the pity.  But aside from all this, the countenance of the Signs does not now, nor ever did, depend upon the will of man.  There can be no doubt but that the Lord has upheld the paper all these years.  The fact that he has upheld it proves it has filled an essential place in the lives of his people.  No paper standing for a doctrine so popular as that for which the Signs stands could have lived all these years and have weathered all its stresses, except the Lord had been with it.  

Puny is the arm of man and vain is his help.  Had Egypt been our staff, it would have gone through and pierced our hand long ago, but we know that in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength and that blessed is the man who trusts in him.  If so, we shall not be confounded, though a host of men come against us to swallow us up.  Many have been encouraging letters which have come to us from various quarters bidding us Godspeed in our work, and we should have loved to write each one personally, but human limitations prevented it.  We take this way to tell all of you to know that we do greatly appreciate your kind and helpful messages of love and friendship.  As to the criticisms which we have received, we hope we feel thankful for those too.  We know we have needed it all, or God would have had it come our way.  When we are criticized it makes us look back over what we have said or written and sets us to examine ourselves, with the result that we either become the more confirmed in our assertions, or else conclude the critics to be right.  The best of us are but fallible men, none proof against error.  

While there never is any error in the truth, there may be in our understanding of it.  Thus criticism may often be helpful.  Believing as we do, that. not least thing comes by chance, but all according to God's predestination, we cannot but receive what comes to us each day as significant of God's will concerning us.  Whether, therefore, we receive encouragement or censure, it comes by the will of God and must be for the good of his people and for his glory.  As for the future, it is all in the hands of the Lord.  We are today but may be gone tomorrow.  Many have been changes during the last eight and one-half years, during which we have been associated with Brother Kett on the Signs, and God alone knows the changes bound to occur in the years before us.  Many with whom we have had pleasant seasons of spiritual refreshing have left this time world.  The places cannot be filled, but others have been added by the Spirit of the Lord to the Signs' circle.  These now refresh with their love and fellowship in the absence of those gone.  All these things cause us to look forward, not with fear and apprehension, but with confidence in the Lord, that if he still has a work for the Signs to do, that work shall go on whether we live or die.  To the Lord's people, God is a reality, not an abstraction.  God is a being more real than any other personality can possibly be.  

His presence with his children is felt by them.  Not that they should behold him with their natural powers, or comprehend him with their thoughts, but to the faith which he gives them, and which is the fruit of his own Spirit, he is always near.  There is no doubt in thinking of God as an abstract something or other far off from us.  The comfort comes in knowing that he is near every one of us, nearer than our nearest and dearest earthly ties, nearer than life itself.  The strength of the believer lies in the assurance that this invisible God is made flesh, and that Jesus in his express image, this Word of God in our flesh is a very present help in trouble; not a help that is afar off. and unto which we have to bring ourselves by some hook or crook in our own strength, but an all-sufficient help that is present with us, a help that has himself been tempted in all points as we are, only without sin.  Whatever the burden may be which is today laid upon any of us, he has borne it all before us.  Because of this, Paul could say that God would not tempt his children above that they are able, but would with every temptation make a way to escape, that they should be able to endure and to triumph.  This way of escape is the Word made flesh, Jesus our fellow sufferer and fellow laborer.  There is vastly more in this than language can ever express, but we feel confident all true believers know what we are trying to say.  These things are from faith to faith.  

The faith in Paul spoke to the faith in the church, and their faith echoed his.  In this way, he was enabled to impart unto them some spiritual gift for the mutual comfort of all concerned.  Thus we hope it is with the Signs.  There is nothing in this paper to interest others than the children of God.  It has no world appeal whatever.  Our audience is in the Amen" to the faith of those who write, mutual edification shall ensue.  This is our aim, we trust, and unto this end, we continue to write, the Lord being our sufficiency for these things. minority and mostly in obscurity, we suppose.  If the faith of you who read says "Amen" to the faith of those who write, mutual edification shall ensue.  This is our aim, we trust, and to this end, we continue to write the Lord belongs to our sufficiency in these things.

Horace H Lefferts