Introduction

This volume is an addition to seven recently published that bring together ministry by Alfred J Gardiner not previously collected in this form. These other volumes contained a mixture of articles originally published in English and French. Since they were finalised, three books have been made available of meetings in Germany, which were published in German by Mr Alfred Wellershaus. I am very grateful to others who have helped to collect this material, and translated it so that it can be published in English for the first time. I do not read German and would not have been able to make this book without that help; but I take responsibility for the resulting script in English.

The volumes of our brother’s ministry already available are listed at the end of this book; those published in the 1950s can be readily found second-hand.

Two other words given in 1942 and 1950 have been added as an appendix; one was overlooked for the earlier volumes; the other has come to light later, as a recording—which I have only very lightly revised. Neither of them was given in Germany.

In my early years, I attended meetings in Streatham where Mr Gardiner broke bread; and have held him in great affection and regard. He was, of course, very active in ministry, and often away, but he never forgot his local meeting—either in his prayers or his attention to our practical and spiritual welfare. I remember him as apt to repeat himself in ministry, but I now know this was not a sign of age—it will be seen in these books too.

Mr Gardiner has salutary advice about reading: ‘Books by themselves, however good they may be, cannot establish us in the truth … It is only in the power of the Spirit that the thoughts of God can be grasped and made profitable, and if we are well aware of that, we are cast on God in prayer’. May reading of these books be taken up in this spirit to God’s glory!

ANDREW BURR

2021