The last page is a 'state of play' report for the periodical so far ..

TO OUR READERS.
WITH the present issue we conclude the third year of Needed Truth. Varied has been the reception it has met with amongst fellow-saints. As we anticipated, some who first were readers of it have laid it aside, whilst with others, again, it becomes of increasing interest.
Various circumstances have combined to deeply exercise us as to continuing its publication. The long illness and consequent inability of our esteemed brother, Mr. Holiday, to contribute to the pages of Needed Truth, as at the first, has been to us a cause of much regret.
The heavy expense also which is entailed by the publishing of such a periodical is a matter of grave consideration.
Yet, in spite of the above, there is much to encourage us to go forward, believing that the work is of God, and if so, that it cannot be overthrown. Yea, more, those who would seek so to do would do well to take heed to the counsel of one who in his day showed more of Divine wisdom than did the contenders for the traditions of the fathers (see Acts v. 34).
"With many, and perhaps with the most thinking of the Lord's people, increasing interest has been expressed in those lines of truth which we have sought to bring before the saints, and be it remembered that these pages were never intended to take the place of other periodicals, but more especially for the teaching of certain lines of truth that we felt had been almost entirely omitted. This our object we stated in our first number. Some have expressed the desire that more general subjects should be taken up, whilst a very common wish has been expressed that the paper should be issued more frequently. This latter suggestion would increase the labour and responsibility of the editors; still, ere we commence another year, we would be glad if those who are interested in the spread of the truth and welfare of this paper would freely express their mind to us on these points.
Any suggestion will be prayerfully considered, and we especially ask the prayers and fellowship of those who are interested as to our future carrying on of this work. If we have spoken to any as to the advisability of discontinuing the publication, such a proposal has generally been met with the strongest disapproval; but upon this point we would like more fully to have the mind of our readers.
We are not surprised that in some quarters what has appeared in these pages has met with much opposition. Moreover, we quite expect this to be increasingly the case. Confederation may but be the indication of human weakness and the fear of utter dissolution, and independency is equally and as distinctly the mark of approaching dissolution. The falling to pieces and sundering of the human body tell too plainly that disease and death have accomplished their purpose, so independency indicates that spiritual death, that breaking up and severing of the churches of God which too plainly marks that spiritual disease and death have accomplished in part at least their work of disintegration.
We would desire, if we continue this work, that we may be so helped by God that those who hold a God-given place amongst His gathered-out saints may have increased fellowship with us in the work, whilst we expect nothing less than opposition from those who fear that the truth may take from them the place that they have by force or desire acquired amidst, not their flock, but the flock of God