THE title of our magazine expresses in one word the object for which it exists. We do not forget that the edification of believers, as also every other branch of Christian service, is subservient to the glory of God, and it is His glory we seek. Yet the particular way in which we aim at serving Him in this periodical is by rooting and grounding the souls of His people in the truth, the building up of all who may read these pages in their most holy faith, the feeding of the flock of God, and especially the shepherding of the lambs of that flock. We desire to do the little that may lie within our power towards “the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph. 4:1212For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (Ephesians 4:12)).
In carrying this out we shall aim at simplicity, which is not to be confused with shallowness. The profoundest thoughts may be clothed in simple language, as witness the Gospel of John; whereas obscurity of language is often used to cover great poverty of thought.
We hope, the Lord permitting, to furnish our readers with consecutive articles of an expository nature which aim at unfolding the direct teaching of the Word, since the foundation of all Christian instruction lies in the answer to the question, “What saith the Scriptures?” Except we have a sober, intelligent and Spirit-given understanding of the main drift and meaning of Scripture we cannot be effectually built up on our most holy faith, nor can we be proof against the many vagaries, extravagances and fantastic applications or perversions of Scripture, which work so much havoc amongst God-fearing souls today, to say nothing of the ensnaring antichristian systems which are around us. As to these we shall bear in mind the injunction to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints,” whilst pursuing simple lines and using simple language ourselves, remembering that God has “made foolish the wisdom of this world.”
We hope to receive help from God to present truth in an experimental and also a practical way. Experimentally; because only that truth which thus affects us, however much we may know intellectually, is really effective in molding our characters into conformity to Christ. Practically; because only thus is it evidenced that we have entered into an experimental knowledge of truth. As we obey the truth its government of our lives is seen in practice and thus we are built up and God is glorified.
We are very conscious that the program we have sketched out is a large one and we are not sufficient for these things. Still our sufficiency is of God. May His grace be abundantly vouchsafed for so long as He may permit this magazine to be published!