“Do you think Bible Herald a good title for your paper? I do not think it is a herald of the Bible. Would not Believers’ Herald be better?”
Thus writes a brother in England. It is not of very much consequence what title we have, but surely no Christian periodical ought to be anything else but a herald or preacher of the Bible, and that is what Bible Herald means.
As the Lord has enabled us, we have been heralding forth, through the press, the truth of the Bible for more than a quarter of a century, and we mean by God’s grace to do so with more precision, fullness, and intensity than ever; and hence we think we could not have a more appropriate title to describe our work than Bible Herald.
Believers’ Herald was before us, but we dismissed it, for it would be but poor work to make them principal and write of them, though of course what we give will be for them; but we are always safe to write out the things of God from the Bible, and we can never bring forth too many of its holy truths.
It may be interesting to some to know that the word to act the herald occurs about sixty times in the New Testament and the word herald thrice; and that to herald is generally translated to preach, and a few times to publish. Our work then is to preach and publish what we find in the Bible. And it is our intention to give the Meaning ‘o such portions of the Holy scriptures a occupy our attention, in a brief, clear expository way, opening up, the Word very much as we should do at a Bible reading, rather than giving long genera discourses which teach little; for one line of precise exposition―in order that God’s truth in His Word may be accurately known, is worth a volume of vague talk about a passage where ra living seed direct from the Spirit’s store has been dropped into the renewed mind and where nothing sticks but the memory of the sermon as of a “pleasant song.”
We began our spiritual life in the most abject poverty as to teaching, for we bad none who could do it, and we then cared for no books but the Holy Scriptures, and we dug away alone, day and night year after year in the inexhaustible mine of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures with nothing in the way of help but a dictionary for each. It was a very hard beginning; but, cast entirely on the Lord and the Word of His grace, and esteeming it more than our necessary food, we worked away as we could, and the Lord led us on. But it was slow work. It took us seven years to get what might now be had by you in seven months but it was sure; and the acquisition of the habit of patiently studying the Holy Scriptures for one’s self is Above all price; and knowing and feeling its value, it is increasingly on our heart to press it upon the attention of our younger brethren and sisters for whose profit we have a special care.
But exact knowledge of God’s Holy Scriptures cannot be obtained except at the expensive outlay of much time and toil, and above all, perseverance. But not one Christian in a hundred has the qualities, ability, learning, or time to give to this important painstaking work; but they can all enjoy and pout by the results of it when presented.
In pressing study, it is, of course, taken for granted that there must be spirituality, prayerfulness, faith, and complete dependence on the Holy Ghost.
This, then, is the thing we mean to do for them in this paper, by means of the gifts the Lord may bring around us, as our “true yoke-fellows.” It may be a few months before we are able to have the paper according to our mind; but we will begin with what we have, and look to the Lord to sustain us in this work for His name, by giving us, in answer to our prayers and yours, a company of good writers who love the truth of God; and also many good readers who will delight to feed their souls or the precious truths presented.
But we would give new readers a word of warning, that if any have been accustomed to other pastures than the Word, especially where the food has been, prepared and put into their mouths, so that they have had no trouble about it, and, mayhap, as invalids, have been feeding on spiritual extracts and preserved dishes prepared by the pious care of Christian nurses, they may find it rather unpleasant to go direct to the Word and gather their food for themselves, and roast for themselves that which they have taken in hunting, and be under the necessity of using meditation, prayer and the Holy Ghost, to get a homemade spirituality and piety instead of having them gratis or ready-made for so much.
A preacher’s wife, who was one day accounting to a sister for the difference between her husband’s preaching and that of others, who gave beautiful discourses which are not of much use except for temporary entertainment, said, “They give you the bread baked and ready, but my husband teaches you the useful art of making the bread daily for yourselves.”
This is the thing we should like to do with regard to the truths of the Bible. If our readers can only get over the first few months, and learn to found their spirituality on the exact meaning of scripture, so that they can point to it as the spring and strength of their piety, instead of being very pious upon nothing but that which may minister to the mere elevation of nature, they will feel the strengthening power of the pure truth of God in such a way that they will grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ, much more solidly than if living otiosely and enjoying an illimitable supply of beautiful’ summer excursions over a continent of religious commonplaces.
A brother said to us just now, “I have been feasting today on that word— ‘the living God.’ It has quite filled my soul all day.” And surely the words of God are the only means of filling and feeding our souls, so that we may be strong in the Lord for service or conflict.
It will be our high privilege, in common with you, to meditate on His words, and by the Spirit’s grace be breathing fresh life and strength into our souls by means of them. “The words of the Lord are pure words” (Psa. 12:66The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (Psalm 12:6)); and they make us pure (Psa. 119:99BETH. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (Psalm 119:9); John-15:3; Eph. 5:2626That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (Ephesians 5:26)). The Christ was the revelation of God the Father; the Scriptures are a written Christ by the Holy Ghost―God revealed in God’s words but in man’s language; and when we are formed by “the word of Christ,” we are “changed into the same image from glory to glory;” and so all divine knowledge, received aright in the Holy Ghost, gives liberty with God, and makes us “epistles of Christ.” We would follow in this line of light having Christ formed in us, and we formed by, and for, CHRIST, by THE SPIRIT.