THE

MILLENNIAL HARBINGER,

NEW SERIES

VOLUME III.--NUMBER VII.

B E T H A N Y, VA. JULY, 1839.

BETHPHAGE, May 10th, 1839.      

Brother Campbell,

      FROM the name of the place at which I write this, you will suppose, of course, that I am not very far from Bethany. Nor will you judge incorrectly; for, from this lofty eminence and from beneath the boughs which overshadow me, I see, at the distance of about a mile, spread out like a beautiful landscape upon canvass, the fertile valley in which Bethany is situated, with its fields arrayed in the deepest verdure; and its winding stream, whose sparkling waters, ever and anon bursting upon the sight, reflect the sun-beams.

      It must be confessed, indeed, with regard to these localities, that however the one may, by its proximity, justify the appellation given to the other, neither of them can boast either dates or figs to support the commonly received etymology of their names.^{*} Yet as we are wont to speak and act from our feelings and circumstances, it is natural that we should be in this matter influenced by a love for the places so often visited by our Lord, and by those scriptural associations which so readily present themselves to us; and, as we cannot really enter into Jerusalem, that we should, in fancy at least, wish to get as near to it as we can. There is, however, another derivation of these names, which makes Bethany import The house of song, and Bethphage, The house of the feast; which, if taken in a religious sense, might better sanction our application of them,--with the proviso that we exchange the one for the other; for whatever we may do in the way of song, certain it is that the spiritual and intellectual banquet is with you. And surely if [289] lovers of profane antiquity may revive classical reminiscences by the use of ancient appellations, and strangers from a foreign land delight to recall the images of places endeared to them in their native country by bestowing their names upon their new abodes; it may be permitted to us, by such an appropriation of names consecrated by the most interesting incidents of sacred history, to renew the memory of the past, to enhance present joys and brighten future hopes; so that, although the fig-tree shall not blossom in our land, and the palm shall yield no fruit, we may nevertheless rejoice in the Lord and joy in the God of our salvation.

      It is indeed with such feelings and for such an end that we dwell upon the memorials of events recorded in the inspired volume, or that we again and again peruse this divine record itself. Through such remembrancers we have fellowship with the departed, and not only are the dead revived to us, but their need of praise for noble and virtuous deeds is secured to them from age to age. Lazarus again comes forth from the tomb bound with grave-clothes; the widow of Nain clasps again to her bosom her son and only stay, brought back to life; the tears of Mary become to her more precious for ornament--for glory and renown, than if they had been transmuted into diamonds and pearls; the glad hosannas which hailed our Lord's ascent of Olivet are again heard, or the foot of the cross we can see the triumph of affection over suffering, hear the last accents of consolation to that heart-wounded mother, and contemplate at once the dizzy height of earthly guilt and the unfathomed depth of the love of Heaven.

      To the Christian who makes the Bible what it ought to be--his vade mecum, there is scarce a remark or an incident even in the common affairs of life which will not suggest some pleasing or useful reflection. While the man of the world delights to carnalize spiritual things, he loves to spiritualize carnal things. He finds 'sermons in stones and good in every thing.' The storehouse of his memory is filled with the things new and old of the heavenly kingdom; and like the person who had tasted Lotus, who according to the ancients had never afterwards a relish for any thing beside, he derives from the Bible all his joy and consolation. How happy is his condition! His eyes are anointed with an eye-salve more potent than that of the fatted Arabian dervise which could only reveal the secret treasures of earth, while the former gives power to survey the riches of heaven; the affections of his soul are elevated and purified; and he lives and moves in a celestial atmosphere in which all nature seems to him to wear a brighter aspect.

      And here permit me to express the pleasure I have experienced in seeing those excellent pieces which you have lately published upon [290] Bible reading, and the nature and design of the Christian institution.--Now that 'the south wind blows softly' and your vessel is safely moored in the 'fair havens,' it is well to discipline the crew and be prepared for any Euroclydon. Or, in plain parlance, as your southern controversies are softened down, it is certainly well to direct the attention of your readers, and particularly the young converts, to themes of such paramount and practical importance. Not that I object to controversy. This must live as long as error. It began with Satan, and can only end with him. But "omne nimium nocet"--'too much of one thing is good for nothing,' and I therefore do not love stormy and long protracted debates, which are for the most part inutile, and often inimical to good temper. I like to hear thunder now and then, but a great deal of it will turn the best beer in the world into vinegar.

      But to return to the subject: Does it not appear that the chief preventive of biblical study with young converts consists in this--that they suppose themselves already proficient? And is there not something in our circumstances which creates this mistaken sentiment of self-approval? Is it, think you, occasioned by influences political or social; or is it owing to climate? Every thing certainly grows with great rapidity in this country. As a nation we have scarcely known the period of youth, but have passed at once from infancy to maturity. Here, too, in society, we have not infants of years, but men of days, for those whom we have known as children of yesterday are to-day of full age and wiser than their teachers. And so is it with our seasons, for we have as it were no spring, but the hoar frosts and icicles of winter are at once exchanged for the dews and leafy boughs of summer. Can it be possible that any of these circumstances lead to a similar precocity in spiritual growth? For it is undeniable that many seem to come forth from the laver of regeneration, like the fabled Minerva, out of Jupiter's head, not only fully grown, but fully armed.

      Or, is this overweening self-confidence the result of the mistaken views of conversion which have been so prevalent? It is certainly the natural tendency of the doctrine of miraculous influences in conversion, to lead the convert to repose exclusively upon his "experience" for his assurance of spiritual maturity, and to undervalue and despise the slow and tedious process of growing by the 'milk of the word.' And is it either impossible or improbable that many erroneously place the same deceitful reliance upon their baptism? In either case the consequences will be the same, and we shall have revealed the cause of that neglect of Bible reading which is so generally and so alarmingly prevalent.

      Precocity, even when it really exists in a remarkable degree, is but a mark of weakness, and, being so, is certainly more to be deprecated [291] in the religious department than any other. But how much more imbecile and unfortunate is that false estimate of ourselves by which we are blinded to our own deficiencies, and rendered ignorant of our own ignorance! As, however, I intend nothing more than a hint upon the subject, I shall leave it to your more able pen to trace out the true causes of neglect of biblical study, and to enforce this most important duty. Oh! that young converts may devote themselves to the law of the Lord, and that his testimonies may be their constant meditation. By these will they be nourished, preserved, invigorated, and rendered fruitful. By communion here with the ancients who obtained a good report, and in fellowship with God and Jesus Christ our Lord through the written word and the divine Spirit, they can alone be prepared for the full fruition of the greet end precious promises of the gospel. [292]

R. R.      

      ^{*} Bethany, the house of dates; Bethphage, the house of figs.

[The Millennial Harbinger, July 1839, pp. 289-292.

      Robert Richardson's "Hints to Young Converts: Bible-Reading" was first published in The Millennial Harbinger, New Series, Vol. III, No. VII, pp. 289-292. The electronic version of the essay has been transcribed from the College Press (1980) reprint of The Millennial Harbinger, ed. Alexander Campbell (Bethany, VA: A. Campbell, 1839).

      Pagination has been represented by placing the page number in brackets following the last complete word on the printed page. I have let stand certain variants in spelling and punctuation; however, I have offered corrections for typographical/printing errors. Emendations are as follows:

            Printed Text [ Electronic Text
 -----------------------------------------------------------------------
 p. 290:    meed of praise [ need of praise
 

      Addenda and corrigenda are earnestly solicited.

Ernie Stefanik
373 Wilson Street
Derry, PA 15627-9770
412.694.8602
stefanik@westol.com

Created 2 October 1997.