02.00000. The Book and How to Use It
The Book and How to Use It THE war with Germany greatly quickened popular interest in the prophetic books of the Bible, and theChristian Herald,New York, asked the author for a series of articles on the subject. They numbered eight, and bore the general title of "The Mountain Peaks of Prophecy."
Before the conclusion of the series the- attention awakened seemed to justify an increase of the number of articles to twelve, and later that number was doubled.
Questions from correspondents began to multiply which were replied to in some of the later articles, and as the whole assumed more and more the form of class instruction, the management of the paper urged the present publication in book form for wider and more permanent use.
One or two articles have been omitted here as being rather ephemeral in character and not essential to the rounding out of the subject; but those that appear do so, with few exceptions, in their original order, and with practically no change in the text. Repetitions and recapitulations incident to the serial form of composition have had to be retained, but it is thought these may be found not undesirable where the study of the book is pursued in classes as is contemplated in some instances, and for which the questions have been added at the close of each chapter. In class study it would be preferable for each member of the class to possess a copy of the book, and in home preparation to read and reread the assigned lesson, being careful to examine the Scripture references in every case. Then when the class meets the teacher should propound the questions as prepared, and let that exercise be followed by one of general discussion and interchange of views. Where it is inconvenient for books to be provided for all the class, the teacher, after careful preparation, might read the lesson to his students when assembled, adding such explanatory remarks as seemed desirable, and then ask the questions. The correct answer might not come as readily in this as in the other case, but the errors and mistakes of some would possess a pedagogic value of their own, and contribute most interestingly to the general discussion at the close. In the preparation of the work the author sought to avoid as far as possible the expression of merely his own opinions in the premises, and to give Scriptural authority for all his interpretations of the prophets. Where he did not know, or was in doubt he said so, and yet the necessary limitations of space in the periodical may have resulted in a flavour of dogmatism here and there which was not intended. Generous consideration is asked for this, as the author fully recognizes the merits of other interpretations than his own; and values the scholarship and judgment with which he is not able always to agree.
Notwithstanding, he hopes this simple text-book may be useful to beginners, and stimulate them to broader and profounder study of that "word of prophecy, whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter 1:19).