The soul of the Bible : being selections from the Old and the New Testaments and the Apocrypha

Introduction

The mission of such a book as this, whether in churches or schools or famihes, is perhaps more apparent to a minister than to most men and women. For the preparation for the reading of the Scripture in the service of every Sunday is one of the most important functions which comes upon a preacher. It has been well said by a leader of men in our time, that the only instruction in the Bible which most laymen receive is in the reading of the Scripture by the minister at church from week to week.

Now in the selection of passages for reading it is not enough to choose a few verses separated from the rest of the Bible. What Mr. Pierce has done so effectively in this volume is to bring together in a natural way parts of the Bible which explain and supplement one another. I do not remember any other book which thus brings together in their vital relations the passages of the Bible that are of permanent worth. Such comprehensive survey of the Scripture is not to be made in half an hour on a Saturday afternoon. It is the work of years : and the results of such work are in the reader's hands in this volume.

Preface

The following selections have been made solely for their religious value and suggestiveness. The aim has been to have each reading a literary unit, dealing with but one subject, and enforcing a definite religious lesson. This has involved some verbal changes, and the omission of whatever would distract the attention, offend the moral sense, or start a divergent line of thought.

The readings are synthetic. In each selection the whole Bible has been drawn upon, as needed to develop the subject or to supplement the thought. Isolated passages have been brought into relation with the larger thought of which they are generic parts, thus utilizing many short passages which would otherwise be overlooked because of their fragmentary character.

Wherever practicable the classic chapters have been left undisturbed so far as their setting is concerned. But the purpose of the work has often necessitated some rearrangement of chapters. This is particularly true of the gospels, where the method of bringing together the various passages by subject rather than by chapter has occasioned some confusion. It is thus feared that the reader may experience some diflSculty in finding a desired passage. To les-

vii viii PREFACE sen this as much as possible, the volume is provided with a list of the more familiar religious topics, another list of the readings suitable for various occasions, and also with a general index. It is believed that these will put the contents of the volume at the reader's service.

The design has been to make the selection representative and inclusive so far as the limits of the volume would permit; but with so large a field to chose from there is ample room for difference of judgment. It is hoped, however, that the selection may be deemed fairly representative of what is best in the scriptures, and that the method adopted may serve to reveal to the reader the Soul of the Bible.