Pearls from the East: stories and incidents from Bible history...

Preface

WHAT a precious thing a pearl is! How round, how smooth, how bright, how beautiful it looks !

Our pearls come chiefly from the eastern part of the world. There they are found in shell-fish, which are gathered from the bottom of the sea. The divers go down, often with great danger, to collect and bring up the shell-fish which contain the pearls. And thus it is that we get our pearls.

When Jesus, our blessed Saviour, was on earth, he compared himself to a pearl, the " pearl of great price " (Matt. xiii. 46). And every part of Bible truth, that tells of Jesus, may well be considered as a spiritual pearl. The portions of Scripture contained in this book refer to " his great salvation." And so we may well speak of it as containing " Pearls From the East." And if our young friends who read this book shall learn from it anything about Jesus, and shall be helped in trying to love and serve him, this will show that the name given to it is a good one.

May God bless all who read this book, and help them to find Jesus, " the pearl of great price ! "

Richard Newton.

Philadelphia, October, 1881.