It has in time past been my privilege to publish such series of lessons for home study in various religious papers; and from the expressions of appreciation received from many sides, it appeared that those lessons filled a want. Many desiring to study the Bible are in need of some guidance and assistance and definite plans of work, and will be glad to take advantage of such hints and questions as will lead them to a closer scrutiny of the text, and, by this means, into a deeper knowledge of God's word.

      There is a crying need of Bible study, and faithful study will bring its own sweet reward. There is such a joy of discovery (Ps. 119:162), such a quickening of zeal, enlargement of the spiritual horizon, strengthening of faith and courage, and renewing of the mind, as could never come by mere listening to sermons or reading of religious books and articles. These latter were, indeed, not meant for substitutes, but rather as aids and encouragement to Bible study. When they become substitutes, they are [5] a bane, not a blessing. With the hope that many will take hold of these lessons and study them faithfully, and be by this means brought into closer touch with the words of life, and with the prayer that God's blessing be upon it, this series is begun.

      There will be no subtle analyses or elaborate outlines. It seems sometimes that such a dissecting of God's word destroys the beauty, if not the life, of it, as the life and beauty of a flower are destroyed by the hand of the botanist who dissects it into its constituent parts. However indispensable such a method may be for some purposes, it does not come within the range of these lessons, nor is it the need of the greater number of the readers. We can easily get a general view and outline of the Epistle when we shall have finished it.

      For each lesson we take a short portion of the text. We have plenty of time. We can weigh every sentence and phrase and word and meditate on it. The questions will not usually cover every point in the lesson, but will rather be calculated to provoke deeper research and thought and direct attention to such truths as might otherwise be overlooked.

      No commentary will be needed. A good [6] commentary used aright is a help, but it often becomes the occasion of cheating its possessor out of the most beneficial and healthful of spiritual exercises--the using of his own mind, his own power of perception and reflection. Do not be deprived of the great advantage of learning for yourself at first hand. Do not let even the few comments that will appear in these lessons take the place of your own searching.

      The most important suggestion I have to make is this: Study for spiritual benefit. You can gather into your mind a collection of facts, figures, and statements, and get no more good from it than if you had memorized the catalogue of a museum or the inventory of a storage room. You can study in a spirit of controversy and gain little or nothing by your hunting down of "points." Lawyers, politicians, and even infidels, often show considerable acquaintance with the Bible text, but no evidence of the spiritual benefit they might have obtained from it. Something depends on the attitude of the student.

      Let it, then, not be sufficient to learn a list of biblical facts and truths. Let us look for principles. Let us study the meaning and import of each fact and its direct or indirect bearing [7] on our own life. Above all, let us study to get nearer to God, to please him better, to know his will that we may do it, and that, being filled with his thought and his mind, we may be more like him. Never leave out of view the fact that you are studying the word of God, that it pertains to the healing and welfare of your soul, and that God's eye is upon you. Study in sincerity and love and open your inmost heart to the truth.

      Look up whatever references are given. There will never be so many that they will be burdensome or confusing. If some question of special importance arises and you cannot settle it for yourself, the author will be glad to help you.

      For the first lesson: Read the Epistle over rapidly. Study verses 1 and 2 of the first chapter. Memorize them (to the word "Son" in verse 2). Who is he that spoke? Try to take that in. Meditate on the greatness and majesty of the One that spoke and what the fact means to us. Why did he speak? To whom did he speak? What part applies to us?

[LOH1 5-8]