THE WORD OF PROMISE: A HANDBOOK TO THE PROMISES OF SCRIPTURE. BY HORATIUS BONAR, D.D. "All the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen."-2 COR. i. 20. LONDON: THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY, 56, PATERNOSTER ROW; 65, ST. PAUL'S CHURCHYARD; PREFACE. THE following work does not profess to exhaust the subject indicated by its title. It is meant rather as a selection than a collection of the Divine words of promise. A complete collection of such would require a much larger volume. But a selection duly classified and titled will enable any reader to make additions, according to his leisure and inclination, with facility and comfort. He has just to keep the book beside him, and fill up, in the margin or otherwise, each head from his own study of the word. As stimulating and facilitating such fuller individual collections, a volume like the present may be more practically useful than one more extended. It is not meant as a mere book of reference —a dictionary of the promises. It is designed to be thoroughly readable; a book for the closet and the sick-room; a book, too, which a traveller might like to pack into his portmanteau, or a friend choose as a useful gift-book. In the earlier sections the extracted passages are briefly, perhaps in some cases almost abruptly, given, in order not unduly to swell the work. This, however, it is hoped, will only have the effect of leading to a careful consultation of the context for fuller light and significance. In some of the latter sections, such as " Israel," it was found impossible to be so compact and concise, the nature of the promise compelling the quotation of something beyond a clause or a verse, and the continuity of the passage demanding the paragraph or chapter in full. Hence where the extracts are longer they are fewer in number; those cited at length being sufficient to enable the reader to obtain, by means of a reference Bible or his memory, the many others cognate or parallel. The earlier sections and sub-sections are prefaced with remarks bearing on the subject which the subsequent passages point to. The latter ones are not all thus introduced; it being desirable in a general work like the present to avoid a defined and detailed indication of prophetical views; the words of Scripture being thus left to speak for themselves. In these days of Handbooks, this handbook of the promises may be found of service to the church of God. |