第1章 PREFACE
THIS BOOK, READER, IS NOT PUBLISHED TO TELL US THAT THERE IS SIN AND WOE ANDMISERY IN THIS WORLD. WE KNOW IT ALL TOO WELL. THIS BOOK IS NOT PUBLISHED TOTELL US THAT THERE IS AN IRRECONCILABLE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN DARKNESS ANDLIGHT, SIN AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, WRONG AND RIGHT, DEATH AND LIFE. IN OUR HEARTOF HEARTS WE KNOW IT, AND KNOW THAT WE ARE PARTICIPATORS, ACTORS, IN THECONFLICT.
BUT TO EVERY ONE OF US COMES AT TIMES A LONGING TO KNOW MORE OF THE GREATCONTROVERSY. HOW DID THE CONTROVERSY BEGIN? OR WAS IT ALWAYS HERE? WHATELEMENTS ENTER INTO ITS AWFULLY COMPLEX ASPECT? HOW AM I RELATED TO IT? WHATIS MY RESPONSIBILITY? I FIND MYSELF IN THIS WORLD BY NO CHOICE OF MY OWN?
DOES THAT MEAN TO ME EVIL OR GOOD?
WHAT ARE THE GREAT PRINCIPLES INVOLVED? HOW LONG WILL THE CONTROVERSYCONTINUE? WHAT WILL BE ITS ENDING? WILL THIS EARTH SINK, AS SOME SCIENTISTSSAY, INTO THE DEPTHS OF A SUNLESS, FROZEN, ETERNAL NIGHT? OR IS THERE ABETTER FUTURE?
THE QUESTION COMES CLOSER STILL: HOW MAY THE CONTROVERSY IN MY OWN HEART, THE STRIFE BETWEEN INFLOWING SELFISHNESS AND OUTGOING LOVE, BE SETTLED INTHE VICTORY OF GOOD, AND SETTLED FOREVER? WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY? WHAT HASGOD TO TEACH US ABOUT THIS ETERNALLY IMPORTANT QUESTION?
IT IS THE AIM OF THIS BOOK, READER, TO HELP THE TROUBLED SOUL TO A RIGHTSOLUTION OF ALL THESE PROBLEMS. IT IS WRITTEN BY ONE WHO HAS TASTED ANDFOUND THAT GOD IS GOOD, AND WHO HAS LEARNED IN COMMUNION WITH GOD AND THESTUDY OF HIS WORD THAT THE SECRET OF THE LORD IS WITH THEM THAT FEAR HIM, AND THAT HE WILL SHOW THEM HIS COVENANT.
THAT WE MAY BETTER UNDERSTAND THE PRINCIPLES OF THE ALL-IMPORTANTCONTROVERSY, IN WHICH THE LIFE OF A UNIVERSE IS INVOLVED, THE AUTHOR HAS SETIT BEFORE US IN GREAT, CONCRETE OBJECT LESSONS OF THE LAST TWENTY CENTURIES.
THE BOOK OPENS WITH THE SAD CLOSING SCENES OF JERUSALEM'S HISTORY, THE CITYOF GOD'S CHOSEN, AFTER HER REJECTION OF THE MAN OF CALVARY, WHO CAME TO SAVE. THENCE ONWARD ALONG THE GREAT HIGHWAY OFTHE NATIONS, IT POINTS US TO THE PERSECUTIONS OF GOD'S CHILDREN IN THE FIRSTCENTURIES; THE GREAT APOSTASY WHICH FOLLOWED IN HIS CHURCH; THEWORLD-AWAKENING OF THE REFORMATION, IN WHICH SOME OF THE GREAT PRINCIPLES OFTHE CONTROVERSY ARE CLEARLY MANIFEST; THE AWFUL LESSON OF THE REJECTION OFRIGHT PRINCIPLES BY FRANCE; THE REVIVAL AND EXALTATION OF THE SCRIPTURES, AND THEIR BENEFICENT, LIFE-SAVING INFLUENCE; THE RELIGIOUS AWAKENING OF THELAST DAYS; THE UNSEALING OF THE RADIANT FOUNTAIN OF GOD'S WORD, WITH ITSWONDERFUL REVELATIONS OF LIGHT AND KNOWLEDGE TO MEET THE BALEFUL UPSPRINGINGOF EVERY DELUSION OF DARKNESS.
THE PRESENT IMPENDING CONFLICT, WITH THE VITAL PRINCIPLES INVOLVED, IN WHICHNO ONE CAN BE NEUTRAL, IS SIMPLY, LUCIDLY, STRONGLY, SET FORTH.
LAST OF ALL, WE ARE TOLD OF THE ETERNAL AND GLORIOUS VICTORY OF GOOD OVEREVIL, RIGHT OVER WRONG, LIGHT OVER DARKNESS, JOY OVER SORROW, HOPE OVERDESPAIR, GLORY OVER SHAME, LIFE OVER DEATH, AND EVERLASTING, LONG-SUFFERINGLOVE OVER VINDICTIVE HATE.
BEGINNING WITH ITS FIRST EDITION (1888), FOLLOWED BY AN AUTHOR'S REVISION(1911), THIS OUTSTANDING WORK HAS ACHIEVED WORLDWIDE CIRCULATION THROUGHMANY EDITIONS AND TRANSLATIONS. THE READER WILL FIND THAT THE AUTHOR WRITESFRANKLY AND VIGOROUSLY, POINTING OUT ERRORS AND SUGGESTING SOLUTIONS BASEDON THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD. AND EVEN THOUGH THE LAST FEW DECADES HAVEWITNESSED SHIFTS AND ADJUSTMENTS IN THE SOCIORELIGIOUS WORLD, THE MAINSCHEME AND THE FUTURE PROJECTIONS PRESENTED IN THIS BOOK MAINTAIN TODAY FULLTIMELINESS AND ABSORBING INTEREST.
FORMER EDITIONS OF THIS BOOK HAVE BROUGHT MANY SOULS TO THE TRUE SHEPHERD;IT IS THE PRAYER OF THE PUBLISHER THAT THIS EDITION MAY BE EVEN MOREFRUITFUL OF ETERNAL GOOD.
THE PUBLISHERS.