There is an extremely useful and profitable book in my library by F. W. Farrar entitled Texts Explained. It was purchased from a Methodist College Library after it had been "discarded." The book was printed in 1899. It is yellow and musty with age. This informative and valuable book has approximately 15 per cent of its 372 pages still stuck together. Evidently when the book was published, the pages were not properly trimmed, thus, as I peruse the book, it is necessary for me to perform a little surgical separation. Now, imagine what that means. Here is a book that is more than three quarters of a century old, yet it has been ignored and neglected. Why else would many of the pages still be uncut? I cannot conceive of such a good book receiving such a good letting alone. If the book was of no use, I would not bother to trim the edges, but it is an excellent book to study.

How many of us allow good Bible study helps to remain closed? The pages may as well be sealed so far as we are concerned. Better (or should I say worse?) still, would it make much difference if the pages on your copy of the Bible were uncut? Would it bother you, would it be a hindrance if perhaps 15 per cent of the pages of your personal Bible were like the book I described? Texts Explained has been abandoned for years, at least, the copy I have has been, and that is a shame. If your Bible has been neglected, that is a sin.

Truth Magazine XIX: 54, p. 861
November 27, 1975