Book by A. M. Stewart

Last year I published several posts about early East Texas Free Will Baptist preacher Angus McAllister Stewart. Last week while researching minutes of the Chattahoochee Association of Georgia, Free Will Baptist historian Robert Picirilli made an important discovery. Advertised for sale on the back of the 1895 minutes was a book by A. M. Stewart – Key to the Book of Job, Or, The Plan of Redemption Through the Lineage of Esau (St. Louis, MO: National Baptist Publishing Co. Press, 1895). Knowing the existence of a book by Stewart, I started doing some searching and found there is a Library of Congress scan of Key to the Book of Job by A. M. Stewart, as well as it being available from Forgotten Books. Here are a few excerpts.

In asserting this book of Job to be an allegory it is not assumed that it is a fiction. It is a true narative, written in Hebrew poetry, with names of characters and circumstances chosen by the Holy Spirit. It is at once an allegory and a true narative, with such poetic and parabolic touches as one would expect to find in oriental writings of early times, and even of any time. (Preface, p. 5)

Though it is essential that the whole Church get the healing of the “balm of Gilead,” the work must begin with the individual. Every one that sees the necessity of the general healing must have his own sores treated first. This is the only legitimate beginning. Every one can do something towards healing the whole if he is himself healed. In fact he has already done something for he is part of the whole; but he can do something still more far reaching. This presentation of Job is for the Church and for the individual; or addressed to the Church through individuals with the hope that some may hear and heed the precious doctrines of the book, and tell to others. (p. 6)

As is the Church so are her children, her converts. If the Church or congregation of believers in Christ, will be warned and turned to Christ as he is turning to her, her children, too, will be strong and fair and lovely and will reflect credit and honor on her and will be “the joy of the whole earth.” (p. 73)