A Paraphrase on the New Testament, Title page – Errata
A PARAPHRASE ON THE New Teſtament, With NOTES, DOCTRINAL and PRACTICAL. By PLAINNESS and BREVITY fitted to the Uſe of Religious FAMILIES, in their daily Reading of the Scriptures; and of the younger and poorer ſort of Scholars and Miniſters, who want fuller helps. With an Advertiſement of Difficulties in the REVELATIONS.
By RICHARD BAXTER.
1. Tim. 3.16.
Great is the myſtery of Godlineſs. God was manifeſted in the fleſh, Juſtified in the Spirit; Seen of Angels: Preached to the Gentiles: Believed on in the World. Recieved up into Glory.
1. Joh. 4.16.
God is Love, and he that dwelleth in Love, dwelleth in God: And God in him.
Joh. 1.4.
In him was Life, and the Life was the Light of Men.
Joh. 20.17.
Go to my Brethren, and ſay to them, I aſcend unto my Father and your Father, and unto my God and your God.
2. Pet. 3.11.
Seeing that all theſe things ſhall be diſſolved, what manner of perſons ought ye to be in all holy converſation and godlineſs: Looking for, and haſting unto the coming of the day of God. 13. We, according to his promiſe, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteouſneſs.
Luk. 23.43.
To day ſhall thou be with me in Paradiſe.
Joſh. 24.15.
Chooſe you this day whom you will ſerve, But as for me and my houſe, we will ſerve the Lord.
LONDON, Printed for B. Simmons, at the Three Cocks, and Tho. Simmons, at the Princes Arms, in Ludgate-ſtreet. M DC LXXXV.
An Account of the Reaſon and Uſe of this Paraphraſe.
READER,
THis Paraphraſe, written for my own uſe, being publiſhed for yours, in order to that end I owe you this account of it. A Friend long urging me to write a Paraphraſe on the Epiſtle to the Romans, as being hard to … underſtood; when I had done that, I found ſo much profit by that Attempt, that it drew me to go on till I had finiſhed what I offer you. It was like almoſt all my other publick works, done by the unexpected conduct of Gods urgent Providence, not only without, but contrary to my former purpoſes. God hath bleſt his Church with many Mens excellent Commentaries on the Scriptures; and I never thought my ſelf fit to do it better than they have done: But that is beſt for ſome perſons and uſes which is not beſt to others. I long wiſh'd that ſome abler Man would furniſh vulgar Families with ſuch a brief expoſition, as might be fitted to the uſe of their daily courſe in reading the Scriptures and inſtructing their Houſholds. I found that many who have done it better than I can do, are too large and coſtly for this uſe: ſome (like De…date) very ſound, are unſatisfactorily brief; ſome have parcelled their Annotations into ſo numerous ſhreds, that Readers (ſpecially in a Family courſe) will not ſtay to ſearch and ſet them together, to make up the ſenſe. I like Dr. Hammends order beſt, but 1. I differ from him in ſo much of the matter; 2. and took his ſtile to be too lax; 3. and his Criticiſms not uſeful to the vulgar, 4. and his Volumn too big, and coſtly: And therefore I choſe more plainly▪ and yet more briefly and practically, by the way of Paraphraſe, to ſuit it to my intended end.
But I muſt give the Readers notice, 1. That where I ſeem, but in few words to vary from the Text, thoſe words anſwer the large Criticiſms of divers expoſitors, as the Learned may find by ſearching them and the Greek-Text; though I muſt not ſtay to give the reaſon of them as I go on. 2. That tho I have ſtudied plainneſs, yet brevity is unavoidably obſcure to unexerciſed perſons, who as Learners cannot underſtand things without many words. 3. That where the Evangeliſts oft repeat the ſame things, to avoid tediouſneſs, I repeat not the whole Expoſition; and yet thought not meet wholly to paſs it by. 4. That where the Text is plain of it ſelf, inſtead of an Expoſition, I fill up the ſpace by Doctrinal, or Practical Obſervations, ſeeing Practice is the end of all, and to Learners, this part is of great neceſſity. 5. That where great Doctrinal Controverſies depend on the Expoſition of any Text, I have handled thoſe more largely than the reſt, and I hope with Pacificatory and Satisfactory Evidence.
…y great deſire and care is, that … may hereby p…omote Chriſtian Piety in Families. To which ſpecial end I alſo wrote my Poor Mans Family-book, and The Catechizing of Houſholders. And had I not done it in many Books ſo oft already, I ſhould here ſet my ſelf with greateſt Earneſtneſs to urge and intreat all Chriſtian Parents, to the more faithful Practice of Family Religion, eſpecially in the wiſe and diligent Inſtruction and Education of their Children. Sure no good Chriſtians ſhould come behind the Jews, who had far leſs light and help that we have, who yet are twice Commanded by God, Deut. 6. and 11. [Hear O Iſrael, the Lord God is one Lord. Thou ſhall Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy ſoul, and with all thy might. And theſe words which I command thee this day, ſhall be in thy heart: And thou ſhalt teach them diligently to thy Children, and ſhall talk of them when thou fitteſt in thy Houſe, and when thou walkeſt by the way, and when thou lyeſt down, and when thou riſeſt up: And thou ſhalt bind them for a ſign upon thy Hand, and they ſhall be as Frontlets between thine Eyes: And thou ſhalt write them on the Poſts of thy Houſe and on thy Gates.] Yet now many thouſand Families called Chriſtians, account this much Puritaniſm, and needleſs preciſeneſs; as if the Scripture, (even the Goſpel of Salvation) were only for the uſe of Prieſts, yea ſome that diſown the Papiſts reſtraint of the Laity-unlicenſed, from reading it tranſlated in a known Tongue, do worſe than Popiſhly refrain themſelves. And thoſe that in Baptiſm vowed to bring up their Children as Chriſtians in the knowledge of the Goſpel of Chriſt, perſidiouſly break that ſolemn vow, as they Hypocritically made it; and by ungodly negligence betray to Satan the Souls of their Children (and themſelves) which they devoted to God.
Reader, I beg of you as from Chriſt, for his ſake, for your Souls ſake, for your Childrens ſake, for the ſake of Church and Kingdom, that you will conſcionably and ſeriouſly ſet up Family-Religion, calling upon God, Singing his Praiſes, and inſtructing your Children and Servants in the Scripture and Catechiſm, and in a wiſe and diligent Education of Youth. Hear me, as if I beg'd it of you, with tears on my knees? Alas, what doth the World ſuffer by the neglect of this. It is out of ungodly Families that the World hath ungodly Rulers, ungodly Miniſters, and a ſwarm of Serpentine Enemies of Holineſs and Peace, and their own Salvation. What Country groaneth not under the Confuſions, Miſeries and horrid Wickedneſs, which are all the Fruits of Family neglects, and the careleſs and ill Education of Youth. It is a work of great skill and conſtant care to inſtruct and Educate your Children, and to keep them from tempting Company and ſnares. To cry out of dumb or unfaithful Miniſters, while you are worſe at home your ſelves, is but ſelf-condemnation: Are M…n…ſt…rs more obliged to care for your Childrens Souls, by Nature, or by Vow and Covenant, than you are. Can they do that for whole Pariſhes, which you will not do for for one Houſhold or your own Children. The firſt Charge and part is yours: If Families treacherouſly neglect their part, and then look that all ſhould be done at the Church you may as wiſely ſend Boys to the Univerſities, before they are taught to Read or Write, in lower Schools. If there be any hope of the amendment of a Wicked, Miſerable diſtracted World, it muſt be moſtly done by Family-Religion, and the Chriſtian Education of youth. Godlineſs is profitable to all things; but the Curſe of God is in the houſe of the wicked. And the ungodly betrayers of Souls, of themſelves, Children and Servants, will very quickly be Summoned to a terrible account: Eſpecially thoſe that ſhould as Rulers be Exemplary to the vulgar, and are aſhamed to own ſerious Family-Religion, as if all beyond ſome formal Hypocriſie and lip labour, were a diſhonour to their houſes, or a needleſs thing.
Theſe helps which I offer them that need it, is, that when they Read the New Teſtament daily in their Houſes, they may (not read all the Paraphraſe to their Families, but) ſuch particulars of Expoſition and Doctrinal Notes, as they find moſt ſuitable to their caſe.
And I think it will not be unuſeful, to the Younger and Weaker ſort of Miniſters, and the Poor ones, that cannot buy larger Commentaries. And if Rich Men will give their Tenants and Neighbours ſuch Books as are ſuitable to the inſtruction of Families, and the People will diligently uſe them, it may do much to keep up ſaving Knowledge and Practice, where the publick Miniſtry faileth moſt. The God of Mercy Teach Fooliſh Men to have Mercy on their Families and themſelves.
The Farewel, Ne vacua ſit pagina.
TIme and Work end, Bleſt Souls are gone before:
Conſumed Lights may ſerve to kindle more,
The dead can ſpeak: God can his Lamps reſtore.
The Winds that blow them out, will quickly ceaſe:
H…gh Pride, rough Paſſion, God can ſoon appeaſe;
TRUTH, LOVE and CONCORD raiſe with great increaſe:
The WISE, PURE, PEACEABLE, for this hee'l chuſe,
PROUD-WOLDLINGS, RAGING-FOOLS he will refuſe,
And Snuffers, not Extinguiſhers, will uſe.
Yet Satan will not ceaſe: Tares will be ſown,
RULERS and GUIDES hee'l ſtrive to make his own,
By STORMS and SCANDALS ſome will be o'rethrown.
Diotrephes muſt Rule, Judas be Rich,
The Ignorant will err, young Ears will itch:
The blind will lead the blind into the Ditch.
Lord, convert Saul; Check Jewiſh rage,
And Sects, which ſad Church-Wars do wage,
Let LIGHT and LOVE PROUD WRATH aſſwage.
But thoſe bleſt Souls who dwell with thee
Better things ſee
And better be,
Than Adam, or the Golden Age.
ERRATA.
Reader, I cannot gather all the Errata: Theſe few I note for thy correction.
INtrod. p. 1. l. 23. r. foreign: Mat. c. 19. v. 19. Par. for ninth r. tenth: and for If r. ſelf: Luk. for c. 7. r. 4. Joh. c. 5. v. 5. Par. fo… …8. r. 50. c. 6. v. 38. Par. l. 11. r. that the: l. 12. for or r. of: v. 40. Par. l. 1. r. one w… by: c. 17. v. 5. Par. l. 12. add The Divine nature, uniting, &c. v. 9. Par. l. 12. put out of: c. 18. v. 1. r. the b…ook: c. 1…. v. 34. Par. put out ſince: Act. 8. v. 22. Par. r. Prayer of a: c. 17. contents r. contemn: Rom. 13. Annot. l. 3…. for. …ha… ſhall r. 10: c. 47. r. no…iſie: 1. Tim. c. 6. Annot. l. 5. r. bad bin better: l. 7. for anſwering r. … : Rev. c. 19. v. 10. Par. l. 6. put out we: v. 17. Par. l. 6. r. is the: ib. for fable is r. fables: l. 10. for …r. of: Advertiſem. p. 1. l. 27. r. purpoſed: p. 3. l. ult. for in r. is: p. 5. l. 35. for her's r. her: p. 6. l. 24. r. ſay: p. 9. l. 41. r. Terret: l. 42. …. let him: p. 13. l. 35. r. Infelicity.