Exposition of John, To the reader 2
To the READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
THat I do again appear in Print, floweth from no other cauſe, but my deſire to do ſervice to the Church of Christ in my generation, and to contribute my endeavors for promoving that publike deſigne of making the holy Scriptures yet more cleare unto the Lords people. Some while ago I received ſuch an intimation of my mortality, as did excite me to emprove my time the beſt I could. And accordingly, I made haſte to perfect this Expoſition which formerly I had begun to caſt in this mould out of ſome Notes of Sermons I had preached on this Goſpel: And now, through the good hand of God upon me, thou haſt it here preſented compleat unto thee. I ſhall not ſay much to what is mine in it; But this may commend it unto thee, that the ſubject-matter is indeed divine, and as full of that marrow of the Chriſtian Religion as any other parcel of Holy writing. Here the profoundeſt myſteries of Religion are opened up by a beloved Diſciple. Christ is lively pointed out in his Perſon and Offices, and in his heart and affection to his people; We are here directed in the way of cloſing with him by faith, and the ſure grounds of loſt ſinners confidence are clearly demonſtrate. And albeit this Expoſition be ſwelled up to a great bulk upon my hand, yet ſuch is the riches of this Treaſure, that whoſo would ſearch into it, will finde that I have onelyonly gathered ſome gleanings, and for what I have hinted at, I could with much leſſe trouble have given it more at large, then contracted it in theſe bounds. I need ſay nothing to the mould of it, being the ſame with that I made uſe of in the pieces formerly publiſhed. OnelyOnly, if any do think that the Summe of each Chapter is given too briefly, eſpecially toward the beginning of the Book; They will finde (for ſatisfaction) that to ſave my ſelf and them a labour, I have in going through the ſeveral parts of the Chapter ſupplyed that defect, and given a Summe of every part as I come to it. If any ſhall conceive that upon ſeveral places, to which they may turne, the Notes are not ſo many, nor ſo full, as might be expected; They may be pleaſed to conſider, that (beſide my too true Apology of my inability to ſatisfie the expectation of the judicious and learned, for whom this work is not chiefly intended) my ſcope is not in this to proceed after the way of a Sermon, on a ſelect place; Ʋpon which occaſion many things might be brought in: But commenting upon an entire book of Scripture, I ſatisfied my ſelf with the moſt obvious things upon every particular verſe. And beſide, ſome purpoſes frequently occurring, I reſolved to be more brief upon theſe afterward which I had once; and it may be, again, ſpoken before. And who ſo will be pleaſed to read the whole, or to compare the Notes on thoſe paſſages which frequently occurre, in all the places where they are obſerved, will (I hope) finde more ſatiſfaction, then if they look onelyonly on ſome one place: If the Reader finde many repetitions, not onelyonly of the ſame Doctrines, but it may be alſo, of the ſame cautions or reaſons couched in, and ſubjoyned to the Doctrines, He ſhould conſider (beſide other reaſons) that in a work of ſuch bulk wherein there are ſo many doctrines, it was almoſt unpoſſible to get all in my view at once, that ſo I might have corrected needleſſe repetitions. And as the Doctrines are (I hope) the genuine Doctrines of every place; and are, inculcate by Chriſt in his frequent repetitions of them; So I conceived it not fit to omit them: Eſpecially, ſeeing I could almoſt as briefly, and (I ſuppoſe) to better purpoſe, repeat them, then referre the Reader to the place where they had beene formerly obſerved. I ſhall adde no further Apology in behalf of this undertaking, but what ever my failings have been in it, (and I believe judicious Readers will finde more eſcapes then I could my ſelf obſerve) yet I hope thou wilt finde the Expoſition ſound, and the obſervations pertinent and Orthodox, and ſuch as may (through the Lords bleſſing) contribute to thy edification in the faith, which is in Jeſus Chriſt. To his Grace thou art commended by
Thy ſervant in the work of the Goſpel, GEORGE HƲTCHESON.