Annotations Upon the Historical Books Part 2, Frontispiece – Errata
Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber.
TO THE Right worſhipfull Mr. Auguſtine Philips Maſter, Mr. Clement Cooley, Mr. George Reinolds, Mr. Thomas Stevenſon, and Mr. Edmond Clark, Wardens; Together with the reſt of the Aſſiſtants of the Company of the CLOTH-WORKERS: My very loving and much honoured friends.
Right worſhipfull,
HAving but a very few years ſince publiſhed, for the good of thoſe that deſire to reade the Scripture with underſtanding, Certain ſhort Notes of Expoſition upon the five books of Moſes, and finding that they have been entertained by many with farre greater eſteem and approbation then ever I expected, or they deſerved: I have now adventured to ſend forth the reſt after them, which I had then lying by me; to wit, the like Notes upon the remaining hiſtoricall part of the old Teſtament, and indeed I did then in a manner engage my ſelf by promiſe, that if thoſe found welcome, theſe ere long ſhould follow after; and having been often ſince preſſed to make good that promiſe, by the importunity of many Chriſtian friends, but eſpecially thoſe of my reverend brethren in the Miniſtery, whoſe judgement I prized above mine own, there lay an obligation upon me for the ſatisfying of their deſires, which I could not gainſay.
Now as the firſt part of theſe Annotations I did then dedicate to that particular congregation, which the Lord hath been pleaſed to commit to my care, ſo this ſecond part I now make bold to preſent unto you, who above twenty years ſince were alſo pleaſed to chooſe me to diſpenſe the word of grace unto you, at ſome ſet times of your ſolemn meetings; and whom in many other reſpects I have great cauſe to love and honour. It were indeed engagement enough, if there were nothing elſe, to endear my affections to this worthy Society, that my dear father, (whoſe memory is precious with me) and both his brothers were whileſt they lived, members of this Company, and in their times too honoured with thoſe places of credit and truſt, which ſince your ſelves have ſeverally born. But beſides this it is well known, how much I owe you (and I willingly thus declare it, that this may remain as a publick teſtimony of my thankfulneſſe to you) not onelyonly for the great love and reſpect you have ever ſhown to me upon all occaſions, but alſo eſpecially for the bounteous ſupport which for divers years you have been pleaſed to afford to one of mine for my ſake.
Adde therefore, I beſeech you, to your former favours, the gracious acceptance of this piece of my labours; and the God of all grace improve it to you, for your ſpirituall advantage. Hiſtories of former times have been ever acknowledged both moſt pleaſant, and moſt profitable, (if a faire proſpect from a high hill be ſo pleaſing to the eye, how pleaſant muſt it needs be to the mind of man, to have the memorable paſſages of ancient times preſented to our view in a fair proſpect of Hiſtory, as if we had then lived to ſee thoſe things done?) But above all, it muſt needs be thus in the Hiſtory of the Scripture; both becauſe this chiefly acquaints us with the diſpenſations of Gods providence towards his Church, the dearly beloved of his ſoul, in compariſon of whom, the reſt of the world is not worth the regarding, and likewiſe, becauſe this was written by the unerring pen of men inſpired by the holy Ghoſt, and that purpoſely too (as the Apoſtle ſaith,) for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. But what need I commend to you the uſefulneſſe of any part of Gods word, which I hope you eſteem with David, above thouſands of Gold and ſilver? If theſe Annotations ſhall afford any help for the underſtanding of ſuch paſſages in theſe books, as may ſeem at firſt ſomewhat intricate and obſcure, I have my deſire. My prayer ſhall ever be for this worthy Company, that the word of Christ may dwell in you richly in all wiſdome, and that God would ſtill raiſe up many amongſt you, that may be to others patterns of piety and zeal for Gods truth, in this honourable City; and ſo I reſt,
Your Worſhips, ever ready to do you any ſervice I am able, ARTHUR JACKSON.
The Preface to the READER.
Chriſtian Reader,
WHat I prefixed by way of Preface before my Annotations upon the five books of Moſes, may ſerve alſo for theſe upon the remaining Hiſtoricall part of the old Testament, theſe being carried on in the ſame manner, and with reſpect unto the ſame ends as the other were: OnelyOnly one thing I thought good to adde here, which is this, that there are ſome Expoſitions, which as I went along, I met with ſo often in ſo many ſeverall places (ſuch as that where men deſperately wicked are termed children of Belial, and that where the Church is called the Lords portion, and the Lords inheritance, and ſome other of the like nature) that I was at laſt wearied with referring the Reader ſo often to thoſe places where I had formerly given the grounds of thoſe expreſſions, and ſo reſolved (to avoid the tedium of ſuch reiterated references) rather to leave every man by himſelf to conſider where the like expreſsion was formerly uſed, which by the help of a Concordance at leaſt may be eaſily found, that ſo there he might ſeek for ſatisfaction herein.
Further then this I have not at preſent to advertiſe you concerning theſe Notes; but am onelyonly now to deſire your favourable acceptance of what is here publiſhed. Indeed when the late Annotations came forth upon the whole Bible, compoſed by divers worthy Divines, authorized thereto by command of Parliament, I did at firſt question whether there would now be any need of theſe: But conſidering with my ſelf, firſt, that thoſe for the most part are very brief, as being at first intended onelyonly for marginall notes: ſecondly, that there are very few Expoſitours that have written upon this part of the Bible, and therefore a ſupply of further help herein could not be thought altogether uſeleſſe: and thirdly, that I was in ſome ſort already engaged by promiſe for theſe Annotations, which I formerly made known were then collected, I did at last in theſe regards determine to proceed in my former reſolutions.
Whether I ſhall ever go on any further in this way, the Lord onelyonly knows, the infirmities of age grow ſo faſt upon me, that I may well fear I ſhall not. And beſides, there is little encouragement for any work of this nature, in theſe contentious times. There are ſome we ſee riſen up amongſt us, that are not afraid to deny the Scriptures to be Gods word, which muſt needs be the ruine of religion, and open a doore to all profaneneſſe and Atheiſme, ſhould it be ſuffered in the land. But we truſt the Magistrate whom God hath ſo highly honoured, will be ſo zealous for the honour of God, as ere long to ſtop the mouthes of ſuch blaſphemers; and in the mean ſeaſon, none but thoſe that are given up of God to believe lies, will ever a whit the more queſtion theſe divine Oracles. Surely, the Scripture is the Churches Magna Charta, whereon all our priviledges and all our hopes depend as we are Chriſtians, and therefore I hope none that profeſſe themſelves fellow-citizens of the ſaints, will ſuffer ſuch a treaſure as this to be taken from them: No, but the more violently Satan rageth againſt it, the more we ſhould prize it, and the more diligently we ſhould exerciſe our ſelves in the ſtudy of it. Now Reader if herein this which I ſend forth abroad for the good of the Church, ſhall afford thee any help, bleſſe God for it, and pray for him, who is
Thine in the Lord Jeſus, ARTHUR JACKSON.
Faults eſcaped.
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