Annotations Upon Isaiah, Frontispiece – To the reader
Arthur Jackson
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Annotations UPON THE WHOLE BOOK OF ISAIAH.
WHEREIN, First, all ſuch Paſſages in the Text are explained, as were thought likely to be queſtioned by any Reader of ordinary Capacity. Secondly, In many Clauſes thoſe things are diſcovered, which are needful and uſeful to be known, and not ſo eaſily at the firſt reading obſerved. And thirdly, many places that might at firſt ſeem to contradict one another, are reconciled.
Intended chiefly for the Aſſiſtance and Information of thoſe that uſe conſtantly every day to read ſome part of the Bible, and would gladly always underſtand what they read, if they had ſome man to help them.
By ARTHUR JACKSON, late Miniſter of St. FAITHS LONDON.
John 5.39.
Search the Scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life, and they are they which teſtifie of me.
Pſal. 119.27.
Make me to underſtand the way of thy precepts; ſo ſhall I talk of thy wondrous works.
LONDON: Printed for Tho. Parkhurſt, at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide, near Mercers-Chappel. 1682.
Academiae Cantabrigiensis Liber.
TO THE VIRTUOUS and PIOUS, AND My very good Friend, Mrs Elizabeth Beale.
IT is Solomon's advice, Prov. 27.10. Thy friend, and thy fathers friend forſake not; that is, uſe all good means to keep and preſerve ſuch a friend▪ Such a friend have you always approved your ſelf to the Author of theſe Annotations, and all his Family: and on that account I am forc'd to think my ſelf obliged to take this opportunity of teſtifying my grateful ſenſe of ſuch Friendſhip, by preſenting to you theſe Annotations, tho I know they would otherwiſe have been valued and made uſe of for the Authors, as well as your own ſake; towards whom, and all his, you have inherited a moſt kind and affectionate Friendſhip from your Worthy and Pious Father deceaſed, and your yet ſurviving eminently Holy Mother, who is as great an inſtance of a religious, humble, uniform, perſevering Chriſtian, as any I know. I am ſure I need ſay nothing to inhance the value you have for the Authors Memory; whoſe true, plain hearted, Cordial, affectionate Friendſhip, I have ſo often heard you mention with a great reſentment of his loſs. But I may not forbear gratefully to take notice of your conſtant and frequent Viſits of the Authors Widow, my moſt dear Mother, notwithſtanding the infirmities of her age hath rendred her unable to be apprehenſive of the greatneſs of your kindneſs. I am never like to have any other way of returning your love and kindneſs, than by hearty deſires of the welfare of you and yours, and praying to the Lord to return into your boſom full meaſure, preſſed down, and running over. And therefore I heartily pray the Lord to continue thoſe earthly bleſſings which he hath beſtowed on you, and to enable you ſo wiſely to improve them, that they may not hinder, but fit you for thoſe better, moſt ſolid, and durable bleſſings, which remain to be the portion of all that love and ſerve the Lord; and that he himſelf may be a God and Father to you and yours, ſhall be the Prayer of,
MADAM, Your much obliged Friend, and Servant in our Lord, John Jackſon.
TO THE Chriſtian Reader.
ONE main cauſe why theſe Annotations, which were by the Author in his life-time fairly tranſcribed with his own hand fit for the Preſs, do come abroad ſo long after his deceaſe, is becauſe ſome quires of the Copy being parted from the reſt, were miſlay'd, and not found again for many years. I ſuppoſe the Authors Prefaces to the former Volumes, do diſcharge me from any need of giving the Reader an account of them, or directions how they may be made moſt uſeful to thoſe of ordinary capacities, to ſerve whoſe ſpiritual intereſt they were chiefly deſigned, and towards whom, eſpecially the younger and more baſhful perſons, he did always exerciſe a more than ordinary winning and encouraging freedom in his whole converſe, having no appearance of that moroſe auſterity and reſervedneſs for which ſome good men have been blamed, and which oft-times hinders thoſe who moſt need it, from deſiring and receiving direction and aſſiſtance from their Spiritual Guides. And therefore I have only to recommend them to the Chriſtian Readers ſerious peruſal, and humbly to beg the bleſſing of the Lord upon them.
There is only one ſervice which I find many good people judg I owe to the Memory of my moſt endeared Father, and that is, to give ſome brief account of ſome ſuch paſſages of his life as may be thought worthy a remark; wherein I ſhall be religiouſly careful to mention nothing but what I know, or have abundant ground to be aſſured of its truth.
Mr. Arthur Jackſon was born in Little Waldingfield in Suffolk, his Father Mr. John Jackſon a Spaniſh Merchant of London, dyed when he was young; his Mother afterwards married Sir Tho. Crooke, Baronet, who carried her into Ireland, where ſhe dyed. He was by his Guardian Mr. Joſeph Jackſon of Broomfield in Edmunton, carried to Cambridg, and placed in Trinity Colledg, but under the Tuition of one ſo little minding the faithful diſcharge of that great Work he undertook, that I have often heard him ſay, He might have been half a year abſent, and his Tutor not known it. But by the Grace of God he was betimes engaged in a way of ſerious, conſtant, and reſolved ſtudiouſneſs, ſeldom ſtudying leſs than fourteen or ſixteen hours in a day, for the firſt three or four years, as I have heard him ſometimes declare; and then I ſuppoſe he took up that courſe of riſing at three or four a clock ſummer and winter, which he practiſed ever ſince I can remember, and till his death; being ſcarce ever, when well, in bed at ſix a clock, unleſs peruſing his Notes; and indeed he was at 73 as fit and willing for his work as at 40; his ſight ſo good, that without ſpectacles he could read the ſmalleſt Greek print in his ſtudy by Moon light; but ſo ſhort-ſighted, that he could not diſtinguiſh his friends when he met them in the ſtreets; which occaſioned many perſons, who were not acquainted with him, to think his not returning their civil ſalutes to be out of pride or ſlighting, when 'twas only his not ſeeing them occaſioned his paſſing by them unſaluted. He continued ſome time in the Colledg after he was Maſter of Arts, till he married Mary the eldeſt Daughter of Mr. Tho. Bownert of Stoneberry in Hertfordſhire, with whom he lived 47 years in great endearment of mutual love, by whom he had three ſons and five daughters; and who, with two ſons and two daughters do yet ſurvive him. He was married in the year 1619; not long after he was choſen by the Inhabitants of Michael's Woodſtreet to be their Lecturer, and (after the death of Mr. Bragden) their Paſtour. When the great Sickneſs came in 1624. he ſent his Wife and Children to her Father, and continued himſelf in the City, diſcharging all the Offices and Duties of a faithful Paſtor to his flock, being content to hazard his own life to ſerve the neceſſities of his peoples ſouls; often viſiting perſons infected with that ſad diſeaſe; in which good and holy work the Lord did wonderfully preſerve him from all infection, when thouſands fell on either hand of him. I remember to have heard him relate, how a Countrey Miniſter being to preach for him, deſired he might ſit where he might not be near any that were or had been infected. To whom he anſwered, Alas Sir! I wonder you will come to the City, if you be ſo fearful of the Sickneſs; for you cannot walk the ſtreets, nor come into any company, but you meet thoſe who are or have been infected. And the next tidings he heard of him, was his death of the plague. He preached conſtantly twice on the Lords day, and likewiſe catechiſed the children before Sermon, and repeated the Sermon in his Family, to which many of his hearers did reſort; and in Lent always ſpent ſome hours in the Church two days every week in examining and inſtructing the men and maid-ſervants, and others, to fit and prepare them for the Lords Supper; the benefit of which I know ſome yet alive that uſe to mention with thankfulneſs to God and him; and indeed in Catechising he had ſuch a particular faculty, that he did not only profit but pleaſe; ſo that ſome who at first came with great unwillingneſs, were ſo affected with his ſerious, loving, and familiar way, that afterwards they were eagerly deſirous to go; and ſome have declared, they never went any whither with more pleaſure, than to him on that account. He likewiſe Preached every Holy-day for many years, being deſirous to help Servants, and others, to improve that Liberty which they then had, for the beſt and highect purpoſes; in which courſes the Lord was pleaſed to give him many Seals to his Miniſtry, by the converſion of many from their ſin and folly unto the Lord, to whom he was a true ſpiritual Father. Not long after his coming to London, th… Company of Cloth-workers (of which Society his Father and Ʋncle were Members and Governours) choſe him for their Miniſter, before whom he preached every Quarter-day, at the Chappel commonly called Lambs Chappel, where was a turn-up Table uſed ſometimes for the Communion, and at other times for the Maſter to ſit in, when the Governours had occaſion to meet for ordering the affairs of the Chappel and Alms-people; this was made known to Biſhop Laud then of London, who ſent for Mr. Jackſon, and declared his great diſlike of it; but underſtanding from him that he had no power to order any thing there, nor other concern than to preach and pray at the deſire of the Company, he was ſatisfied; but in diſcourſe concerning the Table, ſaid, I know not what you young Divines think, but for my part I know no other place of reſidence that God hath on earth, but the High Altar. He did not, I ſuppoſe, then think of the good mans heart, where not only the Scripture, but the beſt of the Heathen Theology aſſures us God moſt truly dwells; as alſo the Homily which tells us, The chief and ſpecial Temples of God wherein he hath greateſt pleaſure, and moſt delighteth to dwell and continue in, Hom. of right uſe of the Church.are the bodies and minds of true Chriſtians, and the choſen people of God. Though he never read, but was fully reſolved againſt reading the Book for Sports on the Lords Day; yet Gods Providence preſerved him from being diſturbed about it: It was told him, That ſome complaining of him to the A. B. L. he made anſwer, Mr. Jackson is a quiet and peaceable man, and therefore I will not have him medled with, or words to that effect. The ſame Eulogy he hath ſince had from another in the ſame Place,Spoken to Dr. V. H. viz. A. B. Sh. notwithſtanding the known difference in his judgment concerning Church-Government and Ceremonies.
He continued in the Rectory of Michaels Woodſtreet many years, notwithſtanding the maintenance was ſo ſmall that he hath been heard to declare, That he could evidence that he had ſpent 2000 l. of his own Eſtate ſince he came among them. Then he was choſe to Wapping, and proffered Sixſcore pound a year and an houſe; but his old Neighbours prevailed with him to ſtay with them upon their promiſing 100 l. a year; but in two years time they fell ſhort ſo far, that his Friends that moſt deſired his ſtay, were forc'd to perſuade him to accept of any other Offer; which being known, he was ſoon after called to be their Paſtor, by the Inhabitants of Faiths under Pauls; where he continued preaching twice every Lords day (except when about ſeventeen weeks in the Fleet for refusing to ſwear before that which was then called An High Court of Juſtice) till Aug. 44. 1662. Ʋpon his Majeſties Return he was choſen by the Miniſters of London to preſent the Bible to Him in his firſt paſſage through the City; which he performed with a ſhort gratulatory ſpeech; to which his Majeſty made that pious and gracious Anſwer, taking the Bible into his hands, This is the Book which I ſhall make the Rule of my Government, and the Rule of my Life. In both places of his fixed Miniſtry he had a great and ſpecial care of young perſons, uſing not only common and publick, but private and peculiar means of engaging their Souls to, and ſtrengthning, and truly confirming them in real holineſs, goodneſs, and religion; and therefore did perſwade, and prevail with ſeveral of the most ſerious and conſidering young men, both married and unmarried, to meet weekly together, and by prayer, and holy conference, to stir up, and provoke one another to a good and holy life, he himſelf often meeting with them, and praying with and for them, adviſing them how to manage the work for their Souls beſt advantage, and cautioning them againſt thoſe ſpiritual evils which are apt to invade and creep into the most holy performances. And that their diſcourſes might be the more uſeful, he adviſed them at one meeting to propound a queſtion, of which at the next each of them gave ſuch account as they were enabled to do; the benefit of which, many of them have often, and ſtill do with great affection and thankfulneſs, remember and mention. And indeed I find the Learned and Worthy Dr. Simon Patrick, at the cloſe of his Sermon at the Funeral of his indeared Friend, Mr. Samuel Jacombe, taking notice of this courſe, as a ſingular remark of Mr. Jacomb's early piety, and a good means of promoting Religion in the Souls of young perſons: and I doubt not bat he ſpake his own experience, when he ſaith of it, The benefit of which ſome can to this day remember; which beneficial thing, I hope he doth ſtill continue to promote, in thoſe great advantages and opportunities which his preſent circumstances put into his hands. After Mr. Jackſon was diſcharged from publick Service, he retired into the Country, firſt to Hadly, near Barnet, and after to his eldest Son, at Edmunton, Being at Hadly in the Sickneſs-year, ſome of his late Neighbours of Faiths Pariſh gave him a Viſit; and bewailing that their Miniſter had left them, he readily profered to come and preach among them, if they could procure liberty for him; which they ſomething confidently promiſed themſelves, but could by no means prevail. When the Oxford, or Five-mile-Act came forth, he ſeemed troubled to leave London, where he had been above Forty years a Miniſter; but upon prayer, and ſerious conſideration of the terms required, he could not ſatisfie his mind, and came to a reſolution of patient bearing what might befall him; after which, he was much unconcerned, uſing Luther's Expreſſion, I ſhall have a place either under Heaven, or in Heaven. In the Country he ſpent moſt of his time in compleating theſe Annotations. He had gone as far as the third Chapter of Jeremiah, when the Providence of God called him from his labour, to his eternal reſt. His diſtemper was the Stone in the Kidneys, of which bitter cup he had often taſted, by divers ſharp fits, with voiding ſeveral Stones: His first fit was at Cambridge, whither he went to take order for Printing the Annotations on the Pentateuch; his laſt fit ſurpriz'd him in his Study, as he reach'd down a Book from a Shelf; with which ſtraining himſelf, a Stone in his Kidney was diſ-lodged, and at the entrance into the Ʋritory, gave him great and ſharp pains for Three or Four hours; but then it ſtopt, and the violence of the pain went over, and could never, by all the means were uſed, be brought again. I well remember when I came to ſee him, he told me, he was in the condition of a travailing woman, whoſe pain was gone from her; and putting his finger to the place, ſaid, haeret lateris lethalis arundo; and ſo indeed it proved. After about a weeks uſe of means in the Country, he went to London, to his loving friend Mr. Thomas Major, who then lived in Milkſtreet, and did ſucceed his Father in a moſt loving and hearty reſpect to him, who had been to them both a loving and faithful Friend and Paſtor. When he entred his houſe, he ſaid to him, I am come now, not to preach to you, but die with you. He entertained his Friends to the last with ſuch undiſturbed diſcourſe, that they hardly believed him ſo ill as indeed he was. The day before his deceaſe, he walked about the Room, and diſcourſed with ſeveral Chriſtian Friends, who came to pay him their laſt Reſpects, in outward appearance, as if he ailed nothing, but reckoning himſelf a dying Man, and declaring the ſame to them. When he perceived any weeping for him, he would ſmilingly ſay, They were fools to weep to ſee an old man die. When his Wife asked him, if he were willing to leave her, he ſaid, he would not leave her for all the World; but ſhe could not expect but that after ſo long ſtriving for a Crown, he ſhould be willing to receive…. All his friends obſerved a ſerene compoſed temper of Spirit in him, during his illneſs. He much perſwaded them to practiſe what he had taught them, aſſuring them they were the Truths of God. To ſome he expreſſed much ſatisfaction in his Spirit as to his Non-Conformity; profeſſing he had many times asked God forgiveneſs on his knees, for his former errors and miſtakes in thoſe things. He continued in London about a Week, in the uſe of means; from which the Lord was pleaſed to withhold his bleſſing. The night in which he died, he called for his Children which were then in the houſe, and told them he was dying; and bid them ſee if their Mother were awake, he deſired to ſee her, but would not have her awakened, for fear of frighting her; for he thought he ſhould live till ſhe waked: ſhe coming ſoon to him, he ſpake chearfully to her, thanking her for all her former kindneſs; ſhewed them how wet and cold his Stomach was, ſaying, it was an up-hill way; it is hard work to die: but did not much bemoan himſelf. He found Death creeping on him by degrees, and could tell thoſe about him, Now this leg is dead, and then the other. Having a Cordial offered him, he put it by, and ſmiling, ſaid, he would have no revivings now, tho before he had never refuſed any Medicine. Soon after he ſaid, Lord deliver, deliver me; for I cannot bear this: and the Lord heard, and anſwered his prayer; for immediately he gaſped out his laſt breath, and was dead, before one could go croſs the Room. He departed in the morning of the Lords day, about Four of the Clock, Aug. 5. juſt that day month before the dreadful Fire of London; whereby he was taken from the ſight of that evil, which would have been a very great affliction to him, in regard of the very many Friends and Acquaintance he had in the City; the weight of whoſe ſufferings would have lain very much upon his heart, he being known to be of a very tender and compaſſionate Spirit towards his Friends in any of their ſufferings; which he did on all occaſions expreſs, not only in words, but in free and liberal aſſiſtance. In a word, He was a faithful and painful Paſtor, a plain-hearted, cordial, compaſſionate Friend, a tender and affectionate Husband, a moſt loving and careful Father, full of natural affection, and very indulgent to his Children in every thing but what was evil, and there ſtrict and ſevere; a great lover and promoter of peace and holineſs, and ſo generally well ſpoken of by all, tho of different Judgments and Opinions, that a ſtranger once told him ſmiling, That he feared he was not good, becauſe every body ſpake well of him; and indeed he was of ſo inoffenſive a converſe in the World, that unleſs in the diſcharge of his Miniſterial duty, where he was obliged to reprove ſin and ſinners, he was hugely careful to give no man occaſion to be angry with him; and would rather ſuffer a great wrong, than but ſeem to do any.
Thus have I given thee, Chriſtian Reader, a ſmall rude draught of the Author of theſe Annotations, my ever honoured, and most endeared Father. All that remains is, to recommend thee in the peruſal of them, to the bleſſing of God, and beg thy hearty prayers to our Heavenly Father for him, who is,
Tottenham High-Croſs. April 26. 1682. Thine in all Chriſtian Service, to his power, JOHN JACKSON.