A Help for the Understanding of the Holy Scriptures, Title page – Dedication
A HELP FOR THE UNDERSTANDING OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE.
Intended chiefly for the aſſiſtance and information of thoſe that uſe conſtantly every day to reade ſome part of the Bible, and would gladly alwayes underſtand what they reade if they had ſome man to help them.
The first part.
Containing certain ſhort notes of expoſition upon the five books of Moſes, to wit, Geneſis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomie: 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 needfull and uſefull 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.
By ARTHUR JACKSON, Preacher of Gods word in Woodſtreet, LONDON.
MATT. 24. 15.
Who ſo readeth let him underſtand.
Act. 8. 30. 31.
And Philip ran thither to him and heard him reade the Prophet Eſaias, and ſaid, Underſtandeſt thou what thou readeſt? And he ſaid, How can I except ſome man ſhould guide me?
Omnes qui legimus nitimur hoc indagare atque comprehendere quod voluit ille quem legimus.
Aug. Confeſſ. lib. 12. cap. 18.
Printed by Roger Daniel, Printer to the Univerſity of Cambridge: And are to be ſold at the ſigne of the Angel in Lumbards;treet.
ANNO DOM. MDCXLIII.
To my well▪beloved friends and neighbours of my charge in WOOD STREET LONDON.
Right dearly beloved in the Lord,
THis poore work of mine, the firſt-fruits of my labours in this kind, muſt needs paſſe through your hands to the publick view, not onelyonly in regard of the ſpeciall intereſt you have in me, whom your ſelves were pleaſed many years ſince to chuſe to be your Paſtor to feed your ſouls, but alſo in regard the work it ſelf was at firſt collected, and compoſed purpoſely for your ſervice and uſe.
It is now above twenty years ſince the Lord was pleaſed to open a doore unto me for the preaching of the Goſpelof Chriſt amongſt you, wherein, though with much weakneſſe, I have endeavoured to the utmoſt of my power, I bleſſe God, to build you up in the knowledge of God and of Chriſt▪ and need no other witneſſes then yourſelves, that I have not ſought yours but you, as having indeed from my firſt entrance amongſt you reſolved with the Apoſtle, very gladly to ſpend, and to be spent for you, though the more abundantly I loved you the leſſe I were loved by you.
Amongſt other wayes wherein I have ſtudied to be ſerviceable to your ſouls, it pleaſed God to put into my heart that I would undertake the unfolding of ſuch paſſages of the holy Scripture as were ſomewhat more difficult and obſcure to ſuch as would come in and partake of my labours therein; and the end I propounded to my ſelf in this was, both that I my ſelf might hereby be the better enabled in publick alſo to declare unto you the whole counſell of God, as occaſion was offered; and that you likewiſe might with the more advantage and comfort exerciſe your ſelves in your private reading of thoſe ſacred volumes.
Now having for ſeverall years ſpent ſome time every Lords day in this imploiment, I was at length importuned by ſome friends, that were partakers of my labours therein, to prepare thoſe Annotations for the Preſſe, which were the chief ſubſtance of that which I had collected for that ſervice. They alledged what ſatisfaction and comfort themſelves had received in the hearing of them, and what an advantage it might be both to them and others, if they might have them ready at hand at all times to inform them in any thing they ſcrupled in their private reading; and ſo farre I was ſwayed with what they ſaid, that I reſolved in the publiſhing of one part of them to make triall whether they would find that approbation and welcome abroad, that might give encouragement to ſend …orth the reſt after them.
Theſe indeed come forth in a ſad time, when arms are in farre more requeſt then books; but we muſt herein ſubmit to the good will of God. It hath fared with this Book in this, as with many a traveller that hath prepared for a journey when the ſunne ſhined fair, and yet was conſtrained at laſt to go forth in a ſtorm. When I began firſt to tranſcribe theſe Notes for the Preſſe the skie was clear and ſhined upon us, and yet now when they ſhould go forth, the whole kingdome is overſpread with a cloud, that is like to poure down ſhowrs of bloud upon the whole land: the Lord give us grace to turn to him, who hath promiſed to be a refuge from the storm. Well, but yet the book being paſſed the Preſſe, and being withall to go upon Gods buſineſſe, I was unwilling to forbear the publiſhing of it, eſpecially when I began to conſider, that the drift of it was to help men to reade the Scripture with profit, and that there is never more need for men to be much in ſtudying Gods word then in troubleſome and ſad times, God having there ſtored up thoſe cordialls for us which in ſuch times muſt chear up the ſick fainting ſpirits of his poore afflicted ſervants: unleſſe thy Law had been my delight, ſaith David, Pſal. 119. 92. I then had periſhed in my afflictions. Having therefore reſolved to publiſh it, and to leave the ſucceſſe to the good providence of God, I here preſent it to you in the firſt place, to whom it doth of right belong. If it may prove a means to bring you, whoſe ſouls God hath committed to my charge, to be in love with the Scripture, or adde any thing to your ſtock of knowledge and grace, I have if not all, yet my chief deſire. Now our Lord Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, and God even our father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting conſolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts and stabliſh you in every good word and work. And ſo I commend you to Gods grace, and deſire likewiſe your prayers unto God for him who is
Yours in the ſurest band of Christian affection ARTHUR JACKSON.