Observations Upon Genesis, Title page – To the reader
A Few, and New OBSERVATIONS, VPONUPON THE BOOKE OF GENESIS. The moſt of them certaine, the reſt probable, all harmeleſſe, ſtrange, and rarely heard off before.
By IOHN LIGHTFOOTE Staffordiens.
LONDON, Printed by T. Badger in the yeare, 1642.
TO My deare and loving Countriemen of the County of Stafford, and other my friends r…ſiding in the City of LONDON. Health, Content, Proſpe…ity, Eternity.
THESE few Collections (worthy and worthily honoured Friends and Countrie-men) were not intentionally and purpoſely ſtudied for when I firſt tooke them up, but I tooke them upon another occaſion. For having ſpent ſome yeares in compileing the Harmony of the foure Evaugeliſts, among themſelves and w…th the Old Teſtament, and in exp…aining of their ſence and language, and for that purpoſe having read over the Old Teſtament as expreſſely as I could, to bring it to help and further me in the works theſe obſervations, (and ſuch other upon the other Bookes) picked up by the way which I obſerved either very rarely, or not at all to have beene obſerved by any heretofore. That worke from whence this proceeded, would now begin to creepe forth to the publicke view, were but printing as pregnant a Mother for ſuch babes as ſhee uſed to be in former time. Theſe ſmall and few ſparkes which have flowne from that Auvile, I have choſen to preſent to your hands and favourable acceptance, partly for a token of my love and obſervance of ſo worthy friends, and partly becauſe that if the briefneſſe of theſe Collections (which I have beene forced to straiten to this ſmall compaſſe, that I might relate them to the dimenſion of ſuch Bookes as are now onelyonly printed, for greater volumes than theſe doe not now finde vent) If they ſhould breed any ſcruple or doubting, you know where to finde the Author for further ſatisfaction. If theſe find eaſie and gentle entertainment, more of the like ſtampe are ready to ſhew themſelves in order upon the ſucceeding Bookes as the printing of theſe times will bring them forth.
Yours ready to ſerve you. I. L. Aug. 25. 1642.