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PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH VERSION

OF THE

Polyglott Bible.

THE HE form in which this Volume now ed exceedingly desirable that a NEW Biappears, is altogether different from any ble, of convenient size for the Pocket, oriring which has before been given to the Pub-ginal in its plan, purpose, and execution, Fe, but its originality will be found pre-emi- should be published; in which a MORE APsently to consist in a laborious and entirely PROPRIATE and ACCURATE selection, adapvw Selection and Arrangement of Refe- tation, and Arrangement of References might aces, in which it has been endeavoured be introduced; both for the Assistance of aithfully to exhibit the Scripture as its own Expositor.

The greatness of the advantages that must accrue to a sincere and diligent reader of the Sacred Pages, from having constantly before him a reference to similar and illustrative passages, carefully investigated, and suitably applied, must be obvious to every one; and has been well understood by many pious and able men, to whose diligent and useful labours the Public is unspeakably indebted.

Private Readers, and to facilitate the ready examination and quotation of passages, which the Preacher, or the Biblical Student, may have an immediate occasion to cite, or to consult.

Convenience and utility were, however, to be equally consulted in all the parts of the undertaking. If the size of the book were too large, or the page too crowded, so as to be made wearisome to the eye, its convenience would be lessened; and if, in the limits which these considerations imposed, great care were not employed in examining and applying the References, its utility would in a great degree, be destroyed. On mature deliberation, therefore, it appeared best to adopt the plan here presented to the notice of the Public; in which the Marginal Readings and References are all contained in a MIDDLE COLUMN, between two of text; and the number introduced is sufficient, except in a few pages only, completely to fill that column.

The Chronology is always placed at the top of this middle column, where it denotes the Date of the writing or transaction contained in the text, at the beginning of the page.

References, however, have hitherto been printed, almost exclusively, in the margins of Bibles of a large size; and the benefit resulting from them has, in consequence, been very much restricted--the only small Bible with References, in the English language, being that published by Mr. Canne. The defects of which are many; for though he was a diligent student of the Scriptures, and his work was at that time eminently serviceable, yet, as he was not in possession of those helps, for the accomplishment of the task which he had undertaken, that are now afforded by many valuable editions and comments, which have been printed in different languages since The Marginal Readings contained in the his time; and being, therefore, under the folio and quarto Bibles are all introduced; necessity of relying chiefly on his own the idioms of the original languages which industry; it is not surprising that he should are preserved in many of them, and also have been less successful than he would the various senses of particular words or otherwise have been. His references are phrases, being in most instances instrucDiten only remotely applicable: he seems tive, and in all worthy to be known. But frequently to have been guided more by it has not been thought necessary, in givmilarity of expression than by illustra- ing these readings, to insert such words as on: the errors in the letter-press are are repeated in the text, and which would umerous many of the Marginal Readings therefore have fruitlessly occupied a porare omitted: the Chronology is altogether tion of the space allotted to references. left out and all the References in this, as The Various Readings are referred to by in the larger Bibles, are placed in the mar-small figures placed immediately before the n of the text; by which they are rendered liable to be cut in binding, or worn away by use, or bound so into the back of the book as not to be easily read.

On all these accounts, it has long appear

words for which they are to be substituted; and the References by Italic letters, which are generally placed after the first or second word of a verse, or clause of a verse, when they are intended to illustrate the

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH VERSION

whole of that verse or clause: but when MAY BE PERFECT, THOROUGHLY FURNISHED the principal force of the illustration UNTO ALL GOOD WORKS.' s." But it must be rests on a single word, the letter reference evident, that the Scripture could not be is placed immediately after that word. effectually profitable for these great ends This has been the general rule; and the nor make the man of God PERFECT, ift exceptions have either been unavoidable, were not perfect itself; if its different parts or are quite immaterial. were at variance with each other: if, not In referring to several relations of the withstanding all the variety of matter, an same facts, by different Writers in the Sa- multiplicity of detail, which such a book cred Volume, (as in the histories recorded required, the doctrines revealed, and th by the Four Evangelists, and in those con- moral duties enjoined, were not substa tained in the Books of Kings and Chroni- tially and essentially the same throu cles,) the corresponding chapters, or parts out; and if all the parts did not conc of chapters in each, having been once the plan of the whole. To exhibiti noted at the beginning of the history or the harmony of the Sacred Writers subject, it has not been thought necessary subjects of which they treat, has b to repeat those references in the subse- primary design of this selection. quent verses, except where something there are some subjects of leading material is to be noticed. That also in tance, in which all the rest are incli the prophecy of Obadiah, which relates and by means of which the harmony chiefly to the destruction of the Edomites, perfection of the Inspired Pages are wit the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Eze- ten, as with the beams of the sun; fr kiel, and Amos, on the same subject, hav- these, especial care and attention have ing been once pointed out at the com- been devoted. mencement, are not again referred to. I. It has appeared an object of the first And so in the history of our Lord's tempta- magnitude, that the reader of the Holy tion, given in the fourth chapter of the Scriptures should be assisted by refe Gospel by St. Matthew, reference being reuces from text to text, to have constantly made from the first verse to the fourth in view the counexion of all the divine atchapter of that by St. Luke, where the tributes, and the holy uniformity of God in same history is recorded, no further refe-his government, both of his Church, and rence is made to that chapter in the subse- of the world. A display of the true characquent verses; the connexion of the whole ter and perfections of God is, without disbeing obvious, and the comparison easy. More space has been thus retained for the illustration or confirmation of the subjects or sentences individually, which are comprised in the particular parts of the history or discourse.

For a similar reason, where the same identical words, or nearly so, might be found in a great number of texts, a few of these only have been selected ;---illustration, not repetition, having been the object

in view.

The references, therefore, which fill the middle column, have all been diligently considered and applied with a particular attention to this specific end, that none which were superfluous might be introduced, while the most material purposes to be answered by References might nevertheless be effectually secured.

WHETHER the latitude or the limits of such an undertaking be considered, it is proper that the principles on which it has been conducted should be so far explained, as that the Reader may be apprised of what he is to expect from it, and in what branches of religious inquiry it may most materially assist him.

In that grand enunciation of the dignity and design of the Sacred Volume, which is given by the Apostle Paul, (2 Tim. iii. 16. 17,) we are told, that "ALL SCRIPTURE IS GIVEN BY INSPIRATION OF GOD, AND IS PROFITABLE FOR DOCTRINE, FOR REPROOF,

pute, one chief design of the Inspired Vo-
lume. Here, as in Isaiah's miraculous vi-
sion, may Jehovah he seen, sitting upon a
throne, high and lifted up; his train fills
the temple, and the Sacred Writers, like!
the Seraphim, cover themselves, and cry
one to another, and say, HOLY, HOLY, HOLY
IS THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE WHOLE EARTH
It is this which
IS FULL OF HIS GLORY.
gives to the Scripture its superlative gran-
deur. By it, God is known; his will is
promulgated; his purposes are revealed:
his mercy is announced; and he is every
where exhibited as worthy of the supreme
adoration, love, service, and praise, of all
his intelligent creatures. Little do those
who neglect their Bibles think what re-
fined delight they lose, by thus turning
away their eyes from the most sublime,
the inost glorious, and the most beatifying
object of contemplation, that the whole
universe affords.

II. But this manifestation of the Divine

character and government is not presented to us as a matter of mere speculation, in which we have no immediate and personal interest. The Holy Scriptures are designed to promote the Glory of God BY THE SALVATION OF MAN. The peculiar purpose of the whole is, to turn men from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God; to raise them from the ruins of

*APTIOE, perfectus, integer, sanus, incoFOR CORRECTION. FOR INSTRUCTION IN limis, consentaneus, consummatus. RIGHTSOUSNESS; THAT THE MAN OF GOD

Hedericks,

OF THE POLYGLOTT BIBLE.

the Fall, and to put them in possession of PHETS WITNESS. Acts x. 43. The thmes the blessings of Redemption; to lead them which were written in the law of Moses, from sm to holiness; to conduct them and in all the Prophets, and in the Psalmis, through a state of conflict and trial on concern HIM; (Luke xxiv. 27, 41:) and earth, to a state of rest and felicity in hea- would come to nothing if he were separatven; and so to assist and direct them in all ed from them. He is the bright and mornpossible conditions in life, that they may ing star; the true light that must lighten pot fail of these great ends, except by their every man who comes to see the glory of wn wilful rejection of the counsel of God Divine Revelation. Rev. xxii. 16. John 1. gamst themselves. The salvation of his 9. It has therefore been a chief design of n soul should therefore be the grand this Work to connect and to exhibit the cern of every reader of the Scripture. testimony which all the Sacred Peumen the immortality of the soul is brought bear to the adorable Immanuel; to the t, and placed in unquestionable evi- proper and unequivocal Divinity of his naHere, its defection from original ture, the necessity of his mediation, the clearly demonstrated; the means reality and design of his incarnation, his estoration are set forth, and its fu- spotless and exemplary life, his unparallelstiny is declared. It is an awful re-ed sufferings, his vicarious death,the verity Dility which they incur who wilfully of his resurrection and ascension into hea.ect this holy book, and devote all their ven, the sufficiency of his righteousness, ae, and the powers of their minds, to the prevalence of his intercession, the errestrial, and subordinate objects. They spirituality of his kingdom, his sovereignty slight the pearl of greatest price, which is in the Church, his constant care and love no where else to be found; and seem as if of his people, and the certainty of his sethey were determined to frustrate, as far cond coming to raise the dead and judge as respects themselves, all that Divine wis- the world in righteousness;---grand and dom and goodness have done to rescue the sublime truths, in which every individual immortal nund of man from spiritual igno- of the human race is deeply and eternally rance, error, vanity, vice, and ruin. Those, interested. however, who are seeking to enjoy the blessings which the Gospel reveals,will, as they are able, search the Scriptures; and such persons will receive great help from having references at hand to assist their inquiries. "It were to be wished," says important frequently to connect those Bishop Horsely, "that no Bibles were texts which speak of transgressions, with printed without References. Particular those in which the law concerning them diligence should be used in comparing the is to be found, and in which punishment parallel texts of the Old and New Testa- is threatened; and sometimes with those ments.... It is incredible," he adds, "to in which the atonement is set forth, and any one who has not made the experiment, pardon is proclaimed; or in which sanctiwhat a proficiency may be made in that fication is promised, or enforced; and knowledge which maketh wise unto salva- these again with such as relate to the futon, by studying the Scriptures in this ture happiness and glory which is promismanner,WITHOUT ANY OTHER COMMENTA- ed to the faithful, or punishment and miseRY, OR EXPOSITION, THAN WHAT THE DIF-ry denounced against the impenitent. A FERENT PARTS OF THE SACRED VOLUME Small body of divinity is sometimes comMUTUALLY FURNISH FOR EACH OTHER. Let prised in a few texts connected together the most illiterate Christian study them in in this way. Thus, from those words in this manner, and let him never cease to Ezek. xxiii. 49.. Ye shall bear the sins of pray for the illumination of that Spirit by your idols, the Reader is referred first to which these books were dictated: and the Numb. xiv. 31, as a parallel passage, whole compass of abstruse philosophy, showing God visiting sin upon the transrecondite history, shall furnish no argu- gressors themselves; then to Numb, xviii. ment with which the perverse will of man 23. to show the typical visitation of it shall be able to shake this learned Chris-upon the Levitical priesthood; then to tan's faith." So great and perfect is the Isaiah liii. 11. to show the prophetic decoincidence of every part of the Word of claration of its being laid on Christ; and, God in the grand and merciful design of the whole!

II. This is more apparent, and the harmony and perfection of the Holy Scriptures are rendered more peculiarly evident and distinct, by the constant reference of ail its writers to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. TO HIM GIVE ALL THE PRO

Horsely's Nine Sermons, p. 224-238.

IV. The chief purpose of Christ's mission being that such as believe on him might be saved from sin, which is the transgression of the Divine law, and from the punishment due to it; it has been thought

lastly, to 1 Pet. ii. 21. to show the actual fulfilment of that prophecy, and the end to be answered by it: for there we are told, that He that judgeth righteously, "his own self, bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should tive to righteousness."

V. The concurrence of the Old and New Testament with each other, and the relation of the types before and under the Mosaic law, to their completion under the

PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH VERSION

Gospel, have been studiously regarded, so the circumstances recorded by St. Luke, as to render it evident, that whatever va- in his book of the Acts. Prophecies are riations may have been made in the form connected with their accomplishments, as and administration of external worship, far as those accomplishments are included true religion, under the former dispensa- in the Scripture History. Promises and tions, was always essentially the same as threatenings are connected with their retrue religion under the present; that "he spective fulfilment; precept with examis not a Jew which is one outwardly; nei- ple, and with supplication; and the prayers ther is that circumcision which is out-of believers with the answers they have ward in the flesh: but he is a Jew which received. All these relations have been is one inwardly; and circumcision is that carefully regarded in this compilation. of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the VIII. Further, the Scriptures are not letter; whose praise is not of men, but merely intended to lead men to godliness: of God. For in every nation, he that they are intended also to exemplify it. feareth God, and worketh righteousness, Repentance, Faith, Hope, Charity, and Deis accepted of him." Rom. ii. 28, 29. Acts votion, are here exhibited in the inost perx. 35. In this, the revelation made before fect models; and it has therefore entered the institution of the Levitical priesthood, into the design of this Work to show the that made during its continuance, and that corresponding emotions and conduct of the which has been made since its termina- Saints, both of the Old Testament and the tion, all agree. The Mosaic ritual was New, when under the influence of those the shadow of good things to come; so dispositions, contemplations, and emowere the priesthood and kingdom of Mel- tions, which are most peculiarly characchisedec: and the body is Christ, who is teristic of true piety; and also to connect essentially the same, both in his person the devotional parts of Scripture with and in his government, yesterday, to-day, the occurrences which gave rise to them, and for ever. Heb. xiii. 8. as far as they can be ascertained. Thus

VI. But the instruction diffused through is Religion known by its fruits: not as a the Scriptures, respecting the gracious thing merely of times and circumand indispensable operations of the Holy stances: but a living principle in the Ghost the Sanctifier, has not been forgot- mind, which times and circumstances ten: and the references on this article will call into action, and contribute to display. show, that, as to his sacred influence on IX. The aphoristic and poetical parts of the minds of the Inspired Penmen, we are the Sacred Writings are also connected, so indebted for all the truths they have as to illustrate and enforce each other; taught us; so to his influence on the that the Reader may be constantly imminds of those who receive and regard pressed with those momentous truths, them, must such persons be indebted for and that sublime language with which all they have learned, or can learn, of they abound, and which afford perpetual them. His work completes the great de- food for the best exercises of the unsign of the whole; and his assistance and derstanding, and the finest emotions of blessing are distinctly promised to all who sincerely ask them.

cess to the Tree of Life. The children of the second Adam may freely, and without fear or interruption, now put forth their hands to its soul-reviving fruit, and take, and eat, and live for ever.

the heart; at once furnishing materials for the most rational entertainment, and VII. As the Scriptures harmonize in the most solid instruction. In this restheir primary and general objects, so do pect, the Scriptures will be found to rethey with regard to the particular subjects semble the garden of Eden, in which the comprehended in their plan. Historical Lord GOD has made to grow every tree accounts are verified by other coincident that is pleasant to the sight, and good for ones, or by accounts of the persons or spiritual food. But no Cherubim or places to which they refer. The prophe- flaming sword are here to prohibit accies of one Prophet, concerning events which were to take place, relating either to kingdoms, families, individuals, or the world at large, are consistent with those pronounced by other Prophets. The accounts of the Jewish polity under its vari- X. The agreement of the Sacred Writers ous vicissitudes, are confirmed by the writ- with each other will be found not only to ings of the Prophets who lived during or exist in the subjects on which they treat, after those vicissitudes; while the former but to extend to their own individual chatend reciprocally to establish the authen-racters. It will appear that they were all ticity of the latter. The histories of the animated by the same Spirit; that they Four Evangelists have a regular connec- were all holy men, speaking as they were tion and parallelism, especially those of moved by the Holy Ghost, calling men Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The recital of to holiness, as the indispensable requisite the transactions of the Apostles, after the to the enjoyment of everlasting happiness, ascension of our Lord, strongly authenti-men, nevertheless, of like passions with cates the Apostolic Epistles; and Archdea- ourselves, conscious of their own natural con Paley has well shown the confirmation infirmity and sinfulness, and of the mercy which the Epistles of St. Paul derive from of God through Christ Jesus, as their only

OF THE POLYGLOTT BIBLE.

refuge from his just displeasure. In short, rusals, like gathered flowers, wither in our they were men fearing God; loving God; hands, and lose their fragrancy; but these loving his character, his laws, his will; ad- unfading plants of Paradise become, as we miring his great and wonderful purposes, are accustomed to them, still more and and voluntarily, deliberately, and determi- more beautiful; their bloom appears to be nately devoting themselves to his service, daily heightened, fresh odours are emitted, whatever it might cost them, and to what- and new sweets extracted from them. He ever it might expose them. On all these who hath once tasted their excellencies, accounts, they are held forth as examples, will desire to taste them yet again; and whose faith, patience, and practice, Chris he who tastes them oftenest will relish tians are to follow. 1 Cor. xi. 1. Heb. xiii. them best." 7. Ja. v. 10.

Happy in having laboured to facilitate It is thus that the Scriptures are PROFIT- the acquaintance of the Christian with ABLE to all the purposes for which they are this invaluable treasure, the Editor has destined, and are calculated to make the now only to implore the blessing of Him man of God PERFECT, and thoroughly fur- by whom its exhaustless stores have been nished unto all good works. To the In- bestowed on sinful man; and to hope that spired Pages at large may be applied the his feeble endeavours may be instrumental remarks of the excellent Bishop Horne (on in advancing the Reader's edification, and, the Psalms.) "Indited under the influence in their humble measure, tend to promote of Him, to whom all hearts are known, and that happy state of things, so long foretold all events foreknown, they suit mankind and so ardently to be desired, in which in all situations, grateful as the manna THE EARTH SHALL BE FILLED WITH THE which descended from above, and con- KNOWLEDGE OF THE GLORY OF JEHOVAH formed itself to every palate. The fairest AS THE WATERS COVER THE SEA. Heb. ii. productions of human wit, after a few pe- 14. Is. xi. 9.

T. C.

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