GENERAL VIEW OF THE CHARACTER AND DESIGN OF THIS WORK. In my General Preface prefixed to Genesis, I gave a suceinct account of the Plan I pursued in preparing this Work for the press: but as this plan became necessarily extended, and led to much farther reading, examination, and discus sion, I judge it necessary to give my Readers a general Summary of the whole, that they may be in possession of my mode of proceeding, and be enabled more fully to comprehend the reasons why the Work has been so long in passing through the press. My education and habits from early youth led me to read and study the Bible, not as a text-book to confirm the articles of a preconceived creed, but as a revelation from God to man, (of His will and purposes, in reference to the origin and designation of His human offspring,) which it was the duty and interest of all the inhabitants of the earth, deeply to study, and earnestly to endeavour to understand; as it concerned their peace and happiness, and the perfection of their being in reference to both worlds. Conscious that Translators in general must have had a particular creed, in reference to which they would naturally consider every text; and this reference, however honestly intended, might lead them to glosses not always fairly deducible from the original words; I sat down with a heart as free from bias and sectarian feeling as possible, and carefully read over, cautiously weighed, and literally translated, every word, Hebrew and Chaldee, in the Old Testament. And as I saw that it was possible, even while assisted by the best trans. lations and best lexicographers, to mistake the import of a Hebrew term, and considering that the cognate Asiatic lan guages would be helps of great importance in such an enquiry, I collated every verse, where I was apprehensive of any difficulty, with the Chaldee, Syriac, Arabic, and Persian, and the Ethiopic in the Polyglott Translation, as far as the Sacred Writings are extant in these languages: and I did this with a constant reference to the Various Readings collected by Houbigant, H. Michaelis, Kennicott, and De Rossi, and to the best editions of the Septuagint and Vulgate, which are the earliest translations of the Hebrew Text which have reached our times. Nor have I been satisfied with these collections of Various Readings; I have examined and collated several ancient Hebrew MSS. which preceding scholars had never seen, with many ancient MSS. of the Vulgate equally unknown to bibli cal critics. This work required much time and great pains, and necessarily occasioned much delay: and no wonder, when I have often, on my plan, been obliged to employ as much time in visiting many sources and sailing down their streams, in order to ascertain a genuine reading or fix the sense of a disputed verse, as would have been sufficient for some of my contemporaries to pass whole sheets of their work through the press. Had I not followed this method, which to me appeared absolutely necessary, I should have completed my Work, such as it would have been, in less than one half of the time. These previous Readings, Collations, and Translations, proinced an immense number of Notes and Observations on all parts of the Old Testament; which, by the advice and entreaty of several learned and judicious friends, I was induced wextend in the form of a perpetual comment on every Book in the Bible. This being ultimately revised and completed as far as the Book of Judges, which formed, in my purpose, the boundary of my proceedings on the Hebrew Scriptures, I was induced to commit it to press. Though my friends in general wished me to go forward with the Old Testament; yet, as several of them were apprehensive, from the then infirm state of my health, that I might not Eve long enough to finish the whole, they advised me srongly to omit for the present the Old Testament, and begin with the New. This was in conformity with my own feel. on the subject; having wished simply to add the four Gompels and Acts of the Apostles to the five Books of Moses and the Books of Joshua and Judges; as these two parcels of Divine revelation, carefully illustrated, would give a full View of the origin and final settlement of the church of the Bengel, Mill, Wetstein, and Griesbach; actually examining many MSS., either cursorily or not at all examined by them; illustrating the whole by quotations from ancient anthors, Rabbinical, Grecian, Roman, and Asiatic; I exceeded my previous design, and brought down the Work to the end of the Apocalypse; and passed the whole through the press. I should mention here a previous work, (without which any man must be ill qualified to undertake the illustration of the New Testament,) viz. a careful examination of the Septuagint. In this the phraseology of the New Testament is contained, and from this the import of that phraseology is alone to be derived. This I read carefully over to the end of the Book of Psalms, in the edition of Dr. Grabe, from the Codex Alexandrinus; collating it occasionally with editions taken from the Vatican MS., and particularly that printed by Field, at Cambridge, 1665, 18mo. with the Parænetic Preface of the learned Bishop Pearson. Without this previous work, who did ever yet properly comprehend the idiom and phraseology of the Greek Testament? Now, all these are parts of my labour which common readers cannot conceive; and which none can properly appreciate, as to the pains, difficulty, and time which must be expended, who have not themselves trodden this almost unfrequented path. When the New Testament was thus prepared and finished at press, I was induced, though with great reluctance, to recommence the Old. I was already nearly worn down by my previous work, connected with other works and duties which I could not omit; and though I had gone through the most important parts of the Sacred Records, yet I could easily Soresee that I had an ocean of difficulties to wade through in those parts that remained. The Historical Books alone, in their chronology, arrangement of facts, concise and often obscure phraseology, presented not a few:-the books of Solomon, and those of the Major and Minor Prophets, a multitude. Notwithstanding all these, I hope I may say, that having obtained help of God, I am come with some success, to the conclusion; having aimed at nothing throughout the whole but the glory of God, and the good of men. But still something remains to be said concerning the modus operandi, or particular plan of proceeding. In prosecu ting this work I was led to attend, in the first instance, more to words than to things, in order to find their true ideal meaning; together with those different shades of acceptation to which they became subject, either in the circumstances of the speakers and those who were addressed, or in their application to matters which use, peculiarity of place and situation, and the lapse of time, had produced. It was my invari. able plan to ascertain first, the literal meaning of every word and phrase; and where there was a spiritual meaning, or reference, to see how it was founded on the literal sense. He who assumes his spiritual meanings first, is never likely to interpret the words of God either to his own credit or to the profit of his readers; but in this track commentator has followed commentator, so that, in many cases, instead of a careful display of God's words and the objects of His providence and mercy, we have tissues of strange doctrines, human creeds, and confessions of faith. As I have said in another place, I speak not against compilations of this kind; but let them be founded on the words of God, first properly understood. As I proceeded in my work I met with other difficulties. 1 soon perceived an almost continual reference to the Litera ture, Arts, and Sciences, of the Ancient World, and of the Asiatic nations in particular; and was therefore obliged to make these my particular study, having found a thousand passages which I could neither illustrate nor explain, without some general knowledge at least of their jurisprudence, astronomy, architecture, chemistry, chirurgery, medicine, metal lurgy, pneumatics, &c. with their military tactics, and the arts and trades (as well ornamental as necessary) which are carried on in common life. Old Covenant, and the commencement and completion of by free-thinkers and infidels of all classes and in all times; that of the Nero. And thus I proceeded. After baring literally translated every word of the New Testament that last best gift of God to man; comparing the whole with all the ancient Versions, and the most important ofondern; collating all with the Various Readings col. econd by Stephens, Courcel, Fell, Gherard of Maestricht, In the course of all this labour I have also paid particular at tention to those facts mentioned in the Sacred Writings, which have been the subjects of animadversion or ridicule and I hope I may say that no such passage is either designedly passed by or superficially considered; that the strongest objections are fairly produced and met;-that all such parts of these Divine writings are, in consequence, exhibited in their own lustre; and, that the truth of the doctrine of our salvation has had as many triumphs as it has had attacks from the 3 Inspiration of the INTRODUCTION. sacred writers. rudest and most formidable of its antagonists: and on all such, the chronological department from my own nephew. I have disputed points I humbly hope that the Reader will never consult these volumes in vain. And if those grand doctrines which constitute what by some is called orthodoxy; that prove that God is loving to every man; that from His innate, infinite, and eternal goodness, He wills and has made provision for the salvation of every human soul, be found to be those which alone have stood the rigid test of all the above sifting and examination; it was not because these were sought for beyond all others, and the Scriptures bent in that way in order to favour them; but because these doctrines are essentially contained in, and established by, the ORACLES OF GOD. I may add, that these doctrines, and all those connected with them, (such as the defection and sinfulness of man, the incarnation and sacrificial death of Christ, His infinite, unoriginated, and eternal Deity; justification by faith in His blood; and the complete sanctification of the soul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit,) have not only been shown to be the doctrines of the Sacred Records, but have also been subjected to the strongest test of logical examination; and, in the Notes, are supported by arguments, many of them new, applied in such a way as has not been done before in any similar or the ological work. In this arduous labour I have had no assistants; not even a single week's help from an amanuensis: no person to look for common places, or refer to an ancient author: to find out the place and transcribe a passage of Greek, Latin, or any other language, which my memory had generally recalled, or to verify a quotation; -the help excepted which I received in laboured alone for nearly twenty-five years previously to the Work being sent to press; and fifteen years have been employed in bringing it through the Press to the public; and thus about forty years of my life have been consumed; and from this the Reader will at once perceive, that the Work, well or ill executed, has not been done in a careless or precipitate manner: nor have any means within my reach been neglected to make it in every respect, as far as possible; what the title-page promises,-A HELP TO A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SACRED WRITINGS. Thus, through the merciful help of God, my labour in this field terminates; a labour, which were it yet to commence, with the knowledge I now have of its difficulty, and my (in many respects) inadequate means, millions, even of the gold of Ophir, and all the honours that can come from man, could not induce me to undertake. Now that it is finished, I regret not the labour; I have had the testimony of many learned, pious, and judicious friends, relative to the execution and the usefulness of the Work. It has been admitted into the very highest ranks of society, and has lodged in the cottages of the poor. It has been the means of doing good to the simple of heart; and the wise man and the scribe, the learned and the philosopher, according to their own generous acknowledgments, have not consulted its pages in vain. For these, and all His other mercies to the Writer and Reader, may God, the Fountain of all good, be eternally praised! ADAM CLARKE. Eastcott, April 17, 1826. INTRODUCTION TO THE FOUR GOSPELS AND ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. THE Introduction, so long promised, giving an account of the Manuscripts, Versions, &c. referred to in this Work, is at last before iny readers; and could not with any propriety, have been published sooner, as the Gospel History could not be considered complete till the Book of the Acts was finished. As the chronology of the New Testament ends with the two years' imprisonment of Paul at Rome, it may be thought needless to carry it any farther down: but as there is some reason to believe, that he visited Rome a second time, and suffered Emartyrdom there about A. D. 64 or 65; and as learned men have agreed that the Apocalypse, which completes the canon of the New Testament, was not written till about the year 96; I have thought it necessary to carry down the Chronology through the whole of the first century of the Christian era; that, if I should not have health or life to proceed any farther in this work, that important part should be left in a state of tolerable perfection. I have proceeded on the same plan with the four Gospels, and the Book of the Acts, as I have done with the Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua; and have reason to thank God that he has spared me to go through (in the manner I first proposed) with these two most important parts of that Revelation, which his mercy has granted to man. In the first, (the Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua,) the history of the world and its original inhabitants, and the history of the church, are brought down from the creation, to the final settlement of the Israelites in the Promised Land. In the second, (the four Gospels and Book of Acts,) I have deduced the important events of the Christian dispensation from six years before the vulgar era, down to the year 100. This chronology is as rich in the necessary eras, as that which is attached to the Book of Deuteronomy; and has, I hope, left nothing unnoticed that belongs to such a work. The account of MSS., Versions, &c. is necessarily short: I could not proceed farther in this description, without involving much of that sort of Biblical Criticism which could not be advantageous to general readers. I have, therefore, only introduced what I deemed necessary for a proper understanding of the references to be found in the Commentary itself. I have purposely avoided the question concerning the authenticity of the Sacred Writings in general. On a thorough conviction, I assume the fact, that they are a Divine record, a revelation from God. This has been so amply proved, that the Christian cause has had a complete triumph. I consider, therefore, the question to be for ever at rest. As to the particular books, scriptures, or scripture facts, to which objections have been made, I have carefully considered them as they occur occ in their respective places; and I hope, I have fully removed every such objection, and have exhibited the doctrines of the Gospel, and the facts of the evangelical history, in their own certain and steady light at least, I have carefully laboured to do it, and, like the woman in the Gospel, I have done what I could. When the great difficulty of my work is considered, no one will suppose that mistakes were avoidable: general consistency and correctness are all that candour can require. I have met with difficulties in every part of my undertaking, such as a commentator only can feel and estimate. On the Acts of the Apostles alone, I have spent many months of almost incessant labour. Difficulties occurred in every page: and I could not proceed till I had made the way plain before me, and left it open to those who might come after. This alone is sufficient to account for the delay in this part; and for any casual mistakes into which I may have fallen: mistakes, if such there be, over which the candid reader will find little difficulty gently to draw the pen of correction: remembering, that it is much more easy to find faults than to mend them. Inspiration of the Sacred Writers, Various Readings, and account of Manuscripts and Versions, etc. referred to in this work. §1. Concerning the manner in which Di- excellently on this point. After asserting that | tion on their brain as gives them a deep and vine Inspiration was granted to the sacred the apostles and evangelists indited these clear idea of that which he intended to make writers. The manner in which the Divine Scriptures by the assistance of the Holy Inspiration has been granted to the sacred Ghost; and that as the immediate succeeding writers, is a question of more than mere cu riosity. As every work of God is done in an orderly, rational manner, so must this also: but we must take heed not to confine him to one particular form, and say, it must be thus and thus, or not at all. God is sovereign of his own ways; and so does his wondrous works, that they may be had in everlasting remembrance. As he has spoken at sumdry times to our fathers and predecessors, by the prophets and other inspired men; so has he doue this in divers manners, ever adapting the manner to time, place, circumstance, &c. Hence we are not to look for a uniformityin the manner of communicating his inspirations, any more than we are to look for iden tity of time, place, and persons. He has done great things; and he has done all things well. On the inspiration of the Scriptures themselves, I must therefore refer my readers to ages did, so we at present securely may, rely "I. How this assistance may fitly be ex- "1. That prophecy is sometimes represented those who have written professedly on the communicate our thoughts to them: so, when subject; but on the mode of communicating it pleased God to reveal his will to any person, that inspiration, I beg leave to make a few it seems only necessary that he talk inward extracts from Dr Whitby, who has written ly with them, that is, that he make such a mo known unto them: only the impression must then be made in such a manner and degree, and with such circumstances as may make it certain to the inspired person that it derives from God. Now seeing, when we hear the voice of any one, or receive a letter from him, we may be certain from the knowledge we have of his voice, or his hand-writing, that it is he indeed who speaks or writes to us; we may very well conceive, that God car can easily give such distinctive marks of what he inwardly speaks to us, or writes upon the tables of our hearts, as shall enable us to dis cern what he imprints upon them, from any impression that shall otherwise be made upon them. 2. Sometimes the prophet is in Scripture styled a seer, and his word, a vision; and then the parallel, or the analogy, runs thus As we see, by virtue of a light reflecting the species of things upon the retina of the eve, and thence deriving a peculiar motion to, and making a distinct impression on, the brain; so may the prophet be supposed to see what God reveals unto him, by a like motion of the Holy Spirit made upon his brain concerning Inspiration of the it. And as it is as easy to propose a material object to the view, as to describe it by our words, so must it be as easy for God to dart such an impression or inward light upon the brain of the prophet, or spiritual man, as shall give him a more bright and sensible idea of things, than if he did perceive them by the ear, or even view them by the eye. And as we more exactly discern a sensible object by the view, than we know it by a description of it without that view; so the Jews say, that prophecy במראת in vision is more excellent than that which comes only בחלום by dream or in a dream, in which we seem to hear one taiking with us. "Now though this impression may be sufficient to convince the prophet and inspired person, that his revelation did indeed derive from God; yet, since this revelation was intended not for himself, but for the use of others, he, with the revelation, must be enabied, by some convincing proof, to evidence to those who were concerned to embrace it, that he was sent indeed by God with such a message to them. Now, of this, they only could be satisfied by some outward marks or notes, of which they, by their senses, were enabled to judge, viz. The miracles wrought for confirmation of his testimony, or some ance, should exactly give us all that was spoken in such long discourses. cite them to indite those things, and should so "And hence we may account for the objections against this Divine assistance, arising from the seventh of Acts, for, though I have showed in the note on verses 15, 16, that there is no real mistake in the words of the Protoerror in his account of the sepulchres of the "Secondly. In all their revelations of mys- patriarch, that affects not the authority of teries, or things which could not otherwise be St. Luke at all, provided he have exactly remade known to them, either by natural rea-lated what was then said by St. Stephen, son or antecedent revelation, they must be who was not chosen to be a penman of the acknowledged to have had them by an imme- Holy Scriptures. inspiration, or Divine assistance of the sacred writers of the New Testament, as will assure us of the truth of what they wrote, whether by inspiration of suggestion or direction only; but not for such an inspiration as implies, that even their words were dictated, or their phrases suggested to them by the Holy Ghost: this, in some matters of great moment, might be so; St. Paul declaring, that they 'spake the things which were given them of God in the words which the Holy diate suggestion of the Holy Spirit. Hence, "Lastly, from what is thus discoursed, it prophetical prediction of something future might know the things which are freely out of the Old Testament. But that it was and contingent, exactly verified in the event. And thus, saith the apostle, was their preach ing confirmed to the world; God bearing witness to them, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Ho ly Ghost, according to his will, Heb. ii. 4. The ways of prophecy, under the Old Testament, seem to be comprehended under these four heads, viz. either the prophets received their revelation in a dream or trance, or in a vision, or by a voice from heaven, or by the secret suggestions of the Holy Ghost. not always so, is evident, both from the consideration that they were hagiographers, who are supposed to be left to the use of their own words, and from the variety of the style in which they write, and from the solecisms, which are sometimes visible in their compositions; and more especially from their own words, which manifestly show that, in some cases, they had had no such suggestion from the Holy Ghost as doth imply, that he had dictated those words unto them. For instance, when St. Paul declares his will or given to us of God, verse 10. Thus was the "Now some of the apostles had their visions, Ist. either by day, as Peter; for an eestacy fell upon him, 'and he saw the heavens opened, and he heard a voice saying unto him, Arise, Peter, kill and eat,' Acts x. 11. And all the other special circumstances mentionthis is called δραμα, a vision, verse 17. And by this, saith he, God taught me to call no man common, or unclean, verse 28. night: thus a vision of the night was seen by Paul, and a man speaking to him, in the vi. sion of the night, Acts xvi. 9. 2dly. They had also the Spirit speaking to them; for the Spi Or by ed, 1 Cor. xv. I Thess. iv. and the apostacy of rit said to Peter, Behold, three men seek represented to him in visions, or by angelical thee; arise, therefore, and go with them, nething doubting, for I have sent them, Acts x. 20, 21. 3dly. And sometimes they had visions and revelations of the Lord, either by way of rapture to them, 2 Cor. xii. 2. or of conversation with them; as when Christ said to St. Paul, My grace is sufficient for thee,' verse 9. Here then are three kinds of revelation granted to the apostles; but then these things were mostly occasional, and accidental to them, in respect of their apostolical func tions. "Only the case of the apostle Paul must here admit of an exception; for it being necessary for an apostle, that is, a witness of Christ's resurrection, to have seen the Lord risen from the dead, according to those words, Am I not an apostle? Have 1 not seen the Lord ? 1 Cor. ix. 1: 'and for an apostle, not of man, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, Gal. i. 1. to receive his message immediately from the Lord Jesus; Christ speaks thus to him to have appeared unto thee for this pur discourses, or apparitions, must have that as providence of God from doing; as, when he says to the Romans, When I go into Spain, by you into Spain, verse 28. For though he might, after his enlargement, go into the west, where St. Clement (Ep. ad Cor. § 6.) says he preached. And even into Spain, as Cyril, (Catechis. 17. p. 204. C) Epiphanius, (Hær. 27. p. 107. C.) and Theodoret, (in 2 Tim. iv. 17. and Præfat. in Psalm cxvi.) say he did; yet it is certain he did not designedly go to Rome, in order to an intended journey into Spain; and when he says to the Corinthians, 'I will come to you when I pass through Macedonia, 1 Cor. xvi. 5. and yet confesses in his second epistle, 2 Cor. i 15, 16, 17. that he did not perform that journey; for it is not to he thought the Holy Ghost should incite him to promise, or even to purpose, what He knew he would not perform. This also we learn from all those places in which they do express their ignorance, or doubtfulness of that which they are speaking of; as when St. Paul says, 'I know not whether I baptized any other, 1 Cor. 1. 16. And again, τυχον παραμένω, 'perhaps I will abide, yea, and winter with you.' 1 Cor. xvi. 6. And when St. Peter saith, 'By Sylvanus, a faithful brother, as I suppose, have I written to you,' 1 Fet. v. 12. for these words plainly show, that, in all these things, they had no inspiration, or Divine assistance. This, lastly, may be gathered from all those places in which they only do express their hope, and in theseditionally doing this that as that of doing or journey, Roms, hope will comerum Judaizing Christian, the gift of knowledge of the Scriptures of the Old Testament was very vedly reckoned among the primary gifts of the Holy Ghost; and, being so, we have rea son to believe, that either the Holy Ghost sug which they used in these sacred writings to to their memory scriptures bose, to take thee a minister, and a witness, convince them; or else presided so over both of these things thou hast seen, them, as not to suffer them to make any inand of those things in the which I will appear you quickly, if the Lord will, 1 Cor. iv. 19. ferences from them which were not agreea- 1 hope to stay some time with you, if ble to the true intent and meaning of them; Lord permit, i Cor. xvimethope in the though, at this distance of time, we may not Lord Jesus, to send Timothy quickly to you, "Fourthly. In writing the historical parts tain a promise of an immediate instruction had from God, Christ speaking to him mouth to mouth, &c. See Num. xii. 7. "But yet, that which enabled them for the Inditing of these writings, as a rule of faith to all succeeding ages, was the internal and powerful assistance of the Holy Spirit. "To proceed, then, to the consideration of the distinction made by some, viz. Or inspiration by suggestion, and inspiration of di rection only: I say, then, First. Where re there is is no antecedent idea or knowledge of the things written for the good of others, to be obtained from reason, or a former revelation, there, an inspiration of suggestion must be vouchsafed to the apos said to have been done; but it is not necessa- Phil. ii. 19, 23. And I trust that I myself you, 1, St. John, 2d must be sufficient to assure us of the truth of uncertainty, whereas the Holy Spirit cannot what they thus delivered. "Moreover, in writing the discourses con- he would inspire men to speak so uncertain tained in these books, it is not necessary that ly. And, (2.) There can be no necessity, or the very words should be suggested, or re- even use, of a Divine assistance to enable a corded, in which they were first spoken, but man to express his hopes, seeing all men do, only that the true intent and meaning of by natural reflection, know them. them should be related, though in diversity "Il. Having thus prenised these things, tles, to enable them to make them known unto all things which he had said unto them, for the right stating and explication of the controversy, I proceed to lay down the arguments which prove that in these writings the apostles were assisted and preserved from error by the Spirit of God; and, therefore, were enabled to deliver to us an unerring: rule of faith. "And, ist. I argue for the Divine assistance Inspiration of the sacred writers. of the inditers of these sacred records from what they do assert concerning their own writings; and what they say touching the declarations made, the doctrines delivered, and the directions given in them. "As for the writers of the Gospel, St. Luke declares he writes his Gospel to Theophilus, that he might know the certainty of those things in which he had been instructed; and St. John declares, his Gospel was written, that they might believe that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God: now, it is plain, that neither Theophilus could be certain of the truth of what he had been taught by any writing which was not absolutely certain in itself; nor could others he induced, by what St. John had written, to believe, that Jesus was the Christ, unless they could be certain that he spake the truth throughout his Gospel. Now, if we do consider how many things contained in the beginning of St. Luke's Gospel he must have by hearsay; and how many long discourses, both he, St. Matthew, and St. John, deliver as spoken by our Lord and others; of which we can have no assurance, after so many years before the writing of them, on the mere strength of human memo ry, so as to ground an article of Divine faith upon the very words in which they were delivered; we must be forced to conclude, that, upon this account, we cannot depend upon the very letter and minute circumstances of every discourse related by them; unless, ac cording to Christ's promise, they hul the assistance of the Holy Ghost, to bring these things to their remembrance: wherefore this promise is made to them in very general and comprehensive terms, viz. the Holy Ghost shall bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you, John xiv. 26. And then there being nothing considerable in St. Mark, which is not also in St. Mat thew or St. Luke, or both, the certainty of all that is contained in them, must make us also certain of the truth of what St. Mark delivers in his Gospel. Moreover, the word spoken and indited by them, is styled the word of God: men, saith the apostle, could not be lieve the Gospel, unless they heard it preached to them: nor could they hear it preached, unless some were commissioned to preach the Gospel; for 'faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God, Rom. x. 14, 15, 16, 17. And, for this cause,' says he, thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God, which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth. the word of God,' I Thess. ii. 13. 'I am made a minister of Christ,' saith he, 'according to the dispensation of God, which is given to me to fulfil, (i. e. fully to preach) the word of God.' Coloss. i 25. 2. It is called the commandment of God; for my INTRODUCTION. Various Readings, do ciency avas of God; who, by this ministra tion of the Spirit, had made them able minis ters of the New Testament, 2 Cor. iii. 5, 6. And thus, says he, 'that God who command and prophets, by the Spirit, Eph. iii. 3, 5. Ana hence he speaks to the Corinthians in this language, 'If any man be a propbet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things! write unto you are the commandments of God, 1 Cor. xiv. 37. Here, then, the argument runs thus: and Christ, the mystery of God the Father, "ally. They who, when they indited these writings, were assisted by the Holy Ghost, the Spirit of truth, indited these records by Divine assistance; for the things God spake to his servants the prophets, are styled the "They who had a like assistance to that of the prophets under the Old Testament, must write by the direction of the Holy Ghost, for holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost; and the Scriptures they indited were of Divine inspiration; and their words are cited in the New Testament, as spoken by the Holy Ghost. But the apostles had a like assistance, for, in the words now cited, they style themselves apostles and prophets; they challenge a like illumination, or shining of God upon their hearts, a like revelation of their Gospel by the Holy Spirit; and they pretend to teach it to others, in words taught them by the Holy Ghost. In all which sayings, they must be guilty of a false testimony concerning God, and must impose upon the church of Christ, if no such assistance of the Holy Ghost was imparted to them. "3dly. These sacred records, which were indited to be a standing rule of faith to Christians throughout all ages of the world, the Gospel contained in these Scriptures being made 'known to all nations for the obedience of faith, Rom. vi. 26. they must in all things propounded in them, to our faith, contain a divine testimony, or a revelation of the will of things which 1 commanded, εν πνευματι μου, God. For as human faith depends upon the Gospel,' says St. Paul,' and the preaching of had heard, nor heart was able to conceive, will come in flaming fire, taking vengeance of all that obey not his Gospel, then must this Gospel, and this law of liberty, be a rule of faith until Christ's second coming; for, upon that account alone, can men be bound under this dreadful penalty, to yield obedience to it, and be judged by it." The whole of Dr. Whitby's important General Preface, from which the above is extracted, is well worth the attention of the reader. § II. Of Various Readings in the Scriptures, and the Sources whence they sprung.Before I proceed to give an account of the principal Manuscripts, Ancient Versions, and that they might know the things which were of faith, Rom. xiv. 25, 26. which faith is al sent Timotheus, our fellow-labourer in the Gospel of Christ, 1 Thess. iii. 2. 7. It is the mystery of his will, Eph. i. 9. 'The mystery of God the Father, and of Christ. Col. ii. 2. The mind of Christ, made known to the apostles, 1 Cor. il. 16. And the word of Christ which must dwell richly in believers,' Col. iii. 16. "Now, certainly, it cannot rationally be conceived, that the apostles should be igno the Holy Ghost teacheth, comparing the reve readers may not have had the opportunity of acquainting themselves with that branch of Biblical criticism, in which this subject is particularly discussed. By a Various Reading, I mean a word existing either in the Ancient Versions, or in Ancient MSS., or in both, different from the word in the commonly received and printed text, whether of the Old or the New Testament. The sources whence these are derived, are those ancient Versions and MSS. the chief of which are enumerated and described in the following lists. But, it may be asked, of what authority are these Versions and Manuscripts? And why appeal to them from, and sometimes against, the commonly received text ? Into the discussion of this question I cannot minutely enter: it is not the province of a Commentator. But lest it should be supposed that I wished to elude it, I would simply observe, 1. That before the invention of printing, the whole of the Sacred Writings, both of the Old and New Testaments, must have existed either in MS. or by Oral Tradition. 2. If they existed originally by Oral Tradetion, they must have been, at one time or other, reduced from that into a MS. or written form. 3. As these records were considered of general importance, being a revelation from rant of that assistance by which they were his Spirit. Thus did they speak the word of enabled to indite these records; if then they God in demonstration of the Spirit; whence were assured of that assistance of the Holy he declares, that if any man despise their tesSpirit, which they challenged, then must the timony or instructions, he despised not man Gospel, which they both preached and indi- only, but God also, who had given them his ted, be received as the word of God and Spirit, 1 Thess. iv. 8. they being not sufficient God to man, concerning his salvation, manuChrist, the mind of Christ, the Gospel of God for this work of themselves, but their suffi-scripts would be multiplied, as the people in |