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of all things. It begins with the groundwork of natural religion, the creation of the universe by one holy and good and wise Being; relating distinctly how all those parts of it, to which the heathens paid divine worship, were in truth the work of God's hands. It proceeds to the origin of the Patriarchal, Jewish, and Christian religion, the introduction of sin by the fall of our first parents, of which we experience the wretched effects. It goes on to that amazing punishment of sin, the universal deluge, proved to be as certain, as it was wonderful, by the remaining traces of it throughout the globe. It then recites the second peopling of the world, the relapse of mankind into wickedness, the choice of one family and people to preserve the knowledge of God, and to be as a light shining in a dark place, for the benefit of all about them, that would turn their eyes and feet to the way of peace. It lays before us the laws given to this people; it recounts their history chiefly with regard to their moral and religious behaviour, and dwells on the character and actions of their most remarkable persons. It supplies us with admirable patterns of genuine piety in the Psalms, most virtuous instructions for the prudent conduct of life in the book of Proverbs, for bearing afflictions in that of Job, for thinking justly of wealth, honour, pleasure, science, in Ecclesiastes. Then, in the Prophetical books, it gives us, together with the sublimest and worthiest ideas of God, and our duties towards Him, the most affecting denunciations of that private and publick misery and ruin which will ever attend sin, whether cloaked by superstition or displayed in profaneness. And, along with all these things, it unfolds a series of predictions, reaching from the beginning of the Old Testament to the end; and growing, from obscure and general, continually clearer and more determinate, concerning the appearance of a Divine Person on earth, for the recovery of fallen man, and for the revival and propagation of true religion throughout the world. The books of the New Testament open to us the execution of this great design. The Gospels record his supernatural birth, his unspotted and exemplary life, his astonishing and gracious miracles, his pure and benevolent doctrine, his dying for our offences, and rising again for our justification; his mission of fit persons endued with the gifts of the Holy Spirit to teach all nations, his own ascension into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God, till He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. The Acts of the Apostles represent the wonderful success of their preaching, and the original foundation of the Catholick Church. The Epistles contain their admirable directions to clergy and laity; and the Revelation concludes with foretelling the state of Christianity, primitive, degenerate, and reformed, to the last ages. A grander, a more comprehensive, and more useful scheme of instruction than this cannot possibly be conceived.

In reading the Holy Scriptures, our business is to apply to those parts first, and to dwell on them most, which have the closest connexion with our future happiness. As right practice is the end of faith, the practical passages of Scripture ought certainly to have our principal regard, ever comprehending those which express the obligations of Christian piety and moral self-government, as well as justice and mercy. We shall indeed do well, besides occasionally reading particular chapters, to peruse both Testaments in their order: only it will be advisable to go oftenest through the New, as exhibiting more fully what we are to believe and to do, and without such a mixture as there is in the Old, of things belonging solely to the former dispensation. But the regularity of this course ought not to hinder us from selecting chiefly, and perusing most frequently, those parts of both, which place before us, in the most influencing manner, the common doctrines, and common

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duties, of our holy profession. Still, even in respect of these parts of Scripture, and much more therefore of other parts, it is requisite that we proceed with some judgment and care; that we make use of the same rules for understanding our Bibles, which we do for understanding other books, and such also, as the peculiar nature of this book points out; that we never interpret any text in a sense contrary to the dictates of reason, or to other texts more clear or more numerous, or to the visible design and drift of the whole passage; that we always keep in view what goes before and what follows after; for the connexion is often very strong, where it is not extremely obvious; that we suppose not every verse to be a separate sentence of itself, nor every chapter to have a separate subject that begins and ends with it, for these divisions are entirely human, and sometimes not discreetly made; also that we apply the sayings of the holy penmen, only to the things of which they are treating, not to others which perhaps were far from their thoughts, unless a just argument can be drawn from the former to the latter. We should also be careful to take both single words, and phrases comprehending several, not always in the meaning which they bear in our daily conversation, but in such as other places of Scripture require or permit; understanding them literally where we can, but figuratively where we must. Again, we should make such abatements from strong expressions, such restrictions and exceptions to general expressions, and such allowances for the whole manner of speaking, as we perceive the nature of the thing, together with the usage and custom of the sacred writers, demands. Without such equity as this, a large proportion of the compositions which appear in the world would be made to abound with absurdities; and, if the Bible needs it more than later books of nearer countries, it also deserves it infinitely better, and it would be both perverse and impious to refuse it. These easy cautions will enable persons of almost the lowest capacity and improvements, who either can read Scripture, or have the means of hearing it read, to acquire so competent a knowledge of what is most needful to be known, as will fully justify the Psalmist's encomium, that "the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

Even the learned do not act with humility and prudence, and much less do the unlearned, if in reading the Holy Scriptures they rely wholly on their own judgment unassisted. For God hath made the help of others extremely necessary to our understanding of his word, as well as his works. Men of great abilities and attainments, by trusting to themselves, have involved themselves in errour: and men of no other advantages than a teachable disposition, have arrived at a most beneficial acquaintance with religious truths. For God "hides things from the wise and prudent" in their own opinion, which He "reveals unto babes:" "resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." Nor let it be imagined, that such must, therefore, depend altogether in every thing on the authority of their spiritual guides. For as in matters of science, or common business, what a man doth not see of himself, he may have shewn to him by others, and then may see it as truly and fully, as if it had been his own original discovery: so in matters of revelation, one who would otherwise have made small progress, or, it may be, committed great mistakes, yet having the main articles of it methodically explained to him, in discourses on his Catechism, and occasionally inculcated in Sermons, or in answers to the questions which he asks in private, may by comparing what he is thus taught, with what he reads in his Bible, come by degrees, not to believe implicitly, but to discern evidently the genuine sense of its fundamental doctrines and precepts. In which case, his faith rests no longer on the word of man, but on that of God, whether we can answer VOL. I.

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all the specious objections against it or not: which few people can do in any thing that they believe of any kind. We should therefore conscientiously take all fit opportunities of learning instruction from those who are set apart to give it. For the priest's lips are appointed to keep knowledge; and the people to seek the law at his mouth not with a blind submission to whatever he shall affirm, but with so much regard at least, as in other professions the more ignorant pay to the more skilful. Nor are we confined to respect only the sentiments of the particular teachers, whom we statedly attend, but we ought to have much greater deference for the general persuasion of Christ's Church, particularly our own branch of it, and a proportionable one for that of every knowing and good person; always entertaining some distrust of ourselves, when we differ from these. The exercise of our best judgment, and a modest attention to that of others, are the joint means which our Maker hath instituted for the understanding of his will, natural and revealed. They who use them uprightly, and they alone, may hope for pardon of their ignorance and errours. And, were any one to continue so ignorant to the last, as to believe the truths contained in Holy Writ, only because those about him told him they were such; yet might he have the happiness of acquiring, even by the means of this most implicit faith, dispositions of piety and virtue unattainable otherwise, and sufficient to qualify him for eternal happiness.

It is to be acknowledged that many passages in the Bible are abstruse, and not easy to be understood. Yet we are not to omit reading the abstruser texts, which have any appearance of relating to us; but should follow the example of the blessed Virgin, who understood not several of our Saviour's sayings, yet kept them all in her heart. Were we only to learn humility thus, it would be enough; but we shall come by degrees to apprehend far more than we expected, if we diligently compare spiritual things with spiritual, darker expressions with clearer, that are like or opposite to them; for contraries illustrate one another. But, with whatever success we may increase our knowledge of Scripture, that alone is insufficient. We must not think we have done with a passage as soon as we have understood it. If we had understood it instantly, our principal work was to come yet; and they are strangely wrong, who apply so closely to study difficult places, that they forget to make due reflections on the plain. The Word of God was written to give us not merely a speculative apprehension, but an experimental sense and feeling, of holy things, comfortable or terrifying as our spiritual state requires. Too many, alas, have no conception of this efficacy in Scripture and no wonder, for they have never seriously endeavoured to have any. But let them try in earnest, and they will infallibly succeed, if they use proper means. We read of some, what will be true of all in the same condition, that the word did not profit them, not being mixed with faith. God indeed can operate according to his own pleasure: but humanly speaking, persons will not be influenced by what they disbelieve; and not much by what they believe but faintly. Nay, should they labour to make the strongest impressions on their own souls, without applying to Him, whose gift saving faith is, their efforts would be vain. But let any one jointly strive and pray for a deep conviction, that the Bible is the appointed instrument of his religious proficiency: then let him read it, not as performing a task, he knows not why, from which he had rather be excused; not to outshine others in readiness of quotation, or plausibility of interpreting, or oppositions of science falsely so called; not to furnish himself with weapons for debate and controversy, much less for uncharitableness and abuse; but to amend his inward state towards God: that, as the excellent Collect in our Liturgy directs, by patience

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in well doing, and comfort in virtuous suffering, which we learn of his holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life. Let him accordingly stop on fit occasions and think: What consolation doth this passage administer to me? What acknowledgments to Heaven doth this declaration require from me? What fear for myself doth this threatening call for? What duty doth this precept or pattern point out to me? Of what sin doth it convince me? Against what dangers doth it warn me? Is my character and behaviour suitable to this command or exhortation, this description or good example? or do I see myself here, under another's name, reproved, condemned, stigmatized? Have I acquired that sense of my own sinfulness and weakness, of God's holiness and justice, of my need of the merits of Christ, and the grace of the Divine Spirit, which the whole tenour of Scripture inculcates, or am I still inclined to stand or fall by my own righteousness? Faithful pains, taken for some time in such home questions, without forcing unnatural uses out of any text, but only dwelling on those that fairly present themselves, will make us experience a Divine virtue in the sacred writings, piercing first, and healing afterwards; which, provided we are not satisfied with being piously moved at the time, and then relapsing into what we were before, but continue the inquiry steadily, and carry on every feeling into practice, will assuredly transform us into what we ought to be. Possibly, indeed, we may not all at once or very soon receive a sensible benefit. But surely we have no title to be impatient under the hands of our heavenly Physician; perfect recovery will be at length the certain consequence of his treatment of us; and every single ingredient in the great remedy, his holy Word, and every direction for the use of it, will contribute its share to our cure. Let us therefore conscientiously observe all his commands, each in its due place, and let us entreat his blessing on our humble endeavours, that, receiving the seed of the Word into a good and honest heart, we may "bring forth fruit with patience." Abp. Secker.

IT may be proper to state, that the marginal references, printed in this Edition of the Bible, are the same which were originally furnished by the framers of the authorized Version. Other marginal references have been added in later times, and have been inserted in many editions of the Bible: but it has been deemed expedient to omit them in this Edition, inasmuch as they do not rest on the same authority, as the references of the Translators. Also, the summaries of the contents of each chapter, and the marginal reading and explanations, are those of the authorized Translators.

The chronological dates in the margin, as well as the chronological Index at the end, were added by Dr. William Lloyd, who died Bishop of Worcester in 1717.

The unlearned reader may find it useful to be informed, that, wherever words occur in the text of the English Bible, printed in the Italick character, he is to understand that these words have none corresponding to them in the original Hebrew or Greek text, but that the sense is implied; and that the words are added in the English to complete the sense, or make it clearer.

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INTRODUCTION

TO THE

OLD TESTAMENT.

TH HE Old Testament contains those sacred books which were composed, 'previously to the birth of our Saviour, by the successive Prophets and inspired writers, whom it pleased God to raise up from time to time, through a period of more than a thousand years. These books are written in Hebrew, and they are the only writings now extant in that language. The Old Testament, according to our Bibles, consists of thirty-nine books; but among the Jews they formed only twenty-two, which was also the number of letters in their alphabet. They divided these twentytwo books into three classes: the first class consisted of five books, namely, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, which they called the Law: the second class consisted of thirteen books, namely, Joshua, Judges, and Ruth in one book, the two books of Samuel, of Kings, and of Chronicles, respectively, in single books, Ezra and Nehemiah in one book, Esther, Job, Isaiah, the two books of Jeremiah in one, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve Minor Prophets in one book; these thirteen books they called the Prophets: the third class consisted of the four remaining books, namely, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon, which four books the Jews call Chetubim, and the Greeks Hagiographa; this class was also called the Psalms from the name of the first book in it. This threefold division was naturally suggested by the books themselves; it was used merely for convenience, and did not proceed from any opinion of difference in the authority of the books of the several classes. In like manner, the Minor Prophets were so called from the brevity of their works, and not from any supposed inferiority to the other Prophets. The books are not, in all instances, arranged in our Bibles according to the order of time in which they were written; but the book of Genesis was the earliest composition contained in the sacred volume, except, as some think, the book of Job; and the book of Malachi was certainly the latest book of the Old Testament.

The five first books of the Bible, generally known by the name of the Pentateuch, are frequently cited both in the Old and New Testament under the name of the Law. It appears from Deuteronomy, (chap. xxxi. 26,) that the book of the Law, that is, the whole Pentateuch, written by the hand of Moses, was, by his command, deposited in the tabernacle, not long before his death. It was kept there not only while the Israelites remained in the wilderness, but afterwards when they were