THE TREASURY HARMONY OF OUR LORD'S LIFE, FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE GOSPEL NARRATIVES, TO THE END OF THE SECOND YEAR OF HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. PLAN OF THE TREASURY HARMONY. THE Harmony and Chronological Order, of the four Gospel narratives, are according to Greswell's "Harmonia Evangelica," and in the words of the authorized version. 66 The whole is divided into One Hundred Sections, to correspond with 'Mimpriss' Geographical Delineation of the Life and Ministry of our Blessed Lord," and adapted to the System of "Graduated Simultaneous Instruction:" it may, at the same time, be used independently of either. The Sections of Greswell's "Harmonia Evangelica" are indicated at the commencement of every division or subject: as at page 1 (G. 1.) The preface according to St. Luke. Luke i. 1—4. And at page 19, Section 4— (G. 9.) The Messiah born. Luke ii. 1-7. Bethlehem. The Division of the Harmony into PARTS is according to the "Harmonia Evangelica," and constant reference is made to the "Dissertations upon the Principles and Arrangement of a Harmony of the Gospels" by the same author, for explanation of the occasional transpositions, &c. The exhibition of the Evangelical Histories in juxta-position, not only in chapters and large portions, but in verses, and lines, and even in single words, to shew the minute supplemental relation of each to the other, is vastly important: affording, as it does, satisfactory means of comparison; and giving "the reader sufficient opportunity of forming his own "judgment, upon the order of narration; and of investigating the peculiar "diction of each evangelist." Inattention to the minute supplemental relation of one Gospel to another is sometimes painfully observable in the most esteemed authors. Dr. White, in his "Diatessaron "-- a book extensively used at the Universitieswhen giving the account of the baptism of our Lord, passes over the two words of encouraging example, introduced by St. Luke, "and praying;" which omission leaves the consequent opening of the heavens,—the descent of the Holy Ghost,-and the testimony of God the Father, to God the Son, in nowise associated with the efficacy of prayer. Dr. White's Diatessaron is rendered into English, wherein the same omission is observable: and the late Rev. Henry Blunt, in his "Lectures on the Life of Christ," in like manner, following, as we may suppose, the same authority, neglects this blessed example; of which, had he observed it, he would doubtless have said much both exhortatory and encouraging. Other instances occur in Dr. White's book; but the above will suffice to illustrate the importance of attending to every word of the Gospel narratives, and the desirableness of having each distinct narrative in juxta-position, for consultation at sight. "The insertion of many of the original words in the text serves, not only "to shew the agreement, or actual difference of expression used by the sa"cred writers, in the several narratives of the same event, but also to remedy "the want of precision which sometimes occurs in our excellent translation “—the same word in the original is often variously rendered into English; "and, in some cases, various words in the original correspond to the same English expression. This was inevitable in the hands of different translators, and detracts nothing from the general excellence of our present "authorized version. 66 66 "The same division of labour occasioned a want of uniform marking of "those words, by italics, which are not included in the original: to remedy this, many words appear in italics which are not so distinguished in the "authorized version." With reference to the hyphens which are introduced in the text, it is only necessary to inform the English reader, that their use is to connect two or more words which, in the original, are expressed by one word: as Luke i. 1, which-are-most-surely-believed:" here five English words are used to express the meaning of one Greek word, πεπληροφορημένων (peplerophoremenon). Verse 3, "in-order;" two words to express one, kaÐεžŋs (kathexes). This use of the hyphen will often considerably help even, the scholar, "to a better understanding of a sentence or expression-will "frequently recall the original to the mind, and prevent it from laying "hold of a meaning which has no warrant but in the idiom of our own language. 66 "One suggestion, which may be useful to all readers, whether acquainted "with the original language or not, is here submitted as inviting their "attention. The hyphen will serve to mark the degree of emphasis any "expression may have; as for instance, in that often repeated affirmation of "Him who spake as the Divine Logos, whether it stands thus, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you;' or, 'Verily, verily, I-say unto-you:' since in the "first instance there are, in addition to the words contained in the other, "the originals of 'I' and 'unto, as we have 'Auny dμyv ɛyw λɛyw πoos “ υμας, instead of only ̓Αμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω υμιν. Another example may "suffice to justify the importance of the hyphen: 'And ye will not come unto me, that ye might have life;' where it will appear that 'ye-will' is "the rendering of OɛλɛTɛ, and not the form of the verb come." ↑ 66 The hyphens having dots, indicate that the words, entering into combination, are separated from each other, by the words that come between the dotted ends of the hyphens: as Matt. ii. 12, § v. p. 33, "they-should-notreturn;""not" is therefore a distinct word in the original, while the words they-should-return are, in the original, expressed by one, avaкapyaı (anakampsai). |