Religious Tract Society, 1840
PREFACE
In this book will be found short and plain remarks upon every chapter of God's word. These short comments are not only intended to explain each passage, they apply the subject doctrinally and practically, for the special use of all who desire to "search the Scriptures," and who have not time or ability to use larger and more costly works.
This book will also be of use to persons who wish to add a few observations upon the portions of Scripture which they read in private or family worship, and who have not time to make selections from larger commentaries. For the most part these Comments are taken from the works of Henry and Scott, and other writers holding the same principles; but they are here given in plain words and short sentences, which may be understood by everyone, and, under the Divine blessing, may prove useful to persons of every rank and station, and of every Christian denomination.
The reader should ever bear in mind that the Bible Is the Written Word of God. This is a solemn thought, and should lead us to seek diligently to know its meaning. The Bible has in it a great variety of subjects. A large part was written long before any other book that is known to us; and it contains histories that go back even to the creation of the world, of which we read in the first part of Genesis. These narratives are far more than accounts of events in the common histories of nations: they tell us much about those whom God was pleased to set apart in different ages, to worship him in sincerity and truth, and set before us both examples of what is good, and warnings against evil. They show the certainty of punishment for sin, and that righteous actions are pleasing to God.
What is most important, the Bible tells us of the present actual state of mankind, that our first parents sinned so that all their children have been sinners. It also makes known the Savior, the Son of God, one with the Father, who for our salvation came down from Heaven and took upon him the nature of man, and suffered death upon the cross that we might be saved. This is particularly told in the Gospels. The word "gospel," means "good news," or good tidings; and there never were any tidings so good as those which tell us of the love of Christ to sinners, and how we may be turned from our evil ways.
The Bible is called the Written Word of God, being
written by holy men of old, as they were taught by the Holy Spirit, even
that Spirit who still speaks unto men in his word, and awakens the
careless sinner to know and feel his misery and danger, leads him to
Christ for free pardon and salvation, and renews him in the spirit of
his mind to live in righteousness and holiness. All who are concerned
for the welfare of their souls may here find something suited to them,
whatever their cases and characters may be. Here are:
warnings for the careless and impenitent,
comfort for the afflicted,
instruction and guidance for those in doubt and perplexity.
Here the young may learn true wisdom, and how they may be kept from the ways of sin and destruction.
The believer will find that he has just the same needs and troubles as David and others had three thousand years ago, and that what gave them peace of mind then, will give him peace now.
This book of short comments is not to be taken up instead of the Bible, but should be used after reading any portion of it: and it will be found a good plan, after reading the Comment thereon, to read the passage again as it stands in the Bible. The reader will thereby be directed to look more particularly at important passages, which perhaps he did not notice when first reading them over. A small portion thus carefully read over and meditated upon, is more likely to be useful than many pages hastily read.
It may be well to remark, that the Bible was not divided into chapters and verses until long after it was first written. The verses are very useful to enable us to find any particular place or words, but the sentence does not always finish with the verse, nor the subject with the chapter. In reading the Bible, therefore, it is well to go on through the whole of a section or paragraph, attending to the stops, but not minding the breaks into verses. Some copies of the Bible have lately been printed in paragraphs, which help the reader very much in understanding the full meaning of any part or portion of it.
In concluding these remarks, let the reader be reminded, that the chief use of this book is that he may be the more led, and the better enabled, to search the Scriptures, which are able to make him wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Let every reader always pray for a blessing on what he is about to read, though it be only by a few words spoken to himself, or by a thought in his mind. Let him pray that God the Holy Spirit would enable him to understand and to profit by what he is going to read; and afterwards let him try to use, as a prayer, some of the words he has read, either in the Bible itself or in the comments.
Almost every passage will afford hints for prayer, both in private and with others, to which may be added such other supplications as the circumstances of the family, or other matters, render desirable.
Let it always be remembered, that prayer is uttering the desires of the heart to God, and unless the heart feels what is said, we cannot expect that our words will be acceptable to Him who knows our thoughts. Thus, the great object of these comments" is to lead the reader to seek our heavenly Father in prayer, by the teaching of the Holy Spirit, pleading for mercy in and through the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; and may the words of the psalmist be adopted by every one who uses these pages:
"Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law!" Psalm 119:18
"Make me understand the way of Your precepts; So shall I meditate on Your wondrous works!" Psalm 119:27
"Teach me, O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart. Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight!" Psalm 119:33-35