ADVERTISEMENT A Prefixed to the FIRST EDITION. S to the Manner of Reading this Book in Families, I would advise, as follows. First, let the Paffage of Scripture be read from the common Tranflation in the inner Column, unless the Family have their Bibles before them: Then read the new Version by itself, which is interwoven with the Paraphrafe, but diftinguished by the Italic Character: And then the Paraphrafe, and Improvement. As for the Notes, I fhould advise the Perfon who officiates, to select fuch as are of most general Concern, and read them after the Paragraph to which they belong; for it is not fo agreeable to interrupt the Sense, by introducing them before it is compleated. Other Notes may perhaps be more fitly made Matter of Conversation afterwards: But this is referred to the Prudence of particular Perfons, who will judge. with a Regard to the State and Character of the Families in Question, In reading the compound Text, it may be obferved, that the Words of the several Evangelifts are diftinguished by Crotchets, thus []; and the Clauses included within them, are always marked with the Name of the Evangelift from whom they are taken, unless a single Text only be added at the End of the Verfe, to which they muft of Course belong; or where more Texts than one are added, the Cratchets which have nothing to distinguish them belong to the first.. I am pleased to think with how much Eafe any attentive Reader will diftinguish the Text itself, from the Paraphrase, in Confequence of the extraordinary Care which hath been taken, to keep the Work in that Particular remarkably correct; for which I am obliged to pay my publick and most thankful Acknowledgments to my worthy Brother and Friend the Reverend Mr. Godwin, who generously undertook the great Trouble, not only of revifing each Sheet as it came from the Prefs, but also of infpecting the Manufcript before it went thither, and of making feveral important Alterations in. it, very mucht for the better, of which I fhould have been ready to have given a more particular Account, if his Modefty and. Goodness would have permitted it. xiii xiv I ADVERTISEMENT to the SECOND EDITION HAVE carefully furveyed this Work fince the First Edition of it was printed, and have been affifted in that Survey by the Animadverfions of fome learned Friends, to whom I take this Opportu nity of returning my Thanks. On the whole, I have not feen it neceffary to tranfpofe any of the Sections, or to make any large Variation in the Verfion, or Paraphrafe, or Notes. Some additional Explications and Illuftrations I would have inferted, if it had not been out of Regard to the Subscribers for the First Edition; but for their Sakes I have waved it, and referred them to an Appendix to the Third Volume. I have here and there altered a few Words, and done all I could to make this Second Edition correct: I hope, it will be found fo; and if it be, I must on that Account renew my Thanks to my generous Friend Mr. Godwin, whofe obliging Care to promote the Credit of this Work has carried him through the laborious Service of reviewing every Page of it once more. I am very fenfible, that after all that has been done by the one; or the other of us, there will ftill be need of the Reader's Indulgence to remaining Errors and Defects. But we shall both be well repaid, and I fhall think myself very happy, if, amidst them all, the Readers find, as I hope in many Inftances they may, fome fubftantial Improvement in Knowledge, Piety, and Chriftian Love, without which our Pretences to either are vain. T ADVERTISEMENT to the THIRD EDITION. HE last Corrections of the AUTHOR are now added to this Work, which he had written in the Margin of his Copy with his own Hand, and marked as intended for a Third Edition. And that these Volumes, which will admit hereafter of no further Alterations, might be rendered more compleat, the Additional Notes that were placed before in the Appendix to the Third Volume, are here inferted in their proper Places, THE THE FAMILY EXPOSITOR. VOL. I. The former Part of the History of CHRIST, as recorded by the EVANGELISTS. SECT. I. St. LUKE's Preface to his Hiftory, dedicated to Theophilus, a Chriftian Friend, for whofe Comfort and Establishment he was particularly concerned. Luke I. ver. I,--4. LUKE I. ver. 1. Orafmuch as many have taken in hand to fet forth in order a Declaration of thofe Things, which are most surely believed among us, WH LUKE I. ver. 1: HEREAS many have underta- SECT. I. ken (a) to compofe the Hiftory (b) of thofe important Facts, which have been Luke I. 1. confirmed among us Chriftians with the ful left (a) Whereas many have undertaken.] This must refer to fome Hiftories of the Life of Chrift, which are now loft; for Matthew and Mark, the only Evangelifts which can be fuppofed to have written before Luke, could not with any Propriety be called many; and of these two, Matthew at least wrote from perfonal Knowledge, not the Testimony of others. One muft readily conclude, the Books referred to are loft, as none of the Apocryphal Gospels now extant, published particularly by Fabricius, (in his Codex Apoc. Nov. Teft.) or Mr. Jones, (in his Hiftory of the Canon,) can with any Shadow of Reafon pretend to equal Antiquity with this of St. Luke. But I cannot, with Ambrofe and Epiphanius, fuppofe, that the Evangelist here intends the Gofpels of Bafilides, Cerinthus, and fome other early Hereticks; fince he seems to allow these Hiftories, whatever they were, to have been at leaft honeftly written, according to Information received from the moft capable Judges. And it is ftrange, that Eufebius fhould imagine, the Words are intended as a fevere Cenfure on VOL. I. A the |