APPEARING before the Public as a translator of the Oracles of God, it
would ill become me to deprecate the severity of criticism, when I most
cordially desire the intelligent and learned of my brethren to point
out my mistakes for correction, and, in love and in the spirit of
meekness, to smite me friendly. Should, however, the shafts of
malignity, and the weapons not of our warfare, be employed against this
humble, yet well-meant, attempt to make the Scriptures better
understood, I shall endeavour to pluck the honey-comb from the lion's
carcase, and be thankful for real information, in whatever mode it may
be communicated.
Respecting highly, as I do, the translation of our Reformers, whose
language has dignity, and whose soundness in the faith I hope, living
and dying, to maintain, it must be acknowledged--that there are in our
present version, obscurities which may be avoided--words become in the
lapse of ages obsolete--expressions feeble and inexact--for which
others more accurate and energetic may be substituted--and in some
passages the sense embarrassed, and probably mistaken. To make
therefore the Scriptures as intelligible as I can to men of common
capacity, who are destitute of the knowledge of the Original, and
sometimes perhaps to suggest a sense not unworthy the adoption of the
judicious scholar, I have endeavoured to render every passage with the
most literal exactness--to use the most forcible and clear expressions
corresponding with the Original--not to omit a particle--preserving the
participles--and following, as much as the genius of our tongue will
permit, the exact order of the Greek words, persuaded that, thus
placed, the sense often receives clearness and energy.
To transfuse the spirit of the Original into a Translation must be
admitted to be very difficult in any language, peculiarly so where the
matters treated of are so weighty, and the words so significant, and
where holy men of God are speaking as they were moved by the Holy
Ghost, without whose continual light and teaching I humbly conceive no
man ever did or can understand and receive the things which are of the
Spirit of God, so as to know them as he ought to know.
As the words of the Spirit contain one precise meaning, and to
communicate his mind is the intention of Revelation, it must be our
endeavour not to leave them equivocal, but to fix a clear and
determinate idea to each, in exact conformity to the Original, that the
true sense may be understood, which can be but one.
That I have endeavoured to obtain this knowledge it is no presumption
to affirm. During forty years and upwards this blessed book of God hath
been continually in my hands--never a day hath passed in which it hath
not been matter of my meditation; I may venture to say I have read it
over more than an hundred times, and many of the passages much oftener.
I have consulted the works of the most godly and ingenious of the dead,
and often conversed with some of the ablest and most experienced
ministers of Christ among the living. I have at two different times of
my life translated and transcribed the whole of the New Testament, and
considered every word, and phrase, and passage, with attention: indeed
the leading object and employment of my whole life hath been to
discover and communicate to mankind the truth as it is in Jesus; and
every day have I bowed my knees to the Divine Interpreter, who giveth
wisdom and understanding to the simple, that he would lighten my
darkness, and shine into my heart, to give the light of the knowledge
of the glory of God, as it is manifested in the face of Jesus Christ.
I recommend to my readers to tread in the same path, looking up to the
Fountain of wisdom and knowledge. I am not ashamed to own my
conviction, that an unlearned person thus seriously attentive to the
Scriptures, and crying to God for the spirit of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of Him, will be led into all saving truth; and gain
greater and clearer discoveries of the mind of the Spirit in the
Scriptures than any mere natural man, however ingenious and learned. A
word, a phrase, an allusion, may indeed exercise critical acumen, and
afford a display for erudition; but the scope and tendency of the
Sacred Oracles, the doctrines therein revealed, the principles
inculcated, and the practice enjoined, never were, and never will be
truly known, but by those who are taught of God.
As the division of the Scripture into verses interrupts the subject,
and often embarrasses the sense, I have preferred paragraphs, placing
the verses of the old Version in the margin, for the sake of reference
and comparison; and though I have admitted the same division of
chapters, in a few instances they might be more judiciously arranged:
Matt. ii. 1. belongs to the former chapter, as also Acts, viii. 1.
Coloss. iv. 1.
I have only now to commend this labour of love to the divine
benediction. The Translation itself, and the necessary attentive
consideration of every passage, hath not, I trust, been without
instruction to myself, and some sweet savour of the truth: so far I
have already my reward. It will be highly enhanced if God my Saviour
deigns to make this service acceptable and profitable to his people,
and the means of communicating clearer and more explicit views of his
revealed will to the poor and unlearned of the flock. To them I have
long dedicated my life and my labours, believing that of such is the
kingdom of heaven.
Every attempt to make the Scriptures more read, and better understood,
must be acknowledged laudable. Should the present effort fail to answer
this end, it may yet provoke men of more wisdom and spiritual gifts, to
produce a translation more exact, and suited to general edification.
Then I shall be content to be forgotten.