George Hutcheson
Christian Reader,
THat I do again appear in Print, floweth from no other cause, but my desire to do service to the Church of Christ in my generation, and to contribute my endeavors for promoving that publike designe of making the holy Scriptures yet more cleare unto the Lords people. Some while ago I received such an intimation of my mortality, as did excite me to emprove my time the best I could. And accordingly, I made haste to perfect this Exposition which formerly I had begun to cast in this mould out of some Notes of Sermons I had preached on this Gospel: And now, through the good hand of God upon me, thou hast it here presented compleat unto thee. I shall not say much to what is mine in it; But this may commend it unto thee, that the subject-matter is indeed divine, and as full of that marrow of the Christian Religion as any other parcel of Holy writing. Here the profoundest mysteries of Religion are opened up by a beloved Disciple. Christ is lively pointed out in his Person and Offices, and in his heart and affection to his people; We are here directed in the way of closing with him by faith, and the sure grounds of lost sinners confidence are clearly demonstrate. And albeit this Exposition be swelled up to a great bulk upon my hand, yet such is the riches of this Treasure, that whoso would search into it, will finde that I have onely gathered some gleanings, and for what I have hinted at, I could with much lesse trouble have given it more at large, then contracted it in these bounds. I need say nothing to the mould of it, being the same with that I made use of in the pieces formerly published. Onely, if any do think that the Summe of each Chapter is given too briefly, especially toward the beginning of the Book; They will finde (for satisfaction) that to save my self and them a labour, I have in going through the several parts of the Chapter supplyed that defect, and given a Summe of every part as I come to it. If any shall conceive that upon several places, to which they may turne, the Notes are not so many, nor so full, as might be expected; They may be pleased to consider, that (beside my too true Apology of my inability to satisfie the expectation of the judicious and learned, for whom this work is not chiefly intended) my scope is not in this to proceed after the way of a Sermon, on a select place; Upon which occasion many things might be brought in: But commenting upon an entire book of Scripture, I satisfied my self with the most obvious things upon every particular verse. And beside, some purposes frequently occurring, I resolved to be more brief upon these afterward which I had once; and it may be, again, spoken before. And who so will be pleased to read the whole, or to compare the Notes on those passages which frequently occurre, in all the places where they are observed, will (I hope) finde more satisfaction, then if they look onely on some one place: If the Reader finde many repetitions, not onely of the same Doctrines, but it may be also, of the same cautions or reasons couched in, and subjoyned to the Doctrines, He should consider (beside other reasons) that in a work of such bulk wherein there are so many doctrines, it was almost unpossible to get all in my view at once, that so I might have corrected needlesse repetitions. And as the Doctrines are (I hope) the genuine Doctrines of every place; and are, inculcate by Christ in his frequent repetitions of them; So I conceived it not fit to omit them: Especially, seeing I could almost as briefly, and (I suppose) to better purpose, repeat them, then referre the Reader to the place where they had beene formerly observed. I shall adde no further Apology in behalf of this undertaking, but what ever my failings have been in it, (and I believe judicious Readers will finde more escapes then I could my self observe) yet I hope thou wilt finde the Exposition sound, and the observations pertinent and Orthodox, and such as may (through the Lords blessing) contribute to thy edification in the faith, which is in Jesus Christ. To his Grace thou art commended by
Thy servant in the work of the Gospel, GEORGE HUTCHESON.
