Commentary on the Bible

Language: English

Context and purpose

Sarah Cowper's longest manuscript volume, D/EP F39, includes commentary on every book of the Bible, collected from various authors. Most of the entries are comprised of a brief, one-page summary of the biblical book, followed by interpretations and paraphrases of various "difficult" verses (fol.[7r]). This ambitious project suggests further attempts by Cowper to immerse herself in intellectual pursuits. The commentary is primarily historical and analytical, rather than devotional and personal.

Although Cowper does not name all of her sources, the collection does highlight her preference for the works of Simon Patrick. On the title page, she recommends "particularly" the section on Ecclesiastes, taken from his A Paraphrase upon the Books of Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon (1685). When she later writes her own thoughts on the Bible, she skips over Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon, declaring that Patrick has "discoursed so excellently" on these books, that any of her own meditations would appear, by comparison, "flat and low" (D/EP F44, p.145). Most of her commentary on the New Testament is taken from Henry Hammond's well-known annotations, but she refers to other authors, such as Jeremy Taylor (fol.[384v]) and, once again, Simon Patrick (fol.[480r]).

Cowper does not state how long it took her to complete the massive manuscript. Although "1680" is written on the first leaf of the volume, she notes that she began the commentary proper on 1 April 1685 (fol.[7r]). Since she already was over halfway through the Old Testament by 17 August 1685, it seems likely that she compiled and transcribed the majority of the volume within a year (fol.[175r]). Later, Cowper appears to have returned periodically to the manuscript in order to reread it and make additions. After her introduction to the prophetical writings, for instance, she has added, "1713. This puts me in mind of Dr Lloyd Bishop of Worcester who predicts wonderful things shortly to come to pass" (fol.[175v]). In her final diary volume, she writes on 27 May 1715, "I am now reviewing a large manuscript which thirty-five years ago I collected from expositors of Scripture" (D/EP F35, p.223).