MacKnight, James. A Harmony of the Four Gospels: in which the natural order of each is preserved, with a Paraphrase and Notes (2 vol set). London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, &c., 1819. Fifth Edition. [7932]
Two volumes in the original blue paper boards, brown paper spines with printed paper spine title labels, as issued. 5 3/4 x 9 inches, boards just barely attached, text blocks with splits at spines, nothing detached but quite shaken and loose. x., 482, viii., 590, (4) relatively clean pp., edges deckled. The 4 pp. at end of vol. ii. are a Scripture index. 19th century bookplates of Geo. W. Flower of Watertown, NY; more recent owner's signature in ink on the ffeps. Acceptable. Hardcover.
James Macknight, D.D. (1721-1800), “an eminent Scotch divine…He studied in the University of Glasgow, but, like many of the Presbyterian divines both of his own country and of England, went abroad, and finished his studies at Leyden. On his return he entered the ministry in the Scotch Church (in 1753) as pastor of Maybole, in Ayrshire. Here he spent sixteen years, during which time he prepared three works: A Harmony of the Gospels (Lond. 1756, 2 vols. 4to), with copious illustrations, being, in fact, a life of Christ, embracing everything which the evangelists have related concerning him: - A new Translation of the Epistles (published in 1795 in 4 vols. 4to, and later in 6 vols. 8vo): - and Truth of Gospel History (1763, 4to). These works were favorably received, and are to this day highly esteemed. The Harmony has been repeatedly printed, and to the later editions there are added several dissertations on curious points in the history or antiquities of the Jews. The theology of them is what is called moderately orthodox. For these his valuable services to sacred literature Dr. Macknight received the rewards in the power of the Presbyterian church to give. The degree of D.D. was conferred upon him by the University of Edinburgh…Orme’s Bibl. Bib., quoted in Allibone.
The bookplates belong to Col. George Walton Flower (1830-1881), b. Theresa, New York; d. Manhattan, New York. Flower was the first mayor of Watertown, New York. At the outset of the American Civil War he recruited what became Company C, Thirty-fifth Regiment, New York Volunteers. He was a successful merchant and businessman, responsible for the construction of the Watertown & Sackets Harbor Railroad, and the State Armory at Watertown.
