An exceptionally rare six volume commentary in the trade. There is, to our knowledge, but two London editions, and one American edition. At present there is not a single odd volume on the market we can locate. Here we have the entire six volume first American edition. It is the only complete set we have ever handled.
Job Orton [1717-1783] studied under Philip Doddridge and became minister at Shrewsbury in 1741 of a chapel composed of both Independents and Presbyterians. He was, according to historians, deeply read in the Puritans. When his health disabled him from continuing as pastor, he resigned to the desk, writing an important biography of Ricahrd Baxter, taking Philip Doddridge, his old mentor's notes and completing Doddridge's Family Expositor, etc. Upon his death, his six-volume exposition of the entire Old Testament was discovered and published shortly thereafter.
Had it been published 50 years earlier or 30 years later, it would surely have sold better. Puritans writings and those influenced by them would take center state again during the 1830's forward under the Nichols' series and then hailed by Spurgeon as universally the greatest readers of Scripture and men in the history of the church.
Spurgeon quotes Orme in his Treasury of David and found his pastoral writings especially prescient during the Downgrade Controversy, where he quotes Orme extensively in The Sword & the Trowel.
Orton, Job. A Short and Plain Exposition of the Old Testament with Devotional and Practical Reflections, for the Use of Families. By Job Orton. Published from the Author's Manuscripts by Robert Gentleman. First American, from the Second London Edition. Charlestown. Samuel Etheridge. 1805/1806.
Good set in full calf, the first five volumes bound identically. For some reason, Etheridge delayed the publication of the sixth volume until 1806, though it, as present, is the first American edition of it as well. It is here in "near matching" binding and perhaps 3/8 of an inch higher. This is as close to a matching set as it is possible to obtain unless you were to disbind a set, trim volume 6, and then have them rebound.
Volumes 1 - 5 in good + condition, some tide marks especially in volume one. Would benefit from wax and consolidation. Volume 6 has the rear hinge breached but intact. Otherwise sound. Very scarce.