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II. THIS book recommends to our observation and imitation the lives and actions of the holy apofties, particularly St. }eter and St. Paul; and acquaints us with their zeal and diligence in planting and propagating christianity, not only in Judea and Samaria, but also in Syria, Afia, and Macedonia; and even in Rome itself: it contains an ecclefiaftical biftory of the first and pureft churches, how they were planted and watered, gathered and propagated, both among Jews and Gentiles, and how the chriftian church obeyed Christ's commands to his apostles, both in matters of faith, worfip, communion, and government, that therein the primitive church might be an exemplary pattern to fucceeding churches throughout all ages. And again, this hiflory gives all the minifters of the gospel a great and noble pattern of minifterial diligence, faithfulness, and prudence; acquainting us what the apostles did, the pains which they took, the bazards which they ran in preaching the glad tidings of falvation, how they instructed the ignorant, reduced the wandering, bore with the weakness of fome, and patiently contented with the obftina‹y and perverjenefs others.

Moreover, this apoflolical book relates feveral paffages which confirm the truth of the Gofpels, fuch as the teftimony which the apostles gave to the life, doctrine, miracles, death, refurrection, and afcenfion of Chrift, exactly agreeing with that account of each particular, which we find in the Gospels; how they all of them joined in giving this eftimony, and perfifted in it, notwithlanding all the evils, which either threatened them, or were actually infilled upon them; as it will more fully appear in the perufal of the following particulars.

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Saul perfecuteth the church, ch. 7. | Paul is accused before Gallia, ch. 18.,

See

v. 58. ch. 9. v. I. Saul is converted, ch. 9. v. 4. ch. 22. & 1 Tim. ch. 1. v. 2. Peter healeth Eneas, ch. 9. v. 34. -Raifeth Tabitha to life, ch. 9. v. 36.

Cornelius converted, ch. 10. v. I.
Peter's defence for going to the
Gentiles, ch. II. V. I.
The beginning of the name of
Chriftians, ch. 11. v. 26.
James killed, ch. 12. v. 1.
Peter imprifoned and efcapes, ch.

12. V. 3.

King Herod the perfecutor eaten to death by worms, ch. 12. v. 21. Paul and Barnabas fent to the Gentiles, ch. 13. v. I.

Sergius Paulus and Elymas the forcerer, ch. 13. v. 7.

The Gentiles converted, ch. 13. v.
42. See Ephef. ch. 3. v. 1.
Paul and Barnabas perfecuted at
Iconium, ch. 14. V. I.

Paul cureth a cripple, ch. 14. v. 8. Great diffenfion about circumcifion, ch. 15. v. 1.

Paul and Barnabas at variance, ch. 15. v. 39.

Timothy circumcifed, ch. 16. v. I. The converfion of Lydia, ch. 16.

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His anfwer, ch. 25. v. 8. -Appeals to Cafar, ch. 25. v. 11. -His difcourfe with Agrippa, ch.

25. ver. 23. ch. 26. ver. 1. -Is declared innocent, ch. 25. ver. 25.

-Is fent to Rome, ch. 27. -Suffers fhipwreck, but is faved, ch. 27. ver. 41. This will much encourage Chriftians to a dependence upon God in the greatest difficulties and dangers of this mortal life.

Is kindly entertained by the Barbarians, ch. 28. v. 1. -Healeth diseases, ch. 28. v. 8. -His arrival at Rome, ch. 28. v. 16.

The EPISTLES.

III. ALL the confiderable paffages related in the Gofpels and in the Acts are likewife abundantly confirmed by the Epiftles. The particulars of our Saviour's life and death are often referred to in them, as grounded upon the undoubted testimony of eye-witneffes, and being the foundation of the chriftian religion. And

M m

the

the fpeedy propagation of the chriftian faith, recorded in the Ads, is confirmedbeyond all contradiction by innumerable paffages in the Epifles, written to the churches already planted. The doctrinal parts of the Epistles deferve our best attention and although most of them were wr.t upon particular occasions, and with relation to the prefent exigencies of the churches to which they are directed; yet you may find the apollles take occafion, from every hint that is offered to them, to explain the mysteries of the Gofp1, to fet forth the excellency of it, to perfuade men to live up to the height of its precepts. They defcend to give particular directions for ditcharging the duties relating to all states and conditions of life; thofe of princes and fubjects, of paftors and people, of husbands and wives, of parents and children, of mailers and fervants, &c. which I have collected in the manner following.

ROMANS.

THIS has always been efteemed one of the chiefest and most excellent portions of scrit ture; hewing that neither the Gentiles by the law of nature, nor the Jews by the law of Mofes, could ever attain to juftification and falvation, but en'y by faith in Jefus Chrit: And that faith is not Jeparated from gord aworks, but productive of them. In the first eleven chapters, the apafle treats of juflification by faith alone, without the works of the law; of original corruption by the fall of Adam; of jan&tification by the Spirit of Christ; of the calling of the Gentiles: And in the 12th and following chapters we have many useful and excellent exhortations, both to general and particular duties, respecting God, our neighbour, and ourselves; and feveral encouragements given us to the love and practice of univerfal holiness.

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Self-conceit condemned, c. 12. v. 3.
Love, &c. required of us, c. 12. v. 9.
Revenge forbidden, c. 12. v. 19.
Duty to magiftrates, c. 13. v. I.
See 1 Pet. c. 2. v. 13.
Gluttony and drunkenness con-
demned, c. 13. v. II.

Of things indifferent, c. 14. v. 1.
Give no offence, c. 14. v. 13.
Read alfo the first chapter at the 4th
verfe concerning our Lord's refur-
rection; and the 20th, concerning
the knowledge of God by the light
of nature; and the 8th chapter
concerning the influence and af
fiftance of the Holy Spirit, the
death, refurrection, and intercef-
fion of our Lord.

The Firft of CORINTHIANS.

CORINTH was a very large and wealthy city, but infamous for pride and luxury, fer antennefs and uncleanns. The occafion of this epifile was the people's preferring one preacher before another; fome crying up Paul, others Apollos, &c. Wherem be harply reproves both their erroneous opinions, and vicious practices; rebukes them for their fchifms and divifions, confufion and diforder in public assemblies, for their prephanation of the Lord's Supper, toleration of inceft, and going to law before heathen magiftrates: He afferts the minifters maintenance, the excellence of Spiritual gifts, the nature and neceffity of charity, and confirms the doctrine of the refurrection.

The

The commendation of preaching, | Of preparation to the Lord's table,

c. I. v. 18. & c. 2.

Chrift the only foundation, c. 3.
v. 7.

How to esteem minifters, c. 4. v. 1.
See 1 Tim. c. 5. v. 17.
Of going to Law, c. 6. v. 1.
Of marriage, c. 7. v. 1. & 35,
Every man must be content in his
station, c. 7. v. 20.

Of virginity, c. 7. v. 25.

Of fcandal, c. 8. v. I.

c. IO. V. 21. c. II. v. 20.

Of behaviour at church, c. 11. v. I.
Of spiritual gifts, c. 12. v. 1.
The excellency of charity, c. 13.

v. 1.

I

Of prophecy, c. 14. v. 1.
Women forbid to preach, c. 14.
34. See 1 Tim. c. 2. v. 11.-
The refurrection of the dead proved,
and the manner in which our bo-
dies fhall be raised, c. 15. v. 1.

A minifter ought to live by the gof- The duty of the Lord's day, c. 16. pel, c. 9. v. 7.

V. 2.

The Second of CORINTHIANS.

In this epiftle St. Paul confounds his adverfaries by a new way of arguing, namely, by boafting of bis Jufferings, and glorging in them; be difplays bis calamities, blazons bis croffes, and rehearses the good jervices he had done, and the great fufferings he had undergone, for the fake of Christ and his holy religion.

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SOME falfe apofiles from Judea, baving crept in among the Galatians, taught the neceflity for chriftians to jubmit to circumcifion, and the obfervation of the Mofaical inftitutions: St. Paul writes this epifle to them, proving that he was called to be an apostle by Christ himfeif, and that his do&rine was conformable to, and the very fame with, what was preached by the other apoftles; and then proves, that circumcifion, and all the ceremonial rites, were abolished by the death of Christ.

An account of Paul's dispute with
Peter, c. 2. v. II.
Chriflians free from the law, c. 4.

V. I.

The works of the flesh and fruits of the fpirit, c. 5. v. 19.

In what Chriflians ought to glory, c. 6. v. 14.

EPHESIANS.

EPHESUS was the metropolis or chief city in Afia; and St. Paul, being now a prifoner at Rome, writes his epiftles to the churches of Chrift in ana about Ephefus: where in the three first chapters he treats of the fublime principles of our election, vos cation, juftification, and adoption; and in the three last chapters he exhorts them to conftancy in the faith, to preparation for, and patience under fufferings, and 10 live religiously in every relation, as bufbands and wives, parents and children, mafters and Servants.

Of election and adoption, c. 1. v. 4. | How we should live, c. 2. v. II. c. We are made for good works, c. 2. 4. v. 18. c. 5. V. I.

v. 1. See James, c. 2. v. 14,

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An exhortation to unity, &c. ch. 4.
v. 1. See Philip. ch. 2. v. 1.
The duty of wives, ch. 5. v. 22. See
I Pet. ch. 3. v. I.
Of hufbands, ch. 5. v. 25.
See 1 Pet. ch. 3. v. 7.
Of children, ch. 6. v. I.
-Of fervants, ch. 6. v. 5.

1 Tim. c. 6. v. 1. See Titus,

c. 2. v. 9. 1 Pet. c. 2. v. 18. The defence of a Chriftian, ch. 6. v. 13.

In the fame 6th chapter you have a relation of that whole armour which every good chriftian ftands in need of, to refift the wiles of the devil, in time of temptation.

PHILIPPIANS.

PHILIPPI was a principal City of Macedonia, whose chriftian inhabitants having Supplied the apofile's wants in his imprisonment at Rome, St. Paul fends this affectionate letter to them, partly to testify his thankfulness for the relief received from them, but principally to confirm them in the faith, to prevent their being offended at his fufferings for the goffel, to encourage them to walk worthy of the gospel, to warn them against Jeducers and judaizing teachers, and to quicken them to divers chriftian duties.

A caution against falfe teachers, ch. 3.0.2. See Coloffians, ch. 2. v. 8. See 2 Pet. ch. 2. v. 10. I John,

c. 2. v. 18. c. 4. v. 1. and Jude. An exhortation to prayer and trust in God, ch. 4. v. 6.

COLOSSIANS.

THE Coloffians were the church of Chriftians in and about the city of Coloffe in Phrygia, who being infested with judaizing doctors who thought to impofe upon them circumcifion, and the obfervation of the ceremonial law; or fuch perfons as were converted from Gentilifm to Chriftianity, who would have obtruded upon them their philofophical Speculations, and fome of their heathenish practices, particularly their orJhipping of angels: St. Paul writes this epiftle, fhewing the former, that Chriftians lay under no obligation to obferve circumcifion, or any part of the ceremonial law; and convincing the latter, that Christ, and not angels, was appointed the mediator betaveen God and man; and that we, being reconciled to God by him, have access through bin only unto God in all our neceffities.

We must be conftant in Christ, ch. 2. | An

V. I.

A condemnation of falfe worship,

ch. 2. v. 18.

How to feek Christ, sh. 3. v. 1.

An exhortation to mortification, ch. 3. v. 5.

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exhortation to put off the old
man, ch. 3. v. 10.

To charity, ch. 3. v. 12.
To fervent prayer, ch. 4.

ver. I.

To avoid fcandal, c. 4. v. 5.

The Firft of THESSALONIANS.

THESSALONICA was the chief city in Macedonia, where St. Paul laid very early the foundation of a chriftian church, which confifting partly of Jews and partly of Gentiles, they were feverely perfecuted by both. Therefore the apefte writes this epiftle; in which, first, he informs them, that it was nothing strange that they should thus fuffer from those Jerus and Pagans, who had killed the Lord Jefus, and their own propints, and were contrary to all men; and then puts them in mind of the tranfcendent reward laid up for them, and the fevere punishments that were prepared for their perjecutors. And then be entourages them, by the example of his own conftancy, to perfevere in their boly profeffion.

An

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