An exhortation to godlinefs, c. 4. v. I. Of the refurrection, and fecond coming of Christ, ch. 4. ver. 17. c. 5. v. I. Rules of Christian practice, c. 5. % 14. The Second of THESSALONIANS. St. Paul in this epiftle congratulates their conftancy in the profeffion of the gospel, and exhorts them to growth in grace. Then he rectifies a mistake concerning the coming of Christ to judgment, as if that day were then at hand, when it was very far off: And commends to them divers chriftian duties, requiring them to admonish and cenfure fuch idle perfons who did not work, but lived upon other men's labours. Of Antichrist, ch. 2. v. 3. The Firft to TIMOTHY. TIMOTHY is the name of the perfon to whom St. Paul directs this and the following epiftle: He became first the difciple and then the companion of St. Paul; was ordained by him; and, being entered very young into the work of the miniftry, St. Paul thought fit, in his abfence from him, to write two epiftles to him, and to all fucceeding minifters of the gospel after him, directing how to demean and behave themfelves in their minifierial function. See James, cb. 3. A direction concerning widows, c. 5. v. 3. -Concerning health, chap. 5. -Concerning new teachers, An admonition to teachers, ch. 6. c. 5. v. 1. The Second to TIMOTHY. Titus 1 Pet. THE defign of this epiftle is to forewarn Timothy against thofe beretics, feducers, and falfe teachers, which were then arifing and creeping into the church; and to excite him to the utmost care and diligence in the faithful difcharge of his office, exhorting him to prepare for jufferings and perfecutions. The enemies of the truth, c. 3. v. 6. v. 14. The duty of all Christians, ch. 2. v. 12. TITUS. TITUS was a Gentile converted early to chriftianity by St. Paul, who left him in Crete to govern the church in that ifland; and in this epifle inftructs him in all the parts of his duty, in electing church-governors, in cenfuring false teachers, in instructing the ancients and younger perfons, in preffing upon all perfons obedience to magiftrates, and a care to maintain good works. How minifters of Chrift fhould be | Directions for a minifter's doctrine qualified, c. 1. v. 6. and life, ch. 2. ver. 1. and ch. 3. Of evil teachers, c. I. v. 10. V. I. PHILEMON. St. PAUL having converted Onefimus, who had run away from his mafter Philemon, and carried off part of his master's fubftance, the apostle, after fome time, being informed thereof, fends him back to bis mafter, earnestly defiring him to pardon him, and to receive him into his favour. HEBREW S. THE perfons to whom this epiftle is directed, are ftyled Hebrews, that is, the believing Jews converted to Christianity; who, though they had embraced the gospel, yet adhered to the Mofaic rites and Jewish ceremonies, joining them with Christianity, as necessary to falvation THE general defign of this epiftle is to inform the Hebrews, that the gospel difpenfation, under the New Testament of Jefus Chrift, far surpasseth and excølleth the miniftry of the Old Teftament, under Moles and the prophets; and to prove, that Christ was greater than the angels, a greater person and law-giver than Moles, a greater prieft than Aaron, a greater prince than Melchifedec; and that the Levitical priesthood, and old covenant, were to give place to Christ our great high-prieji, and to the new covenant, established upon better promises. The excellency of Jefus Chrift above all creatures, c. I. v. 4. c. 3. V. 2. c. 5. V. 1. c. 7. v. 2. Why we ought to be obedient to him, c. 2. v. 1. c. 3. v. 7. Eternal happiness how attained, c. How inferior to the Chriflian facri- An exhortation to patience from V. I. JAMES. THE author of this epifle was St. James, commonly talled James the Lefs, and our Lord's brother, the jon of Alpheus, ftyled alfo James the Jutt, and Bishop of Jerufalem. The defign of it is to establish the Chriftian Jews in a well-ordered religious courfe of life. to fortify them against fuffering from the unbelieving Jews, and to correct a pernicious error about the jufficiency of a naked faith; for St. James sherus us, that it is not the bare belief and profeffion of the Christian faith, but the power and practical improvement of it, that mufl make or render it faving to us. An exhortation to patience, c. 1. V. I. The faith of devils, c. 2. v. 19. Of godly wifdom, c. 3. v. 13. Our faith how to be enlivened, c. 2.-Evil-fpeaking, c. 4. v. 11. ข. 14. Of fubmiffion to God's will, c. 4. v. | Of prayer, c. 5. v. 13. and 15. -Confeffion, c. 5. v. 16. The First of PETER. St. PETER writes this epifile to the believing Jews and profelyted Gentiles, difperfed and fcattered abroad in divers countries, to confirm them in the Chriftian religion, to encourage them to conftancy under the fearpeft perfecutions and fiery trials for the fame, and to excite them to the practice of particular duties incumbent upon them in every capacity and relation. An exhortation to godly converfa- built, c. 2. v. 4. An addrefs to the clergy, ch. 5. v. I. The Second of PETER. St. PETER writes this fecond epifle to the new-converted Jews of the difperfion Scattered through Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia, and Bithynia, to wa n them of the fiery trial, that sharp and bitter perfecution which was coming upon them, and to eftablish and fettle them, to ftrengthen and confirm them. St. JOHN wrote this epiftle a little before the deftruction of Jerufalem, to arm the Jewish converts against those loofe doctrines, that faith without works was fufficient to falvation; that men might be children of the light, and yet walk in darkness; the favourites of God, without obedience to his laws, or love to his children or fervants; and partly to fortify them against the impious errors of the Gnoftics who pretended to extraordinary measures of knowledge and divine illuminations. The perfon of Chrift described, ch. 1. How to know God, c. 2. v. 3. fus is able to fave us, . 5. v. 9. Three Perfons in the Godhead, ch. 5. v.7. JUDE THE defign and Scope of this epiftle appears to be to fortify the Chriftian Jews against the errors and corruptions of thofe feducers, who, by their wicked lives and orje doctrines, attempted to feduce perfons from the plainnefs and fimplicity of the gospel, and to bring upon them the fame condemnation and judgment with themselves. This agrees with the fecond epiftle of St. Peter; and, befides the terrible examples of God's wrath, it has that ancient prophecy of Enoch con cerning the day of judgment, which is fitted to awaken the most secure and carelefs finners to a thorough repentance. Now, if we take a view of the manners and behaviour of the primitive Chriftians, as they are defcribed in the As and the Epiftles, we may raw fuch a portraiture of that first and pureft church, as will at once ravish us with delight and admiration at the fight of its beauties and perfections, and strike us with M m 4 fhame fhame and confufion, when we find how much we are degenerated from the virtues of our forefathers. Their conftancy and patience in fuffering for the teftimony of the gospel, their unwearied labours in publishing it, their hearty concern for the good fuccefs of their miniftry, their renouncing all felf-intereft and worldly confiderations, and feeking nothing but the honour of God, and the good of mens fouls, are remarkably recorded in the hiftory of the As, or in the Epiftles. The virtues and graces which shine forth in every part of the apoftolical writings, are alone a demonitration, that the doctrine which they taught came from God, the fountain of truth and holiness. The REVELATION of JOHN the Divine. THE title of this book is the Revelation, fo called, because it contains a general difcovery of fuch fecrets as no wisdom of man could have manifefted or foreseen, and in particular reveals fuch divine things concerning the state of the church, which before lay hid in the purpose and counjel of God. IV. THIS book upon many accounts may be reckoned one of the obscureft among all the prophetical writings; but an ordinary reader may receive great edification from the divine fongs offered up there to God and Christ, and may likewile difcover very ufeful truths frequently recommended in it; fuch as the adoration of the one fupreme God, in oppofition to all creature worship; the relying upon the merits of Christ only for pardon, fanctification, and falvation; that we ought to wait patiently for Chrift's appearing and his kingdom, and, in an earnest expectation of it, to continue ftedfalt in the profeffion of the true faith, and practice of fincere holiness, notwithstanding all the fufferings that may attend a good confcience. And though every ordinary reader fhould not rafhly undertake to determine who Antichrift is, defcribed in this book; yet every one may certainly be informed, from feveral paffages therein, of those marks and characters of him, which it moft nearly concerns us to take notice of, viz. pride and ambition, and an affectation of worldly pomp and grandeur, a cruel and perfecuting temper, and fuch as feeks to reduce others rather by force and compulfion, than by reafon and argument; and love of ease and softness, and a careless and luxurious life: And that whoever are guilty of these things, they are fo far departed from the true spirit of chriftianity. Wherefore I conclude, that he who takes warning from the plain and frequent admonitions of this book to avoid these fins, shall be fufficiently profitted thereby, and shall be intitled to the blefling which is pronounced upon thofe who keep the fayings of it: The principal of which may be collected from the following particulars: The fall of Babylon, c. 14. v. 8. c. 18. v. I. The harveft of the world, c. 14. v. The vintage and wineprefs of God's The feven vials full of the wrath of How Chrift cometh to judgment, c. A woman arrayed in purple and feven Of the ten horns, c. 17. v. 12. 14. The punishment of the whore, ch. 17. v. 16. The marriage of the lamb, ch. 19. v. 7. Satan bound for 1000 years, c. 20. V. I. The firft refurrection; c. 20. v. 5. 20. V. 12. A new heaven and earth, c. 21. V. I. c. 21. V. 10. The river of life, c. 22. v. 1. HAVING thus fet down fome of the most inftructive parts of holy writ; before I conclude, I fhall add a word or two by way of caution to those that read the fcriptures, viz. Let no one imagine that the feripture is a book of moralities; or think he does enough, when, by his own ftrength, he endeavours to live up to the fame. This, God knows, is too much the mistake of many, otherwife fincere Chriftians, and has contributed too much in leffening the great end, and is a dangerous method of reading thofe facred books; which teach us, that the way to ETERNAL LIFE is through FAITH in CHRIST: Whereas a reader, that turns the fcripture into a book of moralities (or ventures his falvation on any book that treateth only of moral duties) is not like to gain a true infight into the fail of man, and his recovery by Jefus Chrift. For, as he hath but a partial knowledge of the various diseases of man's foul, it can't be expected he should bear any great regard to JESUS CHRIST, the reftorer of nature. Such a one is apt to think a little good education and converfation will fashion him into a very good man, and quite take off what may feem rude and unmannerly in him. The whole of his Duty is too much adapted to the taste of the world: And as he fquares his actions by a fet of fhining moralities, and refrains from the vifible pollutions of the world; fo he will be apt to raise his own efteem on the vileness of thofe that openly wallow in the mire of corruption. To remedy this diforderly way of reading, a man ought well to confider the principal END for which the Scripture is indited. The fcripture is written, not fo much to make us EXTERNALLY good and feber, as to make us BELIEVE that Jefus is the Chrift, the Son of God; and that believing we might have life through his name. Or as St. Paul expreffeth it, The fcripture is to make us wife unto falvation, through FAITH, which is in Jefus Chrift, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. + This FAITH in Chrift is attended with many marvellous changes upon the mind. It is on man's fide the first and original principle from whence abundance of heavenly operations do proceed. It removeth the foul out of the accurfed stock of nature, and tranfplants her into Jefus Chrift, as a branch into the true vine. By faith a man is * made * John xx. 21. † 2 Tim. iii. 15. and 17. |