To the Chriftian Reader iii, meet *Wall in few of the Exercitations, I couldpleadNeedíity, and Vfe; and thole fuch,,,nwail evinetthem(elves in she (everat places andpall- `ages of the Difeour s aubere they are reported. For they are none of them nakedly produced, to fatu'e the Curiosity of any; but either the invefligation of force truth hidden under them, and involved in them or she difcovery of their rife and occafion, or the laying open of the folly of the pretences of the ?relent Jews in their unbelief, lath fill accompany their recital. However, I will not rigidly juflifie the produdlion of all and every of them , but put it amongfl thofe things , wherein the Candour of the Reader may have an opportunity to exeresfe it fell. I mull beg alfo of the Learned Reader a consideration of the fiate Ind condition, wherein through the good Providence of Gad i have been during the great(fl part of the time wherein theft Exer- citations were written and Printed; and i aid prat in requital ofhis kind- nefs, that he may never know by Experience , what imprejfions of failings , miflakes, and feveral defelis in exaNnefs , uncertainties, freights and ex- elafton from the ufe of Bookswill bring and leave upon endeavours of this kind. And what ever defeis alley may meet withal, or complain of in:. thole Dif- courfes,my defign waa through the ble /ng ofGod,that theyfhould hove no cattle to complain of want of diligence and incluflry in me. But yes t am [enfibie in the iffue that many things may teem to reprefen, that carelefnefs of mind,or precipitancy in writing, which is altogether anmeet to be impofed on Men in thisknowing age. But what ever other reffetlions I may be obnoxious unto, for thewant of Ability and Jadgement, which in me are very (mall in reference to fo great an undertaking, I muff crave of the Reader, to believe, thatl would not willingly be guilty of fo much importune confidence , as to impfe upon him things trite, crude, and undigefled, which either ordinary prst- deuce might bave concealed, or ordinary diligence have amended. What ever therefore of that kind may appear unto him, 1 would crave, that it may be laidupon the account of the condition which i have intimated before, For the Expofition of the Epiftle it [elf, whereof I have given here a Specimen in thetwo fief Chapters, 1 confess, as was Paid before, that l bave had thoughts for many years to attempt (ometltng in it, and in the whole :wife ofmy studies have not been without force regardthereunto. But yet i muff now fay, that after all (earthing and Reading, Prayer andAfslduous e.714edltation on the Text, have been my only reserve, and far moll ufeful means of Light and Afsiflance, By these have my thoughts been freed from many andmany an entanglement, which the Writings of others on the fame , Mafia, had either cal me into, or couldnot deliver mefrom. Careful 1 have been, as ofmy lifeand foul, to bring no prejudicate fenfe unto the wards, to impof'e no meaning of my own, or other Mens upon them, nor to be impofed on by the reafonings, pretences, or Curiofties of any ; but always went nakedly it she word it Pelf, to learn humbly the mind ofGod in it, and to expels it as he Jhould enableme. To obis end, 1 alwayes in the firfl place confidered the fenfe, meaning, and importance of thewords of the Text, and the confideration of theirOriginal Derivation, ufe in other Authors, especially in the LXX. of the Old Tefiament, in the Books of the New, particularly, the Writings of the lame Author, was confiantly made ale of, to that purpofe. oft times thewords ex' preffed out of the Hebrew, or the things alluded unto amongfl that people, i found to give much light inta'thewords of the Apofile themfelves. Unto the general rule of attending unto the defign and (cope of the place, fubjelt treatedof, mediums fixed on for Arguments, Methods of Ratiocination, 1 Hill kept in my eye the lime and Seafon ofWriting this Epifilt, the fate andcoln-
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