i. Canonical Authority of the whatthey contain tobe confenzant unto the mindof God ; yet have they all of them, evident footftepsthat the Authors were fubjeC± unto Errors and miftakes, even in and about the thingswritten by them. And the continuance of their failings in their Wri- tings capable of an eafie conviltion, is no fmall fruit of the Holy Wife Providence of God, and his care over his Church, that it might not in after Ages be impofed upon with thegreat and weighty pretence of Antiquity, to admit them into a competition with shoyé which himfèlf gave out to be its infallible, and therefore only Rule. That nothing- of this nature; nothing humanitì,s, mecrly after the manner of men, befell the Writer of this Epiftle in hisWork , we hope through the afliftance of its principal Authorto manifeti inour Expofition of the fevcral parts of it. And this fubjeti matter of thisEpiflfe, thus handled, further fecures us of its original. 4, 25. The defrgn, aim and end of the Epijfle, with the purpofè and intention of its Writer, which belongs to the vrroxiglots which the Ancients made a charaeterifin of Writings given by divine infbi, ation, are confònant unto the General Argument, and peculiar feb- jeéf matter of it. That the whole Scripture hath an efpecìal end, which is peculiar un- to it, and wherein no other writinghath any Ihare, but only fo tar as it is taken from thence; and compofed in obedience thereunto , is evident unto all that do ferioufly confider it. This eizd fupremely and abfolutely is the glory of that God who is the Author of it. This is the center where all the lines of it do meet, the fcopearidmark' towards which all things in it are dire &ed. It is the Revelation of himfèlf that is intended, of his mind and W ill, that he may be glorified ; wherein alfó, becaule he is the principal foun- tain'; and !aft end ofall, confifts the order and perfeEtion of all other things. Parti- cularly the demonfiration of this glory ofGod, in andby JefitsChrifl is aimed at. The works ofGods Power and Providence do all of them declare his Glory ; the glory ofhis eternal Perfedions and Excellencies, abfolutely and in themfelves. But the End of the Scripture , is the glory of God in Chrift , as he hath revealed himfèlf and gathered all things to an head in him, unto the manifeftation of his glory. For thin it life eternal that weknow him the only trueGod, andwhom he bath lint, jefus ChriJl. The means whereby God is thus glorified in Chrift, is by the Salvation of them that do believe, which is therefore alto an intermediate End of the Scripture : Theft things are written, that we may believe, that jefús is the Son ofGod, and that believing, we may have life through his name, John20. 31. 1 Tim. 4.16. Moreover whereas this eternal life unto the gloryof God cannot be obtained without faith and obedience according tohis will, the Scripture is given for this purpofe alb;that it may inftrudt us in the rniod of God, and make no will unto falvation:2 Tim. 3.15, 16.Rom.t.t6. z Pet. 1.3.Thefe in their mutual fubferviency and dependance, compleat the charalleriffical End ofthe Scripture. I coif fs Plato in his Timeue, makes it the End ofPhilofophy, that we may thereby be made Like, unto God. But that Philofophy of his, having its rife and fpring in inbrednoti- ons of nature, and thecontemplation of the works ofGods Providence, could have no other end but conformityunto him,as his inlet/ions were revealed abfolutely ; whereutato MeScripture acids this revelation in Chrift jefue, 1 John s. 18. which gives them, as I faid, their fjecial and peculiar end. It makes God known, as all in all, and man to be nothing as togoodnefsor bleffednefs , but what lie is pleafed to do for him, and com- municate unto him ; and Jefas Chritt to be the great and only wayand means, whereby hewill communicate of himfèlf, and bring us untohimfelf. The moreclearly anyportion of Scripturedifcovers and makes confpicuous this End, themore parts of the feries and order of things whereby the loll and utmoft End of theglory of God is produced, in their mutual connexion dependance and fubferviency it manifcftcth, the more billy doth it exprefs this general End of the whole, and thereby evince its own interelf therein. Nowherein doth thisEpíj {le come behind no other portionofScripture whatever. For as theExaltation of the glory ofGod, as he is thefire!confe, and loll endofall things, is ex- prefly propofcd in it,fo the relation of the glory ofGod,andof ourobedience and bleffed- nufs whereby and wherein it is declared, unto the Perfon,Ofces, and Mediationof Jails Chrift is in an eminent mannerinffted on and unfolded in it. And whereas ['maze parts of Scripture do exhibit unto us, molt clearly Tomeone part ofthis general Endof the whole , and other portions or Books of it, fumeother parts, this expretfeth the whole, and all the parts of it dittin5ly, from the very foundation ofcalling men to the knowledge of God and obedience, unto the utmoft end of his glorifying himfèlf in their falvatiots by Jefits Chrift. Neither is there herewithall the leali alloy or mixture of any ly, par- ticular,
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