OF THE FIRST VOLUM E. INTRODUCTION Page L On the Septuagint Tranflation of the firft Chapter of the Book of Ge- III. On the first three Verfes, of the fourth Chapter, of the first Epistle of St. John;-and on the Confeffion con- V. Concerning the Promife to Nathanael. 317 VI. Concerning the future Second Coming INTRO INTRODUCTION. T HE Divine Writings of the Holy Pro- 1. phets and Apostles, upon a prefumption that they are what they affume to be, the Word of God, cannot but contain the most fublime knowledge, in all refpects, that ever was communicated, or can be imparted to the world; and therefore, although they be compofed with fuch fimplicity and plainness, that the great truths needful for falvation may be easily discerned, and that every human being, in whose spirit is the leaft fpark of intelligence, may, on the most cuffory perufal, derive some useful inftruction, and some light, leading the understanding to apprehenfions of a better state of life, and of higher perfections than appear amidft the prefent fcene of things; yet they must also contain ftill more important difcoveries than could be apprehended at all in the earlier ages of the world; or than VOL. I. B can 2. can at any time be investigated by perfons who are not very deeply conversant in the study of these writings, or who have not had the opportunity of availing themselves of the improvements of fcience, and of the discoveries gradually made by means of found experimental philofophy. This conclufion even common fenfe alone dictates to us: and we are led moreover to form it, by the very fanction of our Lord himself; who so frequently repeats those remarkable words, he that hath an ear to hear, let him hear; and who fo often declares, that it was his will and pleafure, to speak generally in parables, which might be underfood by fome, that is, by fuch as would exercife proper attention; but not by others, who would be heedlefs, and devoid of a fpirit of enquiry. We have the moft fubftantial inducements, therefore, to lead us to fearch the Scriptures diligently*: both from motives of curiofity, (as far as may be confiftent with a due reverential awe,) as well as from the hope of promoting our own eternal welfare. John, ch. v. ver. 39. Acts, ch. xvii. ver. 11. And And whilst we do fo fearch, we ought ftill further to recollect, that our Lord has moreover intimated moft fully to us, that in proportion as more light and knowledge is acquired, by means of the due confideration of, and meditation upon his Holy Word, that light ought to be communicated to the world at large inafmuch as he inftructed and commanded his difciples, that what they heard in the ear, they should proclaim upon the housetops*; i. e. in the midst of free conversation with others. For it is well known, that fuch converfations, in the eastern countries, were moft frequently held on the flat terraffed roofs of the houses, where the inhabitants of the east do often affemble, even to this very day, and spend many hours, to enjoy the freshness of the air, and to have an opportunity of discourfing freely with each other t. If this is a fair and just representation of the contents of Sacred Writ, and of the manners and cuftoms alluded to therein; and of the ufe to be made of the Holy Scriptures; then it cannot be expected, in the nature of * Matthew, ch. x. ver. 27. A full account of this cuftom is given in Shaw's Travels, p. 211. |