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In this I have diftinguished Paul's five apostolical journeys, which ought to make fo many different sections of Paul's history, and is the only way by which the method obferved by St. Luke in writing that part of it can appear. And, that St. Paul's history might yet be more easily be traced, I have also given a short Abstract of this Abstract, that so it might be seen at one view; and that the reader might confult one or the other as he should find occafion. And because the Abstract of the Abstract is capable of being represented in one view, I have divided that into those greater and their lesser periods, of which I shall say more presently. But I could not divide it conveniently into St. Paul's five apoftolical journeys, without rendering the periods somewhat confused; as the periods, on the other hand, would have been of little use in an Abstract confifting of feveral sheets. However, either of these defects may be eafily supplied, by turning either to the Abstract, or the Abstract of the Abstract, as there is. occafion. And that St. Paul's five apoftolical、 journeys (on which the order that St. Luke. writes his history in depends) might be the more easily traced, I have added a map of his journeys and voyages, where, I hope, by the method I have taken, the eye will pre sently find them,

WHILE the learned authors I have just now mentioned, and others, have made use of this chronological method themselves, to the great advantage of chriftianity, in several of their excellent labours; and while others have done the like from the affiftance they have had from them; yet several things perhaps have escaped their observation, which, by a more careful attention to this method, might have offered themselves to their notice. Whether they have or no, I must leave the world to judge; now that I have been prevailed on to publish these papers by fome of my learned friends, to whom I communicated my thoughts (after I had finished them for my own private use), that fo I might have their opinion on fubjects which are so nice and difficult in themselves, and on my manner of confidering them; but without any intention of communicating them to the world.

I HAVE been led to the notions that run through them, from confidering the hiftory of the apostles in the order in which the several transactions that are recorded about them happened, either under the ministry of Jefus or of the Spirit. I dare say the reader, on perusing them, will find several new interpretations given to a great many texts, fome of which have been generally thought very difficult and obfcure. If the turns that

are

1

are given them are as judicious as they are new, I flatter myself, it will fully answer my end, and effectually recommend the study of the scriptures according to this method, to which I owe those turns, if there be any thing in them: most, if not all, of them occurring to me on my confidering the scripture in this view; though I have met with fome few of them afterwards, on confulting the critics and commentators. I fay this, purely to recommend this method of studying the fcriptures. On the other hand, I am perfuaded, the rule or method I have proposed for reading the Gofpels and the Acts, as well as feveral parts of the Epistles, will be found a very good one; though I should often appear to misapply it, either for want of greater leifure or ability.

I BELIEVE it will be always found to be of ufe, to confider in what year the books and epistles of the New Testament were written, or that any thing happened that is recorded in them of which we defire to make ourselves masters. This, I confefs, has been recommended to us by the best critics; who have often reminded us, that when we read any of the facred authors, as well as others, we must put ourselves in the same situation in every respect that the writer was when he wrote: though, I think, scarce any of those critics critics have attended so exactly to their own rule as they ought; and when they attend to their own rule, it is still very difficult to follow it. But what I principally aim at is, to engage my reader to divide the apoftolical times not barely into the order of time, but chiefly by that means into the period of the ministry of Jesus, and the miniftry of the Spirit; and particularly the latter (for it is not neceffary to speak of the subdivifion of the former here), into the three great periods; which, though very remarkable in fcripture, have not been ever taken notice of by any one, as far as I know, at least to this purpose. I mean, the time from the defcent of the Holy Ghost, while Christ was preached only to the Jews, either by birth or proselytism, in Jerufalem, Judea, and Samaria, according to our Saviour's parable, and his express prediction; and at last out of Judea, as far as Antioch; the time that it was preached not only to the Jews, but to those who were Heathens by nation, but had quitted the Pagan Religion, without embracing the Jewish, called the Devout Gentiles, or Profelytes of the Gate; and the time that it was preached to those two, and to the idolatrous Gentiles also.

a Luke xiv. 16-25. • Ibid. xi. 19.

Acts i. 8.

THE

THE persons who preached to these different forts of people, the characters and circumstances of these people to whom they preached, the obligation that they were under, the doctrine that was preached to them, and the manner and stile of preaching, were all different, as well as the periods in which these teachers preached: so that, if I am not very much mistaken, smaller or larger portions of the Acts, read with a regard to those three periods of time, and to the three different forts of persons they concern, will often cast a great light on them; as the not regarding, or confounding these periods has, in my opinion, been the occasion of many gross mistakes about them. And I cannot but think, that as it will give one of the best clues to the finding out the true sense and meaning of the Gospels and Acts, to confider them with a view to these periods, so it will be a great help to us in reading the Epistles, to carry it always in our eye, to which of these forts of persons they were written; and particularly, that St. Paul wrote his epistles to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, Ephefians, Coloffians, and Theffalonians, chiefly with a view to the idolatrous Gentiles, but now and then with a regard to the profelyted Gentiles; that St. Peter wrote to the profelyted Gentiles; and that the other

apostles wrote to the Jews, at least those who

wrote

!

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