them; little or no care being taken by their teachers to explain the fenfe and meaning of any paffage however difficult, or to enforce the obligation of any duty however important. A neglect, which un-happily extends its influence likewife to the more advanced ftages of life. Many are the families of lower rank efpecially, who, though they have a juft fenfe of both the privilege and duty, and live in the habitual and zealous practice of reading the Word of God, are yet too apt to think, that as foon as the leffons for the day are finished, their task is then done; and fo close the book, without attempting to confider what may be the meaning of paffages that occurred in their reading, which, however, they are conscious that they do not understand. And thus, with the beft difpofitions, they are, by a defective education, deprived of much of the fatisfaction and benefit they might reap from this religious exercife, did they accuftom. themfelves to read the Bible with the fame attention which they find requifite for understanding other books. EVERY language has its own peculiar idiom and mode of expreffion, which even in a contemporary author will not always bear a ftrict and literal translation; and the holy fcriptures, though fo clear and plain in every article of faith and practice neceffary to falvation, that he may run that readeth, do nevertheless in other points (in common with all the writings of remote antiquity) abound in a variety of figurative, parabolical, and proverbial expreffions; which being formed on cuftoms extremely different from our own, cannot be perfectly understood without fome regard to thofe circumftances. This it is that creates the principal difficulty in ftudying the fcriptures and to leffen that difficulty, and promote a more general spirit of rational piety, is my defign in this undertaking; by affording a cheap and easy affiftance to well-difpofed Chriftians of humble ftations, and by fetting in a just light fuch paffages as the young and ordinary reader, relying on the found of words, might be tempted by the fuggestions of a prevailing fuperftition, or enthusiasm, to mifapply in fupport of opinions, which are not founded in the true fense of scrip ture, ture, but, on the contrary, whatever ap-pearance they may affume, are really fubverfive of the principles of genuine Christianity... Matt. v. 4. Note (b), for that they mourn, read they that mourn. xi. 8. For King's, read Kings. xiii. 19. After any, read one. xiii. Note (b), for Luke xiii. 16. read Chap. xxv. 29. Luke viii. 18. . xiii. 55. Number of Verfe omitted in the Text.. xxi. 24. For likewife, read like wife.. xxi. 28. After fons put (;) xxiv. Note (f), for Gofpel, read Prophet: xxvi. Note (), for Mark xiv. read Mark xiv. 30 xxvi. Note (2), for Luke v. 11. read Mark xiv. 38. I Mark ii. 25. For hungered, read hungred. ix. Note (0), for burning, read burnings. -x. Note (f), for wordly-minded, read worldly-minded. Luke iii. Note (k), for was entered in, read was entring into. John ii. 11. Number of the Verfe is omitted in the Text. iv. Note (m), for Verfe 10, read Verfe 9. vi. 27. The latter Part of Note (g) ought to be (h), referring to the word feated; but the fubfequent Notes must all be new marked one letter higher. viii. Note (a), for either by taking, read of taking. xii. Note (m), for to hardened, read to harden. xviii. 21. For afketh, read afkeft. xviii. Note (e), for Gen. xlii. 32. read Gen. xliii. 34. xix. Note (b), after Mark, for xv. 25. read xv. 42. . xx. Note (d), for Pfalm xvl..20. read xvi. 10. Acts vii. 16. For athers, read fathers. ix. Note (n), for criptures, read Scriptures. xvi. 3. Add, Because he knew that the Jews would not bearken to Timothy, bad be not been circumcifed. xvi. Note (f), for power, read no jower. THE T CHA P. I. HE book of the generation of Jefus Chrift, the 2 fon of David, the son of Abraham (b). Abraham begat Ifaac, and Ifaac begat Jacob, and Jacob be3 gat Judas and his brethren. And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar, and Phares begat Ef4 rom, and Efrom begat Aram. And Aram begat Aminidab, and Aminidab begat Naaffon, and Naaf5 fon begat Salmon. And Salmon begat Booz of Ra chab, and Booz begat Obed of Ruth, and Obed be6 gat Jeffe. And Jelle begat David the King, and (a) The word GOSPEL fignifies good tidings; and in all the books of the New Teftament it ftands for the joyful tidings of falvation through Jefus Chrift, and comprehends not only the hiftory of his life written by the four Evangelifts, but likewife the whole covenant of reconciliation and acceptance, its glorious conditions and moft glorious rewards. (b) The ufe of this pedigree is to fhew that Jefus was defcended from Abraham and David, and was therefore fo far proved to be the true Meffiah, or Chrift, whom the Jews were then expecting, according to the Scriptures of the Old Teftament. See Gen. xii. 3. xxii. 18. 2 Sam. vii. 12, &c. 1 Kings ix. 5. Pfalm cxxx. 11, 12. Jer. xxiii..5, 6. B David David the King begat Solomon of her that had been 7 the wife of Urias. And Solomon begat Roboam, 8 and Roboam begat Abia, and Abia begat Afa. And Afa begat Jofaphat, and Jofaphat begat Joram, and 9. Joram begat Ozias. And Ozias begat Joatham, and Joatham begat Achaz, and Achaz begat Ezekias. 10 And Ezekias begat Manaffes, and Manaffes begat II Amon, and Amon begat Jofias. And Jofias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they 12 were carried away to Babylon. And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel, and 13 Salathiel begat Zorobabel. And Zorobabel begat Abiud, and Abiud begat Eliakim, and Eliakim be14 gat Azor. And Azor begat Sadoc, and Sadoc be15 gat Achim, and Achim begat Eliud. And Eliud begat Eleazar, and Eleazar begat Matthan, and 16 Matthan begat Jacob. And Jacob begat Jofeph, the hufband of Mary, of whom was born Jefus, who 17 is called Chrift. So all the generations from Abraham to David, are fourteen generations and from David, until the carrying away into Babylon, are fourteen generations: and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Chrift are fourteen generations. 18 Now the birth of Jefus Chrift was on this wife : When as his mother Mary was efpoufed to Jofeph, before they came together, he was found 19 with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Jofeph her hufband, being 'a juft man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away 20 privily. But while he thought on these things, behold, the Angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, faying, Jofeph, thou fon of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her, is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And fhe fhall bring forth a fon, and thou fhalt call his name (c) Jefus: for he fhall fave his people (c) The name Jefus fignifies Saviour.. 22 from |