vi

The ,PRE‘FAC~EV.

Be/ides the dijiurhance in perufing St. Paul’: Epifiles, from the Plenty and Vivacity: of his Thoughts, which may ob- fcnre his Method, and often hide his Senfe from an unwary, or over-ha/iy, Reader; the frequent changing of the Perfm. age he fpeaks in, renders the §enfe very uncertain, and is apt to miflead one that has not [time Clue to guide him; [ome- times by the Pronoun I, helmeans hinzfelf; A/ometimes any Chri/lian; fometimes a yew, and [ometimes any Man, 8C6. lf/Peaking of himfelf in the firfl Perjhn Singular has f5 various nzeanings ; his uje of the Per/on Plural is with a far greater Latitude, fiinzetinzes defigning himfelf alone, fometimes thofi with him/elf whom he makes Partners to the Epiftle 3 jhmetimes with himfilfi, comprehending the other A- po/tles, 0r Preachers of the Gfirel, or Chriflians: Nay, fometimes he in that way fPea/zs of the Converted Jews, 0- ther times of the Converted Gentiles, and [hmetimes of o- thers, in a nzore or left extended Sen/I’, every one of which varies the meaning of the Place, and makes it to he dtfl- rently underfiood. I have forhorn to trouble the Reader with Examples of them here. If his own Obfirvation hath not already furni/hed him with them, the following Parophrafc: and Notes fuppofe will fiztisfie him in the point.

In the current al/o of’ his Difcourfle, he fometimes drops in the Ohjeccfions of others, and his An/‘wers to them, without any Change in the Scheme of his Language, that might give Notice of any other /pea/eing lye/ides hiozfillf. This requires great Attention to obferve, and yet if it he negleéted or over- loolaid, will make the Reader very much mi/lalze, and mifitn- eler/tand his flcfeaning, and render the Sen/e very perplefd.

Tbefl’ are intrinfick difliculties ari/ing from the Text it Ielf, whereof there might he a great many other named,'as the un", certeirtt y, fsnietimes, who are the Perfons he fpealzs to, or the

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