Now, as I had observed that the consideration and explanation of them had been too much neglected by the generality of expositors, so I quickly found that to insist at large upon themyand according as their weight doth deserve, in the particular places wherein the mention of them doth occur, would too often and too much divert me from the pursuit of the especial design of the apostle in those places, and disenable the reader from carrying on the tendency of the whole in the perusal of it. To prevent both which inconyeniencies I fixed upon the course the reader will find insisted on,—namely, to handle them all severally and apart in previous Exercitations.
Having given this general account of my design and purpose in the ensuing Dis- courses, some few requests unto the reader shall absolve him from further attend- ance in this entrance: First, I must beg his candid interpretation of the reporting of some of those Jewish fables and traditions which he will meet withal in some of the Exercitations. I could plead necessity and use, and those such as will evince themselves in the several places and passages of the discourses where they. are reported; for they are none of them nakedly produced, to satisfy the curiosity of any, but either the investigation of some truth hidden under them and in- volved in them, or the discovery of their rise and occasion, or the laying open of the folly of the pretences of the present Jews in their unbelief, doth still accom- pany their recital: however, I will not rigidly justify the production of all and every of them, but put it amongst those things wherein the candour of the reader may have an opportunity to exercise itself. I must beg also of the learned reader a consideration of the state and condition wherein, through the good providence of God, I have been during the greatest part of the time wherein these Exercitations were written and printed ; and I shall pray, in requital of his kindness, that he may never know by experience what impressions of failings, mistakes, and several de- fects in exactness, uncertainties, straits, and exclusion from the use of books, will bring and leave upon endeavours of this kind. And whatever defects he may meet withal, or complain of in these discourses, my design was, through the bless- ing of God, that he should have no cause to complain of want of diligence and industry in me. But yet Iam sensible, in the issue, that many things may seem to represent that carelessness of mind, or precipitancy in writing, which is altogether unmeet to be imposed on men in this knowing age. But whatever other reflec- tions I may be obnoxious unto, for the want of ability and judgment,—which in me are very small in reference to so great an undertaking,—I must crave of the reader to believe that I would not willingly be guilty of so much importune confidence as to impose upon him things trite, crude, and undigested, which either ordinary prudence might have concealed, or ordinary diligence have amended. Whatever, therefore, of that kind may appear unto him, I would crave that it may be laid upon the account of the condition which I have intimated before.
For the Exposition of the Epistle itself, whereof I have given here a specimen in the first two chapters, I confess, as was said before, that I have had thoughts for many years to attempt something in it, and in the whole course of my studies
THE PREFACE. 9
have not been without some regard thereunto. But yet I must now say, that, after all searching and reading, prayer and assiduous meditation on the text have been my only reserve, and far most useful means of light and assistance. By these have my thoughts been freed from many and many an entanglement, which the writings of others on the same subject had either cast me into, or could not de- liver me from. Careful I have been, as of my life and soul, to bring no prejudi- cate sense unto the words, to impose no meaning of my own or other men upon them, nor to be imposed on by the reasonings, pretences, or curiosities of any, but always went nakedly to the word itself, to learn humbly the mind of God in it, and to express it as he should enable me. ‘To this end I always in the first place considered the sense, meaning, and importance of the words of the text; and the consideration of their original derivation, use in other authors, especially in the LXX., of the Old Testament, in the books of the New, particularly the writings of the same author, was constantly made use of to that purpose. Ofttimes the words expressed out of the Hebrew, or the things alluded unto amongst that people, I found to give much light into the words of the apostle themselves. Unto the general rule, of attending unto the design and scope of the place, subject treated of, mediums fixed on for arguments, methods of ratiocination, I still kept in my eye the time and season of writing this Epistle; the state and condition of them to whom it was written,—their persuasions, prejudices, customs, light, and traditions; the covenant and worship of the church of old; the translation of covenant privi- leges and worship over unto the Gentiles upon a new account; the course of proyi- dential dispensations that the people were under; the near expiration of their church and state, with the speedy approaching of their utter abolition and de- struction; with the temptations that befell them on all these various accounts ;— without which it is impossible for any one justly to follow the apostle, so as to keep close to his design or fully to understand his mind and meaning. If any shall think that I have referred too many things unto the customs and usages of the Jews, and looked too much after some guidance in sundry expressions and discourses of the apostle from them, I only answer, that as, when I am convinced by particular instances of mistakes therein, I shall willingly acknowledge them, so for the present I am satisfied that other expositors have had much too little regard thereunto. The exposition of the text is attended with an improvement of practical observations, answering the great end for which the Epistle was com- mitted over to all generations for the use of the church. If in some of them I shall seem to any to have been too prolix, I must only answer, that having no other way to serve the edification of the generality of Christians, I thought not so. Yet, to prevent their further objections on that account, I intend, if ever any addition in the same work be prepared for public view, to regulate my pro- ceedings therein according as I shall have account from persons of learning and godliness concerning that course of procedure which they esteem to tend most to the good and edification of the church of God; to whose judgment I heartily sub- mit these and all other endeavours of the like kind whereunto I have been, or yet may be called. Joun OWEN,