CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH VOLUME. PREFACE....Sect 1. The history of John...II. The authenticity of this epistle established..... III. Of the state of the church when it was written, and of John's design in writing it......IV. Of the time and place of writing it...... V. Of the persons for whom it was designed. Preface.....Sect. I. Of the authenticity of this epistle....II. Of the person to whom it was written......III. Of John's design in writing it. Of the Ebio Preface....Sect. I. , Of the authenticity of this epistle.....ll. Of the person to whom it was written.... .IlI. Of the purpose for which it was written, and of the persons mentioned in it.....IV. Of the date of the 20 and 3d epis. PREFACE..... Sect. I. The history of Jude...II. This epistle was written by Jude the apostle.....III. Of the persons to whom it was written, and of its Essay viII.....On the right interpretation of the language of scripture..... Sect. I. Of the method in which language was at first formed......JI. Of picture-writing, and of its influence in the formation of the primitive lan- guages......III. Of the allegorical manner of writing. Of the proper alle- gory as set forth in a verbal description. Of the proper allegory as set forth in a dream, or in a vision....IV. Of conveying instruction by signi. ficant actions...... V. Of instruction by actions and events happening in the ordinary course of things, p. 224. A History of the Life of the Apostle Paul, by whom the Gentiles were con- verted : To which are added, Proofs and Illustrations, p. 273. À NEW LITERAL TRANSLATION OF THE FIRST EPISTLE OF THE APOSTLE JOHN. PREFACE. SECTION I. The History of John the Apostle. John the writer of this epistle and of the gospel which bears his name, was the son of Zebedee, a fisher who had a boat, and nets, and hired servants, Mark i. 20, and followed his occupation on the sea of Galilee.-From Matt. xxvii. 55. compared with Mark xv. 40. it appears that the name of Zebedee's wife was Salomè; for in the former of these passages, she is called the mother of Zebedee's children, who in the latter is named Salomè.- Zebedee had another son whose name was James, and who seems to have been elder than John. Both of them were fishers like their father, and assisted him in his business, till they were called to follow Jesus.—They seem all to have lived in one family in the town of Bethsaida, which being situated near the sea of Galilee, was a convenient station for fishers. Because the mother of Zebedee's children, is mentioned among the women who followed Jesus from Galilee to the last passover, ininistring to him, as related, Matt. xxvii. 56. Lardner conjectures, that Zebedee was then dead, and that the two brothers lived in separate houses. For when our Lord, upon the cross, recommended his mother to John, it is said, John xix. 27. From That hour that disciple took her unto his ogun home. Perhaps John and his mother Salome lived together. Theophylact was of opinion that John's mother was related to our Lord: And Lardner, whom I have generally followed in giving John's history, supposes that that relation encouraged her to ask the two chief 1 VOL, VI. places in Christ's kingdon for her sons; and that it was the occasion of our Lord's committing the care of his mother to John. But there is no cvidence in scripture of Zebedee's children being rclated to our Lord by their mother. John had not the advantage of a learned education. For we are told, Acts iv. 13. that the Council perceived Peter and John quore unlearned men. Nevertheless, like the generality of the Jewish common people of that age, they may have been well acquainted with the scriptures; having often heard them read in the synagogues. And as with the rest of their countrymen, they expected the coming of the Messiah about that time, they lent a willing ear to the Baptist, when he published, that Messiah was actually come, though the people did not know him, John i. 26.-Aferward when the Baptist pointed out Jesus to his disciples, ver. 29. as the lamb of God who taketh away the sin of the qvorlii, he said to them, ver. 33. I knew him not to be Messiah, but he who sent me to baptize with taler the same said to me, upon. whom thou shall see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the sance is he who baprizeth with the Holy Ghost, 34. And I saw and bare record that this is the Son of God. If the sons of Zebedee were of the number of those to whom John testified that Jesus was the Son cf God, we may believe they attached themselves early to him, and were among those who are called his disciples, and to whom he manifested his glory at the marriage in Cana, by turning water into wine, John ii. 11. After the miracle in Cana, the sons of Zebedee seem to have followed their ordinary occupation, till Jesus called them to attend on him constantly, as mentioned, Matt. iv. For the evangelist having related the calling of Peter and Andrew, adds, ver. 21. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a shis with Zehedce their father mending their nets; and he called them, 22, and they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him ; namely, when he went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among tie people. Some time after this, Jesus chose twelve of his disciples to be with him always, that they might be eye and ear-witnesses of all he did and said, and be qualified to testify the same to the world; and in particular, qualified to bear witness to his re |