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EXTRACTS.

We shall now insert some portions of the Reverend John Wesley's translation of the NewTestament and comments, to which we solicit the readers attention.

The first chapter of St. John, to the 15th verse with the notes.

1 In the beginning existed the Word, and the

1. In the beginning (Referring to Gen. i. 1. and Prov. viii. 23.) When all things began to be made by the word: In the beginning of heaven and earth, and this whole frame of created beings, the word existed, without any beginning. He was when all things began to be, whatsoever had a beginning. The word-So termed Psalm xxxiii. 6. and frequently by the seventy, and in the Chaldee paraphrase. So that St. John did not borrow this expression from Philo, or any heathen writer. He was not yet named Jesus, or Christ. He is the word whom the Father begot or spoke from eternity; by whom the Father speaking maketh all things; who speaketh the Father to us. We have, in the 18th verse, both a real description of the word, and the reason why he is so called. He is the only-begotten Son of the Father, who is in the bosom of the Father, and hath declared him. And the word wus with God.-Therefore distinct from God the Father. The word rendered with denotes a perpetual tendency as it were of the Son to the Father, in unity of essence. He was with God alone; because nothing beside God had then any being. And the word was God-Supreme, eternal, independent. There was no creature, in respect of which he could be stiled God in a relative sense. There! fore he is stiled so in the absolute sense. The Godhead of the Messiah being clearly revealed in the Old Testament (Jer. xxiii. 6. Hos. i. 7. Psalm xxiii. 1.) the other evangelists aim at this, to prove that Jesus, a true may, was the Messiah. But

Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.3 All things were made by him, and without him

was not one single thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of 5 men. And the light shineth in darkness, but the darkness perceived it not.

6

There was a man sent from God, whose 7 name was John. The same came for a testimony, to testify of the light, that all through

when at length, some from hence began to doubt of his Godhead, then St. John expressly asserted it, and wrote in this book as it were a supplement to the gospels, as in the Revelation to the prophets.

2. The same was in the beginning with God-This verse repeats and contracts into one of the three points mentioned before. As if he had said, This word, who was God, was in the beginning, and was with God.

3 All things beside God, were made, and all things which were made, were made by the word. In the first and second verse is described the state of things before the creation, ver. 3. In the creation, ver. 4. In the time of man's innocency, ver. 5. In the time of man's corruption.

4. In him was life-He was the foundation of life to every living thing, as well of being to all that is. And the life was the light of men-He who is essential life, and the giver of life to all that liveth, was also the light of men; the fountain of wisdom, holiness and happiness, to man in his original state. 5. And the light shineth in darkness-Shines even on fallen man; but the darkness-Dark, sinful man, perceiveth it not.

6. There was a man-The evangelist now proceeds to him who testified of the light, which he had spoken of in the five preceeding verses.

7. The same came for-(that is in order to give) a testimonyThe evangclist, with the most strong and tender affection, interweaves his own testimony with that of John by noble digiessions, wherein he explains the office of the baptist partly premises and partly subjoins, a farther explication to his short, sentences. What St.Mathew, Mark, and Luke term the Gospel, in respect of the promise going before, St. John usually terms' the testimony, intimating the certain knowledge of the Relater to testify of the light-of Christs,

8 it might believe. He was not the light, but 9 was sent to testify of the light. This was the

true light, who lighted every man that cometh 10 into the world. He was in the world and the

world was made by him; yet the world knew 11 him not. He came to his own, and his own 12 received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he privilege to become the sons of God, to them that believe in his 13 name: Who were born, not of blood nor by the will of the flesh, nor by the will of man, but of God.

14 And word was made flesh, and tabernacled among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father) full of grace and truth.

9. Who lighteth every man— -By what is vulgarly termed natural conscience, pointing out at least the general lines, of good and evil. And this light, if man did not hinder, would shine more and more to the perfect day.

10. He was in the world-Even from the creation.

11. He came-In the fullnes of time, to his own-Country, city, temple: And his own-People, received him not.

12. But as many as received him-Jews or Gentiles; that believe on his name-That is, on him. The moment they believe, they are sons; and because they are sons, God sendeth forth the Spirit of his Son into their hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

13. Who were born--Who became the sons of God not of blood-Not by descent from Abraham, nor by the will of the flesh -By natural generation, nor by the will of man- Adopting them, but of God-By his Spirit.

14. Flesh sometimes signifies corrupt nature; sometimes the body; sometimes, as here, the whole man, We beheld his glory -We his apostles, particularly Peter, James, and John, Luke, ix. 32. Grace and Truth-We are all by nature liars and children of wrath, to whom both grace and truth are unknown. But we are made partakers of them, when we are accepted through the Beloved.

The whole verse might be paraphrased thus: And in order

to raise us to this dignity and happiness, the eternal word, by a most amazing condescension, was made flesh, united himself to our miserable nature, with all its innocent infirmities. And he did not make us a transient visit, but tabernacled among us on earth, displaying his glory in a more eminent manner, than ever of old in the Tabernacle of Moses. And we, who are now recording these things, beheld his glory with so strict an attention, that we can testify, it was in evey respect such a glory, as became the only-begotten of the Father. For it shone forth not only in his transfiguration, and in his continual miracles, but in all his tempers, ministrations, and conduct through the whole series of his life. In all he appeared full of grace and truth: He was himself most benevolent and upright; made those ample discoveries of pardon to sinners, which the Mosaic dispensation could not do: And teally exhibited the most substantial blessings, whereas that was but a shadow of good things to come.

The first chapter of Hebrews to the 8th verse inclusive, and notes.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers man

1. God, who at sundry times-The creation was revealed in the time of Adam, the last judgment in the time of Enoch; and so at various times and in various degrees more explicit knowledge was given, in divers manners—In visions, in dreams, and by revelations of various kinds. Both these are opposed to the one entire and perfect revelation which he has made to us by Jesus Christ. The very number of the prophets shewed, that they prophesied only in part of old-There were no prophets for a large tract of time before Christ came, that the great prophet might be the more earnestly expected; spake A part is put for the whole, implying every kind of divine communication, by the prophets-the mention of whom is a virtual declaration, that the apostle received the whole Old Testament, and was not about to advance any doctrine in contradiction to it; hath in these last times-Intimating that no other revelation is to be expected; Spoken-All things; and in the most perfect manner, by his Son-Alone. The Son spake by the apostles. The majesty of the Son of God is proposed, I. Absolutely by the very name of Son v.i. and by three glorious predicates, whom he hath appointed, by whom he made, who set down; whereby he is described, from the beginning to the consummation of all things v. 2. 3. IL Comparatively to ẩn

ners spake of old to the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his 2 Son. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom he also made the worlds: 3 Who, being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and sustaining all things by the word of his power when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on

gels, v. 4. The proof of this proposition immediately follows the name of Son being proved, v. 5. His being heir of all things, v. 6, 9. his making the worlds, v. 10, 12. His sitting at God's right hand, v. 13, &c.

2. Whom he hath appointed heir of all things-After the name of Son, his inheritance is mentioned. God appointed him the heir, long before he made the worlds, (Eph. iii. 11. Prov. viii. 22, &c.) The Son is the first-born; born before all things. The Heir is a term relating to the creation which followed, v. 6. By whom he also made the worlds-Therefore the Son was before all worlds. His glory reaches from everlasting to everlasting, though God spake by him to us only in these last days.

3 Who sat down-The third of these glorious predicates, with which three other particulars are interwoven (which are mentioned likewise, and in the same order, Col. i. 15, 17, 20,) Who being-The glory which he received in his exaltation at the right hand of the Father, no angel was capable of; but the Son alone, who likewise enjoyed it long before; the brightness of his glory-Glory is the nature of God revealed in its brightness; the express image, or stamp-Whatever the Father is, is exhibited in the Son, as a seal in the stamp on wax; of his person or substance-The word denotes the unchangeable perpetuity of divine life and power; and sustaining all thingsVisible and invisible, in being, by the word of his power-That is, by his powerful word; when he had by himself-Without any Mosaic rites or ceremonies, purged our sins-In order to which it was necessary he should for a time divest himself of his glory. In this chapter St. Paul describes his glory,chiefly as he is the Son of God: afterwards, c, ii. 6, &c. the glory of the man, Christ Jesus. He speaks indeed briefly of the former, before his humiliation, but copiously after his exaltation; as from hence the glory, he had from eternity, began to be evidently seen. Both his purging our sins, and sitting on the right hand of God, are largely treated of in the seven following chapters: sat down-The priests stood while they minis

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