AMong the many and various Dispensations of Blessings which God hath always confer'd on his Church-Militant here on earth , This of revealing his holy Will to the sons of Men , upon a due and serious reflection , seems to be none of the meanest : for if the gradual conveyance of the S. Scriptures be considered in all its circumstances , it will not only exhibit unto us matter of Astonishment and Wonder ; but it will also be an invinsible Argument to prove their Divine extraction .

To omit the many and wonderful preservations of the Law under the Jewish Oeconomy , and to proceed to the Gospel-Dispensation : When Christianity began so mightily to prevail , and to extend it self over the whole World ; then it was that the Enemies of those Sacred Writings began to appear : the Devil ( who hath never omitted any Arts or Stratagems that would any way conduce to the eternal ruine of man-kind ) rallies up all his forces in opposition to them ; well knowing how greatly they would tend to the diminution of his Kingdom ; for as long as those Sacred Oracles stood as the Basis and Foundation on which Christianity was built , his other attempts must necessarily prove vain and unsuccessful ; wherefore like a subtil Enemy , and cunning Polititian , he levies all his Forces to destroy the Foundation : rightly concluding , that if that were once shattered , the whole Fabrick must consequently come to ruine and desolation . And in prosecution of this Design , he and his Agents have endeavoured to invalidate those Writings ; though as to their matter of Fact , not a Julian , nor a Celsus did ever assume impudence enough to deny : and that they might the more amuse the minds of men , they imposed spurious writings , under the Names of the venerable Pen-men of the Sacred Scriptures : but this fallacy was soon discover'd ; for the Majesty of those Holy Writings eminently appearing above the others , soon put a period to this Controversie . All pretended Revelations have visibly discover'd their nakedness , and soon betrayed their own mean descent . But as it is commonly observed , that after a Defeat , there is a general Rendezvous of all Forces , to make the last assault , which is usually very formidable ; so these infernal Powers having been disappointed in their first enterprize , could not rest satisfied , until they had changed the Scene , and appear'd in more hostile shape than ever : Defamation now was not sufficient , but the total Destruction of the Word of God was design'd .

And now to the amazement of the World ( after many other mighty Enemies to the Christian Cause ) up starts Dioclesian , an Enemy no less potent than formidable , who set forth an Edict that all Christians should deliver up their Scriptures , and that the Writings of the Church should be burnt , which was prosecuted with great rigour and fierceness ; and he was so confident of the success of it , that on a Column which was erected to him , as a Trophy of his extinguishing the Christian faith , he had this in the inscription . — Superstitione Christi ubique deleta , Grut●… inscript . pag. 280.

And what could now be expected , but that the whole Christian Name should have been extirpate ? for Persecutions began again to look with a most terrible aspect ; and now it was that such a multitude of Christians offer'd themselves as Victims to appease the rage of their cruel Adversaries with their Martyr-flames , rather than deliver up what was most dear to them in the World , viz. their Bibles : and those who by fear or any other inducements were perswaded to the contrary , were approbriously called Traditores .

And who could imagine that this stratagem should have been defeated ? Who could have thought that these inquisitive and inveterate Enemies should have their designs and intentions thus frustrated ? But God , who at all times hath given us signal Demonstrations of their Divinity , by his miraculous and wonderful preservation of them , was not wanting at this time , but mightily rescued them from the flames of these wicked Persecutors . What was here but the special Providence , the Finger of God , to be seen in this great Deliverance ? Who but an Omnipotent Power could now sustain the Christian faith , when all humane and infernal Power were bent against it ? But thus did the sacred Oracles triumph over its Adversaries , baffled all assaults and Enemies , and stood unmov'd like a mighty Rock in the midst of the Sea , outbraving all Storms and Tempests .

But although the Sacred Scriptures have been thus conveyed down to us , having their Divine Authority confirm'd by the suffrages of all Ages ; and although they answer the ends and purposes of their Author , viz. That they should be the Rule of our Faith , the infallible Standard by which all Actions should be measured ; That in them are contained the whole Essentials of Religion , the words of Eternal Life , &c. Yet it is thought ( and not without just grounds ) a Design that may not be altogether unuseful to the Publick , for the more exquisite use upon any emergent occasion , that those Scriptures which lie here and there dispers'd throughout the whole Sacred Repository , belonging to one place or Subject , be reduced to their proper Heads , that so the use of the whole may be rendred more obvious to the diligent Enquirer . This is the Design of the ensuing Tract ; a Work of no small pains and labour : For it is possible a man may be a good Textuary , and yet upon many occasions may want that full satisfaction which those sacred Treasures afford : To obviate which difficulty , no Concordance ( that I know of will very much contribute .

And indeed , the Reduction of the Sacred Scriptures to this Method must needs be very grateful to any that have time and leisure for a serious perusal of them , especially to Divines , who cannot chuse but frequently have recourse to a Work of this nature .

As to the whole Composure , or selecting the Texts of Scripture to their several Heads or Subjects , or the pertinency of them to the place they belong to , either for probation , illustration , or the like : The Author hath consulted several Eminent and learned Men , who have fufficiently given their Approbation of it , and greatly encouraged its Publication .

The Epistle to the Reader will give a particular account of the usefulness of the Work .

And here note , Christian Reader , That thou hast not only the places positive to the Subject there , but also such which are any ways argumentative , or enforcing ( whether by Examples , the equity of the things , the nature of God , his approbation of Promises to , or threatnings against it ) or any way illustrating or expounding of it , by whatsoever terms they are expressed : whereof a little use of this Treatise will soon give thee a full evidence .

But , to prevent prejudice and mistakes , and give thee some light in the way and method the Author hath taken , He proposeth to thy observation these few things following .

First , To prevent prejudice , do the Author and thy self this right , Not to make a judgment by the reading of one or two Texts at the beginning of any head : for possibly they may not at the first blush seem to thee so pertinent to the matter , as others do which follow ; they may be only argumentative , and not positive : For the Author so placed them on purpose , that they might run in order , as they lie in the Bible , that the Reader might go to any Text of either Testament , without turning backward and forward , and for other advantages ; and thence it happens sometimes , That the Scriptures less to the purpose , first occur to thy View .

Likewise , pass not sentence upon any Text thou shalt find under any head , as impertinent to the Subject there , until thou hast seriously weighed the same : for possibly in so doing , thou mayst discern something in that Scripture , which thou never didst observe before , nor mightest have taken notice of , had not the Head or Subject there , turned thy thoughts upon it .

And then , the Author doubteth not , but that the Composure it self ( when judiciously considered ) will prevent this Censure , That it 's a needless Work , as having been done already by others : This being a thing of another nature than any yet extant , and will be helpful at another rate . For , ( notwithstanding any other helps ) the finding out of apt Scriptures for illustrating , confirming , and making use of any Truth which may be upon the thoughts of any , have been , as it is , a difficult and laborious Work ; and thence men oft-times use Scriptures , either not Apt , according to the intent of the Holy Ghost there ; or such , the genuine sense of which is doubted . And for the use of Concordances herein , each mans memory must record the Scriptures : for they must first occur to his thoughts , then his judgment must fix upon some word therein , under which the Text is placed : and 't is possible not hit the right term under which it is ; and oft-times look a long time ere he come to it , because of the multitude of words there used : and happily miss at last too , and be put upon searching under another term . But here thou mayst only turn to the Subject thou enquirest after , and ( without any such steps ) find Scriptures full and apt thereto ( by whatsoever Terms or Phrases they are expressed ) occur to your Eye at an instant ; and almost ( if not altogether ) all the Scripture affords to that Subject ; and present thee with matter of Enlargement , which possibly thou thoughtest not of .

Secondly , To give thee some light in the Method , and to help thee in the use of this .

First , Take notice , that in Chap. 13. [ of Saints failings ] The first Texts are to prove each person his Saintship ; then the next following , their failings : and this is done on purpose , that it might appear they are the failings of Saints : and so proper to the Head .

2dly , Note also , That the words within a Parenthesis beginning with [ or ] are the Marginal Readings .