THAT the Holy Scriptures are one of the greatest Blessings which God bestows upon the Sons of Men , is generally acknowledged by all who know any thing of the value and worth of them . To shew their Use and Excellency , is beyond the Author's present design or intendment ; 't is already done by one or other to good purpose every day . In them the Lord hath dilucidly displayed that Counsel of his Will , that is of infinite concernment to us to understand , in order to our present being accepted of him here , and at last brought to the fullest enjoyment of himself in Glory . T is wonderful to behold , how full and perfect this Word is , with respect to this end ; What can Man desire to know , which is necessary hereunto , that the light thereof discovers not ? What direction can he expect , by which he may be fortified against all Enemies of his good , either within or without him , that is not there given ? What Encouragements would he have which are not therein displayed before him ? And what Cavils can be brought against any part of Truth contained therein , to which they themselves yield not a full resolve ? ( one place of Scripture so exactly clearing , expounding , and illustrating another ) Yet ( to amazement ) it 's observed , That Man ( who is so highly and principally concerned in it ) doth too too little value it ; he can weary himself in any secular Affair , but diligently to search the Scriptures ( according to our Lord's advice ) is to him tedious and burthensom . Few covet to be mighty in the Scriptures ; though convinced , their great concern is inveloped in them : A Spirit of Self-fulness , Pride , spiritual Sloth , Drowsiness , and Deadness , lies at the bottom of this sinful Neglect . To encourage , awaken Persons to a more diligent thorow search of the mind of God herein , is a service no less profitable than seasonable at this day . And what greater external Encouragement , than to make that facile and easie , which seemed inconquerably arduous and difficult ?

This is the design of the ensuing Treatise : Nor is the Author altogether without hopes ( wherein he hath the concurring Judgment of several eminently Learned and Judicious Divines , who have perused it ) but , by the Blessing of God , it may have a singular tendency to the enlightning of some , and establishing of others in Divine Truths ( when uno intuitu they see the Scriptures , upon which they are built ) and enabling them with ease to confute Gainsayers . For here the several Texts of Holy Scripture ( which lie scattered in the Book of God ) are Collected together , Transcribed and placed ( in the Order as they lie in the Bible ) under several and particular Heads . And where any Subject is fallen on , and mentioned in the General Head ( and sometimes also in a particular Head ) there ( for the most part ) is to be found all that relate to that Matter , immediately following under particular Heads , or Sub-Divisions , to the end that the whole thereof may be met with together : Or , at least , there are references to some others General or Particular Head , where it is placed more properly .

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 Man's 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 .

1st , 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 .

3dly , Some General Heads have no Particulars following , but the whole placed under that General Head . This is so done , either because the Texts which the Scripture affords to that Subject , are but few in the whole , and so easily run through ; or that the Matters are so various , that almost every Verse carries a distinct thing in it , yet still relating to the General Head ; as that [ Of the Saints Privileges ] each Text almost a distinct Privilege : So that [ Of the Character of Saints ] and some other of like Nature . And here to have descended to Particular Heads , would have been tedious and unnecessary ; for the words being there transcribed , the Reader may presently inform himself in the whole , and in every particular .

Lastly , A little pains in observing the Contents or Table in the Front of the Book , which doth contain the General and Particular Heads therein , and also the References thereto , and directs to Chapter and Page where each lieth , will enable thee to discern more of the Method and usefulness of the Work , than can be well expressed in a short Epistle .

Therefore this shall suffice , supposing the Work it self will shew its own Usefulness and Advantage to the Meditation about Divine Matters ; holding a Man to one Subject , and yielding variety of Matter to enforce upon the mind , and leave impression there : When bare reading a Chapter or two ( as some use to do as a task ) proves not effectual for that end ; and searching proves laborious ; and to many ( by reason of the difficulty of finding ) discouraging also .

In this Edition the Errata of the former Edition are Corrected ; and the Work is enlarged about a fourth Part.