214 Sect. 8.

Ver. 13.

Reflections on the concluding Section of St. James. and Supports. May we be fo happy, as to be acquainted with thofe of Devotion, that in our Affliction we may pray, and in our Chearfulness, fing Pfalms; that we may know by bleffed Experience, the Efficacy of fuch a Temper to foften the Sorrows of Life, and to sweeten its Enjoyments. And as we defire to be vifited of GOD in our Afflictions, may we with Chriftian Sympathy be ready to vifit and relieve others, in their Sickness, or other Kinds of Ver. 14 Distress. Diftrefs. It is indeed the fpecial Office of the Elders of the Church, who should be fent for upon fuch Occafions with Readiness, and who, if they be worthy of their Office, will attend with Pleafure. But it is not their Office alone. Let us all be ready to pray for each other, in Faith and Charity; and where Offences have been committed, let there be a frank and candid Acknowledgment of them on the one Side, and as hearty a Forgiveness, on the other. In a Word, let the Efficacy of the fervent Prayer of the Righteous be often reflected on, to excite Fervor, and to engage to Righteoufness, and to lead us to honour thofe, who maintain fuch a Character, and who offer fuch Petitions and Supplications; that GODVer. 17, 18. may in Answer to their Requests, shower down his Bleffing upon us, that our Land may yield its Increafe, that Righteoufnefs may Spring up out of the Earth, and that in every Senfe GOD, as our own GOD, may bless us. (Pfal. Ixvii. 6. lxxxv. 11.)

Ver. 15.

Ver. 16

The END of the FAMILY EXPOSITOR on the CATHOLIC EPISTLE of
St. JAMES.

Critical NOTES, and a practical IMPROVEMENT of each SECTION.

T

O F

PET TE R.

HE Apoftle Peter makes a very eminent and illuftrious Figure on the Theatre of the the evangelical Hiftory, and was, on feveral Occafions, favoured by our Lord with peculiar and diftinguishing Marks of Honour. One Inftance, which I fhall alone recite, among the many which might be recited, if it was needful,, and which happened very foon after. our Lord's Afcenfion is, that he was deemed worthy, under the Impulfe and Infpiration of the Holy Ghoft, to open the Gofpel-Difpenfation, and fir to preach Salvation through a crucified Redeemer to the Jews (Acts ii.), and Gentiles (Acts x). And I the rather fuggeft this Inftance, becaufe it affords fome Colour to my own Opinion, that this Epiftle was written both to the Jewish and Gentile Converts, who were difperfed in various Regions of the World. is to no

The Sentiments of learned Men upon this Queftion-To whom was this Epiftle written? are very various. The principal and moft remarkable are thefe That it was to the converted Jews of VOL. VI. Eesting bed ad e the

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A General Introduction

the Difperfion-Or to the converted Gentiles Or lastly, (which is the Opinion of Lord Barrington, embraced and defended by Dr. Benfon,) to the converted Profelytes of the Gate. It is not neceffary in this Place*, to enter into a particular Confutation of the laftmentioned Hypothefis; efpecially as I apprehend what is suggested in my Notes on feveral Paffages of the Acts, may convince an attentive Reader, that there is no fufficient Ground to fuppofe there were ever any fuch Perfons as Profelytes of the Gates. And as to the two former Opinions, when the feveral Arguments by which they are fupported, are duly confidered and examined, we fhall perhaps be inclined to imagine that the Apostle rather defigned his Epiftle for the Jewish and Gentile Converts both, than for either of them diftinctly and feparately. Without difcuffing the Reafons for the Opinion I have adopted, I fhall leave the Reader to form his own Judgment, after he hath perufed my Paraphrafe and Notes on those Paffages of this Epifle, on which it is founded.

It is not very eafy to affign the Date of this Epiftle with Exactness. The most commonly received Opinion is that it was written in the Year 61. the feventh of the Emperor Nero; and this feems to be a Medium, between the Sentiments of those who place it fome Years higher and those who place it lower, which bids faireft for the Truth.

It is evidently the Defign of this Epiftle, "To induce the Christian Converts in various Parts of the World, to maintain a Conversation, not merely inoffenfive to all Men, but in all Refpects worthy of the Gofpel; and to fupport them under the "fevere Perfecutions and fiery. Trials they already endured, or were likely to endure, by the nobleft Confiderations which their "Religion could fuggeft."

ཁམས་

The firft Branch of this Defign the Apostle feems to keep particularly in view from Chap. iii. 7. And in Purfuance of it, after having congratulated his Brethren, who were difperfed abroad through various Countries, on their Happiness in being called to the glorious Privileges and Hopes of the Gafpel; which was introduced into the World in fo fublime a manner by the Prophets and Apoftles; (Chap. i, 12.) he exhorts them to Watchfulness, to Sobriety, to Love and to univerfal Obedience, by an affecting Representation of their Relation to God, their Redemption by Christ's

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* The learned Author intended, had Providence prolonged his valuable Life, to have published a diftinct Differtation on this Subject. But this, and many other. Defigns he had projected for the Benefit of the Church and World, were prevented. by his juftly-lamented Death.