to agree with the Dean in fome meafure, as I have had the misfortune, before I faw his interpretation, to differ entirely from all other Expofitors. But with regard to what kind of New Teftament prophecy St. Peter fpeaks of in this text, and in every thing elfe, I have the infelicity to differ from him alfo. I hope he will not think this the effect of my looking on his interpretation of this text with a rival's eye. I know how to value and efteem fuch great talents as the Dean is bleffed with; how to return my thanks to God, the Author of every good and perfect gift, for them, especially when they are employed in the defence of Chriftianity; and how to make my hearty acknowledgements to the Dean himfelf, for the great entertainment and inftruction his difcourfes have given me. I am very fenfible of the fervice he has done religion, by feveral of the obfervations he has made on prophecy (notwithstanding that I cannot fee how thofe obfervations refult from his text); and what great lengths he has gone in ftating fome of thofe periods of the Old Teftament, which, if he gives himself the trouble to read this Preface, he will find, I wish to fee ftated with the accuracy he is master of. For both these he has my thanks in particular, and I wish with all my foul he may go on. Nor can any friend to Christianity

forbear

forbear to with that of one, who feems to have pried fo curioufly into the Bible as he has, as well as into the other parts of learning that are neceffary to the understanding it fully; and knows how to treat the most dry and intricate fubject with a clearness and fpirit, that affords great pleasure, even where his thoughts do not give one entire fatisfaction. He has his reader ever of his fide; and makes one with his opinion true, where, upon examination, it does not always appear to be fo. I have made these fhort obfervations therefore, I affure him, from no fuch felfish or unfriendly difpofition, as jealousy for my own discoveries, or envy at his; but only to fhew the world, why he has not gained me to his opinion (an inftance of reIpect due to the real merit of his work), and to give him, if he pleases, an opportunity to help me out, where I stick. That may, perhaps, be a fervice, not only to me, but to others; either by fatisfying those who may want fatisfaction in this point as much as I do, or by confirming and clearing those in his fenfe of the text, who are already gone into his way of thinking about it.

THERE is one thing more, of which I muft advertise the reader, before I conclude

this Poftfcript; namely, that I have very lately had reafon, on confidering carefully the time of St. Paul's writing his epistle to the Galatians, to alter my opinion about it. Till within thefe fix weeks, I thought, with Bishop Pearfon, from an expreffion St. Paul ufes in the latter end of his firft epiftle to the Corinthians, that the epiftle to the Galatians was written but a little before that to the Corinthians. The place I refer to, is 1 Cor. xvi. 1. "Now concerning the col"lection of the faints, as I have given or"der to the churches of Galatia, fo do "ye," &c. It must be owned, the expreffion countenances this opinion; and would incline one at firft view to think, that the orders there faid to be given to the churches of Galatia were contained in that epistle of St. Paul to this church that is come to our hands. This occafioned my fixing the writing of it from Ephefus about the year 57, in the Abstract of the Abftract. But I apprehend, on confidering the epiftle to the Galatians itself more carefully, that there are plain marks of its being written about three years fooner; namely, between St. Paul's first and fecond journey to Galatia. I have given my reafons for this opinion in the Abstract, where I mention St. Paul's writing this epiftle. Now, in balancing

I

thefe

thefe counter-evidences, when I was taking the last review of the Abftract, before I fent it to the prefs, I think the latter outweighs the former very much; efpecially if one confiders, that fuch particular orders as St. Paul fays, 1 Cor. xvi. 1. he had given to the churches of Galatia, are not to be met with in his epiftle to that church; though there is fomething that looks like general orders for collections, Gal. vi. 6-10. This laft chapter of the Galatians made me, for fome time, the rather incline to think, that the orders, which St. Paul fays he had given to the churches of Galatia, 1 Cor. xvi. 1. might refer to this epiftle. Perhaps this might contribute to mislead Bishop Pearson and others in this point. But, on confidering it with more attention, it appears, that these orders must have been contained in an epiftle written to that church at fome other time, or verbal orders fent by fome meffenger; and then they will have nothing to do with the prefent cafe. I have therefore in the Abstract fixed the time of St. Paul's writing the epiftle to the Galatians about the year .53 and suppose it to be written from Corinth the first time of his being there; perhaps about the time of his leaving that place in order to go to Jerufalem: or perhaps it might be from Ephefus (in his way to Jerufalem)

falem) the first time of his being there, 'ann. 54.

HAVING altered my opinion in this matter, between the time of printing the Abftract of the Abstract and the Abstract itself, I thought it would be fairer to make them differ, and own this alteration in my opinion, than to make them agree, by concealing it. And fince, for this reason, they differ in this particular, I thought it neceffary to acquaint my reader how they come to do fo.

ESSAY