DIFFICULTIES IN PLAN AND DISTRIBUTION. 405 SECT. II. Difficulties in Plan and Distribution. 1069. THERE is often confiderable difficulty in discovering the plan and diftribution of a book of Scripture. 1070. 1. There is difficulty in diftinguishing what are the different members into which a book ought naturally to be divided. -1071. The Jews have long been in ufe of diftin. guishing the Old Testament into large divifions, or fections, one of which was read every Sabbath in the fynagogues. The New Testament, also, was early divided into nepanaia, or chapters, probably with no other view than to facilitate references. 1072. The prefent divifion into chapters is different from thefe; we are apt to suppose that it is made according to the sense; but, this not being the cafe, it obstructs our perceiving the real plan of a book, Gen. ii. 1, 2, 3. improperly separated from ch. i. Vulg. joins Pf. ix. and x. and divides Pf. cxlvii. into two. Pf. xlii. and xliii. originally one. Structure. 7 MSS. Kennic. Rom. v. 1. from ch. iv. Rom. viii. 1. from ch. vii. Rom. Dd 3 XV. Rom. xv. 1-13, from ch. xiv. 1 Cor. iv. 21. from ch. v. 1 Cor. xi, 1. from ch. x, 2 Cor. iv. 1-6, from ch, iii. 2 Cor. v. 1, from ch. iv. 2 Cor, vi. 1, from ch. v. 2 Cor. vii. 1. from ch. vi. Eph. v. 1, 2, from ch. iv, Col. iii. 1. from ch. ii. 1073. The proper divifion would be, into as many chapters as there are general heads in the plan; and to fubdivide these into fections, according to the feveral branches or topics under each head. 1074. But it would not be always easy to make fuch a division, because it is not easy to ascertain, in every cafe, where one branch of the divifion ends, and another begins. 1075. Many prophecies, pronounced at different times, and relating to different events, follow one another without any mark of diftinction, and thus may be confounded. 1076. In the argumentative parts of Scripture, there is great difficulty in distinguishing and feparating the several members of the plan, from the authors not writing in an artificial order, with studied transitions, but fliding infenfibly from one part of the subject into another. 1077, The distribution can be discovered, only by repeated and careful attention to the whole book at once, that its general tenor and tendency may be per ceived. 1078, When a book has one fimple defign, its na tural tural diftribution is, into the feveral fteps and argu ments, by which that design is prosecuted. 1079. When a book aims at different designs, each defign is a separate fubject, and the divifion of it is into the feveral fubjects propofed. 1080. In dividing a book, the joining together fuch members as are really diftin&; and, the separat ing one member improperly into different branches, are two extremes which ought equally to be avoided. Rom. Introd. ch. i. 1—15, Part 1. ch. i. 16.-ch, vi. That mankind can be justified only by faith, not by works. Part 2. ch. vi. vii. viii. Obligation to holiness in confequence of this juftification. Part 3. ch. ix. x. xi. Vindicates the rejection of the Jews for their unbelief. Part 4. ch. xii. 1. -xv. 13. Practical exhortations. Concl. ch, xv. 14. to the end. Vorft. Taylor. 1 Cor. Introd. ch. i. 1-9. Part 1. ch. i. 9.—to end of ch. vi, To draw them off from the falfe teacher or teachers, and reclaim them from the faults into which he had led them. Part 2, ch, vii, to end of ch. xv. Anfwering queftions that had been propofed, resolving doubts, corre&ing abuses, and confuting errors, Concl, ch. xvi. Vorft, Locke. 2 Cor. Vindication of himself from calumnies, with a digreffion ch, viii. ix. on almfgiving, occafioned by one of these, Members. The feveral calumnies from which he defends himself. Vorft. Locke. Gal. Introd.-Part 1. The true doctrine of juftification. Part 2. To check the divifions arifing from their difputes on this fubject. Conclufion. 1081. 2. There is difficulty in perceiving in what precife manner each member of the general plan is profecuted. 1082. The facred writers do not ftudiously, or artificially, diftinguifh the feveral topics which they em ploy under each member. up 1083. Different prophecies are purfued and filled in very different and diffimilar ways. 1084. In the argumentative parts of Scripture, obfcurity and intricacy fometimes arife, from the authors not pursuing their arguments in the fhortest and most direct way; but, with a view to the fituation, preju, dices, and opinions of thofe to whom they write. 1085. Sometimes, they carry on, at once, two dif ferent defigns, in confiftence with, or fubordination to, one another, without attention to both which, the force and tendency of their expreffions cannot be perceived. Gal. ch. i. and ii. to eftablish the authority of his apostleship -and to vindicate himself from the charge of fametimes preaching circumcifion. 1086. Sometimes, they do not content themselves with what is abfolutely neceffary for their point, but take occafion to throw in, and interweave, inftruc tions of a general and important nature, which introduce fome perplexity into their arguments. The whole nature of the gofpel, and all God's dealings with mankind, in Romans. 1087. It is neceffary to ascertain the feveral topics employed under each head, to distinguish them properly from one another, and from every thing inci dental and extraneous, and to view them fimply in themselves. Rom. Part 1. Arg. 1. to the end of ch. iii. from the actual ftate of both Jews and Gentiles,-Arg, 2. from ch. iv. I. to ch. v. 11. from the manner of Abraham's juftification.--Arg. 3. from ch. v. 12. to end of the ch. from the univer fality of the effects of Adam's fall, SECT. III. Difficulties in Scope and Design. 1088. There are often difficulties in discovering the general scope and defign of a book, many of which are analogous to those which regard the plan and diftribution. 1089. Our not knowing the precife view, or all the views which the facred hiftorians had, occafions confiderable difficulty in accounting for their selection of |