THE first and most important Means of getting an exact Knowledge of the Scriptures, is to be acquainted with the Authors whose Business it has been to explain those divine Books, and to learn what the several Works are which have been published by them with this Design. When this is done, it will be necessary to form a general Idea of every thing that may be of use in explaining all the Difficulties which may be met with in many Places of the Scripture. Lastly, it is of great Service to understand the Original Languages, that so we may enter with Success upon this Study, and avoid Mistakes in our Explanation of the most perplexing Passages of the Sacred Writings.
This is the Design of a Bibliotheca Sacra, of Grammars, Dictionaries, Concordances, Prolegomena, Dissertations, Introductions to the Scripture, and the Books which treat of the Manner of Interpreting it rightly; of all which we propose to say something in this First Part.