Now this setting up of the Grecian empire did greatly prepare the way for the coming of Christ and setting up his kingdom in the world. Besides these ways common to the o•her overturnings of the world in this period, that have been already mentioned, there is one peculiar to th•s revolution which I […] take notice of, which did remarkably promote the work of redemption; and that was, that it made the Greek language […] in the world. To have one common language understood and used through the greater part of the world, was a thing that […] prepare the way for the setting up of Christ's kingdom This gave advantage for spreading the gospel from one nation to another, and so through all nations, with vastly greater ease, than if every nation had a distinct language, and did not understand each other. For though some of the first preachers of the gospel had the gift of languages so that they could preach in any language; […] all had not this particular gift; and they that had, could not exercise it when they would, but only at special seasons, when the spirit of God was pleased to inspire them in this way. The church, in different parts of the ⟨p. 122⟩world, as the churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, and others, which were in countries distant one from another, could not have had that communication one with another, which we have an account of in the book of Acts, if they had had no common language. So it was before the Grecian empire was set up. But after this, many in all those countries well understood the same language, viz the Greek language; which wonderfully opened the door for mutual communication between those churches, so far separated one from another. Again, the making the Greek language common through so great a part of the world, did wonderfully make way for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, because it was the language in which the New Testament was to be originally written. The apostles propagated the gospel through many scores of nations; and if they could not have understood the Bible any otherwise than as it was translated into so many languages, it would have rendered the spreading of the gospel vastly more difficult. But by the Greek language being made common to all, they all understood the New Testament of Jesus Christ in their language in which the apostles and evangelists originally wrote it:
Now this setting up of the Grecian empire did greatly prepare the way for the coming of Christ and setting up his kingdom in the world. Besides these ways common to the o•her overturnings of the world in this period, that have been already mentioned, there is one peculiar to th•s rev••ution which I 〈…〉 take notice of, which did remarkably promote the w•rk of redemption; and that was, that it made the Greek language 〈…〉 in the world. To have one common language understood and used through the greater part of the world, was a thing that 〈…〉 prepare the way for the setting up of Christ's kingdom This gave advantage for spreading the gospel from one nation to another, and so through all nations, with vastly greater ease, than if every nation had a distinct language, and did not understand each other. For though some of the first preachers of the gospel had the gift of languages so that they could preach in any language; 〈…〉 all had not this particular gift; and they that had, could not exercise it when they would, but only at special seasons, when the spirit of God was pleased to inspire them in this way. The church, in different parts of the ⟨p. 122⟩world, as the churches of Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, and others, which were in countries distant one from another, could not have had that communication one with another, which we have an account of in the book of Acts, if they had had no common language. So it was before the Grecian empire was set up. But after this, many in all those countries well understood the same language, viz the Greek language; which wonderfully opened the door for mutual communication between those churches, so far separated one from another. Again, the making the Greek language common through so great a part of the world, did wonderfully make way for the setting up of the kingdom of Christ, because it was the language in which the New Testament was to be originally written. The apostles propogated the gospel through many scores of nations; and if they could not have understood the Bible any otherwise than as it was translated into so many languages, it would have rendered the spreading of the gospel vastly more difficult. But by the Greek language being made common to all, they all understood the New Testament of Jesus Christ in their language in which the apostles and evangelists originally wrote it:
