a Spiritual Family after the Passion of Christ several Bishops were called Fathers and Archbishops Patriarchs that is to say chief among the Fathers Whom it was lawful to suffer if not as Fathers 1 Cor. 4.15 at least as Pedagogues in Christ But the Ambition of these Persons encreasing the chief Archbishops whom they called Bishops of the highest Seat usurped this Title to themselves till at length four of them obtained this Title to be conferred upon them Principally above all the rest the Patriarch of Rome of Alexandria of Antioch and Jerusalem to whom was added at length the Patriarch of Constantinople made the second by reason of the new Romes Dignity Is dead He died in the Feast of Pentecost if we may believe the Jerusalem Talmud His Sepulcher With which the bones and ashes of David are cover'd 30. Of the Fruit of his Loyns The words are taken out of the 132 Psalm v. 11. where the Greek has it of the fruit of thy Belly that is by the birth of thy Wife The same sense answers to both There is added here in the Greek Text to raise Christ according to the flesh But there is no reason appearing why this addition which the Greek Copies have and Chrysostom has expressed should be brought into the least suspicion of being untrue For saith the learned Ludovicus de Dieu when Luke does not relate what was singly sworn to David but what David as a Prophet knew to be sworn to him it did not behove him barely to recite the words of the Promise but to explain how David as a Prophet understood them God had promised to David that he would settle in his Throne one of the fruit of his Loyns that David as a Prophet knew to be nothing else but that God would raise Christ according to the Flesh from the fruit of his Loyns to sit upon his Throne To sit upon his Throne Christ is said to sit upon Davids Throne because he was designed by God to be his Successor who after a Celestial and Divine manner should Reign over the House of Jacob that is the people of God over whom David had received from God the Earthly Dominion For which reason Christ himself affirms that he has the Key that is the Power and Empire of David though his Throne be not established upon Earth but translated to Heaven and that all Powers both in Heaven and Earth are subjected to his Empire together with Angels good and evil all People Tongues Nations and even Death and Hell itself 31. He seeing this before As if he had said David understanding by the Spirit of Prophecy Psal 132. 2 Sam 7. Psal 16. that it was promised him that Christ should be raised from his Seed by the same Prophetick knowledge foretold that the Soul of Christ should not be long left in a condition separated from the Body nor his Body remain so long in the Sepulcher as to be reduced to dust before it should be raised 32. Whereof we are witnesses As if he had said we all attest that this Jesus was raised from the dead not by report but by those certain signs of which we were all sensible by seeing hearing and feeling 33. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted As much as to say This Jesus being taken up into Heaven by the Divine Power And by the Promise c. That is and having received the Gift of the Holy Ghost which he as Mediator between God and Man had often promised us this has he largely and plentifully bestowed upon us as by our sudden speaking of Languages we never learnt is apparently demonstrable to you 34. For David did not ascend into Heaven That is to the heavenly Throne which is typified by his earthly Throne But he saith himself So Christ Mat. 22.43 Mark 12.36 Luke 20.42 Hence it is clear that it was a thing confessed and apparent to the Antient Jews that the 110th Psalm contained a Prophecy concerning the Messia and that David vvas the Writer thereof And indeed saith Grotius upon the foresaid place of Matthew The Inscription in the Hebrew Copies is a Hymn of David which alone sufficiently argues that it is not to be attributed to Eliezer or any other Writer in the times of Ezechias For thâ—ough we should grant that the Psalms Titles were not added by their own Authors yet they appear to be of veryâ— great antiquity and to enervate the credit of them not by Argument but at our own conceited pleasures to be maâ—d for love of contention The Septuagint render the word Ledavid to David but the Paraphrasts and other Jews render it better of David in the second case For if we should otherwise interpret it there would be none of the Psalms which might be certainly thought Davids Whereas the Jews themselves do all confess that several of thâ—â— Psalms having the same Inscription Ledavid were nevertheless written by David The Lord said to my Lord. That is the Eternal Father bespake the Messiah to be born of me according to the flesh who nevertheless is my Lord because he is the Only begotten Son of the Eternal Father Rabbi Saadias testifies also that the Messiah is here called Lord by David upon c. 7. Dan. v. 13. Sit thou at my Right hand That is sit thou and reign in the Heavenly Throne as the Apostle explains it He does not say 1 Cor. 15.25 Heb. 10.12 13. stand before me but sit which signifies Regal and Judicial Power Neither does he say sit at my feet but at my Right hand that is be thou next in power to me 35. Vntil I make c. The word until saith Genebrard uses to be taken emphatically for even until and signifies continuance not exclusion of future time to which it is by no means opposed as if he had said Reign with me also until I have put thy Enemies under thy feet also all the time that seems to be contrary and opposite to thy Reign also before I have subdu'd thy Enemies at thy feet even before the Devil Death the Wicked and all Sin be utterly extirpated For it is not to be question'd but that at all other times Christ shall Reign Observe therefore that by this and the like particles the Scripture and the Hebrew Language affirms what might be otherwise called in question Psalm 122. Our Eyes are fixed upon the Lord until he shall have compassion upon us That is even until or before he shews us his mercy that is in our time of distress Mat. 28. I am with you until the end of the World that is even until the end of the World before which time it seems many things may happen to fall out contrary to it 36. Assuredly c. That is let this truth be to you most certain and undoubted that this Jesus whom you demanded to the most ignoble and ignominious Death of the Cross is appointed by God the Messiah promis'd both in the Law and the
Prophets and invested with all Power both in Heaven and Earth 37. What shall we do That is by what means shall we obtain pardon of so hainous a Crime committed by us when we demanded this Jesus constituted Lord of Heaven and Earth the Messiah promised in the Law and the Prophets to be put to the scandalous and ignominious death of the Cross 38. Repent The Greek Be wise again or return to perfect understanding As if he had said So do you repent of the fact that you may not only change your thoughts but also your lives for the better and compose your selves to live according to the rule of his Divine precepts Nothing makes true Repentance saith St. Austin Serm. 7. De Temp. but the hatred of Sin and love of God See my Annot. upon Mat. 3.2 8. in that edition which I dedicated to the Right honourable Hen. Compton Lord Bishop of London whose most ardent Zeal for true Religion and Virtue and most liberal and munificent Charity both to me and the rest of the French Protestants no oblivion can ever be able to obscure And be baptized c. That is according to the command of Christ let every one of you struck with a real sorrow for his sins be plung'd in Water because that sacred immersion has been instituted by Christ like a certain Signet Diploma or Pattent by which he confirms the remission and utter defacing of their Sins to all those who seek to him with an unfeigned faith as the onely Physician of their Souls so that their sins shall never more be remembred or imputed to them The Sacred Ceremony of Baptism is not to be performed by the sprinkling only or pouring on of a little Water but by the plunging of the whole body of them that are to be baptiz'd as first the proper signification of the Greek word Baptizo declares Vpon Mat. 3.6 This saith Causaubon was the rite of baptizing that persons were plung'd into the Water which the very word Baptizo sufficiently demonstrates Which as it does not extend so far as to sink down to the bottom to the hurt of the person so is it not to swim upon the superficies Therefore we are apprehensive that it is not without cause what some have disputed that Baptism ought to be administred by plunging the whole body into the Water for they urge the word Baptize See our Annot. c. 1. v. 5. and our Literal Explication Mat. 3.6 Mark 1.5 Secondly Mat. 3.16 Mark 1.9 The Example of Christ. When the Synod of Celichyth An. D. 816. where Wolfred Archbishop of Canterbury presided Can. 11. Let saith he the Presbyters beware that when they administer the Sacrament of Baptism they do not pour Water upon the heads of the Infants but let them be always plung'd in the Font according to the Example of the Son of God himself who was thrice plung'd in the Waters of Jordan Thus must this Ceremony be perform'd according to order See our Lit. Expl. Mat. 3.15 Thirdly The constant practice of the Universal Church till the time of Clem. 5. who was Crown'd Pope Anno. 1305. under whom first of all the second Synod of Ravenna approv'd the abuse introduc'd into some Churches about a hundred years before that Baptism without any necessity should be administred by aspersion Hence it came to pass that contrary to the Analogy or intended Mystical signification of this Sacrament all the West for the most part has in this age the use of Rhantism that is sprinkling instead of Baptism as Zepper speaks to the great scandal of the Greeks and Russians who to this day plunge into the Water those they Baptize and deny any one to be rightly baptiz'd who is not plung'd into the Water according to the Precept of Christ Concil Florent Sect. 9. c. 9. Lib. of Infants Baptism p. 693. Ductor dubit l. 3. c. 4. Reg. 15. Numb 9. as we may find in Sylvester Sguropulus and Cassander The custom of the Ancient Church was not Sprinkling but Immersion in pursuance of the sense of the word Baptizing in the Commandment and of the Example of our blessed Saviour saith Dr. Jeremy Taylor The Greek word Baptein saith Salmasius in the Notes of divers upon Sulpitius Severus St. Martin 's life n. 16. from which the word Baptizein derives signifies Immersion not Sprinkling Nor did the Ancients otherwise baptize than by single or treble Immersion In the Greek Church at this day the person to be Baptized is plung'd over Head and Ears The same thing does Peter Avitabolis testifie of the Asian Christians inhabiting Iberia and Colchi Only they who are Bed-rid saith Salmasius because they lye down were baptiz'd as convenience would permit not as they who plunge their Heads under Water but by pouring the Water upon their whole Bodies Thus Novatus was baptized in his sickness by Effusion all over not by immersion Euseb 6. Hist c. 43. Orat. 40. Gregory Nazianzen relates many and various names of this Sacrament among which are these two Baptism and Washing And adding the reason for these Appellations it was called says he Washing because thereby sin is washe away and Baptism in regard that sin is thereby signified to be buried For as saith St. Ambrose Lib. de initiandis Water is that wherein the body is plung'd to wash all sin away There all vice is buried Which in the Book inscribed Reformation of the Ecclesiastical Laws printed at London 1641. is expressed in these words While we are plunged in the Water the death and burial of Christ is recommended to us that we openly testify that sin lies dead and buried in us For as saith St. Bernard Immersion is a representation of Death and Burial But to substitute in the room of Immersion either sprinkling or any any other way of applying Water to the body to signify the same thing is not in the power of the dispensers of Gods Mysteries or of the Church For that as Tho. Aquinas excellently well observes It belongs to the Signifier to determine what sign is to be used for the signification but God it is who by things sensible signifies Spiritual things in the Sacraments The Church has no more power than was deriv'd to it from the Apostles Now the Apostles were endu'd by Christ after his Resurrection with authority to preach throughout all Nations the observance of all his Precepts Mat. 28.20 But never was there any power granted them to change the least Tittle in any of the commands of Christ much less of adding any new by their own authority Lastly There is another thing that evinces the necessity of plunging the parties to be baptiz'd 1 Pet. 3. v. 20 21. for that St. Peter asserts the Genuine end of Baptism was not to represent the inward washing away from sin which may be represented by any exteriour washing of the body but to express the Death and Resurrection of Christ as also our
Annotations upon Amos 3.8 21. So when they had further threatned them That is when they had charged them upon pain to forbear speaking and teaching in the Name of Christ How they might That is under what specious pretence Glorifi'd God for that which was done In the Greek gave glory to God We find here the people more rightly judging of Divine things than they who challenged to themselves the chief Authority in Sacred things For the people acknowledges the Miracle and praises God for it The Elders Pontiffs Priests and Doctors of the Law do not only refuse to acknowledge it and go about to deprive it of its deserved praise but also wickedly deem it worthy of punishment 22. Forty years old c. Luke here declares that all whom their passions had not blinded could not but judge this Cure of the Lame person a most wonderful Miracle in regard he had been lame from his Mothers womb for forty years together and upward For Diseases of long continuance are not easily eradicated Insomuch that though they are not natural they at length become a second Nature getting a head and hardning with Age. 23. They went to theirs In Greek as in English to their own That is to the rest of the Christians for no men are so peculiarly the Christians as the Christians themselves A Christian is to a Christian his Domestick his Kinsman his Brother 24. And when they had heard That is the Threats of the Sanhedrin or of the Council of the Chief of the Jews they did not betake themselves to tears nor despond in their minds or despairing of a good Cause did they go about to abandon it but being destitute of Human Aid they betook themselves to implore the Assistance of Heaven believing that then chiefly to begin when the other forsakes them With one accord The consent of pious people and unanimity of mind is of great efficacy in prayer to move God See Matth. 18.19 20. They lifted up their voice With a fervent zeal and a generous ardour of mind To God There are no Arms for Christians to use against the Magistrate when he endeavours to oppress the Truth and the Professors of it by his Authority and Force but Prayers to God for the Magistrate and his Salvation That is to say that through the mijd-changing and heart-converting power of God he may be reclaimed from opposing the Truth Or if he have threatned any thing to the Professors of it to prevent him from putting it in Execution Lord. To whose Divine Power all Beings in Nature are obedient Thou To whose Clemency for succour we thy Suppliants have betaken our selves Art In the Greek and Vulgar English is added God or The God Who c. As if he had said whom the Creation of all things demonstrates to excel in Immense Power and Infinite Strength 25. Who. As if he had said Who to thy demonstration of Power to help hast added thy promise of Assistance that resting upon thy Promise and Power together we may implore thy Aid with certain hope of obtaining it * This is not in the Vulgar English but it is â—n the Greek Original By the Holy Ghost That is foretelling fâ—ture things by thy Divine Instinct and Inspiration Of thy Child That is thy Servant as it is rendred in the common English Translation Why c. As if he had said Why rages the wicked and violent Design to destroy the Kingdom set up of God For it shall prove no more effectual than if a Fly opposed an Elephant or if any one should go about to throw down the Sun from Heaven In the literal sense this is to be understood of the Kingdom of David typifying the Kingdom of Christ David beheld himself encompassed on every side with most potent Enemies the Philistines Moabites Sabaeans Damascenes Ammonites and Idumaeans and beset with powerful Hosts However 2 Sam. 5.15.8.1 c. 10.6 c. David derides the vain endeavours of all their threatning Numbers to deprive him of a Kingdom so firmly assured to him from Heaven But in a Mystical sense the Holy Ghost speaking by the mouth of David reproaches the ridiculous malice of the World for daring to invade Christ and his Church whereas God has ordained by his inviolable Decree though the universality of men both high and low combin'd in an Impious and Nefarious Conspiration oppose Christ and his Church yet all their Fury will come to nothing And that this Mystical sense of the second Psalm belongs to the Messiah both Rabbi David Kimchi Saadias Gaon Jarchi and others acknowledge 26. Stood up c. As if he had said the Princes mentioned in the places last cited 2 Sam. 8.10 wickedly conspir'd against the irresistible Decree of the Omnipotent God 1 Sam. 16.13 2 Sam. 2.4 5.3 and against David solemnly Anointed by the command of God Those Princes were the Type of all those who refusing to be subject to the Lord Christ are violently carried forth to their own destruction to make opposition against God whose pleasure it is to Reign in Christ's person Now David being by the command of God Anointed King was an Adumbration of the Son of God Jesus the Messiah or Christ that is the Anointed by the Eternal Father to the Priestly Prophetical and Kingly Dignity not with Terrestrial Oil Isa 61.1 but with Coelestial Gifts of the Holy Ghost The Kings of the Earth Thus by way of Extenuation he calls those Princes who were Enemies to David and Jesus Christ who was typified by David and to them he opposes God whose dwelling is in the Heavens whose vast Power is not confined to those narrow bounds that limit Human Force 27. Were gathered together As if he had said For these Enemies of David were Types of Herodes Antipas Tetrarch of Galilee Pontius Pilate Governour of Judaea who though in other things there was no good correspondence between them they consented together with Heathens and Jews to the destruction of Christ Luke 23. Child When it is spoken of Jesus Hilary and Ambrose translate the Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Son as Erasmus notes upon this place Whom thou hast Anointed That is whom thou hast inaugurated King Priest and Prophet by the Unction of the Holy Ghost Herod and Pontius Pilate By vertue of an Hebraism peculiar to the Scripture they who have a derivâ—d and deputed Power are call'd Kings With the Gentiles That is with the Ethnicks who were either Counsellors with or Officers under Pilate who was the Roman Governour of Judaea And the peoples of Israel The Jews are called the peoples of Israel in the plural number not only because they consisted of the Twelve Tribes each of which constituted as it were a distinct people as Isaac prayed for Jacob Gen. 28.3 and God himself promised Gen. 48.4 But also because they were a multitude equally as numerous as if many Nations had been conjoyned together Judges 5.14 28. To do
he hath both his Shirt or inner Coat and Breeches on him Thus King Saul sung naked before Samuel * 1 Sam. 19.24 Thus Peter was naked in the Boat †Joh. 21.7 who therefore is said to have put on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not certainly his innermost Garment or Shirt but as its name intimates that which was put on above the other to wit his Robe which as we said was made fast about them with the Girdle whence it is also said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he girded his upper Coat Young Man Saul who is here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a young Man was according to Chrysostom upwards of 30 years of Age when he kept the Clothes of the Witnesses that were laid down at his Feet And truly a little after when he was converted to the Faith of Christ he is called by Ananias 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Man c. 9. v. 13. Nor is it likely the High Priest would have conferred so much power on a young Man when he was yet under Tutors against the Christians See the same Chap. 9.2 and Paul himself below c. 26. v. 4. testifieth that he spent all his youthful years among the Jews before his Conversion Estius on the Epistle of Philemon saith That Saul the Persecutor was called a youth or rather a young Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the age of Youth which reaches to the 35th year or as others say even to the 40th Cicero when he pleaded Sextus Roscius's Cause calls himself a young Man when yet at that time according to Gellius * L. 15. c. 28. he was 27 years of age Antonius Bishop of Grass in France in the life of Paul writeth that he was 33 years of age when he persecuted the Church of Christ From that time to the 11th year of the Reign of Nero when Paul in Bonds writ the Epistle to Philemon by Onesimus his Servant according to Bishop Vshers Chronology were 30 years and therefore Paul then above the age of 60 does rightly call himself Paul the aged seeing as we have noted on Joel 1. v. 2. he was called an old man by the Hebrews who was 60 years old Whose name was Paul This Hebrew born of the Hebrews descended of the Tribe of Benjamin born at Tarsus in Cilicia which City that it was then famous for the study of Philosophick and Liberal Sciences is confirmed by the Authority of Strabo * L. 14. by Sect a Pharisee and the Son of a Pharisee did at this time apply himself to the study of the Law in the Synagogue of the Cilicians at Jerusalem and frequented the School of Gamaliel a Doctor of the greatest repute among the Pharisees being a strict observer of the Law of God as also of the Traditions of their Fathers See below c. 21.39.22 3. 23 6-34.26.4 5. 2 Cor. 11.22 Gal 1.14 Phil. 3.5 6. 59. And they stoned Stephen calling To wit upon the Lord Jesus as is plain by the subsequent words The most Learned Curcellaeus saith * Institut l. 5. c. 21. num 21. There is no small weight in these words of Christ Joh. 14.13 14. Whatsoever ye shall ask And if ye shall ask any thing in my Name I will do it For he could not hear the Prayers of his Servants and grant what they ask if he had no power Hence it appears that that If ye ask any thing in my Name is to be understood of Prayers immediately directed to him as if he had said If ye ask any thing of me relying on my Power and Promise Otherwise there is no Question but we may yea it is our bounden duty to direct our Prayers to God the Father in the name of Jesus Christ as we are taught John 15 16-23 But of such Prayers it is not spoken in this place Therefore also Stephen made no scruple to call upon him even while he was a dying saying Lord Jesus receive my Spirit Where they ridiculously shift who will have the word Jesu to be of the Genitive Case as if Stephen had not directed his Prayers to Jesus himself but to God the Father who is the Lord of Jesus For besides that Jesus Christ in the Writings of the New Testament is always denoted by the name of Lord to distinguish him from God the Father even the use of the Greek Tongue doth not permit that in that phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the latter word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be of the Genitive Case for then it must have had an Article praefixed to it and been exprest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to distinguish the Person of Jesus from God the Father otherwise there is no person skilful in that Language who can take that Phrase otherwise than in the Vocative Case as Rev. 22.20 And he kneeled down As was usual in fervent Prayers especially in dangers Lord c. The blessed Stephen saith Ambrose * Ser. 56. de Tempore by his Faith did not seek Christ upon Earth but viewed him standing on the Right Hand of God there he found him where he sought him with devotion of mind But Stephen not only sees Christ in Heaven but toucheth him also by his Martyrdom For he toucheth the Lord while he prayeth for his Enemies and as it were holding him with his Faith he saith Lord lay not this sin to their Charge Vnderstand therefore how great glory there is in true Devotion Mary Magdalen John 20.17 though standing near our Lord does not touch him Stephen while upon Earth toucheth Christ in Heaven She seeth not a present Christ among the Angels Stephen among the Jews beholdeth his Lord while absent Lay not Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Verbally rendred saith Grotius it is weigh not So Ezra 8 25-32 Job 28.15 Jer. 32.9 10. Zech. 11.12 This Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to account or appoint is instead of the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which 1 Kings 20.39 is translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to weigh Exod. 22.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to render Isa 55.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to weigh Anciently Money was heavy Brass which used first to be weighed and then paid Thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek a Weight in Latin libripens impendia expensae pendere pensiones and the like But because in ballancing accounts that which I charge another with does discharge me as much as if I had weighed it that is paid it hence it is that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to charge And by reason of the similitude which sins have with Money-debts as he is said to pay punishments who suffers them so he is said to charge or impute who will exact them not to impute who will not exact them But in this place charge not or lay not imports thus much do not make so great account of this sin as to block up their way to Conversion even as in that saying of Christ Luk. 23.34 He fell asleep That is he died In the Lord
By his Magick bewitchings Had bewitched That is Had driven them unto madness Satan can work so much by his Instruments upon the minds of Men when God permits him 12. But when they believed To wit The Samaritans being delivered from their madness Preaching the things c. That is To him Preaching that most Blessed Heavenly State which by the Grace of God through the Merits of Jesus Christ they were about to obtain who did most stedfastly believe the promises of the same Christ and did most constantly obey his Precepts Luke above v. 5. did more briefly express the sum of the Gospel by the Preaching of Christ here more fully by the Preaching of the Kingdom of God and of the name of Jesus Christ but the sense in both places is the same for Christ brings us back reconciles restores us into favour with God afterwards regenerates us by his Spirit that Satan being overthrown God may reign in us and we renewed unto Spiritual Righteousness and dead unto the world may live a heavenly life in the Earth and at length may obtain eternal blessedness in the Heavens They were baptized That is they were dipt in the water according to Christs Command Mat. 16.16 Both Men and Women Who viz. did profess themselves to have imbraced the Christian Religion but not Infants who seeing they do not at all understand the Gospel Preached they cannot consent unto it that is They cannot believe See what we have said above chap. 2. v. 38. 41. and what we shall say below v. 37. 38. 13. Then Simon That man in times past so perverse and notoriously wicked Himself believed also The Doctrine of the Gospel Preached by Philip to wit with a temporary Faith if those things be true which the Fathers have written concerning the same Simon See Mark 4.17 Luke 8.13 And when he was baptized That is and when he had professed his Faith publickly by being dipt in the water according to Christs Commandment He joined himself to Philip. That is He departed not from Philips side and gave heed both continually and daily to his Preaching Beholding the Signs and Miracles which were done That is The Miracles which were wrought by Philip through the power of God for the confirmation of the Doctrine Preached by him Being amazed wondered Such truly is the force of the Spirit of God that it can move the hearts of the most wicked Men and draw them into amazement 14. When. As if he should have said But the Apostles who as is said above ver 1. tarried at Jerusalem when the rest of the Faithful were scattered abroad from thence being informed of the Conversion of the Samaritans unto the Faith of Christ sent Peter and John out of their Company unto Samaria by consent of them all to the end they might lay their hands on the Samaritans and so might give them the singular gifts of the Holy Spirit as appears by that which follows By the way hence we may see that Peter was not a Monarch of the Apostolical Colledge and of the whole Church for the Ambassadour uses not to be greater and higher then he that sends him I do reckon the Pope will not suffer himself to be sent in Embassy any where by his Cardinals and fellow Bishops 15. Who. Peter to wit And John When they were come Viz. Unto the City of Samaria in which Philip the Deacon had Preached the Gospel of Christ Prayed for them Samaritans Hence we may see that the power of bestowing the gifts of the Holy Spirit is not in the power of the Apostles but in the power of God and Christ for otherwise there was no need of Peter and Johns Prayers That they might receive the Holy Ghost That is those excellent gifts of the Holy Spirit with which every where then they who believed in Christ not only they who were to preach the Gospel and govern the Church were wonderfully gifted that having obtained the gift of Prophesying and speaking with divers Tongues they might confirm the Doctrine of Christ which then was new See above chap. 2. v. 38. and below chap. 10. v. 44 45 46. chap. 19.6 1 Cor. 12. v. 8 9 10. 16. For as yet he was not come upon any of them As if he should say None of these Samaritans as yet was gifted with those excellent gifts in which God did present or shew as it were the visible presence of his Spirit for a time to his Church that he might confirm the Authority of his Gospel for ever and that he might witness that his Spirit is to be alway the chief ruler and directer of Believers Were baptized c. As if he should say Although they had now believed in Christ and had professed publickly their Faith by being Baptized with Water according to the Commandment of Christ And hence we may see that those extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit are neither tied to the sincerity of Faith nor to Baptism of Water lawfully received so far are they from being conferred by any vertue of Faith or Baptism of Water 17. Then laid they their hands Many Nations had a Custom but chiefly the Jews to point out the most excellent things not only with words but also with visible signs hence ariseth laying on of hands when by Prayers the Divine Power was invocated for another See Gen. 44. v. 14 15. Matth. 9. v. 18.19 v. 13 14. Maâ—k 20. v. 16. but God was wont to give this Honour to his Prophets as to bestow his gifts upon others at the prayers of the Prophets of which prayers imposition of hands was a Symbol So Moses was commanded to lay his hands on Joshua that he by that means might receive the larger gifts of the Spirit at the Prayers of Moses Numb 27. v. 18 20. Naaman the Syrian Prince conjoyneth calling on Gods Name with laying on of hands 2 Kings 5.11 Even so God being called upon by his Apostles did bestow those singular gifts at the laying on of their hands with which he gifted the most part of the faithful at the beginning of the Preaching of the Gospel that they might be a most sure sign of the Faith of those that were converted to Christ and an undoubted token of the verity of the Doctrine of Christ Let us remember excellently says Calvin That the laying on of hands was the instrument of God at which time he did give the visible graces of his Spirit to his own But since the Church hath been deprived of such Riches to wit the visible graces of his Spirit laying on of hands would be but an unprofitable Image And they received the Holy Ghost As if he should have said God did give unto the Samaritans converted unto Christ and dipt into the Water according to his Precept at the Prayers of the Apostles and their laying on of hands the graces of his Spirit wherewith they being gifted could Prophesy and do Wonders such as are mentioned 1 Cor.
year of our Lord 461. and another John Sirnamed Manzur whom Suidas extols to the Skies the Greeks being very Prodigal in their own praise lib. 2. de hist graecis c. 24. Although indeed saith Vossius Damascenus was a most learned Man and of great Fame yet in many things he was overcredulous His Histories related in his Sermons shew this Baronius doth truly acknowledge that his Writings are of very uncertain credit and that he abounds with many fictions Exercit. 13. adver Baron sect 38. which opinion of his Casaubon confirms where he remarked many and gross Errors In others of his writings he does not appear Judicious as for examples sake when he tells us of Falconillaes Soul that she by the Prayers of S. Thecla the first Martyr was delivered from the punishments of Hell although she died in the Heathens Errors and Idolatry Likewise where he saith that the Soul of the Emperour Trajan was exempted from infernal punishments by the Prayers of Gregory the Great Both which you may read in Damascenus in his Oration of those who dyed in the Faith This man was a great defender of Images against the Emperor Lâ—o Isaurus and his Son Constantine the fifth of that name sirnamed Copronymus in a Synod of three hundred thirty eight Bishops convocated by the same Constantine held at Constantinople Anno Dom. 754. which also was called the seventh Oecumenick Synod he with Germanus and George sometimes Patriarchs of Constantinople was Condemned as an Idolater and Worshipper of Wood and Images as appears from the Acts of that Synod which are inserted in the sixth Action of the Acts of the second Synod of Nice Amongst his own he was called Chrysorrhoas for his Eloquence He dyed Anno Dom. 760. The Damascene Prunes are also famous which were wont to be carried from the City Damascus to Rome together with small Figgs called Cottana of which Juvenal Satyr 3. v. 85. By the way we may observe that this kind of small Figgs was so called as Hesychius witnesseth in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little Hence Martial saith Elegantly Lib. 13 Epigram 28. These Cottana which have been sent to thee in a round turned Pannier if they were bigger they would be Figgs This name Cottana among the Cretians signified also a Virgin as witnesseth the same Hesychius in the fore-cited place which is deduced from the same Root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little to wit Giâ—le If you desire to know more of this most Ancient City you may consult the Itinerary of Benjamin Thudelensis and Hoffmans universal Lexicon To the Synagogues How great a multitude of Jews was at Damascus De bell Jud. lib. 2. c. 25. may be gathered from what Josephus saith that under Nero ten thousand Jews unarmed being by chance gathered in the publick Baths were there oppressed and slain by the Inhabitants of Damascus It is very probable that many of the Jews converted to Christ did to avoid the Persecution stirred up at Jerusalem fly to Damascus therefore Paul not being content to have vexed them at Jerusalem he willingly undertook the pains to prosecute them thither For the Governor of Damascus under Aretas the King of â—rabia the Stony and Damascus was a great favourer and abettor of the Persecutors of Christs Disciples as appears from 2 Cor. 11.32 That if he found any c. As much as to say That a License and liberty might be given him to bring all such as he found Professors of the Christian Religion without difference of Sex bound as Malefacâ—ors to Jerusalem The Romans saith Grotius allowed the Sanhedrin the priviledge of taking and beating not only over the Jews of Palestine but also without Palestine where there were Synagogues that willingly acknowledged the Jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin in matters pertaining to Religion Of this way That is Of this Sect and Institution as below ch 19.9 23. ch 22.4 ch 24.14 3. There shined round about him a light from Heaven Like a lightning brighter then the Sun as may be seen below chap. 22. v. 6 26. v. 13. 4. And he fell to the earth Because he was struck and as it were blasted with the brightness of that light sent to him from Heaven He heard a voice To wit Descend from Heaven with that light Saying To wit In an Hebrew Dialect as Paul himself saith below ch 26.14 Saul Saul why persecutest thou me Augustine saith elegantly as his manner is Tract 10. in Epist Joannis The Head being to ascend into Heaven he commended his Members upon Earth and departed Now you do not find Christ speaking upon earth You find him speaking but in Heaven and from Heaven it self Why Because his Members were trod upon on Earth Therefore he said from above to Saul the Persecutor Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I ascended into Heaven nevertheless I lye upon Earth as yet I sit here at the right hand of the Father there I am hungry thirsty and a stranger as yet See Matth. 25.40 45. Luke 10.16 Believers are the Mystical Body of Christ and his Mystical Members hence whatever is done to them Christ takes it as done to himself 5. Who art thou Lord. As much as to say Whose voice do I hear And the Lord said As much as to say Christ who wasin Heaven and spae from Heaven itself answered I am Jesus c. As much as to say You hear the voice of that Jesus of Nazareth whom thou persecutest while you pour out your rage and storms of your wrath upon my Servants It is hard In Trucul Act. 4. sc 2. v. 55. That is It is a very troublesome and vain labour If thou beatest the pricks with thy fists thou hurtest thy hands says Plautus To kick against the pricks The Greek and Roman Writers frequently use this Proverb against such as attempt a thing that will happen ill to them For if Oxen being thrust and galled with the goad while they draw the Plough or Cart should kick while they would hurt the goad they do but hurt themselves because as the Scholiast upon Pindarus in the end of his second Pythia saith they are more sorcly strucken and beating their heel against the sharp goad they are pricked again with its point Therefore by this proverbial phrase the Lord Jesus declares that Sauls wrestling against him was to his own great hurt so that if he desisted not from applying himself to ruine the Christians it would come to pass that he should dye a sad death 6. And he trembling and astonished c. As much as to say But Saul being terrified with the brightness of the Heavenly light and the voice which came from Heaven puts off his Wolf-like fierceness and puts on a Sheep like disposition and also freely and willingly gave himself to do the commands of the great Shepherd of Souls whom he lately despised For the Lord Jesus sends him to the City of
Damascus that he might there be taught of him what he himself would have him do to whom he should commit that charge from Heaven And the men which journied with him That is They who were Pauls Companions in his Journey to Damascus Stood speechless That is Being astonished at the strangeness of this admirable thing they stood unmoved or that I may use Virgils phrase they stuck immoveable to the ground To stand here denotes not a posture of the body but a meer staying and is opposed to going forward not to lying prostrate seeing below ch 26.14 that Pauls Companions fell upon the Earth So Gen. 19.17 Neither stay thou in all the plain that is do not tarry nor delay Lev. 13.37 If the scall be at a stay that is spread no farther Hearing a voice To wit Sent from Heaven which beat upon their Ears although as it is said below ch 22.9 they understood not the meaning and signification of the words either because they were not skilful in the Hebrew Dialect wherein Christ spake to Saul as may be seen below ch 26.14 or because they indeed heard the sound of the voice but in the mean time did not exactly take up the words of that sound They heard saith famous Lightfoot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a voice but they heard not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a word The like happened Jo 12.29 Therefore to hear below chap. 22.9 is put for to understand as Gen. 11.7.42.23 Deut. 28.49 2 Kings 18.26 Isaiah 36.11 Jer. 5.15 1 Cor. 14.2 21. But seeing no man Although they lifted up their Eyes to Heaven whence the voice came that they might see who spake to Saul This saith Beza is the force of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place For otherwise it were no wonder that they saw none who being struck with fear durst not lift up their Eyes Saul only saw him who spake to him as Dan. 10.7 8. And Saul arose from the earth The Greek hath it he was raised up as Daniel was Dan. 8.18 And when his Eyes were opened he saw no man That is His Eye-lids which were shut being separated he saw nothing at all because his Eyes were dazled with the great brightness of that Heavenly light which shone round about him v. 3. as appears from the verse immediately following v. 12 17 18. and below ch 22.11 But they led him by the hand As blind men are usually led So Saul who intended to lead the Disciples of Christ bound from Damascus to Jerusalem he himself is led as it were bound to Damascus 9. And he was three days without sight It is probable that in these three days wherein he was deprived of his bodily sight the Lord Jesus did make known to him the Doctrine of the Gospel by internal visions that he might truly say that he did not receive nor learn the Gospel from any mortal man but Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of the Father revealing it to him Gal. 1.12 And neither did eat nor drink Esth 4.16 As the Jews of old for three days This he did partly to give an outward testimony of his inward repentance for his former doings partly to be excited to pray with fervency Adv. Psych For Tertullian saith well We are much more powerful in spirit and lively in heart for spiritual things while fasting then when that dwelling house of the inner man is stuffed with Food and overwhelmed with Wine The Jews were forbidden to drink upon that day wherein they fasted so that it was accounted a breach of their Fast if they should swallow a drop of Wine or Water They allowed one to wash his mouth and wipe it provided he did spit it out again As may be seen in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Treatise of a Fast They except from this concession that fast which they keep upon the day of pardon which they call Jom Kippur and upon the ninth day of the fifth month which they call Ab upon these days they think it not lawful to wash the mouth 10. And there was a certain Disciple Oecumenius calls this Ananias a Deacon and thinks him to have been one of the LXX Disciples who adhered to Jesus Christ while he was conversant upon Earth next to the Apostles Augustine will have him a Presbyter Dorotheus writes that afterward he was made Bishop of Damascus In a vision Divinely excited See what we have said above chap. 2.17 Behold I am here Lord. An Hebraism That is I am ready to receive and do thy commands 11. Go into the street which is called Straight That is Into that street of Damascus which is called Straight the Greeks call it Euthia perhaps because it was plainer and straighter than any other street of that City Of Tarsus That is Born in Tarsus that most famous City of Cilicia See below chap. 21.39 ch 22.3 For behold he prayeth Luke shews that Saul during his three days fast was continually taken up in praying 12. And he hath seen a vision To wit Saul with the Eyes of his mind They are the words of Luke telling that Saul saw Ananias laying his hands upon him at that very time wherein the Lord spake to Ananias concerning Saul It is a vision saith Macrobius when one seeth that which falls out in the same manner that it appeared to him Suetonius in the life of Augustus M. Cicero having pursued C. Caesar into the Capitol by chance told his former nights dream to his intimates that a Child of a comely countenance being let down from Heaven in a golden Chain stood at the door of the Capitol and that Jupiter gave him a scourge afterward having on a sudden seen Augustus whom as yet being unknown to the most part of them his Vncle Caesar had called to the Sacrifice he affirmed it to be him whose Image appeared to him in his sleep In the same place a little before of Q. Catulus And the next day having met Augustus being otherwise unknown to him beheld him not without admiration and said he was most like the Boy of which he dream'd Thus Ovidius says As I dreamed to see men by order such do I perceive and see by order Lib. 11. Asin Aurei Apuleius saith I presently perceived one of the Holy Priests beside the mark of his foot also in the rest of his habit and carriage agreeing exactly with a night Image whom afterward I knew to have been called Asinus Marcellus Which places though taken out of the writings of Heathens do most fitly illustrate this Narration For although Luke mentions only his name and the laying on of his hands yet it is probable that Saul did see Ananias as if he did view him with his Eyes To wit his countenance stature and all the rest of his complexion and therefore when he recovered afterwards his sight he knew them to agree perfectly with his vision See what we have said above ch 2. v. 17. And
Incense For saith Grotius that is properly called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a memorial Levit. and elsewhere And the smoke of the Incense is said to ascend Rev. 8. v. 4. But this Incense was a Type of Prayers Rev. 5. v. 8. 8. v. 3. Prayer say the Ancients is carried up by two wings fasting and the works of mercy 5. And now That is Now therefore The Angel shews him the Apostle and the Apostle shews him Christ 6. He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do That is as it is expounded chap. 11. v. 14. Who shall speak words to thee in which thou and all thy Family shall be saved As if he should say He will instruct thee in the knowledge of Christ which is the only way to Salvation that thou and thy whole house may be saved God uses no other way but the Instrument of preaching to instil into men the knowledge of the Gospel This is Gods ordinary way which he hath established and we may not expect another most truly saith and proves it from Rom. 10. v. 14. My dearest Wifes Uncle the reverend Samuel Gardner Doctor of Divinity one of his Majesties Chaplains in ordinary in his grave and learned Sermon on the Dignity and Duty of the Ministers of the Gospel Printed in 1672. 7. A Souldier fearing God All the Domesticks of Cornelius feared the Lord as is said before v. 2. but all the Souldiers which were under his Command were not Godly and Religious We have a like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Souldiers and Domesticks Matt. 8. v. 9. Of them that waited on him That is They waited before the doors to receive his Commands Ovid speaking of a Lover and a Souldier saith This tends his Mistresses but that his Captains doors 8. When he had declared all these things to them Cornelius explained all things to his Souldier and Servants the more to encourage them to perform a Command which they saw was more Gods than Man ' s. He doubted not saith Calvin to trust those with this great secret whom he had before trained honestly up 9. Peter went up to the house top Gr. to the roof of the house The Jews built the roofs of their houses flat not spire wise Hierom in his Epistle to Sunia and Fretela says that in the Eastern Provinces that is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Latins call tectum For in Palestine and Egypt or in those places where the holy Bible was writ or interpreted their houses are not ridged but flat roofed which at Rome they call Leads or Balcony's that is flat roofs supported by Beams placed across The Vulgar Translation uses this word for a house Prov. 21. v. 9. 25. v. 24. Anselm on Matth. fol. 45. In Palestine they use to make their Roofs flat not copped Even so the Temple of Solomon was made flat above and in the Circuit of the Gallery there were Grates lest any one should unawares fall down and the Doctors had there their Seats that they might from thence speak to the People To pray To wit Secretly and without interruption Suetonius says of Augustus If at any time he desired to do any thing in secret and without interruption he had an apartment above for that purpose c. About the sixth hour That is As the famous Drusius interprets it The time of Prayer which they call The Prayer of Sacrifice or of Oblation which begun at half an hour past six and lasted till half an hour past nine It was also the hour of Dining therefore in the Book whose Title is Principium Sapientiae it is called The time of Refreshment Before this Prayer they tasted not of any thing and it was of great esteem amongst the Ancients See what is said above ch 2. v. 15. ch 3. v. 1. 10. Would have eaten Gr. Tasted That is Eaten A Metonymia of the design'd effect saith Piscator for we tast Meats for this Reason that if they please us we may eat them From hence we may gather that the Jews were wont to Dine at Mid-day which with them was the sixth hour and Josephus in his own Life says that this was the hour of their Dinner on their Sabbath See before ch 2. v. 15. He fell into a Trance That is He was entranced or without himself that he minded not what was done about him neither had he any sense of any outward thing but was wholly intent upon his Internal Idea's 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this place is saith Price as saith Apuleius in his Apology to be astonished even to the forgetfulness of things present and the Memory being by little and little removed from Corporeal Things is made intent upon that Nature which is Immortal and Divine Augustine says of his Mother 9 Confess 5. she suffer'd a defection of mind and for a time was estranged from noticing things present 11. And he saw Heaven opened That is Heaven seemed to him to be divided as it were with a wide opening and that way it opened a covering like a great sheet did descend to him bound at the four Corners hanging from Heaven down to the Earth But saith Grotius that sheet seemed to hang from Heaven to signify our liberty indulg'd from Heaven See what we have said before chap. 7. v. 56. A certain Vessel as it had been a sheet Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Although I am not ignorant saith the most famous Heinsius how large signification the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Heb. and the Vas of the Romans hath yet I had rather in this place call it involucrum a Cloak or something like it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Cloak as it were a Sheet especially since 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used by the Greeks for a Cloak Hesychius the most learned of Interpreters 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every thing that serveth to cover It may be he alludes to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Hebrew Shepherds which was either a Cloak or a Satchel in which they used to put their Meat and Cups out of which they drank and their other Necessaries Such a one is that of Zech. 11. v. 15. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Vessel of a foolish Shepherd Although there the Greeks render Vessels in the plural number Knit at the four Corners and let down to the Earth That is Being bound at the four Corners to hang from Heaven to Earth 12. Wherein were Not in reality but in appearance as says Cyrill of Alexandria lib. 9. against Julian All. That is All sorts Four-footed Beasts of the Earth and creeping things Gr. Four-footed Beasts and wild Beasts and creeping things The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 four-footed Beasts in the Vulgar Latin Edition is taken in as large a sense here as amongst the Naturalists But in the Greek Text it only comprehends Domestick Creatures and which are wont to be kept for the common use of Men as Camels Horses Asses Dogs Oxen
when they reprehend the wickedness of Idolatrous People and denounce the Judgments of God against them they never accuse them for omitting Circumcision or keeping of the Sabbath or violating any such like Ceremonies neither do they advise them to keep them but only remember their sins against the Law of Nature For that Covenant did oblige no others besides the Israelites with whom it was made Of this see Isai from ch 13. to ch 22. and Ezek. from ch 25. to the 33. Also Obadiah Jonah and Nahum And moreover when other People were called by the Gospel to the knowledge of the true God God would not oppress them with the burthen of the Ceremonial Law as after ch 15. He that feareth him That is Who fears nothing more then that he should commit or omit any thing by which he should alienate God from him and make him less propitious and favourable to him And worketh righteousness That is And liveth purely and incorruptly He is accepted with him From the favourableness of the accepter not from the worth of the deed or doer This saith Austin is not occasion'd by the weight of mans merit but by the order of the Divine Counsel Hence Paul 2 Thes 1. v. 5. does not say the Faithful are worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they suffer but are esteemed worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit out of the Grace and Mercy of God who will have them reputed such Neither was Christs mind otherwise Rev. 3.4 although he simply and without any restriction calls the faithful worthy to walk with him in white because he esteemed them so by Grace 36. The word which God sent c. Gr 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which also is in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the word which he sent That is Which he signified by a Messenger The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which forms the Accusative Case in such like Constructions is as much as the Pronoun 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with a Verb Substantive understood and is to be rendred by a Nominative Case Examples make this appear Hag. 2.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 LXX verbatim for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This is the word which I have covenanted with you Zech. 7.7 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Are not those the words which the Lord hath cryed In ch 8.17 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For these are all those things which I hate 2 Kings 9.24 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou and I are those who rode on Horseback So in this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the same as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Which saith Ludovicus de Dieu the Rabbins most usual way of speaking confirms who when they would say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is word by word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word which he sent you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 properly signifies him but is used by them for that is So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly them and is used by the Rabbins for they are The Syriack Translation did well understand the Hebraisin of this place which translates it For this is the word which he sent Declaring Peace by Jesus Christ That is When he had foretold the future peace and the reconciliation of God with Men by Jesus Christ Peter saith Lud. de Dieu seems to have in view that saying of God in Isa ch 56.1 Thus saith the Lord keep ye Judgment and do Justice for my Salvation is near to come and my righteousness to be reveal'd The Peace or Salvation which was at hand by Jesus Christ is there declared but at the same time the word is sent that is the command to the Children of Israel that they should work Justice And so the Children of Israel themselves are taught that those only are truly accepted of God and even all those who study righteousness Because there straight is added Blessed is the Man that doth this and the Son of Man that layeth hold on it Whosoever he be whether Jew or Gentile without any respect of Persons And so he truly says that that which he had said in the 35th verse is the self-same speech which God had long before sent to the Children of Israel when he declared peace by Jesus Christ who was to come He is Lord of all That is Neither is Christ the Lord of one but of all Nations Moses was the Minister of the Law and that to the Jews alone But Christ is the Power of God to give Salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and then to the Greek Rom. 1.16 Hither pertains what Paul says Rom. 3.29 Is he the God of the Jews only Is he not also of the Gentiles c. and Eph. 2.14 For he is our peace who hath made both one and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us c Hence Luke 2.14 At Christs birth the Angels declare peace on Earth to Men at his Resurrection all power both in Heaven and Earth is given him Mat. 28.18 and a little before his departure he commands his Disciples that they should Preach the Gospel to every Creature Mar. 16.15 37. You know c. As much as to say You have heard by fame and report that there is a rumor spread over all Judea which first begun in Galilee since that John Preached Baptism thereby to stir peoples minds to the expectation of Christ For beginning The Causal Particle is wanting in the Greek Text. And indeed deservedly for it is referred to Verbum the word which here is put for the fame or report of Jesus which report is said to have begun in Galilee 38. Jesus of Galilee how God anointed him The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how is transposed as Rom. 12.3 and the Relative 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 him is redundant after the manner of the Hebrews But as for the word anointing saith Beza it is derived from the Custom of the Jews whose Kings Prophets and Priests used to be Anointed Thence it came to pass that they were said to be Anointed by God on whom he had bestowed Gifts and Vertues But here is allusion made to the place of Isa 61.1 cited Luke 4.18 which also David Kimchi by a mystical sense refers to the Messiah With the Holy Ghost That is With the Gifts of the Holy Ghost And with power That is Power of Preaching the Gospel with profit and success Who went about c. That is In three years time he travelled over all Judea that no corner of it should want his good deeds Oppressed of the Devil That is Troubled with desperate Diseases All Diseases saith Calvin are as so many ferula's which God chastises us withal But when God out of his Fatherly Indulgence deals mildlier with us then he is said to smite us with his Hand But in his heavier punishments he makes use of Satan
Constantine the Great did begin to build sumptuous Churches to God then also in place of that one Wooden Table almost in every Church of God there was one of Stone erected which yet served for the same use that the Wooden Table did before With this Inscription to the unknown God The God of the Jews was by the Gentiles called Vnknown because he had no name by which they knew him It was not lawful commonly to pronounce the sacred name of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by which the Jews called him Hence he is called by Lucan in his second Book of the Pharsalian War the uncertain God By Trebellius Pollion in the Life of Claudius Moses his uncertain Deity By the Ethnicks in Justin Martyr in his Paraenesis to the Greeks altogether hidden By Caius Caligula in Philo Lib. de Legatione ad ipsum the unnamed God And by Isaiah the Prophet himself Ch. 45.15 A God that hideth himself As the Inhabitants of Mount Carmel in Tacitus Hist Lib. 2. Cap. 78. gave neither an Image nor a Temple to this God but only an Altar and Reverence So also saith Vsher the Athenians did place their Altar of Piety in the middle of their Town without any Image as Statius saith in the twelfth Book of his Thebaids The Author of the Dialogne whose Title is Philopater and by some is ascribed to Lucian Swears by the unknown God which was in Athens and at the end of the same Dialogue he saith We having found an unknown God at Athens and Worshipping with hands spread out to heaven to him we will give thanks Him therefore c. As much as to say Therefore that Deity which confusedly known ye Worship I declare to you distinctly and clearly to be God the Maker and Governour of this Worldly Fabrick 24. God c. As much as to say This true God who created and made Heaven and Earth and produced all things that are contained within the compass of Heaven and Earth seeing he is Lord of this Universe as of his own work cannot be inclosed in Temples made with mens hands as the Earthly Kings are in the Palaces wherein they dwell See what is cited out of the Greek Poet Euripides in the Latin Edition of this Commentary Dwelleth not in Temples made with hands See what we have said above Ch. 7.48 The ancient Chistians called the places of their Meetings Churches Conventicles Dominica Oratories Basilics and Gods houses But they gave the name of Temple commonly to the Idols places only although Lactantius calls the Temple of God 5 Instit 2. a building dedicated by the Christians to Religious Worship S. Jerome in his Epistle to Riparius saith of Julian the Apostate that either he destroyed the Basilics of the Saints De Idolo Cap 15. Coron Militis Cap. 11. or turned them to Temples And Tertullian he is said to renounce the Temples who hath renounced the Idols 25. Neither is he worshiped with Mens hands as though he needed any thing That is neither do Religious Men offer their worship to God as it were with their hands as if he had need of that Worship but because it is a humane duty The same is the meaning of Psal 50. v. 10.11 12 13. Seeing he The meaning is seeing he by his free bounty is the cause of Life to all living and supplies them with abundance and Plenty of all things that nature wanteth Life and Breath That is the breath of Life as is clear from Gen. 2.7 God saith Grotius the Father of Spirits Numb 16.22 that is the Author of Life to all Living especially to Men as having like God gotten the Dominion of themselves and of other things 26. All Nations of Men. To wit as Lactantius saith 6. Instit 10. We are all sprang of one Man whom God made For to dwell on all the face of the Earth That is that Men being multiplyed and dispersed over all the Regions of the earthly World should inhabit all the Parts of the habitable Earth See Gen. 11. v. 8. One Man saith Lactantius in the forecited Chapter was made by God and by this one the whole Earth was filled with Mankind And hath determined That is having determined the times wherein every People were to inhabit every Region which cannot be prevented nor passed over 27. Seek the Lord. As much as to say God by Creating Men and distributing the Earth to them to dwell in proposed this end to himself that Men should seek God who is Lord and Creator of Heaven and Earth and of all things that are in them To seek the Lord is nothing else but by worshiping of him earnestly to seek his Grace and Favour and to indeavour to be reconciled to him as appears from these words of the Epistle to the Hebrews Heb. 11.6 He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him If happily they might feel after him That is if happily they might fix upon God who being by his nature incorporeal yields himself and his Goodness so many ways to be felt and injoyed that he seems as if made bodily in aspectable things to make himself in some measure known even by feeling And find him That is and seeking after him find him To seek after God saith Curcelleus in his dissertation of the necessity of the knowledge of Christ Numb 19. is the same as to give him due Worship and Honour Witness that of the holy Writer that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Heb. 11.6 And to find him is to be partaker of his favour as the Prophet sheweth when he saith Isay 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near Though he be not far from every one of us As much as to say tho he be so near us with his benefits that he does demonstrate that he is easily found if we shift not the pains of seeking after him 28. For in him we live and move and have our being This Phrase In him is an Hebraism signifying no more than by him As when the Pharisees charged Christ that by the Prince of Devils he did cast out Devils The vulgar Latin hath it Matth. 9.24 12.24 In the Prince As also below v 31. he is to Judge the World by that man whom he hath appointed there it is also In that Man meaning our Lord Jesus Christ The meaning then is by Gods Power we are Created and being Created are preserved nourished sustained and enjoy what is sufficient both for Necessity of Life and Pleasure As certain also of your own Poets have said He mentions many of them because In Homer Hesiod Menander Callimachus Pindarus are somethings which make to this purpose But Paul being a Cilician cites only the words of his own Countryman Aratus the Cilician For we are all his Off spring This half verse is read in
it is the Gr. Text above c. 22. v. 6. In the way To wit When I was not far from Damascus See above c. 9. v. 3. 22.6 I saw c. See above c. 9. v. 3. 22. v. 6. 14. I heard c. See above c. 9. v. 4. 22. v. 7. 15. I c. See above c. 9. v. 5. 22. v. 8. 16. But rise and stand upon thy Feet Because both he and all those who were present with him Companions in his Journey being dazled with the Brightness of the Light which exceeded that of the Sun were fallen down upon the Earth See above v. 14. For I have appeared unto thee for this Purpose That is For this end have I who am taken up into Heaven and there sit at the Right-hand of God whom the Heavens must contain until the times of the Restitution of all things and who must at the last day come down from Heaven I I say Jesus of Nazareth whose Countenance while I was on Earth shone as the Sun Mat. 17. v. 2. now reigning in Heaven have shewn my self to thee in the brightness of Light more resplendent than that of the Sun To make thee Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may take thee in my hands See what we have noted on this Greek word above c. 22.14 A Minister and a Witness c. As if he had said As him whom I will employ for a Preacher and Witness both of those things which thou hast now seen and also of those things which shall afterwards be shewed thee by me Paul 's many Visions saith Grotius are had respect unto above c. 18.9.23.11 2 Cor. 2.2 See what we said above c. 22.15 17. Delivering thee from the People and the Gentiles That is Promising my Protection whereby thou shalt be delivered from those Dangers which shall attend thee from the Jewish People and strange Nations for the discharge of that Ministry Vnto whom now I send thee First indeed to the Jewish Nation but especially afterwards to the Gentiles of which I peculiarly make thee an Apostle See above c. 22.21 18. To open That is That by the Preaching of the Gospel thou mayest open Their Eyes Not of the Body but of the Mind a Metaphor taken from the Body as Isa 42.7 Eph. 1.18 To turn them from darkness To wit Of Ignorance and Wickedness See Col. 1.13 To light That is To the perfect Knowledg of Gospel Truth and Godliness flowing thence In the Gr. in is again put for ad as in the Verse immediately preceding And from the Power of Satan Which wicked and envious Spirit while he maliciously fights against God and Men by his Errors that he sows and Vices that result from them he keeps Men that are ignorant of the Truth Revealed by God in his own Power and Dominion as under Tyranny in miserable Slavery drawing them into utter Destruction To God That is To the true and sound way of worshipping God That they may receive c. As if he had said That Believing in me they may receive a free Pardon of their Sins and be Partakers of the everlasting Inheritance which God hath appointed to those who are separated from the Multitude of the Profane Lot That is As it is in the English Inheritance because Inheritances used to be distributed by Lot By that Lot or Inheritance is understood everlasting Communion in that Heavenly Beatitude which God himself enjoys Among the Holy Gr. In the Sanctified That is as it is in the English Among them that are Sanctified or among them who by the Efficacy of the Holy Spirit are separated to God from the Ungodliness and Ignorance of worldly Men. By Faith Excellently saith Calvin Some read wrong in one Context Among those that are Sanctified by Faith because this Particle is extended to the whole Complex therefore the meaning is That by Faith we come to the Possession of all the good things that are offered in the Gospel That is in me Faith in Jesus Christ or Confidence reposed in him as a Saviour and in his Promises and that lively and working by Charity and Obedience to his Commands joyned with a sincere Repentance of their by-past Life of which below v. 20. and above c. 20. v. 21. This Faith I say is the Means by which through the Grace of God are obtained those excellent Benefits above mentioned viz. Remission of Sins deliverance from the Punishments deserved by them especially from the second or everlasting Death the Gift of the Heavenly Inheritance and everlasting Life See Gal. 5.6 Jam. 2.17 22 26. Joh. 3.23 But that Faith in Christ and Hope joyned therewith through Christ goeth to the same God whom the Jews profess themselves to be Worshippers of See Joh. 12.44 1 Pet. 1.21 19. Whereupon That is Wherefore as Heb. 3.1.7.25 Incredulous In the Greek as also the English it is Disobedient to wit By Stubbornness and Inflexible Obstinacy As powerful as that Call was says Grotius yet it did not take away the Power of Resisting God will have voluntary Obedience not forced See Isa 50.5 Psal 95.7 Heb. 3.7 8 15. 4.7 Vnto the Heavenly Vision That is The divine Will which I learned from Christ shewing himself to me above v. 16. 20. But. Obedient to the Heavenly Revelation in all things First unto them of Damascus See above c. 9.19 20 22. And at Jerusalem Ibid. v. 28. And throughout all the Country of Judea That is Through other Cities of Judea besides the Metropolis yea also without Judea among the Jews that inhabited other Countries See above c. 13.5 14 16.14.1.17 2 10.18.4 19.19.8 And the Gentiles Strangers to the Jewish People See above c. 13.42 48.14.1 15 21 25 26.15.35.16.13 32.17.17 c. 18.4.19.10 Declared The Evangelical Doctrine of Christ That they should Repent That is That they might be sorry that they have offended God And be turned To wit From the Wickedness of their Ways To God To wit The true God who is to be worshipped devoutly and piously Works meet for Repentance That is Works agreeable to Virtue and becoming a Person who repents sincerely of a Vicious and Flagitious Life See what I have said on Mat. 3.2 8. 21. For this cause That is Because I Preached these things among the Jews and other Nations The Jews caught me while I was in the Temple See above c. 21. v. 27 30. Went about to kill me Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they attempted to kill me with their hands That is by Force and violence to kill me uncondemned 22. But having obtained help Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 therefore as also the English instead of the adversative Particle but as Mat. 12.12 Of God Who verily according to Christs promise above v. 17. having a design to deliver me from the snares that were laid for me out of his Mercy provided those means for me to escape out of the hands of my Enemies of which see above c. 21. v. 31 32 33.22 23
of the Particle Yet rendring yet not that and he hath taken notice of the like Ellipsis of the same Particle Mat. 2.6 20. For this cause therefore As if he had said Lest ye should think I am disaffected towards my own Nation Have I entreated to see you and speak with you That is I have humbly prayed that ye would visit me that I might have occasion to discourse with you For the hope of Israel That is For the Messiah who is hoped for and desired by the Israelites As if he had said Because I teach and bear Witness that he who is hoped for by the People of Israel hath been already exhibited when Jesus of Nazareth was exhibited whom with all asseveration I affirm to be that Messiah who is promised in the Law and the Prophets and who is desirously looked for by the Israelites I am bound and fastened with this Chain which ye see as if I had been a Wicked and flagitious Fellow Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1.1 is called our Hope because we hope through his Merits to obtain the free gift of Eternal Life See also Col. 1.27 See above c. 26. v. 6 7. Paul saith Wolzogenius taught and confirmed that this Hope or thing hoped for is now compleated after so many Ages while the Messiah is really exhibited who is that Jesus of Nazareth By this hope may also be understood the Resurrection of the Dead which Paul confessed above with the Pharisees against the Sadduces See above c. 23. v 6. c. 24. v. 15 21. But this was also to be accomplished by the Messiah That the former of them is chiefly here hinted at seems to appear both from that place c. 26. now cited and by the Words of the Jews below v. 22. With this Chain Wherewith I am tyed to this Soldier See above v. 16. I am bound As if I were guilty of some notorious Crime 21. But they To wit The Jews at Rome Said to him To wit to Paul the Prisoner We c. As if they had said There is nothing written against thee to us by those Jews who dwell at Jerusalem nor hath any of them who are come hither to Rome accused thee to us 22. But we desire Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we vouchsafe That is We do not refuse when we shall have leasure To hear of thee what thou thinkest That is What thou canst bring in defence of thy Opinion about Jesus of Nazareth For as concerning this Sect. To wit That professeth that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah promised in the Law and the Prophets We know that every where it is spoken against To wit Because of the Crimes that are laid to the charge of the same Heresie or Sect of the Nazarens as they call it by Letters sent from the Sanhedrin to the Synagogues of the Jews that are dispersed through the several Countries of the World a little after Christs departure from Earth The Jews say saith Grotius that a Copy of those Letters is kept in an ancient Synagogue at Barbetomagum of the Vangiones or as it is called at this day Wormes Justin against Trypho reporteth that there were Messengers sent from the Jews of Palestine to the Synagogues after the Death of Christ publishing that a certain Wicked Sect and contradicting the Law was raised up by a certain Impostor Jesus of Galilee Thus the event has fully proved the veracity of Simeon's Prophesy of Jesus Christ That he should be for a sign that should be spoken against Luke 2.34 23. And when they had appointed him a day Whereon they should come to him and hear his discourse There came to him On the day appointed Into his lodging That is The House where he tarried Very many Besides those who had seen him before To whom he expounded and testified That is He declared with great Asseveration as a certain Evidence See above c. 18. v. 5. and Luke 16.28 The Kingdom of God That is That the Kingdom that was to be erected to God by the Messiah did not consist in ease delight or abundance of other transitory goods as most of the Jews dreamed but in the chief Beatitude whose beginning is holiness or newness of Life upon Earth and its consummation blessed Immortality in Heaven See Luke 17.20 Perswading them That is And proved it to them by perswasive Arguments Concerning â—esus both out of the Law and Prophets That is All things that were foretold or praefigured in the Law or the Prophets of the Messiah the Saviour and Deliverer of the World are fulfilled and accomplished in Jesus See above c. 3. v. 18 24. c. 13. v. 27. c. 15. v. 15. c. 16.22 and Luke 24.27 From Morning till Evening That is For a whole day without intermission 24. And some As if he had said But as it usually falls out some of those Jews who then heard Paul Preaching Christ were perswaded with Paul's invincible Arguments that Jesus of Nazareth was the same Messiah that was foretold and prefigured in the Law and the Prophets but others rejected these Arguments of Paul's with an obstinate and bitter Spirit In like manner the different effects of the Preaching of the same Paul are mentioned above c. 14. v. 4. c. 17. v. 4 5 v. 32 34. of the same Chap. c. 19. v 9. So the same seed of the Word of God when it is sown in different Minds or falls on different parts of the Earth to some it is the favour of Death unto Death to others the savour of Life unto Life as the same Apostle speaketh 2 Cor. 2.16 See also Luke 7.11 c. 25. And when they agreed not among themselves That is The Believing and Unbelieving Jews disagreed and discorded among themselves Excellently saith Calvin The Malice and Wickedness of Unbelievers is the cause that Christ who is our Peace and the only Bond of Holy Unity becomes the occasion of dissension and setteth them by the ears who before kept up a mutual Friendship For loe when the Jews came together to hear Paul they were all of one mind and one Mouth they all profest that they embrace the Law of Moses But when they had heard the Doctrine of Reconciliation a dissension arises among them so that they are divided into several parties Yet we must not think that that Dissension arises from the Preaching of the Gospel but that private Enmity which before lay hid in wicked hearts then began to discover it self as the brightness of the Son does not create new Colours but shew the difference which in the darkness was none at all Therefore the Gospel which enjoyns the most perfect Love amongst all Men does turn the hearts of Believers to Peace and Concord but the Incredulity of them who follow the dictates of the Flesh and have no relish of true Godliness and of the Vertues which the Gospel requireth rebelleth against God and is the Mother of Dissension See our Literal Explanation on Mat. 10.35 They departed G. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
go and prepare a place Let him go that he may not be seen let him be conceal'd that he may be believ'd For then the place will be prepar'd when our life is according to Faith Let us desire him in whom we believe that being desired he may be enjoyed The desire out of love is the preparation of the Mansion He was lifted up Supply out of Luke 24.51 While he blessed them Thus Plautus uses the word Take this Stone saith he L 2. Hist Saâ— and lift it up Sulpitius Severus hath these words This is wonderful saith he that the place whereon Christ set his last foot-steps when he was taken up in a Cloud into Heaven should still continue marked out and could not be paved with the rest of the place about it For whatsoever else was apply'd the Earth disdaining Humane Workmanship refus'd while the stones flew in the faces of them that attempted it Yea it is such a lasting Monument of the Dust being trampled by Divine feet that the impression of the footsteps still remain And though the multitude of Believers every day carry away some parcels of the place where our Lord set his feet yet the Sand is not diminished and the Earth that received the mark of the footsteps still preserves the same form That men have endeavoured in vain from time to time to cover or pave the place still preserving the footsteps of our Lord (a) Lib. de loc Act. Apost Pseudo-Jerom (b) In Ep. ad Sever. Paulinus and Beda (c) De Loc. Sanct. c. 7. have deliver'd in their Writings But in regard there is no mention made of any such Miracle either by Eusebius Socrates Theodoret Sozomenus or Nicephorus we may thence conjecture the Liberty which former Ages took to frame little stories of their own meerly to impose upon the ignorant people Neither do the Mythologists agree in this Fable For Baronius following Burchardus A. D. 34.11.232 will have these footsteps imprinted in Stone Paulinus in the green Truf Sulpitius Severus in Dust or Sand Pseudo-Jerom and Beda upon the Ground in the Earth it self Which of these must we believe Certainly none of them Nor does Pseudo-Jerom affirm that he ever saw these imprinted footsteps but only says as is reported But one Eye-witness is better than ten hear-say Testimonies Hornius believes this Fable arose from the words of Eusebius misunderstood L. 3. de Vit. Const c. 41. For he speaking of Helena's arrival in Judaea Then saith he she gave decent Reverence to the places where the steps of our Saviour had trod Which was not spoken particularly of Mount Olivet but in general of all Judaea where Christ as man was born Optat. Mâ—levit l. 6. contra Parmen where he set his sacred footsteps where walked his adorable feet where so many and so great miracles were wrought by him A Cloud received him out of their sight Not that the Cloud which having received Christ took him from the sight of the Apostles was to him any assistance in his Ascension for a Cloud is no solid body that can afford any such help besides that the highest Clouds do not arise above a Mile or two above the Earth as being only nourished by the Exhalations of the Land and Water but it was for state and grandeur Thus it is said of God himself Psal 104.3 Who maketh the Clouds his Chariot And that other Psal 18.11 He maketh darkness his secret place For obscurity and gloominess gets devotion and reverence to sacred things 10. And while they looked That is with more eager Eyes and diligent marking As he went up That is into Heaven as appears by the following verse Behold two men That is to say Angels in Humane shape In white Apparel White of all colours is the most pure and spotless it admits no defilement and borrows nothing from any other mixture Therefore is it the most proper Emblem of candour of Mind Justice and Sanctity Matth. 28.3 Mark 16.5 John 20.12 Rev. 3.4 5 c. 4. v. 4.6.11.7.3 13. l. 2. de Vest Sac. Heb. c. 26. n. 34. Thus the Angels both here and in other places as also the Martyrs and all the Saints in Heaven where there is nothing of contamination to be found are said to be cloathed in white Garments And indeed saith the most Learned Brannius the Hebrews themselves confessed that White was a symbol of Cleanness and Sanctity and consequently of Justice and Integrity For whoever among the Priests was polluted by the Law was bound immediately to put off his white Garments as being unworthy to wear them and after he had put on black to depart out of the Temple To which that of St. Rev. 3.4 John seems to have relation where he says They who have not defiled their Garments shall walk in white because they are worthy And for that reason the white colour in the Garments of the High Priest signified the Innocency Rev. 19.8 Justice and Sanctity of Christ Therefore white Linnen is called the Righteousness of the Saints And though the holy Garments were mixed with Scarlet and Purple yet there was also a mixture of white and some of the Garments were white altogether So that although Christ were laden with our sins Isa 1.18 which were signified by the Scarlet colour and sprinkled for our sins with blood which was signified by the Purple yet was he most holy and just 11. Ye men of Galilee The Disciples of Christ are called Galilaeans as being Natives of Galilee though all the Christians were generally so called by the Jews and Ethnicks Matth. 2.22 as we have observ'd upon these words of St. Matthew into the parts of Galilee Julian the Apostate in an Epistle saith That the Religion of the Galilaeans encreased by their kindness to strangers Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven That is in vain do ye now expect the return of Christ with your Eyes fixed upon Heaven L. 2. Quaest Evang. 38. â— 9 Saith St. Austin The Angels by those words Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven What did they mean else but to infer That it was impossible for humane Eyes to penetrate into that secret place whither Christ went when he was carryed up to Heaven in the sight of his Disciples This same Jesus c. The Particle This same is Emphatical and denotes that the Angels pointed with their fingers towards the Lord Jesus Cease therefore to doubt Ep. 187. alias 57. ad Dardan n. 10. saith St. Austin that the man Christ Jesus is now there from whence he shall come but diligently get by heart and faithfully retain the Christian Confession that Christ rose from the dead ascended into Heaven sits at the right Hand of the Father and that he shall come from thence and from no other place to judge the quick and the dead And so shall he come according to the Testimony of that Angelic Voice as he was seen
sins That is to seal the Remission of your sins either received or to be received by the full assurance of the Conscience Therefore the most learned Ames Bellarmin Enervat Tom. 3. c. 3. The remission of sins consists in the sentence of the offended God nor can be attributed to any outward Ceremony unless it be as to a sign or a seal whereby that sentence of God is manifested to us 4. D. 1. Art 1. Q. 4. Says Bonaventure As the Royal Letters sealed with the Kings Seal are of high Dignity power and value and are said to do great things yet there is not in them any absolute force but only an Ordainment through the efficacy of the Royal Power the same thing is to be understood of the Sacraments And thus speak the texts of the holy Fathers according to common acceptation And ye shall receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit That is ye shall be indued with the Prophetick Spirit a specimen of which ye saw in the diversity of Languages For saith Calvin this place ought not to be understood of the Grace of Sanctification which is generally conferred upon all the Godly According to the usual Hebrew phrase the Prophetick Spirit is called the Holy Spirit which by their own confession failed among the Jews after the second year of Darius the Son of Hystaspes but was in a more ample measure restor'd by Jesus Christ according to the Prophesy of Joel 39. To you c. As if he had said For you who believe the Gospel preached by me together with your posterity that shall believe and all that shall obey the call of God are comprehended in their number to whom belongs the above mentioned Promise by the mouth of Joel Who are far off That is aliens from the common-wealth of Israel Peter most skilful in the Scriptures and now enlightned by the Holy Ghost knew very well that the call of the Gentiles was to be Mat. 28.19 Acts 1.8 yea he had learnt it also from Christ But at what time and under what conditions he was ignorant Therefore below c. 11. when the Gentiles were not yet called he shunn'd their Converse as polluted but having known the will of God that they were to be called without the observation of the Mosaical Law he presently made it his business to go amongst them Even as many as the Lord our God shall call That is whoever shall obey the voice of God calling to them For saith Grotius in words that signifie a Benefit the acceptation of the benefit is frequently understood Thus the appellation of called is taken 1 Cor. 1.24 Jude 1. Thus the word to be revealed is taken Is 33.1 Thus God is said to give Repentance 2 Tim. 2.25 To give Bread from Heaven John 6.32 To give a Heart Deut. 29.4 and elsewhere many others of the same kind See our Annot upon Joel 2.32 upon the words Whom the Lord shall call 40. And with many other words c. As much as to say And he was urgent and press'd them with Exhortations follow'd them close perswaded and earnestly entreated them to separate themselves from the rest of the Jews that were unwilling to believe in Christ and contumaciously refusing the Divine Grace that was offered them to prevent their being involved with them in the same destruction 41. They then who gladly received his words were baptiz'd Walafridus Strabo who in the ninth Century was Abbot of Augia the Rich c. 26. in the Diocess of Constans in his work of the beginning and increase of Ecclesiastical things You must observe saith he that in the prinitive times the ordinance of Baptism was only administred to those who through perfection of body and mind had attain'd to this that they knew and understood what profit they received by Baptism what was to be professed what to be believed and lastly what was reserv'd for those that were born again in Christ. Amba Macaire Bishop of Memphis who was Secretary to Cosmus the third of that name Patriarch of the Cophti or Christians of Egypt and lived in the eight Century says as Father Vansleb reports in his History of the Church of Alexandria c. 23. that in the primitive times Baptism was not administred in the Church of Alexandria but once a year and that was upon Good Friday and only to those of thirty years of age Curcellaeus our Country-man Baptism of Infants saith he Institut Relig. Christian l. 1. c. 12. in the two first Centuries after Christ was altogether unknown but in the third and fourth was allowed by some few in the fifth and following Ages it was generally received into â—ustom See our Annot. upon c. 8.37 But from thence that the Jews who were circumcised in their Infancy before Circumcision was abrogated were here baptized by the order of Peter it appears that by Baptism and Circumcision two Covenants altogether differing were to be sealed of which the one was with those who by the Law of nature were born of the Seed of Abraham the other with those who by the gift of Faith like Abraham were spiritually reborn as that great Divine eminent for all manner of Learning Nehemiah Cox by most weighty and solid Arguments has demonstrated in his excellent Discourse of the Covenants that God made with men before the Law Were added That is to the body of the Church which then consisted of a hundred and twenty Disciples Souls That is Persons which in other places we wont to call Heads by Synecdoche of the Member About three thousand There is no wonder to be made that three thousand persons should be plung'd in one day by Peter a Fisherman and used to the Water in regard that in the beginning of the fourth Century Gregory the first Bishop of the Armenians baptiz'd in one day by Immersion no less than twelve thousand as we read in his Authentick Life and which also Isaac Patriarch of the same Nation confirms in his first Invective Serm. in Die Sancti Andreae apud No varin St. Eucherius The Lord saith he calls Fishers to the Apostleship because such were of necessary use who being accustomed to the Water were skilled both in Fishing and Diving Therefore he did not ordain them to change their Art but only made them Fishers of a far nobler degree That person famous for his most exquisite learning both Divine and Humane James Benignus Bossuet formerly Bishop of Condom Tutor to the most Serene Dolphin and now prime Almoner to his most Serene Consort and Bishop of Meaux speaking of the three thousand baptiz'd by Peter The great number of Converts In tr ctat de Commun â—ub binis speciebus saith he is no Argument that he baptiz'd them by Aspersion as some conjecture for besides that there is no obligation upon us to believe that he baptiz'd them all in one day certain it is that St John the Baptist who baptiz'd no less baptiz'd by Immersion and his example
to come Matt. 3.7 See our Annotations upon the place And he shall send The Construction requires that with the most learned Ludovicus de Dieu Heinsius and Lightfoot after the Syriack and Arabick Interpreters we render the Greek Aorist in this place by the present tense May send That is may reveal by the comfortable preaching of the Gospel than which nothing can be more pleasing and grateful to afflicted and trembling Consciences What saith Lightfoot in the place fore mentioned can be more fully and plainly said if our Interpretation be admitted to answer the Conceptions of the Auditors had they objected against those things which Peter said Is it so Is Jesus whom we crucified the true Messiah Then all hopes of Refrigeration by the Messiah are vanished since the Messiah himself is vanished and gone There 's an end of the expectation of Israel's comfort if there be an end of him that should be the Comforter Not so says Peter for the Messiah and Comfort shall be restored to you upon your Repentance yet so that the Messiah is still to remain in Heaven He shall be sent to you in his comforting and refreshing word and in his graces and benefits if ye repent The Parallel is that of Acts 13.47 We turn to the Gentiles For so has the Lord commanded saying I have appointed thee to be a light to the Gentiles I have appointed thee whom Paul or Barnabas No but thee Christ sent and shining in the Doctrine of Paul and Barnabas So c. 26.23 Christ risen from the dead is said to shew light unto the people and to the Gentiles So Ephes 2.17 It is said of Christ after he had suffered the death of the Cross for Mankind that he came and preached peace to those that were afar off that is to the Gentiles and to them that were nigh that is to the Jews Who was preached unto you In the Greek and English Who was before preached unto you St. Chrysostom reads it Who was before ordained as the ancient Greek Copies which Beza says he has read which the Arabick and Syriack Interpreters seem to have followed while they turn the words Who was prepared and Tertullian rendering it Who was pre-designed The Ethiopick seems to have read it otherwise in his Greek Copy seeing that he renders it Who was fore-Anointed But the first and vulgar Lection is to be preferred He who was before preached For saith Lightfoot in his Hebraick Hours upon this place the Discourse and Meaning of Peter relates to preaching for he shall send you Christ by preaching as he was preached before Now you are to understand that the Apostle in this Discourse speaks of a threefold time 1. Before the coming of Christ he was promulgated by Moses and by all the Prophets from Samuel 2. When he came at what time God shewed him to the world v. 26. raising him up a Saviour then he sent him to you first of all by his Doctrine to convert you from your iniquities 3. When he ascended into Heaven there to remain yet then he shall send him to you again upon repentance by the preaching of his word as before he was made known by preaching Jesus Christ That is Jesus who is the Messias or Christ promised in the Law and the Prophets for the Redemption and Consolation of Israel 21. Whom the Heaven must receive These words carry an Ambiguous sense if you look upon the Grammatical Construction and may signify as well that Heaven is received by Jesus as that Jesus is received into Heaven But when you consider the meaning of the Speaker and the context of the words it is not probable they should admit of the first Exposition For Peter speaking of the Jews by whose importunity Christ was put to death disswades them from expecting his Corporal presence upon Earth 1 Epist 3.22 Who as the same Peter says is gone into Heaven and sits at the Right-hand of God and whom the Heaven must receive not as a Prison but as his own most glorious Palace and Mansion more befitting his Divine Majesty than the Earth wherein he lived during the time of his Mortality Now by Heaven is meant not that part of the Sky which is visible to our sight but the Third Heaven Paradice the Seat and Habitation of God that inaccessible light which God inhabits For Christ ascended above all the visible Heavens Ephes 4.10 and sits at the Right-hand of the Majesty of God in the highest Altitudes to prepare a place for us in the House of his Father John 14.2 Vntil the times of Restitution According to the Greek as Hesychius Interprets it until the times of a full finishing or atchieving Tertullian translates it until the times of Exhibition and thus he cites this place Vntil the times of the Exhibition or setting forth of all things Lib. de Resur Carnis which God spake by the mouths of his Holy Prophets In like manner Oecumenius explains it 'Till all things be finished or performed Lightfoot also admirably expresses the Sense of this verse in these words Heb. horis upon Mat. 17.11 Jesus the Heavens both contain and shall contain as to his person till all these things be brought to pass or effect Therefore do not continue in the Errour of the Generality of our Erring People to expect his personal presence upon Earth Hence it is apparent that Peter meant the time that Jesus should abide in Heaven according to what he with the rest of the Apostles had heard from the Angels before As if he had said c. 1.11 Christ being gone into Heaven shall there remain till all the predictions of the Prophets shall be fulfilled and those being fulfilled he shall return from Heaven to Earth to judge the Quick and the Dead Since the world began That is of old Isa 64.4 Jer. 2.20 of ancient times 22. For Moses c. Although this place in the first and more gross sense may be understood from Dent. 18.15 of any Prophet endued with foreknowledge whom God should raise up at any time after Moses among the people to the end they might obey him as speaking by a Divine Inspiration so he did not seduce them from the Worship of the true God and from true Piety Yet in the more exquisite and mystical sense it contains the Prophecy of Christ the Head and chief of all the Prophets to whom all the rest were but fore-runners and then whom there was none more glorified by those Signs by which God was pleased to have his Prophets distinguished Which mystical sense of this place in the time of Christ and his Disciples was also admitted by the Jews as appears by this Text and below c. 7.34 and by many places of the Gospel and particularly by the words of the Samaritan John 4.25 John 6.14 and those other of the People who were about to Crown Christ This is really that Prophet that should come into the world For the Messias was
use of for some great work Which is as much as to say saith Calvin as that the best natures excellency is weak except God endue them with peculiar gifts to whom he intrusts any great and noble Office Perhaps this manner of speaking alludes to that notable place of Moses Deut. 18.15 which Peter cited above in his first Sermon ch 3.22 Whom ye slew and hanged upon a Tree That is whom ye put to a shameful death upon the Cross In allusion to that place Deut. 21.22 23. 31. Him hath God exalted a Prince and a Saviour There is an Ellipsis here of the Praeposition In so that the sense may be that Christ whom you have condemned to be shamefully hanged him hath God exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour or hath constituted in the supreme degree of honour that he might be more fully and perfectly the Prince of life to wit eternal and the Captain of Salvation See above ch 3.15 Heb. 2.10 5. v. 9. With his right hand That by the right hand of God here being a metaphorical expression is understood his Power and great Vertue is clear unto all If over since the Creation God did manifest it surely it was in this work of Christs exaltation Whence Paul doth deservedly Celebrate it in these words Eph. 1.19 20. And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him at his own right hand in Heavenly places For what can be conceived more noble than to endow with immortality a Man that was born like other Men subject also to the same infirmities with them except only sin and then set him above all the Heavens and to put all things under his Feet as well in Heaven as in Earth that he might govern and manage them at his pleasure For it appears by the circumstances that all these things are comprehended under Christs Ascension and exaltation to Heaven and not a meer lifting up to Heaven such as was Enoch's before the Law and Elias 's under the Law who neither died before they were lifted up nor attained to any dominion after For these Curcel instit lib. 5. c. 15. n. 16. although they were Preludies and Types of Christs Ascension as of ours also yet were they infinitely short of it To give c. As much as to say That of his great mercy he might bring his people to repentance and by forgiveness of sin which follows repentance quickned by faith reconcile them to himself Calvin saith well Repentance is indeed a voluntary Conversion But whence cometh this willingness except that God change our heart that of stony it may become fleshy of hard and stubborn tractable and lastly of crooked straight But this is done when Christ by his Spirit renews us neither is this the gift of one moment but must be daily increased all our life till we fully adhere to God which will be at last when we shall have put off our flesh It is indeed a beginning of Repentance when a man who first was averse from God renouncing the World and himself begins a new life But because though once upon the way we are far from the mark we must daily be advancing Both which we obtain by Christ For even as he beginneth Repentance in us so he gives us perseverance This is indeed an inestimable Grace but it would profit little unless joyned with remission of sins For Christ first found us Enemies to God and the Corruptions which make the dissention between him and us do always stick to us so that he might justly be displeased with us rather than favourable to us But Justification consists in this if God impute not our sins to us Therefore this latter Grace ought never to be separated from the former Yea the Gospel will be lame and corrupt unless it consist of these two Members That is unless men be taught that they are reconciled to God by Christ by the free imputation of his Righteousness and by the new birth of the Spirit transformed to newness of life Thus we have in short how Salvation is to be obtained in Christ 32. And we are his witnesses of these things As much as to say Now it becomes us not upon any account to suppress these things which I have spoken seeing we are constituted witnesses of them so by vertue of our Office are bound to publish and proclaim them openly to all See above ch 1.8 Luke 24.48 John 15.27 The Greek hath words here for things but the sense is the same for by words Peter understands things themselves after the Hebrew manner of speaking to wit those things of which he briefly spake before that is whatever respecteth the Dignity and Office of Christ or Mans Salvation depending thereon And so is also the Holy Ghost As much as to say Nor indeed do we the Apostles only witness these things but also the Holy Ghost himself who is a witness beyond exception to whom by right ye are bound to assent however ye refuse to give credit to us The Apostles alone for integrity and innocency of life were worth credit but lest the stubborness of men might have any pretext to cloak their unbelief God would add to this testimony another greater to wit the testimony of his Spirit This very testimony of the Spirit is joyned elsewhere with the testimony of the Apostles John 15.26 27. Heb. 2.3 4. but we must not think that the holy Spirit did bear witness apart from the Apostles but by the Apostles to wit by their Miracles and Divine Discourses proceeding from his Inspiration Such an Inspiration also did at that time most evidently manifest itself in the Apostles while with such readiness of mind they spoke of so wonderful things no ways fearing the power or threatnings of the great men After the like manner it 's said Rev. 22.17 And the Spirit and Bride say Come That is the Bride inspired by the Spirit saith Come Whom God hath given That is the gifts of which Holy Spirit God hath given largely and plentifully To all that obey him To wit Christ that is to all that believe in Christ and endeavour to frame their conversation hereafter according to the rule of his Word 33. They were cut to the very heart That is they were ragingly angry 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Greek word here and also ch 7.54 saith Hesichius is They raged with anger they were very angry Took counsel to slay them That is they consulted among themselves to kill the Apostles who were personally present and took notice of it 34. A Pharisee The Sect of the Pharisees was in greatest esteem among the Jews and was gentler than the rest in punishing Gamaliel a Doctor of the Law Or a publick Professor Concerning this Judge of the great Sanhedrin Lightfoot saith thus Rabban Gamaliel the first called
appears from that form of the Covenant Levit. 26.12 I will be your God and ye shall be my People which Paul cites 2 Cor. 6.16 and from the peculiar Covenant made with Abraham Isaac and Jacob Gen. 17.7 8. Now they had some good things measured out unto them in this life but mixed with many troubles For neither had they any settled place of their own but wandred up and down with their Families and Flocks and were also frequently tossed with the Injuries of Men and Fortune Hence also Jacob called himself a Stranger and Pilgrim when he spoke to Pharoah which the Author to the Hebrews very pertinently insisteth on c. 11. v. 13. It remains therefore that God was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob not only when they lived on Earth but also when God spoke these things to Moses For as I said nothing had befallen them in this Life which could answer the magnificence of so great a name But besides we much more do good to him if we can for whose sake we do good to others God wants not power and he says that he will bless their Posterity for the sake of Abraham Isaac and Jacob much more therefore will he do good to them But they who are dead are not capable of a Benefit if they are always to continue in the state of death It follows therefore that they are to be restored unto Life as Christ from hence evinced against the Sadduces Matt. 22.32 Mark 12.27 Luke 20.38 that he may in a peculiar and special manner be the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob that is may be beneficial to them Moreover Abraham Isaac and Jacob as we have observed on the forecited place of Matthew do not signify the Soul which is only a part of Abraham Isaac and Jacob but the Person consisting both of Soul and Body to which Life and Death are properly attributed But seeing the Promises of God are no less certain than things that are now in being in Gods account who is both willing and powerful to raise them from the Dead they are reckoned as risen already according to that Luke 20.38 For all live to him Origen Book 4. against Celsus saith that the names of Abraham Isaac and Jacob joyned with the name of God had so great Virtue that not only were they intermixed by their Posterity with their holy Frayers and the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob called upon in driving away evil Spirits but were also made use of by all Charmers and those that dealt in Magick Durst not consider That is Behold as it is in the English or Contemplate For as Grotius observes words belonging to the internal and external senses are applied promiscuously to both In the Hebrew Exod. 3.6 it is And Moses hid his Face because he was afraid to look upon God 33. Then said the Lord unto him That is The Angel sent by God Philo saith that God in the promulgation of the Decalogue spoke not by himself but filling a certain rational mind with a clear knowledge which forming the Air and attenuating it as it were in likeness of flaming Fire uttered a distinct voice as the breath does through a Trumpet Put off c. This Exod. 3. is declared to have been said to Moses before that God told him by the Angel sent by him that he was the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. See what we have said on Eccles 5.17 34. I have seen I have seen As if he had said With my Eyes intently fixed I have stedfastly looked upon it God is said to see the affliction and hear the groans of a People when he raiseth them up and refresheth them when they are sorely perplexed and almost spent with grief as on the contrary he is said to shut his Eyes not to hear their cry to turn his Back when he seemeth to neglect them when they cry Thus when God is said to descend saith Calvin there is no need that God should move himself locally to bring help to his People for his hand is stretched out through Heaven and Earth but this is spoke with respect to our Sense for when he did not regard the affliction of his People to our apprehension he might seem to have been absent and to have had his care exercised about some other thing in Heaven Now he declareth that the Israelites shall be sensible that he is near them And now I am come c. As if he had said Go therefore to Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramesis and Armais and Son to Ramessis Miamun who succeeded his Father who died in the 67 year of his Reign in the Kingdom of Egypt 19 years ago and shew thy self a Leader in restoring thy People to their Liberty That the same Man whom the Egyptians called Amenophis Father to Sethosis or Ramessis and Armais was by the Greeks called Belus the Father of Egyptus and Danaus Bishop Vsher hath most clearly collected out of Manethon on the year of the world 1494. And truly the time assigned to Belus by Thallus the Chronographer 322 years before the destruction of Troy according to the relation of Theophilus of Antiochia and Lactantius does exactly jump with the age of our Amenophis Although the Mythologists confounding Belus the Egyptian and Belus the Assyrian Ninus's Father do Fable that this Belus who was drowned in the Red Sea transplanted Colonies from Egypt into Babylonia Thus far the most renowned Vsher in the now cited place 35. This Moses c. Moses who was appointed by God to be a Saviour to the Israelites is at the first rejected by them in this typifying Christ whom at his first coming the greatest part of the Israelites refused to acknowledge Nor in any other respect is Moses here called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Redeemer but because after many and strange Miracles wrought by him in Egypt when at last the First-born of the Egyptians were slain by the destroying Angel he preserved the People of God by the Blood of the Lamb and brought them safe out And so saith Lud. de Dieu he gave a Type of that true Price and that true Redemption which Believers rejoyce to have been purchased for them by the Death of the First-begotten of all the Creation and by the Blood of Christ the immaculate Lamb. Sent by the hands of the Angel A Hebraism That is giving him a command by an Angel He brought them out He largely publisheth both the good deeds Moses did for the people and the honours conferred on him by God that so the stubbornness of the People against him might appear the more base and it might be less to be wondered at if those who were come of such ungrateful Parents were so unnatural and inhuman towards Jesus Christ Shewing Wonders and Signs in the Land of Egypt The Royal Palace of Egypt was at that time Tzoan that is as the Chaldaean Paraphrast Interprets it Isa 19.13 Tanis whence has its name the Tanitish Mouth of Nilus which some
Ears are shut and obturate to all sound Doctrine The Jews are in the same manner upbraided Lev. 26.41 Jer. 6.10 9.26 Ye always resist the Holy Ghost In the Greek it is Ye fall down cross its way That is Ye stubbornly despise the Holy Ghost speaking in the Prophets and you set your selves in opposition to his admonitions as those do who stop one in his Journey This is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk across ones way Levit. 26.22 23 24 40 41. Stephen seems to have had respect to Isa 63.10 With this agreeth that sharp upbraiding of Jeremiah c. 7.24 c. Ezek. 20. from v. 5. to the end of the Chap. Nor is the promiscuous multitude only accused of Rebellion before God but the Priests Princes and Prophets are upbraided with the same Crime Jeremiah 2.8.5.31.6.13.8.10.10.20 21.22.21 22.23.1 2 9 11-31 32.30 32. Ezek. 8.12.22.25 Hos 4.1 Mic. 3.5 c. Zeph. 3.1 Zech. 7.11 Mal. 2.8 11.3.7 As your Fathers did so do ye As if he had said You Children have succeeded your Fathers in the same Wickedness 52. Which of the Prophets have not your Fathers persecuted Excellently Luctantius * 1 Instit 4. Prophets were therefore sent by God both that they might be setters forth of his Majesty and Chastisers of Mens Wickedness But the Precepts of Justice are unpleasant to the vicious and evil livers Therefore they who were both accused of sin and forbid to do it put them to death after they had most cruelly tormented them 1 Kin. 19.10 Elias complaineth thus They have slain thy Prophets with the Sword and I even I only am left to wit of all those who came to the knowledge of Ahabs Court and they seek my life to take it away Nehem. 9.26 They slew thy Prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee See Mat. 5.12 21.35.23.31 33. Luke 6.23.13.34 Heb. 11.37 And they killed To wit your Fathers degenerated from the Piety of our Fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob. Which shewed before of the coming of the Just One. That is the Messengers that were sent before the Face of Christ that was to be born who as Drusius expresseth it is here in a peculiar manner called the Just One possibly because he was Innocent when he was put to death For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a Law Term signifying a supposed guilty person that yet is innocent to which is opposed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Person that is accused as guilty and is so indeed as in that place of David * Psal 109.6 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when he shall be judged that is when he shall contend in Judgment let him be condemned Of whom ye c. As if he had said But ye with a combination of wickedness did most wickedly conspire against Christ himself the Author of Righteousness and Salvation nor left ye any means unattempted to bring about his death See above c. 3. v. 13. 53. By the disposition of Angels Gr. At the appointment of Angels that is Angels in the Name of God ordaining and enjoyning the observation of the Law So the Law is said to have been ordained by Angels * Gal. 3.19 And Heb. 2. v. 2. it is called the Word spoken by Angels And although the Law was given principally by one Angel sustaining the Name and Person of God yet because this was done in a stately manner many Troops of Angels having attended him as Apparitors the promulgation of the Law in Mount Sina is rightly ascribed to Angels 54. They were cut to the Heart As if he had said They were enraged with a mad fury and that unruly and head-strong fury against Stephen broke forth into a gnashing of Teeth as a vehement and violent Fire does into a Flame See what we have said above c. 5. v. 33. 55. But he being c. As much as to say But Stephen armed with an invincible power of the Spirit lift up his Eyes to Heaven and straight saw a certain resplendency representing the Divine Majesty and Jesus triumphing in that Flesh in which he was abased 56. I see the Heavens opened The opening of the Heavens is a sign previous to Visions Ezek. 1.1 some of the Hebrews will have nothing else signified by the opening of the Heavens but that any thing is done or shewed by a Heavenly Power But the Pagans thought that the Heaven was also opened by Heavenly Portents Livy l. 17. saith That the Heavens were divided as it were with a great gaping and that a great light shined out where it was open And on that of Virgil * Aeneid 9. v. 20. I see Heavens part asunder in the middle Minellius saith That it was divided and opened with a great Chasma or gaping Servius * In Augural lib. among other Prodigies Heaven was also said to have parted asunder And the Son of Man c. An Hebraism as if he had said I see that Man Christ Jesus whom as despised and the lowest of men you think destroyed by death enjoy the Government of all things in Heaven Christ appears to Stephen not sitting but standing on the right hand of God that he may thereby signify that he is ready to afford him help in that conflict of his for his Name Yet in most other places the phrase of sitting on the Right-hand or Right-hands of God is used as more fitting to signify the glorious state of Christ to wit that Majesty and Power of ruling all things which he obtained after his Ascension into Heaven before which all must stand and be judged Augustine saith that Christ is said to sit as a Judge and to stand as our Advocate with the Father 57. Then they cryed out with a loud voice c. As if he had said Those of the multitude who were standing by when they heard this Declaration of Christs Glory breaking out with a horrible Noise as if it had been intolerable Blasphemy they shut their Ears either by putting their Fingers therein or the flap of the Ear I mean that lowest and soft part of the Ear which the Greeks call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take because the Ancients pulled the Ear on that part that they might give any a Caution Hence the Poet * Virg. Ecl. 6. v. 3 4. Then Phoebus thus Nipping my Ear advis'd The Hebrews call this part in a Sheep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amos 3.12 in a Man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 29.20 and frequently in Leviticus and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tail in the Writings of the Rabbins Humanists call the flap of the Ear Lana Lanna or Lamna the Ancient Glossary Lana 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Glossary of St. Benedict Lannae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Philoxenus 's Lexicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lamna Of the flap of the Ear the Talmud * In Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fol. 5.2 speaketh thus Wherefore is the whole Ear hard but the Flap soft That
of a foolish scruple abstain from any sort of Meat as if they were profane or impure That this distinction of Beasts into clean and unclean used even before the flood Gen. 7. v. 2. is by Christ taken away is evident not only by this voice to Peter uttered from Heaven but from Mat. 15. v. 11. Rom. 14. v. 14 c. 1 Cor. 10. v. 25 26 27. Col. 2.16 17 20 21. 1 Tim. 4. v. 4. Tit. 1. v. 5. Therefore if any one does yet use this distinction of Meats as besides the Jews the Arabians and Mahometans do he limits himself by an idle scruple nor uses that liberty which Christ by his death has procured us The Verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is here translated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is properly to pollute improperly to esteem or declare a thing polluted as it is after expounded v. 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to call a thing common or unclean 16. This was done thrice To signify the immutableness of the Divine Purpose which was to be throughly imprinted in his mind And straight the Vessel was received up into Heaven The sheet let down from Heaven represents the Church cull'd by Heaven from among the Jews and Gentiles made clean by Faith which in its Spiritual Birth as it were descends from Heaven Rev. 3. v. 12. 21. v. 2. And as this sheet was taken up into Heaven so are they to return to Heaven 17. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this Vision which he had seen should mean That is While Peter was considering with himself what this Vision sent him from Heaven should signify 19. The Spirit said unto him That is The Spirit commanded him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he said oftentimes with the Hebrews but always with the Arabians is as much as to bid to command Such is that Luke 12. v. 13. Speak to my Brother that he divide the inheritance with me That is Command my Brother to divide the Inheritance betwixt us 20. Doubting nothing To go thither where these men fetch thee although he that sends for thee be not a Jew For I have sent them The Spirit is said to do that which he commanded by the Angel before v. 5. Hence saith Calvin we are warned that the Consciences of Men cannot be assured that they do that which they do safely otherwise than as being taught by the Word of God they propose to themselves to do nothing without his advice or command 21. But Peter going down to the men To wit As is supplyed in the Greek Text who were sent to him from Cornelius 22. Of good report among all the Nation of the Jews That is Not only recommended by the praises of this or the other man but of the whole Jewish Nation Solinus of Scipio Nasica He was adjudged a good man not by a private Testimony but by the attestation of the whole Senate To hear words That is Commands or what he ought to do as before v. 6. the Angel spoke So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Words LXX Interpreters call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commands Deut. 17. v. 19. Jer. 19. v. 15 c. 23. Some of the Brethren Peter prudently takes six of the Brethren in his Company that they might be witnesses of what he did See after chap. 11.12 24. But on the morrow That is After Peter went from the City of Joppa Having called c. Cornelius like Rachab of Jericho Josh 2. v. 12 13. studies not to keep the benefit of faith to himself but desired that all his Relations and Kinsfolks might be made partakers of the same Grace with him as who he knew might be comprehended under the name of his Family His near Friends Vulg. Necessariis amicis Gellius 13. Noct. Att. 3. Those who are conjoined by the Law of affinity and familiarity are called Necessarii Festus Necessarii as saith Gallus Elius are such who are either Kinsfolks or Related by Marriages on whom above others friendly kindnesses are bestowed Nonius calls Necessarii Allies Seeing that says he Necessitas is affinity hence those that are Allied by Marriage are called Necessarii But that not only Allies but Kinsfolks are comprized under this name is sufficiently manifest from this place of Valerius Maximus lib. 2. ch 1. Our Ancestors did celebrate a solemn Feast and call'd it Charistia at which none were present but Allies and Kinsfolks That so if any Quarrel were betwixt those very near friends called Necessarii it might at this sacred Feast be quite quashed by friendly Peace-makers Marcellus does distinguish Necessarii from Friends and Neighbours as if they were bound together by a nearer tye of Amity lib. 4. Epist fam to Cicero Amidst the great scarcity of Friends Neighbours and Intimates ac necessariorum who would sincerely have favour'd my safety I was very sensible of your great kindness and good will towards me 25. And it came to pass that as Peter was coming in Gr. But as it happened that Peter entred That is When Peter was just now about to enter the House of Cornelius For saith the most famous Beza these things were not acted openly but at Cornelius 's house and that even at the threshold of his door as appears from V. 27 28. 26. But Peter c. Peter does not admit of a Religious Reverence to be paid him as Gods Embassadour as was in times past given to the Prophets because the Man Jesus Christ the only Mediator betwixt God and Men is alone possessed of that Embassy and that Authority joined to it all others besides in the matters of Religion are not Lords or Masters but Fellow Servants and Disciples See Rev. 19. v. 10. 22. v. 8 9. I my self also am a Man That is An Earthly Man a Minister of that Divine and Heavenly Man Christ Jesus and thy Fellow Servant 27. And as he talked with him From the threshold of the House where he met him into the House itself 28. How that it is an unlawful thing That is It is thought an unlawful thing To keep Company or come unto one of another Nation Seeing that the Jews could not altogether avoid converse and Commerce with Strangers they ordered the matter so that they neither went to their Houses nor eat with them On this account it was that Peter v. 21 22. first speaks before the doors to the Men sent by Cornelius neither brought them into the House until he was assured they were those of whom he had been warned by God and ch 11. v. 3. Peter is accused by the Jews that he had entered the Houses of Men Uncircumcised and eaten with them And hence is that in Justine the Historian about the Jews Because they remember they were driven from Aegypt for fear of Infection lest they should for the same reason be hated by the Natives they cautiously avoided Communicating with Strangers which at first happening for this reason became by degrees a matter of Discipline and Religion
his Son and called to the Priestly Office But God until that very day as he saw becoming his own Wisdom delayed to make this mystery known Hence it is that Paul saith in this place that God at last after Christs Resurrection said to him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee Justin in his Colloquy with Trypho Saying he was born from thence whereof it was to come to pass he should be born From this place of Justin and from Rabbi David Kimchi it appears that the Jews of old looked upon the second Psalm as upon a Prophesy concerning the Messiah 34. That c. As much as to say But that he raised Jesus from the dead not to die again as they which Elijah and Elisha raised did die that he might be the eternal King of his people whom he should make eternal partakers of glory with him so he said in Isaiah the Prophet ch 55.3 I will give you the sure mercies of David The LXX render in Isaiah the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holies but 2 Chr. 6.42 they render it mercies Therefore holies and mercies are the same in both are understood the free promises of God made to David For which saith Ludovicus de Dieu he will not wonder that the Hellenists called them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 holies who knows when they would call God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bountiful they call him holy Psalm 17.28 and render the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 indifferently mercy and righteousness and lest any should think that they mean any other thing by righteousness then they do by mercy they frequently render 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly denotes righteousness by mercy and alms as justice is also frequently put by the Arabians for bounty therefore by the custom of the Hellenists the holies the righteous and the mercies are the same Now that by David in the place of Isaiah cited here by Paul is understood the Messiah is well observed by the Rabbins Kimchi and Abenesra Therefore saith famous Lightfoot the Resurrection of Christ as the Apostle interprets it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God also by the Prophet from whom these things are taken promiseth a Resurrection and the benefits of the Resurrection of Christ He promised and foretold his death chapter 53. But what inercies are to be expected by a dead Messiah if he should be always dead His benefits are weak and infirm if death should put an end to them Therefore he promiseth benefits and mercies which are firm stable and shall never end which shall flow from his Resurrection Sure The Greek hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to Hesychius's interpretation firm and stable In that very sense this Greek word is used by the Hellenists 1 Sam. 25.28 1 Kings 11.38 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to confirm and establish 1 Chron. 17.14 35. Wherefore also in another Psalm To wit Psal 16.10 He saith To wit David himself by the Spirit of Prophesy concerning the promised Messiah which was to come of his Seed and to Reign for ever 2 Sam. 7.13 2 Chron. 6.42 directing his speech to God Thou shalt not suffer See what we have said above Rel. Christ Institut lib. 5. cap. 3. n. 7. ch 2.27 Although saith Curcellaeus I deny not but these things were in some respect fulfilled in David as in the Type when God delivered him from the hands of his Enemies and suffered them not to take away his life that he might afterward 〈◊〉 in his â—race yet doth it far more eminently 〈◊〉 to Christ who was but for a short time left in the grace in which he felt no corruption nor did he afterwards return any more unto it when David who though he felt 〈◊〉 corruption at that time when his Enemies 〈…〉 death yet afterward he as all other men 〈…〉 to the necessity of nature 36. After he had served his own Generation by the will of God That is In governing his People and advancing Religion in some measure Fell asleep and was laid unto his Fathers That is died and was buried even as his Fathers were And saw corruption That is And his Corps rotted in the Grave Whom c. As much as to say But Jesus Christ was in so short a time restored from death to life that his Body laid in the Sepulchre was no ways vitiated with rottenness 38. Through this man is preached unto you remission of sins As much as to say It is preached to you by me and Barnabas that the Penitents shall have a free pardon of their sins from God being reconciled by this only Mediator betwixt God and Man the Man Jesus Christ 39. And by him That is By the merits and intercession of this Man to wit Jesus Christ All that believe are justified That is Whosoever shall by a lively faith adhere to Christ as to a Teacher sent from Heaven the Redeemer and Mediator of Men shall by his Merits and Intercession obtain pardon and remission of his sins from God From all things c. As much as to say Seeing the Law of Moses gives no hope of pardon except of sins committed through infirmity or ignorance but denounceth the punishment of death without mercy upon greater Crimes Numb 15.22 c. Heb. 10.28 but if any man repenting of his former life will with a sincere faith imbrace Christ he shall through him be absolved from any sins whatsoever committed against the law of God Be justified That is Purged and expiated as Daniel 8.14 or freed as Rom. 6.7 40. Beware c. As much as to say Therefore take heed lest if ye imbrace not the faith of Christ the same happen to you which of old happened to your Fathers foretold by Habakkuk in the Book of the smaller Prophets to have your City and Temple overthrown and your selves carryed away for your contempt of Heavenly Admonitions 41. Behold ye despisers The Hebrew Original hath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Habbak 1.5 Most Interpreters render the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a double diction compounded of a Praeposition and a Noun among the Heathen But the LXX whom the Apostle seems to have followed here as also the Syrian Interpreter taking it for one single diction rendred it despisers Not. Misc ad portam Mosis cap. 3. arrogant or insolent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith incomparable Pocockius for a plural taken from the singular 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bago termined like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 kano a Zealot namely from the root 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which though we do not find elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible which is the only treasure of the pure and Ancient Hebrew that remains among us yet the use of the Arabick Language added to the Authority of these Interpreters doth abundantly confirm me that it hath been used by the Hebrews of old And a little after I believe saith he it will trouble no man more that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
eternal life finally and most conveniently if it be taken in a military sense and not of destination or appointment As many as were ordained to eternal life 49. The word of the Lord. That is The Gospel of Christ preached by Paul and Barnabas at Antioch the Metropolis of Pisidia Throughout all the Region To wit of Pisidia So was spread the Doctrine of Jesus Christ opposed in vain by his Enemies he ruling in the midst of them Psal 110.2 50. But the Jews Obstinately resisting the Truth Stirred up the devout That is Certain Women of the Gentiles who had submitted to the Law of Moses And honourable Women Not of the common sort but Nobles And the chief men of the City As much as to say These malicious Jews having abused the blind zeal and imprudent simplicity of these Matrons by their means instigated the Nobility or chief Men of Antioch against Paul and Barnabas And raised c. As much as to say And they brought the matter so far that Paul and Barnabas themselves were with a strong hand born down and afflicted and at length expelled from the Borders of Antioch in Pisidia 51. But they Paul to wit and Barnabas Shook off the dust off their feet By this Rite according to Christs Precept Mat. 10.14 Luke 9.5 10.11 They testified that they having discharged their duty were free from the punishment that was abiding the Inhabitants of Antioch in Pisidia for rejecting the Doctrine of the Gospel which was Preached to them Against them That is For a Testimony against them as it is Luke 9.5 And came unto Iconium The Metropolitan City of Lycaonia situated at Mount Taurus whereof among others the famous Amphilochius was Bishop who under Theodosius the great was most vehement against Heresies and of an eminent Authority as it doth appear even by the third Law De fide Catholica Lycaonia of old a part of Pisidia hath Pisidia upon the West Isauria upon the South Cappadocia the second upon the East and upon the North Galatia Secunda called also The Healthy 52. And the Disciples c. As much as to say But such as at Antioch in Pisidia did believe in Christ by the Preaching of Paul and Barnabas were filled with joy for the entrance which was opened for them to eternal life and with the gifts of the Holy Ghost for the sealing of their Faith CHAP. XIV 1. AND it came to pass in Iconium Viz. The Metropolis of Lycaonia That they went both together Paul and Barnabas Spake That is Preached the Gospel A great multitude both of the Jews and also of Greeks Whosoever professed not the Jewish Religion were by the Jews called Greeks since they lived under the Greek or Macedonian Empire dividing all the men of the World into Jews and Greeks in respect of Religion not of Country 2. Stirred up Or incensed made them evil affected The Gentiles That is Men professing another Religion than the Jewish whom Luke in the preceding verse calls Greeks and likewise did oppose the Jews to them Their minds That is Their wills as Psal 41.3 in the Hebrew Text. Against the Brethren So are all Believers in Christ called because they have one Father in Heaven which is God whose Children they are after the Spirit to whom they have got access through Christ and they themselves have one for another a reciprocal brotherly love though they be gathered out of divers Nations 3. Abode they At Iconium Speaking boldly c. As much as to say Being incouraged by the Lord boldly to Preach the Gospel whereby the great Grace of God concerning the Remission of sins and the gift of eternal life to such as believe in Christ and repent is declared for the Lord himself approved the Gospel Preached by them and did by Signs and Miracles wrought by their Ministry vindicate it from reproach 4. With the Apostles To wit Paul and Barnabas 5. With their Rulers That is With their Nobles To stone them To wit The Apostles Paul Barnabas 6. They were aware of it That is Paul and Barnabas were aware of this conspiration against them And fled According to Christs Precept Mat. 10.33 lest they might rashly run themselves upon death Vnto Lystra and Derbe Cities of Lycaonia This place may be two ways interpreted one way is that he might tell that Lystra and Derbe are Cities of Lycaonia the other that he might tell that they fled to the Cities of Lycaonia and to Lystra and to Derbe Which Exposition saith Drusius seems more true For Lystra and Derbe are Cities of Isauria which although it be near Lycaonia yet is it distinguished from it Chrysostom writes hom 8. in 2 Tim. 3.11 that Timothy Pauls Disciple was of Lystra But Geisner is an Authorless Author that he was of Derbe Round about To wit Lystra and Derbe 7. And there they preached the Gospel That is They left not off their Office of Preaching the Gospel which God had imposed upon them 9. The same heard Paul speak That is Preaching the Gospel Who. Paul And perceiving that he had faith to be healed That is Seeing the lame man stirred up by his Preaching and Signs hope that his inbred lameness should be healed 10. Said with a loud voice That he might be heard of all that were present 11. The Gods c. As much as to say The Gods are come to us in human shape This the Ethnickâ— believed sometimes to have fallen out as may frequently be seen in their Poets 12. And they called Barnabas Jupiter For Jupiter in Ovid Met. 1. compasseth the earth in human shape And Paul Mercurius Whom Jupiter used to lead with him as may be seen in Plautus's Amphitruo Because he was the chief speaker As much as to say Because it was his charge to speak For Mercurius was esteemed as the God of Eloquence and the Messenger of the Gods whence Claudian saith of him That he is a God common to the Gods of Heaven and Hell Carm. 33. de raptu Proserpinae v. 89 90 91. who alone hath a right and power to enter both in Heaven and in Hell and maintains the communication between the Princes of both Kingdoms Heaven and Hell Then the Priest of Jupiter which was before their City It seems that the Temple consecrated to Jupiter stood near the Gates of this City in which Temple the Image of Jupiter was also seen seeing Jupiter was accounted the Governor and Defender of this City For the Idolatrous Nations used to dedicate almost every City to the peculiar care chief Tutelage of particular Gods Oxen and Garlands Oxen and Garlands are Oxen Crowned with Garlands Minutius in his Oâ—â—avius The Beasts for Sacrifices are fattened to be slain the Hosts are Crowned to be tormented Vnto the Gates That is When he brought the Oxen Crowned with Garlands to the 〈◊〉 of the City where Paul Preached and the lame Man whom he restored did sit or to the door of the house where Paul and Barnabas lodged
For this was saith Lud. de Dieu the fashion of their houses in all the Eastern Countries that the first door being opened which looked into the street you presently come to another covered with a Vail which the Arabians call a covering lest he that enters may see into the Bed-chamber where the Master of the Family stays With the people That is a great multitude of the common people following him 14. They rent their clothes Very many Nations had this Custom to rent their Garments in grief or vehement anger first in great grief and sadness as may be seen Gen. 37.29 34. Num. 14.6 Judg. 11.35 1 Sam. 4.12 2 Sam. 1.11.13.19 Then when they heard any especially a Jew blaspheme Hence the learned among the Jews gather that Rabshakeh the King of Assyria's Chamberlain was a Jew and Apostatized to Ethnicism because King Ezechiah rent his cloaths when his blasphemous words were told him 2 King 19.1 So Cajaphas rent his Garment when he believed that by Christs Confession God was blasphemed Mat. 26.65 But they are mistaken who conclude from Lev. 10.6.21.10 that the High-Priest was altogether forbidden to rent his cloaths For the discourse there is concerning mourning over the dead not of the publick and universal mourning of the whole people that in this case it was lawful for him to rent his cloaths is evinced from the example of Jonathan the High-Priest when he was overcome in Battle 1 Mac. 11.71 But the most learned among the Rabbins say that the High-Priest used to rent his Garment from the bottom of it but the rest of the Jews from the top Ran in among the people Earnestly and vehemently to deprecate their too great honour Crying out That is Speaking with a loud voice 15. Men c. As much as to say Ye men of Lystra why would you preposterously worship us mortal men instead of God We are lyable to infirmities of the same nature with you to whom we Preach that casting away all these feigned Deities with which the world hath hitherto been deluded ye may turn to that living God who hath life in himself and communicates the same to others From these vanities That is Idols which are without life strength and profit and therefore are called vain and vanities See 1 Sam. 12.21.15.23 1 King 16.26 Is 66.3 Jer. 2.5.10.14 15.16 19. Amos 2.4 Jon. 2.9 Which made c. The Heathenish Gods did not make Heaven and Earth being all born since they were made See Jer. 10.11 16. Who in times past That is In former Ages Suffered all Nations to walk in their own ways That is Suffered all Nations to live after what manner they pleased not giving them a Law as he did to the Israelites to keep them thereby close to their duty and his Worship seldom sent to other Nations than the Israelites Prophets to recal them from their Errours 17. Nevertheless c. As much as to say Yet God did not at any time let the Nations want a Testimony of his goodness For the benefits which God by nature his ordinary Hand-maid confers upon men do every moment reach their senses and draw the attentive considerers to love and worship the bestower of them For reason imprinted upon mens hearts teacheth them that they ought to be thankfull to such as are most beneficial and liberal to them and to worship and honour God greatly for the benefits they daily receive and expect from him But after what manner God is especially to be worshipped the same reason with which all are indued doth abundantly declare to wit that the best worship of God is a pious honest life with which he is better pleased then with any gifts as Persius saith excellently Sat. 2. Tell me you Priests what profit do the Gods receive of the Gold that is consecrated to them in their Temples Even as little as Venus receives of the Puppets that the Maids being about to Marry offer to her Why don't we offer that to the Gods which the vicious off-spring of great Messala cannot offer out of all their great riches To wit an innocent life conform unto the divine and human laws spotless thoughts of our minds and a heart thoroughly honest and virtuous grant that I bring to the Altars of the Gods true piety and a pure mind and I shall please the Gods with a very small Sacrifice even with a Cake made of meal salt In that he did good Although the power wisdom which shine forth in the works of God are sufficient to persuade his being that he must be loved feared worshipped yet the despisers of that might seem to be excusable had they not experienced God to be so beneficial to them Therefore Paul in this place omitting to mention Gods power wisdom he is content to admonish the Lystrians of his great bounty which they at all times have tasted that they might know how much they were beholden to him upon that account And gave us rain from Heaven Whereby the Earth is made fertile to bring forth fruit And fruitful Seasons Appointed for bringing forth certain fruits as the Spring Summer and Harvest Filling our hearts with food and gladness Some read it in the Gr. your hearts Calvin saith excellently To fill the heart with food is nothing else but to bestow food which may satisfy the desires of men By gladness Paul and Barnabas mean that God according to his great favour bestows more upon men then their necessities call for as if it were said That food is given to men not only to repair their strength but to rejoice their hearts 18. And with these sayings c. As much as to say Paul and Barnabas could scarcely with these sayings restrain the Lystrians from Sacrificing to them 19. From Antioch To wit The Metropolis of Pisidia Jews Obstinately unbelieving who envied Paul and Barnabas Who persuaded the people Some Copies add Saying that they tell no truth but lie in every thing And having stoned Paul c. As much as to say Paul because he was the chief speaker was so violently assaulted with stones that he was thought dead This stoning Paul doth mention 2 Cor. 11.25 20. Howbeit as the Disciples stood round about him As much as to say The Christians came to stand about his Funeral as Apuleius speaketh He rose up and came into the City That is Having recovered from the stupefaction which the many wounds he received by the stones had put him in he raised up himself from the ground where he lay for dead and being by the marvellous vertue of Christ refreshed strengthened and as it were brought to life again he returned to Lystra Pauls words 2 Cor. 1.8 9 10. do seem to relate to this 21. Had taught many The Gr. hath it Had formed sufficient Disciples that is when they had brought a fit number of Auditors over to this that they might receive the faith of Christ and become his Disciples In this
feet fast The word in the original is he guarded their feet that is made them secure By a Metonymy as Grotius saith for a Guard secures us In the Wood. that is as it is interpreted in the English Translation in the Stokes which Plautus calls a Wooden Guard 25. And at Midnight When men are as it were buried in deep sleep Sang praises unto God Ruff. Presbyter of Aquilia in the Title of the 72 Psalm saith Hymns are Songs which contain the praise of God If it be praise and not of God it is not a hymn if it be praise and of God if it be not sung it is not a Hymn It must therefore that it may be a Hymn have these three things Praise and of God and a Song In Lib. de fide And therefore deservedly doth Gregorius Baeticus Bishop of the City Granata in Spain call David Hymnidicus Paul then and Silas sung Praises to God for the honour put upon them Ch. 5.41 in that they suffered innocently for promoting the Glory of Christ See above 26. And suddenly there was a great Earthquake By the great Power and Might of God So that the Foundations of the Prison were shaken Not only did the Edifice of the Prison it self totter but also the very ground upon which it was built was greatly shaken by such an Earthquake God shews that he himself is present with his Servants and that by his strength they shall be rescued from the Severity of furious Magistrates And immediately That is assoon as by the Earthquake the whole Prison was shaken All the Doors were opened To wit of that Prison And every ones bands To wit who were bound in that Prison 27. And the keeper of the Prison awaking To wit by the great Earthquake He drew out his Sword and would have killed himself For fear of the Magistrate lest by him he should be put to a more cruel death If the Prisoners escaped saith Grotius the Jaylors used to undergo the same Punishment that they were to suffer L. ad Commentariensem C. de custodia Vinctorum 28. Do thy self no harm For fear of a worse Death For we are all Who were bound in this Prison before all its Doors were opened by the Earthquake Here. Perhaps they who beside Paul and Silas were bound in that Prison listning to their unlooked for Songs and astonished with the wonderful Earth-quake did not observe that their bands were loosed nor that all the Prison-Doors were opened 29. Then he called for a light From his Domesticks who were in his house adjoyning the Prison And sprang in To the Prison with Force and Speed to see if all the Prisoners were there And came trembling For fear of Divine Judgment And fell down before Paul and Silas Worshipping after the custom of the Eastern Kingdoms and thence brought to Macedonia from the time of Alexander the Great when he Conquered Asia 30. And brought them out From the Cloister of the inner Prison to some open place of the Prison where they might more freely breath And said Like those who were moved with Peters Sermons Acts 2.37 Luk. 3.10 12. the People and Publicans converted by John Sirs Thus the Jaylor gave them this honourable Compellation knowing them to be men of great Holiness in that when they were so strictly kept and had deliverance offered them from Heaven their bonds being loosed and the doors set open to them so that they might flee especially if they had suffered him to kill himself as he would have done yet they fled not but were more solicitous for his Life than for their own To call them Sirs whom we would honour saith Grotius was a custom then received both among the Greeks and Romans as witness Martial and others What must I do As much as to say I have heard you declare the way to attain the greatest happiness neither doth the Miracle which God wrought concerning you suffer me to doubt of the truth of it shew me therefore I beseech you what course I shall take that I may attain to this happiness 31. Believe on the Lord Jesus That is rest upon Jesus Christ whom God appointed to be the only Saviour with true confidence of heart firmly believing that repenting of your former conversation and seriously proposing to pass the rest of your life conform to the Rule of his Doctrine you shall be discharged from all your Sins And you shall be saved That is and you shall obtain the chief happiness in eternal life according to Christs promise Job 3.15 16 36.6.47 And thy house That is and your houshold upon the same condition to wit if they also imbrace Christ with the same faith which inclines the heart to repentance and amendment of Life conform to the rule of his Doctrine And they spake unto him the word of the Lord c. That is the Gospel of Jesus Christ what that Jesus the Son of God is what he did upon Earth and suffered for the Redemption of Mankind how great Miracles he wrought how he lived again tho by the Instigation of the Jews he was Crucified and ascended above all the Heavens and was made Lord of all what Promises and Precepts he proposed These things they briefly held out to him For it was usual with the Apostles to declare such things in their Sermons And to all that were in his house As much as to say They not only imparted a clear and distinct knowledge of Christ and of his Doctrine to the Jaylor but also to all his Domesticks who went with him from his house to the Prison to see if any of the Prisoners had escaped the Prison Doors being broke open with the Earthquake 33. And he took them the same hour of the Night and washed their Stripes That is saith Grotius having led them to some Pool which was within the Bounds of the Prison he washed off the Blood which the rods had drawn Blood is washed off with water and by its coldness the flux thereof is stanched also by washing wounds are cleansed and disposed for healing therefore it is usual to wash wounds with Water And was baptized As much as to say Both the Jaylor himself and all his Domesticks who heard the word of the Lord Preached in the next following verse without delay were according to Christs instruction dipped in Water that by this sign they might profess that they would die to Sin and lead a new and godly Life for the future 34. And when he had brought them into his house Joyning to the Prison as Jaylors houses use to be He set meat before them That is he refreshed them with a Treat as Levi did Luke 5.29 Zaccheus 19.6 And rejoyced believing in God with all his house The Participle here gives the reason of his joy as much as to say He rejoyced and was exceeding glad that not only himself but his whole houshold had acknowledged and received the faith of the true God of whom he
of Isaac the God of Jacob As Peter did speaking to the Jews but with a discourse so tempered that he might with patience be heard even by Ethnicks God that made the World and all things therein Paul adds Seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with hands neither is he worshipped with mens hands as though he needed any thing seeing he giveth to all Life and breath and all things Hitherto hath he said nothing that may not be suffered neither do you hear the Testimonies of the Prophets here which Peter made use of to the Jews but he produceth the Testimony of Aratus for we are his offspring not naming him indeed but what was more fit to perswade them As saith he certain also of your own Poets have said Though I suspect the word Poets hath been added by latter Authors for this reason that the most ancient Author Irenaeus citing this place does not add Poets nor yet Augustine Now observe with what Prudence he accommodates this Testimony of Aratus to his purpose If God be not far from every one of us by whose favour we Live and Breath he is not then Visible or Corporeal or perceptible by any sense far less then our Souls are seeing he is as it were the Soul of our Soul Then if we be his Children it becomes us not being Children to have low thoughts of so great a Father For it is certain the Soul is the far nobler part of Man without which the Body is nothing but the Body of Man is better by far then Images of Wood Stone Brass Silver Gold in which there is no sense of any thing nor motion neither were they made by God but by the Tradesman therefore they who worship Images they have that for a God which is viler then the basest part of Man Ye see with how much caution and with how much Temperance he Demonstrates the Worshipping of Images not to be Religion but Superstition Certainly here was room to be incensed at the blindness of the Athenians who having learned these things from their Authors yet would worship Dead and Dumb things instead of God Yet neither here doth he speak any sharp Word He refers the madness of former ages to the times and Gods winking at them that he might excuse what had been done heretofore by the ignorance in which God suffered men to be blinded for a time only that they might now repent at the shining light of the Gospel Neither does he properly here direct his discourse to the Athenians but speaks in general that he might the less offend That all men saith he might every where repent he sheweth that a pardon for what was past was ready for such as would betake themselves to better otherwise that severe Judgment was near to such as would despise so great a favour from God Neither doth he speak thus We declare to you that Gods Judgment is at hand and that they ought to flee to repentance But God declares No mention is made as yet of Christ of whom they had no knowledge Now a natural way of teaching begins with known things Here observe Paul who in his Epistles with so loud a Trumpet personated the Majesty of Christ how sparingly he touches him No mention of the Divine Nature also as to the Cross which was foolishness to the Nations silence He calls him only a Man whom God hath set out in this World that the truth being by him cleared the Penitent should be freely pardoned and the unbelieving being now innexcusable should be justly punished Neither does he adduce the Testimonies of the Prophets here but only with one argument proves what he said because God raised him from the Dead Only at the mentioning of the Resurrection some mocked others being more modest said We will hear thee again of this matter He who desireth to be more fully taught hath profited in some measure Here also it seems the Apostles Discourse was interrupted his Auditors leaving him neither would he press them any further But departed from among them saith Luke waiting a more fit occasion Also this same happened by Paul 's Wisdom that he was neither misused nor railed at nor hurt by any seizing upon him but departed safe but not without gain Them who cleaved to him he more fully instructed among which were Dionysius and a certain Woman named Damaris and others with them Hence it apears how great force a discourse tempered with prudent meekness hath Superstitious The Greek hath it too Superstitious They are called Superstitious saith Lactantius Lib. 4. instit Cap. 28. who worship the surviving memory of the deceased or who surviving their Parents honour their Images as houshold Gods For they called them Superstitious who assumed to themselves new Rites that they might instead of Gods honour the Dead whom they thought were from men received into Heaven but them who worshiped the Publick and Ancient Gods they called Religious Virg. Aen. 8. v. 187. Foolish Superstition which knoweth not the Ancient Gods But saith Lactantius further seeing we find also the old Gods in the same manner consecrated after Death they are therefore Superstitious who worship many and false Gods But we are Religious who supplicate one and the true God Servius upon the forecited out of Virgil Evanders words to Aeneas Superstition saith he is a foolish and Superfluous fear Aeneid 8. or it is denominated from little old Women who surviving many dote for age and become fools Or according to Lucretius Superstition is a vain and superfluous fear of Divine and heavenly things which are above us 23. Your Devotions The Word in the Greek signifieth those Deities which are worshipped I found an Altar The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek Bible and Fathers and Ara in the vulgar Latin Translation of the Bible and the Latin Fathers is used only of an Altar erected for the honour of Idols seeing the Altar erected under the old Testament for worshipping the true God is constantly and always called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek and Altare in Latin One Table was wont to be placed in the midst of every meeting Place of the Primitive Christians upon which every one laid what he bestowed for the use of the Poor as we are informed by Theodoret and because Alms are noted with the name of Sacrifice Lib. 5. Cap. 18. Heb. 13.16 that table upon which they were laid was called by the ancient Christians an Altar This Table also was appointed for the use of the Lords Supper and hence it came to pass that by little and little they which did partake of the Bread and Wine of the Lords Supper at this Table which for the Alms laid upon it was called an Altar were said to have partaked of the Altar Of this table Paul speaks and Athanasius in his Epistle to solitary Livers 1 Cor. 18.21 This also is to be observed that when Christians in the time of
2.41 8.12 37. 9. Then spake the Lord. That is Jesus Christ to whom all Power is given in Heaven and Earth Matth. 28.18 In the Night by a Vision That is in a Night Vision Ch. 2.17 See above what I have noted upon these words they shall dream Dreams Be not affraid As much as to say Let not the fear of being disturbed fright you from Preaching the Gospel here 10. I am with thee According to my promise Matth. 28. v. 20. See what we have noted there And no Man c. As much as to say Neither will I suffer you to be wronged or hurt by any of thine Enemies For c. As much as to say I would not have you cease from Preaching the Gospel in this Luxurious City because there are many in it beside those already converted who are yet to be converted by thy Preaching and reckoned with my People and my Sheep As Christ calls them here his People and Joh. 10.16 his Sheep from the future So saith Grotius those names are given from the time past as Matth. 21.31 This seems to relate to the Prophesie of Isaiah 54.15 11. And he continued there c. As much as to say Paul therefore being confirmed by this admonition of Christ's spent a year and Six Moneths at Corinth in Preaching the Gospel to the Corinthians 12. And when Gallio was the Deputy of Achaia This Gallio was Brother to L. Annaeus Seneca the Philosopher Nero's Master When he was younger he was called M. Annaeus Novatus but afterward L. Junius Gallio having adopted him for his Son he took this Name with his Family Seneca his Brother wrote to this Man his Book of a blessed Life and he writing to his Mother saith that he had obtained honours Achaia saith Grotius was a Proconsular Province under Augustus Tiberius adjoyned it to Macedonia and made it a Caesarean Province But Claudius restored these Provinces to the Senate that is made them again Proconsular as witnesseth Sentonius in Claudius Chap. 25. and Dion Book 60. Spanhemius in his Introduction to his Holy Geography Among the Provinces saith he of the Macedonian Diocess Achaia hath the first place in the rotice of the Empire being subject to the Proconsul while the rest were Consular or Presidial Also we must understand this Achaia to be of larger extent then it is in Ptolomy containing the ancient Greece to wit Aetholia Locrus Phocis Boeotia Attica and all the bounds in which Peloponnesus extended it self Corinth was its Meâ—ropolis being of old the richest of its Cities the common Market Town of all Asia and Europe the entry and as it were the door of Peloponnesus situated in the middle of the Isthnuts Among the other Cities of this Achaia which were Famous for Bishops and Churches and saluted by St. Paul in his second Epistle to the Corinthians next to the Corinthian that of the Athenians in Attica for antiquity splendor of the City having been inlarged with priviledges by the Pompeys Antonies Hadrians for the foundation of its Church by St. Paul for the Conversion of Dionysius not to speak of Hierothens the Areopagite whom they say was Dionysius his Master for the Episcopacy of the same Dionysius in Eusebius and of Publius Quadratus c. was deservedly among the first The Jews made in surrection with one accord To wit the unbelieving of whom above v. 6. being stirred up partly because Paul had withdrawn some from them of which see above v. 8. partly because he joyned with the Jews who believed in Christ the Ethnicks who believed in him though not Circumcised into the same People of God And brought him to the Judgment Of Gallio's Deputy-ship 13. Contrary to the Law To wit of Moses according to which it is by the Romans allowed to us Jews to live in Greece This fellow A Jew by birth Perswadeth Men to worship God Without the observation of legal Ceremonies especially Circumcision Therefore saith Grotius the Jews came to the Deputy because in Achaia they had not such a Power of chastising those of their People as they had in Judea and the neighbouring Regions 14. And when Paul was now about to open his Mouth That he might answer the accusation drawn up against him Gallio said unto the Jews Pauls accusers If it were a matter of wrong That is if any of you had been wronged contrary to the Civil Laws Or wicked Lewdness That is if a mischief were committed through a wicked design Bear with you As much as to say That I should patiently hear your accusation and Judge the Controversie 15. But if it be a question of words That is but if there be any debates among you about dubious expressions And names If to wit that Jesus whom Paul Preacheth should be named Messias or not And of your Law Supply rites Look ye to it That is I leave it to you and permit that either ye compose these Controversies among your selves or that ye dispute them with what words ye please For I will be no Judge of such matters As much as to say For I have no mind to imploy my self to take up Controversies in your Religion It belongs not saith Grotius to the Roman Magistrates to meddle with these things no more than with the debates of the Epicureans and Stoicks among themselves 16. And he drove them from the Judgment Seat That is saith Grotius he removed them from the place of Judgment as bringing nothing which came within his Cognisance Then all the Greeks took That is the Gentiles of the People of Achaia who stood before the Judgment Seat and saw the Jews therefore driven out from thence with Contempt because that with triffling questions of their Law they interrupted the Deputy who was taken up with other things Sosthenes the chief ruler of the Synagogue Who was either with Crispus of whom above v. 8. a great while ago among the chief Rulers of the Synagogue of such it is shewed above Ch. 13.15 that there were many in one Jewish Synagogue or that Crispus having imbraced the Faith of Christ he was substituted in his room or that he was chief Ruler of another Synagogue as Grotius saith than that whereof Crispus was Ruler for in great Cities there were many Synagogues of which each had their own chief Rulers For the same reason there were of old at Rome Antioch and other great Cities except Alexandria where saith Epiphanius there was always another custom many Bishops according to the different limits of Cities and assemblies of Christians But the Synod of Nice did forbid that for the future This Sosthenes seems to have been chief man among Pauls accusers whom nevertheless some say to have been afterward converted to Christ and think him to have been that Sosthenes who with Paul wrote the first Epistle to the Corinthians Beat him before the Judgment Seat See 1. Coriath 1. v. 1. Thinking to gratifie the Deputy if they should beat a Man of great Authority
And he began to speak boldly in the Synagogue That is more freely to utter all he knew of Christ in the Holy assembly of the Jews at Ephesus than he used to do formerly in publick assemblies Whom when Aquila and Priscilla had heard Discoursing of Christ They took him unto them To lodge with them And expounded unto him the way of the Lord more perfectly That is they taught this great Man more exactly the Will of God revealed unto Man by Christ 27. And when he was disposed Apollos being accurately and exquisitely instructed in the Christian Religion by Aquila a Tradesman and his Wife Priscilla both lay Persons bearing no Office in the Church To pass into Achaia That is to pass from Ephesus to that Region of Greece whose Metropolis was Corinth The Brethren That is the Christians of Ephesus having exhorted Apollos to perform quickly his generous purpose The Disciples That is the Christians living in Achaia To receive him That is that they might entertain him kindly Hospitably and Brotherly Who. Apollos When he was come Into Achaia Helped them much That is was very helpful to them of the Achaians and Corinthians who were by Pauls means Above v. 47.8 11. converted to believe in Jesus Christ whom being planted by Paul Apollos watered as Paul wrote 1 Cor. 3.6 that is they being by Paul instructed and informed were confirmed and advanced more in the Faith by Apollos And that seems also to be declared saith Wolzogenius that when those Christian Corinthians did with great pains contest with the obstinate Jews Apollos helped them greatly in confuting them Who had believed through Grace The Syrian interpreter refers the Word through Grace to the verb helped that the sense may be that those Achaian Christians were not a little helped by Appollos through the great gifts which God had bestowed upon him which are above mentioned and that God by his favour and blessing gave success to his labours v. 24 25. It may also be put with the verb believed that the meaning may be that those Achaians were indued with Faith by the free favour of God 28. Mightily c. As much as to say He with strong arguments confuted and convinced the errors of the Jews demonstrating not by any uncertain tradition but by the most firm Oracles and Testimonies of the Scriptures of the old Testament that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messias promised of old by God who should save his People from their sins From such things saith Wolzogenius as are here written of this Apollos that he was an eloquent Man and fervent in Spirit and mighty in the Scriptures of the old covenant and that he valiantly confuted the Jews it seems a conjecture may be taken that he is the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews being written so eloquently and clearly beyond the rest of the Writings of the new Testament and with fervor of Spirit also frequent allegation and accommodation of the holy Scriptures of the old Testament that these Hebrews or Jews which wavered in the Christian Religion might be strongly confirmed CHAP. XIX 1. WHile Apollos was at Corinth Watering Christianity there which was planted by Paul and diligently promoting the work of the Lord. Having passed through the upper Coasts That is Galatia and Phrygia Mediterranean Countries of the lesser Asia and more Northerly situated Came to Ephesus See above Ch. 18.23 From whence he departed and promised he should return again above Ch. 18. v. 19. 21. And finding certain Disciples That is Jews believing in Christ who came from other Countries to Ephesus 2. Have ye received the holy Ghost since ye believed As much as to say Whether or no since ye imbraced the faith of Christ were these great gifts of the Holy Ghost powred out upon you which according to Joels Prophesie did every where begin to be much used and set by in the Church of Christ We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost That is we have not so much as heard it reported that those gifts of the Holy Ghost which Joel foretold should in great measure be powred out upon believers have already every where been poured The like saying is Jo. 7.39 for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Jesus was not yet glorified That is those Illustrious Gifts of the Spirit with which the beginning of the Church was to be by the Messias indued were not as yet fallen from Heaven upon any See what we have said above Ch. 8.16 3. Vnto what then were ye Baptised As much as to say With what Doctrine were ye instructed when ye were initiated by Baptism It was not doubted saith Wolzogenius but they were baptized in Water who were called Disciples but Paul asked in the Profession of what Doctrine Vnto Johns Baptism That is unto the profession of that Doctrine which John Preached and signed by Baptism The answer is most pertinent saith Beza by which they meant that they in Baptism professed the Doctrine proposed by John and ratified by Baptism administred to them hence they acknowledged Christ but very slenderly neither having heard Christ himself nor his Apostles as is also said of Apollos a little before So that it is no wonder that they who as appears by their own answer that having only heard John they were Baptized and returned to their own Country should be ignorant of this Holy Ghost which was not sent out into the Church but since that Day of Pentecost 4. John verily Famous Solomon Glassius these adversative conjunctions Gram. Sacrtract 7. Can. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verily indeed truly and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but do in Speech mutually follow one another and necessarily one another as mutual correlatives Mat. 3.11 I indeed Baptize with Water unto Repentance but he that cometh after me c. 9. v. 37. The Harvest truly is plenteous but the Labourers are few And thus the Scripture speaketh in many other places See the Concordancies of the new Testament Hence it happears that Acts 19.4 5. the words are connected together and hold out one continued discourse of Pauls connected by these Particles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then said Paul John 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 verily Baptised with the Baptism of Repentance saying unto the People that they should believe on him who should come after him that is on Christ Jesus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But those that heard this Johns report of Christ they were Baptised by John in the name of the Lord Jesus The fifth verse then expresseth not Pauls fact or any rebaptising but it follows in the sixth verse concerning Pauls fact that he laid his hands on those Disciples c. compare Ch. 8. v. 14 15 16. 17. Bellarmin calls this explanation however witty yet no wise pious nor probable But why is it neither Pious nor Probable Johns Baptism is mentioned in v. 4. therefore it were superfluous to repeat it v.
but with clamours as also the Papists do theirs this day And the whole City was filled with confusion The whole multitude of the People running together to such crying as above Ch. 2.6 They rushed with one accord That is And they run in together with Force Into the Theatre Where Shows Comedies and Tragedies used to be acted Having caught Gaius This Gaius or Caius is reckoned with the Macedonians because although he seems to have been born in Derbe which is a City of Lycoania Below Ch. 20.4 yet he dwelt in Macedonia And Aristarchus A Thessalonian of whom below Ch. 20.4 27.2 Col. 4.10 Philem. 24. Men of Macedonia Paul 's Companions As much as to say Who went from Macedonia that they might accompany Paul See 2 Cor. 8.19 who wandred and Travelled over divers Coasts Preaching the Gospel 30. And when Paul would have entred in unto the People That with vehement discourse he might defend his followers The Diciples suffered him not That is The Christians which Paul by the Doctrine which he Preached converted to Jesus Christ at Ephesus disswaded his going into such a Tumult of the incensed and raging People where he might hazard his Life without doing any good 31. And certain of the chief of Asia These Asiarchae or chief Men of Asia were Men chosen by common consent of the Asiatick Cities for managing their publick affairs Strabo Lib. 14. This Word is used in Law Books as also of Syriarchs for so were some Priests called whose Office was to act Stage-plays in honour of the Gods whom therefore Ruffinus in Eusebius interprets makers of shews as Câ—jacius a learned Lawyer observeth Their Office was called Asiarchia as that of the Bithynarchs Bithynarchia and Lyciarch Lyciarchia they also were called Presidents Also Princes partly from their name and partly from their Dignity which was more eminent and of greater honour the same word frequently signifieth as well Princes as Priests Hence at Athens the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 at Rome the King managed holy things See Seldens Marmora Arundeliana Which were his Friends Although they did not wholly assent to the Doctrine of Christ so as to joyn themselves to his Disciples That he would not adventure himself into the Theatre Whither the raging multitude tumultuously did run together 32. Some therefore cryed one thing and some another As it useth to be in Tumults For the assembly was confused That is a mixed multitude without any order 33. They drew Alexander That is Some drew him out to a place whence he might be heard by all Alexander Some think this to be him of whom Paul afterwards complains that he made Shipwrack of Faith 1 Tim. 1.20 2 Tim. 4.14 there he is called the Copper-Smith Out of the Multitude That is Out of the multitude of the People The Jews putting him forward Some think this Man being a Jew as in the following Verse he is called that therefore he was by the Jews thrust forward into the midst of the Assembly that by pleading the common cause he might pacifie the Multitude But others that seeing he was of a Jew become a Christian and at that time Paul's Companion the Jews being inraged against Paul and the Christians would expose him to the incensed Multitude to be abused and that they though otherwise Enemies to the Idols of the Nations might shew themselves averse from Paul and his Companions and free from those things which were objected against them Lastly others that they would that he to excuse the Jews in this matter though in a common cause with the Christians should lay the whole accusation upon Paul and the Christians his Companions And Alexander beck'ned with his hand See above Ch. 12.17 and Ch. 13.16 Would have made his defence unto the People To take away the accusation 34. But when they knew that he was a Jew By birth and as others also would have it by Religion All with one Voice cryed out That is all the Ephesian Idolaters cryed out together For the space of two hours That they might deafen such as opposed their Idolatry Great is Diana of the Ephesians See what we have said above v. 28. 35. Clerk That is The publick Notary of the City or skilful in the Law as it were an Advocate a Man of no small Authority among the Citizens and as appears by his Speech both a Wise Man and a Friend to Paul and his Companions V. 31. as those Asiarchs of whom above Yee Men of Ephesus So their Orators used to accost them What Man is there c. As much as to say Ye have no reason to mutiny seeing none calls it in question but that the Ephesians are the Wardens of the great Goddess Diana and of her Image which was not made with hands but fell down from Heaven That the City of the Ephesians is a Worshiper The Greek hath it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a City of A diles or the adorner of the Temple It is so called because the care of sweeping and cleaning the Temple was committed to its Citizens from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Temple a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to adorn or sweep with Beesoms Cicero saith of Enna a City in Sicily That they seemed not to me Citizens of that City but all of them Priests all of them Neighbours all of them Rulers of Ceres Grotius addeth that the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is also used in this sense upon the Marbles of Arundel and often upon Coins Of the Image which fell from Jupiter It is common with the Greeks to put Jupiter for Heaven Hence Horace said also sub Jove frigido which is rendred under the cold Heaven The Idolatrous Priests promoters of Diana's Idols feigned that its Idol which was possessed and Worshipped in Ephesus was not made with humane hands but that it miraculously fell from Heaven as was reported of the Trojan Palladium or the Image of Pallas Cicero of the Image of Ceres at Enna saith It was such that Men thought either they saw Ceres her self or an Image of Ceres not made with humane hands but fallen from Heaven Lib. 16. Nat. Hist Cap. 40. Plinius admires that Mutianus who was three times Consul says That the name of the Artist who ingraved Diana's Image at Ephesus was Demonicos seeing he said that this Image was not only ancienter then Father Bacchus but then Minerva also whose figment they report not being made by the hands of any Artist to have fallen from Heaven Many of the Ancients doubted what matter the Ephesian Idol of Diana was made of many gave out that it was of Wood but differed about the kind of Wood. But Xenophon reported it was of Gold which is made the more probable seeing that when Diana's Temple at Ephesus was burnt that Image was not consumed by the fire neither was it ever changed though the Temple was seven times repaired 36. Seeing then that those things cannot be spoken against As much
say There is no kind of Torment which I must bear to perform my duty that I shall either deprecate or shun Neither count I my Life dear unto me That is Neither do I value the loss of my Life The Hebrews say that unto him who spares this temporary Life his Soul is esteemed precious No Man is so fearless of Death as that Man that is Crucified to the World and hath mortified his inordinate desire of Worldly things If in the whole course of our Life we give up our selves to the Laws of Christ if we exercise our selves to patience and self-denial to Meekness and Long suffering to Temperance and Chastity to contempt of the World and an Heavenly Mind we shall find it a very easy task when we shall be required to resign up our Mortal Life for the sake of our Lord Jesus He that obeyeth Christ in all his Holy and strictest precepts will be in great readiness and preparation of Mind to lay down his Life for him He that dares kill his Lusts and crucifie the old Man will not think much to resign this Mortal Life that he may be cloathed with Immortality Thus much that most Famous Man for his Learning and Piety the reverend Canon of Norwich Richard Kidder in Ch. 10. of his Book concerning the grounds of Christian Fortitude which not long ago that patern of an upright and godly conscience the noble Lady Vicountess Katharine Ranelaugh lent me So that I might finish my course with Joy That is That with that chearfulness and earnestness which becomes me I might run toward the mark which Christ the Judge hath prefixed for me And the Ministry c. As much as to say And might discharge my Apostolical Office which Christ from Heaven committed to me that I might bear witness to that joyful and happy Message of the exceeding great Grace of God towards Men to wit of the most happy everlasting Life which is to be received in Heaven of the great and liberal God through mens lively Faith in Christ Jesus without the works of the Law Joh. 1. v. 17. Rom. 6.14 15. Heb. 12.15.13.9 1 Pet. 5.12 Hence the Gospel is called Grace 25. And now behold I know By Revelation from the holy Ghost by whose impulse I go from hence to Jerusalem That After my departure from you now Ye all c. That is None of you shall see me henceforth Among them I have gone That is Through whose Countries and Cities I have travelled Preaching the Kingdom of God That is that most blessed and worthy State which by the Grace of God Believers in Christ are to enjoy in Heaven 26. Wherefore I take you to record this day That is I take you all witness That I am pure from the Blood of all Men. That is That I am not the cause of their Destruction who among you have forsaken the Christian Faith and Godliness See what we have noted concerning this Phrase above Ch. 18.6 27. For c. As much as to say For in my Sermons I unfolded to you all and every thing which God commanded to be by Men hoped believed and done that through Jesus Christ the only Saviour of Men they might attain to eternal Life The whole Counsel of God This universal saying must be restrained to his Office of Apostleship As much as to say All Gods Commands revealed through Jesus Christ about these things which are necessary to be hoped believed and done to Salvation Thus Luke 7.30 Counsel of God is taken for Gods Commandment made to the Pharisees 28. Take heed therefore unto your selves As much as to say Therefore above all listen diligently to your selves how ye live that ye decline not from the true Faith and Piety nor be careless in them A most Learned Anonymus Author in a Theological Treatise called The mischief of Impositions p. 29. edit 2. observed that in the old ordination of Presbyters of the Church of England they were enstated in their whole Office by reading this verse And to all the Flock As much as to say Then be watchful and diligent about the care of the Souls of the whole Company of the Disciples that they may so behave themselves as becomes them The Church of Believers is by a Metaphor called a Flock as of Sheep Luke 12.32 Joh. 10.16 1 Pet. 5.2 that from this Appellation we may learn that Christs Faithful ones should frequent the holy assemblies and not to be wandering all alone Over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you That is See above Ch. 14.23 2 Tim. 1.6 Over which by our Ministry and imposition of hands he did set and constitute you Overseers Augustine saith De civit Dei Lib. 19. Cap. 19. Episcopus is a Greek Word and thence brought because he who is set over oversees them over which he is set to wit taking care of them for Epi is over and Scopus is intention therefore if we please we way call the Office of a Bishop in Latin Superintendere to oversee diligently that he may know he is not a Bishop that delights to be over but not to profit Erasmus in his Ecclesiastes Lib. 1. p. 47. Bishop is a name of an Office not of Dignity also it is a Military Word hence derived because he who professeth himself the Captain of an Army should 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is look down that there be nothing wanting to the Soldiers under his Standard Whence also Homer calls Hector 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Il. 2. v. 729. Bishop Further they who above v. 17. were in the same City of Ephesus called Elders or Presbyters the same are now called Bishops because in the Apostles time a Bishop and a Presbyter or an Elder were one and the same and one was the name of their Age the other of their Office as Jerome in his Commentary upon the Epistle to Titus and in his Epistles to Oceanus and Evagrius proves from Act. 20.17 28. Phil. 1.1 1 Tim. 4.14 Tit. 1.5 Heb. 13.17 1 Pet. 5.1 2. 2 Jo. 1. 3. Jo. 1. Therefore the most Learned and incomparable Jewel Bishop of Sarisbury in his Apologie for the Church of England against Harding Part. 2. Ch. 9. Pag. 173. when Harding said They were condemned of Heresie who denyed the distinction of Bishop from Presbyter he sets in the Margine It is false for then S. Paul Jerome and other good Men are condemned of Heresie Neither is Bishop Morton of Durham's answer in his Catholick Apologie Part. 1. Ch. 33. unlike this Jerome says he perhaps was of the same Judgment with Aerius neither did the other Fathers think otherwise Lastly that Theodoret Ambrose Augustine also Chrysostome Primasius and Sedulius had the same opinion as S. Jerome about the equality of Elders or Presbyters and Bishops which opinion was Condemned in Aerius then in the Waldenses and lastly in Wickliff Michael de Medina not only said in his Book of the original and
house be a Receptacle for the Wise and roll thy self in the dust of their feet For this saying has no other sense than what the Commentators have exprest it in that is by the words and wallow thy self in the dust of their feet this is injoyned Be humble and attend constantly on the Wise Confut. impii Carminis R. Lipman Thus far the Learned Wagenseilius Taught Interpreters commit an error while they connect the words at the feet of Gamaliel with the Word Taught because it rather agreeth with the foregoing Words brought up in this City and Paul signifies that he was fed and was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel but not that he was instructed in Learning at Gamaliel's feet The Syrian Interpreter takes the words in the same sense whence it is that he is so careful in leaving a difference between Paul's Nativity Education and Instruction by Copulative and Disjunctive Particles He translateth the words thus I am a Man a Jew and was born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this City at the feet of Gamaliel and I was perfectly instructed in the Law of our Fathers Furthermore in Gamaliels time the Scholars stood as they were taught by their Masters who used to sit For so the Rabbins deliver in Megilla pag. 21. a. that from the time of Moses to that of Gamaliel Scholars in no other postures save that of standing attended the Instructions of their Masters who taught sitting But that after the Death of Gamaliel the World was more than ordinarily infested with diseases and so that custom was introduced for Scholars to sit by their Masters as they imbibed their Instructions Whence it is said in Mishna that after Gamaliel 's Death the reverence of the Law vanished But that this was a custom amongst the ancient Jews that the Teachers sate and the Scholars and other Auditors stood upright on their Feet appears plainly from the Gospel as you may see Mat. 5.1 2 3. C. 23. v. 2. and if we credit the Authority of the Syrian Interpreter Mar. 4.1 But since the time that it became a custom for Scholars to sit by their Masters to wit after Gamaliel's decease a little before the destruction of the second Temple the Master used to sit in the head and the Scholars in time of teaching used to sit by him on each side Semicircle-wise nor did any sit behind the back of the Teacher that they might all behold their Master and hear his discourse saith Maimonides In Hilchot Talmud Tora c. 4. Num. 2. But tho none of the Pharisees or Scribes before the Decease of Gamaliel used sitting as a common posture both to Teacher and Hearer yet that Christ sometimes used it and out of tenderness to his hearers sometimes permitted them contrary to the received custom after they had stood longer than ordinary to sit down that they might refresh their Limbs that were fatigated by long standing that they might be able more attentively to give ear appears from Mar. 3. v. 32 34. According to the perfect manner of the Law of our Fathers In the Greek it is as the Learned Beza Interprets it according to the exact form of the Law of our Fathers Where the Learned Lud. de Dieu extraordinarily well versed both in the Holy Tongues and Learning by the Law of our Fathers does not simply understand that Law which their Fathers had received from God by Moses but that Tradition which they had received from their Fathers It saith he denoteth the Religion of the Pharisees which in a great measure consisted of the Traditions they had from their Fathers of which Paul says Gal. 1.14 that in times past he was a great Zealot and when he attributes strictness to that Sect he saith the same as below c. 26. v. 5. The meaning therefore is that he was instructed in Pharisaism which is the most accurate Form of the Law of the Fathers Now this Gamaliel was a very Famous Master among others of the sect of the Pharisees Zealous towards God The vulgar Latin Interpreter reads it Zealous of the Law whereas the common reading in the Greek Text has it Zealous towards God Paul professes that he was a Zealot of God by a Hebraism very usual in Scripture that is that he was moved with a hot Zeal against those who did not observe the Law of Moses as it is augmented by the Traditions of the Pharisees See Gal. 1. v. 14. As ye all are this Day Paul compareth himself when in this hot Zeal to the Jews that were risen up against him to whom also he attributeth a Zeal of God Rom. 10.2 or ardent Study towards the observation of the Law though not according to knowledge 4. This way That is the Christian Religion for which I am now in Bonds C. 9. v. 2. c. 18. v. 25 28. c. 19. v. 9 25. So is way taken above I persecuted unto the Death c. That is I contemned it and abhorred it as a loathsome and pernicious Plague so that I cast the Professors of it into Prison without regard to sex and caused them to be cruelly murdered See above C. 7. v. 48. c. 8. v. 1 3. c. 9. v. 1 2. As also the High Priest That is The Prince of the great Sanhedrin See above c. 9. v. 1. Doth bear me Witness That is who knowing these things very well can bear witness to the truth of them And all the Estate of the Elders That is And the rest of the Senators of the great Sanhedrin St. Luke saith Selden both in the Gospel and also in the Acts made use of the Word Presbyterion which the vulgar Latin Interpreter rendreth Seniors or Elders to signifie the great Sanhedrin See Mat. 26. v. 59. and Luke 22.66 From whom c. See above c. 9. v. 1 2. I received Letters That is When I had received Letters or having received Letters whereby Power was given me to do that which I designed Vnto the Brethren That is to other Jews and their Synagogues To be punished That is That they might be cruelly tortured and put to Death 6. And it came to pass that as I made my Journey That is Hurried on with a Blind rage I might bring my hot Zeal against the Disciples of Jesus to Effect And was come nigh unto Damascus See above c. 9. v. 2 3. At Noon The Greek hath as the English Translation about Noon Suddenly That is In a trice beyond my expectation Shone from Heaven Like Lightening Me. Supply from Chap. 26. v. 13. And those who were Journeying with me A great Light Much surpassing the Noon-day brightness of the Sun as you may see below c. 26. v. 13. 7. And I fell unto the ground That is But when I was stricken with that sudden light I fell to the ground C. 9. v. 4. See above I c. See above c. 9. v. 5. 9. And they that were with me My Companions in that Journey to Damascus
The Light Which descended from Heaven shined about me and them But they heard not the Voice That is They understood it not See above c. 9. v. 7. 10. What shall I do That is What would thou have me do See above c. 9. v. 6. Arise viz. From the ground on which thou lyest prostrate Go to Damascus That is continue thy Journey to Damascus which thou undertookest with design to deliver over to punishment those who are addicted to my Worship changing only thy purpose thou hadst in thy Journey And there it shall be told thee By Ananias my Disciple Of all things which are appointed for thee to do That is Which I have revealed to him as by me constituted and ordained C. 9. v. 6. what thou shouldst do See above 11. And when I could not see c. See above c. 9. v. 8. 12. Ananias Of him see above c. 9. v. 10. A devout Man according to the Law That is Who adores and worships God rightly according to the Tenour of the Law delivered from God by Moses Having a good report viz. Of his Devotion to God Of all the Jews which dwell Supply there viz. At Damascus 13. Came unto me Into the Street of Damascus which is called Straight See above c. 9. v. 11 17. And stood and said unto me That is Having laid his hands upon me as appears above c. 9. v. 17. Receive thy sight Which thou hadst lost and look upon me The same hour That is The same point of Time See c. 9.18 I looked up upon him That is Having my sight which I had lost restored again I beheld him 14. The God of our Fathers That is The true God who of old adopted our Forefathers the Patriarchs maintainers of his Worship Hath preordained thee The Greek as the English Translation have he hath chosen thee For the Greek word properly signifies to take that in your hands which ye would make use of whether it have a reference to the Thing or Person Hence the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to take is by the Greek Interpreters translated by this word Jos 3.12 Take unto you twelve Men. See also 2 Mac. 3.7 c. 8. v. 9. The Famous Beza is of opinion that this manner of speaking is borrowed from Artificers who take the thing that is to be made into their hands having before deliberated what to make and for what end See above C. 9. v. 15. and beneath c. 26. v. 16. That thou shouldest know his Will Revealed by Jesus Christ touching the things which are necessary to be believed and done in order to eternal Life And see that just one To wit The Messias promised in the Law and the Prophets risen from the dead whose brightness did so dazle thy Eyes that thou thereby becamest blind See what we have said above C. 3. v. 14 7. v. 52. And shouldest hear the Voice of his Mouth Directed to you while enlightened with a heavenly light in your Journey to Damascus ye saw him 15. For thou shalt c. As if he had said And for that end the Lord Jesus exhibited himself to be heard and seen by thee that before all Nations whither thou shalt happen to go or converse with thou mayest bear witness that he is risen from the dead and was seen by thee in the splendor and brightness of that heavenly light which being darted on thee did grievously dazzle thy Eyes and that by his own Mouth he Commanded thee to Preach that Gospel the knowledge of which thou receivedst from himself among all Nations C. 26.17 18. See below 16. And now c. As if he had said Now therefore without delay be thou initiated by Baptism instituted by Christ and by this dipping of thy Body in Water profess that by Faith in Jesus Christ thou art washed or to be washed from the inward defilements of thy Mind or from the pollutions of Sin See what is said on c. 2. v. 38. Baptism is a dipping and was celebrated of old according to the import and Notion of the Word Now only Rhantism is in use with the generality in the West not Immersion or Dipping In Ep. ad Andr. Colv. Script Kal Jul. 1644. saith the Learned Salmasius Calling on the Name of the Lord. To wit The Lord Jesus Christ Those that believe in Christ and are obedient to him and profess his Worship are described thus that they are those who call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as you may see above Hence in the Invocation of the name of Christ are comprehended C. 9. v. 14. 21. 1 Cor. 1. v. 2. Faith in Christ a Religious profession of his Worship and an unfeigned obedience to his Commands 17. And it came to pass that when I was come again c. As if he had said It happened to me after I had returned to Jerusalem on the fourth year after my Conversion to Jesus Christ that my bodily senses being benummed I had been in a rapture out of my self when embracing an occasion of conferring with the Jews about Faith in the same Jesus Christ I prayed in the Temple of Jerusalem in which the Solemn Worship of God used to be performed by the Jews C. 9. v. 26 10. v. 10. See above In a trance This Extasie of his must not be confounded with his rapture into the third Heaven 2 Cor. 12.2 18. And saw him c. As if he had said And so the Lord Jesus whom I saw while enlightened with Divine light as I was Sojourning to Damascus appeared again a second time to me being as it were in a rapture beside my self and commanded me to depart quickly from Jerusalem because the Jews the Inhabitants thereof would stubbornly withstand my Preaching of him and bearing witness to his Apparitions to me See above c. 9. v. 29. 19. And I said c. As if he had said But I being very desirous of Preaching the Gospel there where I had opposed it before did urge that I might be permitted to stay longer at Jerusalem saying Lord Jesus may not some of the Jews at Jerusalem attributing my Faith in thee to a great and just cause embrace it when Preached by me seeing they all know that I was an inveterate Enemy to thy Servants that so far as I could or had liberty I beat and imprisoned them cruelly and unmercifully in every Synagogue or Juridical Congregation See above v. 4. and Grot. in Mat. 10.17 20. And when the Blood of Stephen was shed By Stoning him C. 7.59 Of which above Thy Martyr That is Who was the first of the Martyrs or Witnesses peculiarly so called who not only witnessed with a Verbal confession as those did whom the Ecclesiastick Historians called Confessors but also Sealed and confirmed their Testimony with their Blood that was violently shed by their Adversaries for their Testimony of Christ and his Doctrine I. Supply As the Jews at Jerusalem know very
4. Solin c. 30. Letting down the Vessel That is When we had taken down the Sail-yard with the Sail fastened to it For as saith Seneca when the Wind is grown too strong and too great to bear Sail to the Yard is taken down Hence that of Ovid The Yard let down escapes the Winter Storms It is a Hebraism very frequent in the Scripture whereby any moveable thing is called a Vessel So. To wit having taken in our Sails from the Storm Were driven That is floated on the Waves whithersoever their force drave us 18. And we being exceedingly tossed with a Tempest As if he had said But when our Ship tossed with the furious Tempest now was lifted up as it were to the Heavens anon was tumbled down between the gaping Waves as it were into a Pit or Gulph See a lively description of a dreadful Tempest Psal 107.25 26. which Virgil imitating hath elegantly expressed in these words Aen. 3. v. 564. At Heaven we tilt then suddenly we fell Watry Foundations sinking low as Hell The next day they lightened the Ship That is The Mariners cast out of the Ship the heaviest Lading and the more weighty Merchandise that the Ship being lightened of its burden might draw less water and so might not so easily be overwhelmed by the Waves 19. And the third day To wit From the rising of that dreadful Tempest They cast out with their own hands the tackling of the Ship Gr. as also the English we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the Ship To wit we who were Passengers in the Ship together with the Mariners Some Copies have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they cast out To wit the Master and Mariners Now all Marine Utensils wherewith a Ship is accoutred as the Mast Yard Oars Cables and such like are called the Tackling 20. And when neither Sun nor Stars appeared As if he had said But when the Firmament was darkned Night and Day with a black Fog An usual description of a very great Storm So in Virgil Aen. 1. v 92. When from the Trojans sight dark Clouds restrain Heaven and the Day black Night broods on the Main In many days Without intermission And no small Tempest lay over us That is Lay upon us As if he had said And when a Turbulent and Thundring Tempest did now afflict and distress us All hope that we should be saved was then taken away Grotius excellently observeth that this was spoken according to all humane probability such as are many other things in Holy Writ The meaning therefore is the same as if he had said All hopes seemed to be cut off of escaping Death which now all appearances portended to be impending over us 21. But after long abstinence That is And when they who were in the Ship being tossed with the Tempest had endured a long hunger through want of Appetite but not through scarcity of Food as appears afterwards v. 36 38. Paul stood forth in the midst of them With whom he was aboard in that tossed Ship You should have hearkened to me By giving heed to me when I presaged this storm we are now tossed with Not have loosed Supply Anchors And to have gained That is have prevented He that evites the damage that he was like to sustain is said to gain and be fortunate according to Aristotle l. 2. Mag. Moral c 9. Hence by Pliny 7. Nat. Hist 39. Sutorius Priscus is said to have gained an injury which he committed unpunished and suffered no punishments for inflicting it This harm That is This boisterous rage of the Winds And loss To wit of the Merchandize and Tackling or Furniture of the Ship 22. And now That is Now therefore as above c. 5. v. 38. or but now to wit seeing that as Silius expresseth it the cruel storm groweth worse and worse I exhort you to be of good cheer I again and again beseech you who by the event have had experience of the Truth of my former sayings that ye be not dejected in your Minds For there shall be In this Voyage how dangerous soever The loss of no Mans Life That is Person as above v. 10. Among you To wit as appears below v. 31. if ye hearken to me otherwise than ye did before Such Speeches saith Grotius are every where in the Holy Scripture which contain in them a tacit condition easie to be understood either from the words preceeding and subsequent or from the Nature of the thing it self 1 Sam. 2.30.13.13 14. But of the Ship That is But the Ship only shall be cast away An exceptive particle saith Grotius instead of an adversative as Luke 23.28 John 8.10 in the Greek 1 Cor. 11.11 Phil. 1.8.3.16.4.12 Rev. 2.25 Whos 's I am That is To whom I am devoted And whom I serve That is And whom I worship with true Piety Jonas said the same of himself of old when he Sailed in the Company of Heathens Jon. 1.9 24. Thou must be brought before Caesar As if he had said Thou shalt be presented alive before Caesar to whom thou appealedst above c. 25.11 Lo c. As if he had said God has so liberally granted thy request that not one of them that are carried with thee in this Ship shall perish provided they obey thy wholesome advice and use all means that in them lie for their preservation See below v. 31. The Verb give is taken in another contrary sense above c. 25 v. 11. but is used in a like sense to this above c. 3.14 25. For I believe God Without the least doubt or hesitation 26. Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain Island Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fall on How this praediction was fulfilled is declared below c. 28. v. 1. 27. Fourteenth Night To wit From the raising of the storm by the Winds As we were Sailing Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 driven up and down as it also is in the English tossed hither and thither Plutarch saith Grotius hath used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for to be carried hither and thither In Adria That is In the Adriatick Gulph or Sea which is described by the Poets as very tempestuous Adria or Hadria a City belonging to the Picentes or Piceni according to Ptolemy Geog. l. 3. c. 1. was a Colony of the Tuscans who before the Romans attained the Government commanded all by Land and Sea as Livius recordeth in his Book 5. c. 3. Adrian Câ—sars Progenitors had their Original from this City as Aelius Spartianus in his Life declareth The same City after the Tuscan Empire was buried in Oblivion was made a Colony by the Romans as you may see in the Epitome of Livy l. 11. From this City also the Sea which by the Greeks is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latins call the Adriatick or Adrian Sea or Gulph The Poets also call it Adria after the manner of the Greeks and Adriacum which anciently was called Atriacum as also the
exception For he had sufficiently Experience how many even of the Gentiles wickedly rejected God but he opposes to the incredulous Jews as many of the Gentiles as believed to move them to Jealousie as it is expressed in the Song of Moses Deut. 32.21 In the mean while it signifies that that Doctrine that was rejected by the Jews should not be without Success 29. The Jews departed That is They went out of Paul's lodging to their own Houses And had great reasoning among themselves That is Controversy about those things that were spoken by Paul some defending and stoutly maintaining them others on the contrary rejecting and despising them It is not the Gospel but the contempt of the Gospel that is the cause of Dissention 30. Two whole Years Which being fulfilled if we may give credit to Ecclesiastick Writers Paul was set at liberty by Nero when he was now set free they say that he Preached the Gospel throughout Italy France and Spain for the space of almost ten years that he was afterwards called back by Nero and beheaded at his Command See Eusch 2 Hist Eccl. 24. Jerome in his Catalogue of Ecclesiastical Writers In his own hired That is In a Lodging that Paul himself had hired with his own Money to dwell in And received all that came in unto him To wit Being mindful that he was no less an Apostle of Christ and Preacher of the Gospel in Prison than if he were free and at liberty he thought it was not Lawful for him to withold himself from any that was ready to learn lest he should neglect an occasion that God had put in his hands 31. Preaching the Kingdom of God That is The Gospel of the Kingdom of God that was restored among Men by the Messiah who was promised in the Law and Prophets and was to be further enlarged See above v. 23. and Mar. 15.43 And teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ Excellently saith Calvin according to his custom He does not separate the Kingdom of God and those things which concern Christ as if they were different things but rather adds this second as an Explanation of the former to the end we may know that the Kingdom of God is founded and comprehended in the knowledge of our Redemption purchased by Christ Paul therefore taught that Men are Strangers and Exiles from the Kingdom of God till being purged from their Sins they are reconciled to God and renewed by the Spirit unto Holiness of Life and that then only the Kingdom of God is set up and prospers among Men when Christ our Mediator unites to the Father those who have received a free Remission of their Sins and are begotten again unto Righteousness that beginning a Heavenly Life upon Earth they may have their Eyes fixt on Heaven where they shall have a full and solid enjoyment of Glory With all confidence That is No difficulties could deter him from continuing to use his endeavour to teach all that he met with Without Prohibition That is No Man forbidding him Luke sheweth saith Calvin that it was the singular Mercy of God that Paul had so great liberty granted him For it was neither through the connivance or dissimulation of them that could hinder it seeing they abhorred Religion but because the Lord shut their Eyes Wherefore Paul does not Glory without reason 2 Tim. 2.9 that the Word of God was not bound by his Bonds Paul also writ many Epistles when in Bonds to the Galatians Ephesians the second to Timothy to the Philippians Colossians and Philemon Thus far Luke has deduced his account of the things done by Paul in this his noble Book which by Gregory Nyssen against Eunomius and on the Psalms and by Theodoret. Heret Fab. l. 1. c. 21. is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the History of the Acts to wit of the Apostles But by the Writer of S. Thecla's Life it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A memorial concerning the Apostles Now Memorials are uninterrupted and exact Relations of things but naked and without any Ornament of Figures Whence Cicero in Book 5. of his Familiar Epistles in a very elegant Epistle to the famous Historian L. Lucceius Quintus's Son saith that he will make a Memorial of the Transactions in his Consulship to the end that Lucceius might compose a History of them To the All-merciful God be praise for ever and ever Amen FINIS Fridericus Spanhemius Filius HIS Disputation on Baptism For the DEAD Mentioned 1 Cor. 15.29 IF there be any place in St. Pauls Writings much controverted if any that has much puzled the Wits of the Learned if any that is hard to be understood this undoubtedly is one wherein the Apostle of the Gentiles when he is about to prove the Resurrection argues thus 1 Cor. 15.29 Otherwise what shall they do if the dead are not at all raised who are Baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the dead or because of the dead or on the dead or instead of the dead And again repeating his Argument why are they yet baptized 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the dead Whence a twofold difficulty arises 1. What is that Baptism 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for the Dead 2. How the Resurrection is demonstrated thence In handling this difficult point we shall use this method to wit first set down the different Opinions 2. We shall subjoin our own Opinion what we think the true meaning of the words and the force of Pauls Reasoning As to the former we shall reduce the Interpretations both of the Ancient and Modern into three Classes CLASS 1. Of those who understand the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Baptismstrictly so called or the Sacrament of Baptism variously divided among themselves I. NOr are Interpreters of the first Class agreed among themselves for some Neotericks among whom Luther The Opinion of Luther Hunnius Piscator c. Hunnius Gerhardus the Lutherans Piscator Amyraldus c. were of opinion that the Apostle in this place had respect to the place where Baptism was administred to many to wit upon the dead that is upon the Sepulchres of the dead the Tombs of the Martyrs or Burying Places and that for a publick Testimony that they were not afraid of Death having a certain hope of the Resurrection II. There is no doubt but that if there were any certainty of such a practice either among the Corinthians or elsewhere in the first age of the Church Pauls reasoning would have been most plain But there is nothing to evidence the use of this Rite in the Apostolick Age Paraph. in loc as Amyraldus himself grants There is no appearance of this practice in the History of first Antiquity And he himself saith that some such practice should be supposed But that is not enough while there is no sufficient proof for it It is certain that they then used to Baptize where-ever there was plenty of Water hence sometimes they Baptized in Rivers sometimes in
Jesus who saves his people from their sins See Matth. 1.21 God of old raised Saviours for Israel Judg. 3.9 15. who delivered them from Bodily Bondage and Earthly Miseries but he raised up Jesus to be the Author of Eternal Savlation to all them that obey him Heb. 5.9 to confer the causes means and ways of repentance and to grant time and place and to purchase for repenting sinners a remission of their sins by his Merits and Prayers See what we have said above ch 5.31 24. Preached c. As much as to say John as his fore-runner had prepared his way according to the Prophesy of Malachy c. 3.1 when Jesus was to enter forthwith upon his Office by the Preaching of Baptism to testify repentance of sin which not only includes the avoiding of evil but the following of good or works of Piety Before his coming The Greek hath it Before his entring That is Before the Lord Jesus had entred upon his Office So saith Grotius Lawyers say also to enter upon the Consulship To all the people of Israel That is publickly so that many came to John to be Baptized Matthew 3.5 25. And as John fulfilled his course That is saith Learned Heinsius when John was to execute his Calling This Col. 4.17 is called To fulfil the Ministry that one received from the Lord. Col. 1.25 To fulfil the Word of God Rom. 15.19 Fulfil the Gospel of Christ. Whom think ye that I am To wit The Messiah promised in the Law and in the Prophets Paul related not the very words but the sense which is in John 1.20 There cometh one after me That is There is one to enter upon his Office after me Whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose Petronius said To loose the strings of his shoes The Baptist would express the basest kind of Service Suetonius in his Vitellius He sought from Messalina for a very great Office that she would allow him to pull her shoes off her feet See our literal explanation Mat. 3.11 26. Whosoever among you feareth God See what we have said above v. 16. To you is the word of this salvation sent As much as to say We have a Command from the Lord to Preach to you who are of the stock of Abraham or taken into his Family as Proselytes this saving Doctrine of Jesus the Saviour to which John gave so honourable a Testimony 27. For they This word for is in this place put for but. That dwelt at Jerusalem and their Rulers That is Not only the common people at Jerusalem but also the Priests Scribes and Pharisees and the whole Sanhedrin Because they knew him not To wit To be the promised Messiah See what we have said above chap. 3.17 Nor yet the voices of the Prophets c. As much as to say Neither understanding the Prophesies of the Prophets which used to be read every Sabbath to them in the Synagogues See what we have noted above v. 15. Condemning Viz. To death him to wit Jesus Fulfilled That is brought to pass supply these voices of the Prophets whereby it was foretold that the Messiah should be by 〈◊〉 despised reproached mocked afflicted pierced and slain as Isa 53. Dan. 9.24 c. 28. And though they found no cause of death in him As much as to say Could find no true Crime worthy of death in him who did well explain the Law and bestowed many favours upon the people Yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain That is They persuaded Pilate that he would adjudge him to death 29. And when they had fulfilled all c. As much as to say And when they had brought upon Christ all the punishments and reproaches which the Prophets foretold the Messiah was to suffer Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus having taken him from the Cross laid him in a Sepulchre John 19.38 39. 30. But God c. As much as to say The Jews at Jerusalem and those who were chief among them the Priests Scribes and Pharisees delivered Jesus to be put to death unjustly but the just God being against them did bring him back from death to life 31. He. To wit Jesus being raised from the dead Was seen many days That is Fourty days Who are his Witnesses to the people As much as to say The Eye-witnesses who are remaining do to this day openly and publickly profess that Jesus Christ being risen from the dead did appear to them fourty days 32. And we To wit I and my Companion Barnabas Declare unto you c. As much as to say We now Preach unto you the promise made to our Fathers of the Messiah to come because that God hath now fulfilled it to us who are their Children Time therefore persuades and presses us that what he hath fulfilled to us we should declare unto you The promise which was made to the Fathers To wit Abraham Gen. 22.18 Isaac Gen. 26.4 Juda Gen. 49.10 David 2 Sam. 7.12 Isaiah 11.1 33. God hath sulfilled That is Really performed To us their Children That is To us who are their Children In that he hath raised up Jesus Gloriously whom they had undeservedly put to a barbarous and ignominious death My Son c. Although these words in their literal meaning do in some respect agree to David as to the Figure who is as it were begotten again of God that he might be his Son when he was delivered from the snares of his Enemies 2 Sam. 5.12 19.22 The first-born or chief among the Kings of the Earth who are called the Sons of God Psal 82.6 appointed of God Psal 89.27 28. yet upon a far more honourable account were they fulfilled in the first-born from the dead Col. 1.18 Rev. 1.5 in Christ who was shadowed by David called by Davids name Jer. 30.9 Ezek. 34.23 Hosea 3.5 seeing that being risen from the dead all power was given him in Heaven and in Earth Matthew 28.18 This Paul teacheth here and the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrews chap. 5.5 These words saith Camero are not to be so taken as that Christ after his Resurrection had begun to be the Son of God and to be begotten by him but because that God did then most powerfully declare Christ by his Resurrection to be his own Son For this is the manner of Scripture that things be then said to be done or born when they are manifested do appear as when Solomon Prov. 17.17 saith A friend is born in a day of adversity that is he then discovers himself when our streights press us For although the Father also before the Resurrection gave Testimony to him yet because until his Resurrection Christ was as it were incompassed with infirmities and liable to death his calling to the Mediatory Office was somewhat obscure until that day But when having laid aside his Mortality he gloriously rose again and ascended into Heaven then did he properly as it were openly declare unto all that Christ is both