do they use the hallowing words in the Synagogue Because of travellers that do eat and drink there Where the Glosse upon the place comments thus It is evident that they did not eat in their Synagogues at all as it is apparent in the eleventh Chapter of Maymonies Treatise of prayer but in a house near the Synagogue and there they sate at the hearing of the hallowing of the Sabbath c. It may be observed from hence that strangers and travellers were intertained in a place near the Synagogue compare Act. 18.7 which was as a publick Xenodochion or receptacle of strangers at the charge of the Congregation which laudable custome is almost apparent was transplanted into the Christian Churches in those times as compare such passages as those Heb. 13.2 Acts 15.4 And possibly those Agapae or feasts of charity spoken of in the Epistles of the Apostles are to be understood of these loving and charitable intertainment of strangers Iude v. 12. These are spots in your feasts of charity when they feast with you feeding themselves without fear False teachers travelling abroad undiscovered and being intertained in these publick receptacles for strangers and at the publick charge would finde there a fit opportunity for themselves to vent their errors and deceptions In this sense may Gaius very properly be understood the Host of the whole Church as being the officer or chief overseer imployed by the Corinthian Church for these intertainments In which also it was almost inevitable but some women should have their imployment according to which custom we may best understand such places as these Phaebe a servant of the Church at Ceneâ—rea she hath been a succourer of many Ver. 6. Mary bestowed much labour on us And see 1 Tim. 5.9 10 c. He speaketh also of other women of whom he giveth this testimony that they laboured much in the Lord as Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis ver 12. which may either be understood in the like sense or if not so of their great pains some other way for the honour and promotion of the Gospel and benefit of the Saints and themselves as by visiting and relieving the poor and sick taking pains in following the Ministers of the Gospel and venturing themselves with them hiding and cherishing them in times of danger and so venturing themselves for them and so he saith Priscilla and Aquila for his life laid down their own necks c. He salutes three of his own kinsmen Andronicus and Iunia and Herodion the two first were converted before him and were of note among the Apostles either being of the number of the 70 Disciples or eminent converts and close followers of Christ or of the Apostles in those first times He cals them his fellow prisoners but if he had called them his prisoners it had been easier to have told when and how For they were in Christ whilst he was a persecutor but when they were imprisoned with him after his conversion is hard to finde out Among all that he salutes so kindly where is Peter If he were now at Rome how was he forgotten ACTS CHAP. XX. Ver. 6. And we came to them to Troas in five daies Where we abode seven daies And so to Ver. 17. of CHAP. XXI FRom Philippi after Easter he setteth away for Corinth where he staied so little that he came to Troas within five daies after the company was come thither which had gone before for so are the five daies to be understood not that Paul in five daies went from Philippi to Corinth and Troas but that his company which was set out with him but set directly for Troas had staied but five daies at Troas before he came up to them There he celebrates the Lords day and the Lords Supper and preacheth and discourseth all night a thing not altogether strange in the Jewish customs Ierus Sâ—tah fol. 16.4 R. Meir was teaching profoundly all the night of the Sabbaths in the Synagogue of Chamath So that Eutychus sleeps and sals and is taken up dead but recovered by miracle The change and beginning and end of the Christian Sabbath may be observed here When he goes now from thence it is most likely it was the time when he left his Cloak Books and Parchments with Carpus 2 Tim. 4.13 His Cloak for he was now going among his own Nation in Iudea and there he was to wear his Jewish habit and he left his Roman garb here till he should come into those Roman quarters again It may be the Parchments were the Originals of those Epistles that he had already written for that he sent transcripts and reserved the Originall copies may be collected from these passages I Tertius who wrote out this Epistle Rom. 16.22 The salutation of me Paul with mine own hand 1 Cor. 16.21 Col. 4.18 which was the token in every Epistle 2. Thess. 3.17 for all the Epistle beside was written with another hand From Troas by severall journeys he cometh to Miletum and thither he sends for the Elders of the Church of Ephesus which City was near at hand But who were these Not Timothy and Trophimus for they were in his company already and had been with him in his journey hither but these twelve men upon whom he had laid his hands and bestowed on them the holy Ghost and so fitted them for the Ministry Act. 19.6 and whomsoever besides Timothy had ordained into the Ministry whilest he was there Although the Ephesian and the rest of the Asian Churches were but in an ill case at this time in regard of false doctrines and much Apostacy that had corrupted and cankered them yet doth the Apostle foresee that the case will be worse and worse with them still and that grievous Wolves should yet break in upon them And this he concludeth not only from the boldnesse that he was assured false teachers would use and assume to themselves when he was gone but from those predictions of Christ that had foretold what sad Apostacy should occurre and what false teachers should arise before the great day of Ierusalem came which was now coming on apace ACTS CHAP. XXI Ver. 17. And when we were come to Ierusalem the Brethren received us gladly c. PAUL is now got to Ierusalem And the first thing that we have to do about his story there is to calculate the time and consider what Year it was when he came thither and to prove if we can that it was the second Year of Nero according as we have superscribed that Year for this is of import as to the fixing of those chronicall observations that we are to take up hereafter The common consent in all times hath fixed his coming to Ierusalem and apprehension there to this Year and yet amongst all that have so concluded upon it there is none that hath given any one clear proof or evidence at all for such an assertion Eusebius Ado Cassiodore Baronius Lorinus and divers others are of this minde yet whereupon they
in the Talmud upon that subject called Taanith and the like in Maymony that beareth witnesse and it was no whit unsutable to the Gospel upon the like exigencies to use the like kinde of service and devotion And the present famine that was upon all Countries might very well minister occasion to this Church at Antioch at this present for such a work for we cannot but suppose that the famine was now in being Whatsoever the occasion was the Lord in the midst of their humiliation pointeth out Paul and Barnabas for an imployment of his own who were but a while ago returned from an imployment of the Churches And so the other three Simeon Lucius and Menaen understanding what the Lord meant and having used another solemn day in fasting in prayer lay their hands upon them and set them apart by Ordination According as the ordaining of Elders among the Jews was by a Triumvirate or by three Elders Sanhedr per. 1. halac 3. This is the second Imposition of hands since the Gospel began which did not confer the Holy Ghost with it for these two were full of the Holy Ghost before and this is the first Ordination of Elders since the Gospel that was used out of the Land of Israel Which rite the Jewish Canons would confine only to that Land Maym. Sanhedr per. 4. Which circumstances well considered with the imployment that these two were to go about and this manner of their sending forth no better reason I suppose can be given of this present action then that the Lord hereby did set down a platform of ordaining Ministers in the Church of the Gentiles to future times Paul and Barnabas thus designed by the Lord and ordained and sent forth by this Triumvirate and guided by the Holy Ghost they first go to Seleucia most likely Seleucia Pieriae of which Strabo saith that it is the first City of Syria from Cilicia Geogr. lib. 14. to which Pliny assenteth when he measureth the breadth of Syria from Seleucia Pieriae to Zeugma upon Euphrates Nat. hist. lib. 5. cap. 12. The reason of their going thither may be judged to be that they might take ship for Cyprus whither they intended for that this was a Port appeareth by what follows in Strabo when he saith That from Seleucia to Soli is about a thousand furlongs sail and so it is plain in Lukes text when he saith they departed unto Seleucin and from thence they sailed to Cyprus where let us now follow them Cyprus was a Country so exceeding full of Jews that it comes in for one in that strange story that Dion Cassius relates in the life of Trajan The Iews saith he that dwelt about Cyrene choosing one Andrew for their Captain slew the Greeks and Romans and ate their flesh and devoured their inwards and besmeared themselves with their blood and wore their â—kins Many they sawed asunder from the head downward others they cast to wilde beasts many they made to slay one another so that there were two hundred and twenty thousand destroyed in this manner There was the like slaughter made in Aegypt and Cyprus where there also perished two hundred and fourty thousand From whence it is that a Iew may not since come into Cyprus and if any by storms at sea be driven in thither they are slain But the Iews were subdued by others but especially by Lucius whom Trajan sent thither This was the native Country of Barnabas Act. 4.36 Although these two Apostles were sent to the Gentiles yet was it so far from excluding their preaching to the Jews that they constantly began with them first in all places where they came They begin at Salamis the place next their landing and there they preached in the Synagogues of the Iews having Iohn Mark for their Minister From thence they travailed preaching up and down in the Iland till they come to Paphos which was at the very further part of it toward the Southwest Angle There they meet with a Magicall Jew called Barjesus and commonly titled Elymas which is the same in sense with Magus Such Jewish deceivers as this went up and down the Countries to oppose the Gospel and to shew Magicall tricks and wonders for the stronger confirming of their opposition Such were the vagabond Iews exorcists Act. 19.13 and of such our Saviour spake Matth. 24.24 and oâ— some such we may give examples out of their own Talmudicall Writers And here we may take notice of a threefold practice of opposition that the Jews used in these times and forward against the Gospel and the spreading of it besides open persecution unto blood 1. Much about these times was made the prayer that hath been mentioned which was called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prayer against Hereticks which became by injunction one of their daily prayers Maymony speaketh the matter and intent of it in his Treatise Tephillah in these words In the daies of Rabban Gamaliel Hereticks increased in Israel by Hereticks he meaneth those that turned from Judaism to Christianity and they troubled Israel and perswaded them to turn from their Religion He seeing this to be a matter of exceeding great consequence more then any thing else stood up he and his Sanhedrin and appointed a prayer in which there was a petition to God to destroy those Hereticks and this he seâ— among the common prayers and appointed it to be in every mans mouth and so their daily prayers became nineteen in number Pereh 2. So that they daily prayed against Christians and Christianity 2. The Jews had their emissaries every where abroad that to the utmost in them cried down the Gospel preached against it went about to consute it and blasphemed it and Christ that gave it Of this there is testimony abundant in the New Testament and in the Jews own Writings And 3. they were exceeding many of them skilled in Magick and by that did many strange things by such false miracles seeking to outface and vilifie the Divine miracles done by Christ and his Apostles and striving to confirm their own doctrines which opposed the Gospel by backing them with such strange and wondrous actings Iuchasin speaks of Abba Chelchiah and Chamin and Chamina Ben Dusa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men skilled in miracles fol. 20. And the Ierus Talmud speaks of their inchantings and magicall tricks in Shabb. fol. 8. col 2. 3. Sanhedr fol. 25. col 4. nay even of their charming in the Name of Iesu. Shabb. fol. 14. col 4. Paul miraculously strikes Elymas blind and inlightens Sergius Paulus with the light of the Gospel This was at Paphos where old superstition dreamed of the blinde God Cupid Doting Elymas grope for thy fellow The first miracle wrought among the Gentiles is striking a perverse Jew blinde which thing may very well become an Allegory From Paphos they go to Perga in Pamphylia and there Iohn departs from them and returns to Ierusalem but what was the occasion is hard to conjecture Whether it were that
painfull and faithfull Among the Jewish Churches that received the Gospel there grew in time a very epidemicall and dangerous Apostacy either totally from the Doctrine of the Gospel or partially from the purity of it as we have frequent occasion to observe upon severall passages that we meet withall as we go along And this backsliding from the Doctrine and Profession of Christ once received was the topping up of the iniquity of that Nation and was a forerunner and a hastener of their destruction and casting off The first principles whereby their false teachers did poison them toward this recidivation were puzzling them with idle fables intricate genealogies and especially nice curiosities and needlesse obligations of the Law Their fables that were likeliest to serve their turn for this purpose as near as one may guesse upon view of the whole heap in their Talmudick records may be supposed to have been those strange legends that they related of the wondrous sanctity devotion and facts of some of their Pharisaicall and legall righteous ones and the wondrous gallantry and golden daies that they conceited in a carnall construction of the times of Messias Their endlesse genealogies which the Apostle speaketh of Tit. 3.9 and mentioneth together with these fables 1 Tim. 1.4 were not any of the genealogies of Scripture holy and divine but their long and intricate pedigrees that they stood upon to prove themselves Jews Levites Priests and the like thereby to interest themselves in chain to all those brave things that they perswaded themselves belonged to a Jew as a Jew upon that very account And to these we may adde the long genealogy and pedigree of their traditions which they derived by a long line of succession through the hands of I know not how many Doctors of which the Talmudick Treatise Avoth is as a Herald And if we will construe the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iuchasin Genealogies in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Aserah Iuchasin Ten linages that they speak of that came out of Babel at the return of the captivity I am sure we may finde endlesse questions wherewithall they puzzled mens mindes about them as Vid. Talm. in Kiddushin per. 4. Alphes ibid c. And as for their making their baits of the Law for the catching and withdrawing of simple souls either totally from the acknowledging or at least from the simplicity of the Gospel it is very obvious in the Epistles of Paul and the other Epistles how they wrought and how they prevailed the witchery of old customs and long use and the gawdinesse of a Ceremonious Religion helping them to speed in their designes and forwarding their deceivings Such canker began to break out in the Church of Ephesus whose creeping and infecting it is the first and great work of Timothy to prevent and to fill the ears of his hearers with sound doctrine and admonitions which might keep such deceit and infection out And answerably it must be his care to settle the Church in such a salubrious constitution of Worship Ministry and Government as that it should not be ready to sway and incline to such dangerous seductions Hereupon doth the Apostle lay a divine Directory before him concerning their manner of praying choosing and ordaining Ministers approving Deacons admitting widows and regulating the people that nothing could be wanting to the healthfull temper of that Church if they receive and imbrace these applications In the most of which prescriptions he useth exceeding much of their Synagogue language that he may be the better understood and reflecteth upon divers of their own Laws and customs that what he prescribeth may imprint upon them with the more conviction He calleth the Minister Episcopus from the common and known title The Chazan or Overseer in the Synagogue Aruch in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He prescribeth rules and qualifications for his choice in most things sutable to their own cautions in choosing of an Elder Maym. in Sanhedr per. 4. He speaketh of Elders ruling only and Elders ruling and labouring in the Word and Doctrine meaning in this distinction that same that he had spoken of in Chap. 3. Bishops and Deacons Both these in the common language then best known were called Elders and both owned as Rulers Yea the very title that they usually tearmed Deacons by Parnasin was the common word that was used to signifie a Ruler The Ierusalem Talmud in Peah fol. 21.1 speaking of the three Parnasin or Deacons that were in every Synagogue hath these two passages which may be some illustration to two passages in this Epistle They appoint not lesse then three Parnasin in the Congregation for if matters of money were judged by three matters of life much more require three to manage them Observe that the Deacons Office was accounted as an Office that concerned this life namely in taking care for the subsistence of the poor According to this may that in Chap. 3.12 be understood For they that have used the Office of a Deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree A good degree towards being intrusted with souls when they have been faithfull in discharge of their trust concerning the life of the body The other passage is this R. Haggai whensoever he appointed Parnasin Deacons he urged the Law upon the people saying All rule that is given is given from the Law c. And here you may likewise observe that Deaconship is called Rule We observed before that it were not so monstrous as it might seem if by Elders that ruled only we should understand a Civil Magistracy or Bench in every Congregation as there was in every Synagogue but since the Apostle nameth only Bishops and Dâ—â—cons his interpretation here is best taken from and within himself and to understand the â—lders that ruled only of the Deacons which were called both Elders and Rulers as well as the Ministers and in the Jews Synagogues were professed Scholars The Talmudick place now cited tell us that R. Eliezer one of their greatest Rabbins was a Parnas or Deacon in a Synagogue The Episcopi or Ministers are titled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that laboured in the Word and Doctrine which most properly is to be understood distinctly thus which laboured in the Word and which laboured in teaching and the former to denote their laboriousnesse in study to inable them to teach and the later their laboriousnesse in teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is but the common phrase of the Jews turned into Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See the Syriack here by which they mean a great student in the Law Among multitudes of instances that might be alledged I shall produce but this one out of Ierus in Maasar sheni fol. 56. col 2. R. Ionah paid his tithes to R. Acha bar Vlla not because he was a Priest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but because he laboured in the Law that is was a great student and an able teacher They that suppose that the tithes under the Law were paid
V. Ver. 1. The twelve Apostles chosen LUKE and Mark do methodize and fix the time of the Sermon in the Mount which Matthew hath laid very early in his Gospel because he would first treat of Christs Doctrine and then of his Miracles In a mount neer Capernaum he ordaineth a Ministry for the Church of the Gospel and delivereth the doctrine of the Gospel as Moses at Sinai had done the like for the Law The number of the present Ministers appointed whom he calleth Apostles was twelve agreeable to the twelve Tribes of Israel that as they were the beginning of the Church of the Jews so are these of the Gentiles and to both these numbers of twelve joyned together the number of the four and twenty Elders the representative of the whole Church Rev. 4. 5 c. hath relation Rev. 21.12 14. The text allotteth these ends of their appointment 1. That they might be with Christ to see his glory Ioh. 1.14 and to be witnesses of all things that he did Acts 10.39 41. Luk. 24.48 2. That he might send them forth to preach 3. To heal diseases and cast out Devils Before they were completed in all their divine endowments they grew on by degrees They were auditors a good while and learning the doctrine of the Gospel that they were to preach before they set upon that work for though Christ chose them now yet it is well towards a twelve moneth before he send them abroad a preaching as will appear in the processe of the story So that besides the time that they had spent before this their choosing they also spent that in hearing and learning from the mouth of their Master what they were to teach when he should employ them So that even the Apostles themselves at the first setting forth into the Ministry did not preach by the Spirit but what they had learned and gotten by hearing study conference and meditation As the Lord under the Law and from the first founding of that Church did set apart a peculiar order and function of men for the service of the Sanctuary so did he under the Gospel a peculiar order and function for the Ministry of the Gospel and this no more to be usurped upon then that Now as under the Law there were severall sorts of men within that function as High-Priests Chief-Priests ordinary Priests and Levites but all paled in with that peculiarity that no other might meddle with their function so likewise at the first rising of the Gospel there were Apostles Evangelists Prophets Pastors Teachers according to the necessity of those present times but all hedged in with a distinctive ministeriall calling that none other might nor may break in upon All the Titles and Names that Ministers are called by throughout the new Testament are such as denote peculiarity and distinctivenesse of order as Wise men and Scribes Mat. 23.34 Now the Jews knew not nor ever had heard of Wise men and Scribes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but the learned of their Nation distinguisht for others by peculiarity of order and ordination And if they understood not Christ in such a sense namely men of a distinct order they understood these Titles Wise men and Scribes in a sense that they had never known nor heard of before Ministers in the new Testament are called Elders Bishops Angels of the Churches Pastors Teachers now all these were Synagogue termes and every one of them denoted peculiarity of order as might be shewed abundantly from their Synagogue antiquities The Jews knew no Elders but men by their order and function distinguisht from other men A Bishop translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chazan An Angel of the Congregation translates the title 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sheliach tsibbor A Pastor translates the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parnas And a Teacher translates 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Divinity Reader Now these termes had never been known by any to signifie otherwayes then men of a peculiar function and distinct order SECTION XXVIII MATTH Chap. V and VI and VII LUKE Chap. VI. from Ver. 20 to the end of the Chapter The Sermon in the Mount THe proof of the order doth not need to be insisted upon Luke doth manifesâ—ly assert it It had been foretold by the Prophet All thy children shall be taught of God Isa. 54.13 which if applied to the Gentiles they had been taught by the Devill his Oracles and Idols If applied to the Jews they indeed had been taught by the Lord in his Prophets but these were but men like themselves but this Prophecy foretells the preaching of Christ who was God himself he teaching and conversing amongst them he then the great teacher of the world Isa. 2.2 and 51.4 doth from the mount Capernaum deliver his Evangelicall Law not for the abolishing of the Law and Prophets but for their cleering and fulfilling He first beginneth with pronouncing blessings as the most proper and comfortable tenour of the Gospel and hereby he calls us to remember Gerizim and Ebal Deut. 27. For though Israel be enjoyned there to pronounce both blessings and curses upon those mountains yet are the curses only specified by name and number for the curse came by the Law but he that was to blesse was to come which thing taketh place very comfortably and harmoniously here Luke addeth that he also denounced woes as Blessed be the poor Blessed are ye that hunger now c. But woe unto you that are rich Woe unto you that are fuâ—â— c. according to which form the Jews conceive the blessings and curses were pronounced by Israel from those two mountains mentioned Talm. in Sotah per. 7. Tosapht iâ—i per. 8. How did Israel pronounce the blessings and the curses Six Tribes went up to the â—op of mount Gerizim and six to the top of mount Ebal the Priests and the Levites and the Aâ—k stood below in the middest between They turned their faces toward mount Gerizim and began with blessing Blessed is the man that maketh not any graven or molten Image an abomination to the Lord c. And both parties answered and said Amen Then turned they their faces towards mount Ebal and began with cursing Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image an abomination to the Lord c. and both parties answered Amen And so of the rest 2. He proceedeth laying out the latitude of the Law according to its full extent and intention and sheweth the wretchednesse of their traditionall glosses that had made the Law of no effect They understood the Law Thou shalt not kill only of actuall murder and that committed by a mans own hand for if he hired another to kill him or turned a wilde beast upon him which slew him this they accounted not murder for which to be questioned by the Sanhedrin though it deserved the judgement of God Talm. in Sanhedr per. 9. Maym. in Retsâ—a per. 2. but shews that the command extends to the prohibiting
Ver. 35 36 37 38. Another perambulation of Galilee MATTHEW himself joyns this portion to the stories in Sect. 42. and the last words of Mark in the Section preceding he went round about the villages teaching are concurrent with the first words in this and so do assert the connexion CHRIST at his former rejection at Nazaret begins to go abroad preaching through their Synagogues as in Sect. 18. and so he doth now and so great multitudes resort unto him that he now resolveth upon sending forth his Disciples to Preach abroad also SECTION XLV MATTH Chap. X. all the Chap. And V. 1. of Chap. IX MARK Chap. VI. V. 7 8 9 10 11. LUKE Chap. IX Ver. 1 2 3 4 5 6. The twelve Apostles sent out to preach THe order in Matthew and Mark shews and cleers it self The twelve had been ordained for Apostles a great while since and all that while had been with Christ as probationers to see his works and to learn his Doctrine and since their pointing out to be Apostles it is observable how much Christ hath applied himself to Doctrine that they might learn the Gospel of the Kingdom and be stored with what to preach when he should send them forth Hitherto they had been learners and as for the gifts of the Spirit they as yet differed nothing from the rest that followed him but now he gives them power of healing and casting out devils and now is the power of miracles restored So that they cured diseases by the Spirit but they preached not by the Spirit but taught that only which they had learned from the mouth of Christ. He sendeth them out by two and two and so it is like the twelve spies divided themselves when they went to search the Land It may be the Apostles went in these couples that Matthew had reckoned them in What Christ forbiddeth them to take with them for their journey was 1. to inure them to depend upon his protection and not upon their own carefulnesse And 2. He hereby intimates that they should finde such good entertainment in their Ministry that they should finde safety and maintenance wheresoever they came Therefore when in Luke 22.6 Now take purse and scrip c. he thereby would not signifie that his care of them was any whit abated of what it was now but that they should meet with worse times and worse entertainment then they had had now Whereas in Matthew and Luke they are forbidden to take staves in Mark it is said they should take nothing for their journey save a staff only not staves for weapons or for their defence but a staff for their resting on for their ease in the journey as Gen. 32.10 They are confined to preach to Israel only though many Gentiles dwelt intermixedly with them in their Cities because the Lord would own the peculiarity of the Nation in the first preaching of the Gospel as he had done all along in the Oeconomy of the Law when they had forfeited their priviledge of being a peculiar people by crucifying him that sent the Gospel amongst them then is the Apostles commission inlarged to go to the Gentiles Matth. 28. SECTION XLVI MARK Chap. VI. from Ver. 14. to Ver. 30. MATTH Chap. XIV from the begin to Ver. 13. LUKE Chap. IX Ver. 7 8 9. JOHN beheaded His Disciples come in to Christ. MARK and Luke do justifie the order for both of them have laid this story next to the story of Christs sending forth his Disciples Matthew when he saith At that time he useth the word in its latitude as it is often used in Scripture not precisely or determinately for the very day or season when a thing was done but in the current of time then in being And yet in this expression he seemeth also to have respect to the story that he had related next before though that were some reasonable space of time before this For there he had told that Christ coming into his own Country was sleighted and undervalued and they were offended in him yet Herod was amazed at the wonders that he heard of him Here are two times regardable in this Section namely the time of Iohn Baptists death and the time of Herods hearing of the fame of Iesus And the juncture of the stories is very close As the Disciples were preaching up and down according to Christs mission Herod beheaded the Baptist and by their preaching in the name of Iesus the fame of Iesus cometh to Herods hearing and the Disciples again hearing of the murder of Iohn get in to their master So that the story of Iohns death is related here in the proper place and time when it did occurre And from one passage of Iohn the Evangelist in the next following Section there is the ground of a fair conjecture of the time of his beheading For we shall see in the beginning of the next Section that all the â—our do speak of Christ departing privately into a desert place Matthew particularly gives the reason namely because he had newly heard by Iohns Disciples of the death of their Master Now Iohn the Evangelist in giving that story of Christs retiring hath inserted this passage And the Iews Passeover was nigh whereby we may conclude that the Baptists death was a little before the time of the Passeover And from hence we may take up the whole space of his Ministry and imprisonment He began to Preach and Baptize in the year of Christ 29 at the spring of that year or about Easter Half a year after Iesus is baptized by him about the Feast of Tabernacles Till after the Feast of Tabernacles come twelve moneth viz. in the Year of Christ 30 he is still abroad baptizing in Bethabara and Aenon About October in that Year he is imprisoned and so lieth in restraint till almost Easter twelve moneth which was in the Year of Christ 32. And so his story is of three years space the better half of which he preached at liberty and the other half he lay in prison Herod upon the hearing of the fame of Iesus is struck with horrour of conscience upon thought of the murder of Iohn and if the leaven of Herod was Sadduceism his horrour makes him deny his Sadducaicall principles and to think that Iohn was Risen from the dead SECTION XLVII MATTH Chap. XIV from Ver. 13. to the end of the Chapter JOHN Chap. VI. from beginning of Chap. to Ver. 22. MARK Chap. VI. from V. 30. to the end of the Chap. LUKE IX from V. 10. to V. 18. Five thousand fed miraculously Christ walketh on the Sea ALl the four speak the same story of Christs miraculous feeding many thousands in a Desert Mark and Matthew do plainly link this story to the preceding as is conspicuous to the eye of whosoever shall view in them the last verse of the foregoing Section and the first of this Iohns Disciples with the tidings of their Masters death and Iesus Disciples from their Preaching abroad came
under these two animadversions 1. That although persecution as yet for the Gospel had brought none to poverty yet it is manifest that there were poor amongst them And some come to the more poverty for the Gospel sake too For if they were poor before they received the Gospel then the Synagogue of which they were provided for them but now they were destitute of that provision they having forsaken the Synagogue or at the least the Synagogue them because of their forsaking of their Judaism For the Evangelicall Church therefore that was now begun to provide for her poor it had not only the Synagogue for an example but would have had it for a reproach if they had neglected so needfull a duty which that took care for so constantly and tenderly 2. This having of all things common therefore was not an extinction of propriety and of meum tuum as if one rich man should have as good interest in another rich mans estate as himself but it was intended mainly for the relief of the poor Not to bring any that had estates to voluntary poverty nor to levell estates but to releeve those which stood in need Chap. 2.45 4.35 Distribution was made to every man as he had need To them that preached the word for their maintenance and to the poor for their relief ACTS CHAP. V. ANanias and Sapphira set up as everlasting monuments to all generations of Gods just indignation against the despisers of the Spirit of Christ. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Spirit of Messias was in honourable mention and esteem in the Nation in their common speech though they would not know him when he was revealed Now the sinne of this couple was first coveteousnesse but especially presuming to play false and yet thinking to go undiscovered of that Spirit which wrought so powerfully in the Apostles That cursed opinion that denies the Godhead of the holy Ghost runs parallel with this sinne of Ananias and Sapphira to a hair Peters warrant for this execution we may reade in that passage Iohn 20.22 23. He breathed on them and said Receive ye the holy Ghost whose sins ye remit they are remitted and whose sins ye retain they are retained How To forgive sins absolutely this belongs only to God Was it to forgive them declaratively This seems too low a construction and too restrained It seemeth therefore the most proper meaning of this donation that he now indued them with power to avenge what sins the holy Ghost now received should direct them to avenge with bodily plagues giving up to Satan or with death and again to remit such penalties as they should be directed to remit and they should be remitted The holy Ghost whom they had received then with so peculiar a power Ananias and Saphira do here plainly vilifie and affront directly therefore an execution of such power upon them was as proper and direct But be it whether it will that Peter took his warrant originally from thence or had it instantly by some immediate revelation as the judgement was fearfull so his executing of it was remarkable shewing at once his assurance of the pardon of his own lying against his Master when he can and dare thus avenge a lye against the holy Ghost and also his just zeal and activity for the honour of his Master whom he had denied It is said in ver 12. They were all in Solomons porch which was the East cloister of the mount of the Temple and in part of it did the Sanhedrin now sit and the Apostles not afraid to act so near them But at last they are apprehended and imprisoned but miraculously inlarged and preaching in the Temple again and thereupon convented before the Councill Gamaliel Pauls master was now President and continued in this dignity till within eighteen years of the destruction of the City He pleadeth here for the Apostles not out of any love to their persons or doctrine for he lived and died a down right Pharisee but partly because he saw the Sadduces at present the chief agents against them and chiefly because the miracles they wrought were so plain and convincing that he could move no lesse then what he did And yet for all the fairnesse of this man at this time yet did he afterward ordain and publish that prayer called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The prayer against Hereticks meaning Christians framed indeed by Samuel Katon but approved and authorized by this man President of the Sanhedrin then at Iabuch and commanded to be used constantly in their Synagogues in which they prayed against the Gospel and the professors of it Taanith fol. 65.3 Maym. in Tephil per. 2. ACTS CHAP. VI VII THe seven Deacons as they are commonly called chosen by occasion of the Hellenists murmuring against the Hebrews about neglect of their widows The Hebrews were Jews the inhabitants of Iudea and the Hellenists those Jews that lived in other Countries dispersedly among the Greeks Not only in Greece but almost in all other Countries which the conquests of Alexander and the continuance of the Syrogrecian Monarchy after him had filled with Greeks as all Countries also were filled with Jews In all the Jews Synagogues there were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parnasin Deacons or such as had care of the poor whose work it was to gather alms for them from the Congregation and to distribute it to them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There were two that gathered alms for them and one more added to distribute it to them Maym. in Sanhedr per. 1. R. Chelbe in the name of R. Ba bar Zabda saith They appoint not lesse then three Parnasin For if judgement about pecuniary matters were judged by three much more this matter which concerneth life is to be managed by three Jerus in Peah fol. 21. col 1. That needfull office is here translated into the Christian Church and the seven are chosen to this work out of the number of the hundred and twenty that are mentioned chap. 1.15 and that company only was the choosers of them and not all the Beleevers in Ierusalem The reason why the Hebrews neglected the widows of the Hellenists may be supposed either because they would stick to their old rule mentioned once before That a widow was to be maintained by her husbands children Talm. in cheâ—â—b per. 11. Maym. in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per. 18. compare 1 Tim. 5.4 or because the Hebrews of Iudea had brought in more into the common stock for the poor by sale of their Goods and Lands then those that had come from forrain Countries had done they not having Goods and Lands so ready to sell. All that had been brought in hitherto had been put into the Apostles hands and they had been burdened with the care and trouble of the disposall of it but now they transferre that work and office to the seven solemnly ordaining them by Imposition of hands into it and here only the Imposition of the Apostles hands confers not the
Thither ere long cometh Apollos an excellent Scripture-man but one that knew only the baptism of Iohn but they instruct him better Not that these Tent-makers turned Preachers but that having had so much converse with Paul they were able in private conference to inform him better then yet he knew from what they had learned from Paul ACTS CHAP. XIX from Ver. 1 to Ver. 19. OThers at Ephesus there were that were no further gone in Christianity neither then the knowledge of the Baptisme of Iohn Paul asks them Have ye received the holy Ghost they answer We have not yet so much as heard whether the holy Ghost be In which words they refer to a common and a true tenet of the Nation which was that after the death of Ezra Haggai Zachary and Malachy the holy Ghost departed from Israel and went up Iuchas fol. 15. and they professe they had never yet heard of his restoring And it is very probable that they had never heard of Iesus whom when Paul had preached to them they imbrace and the text saith they were then baptized in the Name of the Lord Iesus Not that they were rebaptized but that now coming to the knowledge of the proper end of Iohns baptisme namely to beleeve in Iesus as ver 4. they own their baptisme to such an end and construction For 1. What need had they to be rebaptized when in that first baptisme they had had taken they had come in to the profession of the Gospel and of Christ as farre as the doctrine that had brought them in could teach them It was the change of their profession from Iudaisme to Evangelisme that required their being baptized and not the degrees of their growth in the knowledge of the Gospel into the profession of which they had been baptized already How many baptismes must the Apostles have undergone if every signall degree of their coming on to the perfect knowledge of the mystery of Christ might have required nay might have admitted a new baptizing 2. If these men were rebaptized then must the same be concluded of all that had received the baptisme of Iohn when they came to the knowledge of Iesus which as it is incredible because there is not the least tittle of mention of such a thing so is it unimaginable in the case of those of the Apostles that were baptized by Iohn for who should baptize them again in the name of Iesus since Iesus himself baptized none Ioh. 4.3 3. These men had taken on them the baptisme of repentance and the profession of Christ in the baptisme of Iohn that they had received therefore unlesse we will suppose a baptisme of faith different from the baptisme of repentance and a baptisme in the name of Iesus different from the baptisme in the name of Christ it will be hard to finde a reason why these men should undergo a new baptizing And if it should be granted which is against reason to grant that these men were really rebaptized yet were not this a warrantable ground for rebaptization now in regard of these main differences betwixt the case then and now 1. That great controversie then on foot about Whether Iesus were the true Messias or no which caused their rebaptization if they were rebaptized 2. The visible conferring of the holy Ghost upon them upon their baptisme if they were rebaptized as being a main induction of such a thing if such a thing were that the name of Iesus might be so apparently glorified upon their being baptized in the name of Iesus which indeed was equally glorified when they received those gifts upon their acknowledging of Iesus and owning their baptisme that they had of old been baptized with as a badge of that acknowledgment though not baptized again ACTS CHAP. XIX from Ver. 9. to Ver. 21. CHRIST LIII LIV. CLAVDIVS XIII XIV THe Apostle hath a long time to stay at Ephesus in which he first begins for the space of a quarter of a year to dispute in the Synagogue and then when divers were hardened and beleeved not he separated the Disciples and disputed daily in the School of Tyrannus Hitherto what converts there were to the Gospel they resorted still to the publick service in the Synagogue where Paul reasoned daily for the truth of the Gospel but finding dangerous opposition he gets away the Disciples from thence and in the School of one Tyrannus they are a particular Congregation In these great Towns where there were many Jews both in Iudea and elswhere they had a Synagogue and a Divinity-School This Divinity-School they called Beth Midrash and thither they used to go every Sabbath day after they had been at the Synagogue whereupon they had this for a common proverb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 From the Synagogue to the Divinity-School In the Synagogue they had prayers and reading of the Law and plain Sermons of Doctrine exhortation and comfort In the Divinity-School were discussed and taught dogmaticall and controversall points concerning the difficulties of the Law and other high matters And hence it be those different titles and administrations of Pastor and Teacher Ephes. 4.11 and He that teacheth and he that exhorteth Rom. 12.7 8. took their pattern if Pastor mean one of the Ministerial function In the time of this stay of Paul at Ephesus He fought with beasts there after the manner of men 1 Cor. 15.32 which seemeth to be understood of a proper 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or fighting with wild beasts in the Theater as was the barbarous and bestiall custom of the Râ—mans and those times For 1. Observe in the hubbub of Demetrius Pauls companions are haled presently into the Theater ver 29. as if there the people had that that would take a course with them 2. Observe that the Asiarchae or Theater-Officers are Pauls friends as having knowledge and acquaintance of him and with him before 3. Demetrius his uproar which was the greatest danger that Luke hath mentioned of him was not till after he had written his Epistle to Corinth in which he speaks of fighting with beasts and therefore that could not be meant 4. The phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth seem cleerly to distinguish it from any combate in a borrowed sense 5. The trouble that befell him in Asia by which he was pressed above measure and even despaired of life 2 Cor. 1.8 9. cannot be understood so well of the tumult of Demetrius for we read not of any hand laid upon Paul in it as of some other danger neerer dearth In the latter year of these two above written which was part of Pauls last year at Ephesus on the 13th day of October of that year Claudius the Emperour dieth and Nero succeedeth him a wretch whose memory is not worth looking after unlesse it be for detetestation yet must we in our further progresse of viewing the actions of Paul and ranking his Epistles be beholden to the Chronicall observation of his years Paul himself saith to the Elders of
out of Office in Nero's fourth before Poppaea was yet got into her potency And the accounting of Pauls to years imprisonment under Felix to be thus At Pentecost in Nero's second he is apprehended and at Pentecost in Nero's third he had been a year prisoner and at Peneecost in Nero's fourth his two years are up and that spring it was that Felix went out of Office and went to Rome to make his answer and Pallas his brother not yet utterly out of favour makes his peace And now let us draw up the Chronology of Nero's time to the full according to these evidences and as referreth to our occasion Paul at Ephesus Goeth to Macedonia Creet Greece to Macedonia again and wintereth in Nicopolis Paul at Macedonia till Easter then goeth up to Ierusalem and is apprehended at Pentecost and from that time till the year go out is a prisoner Paul a prisoner all this year under Felix Felix removed Festus cometh in Paul shipped towards Rome but wintereth by the way Poppaea in Nero's eye and becomes his Minion Festus Governour of Iudea Paul after wintering in his journey cometh to Rome and this is the first year of his imprisonment there Nero killeth his mother Agrippina Festus Governour of Iudea Pauls second year imprisonment at Rome Festus Governour of Iudea Festus Governour of Iudea Nero marrieth Poppaea Festus Governour It may be Albinus came in sometime this year and then was Iames the lesse slain this year Albinus Governour of Iudea Florus Governour of Iudea Florus Governour of Iudea The Warres begin Nero dieth having reigned 13 years and 8 moneths ACTS CHAP. XXI from Ver. 17. to the end of the Chapter PAul cometh to Ierusalem at the feast of Pentecost when the City was now full of conflux to that festivall He resorteth instantly to Iames the residentiary Apostle of the Circumcision for holding correspondency sake and there he shews him the manner and fruit of his Ministry among the Gentiles Which both by Iames and the Elders that were with him is well approved of as to the thing it self but they certifie him of what complaints they heard from the Jews against him for crying down of the rites of Moses especially Circumcision That thou teachest all the Iews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses saying that they ought not to circumcise their children ver 21. Now because thousands of the Jews which beleeved were yet zealous of the Law this gave much offence But did Paul teach thus or not No doubt he did and it behoved him so to do nor does nor can Iames except against the doctrine for though it is true that he and Paul and the other Apostles permitted compliance with some of the Jewish rites for peace sake for a while as there is an example in this very place yea Paul himself circumcised Timothy upon that reason yet the use of Circumcision as these that stood upon it used it was utterly inconsistent with the Gospel Hear this Apostles Doctrine Behold I Paul say unto you that if you be circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing For I testifie again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtour to the whole Law Gal. 5.2 A converted Jew would have his sonne circumcised Paul asks him a reason what can he answer but it looks after some justification by it as their own Authors speak their thoughts He that is circumcised is perfect And He that is circumcised shall not go to Gehinnom And I said unto thee in thy blood live Ezek. 16.6 This is the blood of Circumcision c. Tanchum in Gen. 17. 18 c. They looked indeed upon Circumcision notion as an admission into the Covenant and thereupon the father of the child at his Circumcision constantly used these words Blessed be thou O Lord our God who hast sanctified us by his Commandments and commanded us to bring the child into the Covenant of our father Abraham And they that stood by said As thou hast brought him into the Covenant so bring him into the Law and into the Bride-chamber Jerus in Beracoth fol. 13. col 1. But withall they looked upon this Covenant as a Covenant of works for as we observed before they reputed Abraham himself so justified Good cause therefore had Paul to stand out against the convert Jews circumcising their children as whereby the Doctrine of Justification by faith was utterly enervated and made of no effect And here by the way let us conceive we heard Paul and one of these parents disputing upon this point Circumcise not thy child saith Paul for if thou doest thou laiest an obligation upon him to observe the whole Law and this may note to us that the Sacrament carried an obligation with it and obliged an Infant though he knew not what Law or obligation meant Baptism is for obligation as well as this and a childe capable of the obligation though he understand not what it means I but saies the Parent I will not look upon it as in way to Justification I will only use it for the childes admission into the Covenant of grace If Infants Baptism were not now in use for such a purpose let one that denies it tell me what Paul had to answer Iames urgeth not Paul at all to any publick recantation of his Doctrine but adviseth him by purifying himself and Judaizing a little in the Temple to give some publick testimony for their satisfaction â—â—at he was not such an enemy to Moses as he was reported which he agreeth to For the Temple rites might have better plea while the Temple stood then Circumcision which was none of them On the second or third day of his Purification some Asian Jews raise a tumult against him It is not so properly rendred And when the seven daies were almost ended ver 27. as rather And as the seven daies were to have been accomplished the computing of these twelve daies mentioned chap. 24.11 inforce that they should be so interpreted They found him in the second Court of the Temple the Court of the women whither no Heathen came though they might come into the outer Court called the mountain of the House and thither they supposed and pretended that he had brought a Gentile Trophimus an Ephesian For which he is fallen upon with that they called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rebels beaten stripes without number the people falling pell mell upon him Which was the way as the Jews records inform us that the Priests were dealt withall that came into the next court above this when any of them was deprehended there in their uncleannesse they never stood upon it to bring him to judiciall triall but his fellows fell upon him with the fagot sticks of the Altar or what came to hand and mawled him with blows without measure even unto death And so had Paul been served now had not the Roman Commander come and been his rescue Yet did he suppose him an offender and questions him whether he
defence to the people it is easie to guesse what the subject of this speech would have been Namely that whereas the Heathens every where looked upon the Jews as the great opposers and enemies of their Idolatry and the Jews and Alexander were very apprehensive that the eyes of the Ephesians was on that Nation as the enemy of their Diana and so they feared the tumult might have fallen upon them they put forward Alexander to make their Apology who if he had had liberty to have spoken would have laid load upon Paul and his company and have excused the Jews but thus it pleased God to provide for the Apostles safety that the tumultuous people would not hear what Alexander would have said which would have laid all the blame on Paul ACTS CHAP. XX. Ver. 1. And after the uproar was ceased Paul called unto him the Disciples and imbraced them and departed for to go into Macedonia 2. And when he had gone over those parts and had given them much exhortation he came into Greece 3. And abode there three moneths and when the Iews laid wait for him as he was about to sayl into Syria he purposed to return thorow Macedonia IT was his resolution to have staied at Ephesus till Pentecost had he had no disquieture or disturbance there 1 Cor. 16.8 Now though it be not certain how long it was before the time that he had fixed for his departure that the tumult there did pack him away yet this is apparent that when he came thence he had the whole summer before him and in that summer he travelled these journeys and thus was his progresse 1. From Ephesus he setteth for Macedonia ver 1. 1 Cor. 16.5 from whence though he had been driven some five years ago by persecution Act. 16. as he is now from Ephesus yet had he received so many evidences of the Macedonians faith towards God and pledges of their tendernesse and love towards himself Philip. 4.15 16. that he is not only resolved to venture himself again amongst them but he holds himself ingaged to revisit them and to bestow his pains again among them for their further proficiency in the Gospel At his departure from Ephesus he leaveth Timothy there behinde him though in a dangerous place and time yet necessity by reason of false teachers that were ready to break out so requiring it 1 Tim. 1.3 4. 2. By the way as he goes he makes some stay at Troas where though he had fair successe in his Ministry yet not finding Titus whom he expected to have met withall from Corinth he makes not long stay there but sets away again speedily for Macedonia 2 Cor. 2.12 13. 3. It was in his thoughts whilest he was at Ephesus to have touched at Corinth in this his journey and to have made some stay there 2 Cor. 1.15 16. but thus missing of Titus at Troas and neither from him nor yet from any other receiving intelligence how his Epistle that he had written thither took with them he thought it best to go by and not to call there at this time because he doubted he should have a heavy and comfortlesse meeting with them 2 Cor. 2.1 2. 4. Being come into Macedonia he findes some troubles there fightings without either from false brethren or from open enemies and fears and unquietnesse within lest all should continue at Corinth as he had heard of it but at the last Titus cometh and refresheth him with the desired and welcome tidings that all was well there and that his Epistle had had that happy issue and effect among them that he longed for 2 Cor. 7.5 6. 5. Whilest he staieth in Macedonia and those parts he preacheth especially in those places where he had been before namely Thessalonica and Philippi and now was the time also that he dispersed the Gospel as far as to Illyricum of which he speaketh in Rom. 15.19 6. At this time whilest he was imployed in these Macedonian climates he writeth THE FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY as may be concluded upon these observations 1. It is apparent from 1 Tim. 1.3 3.15 that that Epistle was written after Pauls setting out from Ephesus for Macedonia and yet when he was in some thoughts of returning shortly for Ephesus again 2. Now it cannot be conceived to have been written when he was going towards Macedonia for then was he but newly parted from Timothy and it is not likely he would so write to him when he was but newly come from him 3. Nor can it be conceived to be written when he was coming back again from Macedonia into Greece for then he was going to Ephesus in his own determination and might have been his own messenger and had needed no Epistle sending at all And besides he intimates in Chap. 3.16 that it might be he might stay a little long before he came to him Therefore it cannot but be concluded that this Epistle was written whilest he was in Macedonia or the parts thereabouts at this time that we are upon It is something strange that there should be so various and roving conjectures about the time and place of the writing of this Epistle where there is so plain a demonstration thereof in the Epistle it self iâ— studiously compared with these times and voyages of Paul that are before us The Arabick dateth it from Athens supposing it belike at the time of his perambulation of Greece of which there is mention in ver 3. of this Chapter the Syriack from Laodicea some Greek copies adde from Laodicea Pacatiana which mistake belike grew because there is mention of an Epistle from Laodicea Coloss. 4.16 of which we shall speak and shew the mistake when we come to the time of that Epistle The Rhemists suppose this Epistle to Timothy was written at Pauls first imprisonment in Rome when he was dismissed and set at liberty but how erroniously will appear when we come to observe the time of the second Epistle Paul had bestowed much pains and a long time with the Church of Ephesus being present with it and he takes much care of it now he is gone thence partly because of the eminency of the place and partly because of the ficklenesse of some who were ready to warp from the sound truth and doctrine received to heresie and foolish opinions For the keeping down of these therefore that they should not overgrow the Church he leaveth Timothy there when himself departeth choosing him for that imployment above all other his followers because as was said before some prophetick predictions had sealed him for a singular and extraordinary instrument in the Gospel 1 Tim. 2.14 He had two works to do in that City first to prevent rising Errorâ— and Heterodoxies and secondly to direct and order the Orthodox aright in Worship and Discipline not as any Diocesan Bishop for he staid but a while there and what he did he did but by the Apostles direction but as one that Paul had found sound bold blamelesse