A paraphrase and annotations upon all the books of the New Testament briefly explaining all the difficult places thereof / by H. Hammond.

Annotations on Chap. XVI.

[ a] * 1.1 V. 7. Comforter] What is meant by the word Pa∣raclete here attributed to the Holy Ghost, hath been mention'd, Note on c. 14. 16. and will more fully be discernible by this place. For of the Paraclete, taken in the notion of an advocate, or actor, this is the office, to convince the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or accuser, or, as it is Tit. 1. 9.* 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, to justifie the cause against all gain sayers, to convince them, or to convince others, that they have complain'd or acted unjustly. So that all that here follows, must in any reason so be interpreted, as shall agree with the customes of pleading causes a∣mong the Jewes. Now there were 3 sorts of causes or actions among the Jewes, 1. publick judgments, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉,* 1.3 that is, concerning criminall matters, and those consisted in the condemnation and punishing of offenders against God, false prophets, &c. 2^dly, in the defending of the just or upright, against all op∣pression, or invasion, or false testimony, and that is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, concerning justice, or equity or righ∣teousnesse,* 1.4 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; the 3^d in pleading against any for trespasse against his neighbour, as in robbery &c. and urging the law of Retaliation, to suffer as he hath done,* 1.5 and this is called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 concern∣ing judgment. In every one of these was the Holy Ghost at his coming to be the advocate for Christ a∣gainst the world, who had rejected and crucified him; One action he should put in against the world of the first kind, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, concerning that que∣stion whether Christ were guilty of being a false pro∣phet, or they of not believing a true prophet, the Mes∣sias of the world, and should demonstrate or prove them guilty of a great crime, viz. of not believing the Messias, and that should be managed thus, There are rules set down, Deut. 18. 22. to discern and dis∣tinguish a false prophet from a true, and particularly to discern the Christ or Messias, v. 18. viz. if under∣taking to be the Messias, and to prove that by foretel∣ling things, which were not in the power of the devil to work or to foretell, all the things which he foretold came to passe. Now one of the things foretold by Christ, was, that the Spirit or Paraclete should come, Which being fulfilled by his coming, and his coming from God, and not from the devil, but destructive to his kingdome, this would be a convincing argument, that he was a true prophet, and so the Messias, which he affirmed himself to be, and so that they were guilty of a great sinne, in not believing on him, of a greater in crucifying him, and therefore that they ought to expect that pu∣nishment of excision, Deut. 18. 19. which after, within a while, did accordingly befall that nation. A second

action which the Holy Ghost did put in for Christ a∣gainst the world, was to vindicate his innocence, though he had suffered among them as a malefactor, and his way of managing that was, by giving them assurance, and convincing them, that he which was thus condem∣ned and crucified by them, was by God taken up into heaven, (as a clear testimony of his innocence) to par∣take of his own glory there. The third action was that of judgment (or of punishing injurious persons by way of Retaliation) against Satan, the cause, and author of the death of Christ, who put it into Judas's heart, and the chief Priests and Pharisees, the former to deliver up, the latter to put him to death: And by the coming of the Holy Ghost, and preaching of the word thorough the world, and so the spreading of Christianity among the Gentiles (which was an effect of this coming, and office of the Holy Ghost,) this work of Retaliation was wrought most discernibly on Satan, or the Prince of this world; he put Christ to death, and he himself is slain, (as it were) his kingdome destroyed, his idols, Oracles, abominable sins, (whereby he reigned every where among the Gentiles in the heathen world) were remarkeably destroyed by this coming of the Holy Ghost, and so the world, and the Prince thereof judged, sentenced, and condemned judicio talionis, to suffer from Christ, as he had dealt with him, and that was the con∣vincing the world 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, concerning judgment. This seems to be the meaning of this very difficult place, to the understanding of which I acknowledge to have received light from the learned Hugo Gro∣tius in his Annotations on the Gospels, and from Val. Schindler in his Pentaglott. in the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 p. 1521. C.

[ b] * 1.6 V. 23. In that day] 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, In that day here, may possibly be mistaken, by assigning too re∣strained a sense to it. For if it be applied to that part only of the precedent verse, But I will see you again, which notes the space immediately following his Resur∣rection (see c. 14. 19.) and antecedent to his Ascension, it will not then be proper to affirm of that space, that they should ask him nothing; for it is evident that at that time of seeing him, they asked him many things (see Act. 1. 6.) But as this Resurrection of Christ was attend∣ed with his Ascension to heaven, and sending the Para∣clete, so it is most exactly true which here follows, In that day ye shall ask me nothing, that is, shall have no need of asking more questions, The Paraclete shall teach you all things.* 1.7 That this is the meaning of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 here, which is rendred asking, and not that other notion of asking for praying in the following words, may appear first by v. 19. where they being dubious and uncertain what he meant by, yet a little while, and ye shall not see me, &c. it is said, Jesus knew that they would 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ask him, that is, ask him the meaning of that speech, and to that he here referres in the same word, In that day, when that course shall be taken for the instructing you so perfectly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ye shall ask me no∣thing. 2^dly, By the changing of the word in the other part of this verse, where it is 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, whatsoever ye shall ask or begge, of the Father, &c. and not as it is here, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. In the same sense must the phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in that day be taken again ver. 26. that which is there said, belonging not peculiarly to that time betwixt his Resurrection and Ascension, but to the state of them, and all Christians after Christs departure from them, to the right hand of his Father.

Notes

• * 1.1

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• * 1.2

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• * 1.3

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• * 1.4

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• * 1.5

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• * 1.6

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• * 1.7

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