The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

ACTS. CHAP. III.

Vers. 1. Peter and Iohn went up together into the Temple.

IT may be this was likewise on Pentecost day; and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth signifie identity of time: as it doth, 2 Sam. 21. 9. and in the Chaldee of Jonathan on Deut. 25. 5. And the ninth hour mentioned here in reference to the third hour in preceding story, Chap. 2. 15. at nine a clock in the morning was that conversion of 3000, and at three a clock in the afternoon this of 5000. Howsoever, whether it were on that day, or no; certainly it was on some solemn day, either a Sabbath or Festival, as appeareth by the number that were then prese•••• in the Temple, when so many of them were converted. For ordinari∣ly on the common days of the week, the company that was in the Temple was very few, besides the Priests and the Stationary men (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as they are called by the Rabbins) which were a number of men chosen to be constantly there, to represent the whole Con∣gregation, in laying their hands on the heads of the Sacrifices in their behalf. This con∣course of people on such a solemn day, was a fit subject and opportunity for these Apostles to work upon; and that in all probability was the main induction that brought them into the Temple at this time. That they should go thither to institute the Canoni∣cal hours by their own example, as Baronius dreameth, is a fancy that far better deserveth laughter, than any answer.

Vers. 2. The gate of the Temple which was called Beautiful.

This was the Gate that entred into the second Court, or out of the Court of the Gentiles, into the Court of the Jews: And there this Creeple lay, begging of the Jews that came into the Temple, but disdaining, as it seemeth, to beg of the Gentiles. This seemeth to be that gate that Josephus calleth the Corinthiack Gate, and which he descri∣beth to be of so much gorgiousness and bravery, de Bello Jud. lib. 5. 14. and which we shall have occasion to describe in another work, fully and on set purpose.

Vers. 11. The porch called Solomons.

Not that the very porch built by Solomon was now standing, for that was burnt and destroyed by the Babylonians, as well as the rest of the Temple, but because this was built on the very same pile that his was built upon. For the Temple standing upon an high and steep hill, with a deep and sharp precipice about it; Solomon to make room for the floor of the mount, which was too strait, filled up the ditch on the East side with huge stones strongly joynted together, and he built his porch upon that pile; and because this of Herods was erected also upon that very same foundation, it therefore is called Solo∣mons porch. It was the first gate, or entrance into the mountain of the House; and not only the very building of the porch, but the Court within bare the same name, Jose∣phus ubi supra.

Vers. 12. And when Peter saw it, he answered, &c.

Here Peters Sermon is registred again, but Chap. 4. 1. it is said, As they spake, which resolveth that John preached as well as he.

Vers. 16. Through faith in his name, &c.

Faith is twice named in this verse, because of the Apostles faith in doing, and the Creeples faith in receiving the miracle; the former was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: the latter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

Vers. 17. Through ignorance ye did it.

So Christ said himself, Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do. This their ignorance proceeded mainly from mistaking the place of Christs birth, for they supposed it had been Nazaret; and from mistaking the Kingdom of the Messias, for they expected it would have been pompous, and full of worldly glory; the title on the Cross, Jesus of Nazaret King of the Jews, spake out both the ignorances that carried them on to so wretched an act.

Vers. 19. When the times of refreshing shall come.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: The Syriack readeth it, That your sins may be blotted out, and the times of refreshing may come: and so the Arabick and Ireneus, or at least his interpreter cited by Beza; the Vulgar, ut cum venerint, but concludeth not the clause to make it sense. Beza, postquam venerint, but what sense he would make of it, I do not well understand. He pleadeth much to prove that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth signifi•• postquam, and it is not denied him, but he cannot deny withal that it signifieth ut likewise: and so may it best, and most proper∣ly be understood, That your sins may be blotted out, so that the times of refreshing may come. The Apostle Peter taketh his speech from Esa. 28. 12. where the Prophet at once prophesieth of the gift of Tongues, vers. 11. of the preaching of the Gospel, vers. 12. and the infidelity and obduration of the Jews, vers. 13. and speaketh of these very times and occasions that are now in hand: And accordingly is the Apostle to be understood that speaketh from him, concerning the present refreshing by the Gospel, and Gods pre∣sent sending Christ among them in the power and Ministery of that, and not of a refresh∣ing at the calling of the Jews which is yet to come; and Gods sending Christ personally to come and reign among them, as some have dreamed, and it is but a dream: For let but this Text be seriously weighed in that sense that opinion would make of it; Repent there∣fore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come: As meaning this, Repent you now, that your sins may be blotted out, 2000, or I know not how many hundred years hence, when the calling of the Jews shall come: If this be not the sense that they make of this Text, that produce it to assert Christs personal reign on earth for a thousand years; I know not why they should then produce it; and if this be the sense, I must confess I see no sense in it. The words are facil and clear, and have no intricacy at all in them, if the Scripture may be suffered to go upon its own wheels; and they may be taken up in this plain and undeniable Paraphrase; Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out; so that the times of re∣freshing by the Gospel may come upon you from the presence of the Lord; and he may send Jesus Christ in the preaching of the Gospel to you, to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

Vers. 20. And he send Iesus Christ.

As Vers. 26. God having raised his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you: Now this cannot possibly be understood of Christs personally and visibly coming among them; for who of this audience ever saw him after his Resurrection? But of his coming among them now in this means and offer of Salvation: and in the same sense is this clause in hand to be un∣derstood: and so the 22 verse interpreteth it of the sending of Christ as the great Pro∣phet, to whom whosoever will not hearken must be cut off: Not at the end of the world when he shall come as a Judge; but in the Gospel which is his voice, and which to refuse to hearken to, is condemnation. Peters exhortation therefore is to repentance, that their sins might be blotted out, so that refreshing times might come upon them, and Christ in the Gospel might be sent among them, according as Moses had foretold, that he should be the great instructer of the people.

§. Which before was preached unto you.

The very sense of the place confirmeth this reading: for though Beza saith, that all the old Greek Copies that ever he saw, as also the Syrian, Arabick, and Tertullian read it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, fore-ordained; yet the very scope and intention of Peters speech in this place doth clearly shew that it is to be read, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which before was preached to you, namely by Moses, or the Law, vers. 22. and by all the Prophets, vers. 24.

Vers. 21. Until the restitution of all things.

Or the accomplishment of all things, and to that sense the Syriack translates it, until the fulness of the time of all things, &c. And the Arabick did not much different, until the time in which all things shall be perfected, or finished, &c. The Greek word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in∣deed signifieth a restitution to a former estate, a repairing, or an amending, as might be fre∣quently shewed in Greek Writers, but in Scripture doth not so properly signifie this, as what the Rabbins would express by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a fulfilling or accomplishing: and the Preposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth not so much stand in the force of Re, or again, but it stands in opposition to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. privative in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which signifieth unsetled or unconfirmed, and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is opposed to 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Polyb. Hist. lib. 4. Settlement of a City to tumult. And to take up these two places where this word is used in the New Testament, Matth. 17. 11. and here. Elias indeed shall first come, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: and shall restore all things: What? To their former estate? Nay, that the Baptist did not, for he brought them into a clean different estate to their former: or he shall amend all things? That is true indeed, so the Baptist did, but how will this place in hand bear that sense, which speaketh not of the mending of all things, but of their ending? And how improper would either of these senses run in this verse, Till the restoring of all things to their former estate, which God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets? Or till the amending of all things which God hath spoken by his Prophets: But clear and facil is that sense that is given, Till the accomplishment of all things that God hath spoken by the mouth of his Prophets? The things which God had spoken by the mouth of his Prophets from the beginning of the world were, Christs victory over Satan in the Salvation of all his people; his conquest of the last enemy, Death; the calling of the Jews, the fulness of the Gentiles, &c. and how can these things be said to be restored, or amended? They may most fitly be said to be accomplished, perfected, or performed: and so must the same words be rendred of the Baptist, Elias truly cometh and accomplisheth all things, that are written of him, and so must the Son of man do all things that are written of him; as Mark follows the sense, Mark 9. 12.

Vers. 24. All the Prophets from Samuel.

He is reckoned the first of the Prophets after Moses.

First, Because Prophesie from the death of Moses to the rising of Samuel was very rare, 1 Sam. 3. 1, 2.

Secondly, Because he was the first Prophet after Moses that wrote his Prophesie. From the beginning of Samuels rule, to the beginning of the captivity in Babel, was 490 years, and from the end of that captivity to the death of Christ, 490 years more, and the 70 years captivity, the midst of years between, as I have shewed elsewhere: But I must ad∣vertise the Reader here, that the beginning of Samuels Prophetickness in this reckoning, is not from the death of Eli, but from one and twenty years after. And here let me take up a verse of as much difficulty, and of as little observing of it, as almost any in the Old Testament: as that is 1 Sam. 7. 2. And it came to pass while the Ark abode at Kiriath-jearim, that the time was long; for it was twenty years: and all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord. Now the Ark was undeniably above forty years in Kiriath-jearim; namely, all the time from Elies death, till David fetcht it to Jerusalem, which was seven and forty years, and somewhat above, only that first excepted, in which it was seven months in the Land of the Philistims, 1 Sam. 6. 1. and a little time in Bethshemesh; what then should be the reason that it is said to be in Kiriath-jearim only twenty years? Why, the meaning is not that that was all the time that it was there, but that it was there so long a time, be∣fore the people ever hearkned after it. Their idolatry and corruption of Religion had so transported them, that they thought not of, nor took regard to the Ark of God for twenty years together: Then all the house of Israel lamented after the Lord: for so must it be rendred; and not, And all the house of Israel, &c.

And so have we one and twenty years taken up from the Death of Eli till this time of Israels repentance, which yet are counted to Samuels forty, but are not reckoned in the account of Habakkuk, of the extent of the race of the Prophets.

Upon this place therefore we may take up these pertinent observations.

First, That God did now on a suddain pour a spirit of Reformation generally upon all the people of Israel after a long time of prophaneness and Idolatry. They had been exceedingly prophane in the time of Elies sons: And therefore the Lord in justice for∣sook his Tabernacle in Shiloh, the Tent which he had pitched besides Adam, when Israel passed through Jordan, Josh. 3. 16. Psal. 78. 60. and he gave the Ark into the Enemies hand; yet was not Israel humbled for it. The Ark was restored to them, and was among

them twenty years together, and they continued in their Idolatry still, and never sought after it, nor took it to heart. At last, upon a suddain, and with a general conversion, Is∣rael begins to turn to the Lord, and lament after him, and forsake their Idols.

Secondly, Here was a strange and wondrous spirit of conversion poured upon the peo∣ple at the beginning of the race of the Prophets, as there was at the end of it, in these Chapters of the Acts of the Apostles.

Thirdly, As the practise here in the Acts, was to repent and to be baptized; so was it then with Israel; as that expression may most properly be interpreted, vers. 6. They drew water and poured it out before the Lord, as washing or baptizing themselves from their Idolatry.

Vers. 25. Ye are the children of the Prophets.

That is, the Scholars or Disciples of them, as the phrase, The children of the Prophets, is ordinarily used in the Old Testament, 2 King. 2. &c. and Amos 7. 14. I was neither Prophet, no Prophets son; that is, nor Prophets Scholar. And Matth. 11. 19. Wisdom is justified of her children; that is, of her Disciples.