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.

Vers. 32, & 33. §. Community of goods.

This community of goods, howsoever it sorted and suited with the present state of the Church at Jerusalem at that time; yet can it not be taken up for an example or pre∣sident for the time to come.

For, first, the thing was not done by command, but at the free disposal of whosoever was minded so to do, Acts 5. 4.

Secondly, The Lands that were sold, were many of them out of the Land of Canaan; for the converts were Jews from all Nations, and one instance is given in the Land of Barnabas in Cyprus; now when these men were resolved to cleave to the Apostles, and not to return to their own Country; what good would their Lands in those forain Coun∣tries do them?

Thirdly, If these Lands and Houses were in Judea, as it is undoubted many of them were, it may be supposed that the faithful owners thereof took notice of the threatned destruction of Jerusalem, spoken of by our Saviour, and so would part with their estates for the benefit of the Church, before they should be surprized by the enemy.

And fourthly, Thus did God provide against persecution to come; that neither the poor of the Church should fall off through penury, nor the rich start back through worldly mindedness; but by a competent distribution among them, the one might have enough, and the other not too much.

And lastly, Such was the state of the Church at this time, as never was the like to be again. It was but newly born, it was all in one City, the most of the people far resident from their own houses, all in a possibility to be scattered by persecution, they could not tell how soon: and therefore that present administration of the Church in such a case, can∣not be any copy for times to come either to follow as a command, or to imitate as a per∣fection.

This very year was a Jubilee among the Jews in the very proper sense, it being the eight and twentieth that the Land had had since their setling in it: and these people now converted to the Gospel, are so far from returning to their possessions, if they had sold or mortgaged them, as the Jubilee priviledged them, that they part with their possessi∣ons that they had in their hands; having by this time learned that the earthly Canaan and inheritance, was not that possession that was to be looked after, and that the Kingdom of the Messias should not be earthly.