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. XXIII.

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Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted.

HE had formerly given them a power of binding and loosing, and therefore proba∣bly bestows something more upon them now than what he had conferr'd before. For,

I. It would seem a little incongruous for our Saviour to use an action so new and un∣wonted, such as was his breathing upon them, to vest them only with that power which he had before given them.

II. The power of binding and loosing was concern'd only in the articles and decisions of the Law; this power which he now gives them reacht to the sins of mankind. That pow∣er concern'd the Doctrines, this the persons of men.

Now that we may understand the words that are before us, let us a little consider what is said, Luk. XXIV. 46. Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day. And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all Nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Which words we may suppose he spoke before he utter'd what is in this verse. And so might there not upon the occasion of those words arise some such scruple as this in the Apostles breasts? Is it so indeed must remission of sins be Preached to those in Jerusalem, who have stain'd themselves with the blood of the Messiah himself? Yes, saith he, For whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them. To this those words of his upon the Cross have some reference, Luk. XXIII. 34. Father forgive them, &c. And indeed upon what foundation, with what confidence could the Apostles have preacht remission of sins to such wretched men who had so wickedly, so cruelly murder'd their own Lord, the Lord of life, unless authoriz'd to it by a peculiar commission granted to them from their Lord himself!

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Whose soever ye retain they are retained.

Besides the negative included in these words, that is, If you do not remit them, they shall not be remitted, there is something superadded that is positive. That is,

I. There is granted to them a power of smiting the rebellious with present death, or some bodily stroke.

II. A power of delivering them over to Satan. Whence had St. Peter that power of striking Ananias and Sapphira with so fatal a bolt? whence St. Paul that of striking Elymas blind? whence of delivering over Hymeneus and Alexander to Satan, if not from this very commission given them by Christ? Christ himself never exercis'd this power himself; it was not one person, whom he stroke either with death, or any afflictive disease; some indeed he raised when they had been dead, and infinite numbers of the sick and diseased, whom he cured: He snatcht several from the power of the Devils, he deliver'd none to them. That the Apostles therefore might be capable of performing things of so high a nature, it was necessary they should be backt and encourag'd by a peculiar authority; which if we find not in this clause, Whose soever sins ye retain they are retained, where should we look for it? And therefore when he endows his Apostles with a power which he never thought fit to exercise in his own person, no wonder if he does it by a singular and unusual action, and that was breathing upon them, ver. 22.

But we must know that whereas amongst other mighty powers conferr'd, we reckon that as one, viz. delivering over unto Satan, we are far from meaning nothing else by it but Excommunication. What the Jews themselves meant by that kind of phrase, let us see by one instance.

d 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Those two men of Cush that stood before Solomon, Elihoreph, and Ahijah the Scribes, Sons of Shausha. On a certain day Solomon saw the Angel of Death weeping; he said, why weepest thou? He answer'd, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Because these two Cushites entreat me that they may continue here. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Solomon deliver'd them over to the Devil, who brought them to the borders of Luz, and when they were come to the borders of Luz, they dy'd.

Gloss. He calls them Cushites [Ironically] because they were very beautiful. They entreat me that they might continue here. For the time of their death was now come: But the Angel of death could not take their souls away, because it had been decreed that they should not die but at the Gates of Luz. Solomon therefore deliver'd them over 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to the Devils; for he reign'd over the Devils, as it is written, And Solomon sat upon the Throne of the Lord, for he reigned 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 over those things that are above, and those things that are below.

Josephus also makes mention of the power that Solomon had over Devils. e 1.2 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. God taught him an art against Demons. The be∣lief

of either of these stories is at the liberty of the Reader. Only from the former we may make this observation, that a power of delivering over to Satan, was even in the Jews opi∣nion divine and miraculous. We acknowledg this to have been in the Apostles, and in the Apostles only; and I know no where if not in the words we are now treating of from whence otherwise the original of this power and authority can be deriv'd.

III. It seems further, that at this very time was granted to the Apostles a commission to confer the Holy Spirit on those whom they found qualify'd, and that in these words, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. i. e. Receive ye it, to distribute it to others. For although it cannot be deny'd but that they receiv'd the Holy Ghost for other reasons also, and to other ends, of which we have already discours'd; yet is not this great end to be excluded, which seem'd the highest and noblest endowment of all, viz. that Christ breathing upon them, inspir'd them with the Holy Ghost, with this mighty authority and priviledg, that they should be capable of dispensing it to others also.

Notes

• d 1.1

  Succah, fol. 53. 1.
• e 1.2

  Antiq. lib. 8. cap. 2.