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. I.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

And when the day of Pentecost was fully come.

I. THIS word Pentecost, seems to be taken into use by the Hellenist Jews, to signi∣fie this Feast, which also almost all the Versions retain, the Western especially, and amongst the Eastern, the Syriack and Aethiopick. The Hebraizing Jews commonly call this Feast by the name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 from which one of the Arabicks differs very little when it renders it in this place 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 where the letter 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is only in∣terserted; the other omits the word wholly, and only hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the day of the fifty.

II. It is well enough known that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Holy Scriptures was an Holy-day, Levit. XXIII. 36. Deut. XVI. 8. and the reason why the Jews so peculiarly appropriate it to the Feast of Pentecost, seems to be this, because this Feast consisted in one solemn day, where∣as the Feast of Passover, and of Tabernacles had more days. f 1.1 As the days of the Feast are seven. R. Chaija saith, because the Pentecost is but for one day, is the mourning so too? They say unto him, thou arguest from a far fetcht tradition. Where the Gloss hath it, That this Feast is but for one day, we learn from the very word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. g 1.2 The men of the Town Mahaesia are strong of heart, for they see the glory of the Law twice in the year. The Gloss is, Thither all Israel is gather'd together in the Month Adar, that they may hear the Traditions concerning that Passover in the School of Rabh Asai: and in the Month Elul, that they may hear the Tra∣ditions concerning the Feast of Tabernacles. But they were not so gather'd together 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 at the Feast of Pentecost, because that is not above one day.

Hence that Baithusean may be the better believ'd in his dispute with Rabban Johanan h 1.3, Moses our Master (saith he) will love Israel, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and he knows that the Feast of Pentecost is but for one day.

III. And yet there is mention of a second Holy-day in Pentecost, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Rabh Papa hath shammatiz'd those bearers that bury the dead on the first Feast-day of Pentecost, &c. where the mention of the first Feast-day hints to us that there is a second, which we find elsewhere asserted in express terms. i 1.4 R. Simeon ben Joze∣dek saith, in eighteen days any single person repeats the Hallel over, that is to say in the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the eight days of the Feast of Dedication, the first day of the Passover, and the first day of Pentecost. But in the captivity they did it in one and twenty days. In the nine days of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the eight days of the Feast of Dedicati∣on, in the two Feast-days of the Passover, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and the two Feast-days of Pentecost.

Whereas it is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the captivity, the difficulty is answer'd; for although in the land of Israel there was but one solemn day in the Feast of Pentecost, yet amongst the Jews in foreign Countries there were two; which also happen'd in other Solemnities. For in∣stance, within Palestine they kept but one day holy in the beginning of the year, viz. the first day of the Month Tisri; but in Babylon and other foreign Countries they observ'd both the first and the second day. And the reason was, because at so great a distance from the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, they could not be exactly certain of the precise day as it had been stated by the Sanhedrin, they observ'd therefore two days, that by the one or the other they might be sure to hit upon the right.

IV. God himself did indeed institute but one Holy-day in the Feast of Pentecost, Levit. XXIII. and therefore is it more peculiarly call'd 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a solemn day, because it had but one Feast-day. And yet that Feast hath the name of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the same titles that the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Passover had, Exod. XXIII. 14, &c. and all the males appear'd in this Feast as well as in the others; nor was this Feast without its Chagigah any more than the rest. So that however the first day of Pentecost only was the Holy and solemn day, yet the Feast it self was continu'd for seven days. So the Doctors in Rosh hashanah, k 1.5 R. Oshaiah saith, whence comes it that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Pentecost hath 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 compensations for all the seven days? because the Scripture saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 In the Feast of unleaven'd bread, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in the Feast of Weeks, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and in the Feast of Tabernacles. He com∣pares the Feast of Weeks (i. e. Pentecost) with the Feast of unleaven'd bread. That hath com∣pensations for all the seven days, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 so the Feast of Weeks (i. e. Pentecost) hath compensations for all the seven days. They call'd that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 com∣pensations, when any one had not made his just offerings in the beginning of the Feast, he repair'd and compensated this negligence or defect of his by offering in any other of the

seven days. And thus much may suffice as to this whole Feast in general. Now as to the very day of Pentecost it self it may not be amiss to add something.

I. It is well known that the account of weeks and days from the Passover to Pentecost took its beginning from, and depended upon the day of offering the sheaf of the first∣fruits, Levit. XXIII. 15. But through the ambiguity of the phrase 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the morrow of the Sabbath, there hath arose a controversie betwixt the Scribes and Baithusians, whether by the Sabbath, ought to be understood the weekly Sabbath (or as the Scribes commonly call'd it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Sabbath of the Creation) or whether it should be un∣derstood of the Sabbatical day, i. e. the first day of the seven days of Passover, which was a solemn day, Exod. XII. 16. the Baithusians contend vehemently for the former, and will not have the sheaf offer'd but after the weekly Sabbath. As suppose the first day of the Passover should fall out upon the first day of the week, they would stay till the whole week with the Sabbath-day was run out, and then on the morrow of that Sabbath, i. e. the first day of the following week they offer'd the sheaf. But the Scribes very different∣ly keep strictly to the sixteenth day of the Month Nisan, for offering the first-fruits with∣out any dispensation, after the Sabbatical-day, or the first day of the Feast is over. And amongst other arguments by which they strengthen their opinion, those two different pla∣ces of Scripture, Exod. XII. 15. Seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread, and Deut. XVI. 8. Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread; they according to the sense they have do thus reconcile, Seven days indeed you shall eat unleavened bread; that is, unleavened bread of the old wheat on the first day of the Feast, the sheaf being not yet offer'd, and un∣leaven'd bread of the new wheat the remaining six days after you have offered the first∣fruits l 1.6.

II. If the day of the first-fruits be to be taken into the number of the fifty days, which the Authors now quoted do clearly enough affirm out of those words, Deut. XVI. 9. Num∣ber the seven weeks to thy self 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 when thou beginnest to put the sickle into the corn; then it will appear plain enough to any one that upon whatsoever day of the week the sheaf-offering should fall, on that day of the week the day of Pentecost would fall too. And hence the Baithusians contended so earnestly that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the morrow after the Sabbath (on which it is commanded that the sheaf of the first-fruits should be offer'd) should be understood of the first day of the week, that so the day of Pentecost might fall out to be the first day of the week too; not so much in honour of that day (which is indeed our Lords-day) but that the Pentecost might have the more Feast-days, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that the Israelites might delight themselves for two days toge∣ther, as one of them speaks out their meaning * 1.7.

III. As to the year therefore we are now upon wherein Christ ascended, and the Holy Ghost came down, the sheaf-offering was on the Sabbath-day. For the Paschal lamb was eaten on Thursday, so that Friday (on which day our Saviour was Crucified) was the first day of the Feast, the Sabbatical or Holy-day. And the following-day which was their Sab∣bath, was the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the second, on which the sheaf was offered, whiles Christ lay in the grave; and for this very reason was it said to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, an high day of the Sabbath, Joh. XIX. 31.

IV. Let us enquire therefore whether the day of Pentecost fell out on their Sabbath∣day; I know indeed that the fifty days are reckoned by some from the Resurrection of our Lord, and then Pentecost, or the fiftieth day, must fall on the first day of the week, that is, our Lords-day; but if we number the days from the common Epocha, that is, from the time of offering the sheaf of first-fruits (which account doubtless St. Luke doth follow) then the day of Pentecost fell out upon the Jewish Sabbath. And here, by the good leave of some learned men it may be question'd, Whether the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Disciples on the very day of Pentecost or no. The reasons of this question may be these.

I. The ambiguity of the words themselves, '〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which may be either render'd as we have done in English, When the day of Pentecost was fully come; or as they in the Italian, Et nel finire del giorno de la Pentecoste, q. d. when it was fully gone. So that the phrase leaves it undetermin'd whether the day of Pentecost was fully come, or fully gone; and what is there could be alledg'd against it, should we render it in the lat∣ter sense?

II. It is worthy our observation that Christ the Antitype in answering some Types that represented him, did not tye himself up to the very day of the Type its self for the ful∣filling of it, but put it off to the day following. So it was not upon the very day of the Passover, but the day following that, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, Christ our Passover was sacrific'd for us, 1 Cor. V. 7. It was not on the very day that the sheaf of the first-fruits was offer'd, but the day following that Christ became 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the first∣fruits of them that slept, 1 Cor. XV. 20. So also did he institute the Christian Sabbath not the same day with the Jewish Sabbath, wherein God had finisht the work of his Creation,

but the day following wherein Christ had finisht the work of his Redemption. And so it was agreeable to reason, and to the order wherein he dispos'd of things already menti∣oned, that he should indulg that mysterious gift of the Holy Ghost, not upon the day of the Jewish Sabbath, but the day following, the day of his own Resurrection from the grave; that the Spirit should not be pour'd out upon the same day wherein the giving of the Law was commemorated, but upon a day that might keep up the commemoration of himself for ever.

III. We can hardly invent a more fit and proper reason why upon this day they should be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, All with one accord in one place; than that they were so gather'd together for the celebration of the Lords-day. So that although we have ad∣veutur'd to call it into question whether the Holy Ghost was pour'd out upon the very day of the Jewish Pentecost, yet have we not done it with any love to contradiction, but as having considerable reason so to do, and with design of asserting to the Lords-day its just honour and esteem; for on that day beyond all controversie, the Holy Ghost did come down amongst them.

〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.

They were all with one accord, &c.

Who were these 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, these ALL here mention'd? probably the CXX spoken of Chap. I. 15. and the connexion falls in well enough with the foregoing story. Those All were together when the Election of the twelfth Apostle was propounded, and when the choice was made too. And therefore why the ALL in this place ought not to have refer∣ence to this very number also, who can alledg any reason? Perhaps you will say, this rea∣son may be given why it should not; namely, that all those that were here assembled, were endu'd with the gift of Tongues, and who will say that all the hundred and twenty were so gifted? I do my self believe it, and that for these reasons.

• I. All the rest were likely to publish the Gospel in foreign Countries, as well as the Apostles, and therefore was it necessary that they also should be endow'd with foreign Tongues.
• II. The Apostles themselves imparted the same gift by the imposition of hands to those whom they Ordained the Ministers of particular Churches. It would seem unreasonable therefore that those extraordinary persons that had been all along in company with Christ and his Apostles, and were to be the great Preachers of the Gospel in several parts of the world, should not be enricht with the same gift.
• III. It is said of the seven Deacons that they were 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, full of the Holy Ghost, even before they were chosen to that office; which doth so very well agree with what is said in this part of the story, ver. 4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, that we can hardly find out a more likely time or place wherein these Deacons had been thus replenisht, than when the Apostles themselves were so, that is, upon the coming down of the Holy Ghost.
• IV. The dignity and prerogative of the Apostles above the rest of the Disciples, did not so much consist in this gift of Tongues being appropriated to themselves; but in this amongst other things, that they were capable of conferring this gift upon others, which the rest could not do. Philip the Deacon doubtless did himself speak with Tongues, but he could not confer this gift to the Samaritans, that they also should speak with Tongues as he did; this was reserv'd to Peter and to John the Apostles.
• V. The Holy Ghost as to the gift of Tongues fell upon all that heard Peter's discourse in the house of Cornelius, Chap. X. 44. it may seem the less strange therefore if it should fall on these also at this time and in this place.

Notes

• f 1.1

  Beresh. rabba. fol. 114. 3.
• g 1.2

  Beracoth, fol. 17. 2.
• h 1.3

  Menacoth, fol. fol. 65. 1.
• i 1.4

  Erachin. fol. 10. 1.
• k 1.5

  Fol. 4. 2.
• l 1.6

  Sip••ra. fol. 51. 1. Pesikta, fol. 21. 1. Me∣nach. fol. 66. 1
• * 1.7

  Menac. fol. 65. 1.