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. XIX.

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

When the times of refreshing shall come.

I May perhaps betray my ignorance in the Greek Tongue, if I should confess that I cannot see by what Authority of that language the most Learned Interpreters have ren∣dred, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c. That when the times of refreshing shall come: as the Vulgar, ••rasmus, and the Interlinear; or When they shall come: also the English, French, and Ita∣lian:

or, After they shall come, as Beza. I am not ashamed to confess, I do not under∣stand by what reason they thus render it; when it so well agrees with the Idiom of that Language to translate it, That the times of refreshing may come. Psal. IX. 14. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hebrew, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That I may shew forth, &c. Psal. XCII. 7. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hebrew, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That they may be destroyed for ever. Psal. CXIX. 101. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Hebrew, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 That I might keep. Acts XV. 17. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. That they might seek, &c. And so in this place, repent therefore, and be con∣verted, that your sins may be blotted out, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, that the times of refreshing may come, and God may send Jesus Christ to you. These last words, may send Jesus Christ, I suppose have begot the difficulty in this place, and occasioned the variety of Versions we meet with: And how the Chiliasts apply these things is well known. But if our Interpretation be admitted, what could be more fully and plainly said to answer the conceptions of the Auditors, who might be ready to object against what St. Peter had said. Is it so indeed? Was that Jesus whom we have Cruci••ied, the true Christ? then is all our hope of refreshment by the Messiah vanished, because he himself is vanished and gone. Then our expectation as to the consolation of Israel is at an end, because he who should be our consolation is perished.

Not so, saith St. Peter, but the Messiah and the refreshing by him shall be restored to you if you will repent; yet so, that he himself shall continue still in Heaven. He shall be sent to you in his refreshing and consolatory word, and in his benefits, if you repent, &c.

We have something parallel to this in Acts XIII. 47. We turn unto the Gentiles, for so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles. Set thee? Whom? What Paul and Barnabas? No, but thee Christ sent, and shinning forth by the ministry of those two Apostles.

And hence it is that I the less doubt of the reading of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, preached before unto you, (whereas some would rather have it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, made ready) for St. Peter's design and discourse is about preaching. He shall send Christ to to you by way of Preaching, as he was before preached of. We may observe, That the Apostle in this discourse of his instances in a threefold time: 1. The time before his coming, wherein he was 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, preached before by Moses and all the Prophets from Samuel and so on. 2. This time when he came and God exhibited him to the world, (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, having raised him up, vers. 26.) raising him up for a Saviour, he sent him to the first, that by his Doctrine he might turn every one of you from his iniquities. And, 3. Now that he is gone up into Heaven, and is there to abide, yet God will send him to you that repent, in the preaching of his word, as he was before preached.