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.

SECTION XLVI.

MARK Chap. VI. from Ver. 14. to Ver. 30.

MATTH. Chap. XIV. from the beginning to Ver. 13.

LUKE Chap. IX. Ver. 7, 8, 9.

JOHN beheaded: his Disciples come into Christ.

MARY and Luke do justifie the order, for both of them have laid this story next to the story of Christs sending forth his Disciples. Matthew when he saith At that time, he useth the word in its latitude, as it is often used in Scripture, not precisely or determinately for the very day or season when a thing wasdone, but in the current of time then in being. And yet in this expression he seemeth also to have respect to the sto∣ry that he had related next before, though that were some reasonable space of time be∣fore this: For there he had told that Christ coming into his own Country, was slighted and undervalued, and they were offended in him, yet Herod was amazed at the wonders that he heard of him.

Here are two times regardable in this Section, namely the time of John Baptists death, and the time of Herods hearing of the fame of Jesus: and the juncture of the stories is very close. As the Disciples were preaching up and down according to Christs mission, Herod beheaded the Baptist: and by their preaching in the name of Jesus, the fame of Jesus cometh to Herods hearing; and the Disciples again hearing of the murder of John, get in to their master. So that the story of Johns death, is related here in the proper place and time when it did occur. And from one passage in John the Evangelist in the next following Section, there is the ground of a fair conjecture of the time of his beheading: For we shall see in the beginning of the next Section, that all the four do speak of Christ departing privately into a desert place: Matthew particularly gives the reason, namely because he had newly heard, by Johns Disciples, of the death of their master. Now John the Evangelist in giving that story of Christs retiring, hath inserted this passage, And the Jews Passover was nigh, whereby we may conclude that the Baptists death was a little before the time of the Passover. And from hence we may take up the whole space of his Ministry and imprisonment. He began to Preach and Baptize in the year of Christ, 29, at the spring of that year or about Easter. Half a year after Jesus is baptized by him, about the Feast of Tabernacles. Till after the Feast of Tabernacles come twelve month, viz. in the Year of Christ 30, he is still abroad baptizing in Bethabara and Aenon: About October in that Year he is imprisoned, and so lieth in restraint till almost Easter twelve month, which was in the Year of Christ 32. And so his story is of three years space, the better half of which he preached at liberty, and the other half he lay in prison.

Herod upon the hearing of the fame of Jesus, is struck with horror of conscience upon thought of the murder of John: and if the leaven of Herod was Sadduceism, his horrour makes him deny his Sadducaical principles, and to think that John was Risen from the dead.