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.

Harmony and Explanation.

Ver. 1. Many have taken in hand.* 1.1

HE condemneth not the undertakings of these men▪ as very many Expositors hold he doth; for first, he saith, they had taken in hand a declaration of those things which were most surely believed. Secondly, He saith, they had done it even as the eye-witnesses and Ministers had delivered it. Thirdly, He maketh his own under∣taking of the like nature with theirs, when he saith, It seemed good to me also: But he mentioneth these their writings as only humane Authorities [undertaken without

the injunction of the Holy Ghost] which his divine one was to exclude: So the Books of Jasher, of Gad, of Iddo, of the wars of the Lord, &c. are cited by the Old Testa∣ment, neither as altogether disapproved, nor yet approved above humane: In the loss of them there perished none of the Canonical Scriptures, but only the works of men; no more did there in the loss of these.

Vers. 2. Eye-witnesses] these were the twelve Apostles. Ministers] these were the 70 Disciples. From their Sermons and Relations, many undertook to write Gospels, of a godly intention and holy zeal. Of which the Evangelist here speaking aimeth neither at the Gospel of Matthew nor Mark, though they were written when he thus speaketh; for the first was an eye-witness, and one of the twelve, and the other [it is like] a Mi∣nister or one of the 70. and so wrote not from the intelligence of others, as those did of whom the Evangelist speaketh, but by their own.

Vers. 3. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from above] For so might 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be best translated; and so it signifieth John 3. 3. 31. & 19. 11. James 1. 17. &c. And thus taken, it sheweth Lukes inspiration from Heaven, and standeth in opposition to the many Gospels mentioned, ver. 1. which were written from the mouthes and dictating of men, ver. 2. but his intelligence for what he writeth was from above.

[Most excellent h 1.2 Theophilus] In most probability, a Noble-man of Antioch, and fel∣low Citizen with Luke; converted by Paul at his Preaching there, Acts 11. 26. Luke adhered to his Master, and forsook him not, 2 Tim. 4. 11. but Theophilus staying at Antioch after Pauls departure, what he wanted in verbal instructions from the mouth of his Master, when he went away, Luke doth in this his Gospel supply by writing, that so he might know the certainty of these things wherein he had been i 1.3 Catechized.

Theophilus in Greek is the same in signification with Jedidiah in Hebrew, the name of Solomon, the Lords beloved, or with the glorious title of Abraham, the Friend of God.

And thus was that Prophecy most sweetly fulfilled, Esai. 60. 14. The sons of the afflicters shall come bending to thee, &c. when in that Town, which had been the resi∣dence, and bare the name of Antiochus, [the sharpest enemy that ever Israel groaned under] the professors of the Gospel were first named Christians, and such an Evange∣list hath his Original.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Psal. 68. 11.
• h 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉: an Epithet for men of rank, as Act. 2, 4, 3. & 26. 25.
• i 1.3

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 See Act. 18. 25. & 21. 2 Rom. 2. 18. 1 Cor. 14. 19. Col. 6. 6.