The harmony, chronicle and order of the New Testament the text of the four evangelists methodized, story of the acts of the apostles analyzed, order of the epistles manifested, times of the revelation observed : all illustrated, with variety of observations upon the chiefest difficulties textuall & talmudicall, for clearing of their sense and language : with an additional discourse concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the condition of the Jews in that land afterward / John Lightfoot ...

ACTS CHAP. I.

[CHRIST. XXXIII] FRom Galilee where Christ had last appeared to his Disciples, he remand∣eth them back to Ierusalem, and there cometh again to them. Where among other conference, they question him, Whether he would at that time restore the Kingdom to Israel? His summoning them again to that place, the Metropolis, it may be gave them occasion to move that questi∣on; they as yet, with the rest of the Nation conceiting the Messias a temporal Deliverer; and possibly not fully understanding what he meant by the promise of the Father. His answer, It is not for you to know the times and seasons, intimates not that ever there should be such a restauration, but it smartly checketh their curiosity, as erroneous and needless; and sets them to look off earthly longings, to minde the busi∣nesse they had to do, viz. to preach him through the world. He leadeth them out as farre on mount Olivet, as where it began to be called Bethany, and there, about the place where he had begun his triumphant riding upon an Asse into Ierusalem, he now rides triumphantly into heaven in a cloud.

The Disciples having seen his Ascension, and two Angels, that told them of his com∣ing again in like manner as he went, return to Ierusalem, and there go up into an upper room, and their number is summed up an hundred and twenty. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 An upper room was ordinarily chosen by the Learned of the Jews for their meeting place to discusse and determine matters of Learning and Religion. Schab. per. 1. halac. 4. These are the articles that the Schooles of Shammai and Hillel discussed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the chamber, or upper room of Chananiah ben Hezekiah, &c. Jerus. Pesachin. fol. 30. col. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The upper room of Beth Arum in Lydda, &c.

An hundred and twenty were not all the present professors in Ierusalem, but these spo∣ken of were they that were of Christs constant retinue, and companied with him all the time that he went in and out among them, ver. 21. and who being constant witnesses of his acti∣ons, and auditors of his doctrine, were appo••••••ed by him for the Ministry. These are they that the story meaneth all along in these passages: Chap. 2.1. They were all together. Chap. 4.21. They went to their company. Chap. 6.3. Look ye out among your selves. Chap. 8. They were all scattered abroad except the Apostles. Chap. 11.19. They which were scatter∣ed abroad, preached, &c. The Jews say, Ezras great Synagogue, was of a hundred and twenty men. Avoth R. Nathan per. 4. Juchasin fol. 13. And their Canons allow not the setting up of a Sanhedrin of three and twenty Iudges, in any City; but where there were an hundred and twenty men fit, some for one Office and imployment, some for ano∣ther. Talm. in Sanhedr. per. 1. and Maymony in his Treatise of the same name, per. 1.

The activity of Peter in the work of the Gospel, mentioned more along this story, then of any of the others, was not only injoyned, but also inlivened, by that saying of his Master, When thou art converted strengthen thy brethren: and he that had fallen so foul, as he had done, had need of all industry to evidence his recovery, and to get ground again.

The Phrase in ver. 25. Iudas is gone to his own place, may properly be compared with the opinion of the nation, about a traytour, He that betrayeth an Israelite, either body or goods, into the hands of the Heathen, hath no portion in the world to come, Maym. in chobel Umazzik per. 8. And with the Glosse of Baal Turim upon these words in Num. 24.25. Balaam went to his own place, They mean, saith he, that he went to hell.