The apostolical history containing the acts, labours, travels, sermons, discourses, miracles, successes, and sufferings of the Holy Apostles from Christ's ascention to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus : a brief description whereof is here inserted : also, a narration of the particular times and occasions upon which the apostolical epistles were written, together with a brief analytical paraphrase of them : to which is added (for the better understanding of this history) a map of the Apostle Paul's travels ... / by Samuel Cradock.

SECT. III.

ABout the same time Peter and John went up to the Temple about three a Clock in the afternoon (being one of the hours of prayer) and there in the name of Christ they heal(a) 1.1 a cripple lying at the gate of the Tem∣ple (called Beautiful)(b) 1.2 to ask alms,(c) 1.3 who had been lame from his birth, and was now about Forty years old (See ch. 4. 22.) The people being amazed at this mi∣racle flock'd in great multitudes about the Apostles in Solomons-Porch, earnestly gazing on them, and wondring at this strange cure wrought by them; and the man that was cur'd kept close to them, having received so great a benefit by them. Peter seeing this, address'd himself to the people shew∣ing them that they were much mistaken, if they thought that this Miracle was wrought by any power, or virtue, that was in such mean men, as they were. No, they durst not arrogate so much to themselves. He assures them it was wrought by no o∣ther power, than that of Jesus Christ▪ whom they had wickedly crucified (preferring Barabbas a murderer before him): but God had raised him from the dead, and of his resurrection they his Apostles were sure, and faithfull witnesses. He shews them it was

by faith, and relyance on his power(d) 1.4 (which faith was also his gift, and wrought in them by his Spirit) that they had wrought this cure on this Cripple. He tells them that though they had done very hainously in thus putting to death the Prince of life, yet he was perswaded(e) 1.5. that most of them did it ignorantly, not being thorowly convinc'd (though they had evidence enough to have convinced them, had they duly attended to it) that Jesus of Nazareth was the very Messias; yet however hereby they had ac∣complished what was praedicted in the Scrip∣tures concerning the sufferings of Christ. He exhorts them therefore to repent(f) 1.6 and turn to God, laying hold on his Grace and Mercy offered in Christ, that their sins might be blotted out, seeing those blessed(g) 1.7 refreshing Gospel-times, which he had long ago promised, were now come, and he had sent his Son(h) 1.8 into the world, whom the Pro∣phets long ago foretold, and preached of. This Saviour being now ascended he tells them the Heavens must contain (having re∣ceived hi•• Humanity) until the accomplish∣ment(i) 1.9 of all things, which God had spoken by the mouth of all his holy Pro∣phets since the world began; such as are, Christs victory over Satan in the Salvation of all his people, the Calling of the Jews, and his conquest of the last enemy Death, &c. He further sheweth them that Moses had prophesied of this Christ, under the title of the great Prophet, commanding he should be heard and obeyed in all things, Deut. 18.15.18, 19. and that all the Prophets from Sa∣muel as many as have spoken have also fore∣told of these days; They therefore should consider that they were the children of the Prophets, that is, the people to whom God primarily and chiefly sent the Prophets, and the People to whom the promise and cove∣nant which God made with Abraham, That in his seed all the nations of the earth should be blessed (namely, by giving the Messias to spring from his loins) did primarily apper∣tain. And this Jesus, being that promised Messias God had now sent into the world, whom, being put to death, he had raised again, and now in the power and ministry

of his Gospel had first sent again to them, to bless them by turning them from their sins by the powerful operation of his Spirit, and to offer himself unto them as the only Sa∣viour, and Redeemer; and therefore they ought in point of gratitude with all rea∣diness to receive, and embrace him.

Act. 3. v. 1. Now Peter and John w••nt up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

v. 2. And a certain man, lame from his mothers womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entred into the temple.

v. 3. Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms.

v. 4. And Peter fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said, Look on us.

v. 5. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.

v. 6. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, give I thee: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.

v. 7. And he took him by the right hand, and lift him up: and immedi∣ately his feet and ancle-bones received strength.

v. 8. And he leaping up, stood and walked, and entred with them into the the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.

v. 9. And all the people saw him walking, and praising God.

v. 10. And they knew that it was he, which sate for alms at the beautifull gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had hapned unto him.

v. 11. And as the lame man which was healed, held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them, in the porch that is called Solomons, greatly wondering.

v. 12. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?

v. 13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers hath glorified his Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.

v. 14. But ye denied the holy One, and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you:

v. 15. And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead, whereof we are witnesses.

v. 16. And his Name, through faith in his Name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him, hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

v. 17. And now brethren, I wote that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

v. 18. But those things which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.

v. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blot∣ted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

v. 20. And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you.

v. 21. Whom the heaven must rec••ive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.

v. 22. For Moses truly said unto the Fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say unto you.

v. 23. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.

v. 24. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

v. 25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the Covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kinreds of the earth be blessed.

v. 26 Unto you first, God having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

* 1.10 * 1.11 * 1.12 * 1.13 * 1.14 * 1.15 * 1.16 * 1.17 * 1.18 * 1.19 * 1.20

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Prophetae, V. T. qui Legem ma∣gis, quam Evangelium praedicaverunt plura terribilia, & vindicativa fecerant miracula, quam beneficia Ignem ex coelo fecerunt descendere, impiorum manus fecerunt ex••rescere, leprâ afflix∣erunt, tenebris, grandine, ranis, occi∣sione p••imogenitor••m, inundatione a∣quarum, &c. puniverunt. Sed in N. T. pauca habemus miracula vindicativa, sed pleraque omnia benefica. Praeser∣tim de Christo no••andum, quod quan∣tum vis plurima fecerit miracula, tamen nullum fecerit terribile, ac vindicativum in vitâ suâ, sed omnia benefica, ut ve∣rè de illo dicatur quod est Act. 10.38. Unum autem miraculum vindicativum. de Christo legimus verum non in homi∣nibus, sed in ficu exercitum, Mat. 21.18.19.

  Cum mancos, caecos, mendicos vi∣demus, ne dicamus sicut discipuli, Joh. 9 2. sed agnoscamus esse hoc meritum totius natura•• humanae; & quod nos prae∣servati sumus, speciali & impromeritae gratiae esse tribuendum, qu•• obligamur ad specialem gratitudinem.
• (b) 1.2

  Erat haec in primo Templi am∣bitu sivè Atrio gentium, quod Herodes caeteris adjecerat: alta erat cubitorum 30 tota aere Corinthi••co, (quod auro pretiosius fuit) inducta, vid. Joseph. de bello Jud. lib. 6. c. 6. Quistorpius.
• (c) 1.3

  Exemplum hic habemus libertatis divinae in dispensandâ gratiâ. Hic homo accepit, quod non non quaerebat. Ipse non nisi eleemosynam captabat, & accepit Spiritualem, & Corporalem sani∣tatem; sicut Saul quaerens asinas inuenit regnum. Con••••mat hoc illud Paulimum, Rom. 9. Non est currentie neque volentis. Hic homo petit eleemosynam, quam non accipit; accipit autem quod melius est.
• (d) 1.4

  Per virturem, & Potentiam Je∣su Christi, quâ eum credo mihi assiste∣re, do tibi, ut surgas, & ambules. Per nomen Jesu intelligitur virtus, vis, ac potestas Jesu, secundum promissionem, Mar. 16.18.
• (e) 1.5

  Petius dicit se scire, quod fecerint ignorantes. ••••••eri•• scilicet per judi∣cium ch••ritatis, vid. Luc. 23.34. 1 Cor. 2.8. Non erant convicti, quod Ch••istus esset ille ipse Messias à Deo promissus. Pe∣tri Scopus ergo est non Judaeorum pec∣catum excusare, sed tantum ••is ostendere, quod non commiserint illud peccatum, quod non habet spem veniae. Peccare in Spiritum Sanctum non est facere quod scimus malum esse, sed est ideo aliquod facere, quia scimus malum esse, vel ideo aliquod persequi, quia scimus bonum esse.
• (f) 1.6

  Contritio non justificat, sed fides; sed tamen nulla fides justificat, nisi qua•• ex contritione prosiciscitur.
• (g) 1.7

  Peccata delentur ex libro justi∣tiae divinae per oliterationem, & in∣ductionem sanguinis Christi. Ex libro nostrae conscientiae, per Spiritum san∣ctum, Heb. 10.22. cordibus purgatis a mal•• conscientià Series argumenti haec est. Moses, & omnes Prophetae, quotquot locuti, hos die•• annunciarunt, & Christo testimonium dederunt, volueruntque, ut eum audiretis, & vos ad eum converte∣retis. Vo••autem estis filii prophetarum, ideoque obligati ad eos audiendos, & filii istius foederis, quod Deus cum Abra∣hamo pepigit, & quo totius mundi salu∣tem in hoc ••hristo promisit.
• (h) 1.8

  Erasmus, & Beza, ad primum Christi adventum haec referunt: hunc versum ergo hoc modo reddit Beza, Resi∣piscite, & conver••te vos, ut deleantur pec∣cata vestra post quam venerint temporare frigerationis a conspectu Domini & miserii prius praedicatum vobis Jesum Christum. Glassius etiam dici 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 poni pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quum sen postquam: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 usur∣patur etiam pro 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 apud Thucid. & Xen.
• (i) 1.9

  v. 2••. Ʋntil the restitution of all things] or the accomplishment of all thing••. The Arabick renders it untill the time in which all things shall he per∣fected, or finished. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth not only signifie a restitution to a for∣mer estate, but a fulfilling, or accom∣plishing, and the praeposition 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 doth not so much stand in the force o Re again as in opposition to α privative in 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, so Matth. 17.11. Elias indeed shall first come 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and shall restore al••: what to their former estate? Nay, that the Bap∣tist did not, for he brought them into a quite different estate to their former: The words therefore may be more fully rendred thus. Elias truly shall fir••t come, and accomplish all things that are writ∣ten. And so must the Son of man do all things that are written of him, as Mark follows the sense, Mar. 9.12. Lightfoot in loc.

  Apud Hesychium, & Phavorinum, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Ergo in hoc sen∣su non ineptum erit vertere, Act. 3.21. Quem oportet coelum recipere usque ad tem∣pora consummationis omnium, i. e. ad fi∣nem mundi, quando venturus est Judex vivorum, & mortuorum, Ds. N. Knatch∣bull.
• * 1.10

  v. 1. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Circa idem tempus.
• * 1.11

  v 6. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 i. e. Imperio, & virtute Christi.
• * 1.12

  v. 7. Non sine ra••ione textus addit, quod surgere jubens, simul dextram ejus appre∣hendens, eum erexit. Sic cum ministri hortant••r & jubent peccatores ut surgant & ambulent in bonis operibus, jussio illorum conjuncta est cum potentiâ Christi, quae efficit quod jubetur. Homo igitur semel regenitus potest seipsum movere ad bonum, potest obedire Deo & facere quod Deo gratum est. Quoniam enim vitam habet Spiritualem, vita dat & fert secum vires operandi & se movendi. Tres tamen cautiones hic probè observan∣dae sunt. 1. Non potest sine continuatione gratiae & assistentia ejusdem Spiritus. 2. Non potest perfectè. 3. Non potest sine maculâ. Potest regenitus facere bona opera, sed non quae sunt in seipsis tam bona, ut Deo ex seipsis placeant.
• * 1.13

  v. 11. The Porch called Solomons] Not that the Porch built by Solomon was now standing, for that was burnt and destroy'd by the Babylonians as well as the rest of the Temple; but because this was built in the same place that Solomons was.
• * 1.14

  v. 12. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉] aut quasi Deus nobis hoc ob nostram pietatem largiretur.
• * 1.15

  v. 13. Glorificare Jesum, est gloriam ejus ad quam exaltatus erat, mundo, & homini∣bus patefacere, ut eum agnoscant. Persona glorificanda tribus titulis proponitur. 1. Vocatur puer Dei. sicut Act. 3.26. & 4.27. ad exprimendum tenerum amorem quo Deus illum complectitur (Est filius in sinu suo, Joh. 1.18.) & ad exprimendum offi••ium Christi: 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 saepè sumitur pro servo, Luc. 12.45. Isa. 42.1. & 52.13. Sed appellatur servus non ratione inaequalitatis, quae est in naturâ, sed ratione liberae sub∣missionis, & obedientiae, quâ se passus est à Patre mitti ad opus ejus expediendum, ad voluntatem ejus faciendam. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 cum de Jesu dicitur filium vertunt Ambrosius & Hilarius, ut notat Erasmus infra, ca. 4.27. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quia ipse est sancti∣tas, & justitia essentialis; & auctor Sanctitatis, & justitiae quae est in aliis. 3. Prin∣ceps vitae scilicet, qui vitae imperat. Nam per mortem victor mortis factus est, Heb. 2.14. 1 Cor. 15.54.
• * 1.16

  v. 16. De Apostolorum side hic agitur. q. d. per fidem quâ nos nitebamur poten∣tiâ & verbo Christi cum diceremus In nomine Jesu surge, & ambula, impetravimus hoc miraculum. Ad miracula facienda non opus est aliâ fi••e, quam quae est communis omnium fidelium, sed tantum aliâ promissione.
• * 1.17

  v. 17. Petrus Judaeos appellat fratres. Erant fratres secundum carnem, & propter externam communionem foederis.
• * 1.18

  v. 21. Quem oportet, coeli capiant. h. e. receptum contineant. Ex idiotismo Hebraeorum, quo fit ut ex antec••dente intelligatur consequens, Bez••.
• * 1.19

  v. 24. Samuel is reckoned the first of the prophets after Moses, 1. Because pro∣phesie from the Death of Moses to the rising of Samuel was very rare, 1 Sam. 3.1.2. 2. Because he was the first prophet after Moses, that wrote his prophesie, and 3. Be∣cause the Schools of the prophets were first erected by him, (See 1 Sam. 19.20.) and not that there was no prophet before him. See Dr. Hammond in loc.
• * 1.20

  v. 25. Filii dicuntur, qui alicujus doctrina instituti sunt; sic discipuli prophetarum fili••eorum vocantur 2 Reg. 2. Seu potius quia ad eos primum spectant prophetarum oracula, & promissiones. Sic dicuntur filii Testamenti. Quâ ratione Mat. 8. vo∣cantur silii regni quibus regnum promissum est.