2

d.

19.

Juft One, and fhouldft hear the voice of his mouth. 15. For thou shalt be his witnefs unto all men, of what thou haft feen and heard. 16. And now why tarrieft thou? arife and be baptized, and wash away thy fins, calling on the name of the Lord. 17. And it came to pafs, that when I was come again to Jerufalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance; 18. And faw him faying unto me, Make hafte, and get thee quickly out of Jerufalem: for they will not receive thy teftimony concerning me. And I faid, Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and h beat in every fynagogue them that believed on thee. 20. And i when the blood of thy Martyr Stephen was fhed, I also was ftanding by, and confenting unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that flew him. 21. And he said unto me, Depart: for I will fend thee far hence unto the 'Gentiles. 22. And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lift up their voices, and faid, m Away with fuch a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he fhould" live. 23. And as they cried out, and caft off their cloathes, and threw duft into the air, 24. The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he

ກາ

24; 9.

fhould

See on Mate

See on Acts 7. 58. Luk. 11. 48. Truly ye bear witnefs that ye allow the Deeds of your Fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their Sepulchres. Acts 8. 1. Saul was confenting to his Death. Rom. 1. 32. Who knowing the Judgment of God, (that they which commit fuch things are worthy of Death) not only do the fame, but have Pleasure in them that do them.

† Acts 13. 2. † Gal. 1. 15. † Gal. 2. 8. † Eph. 3. 8. † 1 Tim. 2. 7. 2 Tim.1.11. See on Acts 9.15.

m See on Luk. 23. 18.

Acts 25. 24. -Ye fee this Man, about whom the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerufalem, and alfo here, crying that he ought not to live ny longer.

Thould be examined by fcourging: that he might know wherefore they cried fo against him. 25. And as they bound him with thongs, Paul faid unto the centurion that stood by, is it lawful for you to fcourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned. 26 When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, faying, Take heed what thou doft; for this man is a Roman. 27. Then the chief captain came, and faid unto him, Tell me, art thou a Roman ? He faid, Yea. 28. And the chief captain answered, With a great fum obtained I this freedom. And Paul faid, But I was free-born. 29. Then ftraightway they departed from him which fhould have examined him [Or, tortured him]: and the chief captain alfo was afraid after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loofed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and fet him before them.

A

CHA P. XXIII.

ND Paul earneftly beholding the council, faid, Men and brethren, I have lived in all P good confcience before God, until this day. 2. And the high priest Ananias

P† Acts 24. 16. Herein do I exercife my felf to have always a Confcience void of offence toward to God, and toward Man. Rom.

2. 15. Their Confcience alfo bear. ing Witnefs, and their Thoughts the mean while accufing, or elfe excufing one another. Rom. 13.5.15 Ye muft needs be fubject, not only for Wrath, but alfo for Confcience fake. 1 Cor. 4. 4. I know nothing by my felf, yet am I not hereby juftified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our re-joicing is this, the Teftimony of our

20

Confcience, that in fimplicity and godly Sincerity, not with fleshly Wisdom, but by the Grace of God, we have had our Converfation in the World, and more abundantly to you-wards. 2 Cor. 4. 2. But have renounced the hidden things of Dishonesty, not walking in Craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifeftation of the Truth, commending our felves to every Mans Confcience in the fight of God. † 2 Tim. 1. 3. I thank God, whom I ferve from my Fore fathers with pure Confcience.

a

Heb. 13. 18.-We truft we have good Confcience, in all things willing to live honeftly. 1 Pet. 2. 19. This is thank-worthy, ifa Man for Confcience toward God endure Grief, fuffering wrongfully.

с

d

Ananias commanded them that stood by him, to a fmite him on the mouth. 3. Then faid Paul unto him, God shall ༩འར་ fmite thee, thou whited wall: for fitteft thou to judge me after the law, and commandeft me to be fmitten contrary to the law? 4. And they that ftood by, faid, Revileft thou Gods high priest? 5. Then faid Paul, I(1) wift not, brethren, that he was the high prieft: For it is written, Thou shalt not fpeak evil of the ruler of thy people. 6. But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharifees, he cried out in the coun cil, Men and Brethren, I am a f Pharifee, the fon of a Pharifee of the hope and refurrection of the dead, I am cal

at1 Kings 23. 24. tJer. 20. 2. See on Joh. 18. 22.

b Mat. 23. 27. Wo unto you, Scribes and Pharifees, Hypocrites; for ye are like untó whited Sepulchres.

cf Lev. 19. 35. Ye fhall do no unrighteoufnefs in Judgment.- + Deut. 25. 1, 2. If there be a Controver

5

† A&ts 26. 5. After the moft ftraiteft Sect of our Religion I lived a Pharifee. Phil. 3.5 -As touching the Law, a Pha rifee.

g

fie between Men, and they come jo Acts 24, 15, 21. And have

unto Judgment, that the Judges may judge them, then they fhall justifie the Righteous, and condemn the Wicked. And it fhall be if the wicked Man be worthy to be 15 beaten, that the Judge fhall caufe him to lie down, and to be beaten before his Face, according to his Fault, by a certain number. See on Joh. 7.51.

d. Acts 24. 17. Now after many Tears I came to bring Alms to my

Hope towards God, which they themfelves alfo allow, that there fhall be a Refurrection of the Dead, both of the Juft, and of the Unjuft.- Touching the Refurrection of the Dead, I am called in queftion by you this Day. Acts 26, 8. Why fhould it be thought a thing incredible with you that God fhould 20 raife the Dead 2 Mac. 7.9. Thou like a Fury takeft us out of this

pre

(1) A probable Senfe of this Place may be. I know that God's HighPrieft is not to be reviled; but I do not own him to whom 1 fpake, to be the High-Priest, he having by Corruption and Bribery got into that Office. It was a Doctrine current among the Jewish Doctors, that fuch an one was neither a Judge, nor ought to be treated as fuch. The Reference here, fuggefts another Senfe of this Place. Dr. Lightfoot renders the Words thus: I knew not that there is a High Priest; which, fays he, has warrant enough from the original Greek, and the thing it felf. Did not the HighPriest die and ceafe, and was no more, when the High-Priest of Souls died, and by Death made Expiation for his People? If you allow the other Priesthood, and the Employment of it, to live ftill, after the Death of Chrift, and his Sacrifice offered by the eternal Spirit, till the Fall of Jerufalem, and Diffolution of the Temple: yet can you find nothing that the High-Priest had then to do, that it fhould furvive any longer, after Chiift was facrificed. See his Works, Vol. II. p. 1289.

h

1

k

led in question. 7. And when he had fo faid, there arofe a diffention between the Pharifees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8. For the Sadducees fay that there is no refurrection, neither angel nor fpirit; but the Pharifees confefs both. 9. And there arofe a great cry and the Scribes that were of the Pharifees part arofe, and ftrove, faying, We find no evil in this man: but if a fpirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God. 10. And when there arofe a great diffenfion, the chief captain fearing left Paul fhould have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the foldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. 11. And the night following, the Lord ftood by him, and faid, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou haft teftified of me in Jerufalem, fo muft thou bear witnefs alfo at " Rome. 12. And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themfelves under a curfe [Or, with an Oath of execration], faying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. 13. And they were more than forty which had made this confpiracy. 14. And they came to the chief priefts and elders, and faid, We have bound our felves under a great curfe, that we will eat nothing until we have flain Paul. 15. Now therefore ye with the council fignifie to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would enquire fomething more perfectly concerning him and we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him. 16. And when Pauls fifters fon

1

I

prefent Life, but the King of the World shall raife us up, who have died for his Laws, unto everlasting Life. 2.Mac. 12. 43. He [Judas] was mindful of the Resurrection.

Mat. 22. 23. † Luk. 20. 27.

See on Mar. 12. 18.

heard

in the Spirit, when he had paffed through Macedonia, and Achaia, to go to Jerufalem, faying, After Í have been there, I muft alfo fee 5 Rome.

it Acts 25. 25. When I found that he had committed nothing worthy of Death.- † Acts 26. 31.10 This Man doth nothing worthy of Death, or of Bonds.

kt A&ts 22. 7, 17, 19. 1 See on A&ts 5. 39.

Acts 18. 9. Then fpake the 15 Lord to Paul in the Night by a Vifion, Be not afraid, but fpeak, hold not thy Peace.

n Acts 19. 21, -Paul purposed

ot Ver. 21, 30.

P Ifa. 8. 9, 10. Affociate your felves O ye People, and ye fhall be broken in Pieces.- Take Counsel together, and it fhall come to nought; fpeak the Word and it fhall not ftand: for God is with

us.

9 Mat. 26. 74. Then began he to curfe and to fwear, saying, I know not the Man.

Acts 25. 3. [The high Priest and chief of the Jews] defired Fa

vour

ACTS XXIII. heard of their lying in wait, he went and entred into the caà ftle, and told Paul. 17. Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him, and faid, Bring this young man unto the chief captain: for he hath a certain thing to tell him. 18. So he took him, and brought him to the chief captain, and faid, Paul the prifoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath Tomething to fay unto thee. 19. Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and went with him afide privately, and asked him, What is that thou haft to tell me? 20. And he faid, The Jews have agreed to defire thee,that thou wouldft bring down Paul to morrow into the council, as though they would enquire fomewhat of him more perfectly. 21. But do not thou yield unto them for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him and now are they ready, looking for a promife from thee. 22. So the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged him, See thou tell no man that thou haft Thewed thefe things to me. 23. And he called unto him two centurions, faying, Make ready two hundred foldiers to go to Cefarea, and horfemen threefcore and ten, and fpearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night. 24. And provide them beafts, that they may fet Paul on, and bring him fafe unto Felix the governour. 25. And he wrote a letter after this manner: 26. Claudius Lyfias, unto the moft excellent governour Felix, fendeth greeting. 27. This man was taken of the Jews, and fhould have been killed of them then came I with an army, and refcued him, having understood that he was a Roman. 28. And when I would have known the caufe wherefore they accufed him, I brought him forth into their council: 29. Whom I perceived to be accused of queftions of their law, but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 30. And when it was told me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I fent ftraightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accufers alfo, to fay before thee what they had against him. Farewel. 31. Then the foldiers, as it was command ed

vour against him, that he would fend for him to Jerufalem, laying wait in the Way to kill him.

+ Ver. 12.

bt A&ts 21. 33. The chief Cap tain came near and took him, and commanded him to be bound with two Chains.