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THE 
 
 ACTS 
 
 OF 
 
 THE APOSTLES 
 
 WITH A 
 
 COMMENTARY. 
 
 BY 
 ABIEL ABBOT LIVERMORE. 
 
 BOSTON: 
 
 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 JOHN CHAPMAN, 121 NEWGATE STREET. 
 
 1844. 
 
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1844, by 
 
 Abiel Abbot Liver more, 
 
 in the Ck'rk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. 
 
 STEREOTYPED AT THE 
 BOSTON TYPE AND STEREOTYPE FOUNDRY. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 The kind approval of friends, and the generous patronage of the 
 public, for which the author feels a lively gratitude, have operated 
 with other and more serious motives, and induced him to add to 
 the Commentary upon the Gospels one upon the Acts of the Apos- 
 tles. Like the previous volumes, this has been prepared in the 
 midst of many professional duties and cares; which are mentioned, 
 not by way of complaint, — for experience teaches us that the most 
 energetic exercise of our faculties, consistent with health, yields 
 the greatest happiness, — but they are stated, as excuses for imper- 
 fections, and foils to a keen-edged criticism. 
 
 All the aids that could be procured, in ancient or modern com- 
 mentators, have been resorted to, and the results embodied in the 
 following pages, rather than the processes and reasonings by which 
 those results were obtained. The work has been composed, less 
 for the learned or professional man, than for the general reader, 
 who, it is hoped, in most instances, will be content to trust the 
 honesty and veracity of the writer, and not care to have the mar- 
 gins crowded with a multiplicity of references to tome, book, 
 chapter, section, and edition, where a remark may be found, or a 
 fact confirmed. The reputation of a learned work might be thus 
 enhanced at little cost, except of paper and print; but it is thought 
 that it would add scarcely any thing to the value of an exposition of 
 this description. A catalogue below will indicate the authorities 
 
4 PREFACE, 
 
 and helps which have been investigated, and more or less used, as 
 occasion required.* 
 
 The Map, appended to this volume by the liberality of the Pub- 
 lishers, will also be found, perhaps, in some measure serviceable in 
 studying the geography of the Gospels. 
 
 The Calendar of Events is drawn from various sources, and es- 
 sentially corresponds to the chronology of Lardner. 
 ) The Vocabulary of Proper Names is designed to assist in the 
 pronunciation of words which, being derived from the Greek or 
 Latin language, are difficult for an English reader to accentuate 
 correctly. This list is principally derived, though altered, from the 
 excellent Commentary upon the Acts by Professor Ripley. 
 
 The author is solely responsible for the captions of the chapters. 
 
 It is the present intention of the writer, should life and strength 
 be spared by a gracious Providence, to publish, in process of time, 
 a Commentary upon the remaining books of the New Testament ; 
 though the uncertainties of life, and of life in the ministerial pro- 
 fession at the present day, are too numerous not to rebuke any very 
 presuming or assured plans of so great pith and moment. 
 
 * The Versions and Editions of Luther, Griesbach, Tyndale by Dabney, 
 Beza, Sacy, Wakefield, Thomson, Palfrey, the Catholic Testament, and the 
 Improved Version. 
 
 The Commentaries of Poole, Fratres Poloni, Pearce, Hammond, Le Clerc, 
 Lightfoot, Henry, Whitby, Goadby, RosenmUller, Kuinoel, Doddridge, Stack, 
 Scott, Priestley, Clarke, Kenrick, Dabney, Trollope, Olshausen, Bloomfield, 
 Barnes, and Ripley. 
 
 MS. notes of the valuable Lectures of Norton and Palfrey ; Calmet's Dic- 
 tionary ; the Pictorial Bible ; Robinson's Greek Lexicon of the New Testa- 
 ment ; Wilson's Concessions ; the Septuagint ; Josephus ; Eusebius ; and the 
 Works of Haynes, Paley, Gerard, Symonds, Jahn, Winer, Prideaux, Hug, 
 Cappe, Lardner, Home. Watson, Lyttleton, Burder, the Abbotts, Greenwood, 
 Furness, Allen, W, J. Fox, Farmer, Milman, Neander, Robinson's Researches, 
 Spear ; General Repository, Scriptural Interpreter, and other periodicals. 
 
PREFACE. 5 
 
 With heartfelt remembrances of the aid and approval of the past, 
 from his friends and Christian brethren, and with fervent thank- 
 fulness to Heaven for its care and support during the progress of 
 this labor, the author commits his work to the reader. May it not 
 prove wholly unavailing in the cause of Christ ; but promote, as 
 is its aim, the high and immortal interests of Christian knowl- 
 edge, liberty, holiness, charity and piety ! 
 
 Keene, N. H., April 26, 1844. 
 
CALENDAR 
 
 SOME OF THE PRIJNCIPAL EVENTS DURING THE FIRST CENTURY 
 
 OF THE CHRISTIAN ERA, CHIEFLY CONNECTED WITH THE 
 
 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES, AND THEIR EPISTLES. 
 
 B. C. 
 6. 
 
 5. Birth of John tlie Baptist. 
 
 Birth of Jesus Christ. 
 2. Death of Herod the Great, and the accession of Archelaus. 
 Mat. ii. 19, 22. 
 A. D. 
 
 7. Archelaus deposed, and Judea reduced to a Roman province. 
 14. Tiberius succeeds Augustus as Emperor of Rome. 
 26. Pontius Pilate appointed Procurator of Judea. 
 Ministry of John the Baptist. 
 Baptism of Jesus. 
 Ministry of Jesus Christ. 
 29. His Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. 
 
 The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost Acts ii. 
 
 Cure of the lame man. Chap. iii. 
 
 The Death of Ananias and Sapphira. Chap. v. 
 
 The Apostles imprisoned. 
 
 35. The Martyrdom of Stephen. Chap. vii. 
 
 36. Pontius Pilate removed. 
 Saul converted. Chap. ix. 
 
 His residence of three years in Arabia. 
 
 37. Caligula, Roman Emperor. 
 
 39. The Christian Churches enjoy rest 
 
 41. The Conversion of Cornelius. Chap. x. 
 Claudius Cesar, Roman Emperor. 
 
 42. Barnabas and Paul come to Antioch. 
 
 The Disciples first called Christians at Antioch. 
 44. The Persecution of Herod. Chap. xii. 
 
CALENDAR OF EVENTS. 7 
 
 44. Death of Herod. Famine in Judea. 
 45-47. Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch on the first apostolical 
 journey, chaps, xiii. xiv., and visit Cyprus and Asia Minor. 
 49. Council at Jerusalem. Chap. xv. 
 50-53. Paul's second journey with Silas ; then with Timothy, and with 
 Luke, in which he visits Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Greece. 
 Chaps, xvi. - xviii. 
 
 51. The Jews expelled from Rome by Claudius. 
 
 52. Paul is supposed to write his Epistles to the Thessalonians, and 
 
 perhaps that to the Galatians, from Ephesus. 
 
 53. Agrippa, King. Felix, Procurator. 
 
 Paul goes to Ephesus ; whence he wrote his First Epistle to the 
 Corinthians. 
 
 54. Nero, Emperor of Rome. 
 
 56. Paul wrote his First Epistle to Timothy, and that to Titus. He 
 
 commences his third journey from Ephesus, and visits Mace- 
 donia and other places. 
 
 57. He wrote his Second Epistle to the Corinthians from Macedonia. 
 
 58. He wrote his Epistle to the Romans from Corinth, and journeyed 
 
 thence to Macedonia, Asia Minor, Syria, and Jerusalem. He 
 is imprisoned, and sent to Cesarea, where he is confined two 
 years. Chaps, xx. - xxiv. 
 
 60. Festus, Procurator of Judea. Paul's Defence before Agrippa, 
 
 He is sent to Rome, but is shipwrecked on the Island of Malta. 
 Chap, xxvii. 
 
 61. Paul arrives at Rome, where he remains in confinement two 
 
 years ; during which time he wrote his Epistles to the Ephe- 
 sians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon, and Second to 
 Timothy. Chap, xxviii. 
 
 63. Paul liberated. He visits Greece. 
 
 64. He returns to Rome, writes tlie Second Epistle to Timothy, and 
 
 is beheaded by Nero. 
 64 - 67. First Persecution of the Christians at Rome. 
 Peter crucified. 
 64. Gessius Florus, Procurator of Judea. 
 66. The great Jewish war begun. 
 70. Jerusalem taken by Titus, and destroyed, with many thousands 
 
 of its inhabitants. 
 95. The Second Persecution against the Christians, under Domitian, 
 the Roman Emperor. 
 John is supposed to have been banished to the Island of Patmos. 
 100. The apostle John is believed to have died about this period — 
 the last survivor of the Twelve. 
 
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY 
 
 THE MORE DIFFICULT JNAMES OF PERSONS AJ\D PLACES OC- 
 CURRING IN THE ACTS. 
 
 [Chiefly taken from Ripley's Notes, with cdtercUions.) 
 
 The accented, and long and short syllables, are denoted by the usual marks. 
 
 A. 
 
 C. 
 
 A-cel'da-ma 
 
 Ca'ia-phas 
 
 A-cha'ia 
 
 Kd-ya 
 
 A-kd'ya 
 
 Can'da-ce 
 
 A'dri-a 
 
 Cen'chre-a 
 
 Ad-ra-myt'ti-um 
 
 kre— 
 
 Ag'a-bus 
 
 Ces-a-re'a 
 
 Al-phe'us 
 
 Chal-de'ans 
 
 Am-phip'o-lis 
 
 Kol 
 
 An-a-ni'as 
 
 Char'ran 
 
 An-tip'a-tris 
 
 Kar — 
 
 Ap-ol-lo'ni-a 
 
 Chi'os 
 
 Ap'pi-i-Fo-rum 
 
 Ki- 
 
 Aq'ul-lii, or A-quil'a 
 
 Chi'un 
 
 Ak'we-la, or A-kwil-d 
 
 Ki 
 
 Ar-e-6p'a-gus 
 
 Cni'dus 
 
 Ar-e-op'a-gite 
 
 M-— 
 
 iitr 
 
 Co'os 
 
 jue 
 
 Ar'e-tas 
 
 Cor/inth 
 
 A-zo'tus 
 
 Crete 
 
 
 Kreei 
 
 B. 
 
 Cy-re'ne 
 
 Be-re^a 
 
 
 Ber-ni'ce 
 
 D. 
 
 Bi-thyn'i-a 
 
 Dam'a-ris 
 
 Dei^be 
 Di-a'na 
 
 E. 
 
 El'am-ites 
 
 E]'y-mas 
 
 E'ne-as 
 
 Eph'e-sus 
 
 Ep-i-cu-re'ans 
 
 E-sa'ias 
 
 E-zd'yas 
 
 Eu-rocly-don 
 
 Eu'ty-chus 
 
 kus 
 
 G. 
 
 Ga'ius 
 — yus 
 Ga-ma'li-el 
 
 L. 
 
 La-se'a 
 Lib'er-tines 
 
 tins 
 
 Lyc-a-6'ni-a 
 
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY. 
 
 M. 
 
 Phi-lip'pi 
 
 Sop^a-ter 
 
 Man'a-en 
 
 Phryg'i-a 
 
 Sos'tlie-nes 
 
 Mel'i-ta 
 
 Frij — 
 
 Sto'ics 
 
 Mi-le'tus 
 
 Pris-cil'la 
 
 Sy'chem 
 
 Mit-y-le'ne 
 
 Proch'o-rus 
 
 kem 
 
 JWna'son 
 
 Prok 
 
 Syr'a-case 
 
 JVd 
 
 Ptol-e-ma'is 
 
 
 My'ra 
 
 Tol 
 
 T. 
 
 
 Pu-te-6'li, or Pu-te'6-li 
 
 The-oph'i-lus 
 
 N. 
 
 
 Thes-sa-l6-ni'c 
 
 Ne-ap'o-lis 
 
 R. 
 
 Theu'das 
 
 Ni-ca'nor 
 
 Rhe'gi-um 
 
 Ti-mo'the-us 
 
 Ni'ger 
 
 > 
 
 Thy-a-ti'ra 
 
 —jer 
 
 Rhodes 
 
 Tro'as 
 Tro-gyl'li-um 
 
 0. 
 
 S, 
 
 jil • 
 
 Ol'i-vet 
 
 Sad'du-cees 
 
 Troph'i-mus 
 
 
 Sal-mo'ne 
 
 Tych'i-cus 
 
 P. 
 
 Sam-o-thra'cr-a 
 Sap-phi'ra 
 
 rn^.l. 
 
 Pat'a-ra 
 
 jyfc 
 Tyre 
 
 Pha'raoh 
 
 Sa'ron 
 
 
 Fd'ro 
 
 Sce'va 
 
 Z. 
 
 Phe-ni'ce 
 
 Si 
 
 Ze-lo'tes 
 
AN INTRODUCTION 
 
 TO THE 
 
 ACTS or THE APOSTLES 
 
 " The Acts of the Apostles " is a general title, equivalent to the 
 Life or History of the Apostles, and includes not only their actions, but 
 also their sayings. There is no evidence that this heading, though early 
 given to it, was assigned by the author. This book was variously styled 
 by the ancient fathers "The Fifth Gospel," "The Gospel of the Holy 
 Spirit," "The Gospel of the Risen Jesus Christ," as terms descriptive of 
 its contents and object 
 
 The location of this book, in the volume of the New Testament, is, in 
 several old manuscripts and versions, after the Epistles of Paul ; but the 
 fact of its being a species of appendix to the Gospels, and an introduction 
 to the Epistles, justifies its present position. Lardner says, that Luke's 
 Gospel was undoubtedly placed in the Evangelicon, or witli the other 
 Gospels ; and the Acts, probably, in the Apostolicon, or with the Epistles. 
 
 Its author was Luke, the Evangelist, as appears from the specific decla- 
 ration of chap. i. 1, compared with Luke i. 3, who wrote this treatise as a 
 second part, or supplement, to his Gospel, and was himself a witness to 
 some of the events of his history. Acts xvi. 10 - 17, xx. xxi. xxvii. xxviii. 
 The voice of the learned has identified him with the physician mentioned 
 by Paul, Col. iv. 14. The style of this work resembles that of the Gospel 
 according to Luke, and many cases of similitude have been adduced by 
 the comment^ors. There are traces, not to be mistaken, of an acquaint- 
 ance with the purer and classical models in the Greek language, such as 
 would be likely to be familiar to an intelligent professional man. Besides 
 the express statement of the introduction, and the uniformity of style, Luke's 
 authorship is substantiated by the joint assertion of Christian antiquity. 
 This work is in all the Catalogues of the books of the New Testament 
 The Acts are referred to by Clement of Rome, A. D. 96, — Ignatius, A. D. 
 107, — Polycarp, A. D. 108, — Justin Martyr, A. D. 140, — Polycrates, 
 A. D. 196. This book is quoted, and ascribed to Luke, by Irenseus, 
 A. D. 178, — Clement of Alexandria, A. D. 194. Tertullian, A. D. 200, 
 
INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 11 
 
 calls it " Luke's Commentary," or history. Origen, A. D. 230, speaks of 
 " Luke who wrote the Gospel and the Acts." Jerome, A. D. 392, says, 
 " The Acts of the Apostles, another work of Luke the physician, whose 
 praise is in the Gospel, (2 Cor. viii. 18,) contain the history of the infancy 
 of the church." Augustine, A. D. 395, says that " Luke, after having 
 written a Gospel, even one of the four which are in so high esteem, con- 
 taining a history of Christ's words and works, and the time of his resur- 
 rection and ascension, wrote such an account of the acts of the Apostles 
 as he judged to be sufficient for the edification of believers ; and it is the 
 only history of the Apostles which has been received by tlie church, all 
 others having been rejected, as not to be relied upon." He adds, " Mark 
 and Luke wrote at a time when their writings might be approved, not only 
 by the church, but also by apostles still living." Chrysostom, A. D. 398, 
 says, "Luke leaves us thirsting for more; but, if he had proceeded, it 
 would have been only a repetition of like discourses and works, like dangers, 
 difficulties, and sufferings." Eusebius, of the fourth century, says, "Luke, 
 who was born at Antioch, and by profession a physician, being for the most 
 part connected with Paul, and familiarly acquainted with the rest of the 
 Apostles, has left us, in two inspired books, the institutes of that spiritual 
 healing art which he obtained from them. One of tliese is his Gospel, m 
 which he testifies that he has recorded ' as those who were from the begm- 
 ning eye-witnesses and ministers of the word ' delivered to him ; whom, 
 also, he says, he has in all things followed. The other is his Acts of the 
 Apostles, which he composed, not from what he had heard from others, but 
 from what he had seen himself." The early fathers multiply the same tes- 
 timony. Araton, a sub-deacon in the church at Rome in the sixth century, 
 versified tlie Acts of the Apostles. 
 
 The date of the work is fixed at about A. D. 64, since the history comes 
 down to the period of Paul's imprisonment in Rome, yet does not relate his 
 martyrdom, which is supposed to have occurred in A. D. 65 or 66, at that 
 city, under the reign of Nero. The place of its composition was probably 
 Greece or Rome, though nothing is certain respecting it. The expression 
 in chap. i. 19, "their proper tongue," would imply tliat Luke was not in 
 Judea. It has been conjectured that Theophilus was an honorable Gentile 
 convert to Christianity. 
 
 Though entitled " The Acts of the Apostles,^'' tlie object of the writer 
 was clearly not to narrate the lives of all the Twelve, but simply and 
 briefly to furnish a species of memoirs, or a journal of the most important 
 travels and discourses, especially of tlie two great leaders — Peter, the 
 Apostle to those of the circumcision ; and Paul, the Apostle to the Gen- 
 tiles ; not excluding the sayings and doings of several, as Stephen, Philip, 
 and Barnabas, who were not strictly Apostles. He relates by no means all 
 tlie history of Peter and of Paul, the chief heroes of the book; but, induced, 
 apparently, by a desire of brevity, gives only some of the most important 
 
V2 INTRODUCTION TO THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 facts. The work may be deemed as a kmd of ecclesiastical sketch-book 
 of the most important transactions touching the infant church of Christ 
 from the moment of his ascension, during nearly thirty years, until a short 
 time before the great Jewish war. The importance of the book is seen, 
 from the fact that, while there are four Gospels to describe the advent of 
 the Messiah, there is only this authentic liistory of the planting of his 
 church, during the first generation. As containing the fulfilment of oui 
 Lord's promise of the descent of the Holy Spirit upon his disciples, and 
 the glorious opening of the gates of the church to receive the Gentiles, 
 untrammelled by Jewish bondage, nothing can exceed the value and interest 
 of this wonderful history ; which is no longer deeply wonderful only be- 
 cause our eyes have seen it so long, and conned it over so familiarly. But 
 let the rod of Heaven smite the rock, and the living stream will again flow. 
 
 The credibility of the Acts of the Apostles rests not only on the externa] 
 evidence already suggested, but has likewise strong internal foundations. 
 One branch of this proof, the undesigned coincidences between the history 
 by Luke and the letters by Paul, has been beautifully and powerfully de- 
 veloped by Dr. Paley, in his celebrated Horse Paulinas. Besides, an air 
 of truth pervades the whole book, an indescribable sense of reality, subtile 
 as the principle of life, and also as powerful. The writer has fearlessly 
 croAvded his pages with names, dates, facts, that would prove the swift-con- 
 demning witnesses of a forger. He has boldly narrated the faults of his 
 compeers, as if he were an uninterested spectator, and left the truth to take 
 care of itself! Sublime faith of the disciple, who, like his Divine Master, 
 coveted no sword but the sword of the Spirit to open the way for the 
 coming of the Heavenly Kingdom on earth ! 
 
 An intelligent understanding of this work, as of all ancient books, de- 
 mands an acquaintance with ancient geography, history, and opinions, the 
 manners and customs of both Jews and Gentiles, and the obstacles which 
 sprang up in the path of the first preachers of Christianity, both from reli- 
 gion and irreligion, — from prince and from people, — from superstition 
 and from philosophy. To elucidate these subjects, as well as to throw 
 into their proper and natural perspective the great doctrines and duties 
 of our faith, is attempted — how successfully, is left to the candid reader 
 to judge — in the following pages. 
 
THK 
 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Ascension of Jesus Christ, and the Choice of Matthias as an Apostle. 
 IHE former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that 
 
 2 Jesus began both to do and teach, until the day in which he was 
 taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given com- 
 
 3 mandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen : tb whom 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 1. The former treatise. Or, book ; 
 or, history ; for so the Greek author- 
 izes us to translate. A clear refer- 
 ence is here made to the Gospel ac- 
 cording to Luke, to which the present 
 work stands in the character of a 
 second part, or supplement. The 
 chain of direct connexion consists 
 in the identity of the person to 
 whom both works are dedicated. — 
 Theophilus. We possess no knowl- 
 edge of this individual, beyond the 
 mere mention of his name in this 
 passage, and in Luke i. 3. But 
 this fact suggests the probability 
 that he was a Christian of distinc- 
 tion and esteem, a friend of the 
 writer, perhaps a civil officer, and, 
 judging by the name, of Grecian 
 origin. — Ml, i. e. a full history, not 
 literally all. See John iv. 29, xxi. 
 25. — Began both to do and teach. 
 This expression is sometimes con- 
 strued as meaning, that the Gospel 
 by Luke described the beginning 
 of Christianity, with the labors of 
 Jesus, but that the Acts was in- 
 tended to relate its progress under 
 the descent of the Holy Spirit, and 
 the administration of the apostles; 
 in fact, a species of second advent 
 of Christ, in the extension and power 
 of his religion. Others regard be- 
 gan as an intensive word, expressive 
 of the greatness or difficulty of the 
 work. But the more natural Avay is 
 to consider the sentence a Hebrew 
 idiom, meaning, simply, all that Je- 
 
 VOL. HI. 2 
 
 sus did and taught ; " began " being 
 redundant A division is here made 
 between what he did, and what he 
 taught, or his miracles and his in- 
 structions, the two leading forms in 
 which his spirit manifested itself. 
 
 2. Until the day. During the 
 forty days intervening between the 
 resurrection and ascension, our 
 Lord continued to teach and to 
 work miracles as before his death. 
 Luke xxiv. 45 ; John xxi. 6. — He 
 ivas taken up. Such expressions 
 imply that he was not the cause, 
 but the object, of the miraculous 
 power exerted at his ascension. 
 Ver. 9. — Through the Holy Ghost, 
 or Spirit; i. e. through divine in- 
 spiration. It has been a question 
 among critics, to what member of 
 the sentence tliis clause properly 
 belongs: some decide in favor of 
 its present location; others connect 
 it with " taken up ;" and others with 
 " had chosen." The latter construc- 
 tion has the great weight of Gries- 
 bach in its favor, who points the 
 original to read thus : " after tliat 
 he had given commandments unto 
 the apostles, whom he had chosen 
 through the Holy Spirit" — ifarf 
 given commandments. Literally, " had 
 commanded." One of his principal 
 commands was to " preach the gos- 
 pel to every creature." Mat. xxviiL 
 19; Markxvi. 15. 
 
 3. To whom also he showed him' 
 self. As the apostles were chosen 
 with a special reference to their 
 
14 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 also he showed himself alive after his passion, by many infallible 
 proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things 
 pertaining to the kingdom of God : and being assembled together 4 
 with them, commanded them that they should not depart from 
 Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith 
 he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water ; 3 
 but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days 
 
 office as witnesses, Jesus appeared 
 most frequently to them, though he 
 did also to others, and at one time 
 to more than five hundred. 1 Cor. 
 XV. 6. — AJler his passion. This 
 has a technical, theological sense, 
 as applied to the Saviour. It means 
 the sufferings of death. — By many 
 infallible proofs. The length of 
 time he appeared — during " forty 
 days " — the number of persons to 
 whom he showed himself, the va- 
 riety of circumstances under Avhich 
 he appeared, his eating, walking, con- 
 versing, teaching, working miracles, 
 showing his wounds, the identity of 
 character he exhibited, constitute 
 what may, without exaggeration, be 
 called " infallible proofs," that Jesus 
 rose from the dead. This doctrine 
 is fortified by so many evidences, 
 that every shadow of doubt is dis- 
 sipated. — Forty days. This length 
 of time gives additional force to 
 the argument for the resurrection. 
 — Speaking of the things, ^'c. He 
 still is interested in the great object 
 for which he died. We recognize 
 the same Jesus in the traits of his 
 character, as well as the wounds of 
 his body. The kingdom of God is 
 ever uppermost in his thoughts ; for 
 this he lives, dies, and rises again. 
 The instructions which he gave at 
 this time are partly detailed in the 
 Gospels, and in the present chapter ; 
 they probably related to the real 
 character of his kingdom as a spirit- 
 ual reign, and to the duties devolv- 
 ing upon the apostles in their un- 
 tried condition. 
 
 4. Being assembled together with 
 (hem. Having met with them. Mar- 
 gin * reads, " eating together ; " but 
 it is unauthorized. The more exact 
 version would be, " having assembled 
 them togetlier," taking the Greek 
 participle in tiie middle voice, and 
 with the active sense. Jesus brought 
 them together by his own summons. 
 — JS'ot depart from Jerusalem. No 
 revenge was harbored in the bosom 
 of tlie Crucified One. The city of 
 Caiaphas, and Pilate, of scribes and 
 Pharisees, of the cross and the 
 tomb, was to be the central point 
 of the gospel radiation. Here was 
 the seat of worship of the one God, 
 and the solemn associations of centu- 
 ries. Here were the chief witnesses 
 to the life, death, and resurrection, 
 of our Lord; here the most impor- 
 tant scenes in the Divine tragedy. 
 Here God would vindicate his Son 
 by the descent of the Spirit on his 
 apostles. It was not without good 
 reasons that he bade them remain 
 in " Jerusalem." — l^he promise of 
 the Father, i. e. the promise of the 
 descent of the Holy Spirit made by 
 the Father through Christ. Luke 
 xxiv. 49; John xiv. 10, 17, 2G, xv. 
 26, xvi. 7. Here, as elsewhere, tlie 
 Father is represented as the primary 
 source of all spiritual influence and 
 hfe. 
 
 5. With water — with the Holy 
 Ghost. See Mat iii. 11; Luke iii. 
 
 * By the marginal roa<ling3 are meant those 
 made by King James' translators, but which 
 they considered inferior to the text, and there- 
 fore threw into the margin. 
 
I.] OF THE APOSTLES. 15 
 
 6 hence. When they therefore were come together, they asked 
 
 of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the 
 
 7 kingdom to Israel ? And he said unto them. It is not for you to 
 know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in his 
 
 16 ; John i. 33. The prediction of 
 John the Baptist Avas now to be 
 consummated. He baptized, indeed, 
 with the purifying element of water ; 
 but there would be a baptism, under 
 the new dispensation, of a higher 
 degree, — a baptism of a holy breath, 
 wind, chap. ii. 2, spirit, a still more 
 subtile element The fine figure con- 
 tained in the original is lost in our 
 translation, and the unauthorized 
 addition made of the article " the." 
 Note on Mat. iii. 11. To be bap- 
 tized with a holy Spirit, was to be 
 imbued with it. — JVot many days 
 hence. This appears to be spoken 
 only a short time before the ascen- 
 sion, which, according to Carpenter, 
 occurred about nine days only be- 
 fore the feast of Pentecost and the 
 gift of the Spirit. 
 
 6 - 12. Parallel with Mark xvl 19 ; 
 Luke xxiv. 50 - 53. 
 
 6. Were come together. On a dif- 
 ferent occasion from that spoken of 
 in ver. 4, 5, and upon the Mount of 
 Olives, ver. 12. — Wilt thou at this 
 time restore again. Or, simply, " re- 
 store." This question reveals in the 
 clearest manner the state of tlie 
 apostles. Their minds were still 
 haunted with their old visions of 
 royalty, temporal sovereignty. The 
 fall of Jesus had for a time damped 
 their ardor ; but, when he came forth 
 the conqueror over death and the 
 grave, all their hopes came to life 
 again with him. They saw their 
 Master king, Israel triumphant, and 
 Roman and Greek bend the knee in 
 subjection. True, in common with 
 their countrymen, they believed that 
 pure religion was to be the great 
 end of this Jewish victory ; that the 
 worship of one God was to be estab- 
 
 lished over the earth. But much 
 selfishness and ambition had room 
 to mingle in this brilliant dream. 
 They would be the ministers and 
 favorites of the king, and they now 
 ask him, with assured tone, the ques- 
 tion of the text. Of the great event 
 itself they had no doubt : they sim- 
 ply confine their inquiries to the 
 point of time when it would occur, 
 and whether it would take place 
 immediately. He had told them to 
 await the coming of the Spirit at 
 Jerusalem : they virtually ask, in their 
 simplicity, whetlier it was to the in- 
 auguration of the new sovereign to 
 his office. — To Israel. It was the 
 favorite idea of the Jews that their 
 Messiah would, at his coming, ele- 
 vate their nation to a far prouder 
 eminence than it enjoyed even un- 
 der their most powerful kings, David 
 and Solomon, and that Jerusalem 
 would become the metropolis of the 
 earth. 
 
 7. It is not for you to knoiv, ^c. 
 This was a rebuke of their idle cu- 
 riosity and their worldly ambition. 
 There was no time now to make 
 explanations. They were not yet 
 prepared to know the true character 
 and the probable period of Christ's 
 kingdom being established, but their 
 prejudices would, after a while, wear 
 away. God had reserved, too, in his 
 own omniscience, the great epochs of 
 Christianity. Even Christ professes 
 his ignorance of them, and thus ac- 
 knowledges the superiority of the 
 Father, either by implication or as- 
 sertion. Mat. xxiv. 36; Mark xiii. 
 32 ; John xiv. 28. Various times and 
 seasons have been reserved in the 
 divine jurisdiction ; as the period of 
 Christ's coming, which took place at 
 
16 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 own power. But ye shall receive power after that the Holy 8 
 Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be witnesses unto me, both 
 in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the 
 
 the overthrow of Jerusalem and Ju- 
 daism ; the prevalence of Christian- 
 ity over the earth ; the end of the 
 •world ; the day of our death ; the 
 eras of retribution and immortality. 
 Deut xxix, 29. Man can calculate 
 the revolutions of Saturn, or Hal- 
 ley's comet, but not the times and 
 seasons of human affairs. It has 
 been wisely and kindly ordered 
 that we should be ignorant of many 
 things. Knowledge is not always a 
 blessing. If we knew the events of 
 the future, we might be distracted 
 in our devotion to the duties of the 
 present An acquaintance with our 
 coming fortunes would be incon- 
 sistent with free choice and human 
 agency. The obscurity before us 
 leads us to watch, and pray, and 
 labor. "The veil wliich covers the 
 face of futurity is woven by the 
 hands of Mercy." — Tht times or the. 
 seasons Wakefield renders, "those 
 seasons of time." — Hath put in his 
 oion power. Rather, "disposed ac- 
 cording to his OAvn authority." 
 
 8. But ye shall receive power, %'c. 
 This clause would be more properly 
 rendered, as in the English margin, 
 " but ye shall receive the power of 
 the Holy Ghost coming upon you." 
 The word " poAver " is different in 
 the original from the word thus ren- 
 dered in ver. 8, and which is better 
 translated "authority." Though it 
 was not given them to know the 
 times and seasons, they would re- 
 ceive the miraculous gifts of the 
 Holy Spirit — a prediction Avhich 
 was soon fulfilled on the day of 
 Pentecost. They had the greatest 
 work to do, and they needed the 
 greatest assistance, — Witnesses un- 
 to me. Literally, " martyrs." Not that 
 they would certainly be put to death. 
 
 though many of them v/ere killed 
 for the sake of the gospel ; but the 
 word refers more to the witness they 
 would bear than the manner in which 
 they would bear it. The apostles 
 were selected with a special refer- 
 ence to this end, that having first 
 been admitted to an intimate ac- 
 quaintance with the life, character, 
 miracles, and teachings, of our Lord, 
 with his death, resurrection, and as- 
 cension, they should go forth to bear 
 testimony of all they had seen and 
 heard, both to Jews and Gentiles. 
 Hence their preaching principally 
 consisted, at first, of a recapitulation 
 of historical facts. Chap. ii. 22 - 36, 
 iii. 12 - 23, iv. 8 - 12, v. 29 - 32. — Je- 
 rusalem. The apostles were natu- 
 rally to commence tlieir work at the 
 head-quarters of the Jewish faith, 
 and the scene of the most eventful 
 passages in the life of the Master. 
 — Judea — Samaria. The southern 
 portion of the country, including the 
 capital, and the adjoining northern 
 province. Chap. viii. 1, 4. When 
 driven by persecution from Jerusa- 
 lem, they were to spread over the 
 surrounding regions. — Unto the ut- 
 termost part of the earth. An an- 
 nouncement, showing at once tlie 
 grand and universal plan of Jesus 
 to establish his kingdom in no nar- 
 row Jewish limits, but to circum- 
 scribe the whole Gentile world. 
 The very fact of such a conception 
 furnishes presumptive evidence of 
 a more than mortal Avisdom. No 
 mind had yet embraced the whole 
 earth, either in its ambitious, or its 
 benevolent regards. It was reserved 
 for Jesus to draw a scheme firom the 
 divine councils, which should eclipse 
 the visions of both warriors and phi- 
 losophers. Sublime prospect, not yet 
 
I.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 17 
 
 9 uttermost part of the earth. And when he had spoken these 
 
 things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received 
 
 10 him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward 
 
 heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white 
 
 of sight, but still of faith and hope ! 
 That Christianity was preached dur- 
 ing the apostolic age throughout 
 most of the known world, is proved 
 by Rom. x. 18 ; Col. i. G, 23. 
 
 9. While they beheld. It was im- 
 portant to state that the ascension 
 took place in the full view of spec- 
 tators. — He was taken up. The 
 passive voice is used, implying that 
 he was not the actor, but the object. 
 He was subject to the Father's pow- 
 er. Gen. V. 24; 2 Kings ii. 10, 11. 
 We learn, from ver. 12, that the 
 Mount of Olives was the scene of 
 this transaction, and, more definitely, 
 that part of it near Bethany. Luke 
 xxiv. 50, We are also informed, by 
 Luke xxiv. 50, 51, of the interesting 
 circumstance, that Jesus gave a fare- 
 well benediction to his disciples, and, 
 while thus engaged, was parted from 
 them and carried up into heaven; 
 and, Mark tells us, sat on the right 
 hand of God. Many questions have 
 been asked as to the locality, if 
 any, which is here spoken of, the 
 disposition of the body of our as- 
 cended Lord, &c. But these are sub- 
 jects altogether inexplicable. Pop- 
 ular feeling has assigned a place 
 for heaven above us, beyond the 
 stars ; but natural philosophy teaches 
 us that above and below are relative, 
 not absolute, terms ; and that the 
 blue concave, dotted with stars, is as 
 much below our feet and our earth 
 as above them. Human sagacity 
 cannot pierce that cloud which 
 received him out of their sight. 
 Whether heaven be a state, or a 
 place, or both, is left to the Om- 
 niscient One. It is enough that 
 Jesus was taken visibly from 
 earth, and thus opened the door 
 2* 
 
 of faith to the aspirations of his 
 followers. Neander remarks, " How 
 could the resurrection of Christ have 
 been to the disciples the ground- 
 work of their belief in everlasting 
 life, if it had been again followed 
 by his death? With the death of 
 Christ, the faith, especially in his 
 resurrection and reappearance, must 
 again, of necessity, have sunk away. 
 Christ would again have appeared 
 to them an ordinary man ; their be- 
 lief in him, as the Messiah, would 
 have suffered a violent shock. How, 
 in this manner, could that convic- 
 tion of the exaltation of Christ have 
 formed itself within them, which we 
 find expressed in their writings with 
 so much force and precision .^ " 
 
 " Messiah now has gone before 
 To the blest realms of light : 
 O, thither may our spirits soar, 
 And wing their upwurd flight. 
 
 " To guide us to thy glories, Lord, 
 To lift lis to the sky, 
 O, may thy Spirit still be poured 
 Ulion us from on high." 
 
 10. Looked steadfastly towardheav- 
 en. The conduct of the spectators 
 is what we should naturally expect 
 it to be, in the contemplation of so 
 august a scene. They folloAved witli 
 earnest and wondering gaze the 
 vanishing fonn of their Master and 
 Friend. Their fixed attention, more- 
 over, enlianced the value of their 
 testimony to the truth of this im- 
 portant fact It was open day ; not 
 one, but many, Avere present; and 
 there could be no opportunity for 
 deception. — Two men — in white 
 apparel. Angels, or heavenly mes- 
 sengers, who are often represented 
 as clothed in white, the emblem of 
 purity and glory. Matt, xxviii. 3; 
 
18 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 apparel ; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing 11 
 up into heaven ? this same Jesus which is taken up from you into 
 heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into 
 
 Mark xvi. 5 ; Luke xxiv. 4 ; John xx. 
 12 ; Rev. iii. 4, 5. 
 
 11. Ye men of Galilee. Most of 
 the disciples at first were from Gali- 
 lee. — Shall so come in like manner. 
 The usual understanding of this 
 verse has been, that Jesus would 
 personally and literally descend, at 
 some future time, in the clouds, with 
 angels, to judge the world. We 
 learn that he did appear in person to 
 Paul. Chap. ix. 5 ; 1 Cor. xi. 23. But 
 the verse before us by no means as- 
 serts as much as has been made out 
 of it by a strained interpretation. 
 It simply states that he will assur- 
 edly come again as he went; which 
 signifies, in plain languag-e, that he 
 would come again with power and 
 great glory, for the " cloud " and the 
 " angels " are emblematical of such a 
 manifestation. The certainty and 
 glory of his coming would be like 
 the certainty and glory of his going. 
 The event refen-ed to was the es- 
 tablishment of his religion, upon the 
 destruction of the holy city, temple, 
 and people, of the Jews, by the Ro- 
 mans. Gloriously he ascended, and 
 gloriously he came again, in tlie 
 spreading abroad of his king-dom in 
 the world. Thus Bishop Pearce re- 
 marks, that " it is not said that they 
 should see him come, but that he 
 should come in like manner as they 
 saw him go : w^e may, therefore, sup- 
 pose that only Jesus' coming to visit 
 the Jewish nation in their destruc- 
 tion is here meant by the angels." 
 If it should be objected, that this is 
 too frigid an interpretation of the 
 explicit prediction, " shall so come in 
 like manner" let it be observed that 
 the other exposition, Avhich makes it 
 a prophecy of Christ's descent to 
 judgment " with clouds — with an- 
 
 gels — witli fire," is equally far re- 
 moved from a literal construction of 
 the passage, which it professes to 
 be. For, when he ascended, all was 
 love and tranquillity — a group of 
 friends received his peaceful fare- 
 well — a cloud closed its soft folds 
 around him — and, after he had dis- 
 appeared, two angels merely, so hab- 
 ited as to be called men, m.ildly ad- 
 di-essed the bereaved disciples with 
 words, such as tliey then needed, of 
 consolation and encouragement All 
 was beautifully in accordance with 
 the spirit of Christianity. But the 
 descent, of which tliis ascension is 
 called the prototype, is represented, 
 in the common belief, as something 
 very different, by those who contend 
 that the words " so," and " in like 
 manner," are to be taken in a strict 
 sense. Christ in their view, is to 
 come in dread array, with flaming 
 hosts, and soimding trumpets, borne 
 on the crimson clouds of heaven, 
 and descending to take vengeance 
 on his enemies. The point is this : 
 that none interpret this verse liter- 
 ally; that tliose who profess to do 
 so, after all, represent the second 
 coming of Christ as quite different 
 from his pacific ascension, and devi- 
 ate wholly from a rigid construction 
 of the words signifying comparison ; 
 and that, therefore, the field being 
 open for figurative interpretations, the 
 one is the most probable Avhich iden- 
 tifies the return of Christ, here spo- 
 ken of, witli the glorious extension 
 of his kingdom upon the i-uins of 
 Judaism. 
 
 There are two considerations which 
 strengthen this position. One is the 
 direct fact, that our Lord predicted 
 his coming during that generation, 
 which could only have been in the 
 
I.] 
 
 12 heaven. 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 19 
 
 Then returned they unto Jerusalem, from the mount 
 
 called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's Journey. 
 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, 
 where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, 
 Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son 
 of Alpheus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. 
 
 destruction of Jerusalem, and the 
 promulgation of his faith. Matt. 
 xxiv. 27, 80, 31, 34, xxvi. (34 ; Mark 
 ix. 1 ; Luke xvii. 24, 30, xxi. 27, 
 31, 32, 36. The other consideration 
 is, that it was f\ir better adapted to 
 the immediate purposes of comfort 
 and encouragement, for which tlie 
 angels apparently spoke, to announce 
 the triumphant advent of Christ in 
 that generation, tlr.n in some thou- 
 sands of ages to coine. In this, as 
 in other cases, preconceived opinions 
 may lead us to misunderstand Chris- 
 tianit}" almost as uiucli as they mis- 
 led the Jews, imless we put ourselves 
 upon our guard against them. Re- 
 cent fmaticism has taught us the 
 value of sobriety and calmness in 
 expounding prophecies, especially 
 those relating to tlie second com- 
 ing of Christ 
 
 12. Returned they unto Jerusalem. 
 Though their faith is weak, and their 
 spiritual vision dim, respecting the 
 nature of their Master's kingdom, 
 they yet obey him with implicit 
 fidelity, and return to the city of the 
 crucifixion. — Mount called Olivet ; 
 i. e. the Mount of Olives, as else- 
 where called ; the high ridge lying 
 east of Jerusalem, over the brook 
 Kedron. — A Sabbath day^s journey. 
 This distance was determined, not 
 by the authority of the law of Mo- 
 ses, but by the Jewish Talmudists 
 and Rabbins. There is some dis- 
 crepancy of opinion on the subject 
 among the learned ; but the general 
 decision is, that tlie Sabbath day's 
 journey, or the extent which the 
 Jews might travel on that day, was 
 
 about seven stadia, or furlongs, or 
 two thousand cubits, making a little 
 less than one of our miles. This 
 was supposed to be the greatest dis- 
 tance of any part of the Jewish camp 
 from the tabernacle, in tlieir journey 
 from Egypt It is supposed to have 
 been about ten days after the as- 
 cension of Jesus, that the Spirit de- 
 scended on the apostles, at the feast 
 of Pentecost For he v/as crucified 
 at the time of the Passover, appeared 
 about forty days, and the Pentecost 
 was fifty days from the Passover. 
 
 13. Into an upper room. Literal- 
 ly, " into ike upper room." There is 
 no probability that this was in the 
 temple, as some contend, from Luke 
 xxiv. 53. Their object in the tem- 
 ple was worship. Carpenter says, 
 " It is reasonable to conjecture, that 
 this was the chamber where our 
 Lord ate the Passover, where also 
 the apostles appear to have assem- 
 bled on tlie evening of the resurrec- 
 tion. If so, it was in the house of 
 a disciple." The Jews were accus- 
 tomed to use an upper room, as a 
 place of retirement and devotion. — 
 Peter, ^c. The roll is called, and 
 all are present, except the traitor. 
 This list is apparently given to sliow 
 that the sacred band was com.plete. 
 It had withstood all the shocks that 
 had fallen upon it, and was now to 
 be reorganized and commissioned 
 for the great work of the gospel. 
 This catalogue corresponds with that 
 of Mat X. 2-4; Mark iii. 16-19; 
 and Luke vi. 14 - 16 ; except some 
 slight variation in the names, capa- 
 ble of being easily reconciled, and 
 
20 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, 14 
 with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his 
 brethren. 
 
 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, 15 
 and said, (the number of the names together were about a hun- 
 dred and twenty,) Men and brethren, this scripture must needs 16 
 
 also changes in the order of record. 
 See notes on the Gospels at the 
 above places. 
 
 14. Continued loith one accord in 
 prayer. In which three things are 
 observable, their perseverance, their 
 union, and tlieir devotion. They al- 
 ready begin to rise into a higher 
 spiritual life, while awaiting the de- 
 scent of tlie Holy Spirit The bands 
 of Jewish prejudice are loosed, and 
 they emerge more and more into the 
 liberty of Christ. Luke xxiv. 53. — 
 The women. We know that Peter, 
 and probably others of the twelve, 
 were married. Mat. viii. 14 ; 1 Cor. 
 ix. 5. Those who ministered to Je- 
 sus, and who were " last at his cross, 
 and earliest at his grave," were also 
 there, in all likelihood. Notes on 
 Mat. xxvii. 55 ; Luke viii. 3. If 
 Christianity has done much for wo- 
 man, woman has also done much for 
 Christianity. Faithfully did her heart 
 at first respond to its divine call, and 
 in all ages she has contributed her 
 full quota, or more, to swell the noble 
 army of martyrs, confessors, and dis- 
 ciples. — Mary, the mother of Jesris. 
 Sometliing pathetic is suggested by 
 this mention of the mother of the 
 Crucified and the Ascended. A 
 SAvord had pierced through her soul, 
 but a healing balm had followed the 
 woimd. Luke ii. 35, 51. The early 
 sayings she had treasured up in her 
 heart, had come to pass. Thought 
 of bliss — her son was the Messiah ! 
 But he died. No; he had risen 
 and ascended on high ; and he had 
 lefl his mother, not alone in a hostile 
 world, but in the home of his be- 
 
 loved John, and surrounded by the 
 affectionate band of believers. This 
 is the last time Mary is mentioned 
 in the Ncav Testament; and here 
 she is not spoken of with any of 
 that idolatrous homage, since super- 
 stitiously and impiously given her 
 by a large portion of tlie Christian 
 world. Nothing is known witli cer- 
 tainty of the rest of her life, or of her 
 death. — His brethren. See notes on 
 Mat. xii. 46 ; John vii. 3, 5. 
 
 15. In those days. BetAveen the 
 ascension and the day of Pente- 
 cost. — Peter. The once fallen, but 
 now penitent and forgiven, apostle, 
 resumes his place, and takes the 
 lead, in speech and action, natural 
 to his impulsive disposition. — The 
 number of the names. Or, " persons ; " 
 for such is the force of the idiom. — 
 A hundred and twenty. Whether 
 it was a designed coincidence or 
 not, this was the same number re- 
 quired for a Jewish council. The 
 Avhole company of disciples was 
 much greater at tliis time, as we 
 learn from 1 Cor. xv. 6. The reason 
 of choosing Matthias was to restore 
 tlie number of twelve, to fill the de- 
 serted post witli a new witness of 
 Jesus' life, and anotlier preacher of 
 his gospel. 
 
 16. Men and brethren. Idiom for 
 " bretliren." — This scripture. The 
 passage of Scripture he refers to is 
 stated in ver. 20, viz. Ps. Ixix. 25, 
 and cix. 8. — Must needs. Or, " it is 
 fit" — Fidflled. The passage of the 
 Psalms, uttered by David, is applica- 
 ble to, is verified in, the case of Ju- 
 das. The punctuation of Griesbach, 
 
OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 21 
 
 have boon fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David 
 spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that 
 
 17 took Jesus. For he was numbered with us, and had obtained 
 
 18 part of this ministry. Now this man purciiased a field with the 
 reward of iniquity ; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in tlie 
 
 19 midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it was known unto 
 all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in 
 their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood. 
 
 which is deser\dng of great respect, 
 permits " fulfilled " to be read in con- 
 nexion with " concerning Judas." 
 David did not speak concerning Ju- 
 das ; but what he did speak, under a 
 spiritual influence, was made good 
 in the case of that traitor. — fVkkh 
 was guide to them tltnt took Jesus. 
 Mat. xxvi. 47, 48; John xviii. 2, 3. 
 The treachery of Judas consisted in 
 betraying the retirement of Jesus to 
 the knowledge of his enemies, and 
 pointing him out by a kiss of pre- 
 tended friendship. 
 
 17. JVumbered loith us. Judas 
 was em-olled in the catalogue of 
 the twelve by Matthew, Mark, and 
 Luke. Why he was chosen by Je- 
 sus we cannot fully comprehend ; 
 yet we can perceive the great value 
 of Judas' testimony to the innocence 
 of his Master, (Mat xxvii. 4=) be- 
 cause he had been received as a 
 companion and friend, and would 
 have readily made known to the 
 Jews any thing criminal, seditious, 
 or blameworthy, in the private cliar- 
 acter of Jesus, especially as it would 
 have tended to exculpate his own 
 wickedness. — Th^s ministry. Or, 
 "this service." The desertion of so 
 high a post as that to which he had 
 been called — the work of human sal- 
 vation, the service of God — necessa- 
 rily aggravated tenfold his guilt. 
 
 18, 19. These verses are, beyond 
 doubt, not a part of Peter's address, 
 but parenthetical, throM-n in as ex- 
 planatory by the historian. For it 
 was not necessary to inform tlie dis- 
 
 ciples then present of the fate of 
 Judas, which, it is said, was well 
 known in Jerusalem ; and the intro- 
 duction, also, of Aceldama, with its 
 meaning, was evidently designed for 
 the infoiTnation of foreigners, not na- 
 tives. — This man purchased a field. 
 This is not inconsistent with IMat 
 xxvii. 7, where it is said the chief 
 priests negotiated the purchase of 
 the field. For in tlie Scriptures, an J 
 other Avritings, a man is said, by an 
 idiom of speech, to do that which he 
 causes, or occasions, to be done. Gen. 
 xlii. 38; Rom. xiv. 15. Judas was 
 the means of the field being bought, 
 and he furnished the money. — Fatl- 
 ing headlong, ^'c. This description 
 presents no^-eal discrepancy Avith tlie 
 statement in Mat xxvii. 5, as soon 
 as Ave understand that MattheAv sim- 
 ply relates the act of suicide, but 
 that Luke informs us of what took 
 place subsequently, viz. that the sus- 
 pended body fell, and was dashed to 
 pieces, or burst asunder. Agitated 
 v,'ith remorse and teiTor, and desti- 
 tute of all self-possession, it was not 
 strange that Judas should secure his 
 weight in so frail a manner as to 
 fall from the support m the act of 
 hanging, and then the other conse- 
 quences might naturally folloAv. — 
 Known unto all ; i. e. it was generally 
 knoAvn, it was " common talk ; " not 
 that each individual knew it — In 
 their proper tongue. Or, better, "pe- 
 culiar dialect," which was Aramaic 
 or Syro-Chaldaic, a species of later 
 Hebrew. This has been viewed as 
 
^ ' THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be 20 
 desolate, and let no man dwell therein : and. His bishopric let 
 another take. Wherefore of these men which have companied 21 
 with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among 
 us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that 22 
 he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness 
 
 proof that Luke was writing for Gen- 
 tile converts, and by some that he 
 was himself of Gentile origin, as he 
 uses the third person, " their." — Acel- 
 dama. A Syro-Chaldaic term, com- 
 posed of two words, meaning " field 
 of blood." See Mat. xxvii. 6, 8. 
 
 20. This verse connects well with 
 ver. 17, from which it is separated 
 by the parenthesis of ver. 18 and 19. 
 — In the hook of Psalms. The apos- 
 tle noAv proceeds to quote Avhat he 
 referred to in ver. 16, as spoken by 
 David. — Let his habitation, 8{c. Ps. 
 Ixix. 25. This is a quotation, with 
 some variations, from the Septuagint 
 version. The Psalmist imprecates 
 the most terrible evils upon his ene- 
 mies, that their habitation might be 
 desolate, and none dAvell in their 
 tents. Peter applies this, by way of 
 accommodation, to Judas, to describe 
 his utter and dreadful destruction. 
 In tlie Psalms, the plural is used, but 
 the apostle puts it in the singular, 
 as more applicable to Judas. — His 
 hishopnc, %'c. Ps. cix. 8. This ren- 
 dering betrays its Episcopalian ori- 
 gin. The simple and proper trans- 
 lation in the Psalms, and here, is, 
 " Let another take his office." The 
 apostle, most evidently, had no ref- 
 erence Avhatever to any orders or 
 dignities in the Christian church, but 
 employs, as in the previous clause, 
 an ancient scripture in a rhetorical, 
 not a prophetical, manner, to describe 
 more strikingly recent events. The 
 quotations of the Ncav Testament, 
 from the Old, lose much of their force, 
 when subjected, as they too often are, 
 to a rigid preconceived theory of in- 
 terpretation. 
 
 21, 22. These men ivhich have com- 
 panied imih lis. Were in terms of 
 intimate intercourse with us. The 
 Seventy are, perhaps, alluded to, as 
 they had been despatched on a mis- 
 sionary tour by our Lord himself. 
 Luke X. 1. — Weill in and out among 
 us. Or, " consorted with us," or passed 
 his life in our society and presence. 
 — From the baptism of John. The 
 sense is ambiguous, at first sight, but 
 the meaning is, from the baptism of 
 Jesus by John the Baptist, or the 
 commencement of his ministry. — 
 Be ordained. We must not asso- 
 ciate any of our English ideas Avith 
 this phrase, for the original is simply 
 " be " or " become ; " the whole read- 
 ing thus, " must one become a Avit- 
 ness witli us," &c. The great office 
 of the first teachers was to bear Avit- 
 ness to the life, death, and resurrec- 
 tion, of Christ, and their preaching 
 consisted very much of an historical 
 sketch of his career. — His resuirec- 
 tion. This AA^as the most important 
 part to be borne witness to, as it was 
 the croAvning and confiraiing of all 
 the rest Avith an authentic divine seal 
 of approbation. But, in thus men- 
 tioning the resurrection, might not 
 the apostles have still entertained 
 some of the feeling that dictated the 
 inquiry in ver. 6, and regarded the 
 rising of Jesus from the tomb as the 
 prelude to the glorious temporal Mes- 
 sianic kingdom, rather than as the 
 opening of the gates of immortality 
 almost visibly to the spiritual be- 
 liever ? Dark shades lingered around 
 the apostles' minds, even for many 
 years after this period. The full lib- 
 erty and spirituality of Christ Avas too 
 
10 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 23 
 
 23 with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph 
 
 21 called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And 
 
 they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of 
 25 aW men, show whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may 
 
 take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by 
 
 lofty an idea to be at once received. 
 Gal. ii. 11 - 14. These verses de- 
 scribe the quahfications necessary 
 for a candidate to the apostolic of- 
 fice, that he should have been with 
 the disciples as an eye-witness of 
 the life and death of Jesus, 
 
 23. The speech of Peter is con- 
 cluded, and we can gather nothing 
 from it, or any of the subsequent pro- 
 ceedings, to justify the Roman Cath- 
 olic idea of his authorized superior- 
 ity over the other apostles and over 
 the church. He gives advice, not 
 commands. He appears as an equal 
 among equals, not as a superior 
 among inferiors. He calls the dis- 
 ciples, not children, but brethren. 
 He takes the lead, but it was his na- 
 ture, not his office. — They appointed 
 two. The whole matter is conduct- 
 ed on Congregational principles. All 
 have a voice and authority, and, so 
 far as the history testifies, one as much 
 as another. There seem to be no 
 principalities and powers one above 
 another ; but a genuine Christian 
 brotherhood, in which zeal and ability 
 took only the natural supremacy as- 
 signed them by the Creator. Bless- 
 ed model, Avorthy of the honor and 
 imitation of all ages ! — Joseph. He 
 is only mentioned here, and nothing 
 furtlier is known of his history. 
 From the epithet bestowed on him 
 of " Justus," the Just, as well as from 
 the fact of his appointment as a can- 
 didate for apostleship, a favorable 
 inference remains respecting his 
 character. — Mcdihias. We learn 
 nothing more of the fortunate candi- 
 date than of the other. Oblivion 
 has fallen upon his life, lattors, and 
 death. The sum of our knowledge 
 
 is, that he " thus closed up and made 
 whole the sacred ring, which had 
 been so violently broken." 
 
 24, 25. Lord^ i. e. God. No one 
 can suppose, that, after the frequent 
 injunctions of Christ to his disciples 
 to pray to the Father, they would 
 so soon violate his commands, and ad- 
 dress tlieir petitions and adoration to 
 him. Dr. Adam Clarke says that 
 they laid the matter before God, that 
 he might decide it by the lot. We 
 find, also, the disciples adapting their 
 prayers to the occasions in which 
 they were placed, and not adliering 
 rigidly to the formula given them in 
 the Lord's prayer. Mat. vi. 9. — 
 Knowest the hearts, ^c. A designa- 
 tion of the omniscient God. Jer. 
 xvii. 10. — Show, i. e. in the manner 
 about to be employed, that of the 
 drawing of lots. — Wliether of these 
 two. Which of these two. — Minis- 
 try. Literally, " service." — That he 
 might go to his own place. Or, " proper 
 place." While Judas was an apos- 
 tle, he was out of his proper place ; 
 but, after he had acted the traitor, 
 and committed suicide, he went to 
 that state or place congenial to him, 
 or proper for him ; or, as the various 
 reading, not wholly unworthy of no- 
 tice, has it, " the just or fit place." 
 He met Avith his deserts. Matthias 
 was chosen to fill the station vacated 
 by an unfaithful incumbent. Va- 
 rious senses, which it is unnecessary 
 to state, have been assigned to the 
 phrase, " to go to his own place ; " 
 but the above seems to accord best 
 with the facts of the case, the usages 
 of language, and the nature of retri- 
 bution. Judas was covetous. He 
 probably was impatient to have Je- 
 
24 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chaf- 
 
 transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they 26 
 gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he 
 was numbered with the eleven apostles. 
 
 siis declare himself openly as the 
 Messiah. Greedy of the paltry sum 
 of money, he betrayed him into the 
 hands of his enemies, perhaps sup- 
 posing that it would lead to a public 
 avowal of his Messiahship ; at any 
 rate, that the Avorker of such won- 
 derful deeds could free himself when 
 he pleased from his enemies. But 
 when he saw his Master ready to be 
 put to death, without making any ef- 
 fort for a rescue, he thought upon his 
 innocence. His heart smote him for 
 his black deed. He rushed forth and 
 killed himself, under the impulse of 
 hopeless remorse and bitter self-re- 
 proach. He went to his own state, 
 or place, after death ; to the one for 
 which he had prepared himself, by 
 his life on earth, and to which he was 
 suited by his dispositions. In a word, 
 he received according to the deeds 
 done in the body. There is a pro- 
 found significance in this passage. 
 It touches the secret depths of retri- 
 bution, and lays bare the realities of 
 the spiritual world. Men go whither 
 they are fitted to go. Punisliments 
 and rewards are not arbitrary or ca- 
 pricious, but take place naturally, ac- 
 cording to the fixed laws of the Di- 
 vine government. Evil is to him 
 that is evil, and good to him that is 
 good. Man reaps what he sows in 
 the moral, as in the physical, world, 
 here, and still more hereafter. Eve- 
 ry one goes to his own place, or 
 state, after death, by the natural op- 
 eration of the gTeat law of spiritual 
 congeniality — the good assimilate 
 to the good, the bad to the bad. 
 Even the Grecian philosopher, Plato, 
 had arrived at the lofty conviction 
 that " The soul which has lived pure- 
 ly and soberly, dwells in a place 
 suitable to itself." It is so, in some 
 measure, in the present world ; it will 
 
 be still more so in the societies of 
 the spiritual state. To use the illus- 
 tration of Olshausen, the soul, like a 
 piece of iron between two magnets, 
 hangs between the powers of light 
 and darkness ; and that element to 
 which it yields the dominion, attracts 
 it to itself, either up or down. Whith- 
 er do our spirits tend, and for what 
 society are we acquiring a love and 
 congeniality ? What more critical 
 question than this can be pressed 
 home upon our hearts — a question 
 in whose answer is involved all the 
 boundless fears and hopes of our 
 being, all the vast interests that rise 
 and spread over the infinite heavens, 
 and go down to the ages of eternity ? 
 26. They gave forth their lots. 
 Some regard this act as the simple 
 casting of a ballot; but the general 
 and more correct opinion is that of 
 Grotius, that tliey put their lots into 
 two urns, one of which contained 
 tlie names of Joseph and Matthias, 
 and the other a blank, and the word, 
 apostle. In drawing these out of 
 tlie urns, the blank came up with 
 tlie name of Joseph, and the lot on 
 which was written the \\OYd apostle^ 
 came up with the name of Matthias. 
 They thus deemed that their prayer 
 was answered, and that Matthias 
 was the man designated by Heav- 
 en for the holy office. The use of 
 the lot is elsewhere spoken of in 
 the Scriptures. Josh, xviii. ] - 10 ; 
 ] Sam. xiv. 41, 42; Prov. xvi. 33, 
 xviii. 18. It Avould not, of course, 
 be proper to decide a question of 
 right and wrong in this method, but 
 only one of choice and moral in- 
 difference. Again, no countenance 
 is given by this transaction to games 
 of chance, to lotteries, and gam- 
 bling, Avhich call a thousand evil 
 passions into exercise, and in which 
 
IL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 25 
 
 CHAPTER n. 
 
 The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. The Discourse of 
 Peter, and the Growth of the Church. 
 
 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all 
 
 success itself is only the more cer- 
 tain way to ruin. 
 
 We learn in this first chapter the 
 zeal of the apostles, that, even be- 
 fore the descent of the Spirit, they 
 prepared themselves by completing 
 their sacred, but broken, number, for 
 the mighty work of planting the 
 gospel throughout the then known 
 world. They had regained their 
 hearts, they had returned each "to 
 his own place ; " they girded on 
 their armor anew, and, cheered by 
 the sympathy and prayers of many 
 others, the little band Avas ready to 
 cast itself upon the mighty enter- 
 prise, and front danger and death 
 for the Master's sake. They were 
 attached, too, to the number twelve. 
 It was a venerated number. It was 
 the number of the sons of Jacob. 
 The tribes of Israel were twelve. 
 Jesus had chosen twelve. They 
 felt that they could not go forth 
 with the same strength and cour- 
 age, unless the sad and gloomy 
 void was filled; and they choose, 
 with solemnity and prayer, the im- 
 portant substitute. Now their roll 
 is complete ; they are again the 
 TWELVE. Could any but a true and 
 heavenly cause have thus sprung, 
 phoBnix-like, from the ashes of dis- 
 aster and destruction, and in tlie 
 name of a crucified leader, and 
 after the treachery of one of the 
 company, have plumed itself anew, 
 and enlisted in the campaign of 
 conquering the world ? The voice 
 of ages answers. No. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 1. This chapter contains one of 
 the most important events in the 
 history of Christianity — the descent 
 
 VOL. III. 3 
 
 of the Holy Spirit upon the dis- 
 ciples, and their illumination re- 
 specting the spiritual nature of the 
 Messiah's kingdom. — The day of 
 Pentecost. Or, the fiftieth day, so 
 called from its being at that distance 
 from the feast of the Passover. This 
 was to celebrate the goodness of 
 God by offerings of the first-fruits 
 of the harvest, as the wheat was 
 then gathered. These gifts con- 
 sisted of two loaves of unleavened 
 bread, of about three pints of meal 
 each ; also various domestic animals, 
 as lambs, rams, &c. Lev. xxiii. 15 - 
 21 ; Deut. xvi. 9, 10. The Pentecost 
 was one of the three great festivals, 
 at which all the males were required 
 to appear before the Lord. Ex. 
 xxxiv. 22, 23. It was observed at 
 the expiration of seven weeks after 
 the Passover, and was hence called 
 the " Feast of Weeks." It occurred 
 in the month Sivan, or about the 
 last of our May. Besides its pri- 
 mary object, to commemorate tlie 
 ingathering of the harvest, it was 
 also a memorial of the giving of the 
 law from Mount Sinai, fifty days 
 after the exodus of the Israelites 
 from Egypt, and was therefore called 
 by them "the joy of the Law." 
 The feast of the Passover is cele- 
 brated by some Christian churches 
 as the anniversary of the crucifixion, 
 under the name of Easter — a word 
 derived, as is said, from Eostre, a 
 goddess to whom the ancient pagan 
 Britons kept a festival at that season 
 of the year. The feast of Pente- 
 cost is also observed under the name 
 of Jildtsuntide, or White Sunday, be- 
 cause this was one of the stated sea- 
 sons of baptism in early times, and 
 the persons who received that rite 
 
26 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound 2 
 from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the 
 house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them 3 
 
 put on white garments, as emblems 
 of spiritual purity. — Was fully come. 
 Or, simply, "had arrived." The fact 
 that it was one of the great Jewish 
 festivals accounted for what was 
 afterwards related of the foreign 
 Jews being present, ver. 5-11, in 
 great numbers. — They were all, fyc. 
 Probably not only the Twelve, but 
 also other disciples, perhaps the one 
 hundred and twenty of chap. i. 15. 
 The unanimity of their proceedings 
 is worthy of note, especially as even 
 the apostles were before often con- 
 tending who should be the greatest ; 
 but their spirit is now changed and 
 changing. Instead of the dreams 
 of worldly ambition, they begin to 
 comprehend the realities and glories 
 of spiritual things. At what place 
 they now met is matter of conjec- 
 ture, but they would most likely use 
 the same apartment spoken of in 
 chap. i. 13. Whether the descent 
 of the Spirit occurred on the last 
 day of the week, the Jewish Sab- 
 bath, or on the first day of the 
 week, the Christian Sabbath, is also 
 unknown, and immaterial. 
 
 2. It is at least an interesting 
 coincidence, that, at the same time 
 of year the law was given from 
 Mount Sinai, the spiritual influence 
 promised by Christ to his disciples, 
 John xiv. 10, 26, xvi. 13, descend- 
 ed upon them in a miraculous and 
 powerful manner, giving tliem the 
 gifts of tongues, emblems of their 
 call to preach the gospel, strength- 
 ening their faith in their Master, 
 and enlightening their minds as to 
 the spirituality of his religion. — 
 t/1 sound from heaven, as of a rush- 
 ing mighty loind. It is not said 
 tliere was any wind ; on the con- 
 trary, the sound would have been 
 the more remarkable in the perfect 
 
 stillness of the elements, and point- 
 ed out more clearly the coming of 
 a power and Spirit from on high. 
 It appeared to descend from above, 
 whither we naturally look for the 
 seat of infinite wisdom. It filled 
 the whole room or house Avhere they 
 were sitting, as with an all-pervad- 
 ing presence. We behold, on this 
 occasion, the Father of spirits teach- 
 ing his children in the flesh by 
 means of material sounds and sights, 
 appealing to the soul through the 
 ear and eye, and thus conveying an 
 impression that would leave an in- 
 delible stamp upon the memory and 
 the imagination. Those who see 
 not the beauty of this scene should 
 remember what is man, and through 
 what avenues he can be approached 
 in the most effective manner. Com- 
 pare Ex. xiii. 2], 22, xix. 16-19; 
 1 Kings xix. 11, 12. It is worthy of 
 recollection, in this passage, tliat tlie 
 same word, in Greek, means " wind," 
 and " Spirit ; " and that thus the de- 
 scent of a spiritual influence was 
 not inappropriately symbolized by 
 the sound of a rushing mighty unnd. 
 It may be mentioned, as a singular 
 fact, that the Arabs regard Muham- 
 med as the Paraclete, or Comforter, 
 predicted by Jesus in John xvi. 7, 
 and other passages. 
 
 3. Cloven tongues, like as of fre, 
 ^c. Or, " tongues, as it were of fire, 
 distributed themselves and settled 
 upon each of them ; " tlie word 
 " cloven," in the original, referring 
 not to the tongues themselves being 
 divided, but to their being distrib- 
 uted to the company present. This 
 verse, like the last, bears the clear- 
 est impress of an eye-Avitness ; there 
 is the vivid delineation of one who 
 heard and saw these things. Suc- 
 ceeding the sound of a mighty wind. 
 
II.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 27 
 
 4 cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon eacn of them. And 
 they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with 
 
 addressed to the ear, appeared lam- 
 bent shapes, as of tongues of fire, 
 separating and alighting upon each 
 of the disciples, an emblem 'ap- 
 pealing to iJie eye. "Seeing is 
 believing." God teaches much by 
 signs, and his revelation, as well 
 as his creation, is filled with count- 
 less instances of this species of 
 instruction. Fire is often spoken 
 of in the communications of the 
 Deity to man in the Old Testament. 
 He appeared to Moses in a flaming 
 bush ; on Mount Sinai at the giving 
 of the Law in thunders, and light- 
 nings, and fire; and in a pillar of 
 fire by night to the Israelites on 
 their journey through the wilderness 
 to the Promised Land. An appear- 
 ance, as of a dove, was seen de- 
 scending from the opened heavens, 
 and alighting upon Jesus at his 
 baptism. The tongues, as of fire, 
 which were now seen attaching 
 themselves to the disciples, were 
 designed, like all miraculous dis- 
 plays, to awaken the wonder and 
 awe of the beholders — to connect 
 the descent of the Spirit with the 
 individuals to whom it was given, to 
 intimate, emblematically, the ofiice in 
 which they were to act, as preach- 
 ers of the gospel. They were now 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost and 
 Avith fire. Mat. iii. 11. They were 
 touched with a live coal from off the 
 altar, and would henceforth speak 
 with tongues of a fiery, melting, 
 all-persuasive eloquence. Is. vi. 6 ; 
 Luke xxi. 15. We soon have speci- 
 mens of their new power in ver. 
 37, chap. iv. 13. Grotius remarks 
 that, as the confusion of tongues at 
 Babel dispersed mankind abroad, the 
 gift of tongues on the day of Pen- 
 tecost collected them together again 
 from their dispersion into one peo- 
 ple. 
 
 4. Filled imth the Holy Ghost. Or, 
 the Holy Spirit of God, which aided 
 them in doing what would otherwise 
 have been impossible to man. How 
 far they had been imbued with the 
 same Spirit before, cannot be accu- 
 rately determined, but it is evident, 
 from the history, that, from this time 
 forth, they were endued with a new 
 and unprecedented power over their 
 fellow-creatures, as well as pene- 
 trated with livelier convictions of 
 the nature and purpose of the gos- 
 pel, as an instrument of human sal- 
 vation. John XX. 22. — To speak 
 vnth other tongues, as the Spirit gave 
 them utterance. This was in fulfil- 
 ment of Mark xvi. 17. They were 
 endowed with the power of speak- 
 ing in languages, or at least dia- 
 lects, with Avhich they were before 
 unacquainted. Any one who wiU 
 consider, for a moment, the won- 
 derful art of language in itself, the 
 astonishing faculty of speech, the 
 power of thinking in words, and con- 
 veying our conceptions and feelings 
 to others through a set of arbitrary 
 signs, the accumulated growth of 
 ages, will be prepared to appreciate 
 tfis miracle, by which all this mar- 
 vellous use and capacity of language 
 was suddenly conferred upon the dis- 
 ciples in the most perfect manner ; so 
 that the natives of different countries 
 felt that they were listening to their 
 vernacular tongue. Indeed, hardly 
 any other sign could be more indic- 
 ative of a greater than human wis- 
 dom and power, than the gift of 
 tongues. At the same time, it an- 
 swered the important purpose of en- 
 abling the disciples to preach Christ 
 to multitudes from every part of the 
 world, so that it might truly be said 
 that " this thing was not done in a 
 corner." It radiated the light of 
 Christianity east and west, north and 
 
28 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there 5 
 were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation 
 under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude 6 
 came together, and were confounded, because that every man 
 
 soutli, over most of the known world. 
 Unversed in human lore, the fisher- 
 man, the publican, could go forth, 
 prepared to instruct distant cities 
 and countries, and proclaim the glad 
 tidings of great joy with all the force 
 of language of a native-born speak- 
 er ; so that Chrysostom said that the 
 different tongues pointed out, as a 
 map, what land each one should visit 
 and occupy as the scene of his labors 
 in converting the world. The fact 
 that the gospel was preached, as our 
 Lord prophesied it Avould be, over 
 the world, before the close of that 
 generation. Mat xxiv. 14; Rom. x. 
 18 ; Col. i. 6, 23, can be accounted 
 for only by the facts here stated, 
 especially when we consider the 
 want of education, and ignorance of 
 letters, in most of the early preach- 
 ers of our holy faith. The gift of 
 tongues appears to have continued, 
 though some distinguished critics 
 have doubted the fact, during the 
 apostolic age, and probably no lon- 
 ger, for it had then accomplished its 
 end, and the truth would find other 
 instruments for its diffusion. See 
 1 Cor. xii. 10, 11, 28, 30, xiv. 2-39. 
 
 " We ask not, Lord, thy cloven flame, 
 Or tongues of various tone ; 
 But long th}' praises to proclaim 
 With fervor in our own. 
 
 •♦We mourn not that prophetic skill 
 
 Is found on earth no more ; 
 
 Enough for us to trace thy will 
 
 In Scripture's sacred lore." 
 
 5. Dwelling at Jeruscdem. The 
 question is, whether these persons 
 made the Holy City their pennanent 
 residence or not. Lightfoot sup- 
 poses that they had removed thither 
 from various parts of the world, at 
 this particular time, in their earnest 
 
 expectation of the speedy advent of 
 the Messiah ; while the more gen- 
 eral interpretation is, that they had 
 come to attend the feast of Pente- 
 cost, and were only making Jerusa- 
 lem a temporary abode. Ex. xxiii. 
 17. The male Jews were required 
 to be present at the festivals of the 
 Passover, Pentecost, and Taberna- 
 cles. — Jews, devout men, i. e. devout 
 Jews ; by whom is meant proselytes 
 to the Jewish religion from various 
 countries, or native Jews that had 
 resorted thither for merchandise — 
 an impulse that has never ceased to 
 act upon their characters in all time. . 
 — Out of every nation under heaven. 
 An hyperbole ; a general, not an uni- 
 versal, term, meaning that there were 
 persons from all quarters of the earth. 
 As an incidental, but strong, corrob- 
 oration of the text, the following pas- 
 sage is quoted from the Antiquities 
 of Josephus respecting the feast of 
 the Passover, and essentially the 
 same was true of every great festi- 
 val : " At that time, the feast was 
 approaching, in which the Jews are 
 wont to eat unleavened bread. The 
 feast is called the Passover, and is 
 kept in remembrance of their depart- 
 ure out of Egypt: they observe it 
 with great joy, and at this feast offer 
 up more sacrifices than at any other, 
 and an innumerable multitude of per- 
 sons come up to worship God, not 
 only out of Judea, but also from other 
 parts." 
 
 6. lliis was noised abroad, i. e. the 
 report was spread. Hitherto there 
 had been only the disciples together ; 
 but a vast multitude, impelled by cu- 
 riosity, now gathered about them. 
 Ver. 41. — Every man heard them 
 speak in his oivn language. Or, bet- 
 
IL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 29 
 
 7 heard them speak in his own language. And they were all 
 amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not 
 
 8 all these which speak, Galileans 1 And how hear we every man 
 
 9 in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and 
 Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in 
 
 ter, " dialect," or " idiom." This was 
 the cause of the astonishment ; for 
 nothing certainly could be more won- 
 derful than to hear uneducated men, 
 Galileans, speaking intelligibly in 
 every peculiar idiom. It was the nat- 
 ural etfect of a supernatural cause. 
 
 7, 8. Galileans. It would have 
 been wonderful to hear any men, 
 from any district, speak in this way ; 
 but it was tlu-ice wonderful that the 
 Galileans should be able to do it 
 Fur they were from an ignorant and 
 despised country, where a peculiar 
 dialect or brogue was in use. Matt 
 xxvi. 73, Mark xiv. 70, and which 
 was regarded with peculiar contempt 
 by the rest of the people, John i. 
 40, vii. 52, as an abandoned region. 
 Thus were the declarations of 1 Cor. 
 i. 26, 27, fulfilled. — In our oiim 
 tongue, ivherein we were horn. Each 
 one heard his peculiar vernacular di- 
 alect or idiom. The disciples not 
 only spoke each language, but spoke 
 it well, so that the natives, them- 
 selves being judges, were aston- 
 ished at their correctness. Though 
 there were some languages gener- 
 ally known, as the Greek, Hebrew, 
 and Latin, — the Greek, particularly, 
 being a species of universal tongue, 
 as the French is now in most coun- 
 tries of Europe, — yet there was a 
 vast number of inferior dialects and 
 branches, spoken in different dis- 
 tricts and provinces, with all which 
 these inspired men were specially 
 gifted. Not that each individual 
 spoke all, but one was endowed 
 with one, and another ^vith another. 
 
 9. Parthians. These were Jews, 
 wlio had either been born, or who 
 had lived, in Partbia. This country 
 3* 
 
 was situated south-east of the Cas- 
 pian Sea, in Asia, Avas bounded on 
 the east by Aria, on the west by Me- 
 dia and Hyrcania, on the north by 
 Hyrcania, and on the south by the 
 desert of Carmania, and was sur- 
 rounded by mountains. Some an- 
 cient writers derive the origin of this 
 people from Scythia, a vast unculti- 
 vated region in the north of Asia. 
 In the later period of the Roman re- 
 public, the Parthians had established 
 an extensive empire. Their power 
 continued about 400 years. Their 
 language was Persian. They were 
 a warlike nation, distinguished as 
 horsemen and archers ; and, when 
 fleeing in battle, they discharged 
 their arrows behind them with great 
 execution, so that their flight was 
 often more formidable than their on- 
 set — Medes. The enumeration of 
 the diflferent nations proceeds from 
 the east to the west, and from the 
 north to the south. Media was 
 bounded on the north by the Cas- 
 pian Sea, on the south by Persia, on 
 the east by Aria, on the west by As- 
 syria, and north-west by Armenia. 
 The tract included by ancient Par- 
 thia and Media now belongs to mod- 
 ern Persia. Some gratify their taste 
 for antiquity by deriving " Media " 
 from " Madai," a grandson of Noah. 
 Gen. X. 2. The Medes were at first 
 subject to Assyria, as a province, but 
 rose to independence, B. C. 820, 
 which they enjoyed about three cen- 
 turies, until they were merged in 
 the Persian monarchy by Cyrus the 
 Great, B. C. 559. They used the 
 Persian language. They were a 
 fierce and warlike people, and are 
 often spoken of in the Scriptures in 
 
30 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pam- 10 
 phylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Gyrene, and 
 
 connexion with the Assyrians and 
 Persians. 2 Kings xvii. 6 ; Esth. i. 
 3, 14, 18, 19 ; Jer. xxv. 25 ; Dan. v. 
 28, vi. 8. Some of the Jews were 
 carried as captives and colonized in 
 the Median cities by their Assyrian 
 and Babylonian conquerors, 2 Kings 
 xvii. (3, and their descendants did not 
 all return to the Holy Land on the 
 rebuilding of the ternple and Jeru- 
 salem. — Elamites. Gen. x. 22, xiv. 
 
 1. These were the inliabitants of 
 Elam, or Elymais, a region of Persia 
 situated on the Persian Gulf, be- 
 tween Babylonia and Persia, which 
 fonned a part of Susiana, of which 
 Susa, or Shusan, was the capital, and 
 which is now termed Khusistan. Is. 
 xxii. 6 ; Jer. xlix. 34 - 39 ; Dan. viiL 
 
 2. Their language was also Per- 
 sian. — Mesopotamia. This word sig- 
 nifies " between rivers," i. e. between 
 the Euphrates and the Tigris, and is 
 called Padan Aram, tlie plain of 
 Syria, Gen. xxiv. 10. The language 
 of JMesopotamia was Syriac or Chal- 
 daic. It is a very fertile region, and 
 Avas anciently bounded by Assyria 
 on the east. Babylonia and Chaldea 
 on the south, Syria on tlie west, and 
 Armenia on tlie north. It now be- 
 longs to the Turkish empire, under 
 tlie name of El Djezirat, the penin- 
 sula. — Judea. It is a question with 
 critics why Judea was mentioned in 
 this connexion, as that was the coun- 
 try where they then were, and the 
 disciples might be presumed capable 
 of speaking that language naturally. 
 Some suggest various readings, as In- 
 dia, Lydia, Idumea, Bitliynia. Some 
 account for it from the fact that tlie 
 dialect of Judea Avas ditferent from 
 tliat of Galilee, to which most of the 
 disciples at that time belonged. Mat 
 xxvi. 73 ; Mark xiv. 70. Or, again, 
 it is said that Judea was enumerated 
 because it was one country among 
 
 the rest, and the object of tlie cata- 
 logue was to show that they spoke 
 all languages. Either of the two 
 latter reasons relieves the difficulty. 
 — Cappadocia. A province of Asia 
 Minor, situated between the Euxine 
 Sea and the Mediterranean, and 
 bounded on the east by Armenia 
 and Syria, soutli by Cilicia, west by 
 Lycaonia, and north by Pontus and 
 Galatia. 1 Pet. i. 1. The language 
 was probably a mixture of Greek 
 and Syriac. Acts xiv. 11. It was 
 a wheat-growing region, and also 
 distinguished for its excellent horses. 
 The inhabitants were proverbial for 
 their wickedness ; but Strabo the 
 geographer, Basil the Great, and 
 Gregory Nazianzen, were natives 
 of this country. — Pontus. This was 
 also one of the eastern provinces of 
 Asia Minor, bounded by the Euxine 
 Sea on the nortli, by Armenia and 
 Colchis on the east, Paphlagonia and 
 Galatia on tlie west, and Cappado- 
 cia on the south. Mithridates the 
 Great, king of Pontus, waged a long 
 and bloody war with the Romans, 
 but was conquered by Pompey, and 
 the country subjected to the mistress 
 of the world. Acts xviii. 2. The 
 language probably resembled that 
 of Cappadocia, as the two countries 
 were at times under the same gov- 
 ernment. — ^^sia. This word is used 
 in three senses — to denote the con- 
 tinent, the region of Asia Minor, and 
 a smaller province, sometimes called 
 Io7ua, or Proconsular ^^Jsia^ of which 
 Ephesus was the capital. Acts vi. 
 9, xvi. 6, XX. 16 ; 1 Pet. i. 1. Here 
 the Greek language was spoken, as 
 this was one of the regions tliat 
 claimed to be the birthplace of 
 Homer, the greatest poet of Grecian 
 antiquity. 
 
 10. Phri/gia. Acts xvi. 6, xviii. 
 23. A country situated in the heart 
 
II.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 3X 
 
 11 strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, 
 we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of 
 
 of Asia Minor, and surrounded by 
 Bitliynia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Pi- 
 sidia, and Lydia. The Greek was 
 probably spoken here and in Pam- 
 phylia, with more or less of foreign 
 admixtures. — Pamplujlicu Another 
 district of Asia Minor, lying south, 
 upon the Mediterranean, bounded on 
 the north by Pisidia, and inhabited 
 by a Grecian colony. Acts xiii. 13, 
 xiv. 24, XV. 38, xxvii. 5. — Egypt. 
 This country was bounded by tlie 
 Arabian Gulf and Arabia on the 
 east, Libya on the west, the Medi- 
 terranean pn the north, and Ethio- 
 pia on the south. It was about 600 
 miles long, and from 100 to 200 
 in breadth; watered by the Nile, 
 which flows 1000 miles without any 
 branches, and annually inundates a 
 large portion of the country. Here 
 was tlie origin of ancient art and 
 science, and the ruins of Egypt and 
 her pyramids still excite the wonder 
 of the world. Many Jews settled in 
 Alexandria after the Assyrian con- 
 quest. The language of ancient 
 Egypt was Coptic. — Libya. A name 
 sometimes standing for the whole of 
 Africa; but it means here the coun- 
 try so called, lying west of Egypt, 
 which was divided by the Romans 
 into two parts, called Mannanat on 
 tlie east, and Cyrenaica on the west. 
 The latter is here meant. Gyrene, 
 from which it took its name, Avas a 
 large and beautiful city, lying about 
 10 miles from the sea. The same 
 region was also called Pentapolis, 
 from the five cities, Gyrene, Ptole- 
 mais, Apollonia, Arsinoe, and Bere- 
 nice, wJiich were scattered alonof 
 the shores of the Mediterranean, and 
 inhabited by multitudes of Jews. 
 Mark xv. 2] ; Acts xi. 20, xiii. 1. — 
 Strangers of Rouie, i. e. Roman resi- 
 dents at Jerusalem. Rome was 
 situated on the Tiber, in Italy, and 
 
 from small beginnings it rose to be 
 the greatest and most powerful city 
 in tiie world. Josephus relates that 
 the Jews had eight synagogues 
 there. A colony of Jewish captives 
 lived near Rome, after their country 
 had been conquered by Pompey. — 
 Jews. Either natives of Judea, or 
 descendants from Jewish parents 
 in foreign countries. — Pmselytes. 
 Mat. xxiu. 15. These were converts 
 from the Gentiles to the Jewisli 
 faith, of which the Rabbins made 
 two kinds — proselytes of righteous- 
 ness, or those who were entirely 
 initiated into the religion of Moses, 
 and enjoyed all its rights and privi- 
 leges ; and proselytes of the gate, 
 who partially conformed to the Jew- 
 ish ritual, obeying what Avere called 
 the seven precepts of Noah ; or to 
 shun blasphemy to God, idolatry, 
 homicide, incest, robbery, resistance 
 to magistrates, and the eating of 
 blood, or things strangled. 
 
 11. Cretes. Crete Avas an island 
 in tlie Levant, or the eastern pavi 
 of the Mediten-anean Sea, said by 
 Pliny to be 270 miles in length, and 
 about 50 in breadth. It is now 
 called Candia. Christian churches 
 were early formed in Crete. Acts 
 xxvii. 7, 8, 13 ; Titus i. 5, 12. The 
 language Avas Greek. It Avas an- 
 ciently said to contain a hundred 
 cities, Avas denominated the mistress 
 of the sea, and upon it Avas situat- 
 ed Mount Ida, so distinguished in 
 the Grecian mythology. — Arabians. 
 Arabia, as is Avell knoAvn, is a large 
 peninsula in the soutli-west part of 
 Asia, boimded by the Persian Gulf, 
 the Red Sea, tlie Arabian Gulf, 
 Egypt, Palestine, Syria, and Chal- 
 dea. Here occurred most of tlie 
 Avonderful events of the journey of 
 the Israelites, during forty years in 
 the Avildemess, in search of the 
 
32 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 God. And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one 12 
 to another. What meaneth this? Others mocking, said, These 13 
 men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the 11 
 
 Promised Land. It bordered upon 
 Judea, and probably contained many 
 Jews. — Thz wonderful works of God. 
 The faculty of speaking in various 
 languages was not exercised in a 
 trivial manner, but in accordance 
 with the great purposes for which it 
 was given, of proclaiming tlie truths 
 of Christianity, and the wonderful 
 events which God had accomplished 
 respecting his Son Jesus Christ, 
 especially his life, death, resurrec- 
 tion, and ascension. While, then, 
 the miracle itself fulfilled the pur- 
 pose of all miracles, of stirring the 
 fountains of wonder and faith in the 
 human heart, it was also made the 
 vehicle of propagating to multitudes 
 of minds, from all parts of the then 
 known world, those sublime facts 
 upon which the gospel rests, as on 
 an impregnable foundation. 
 
 12, 13. Amazed — in doubt, &fc. 
 The description of the effects is as 
 natural and life-like, as the descrip- 
 tion above of the cause that produced 
 them. Every line bespeaks the eye 
 and ear-witness. It would be more 
 wonderful, and require more creduli- 
 ty to believe, that any writer could 
 fabricate such a story as this from 
 his own imagination, and exhibit so 
 much naturalness in relating what is 
 supernatural, than to credit the real- 
 ity of every miracle in the New 
 Testament. It is not the Christian 
 that is most credulous, but the un- 
 believer. It is the infidel that re- 
 jects the belief of what is reasonable, 
 to believe in impossibilities, to be- 
 lieve that man could make up such 
 a fiction ; so natural, so consistent 
 in every part, so powerful in its ef- 
 fect upon mankind, so instinctive 
 with new and ever-growing energy 
 upon the spiritual life of the world. 
 One party took the matter serious- 
 
 ly, and were astonished ; the others 
 made a jest of it, as if nothing re- 
 markable had happened. Lightfoot 
 conjectures that tlie latter were na- 
 tives of Judea, who, hearing the 
 disciples speak strange tongues, 
 deemed it mere jargon. But this is 
 unnecessary. Human nature shines 
 out independently of national char- 
 acteristics in tliese verses. The 
 constitution and the habits of some 
 would incline them more to wonder, 
 others more to ridicule. Some have 
 more marvellousness, others more 
 mirthfulness. — Fidl of new ivine. 
 Rather, accoiding to the original, 
 " full of sweet wine." There could 
 be no new M-ine at this season of 
 the year. There is no evidence 
 that it was meant that they had 
 drank wine lately made, but wine 
 preserved sweet. This is said, by 
 the ancient authors, to have distilled 
 from the grape before it Avas pressed, 
 and was in some way kept sweet, 
 and was also very strong. Plutarch 
 informs us that the ancients kept 
 tlieir wines, in a cool situation, sweet, 
 a long time ; and that they retained 
 their intoxicating property. Horace, 
 in the second book of his Satires, 
 apparently speaks of such wines. If 
 it had been " new," unfermentcd 
 wine, technically called must, the 
 point of the mockery would have 
 been lost, for that could not in- 
 toxicate. Mat x. 25, xi. 19. The 
 objection offered in this verse against 
 tlie apostles is of a piece with 
 many which have been offered 
 against Christianity, in every age, 
 by the scorner and the unbeliever 
 — slanders, not reasons ; jests, not 
 arguments. 
 
 14. Bid Peter, The character of 
 Peter, as exhibited in the book of 
 the Acts, harmonizes perfectly witli 
 
II.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 83 
 
 eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, 
 and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and 
 
 15 hearken to my words : for these are not drunken, as ye suppose, 
 
 16 seeing it is hut the third hour of the day. But this is that which 
 
 tlie delineation of him in the four 
 Gospels. We see tlie same impetu- 
 ous being almost starting to life 
 from every page of the history : bold, 
 hasty, forward ; and yet, with all this 
 unity, there is change and progress ; 
 his downfalls teach him wisdom ; the 
 Spirit gives him elevation ; he is 
 equally bold, but more firm, hence- 
 forth, Acts iv. 13 ; still, however, long 
 afterwards manifesting some identity 
 with the Peter that denied his Mas- 
 ter. Gal. ii. 1 1-14. — With, the eleven. 
 It has been inferred from this verse, 
 that by all, in ver. 1, is meant only 
 the Twelve, as they now are the only 
 ones spoken of; but this conclusion 
 does notnecessarily follow, for Peter 
 might have stood forth with the 
 apostolic band as the leaders of the 
 holy movement, but not as the only 
 ones that had been touched by the 
 heavenly spirit. — Ye men of Judea, 
 i. e. native Jews of the country. — 
 All ye that dwell at Jerusalem. By 
 " dwell " is here meant " sojourn," not 
 live permanently. Under this term 
 are included all, both Jews and prose- 
 lytes, who had made a pilgrimage 
 from foreign lands to attend the 
 sacred festival, and were abiding for 
 a time in the city, longer or shorter. 
 Observe the respectful and concilia- 
 tory tone of the introduction of the 
 apostle's speech, though a gross in- 
 sult had been offered him. He ren- 
 dered not railing for railing, but, 
 contrariv^ise, blessing. 1 Pet. iii. 9 ; 
 2 Tim. ii. 24, 25. He is now clothed 
 Avith a new courage ; he can bear a 
 rebuff better than in the courts of 
 the high priest ; he can confess his 
 Lord openly before his enemies and 
 scoffers. He earnestly entreats them 
 to listen with candor to his remarks, 
 
 nor entreats in vain, as the sequel 
 proves. 
 
 15, IG. Seeing it is but the third 
 hour of the day. This is the reason 
 assigned by the apostle w^iy they 
 could not have been intoxicated. 
 According to the Jewish division of 
 time, the third hour was nine o'clock 
 in the morning. The Talmuds in- 
 form us that " it was not lawful for 
 a man to taste any thing until he 
 had offered his prayer." Josephus, 
 the historian of the Jews, also con- 
 firms this view, and observes that 
 the assembly, on sacred days, was 
 not dismissed to breakfast until the 
 sixth hour, or noon, tliat is, till after 
 the sacred oblations and prayers. 
 These authentic facts give great 
 weight to the reasoning of Peter, 
 and explain more fully to us what is 
 only implied in his address, though 
 it was well knoAvn to his auditors. 
 The incidental illustrations of an- 
 cient manners and opinions, the 
 slight and undesigned, and therefore 
 more impartial and forcible, cor- 
 roborations of the sacred AM-iters, 
 which have beon collected by those 
 learned divines, Lightfoot and Lard- 
 ner, not to mention others, consti- 
 tute a mass of proof in support of 
 the genuineness and authenticity of 
 the books of the New Testament, 
 and of the credibility of the Gospel 
 history, perfectly irresistible as an 
 historical argument. — But this is 
 that, S{c. Peter had rebutted the 
 charge of drunkenness by showing 
 its impossibility on account of the 
 hour of the day, and he now pro- 
 ceeds to assign a reason for what 
 had occurred, and to justify himself 
 by an appeal to their venerated 
 Scriptures. It was a scene such aa 
 
34 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 was spoken by the prophet Joel, And it shall come to pass in the n 
 last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh : 
 and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young 
 men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams : and 18 
 on my servants, and on my hand-maidens, I will pour out in those 
 days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: and I will show 19 
 wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath ; blood, 
 and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into 20 
 darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable 
 day of the Lord come. And it shall come to pass, that whoso- 21 
 
 the prophet himself had predicted. 
 It was but making good the language 
 of J oel ii. 28 - 32, iii. 15. When we 
 consider the insuperable objections 
 to assigning two senses to any pas- 
 sage of the Sacred Book, and then 
 read the prophecy of Joel in con- 
 nexion, we shall be convinced that 
 he refers to the age of the Messiah. 
 Joel first wrote in his book of his 
 own times, and then of those suc- 
 ceeding them, down to the advent 
 of the Messiah. Peter quotes his 
 language as illustrative of, and ful- 
 filled in, the events tlien occurring 
 in the presence of his audience. It 
 is a highly poetical description of a 
 great revolution in human affairs at 
 the period of the Messiah, but prob- 
 ably had no original, peculiar ref- 
 erence to the day of Pt'Utecost. 
 The apostle uses it rather rhetori- 
 cally than theologically. The proph- 
 et predicts in general, the apostle 
 applies his prediction to a particular 
 case. 
 
 17-21. In the, last days. By 
 some, this phrase is understood to 
 mean " in the days of the Messiah," 
 the last great era of the world's 
 history ; but by others, with more 
 probability, " the last days of the 
 Jewish dispensation." It is obser- 
 vable that it is not found in any of 
 the versions or the original Hebrew 
 of Joel, but was added by the apos- 
 tle as if to make a more suitable 
 
 introduction. The expression in the 
 prophet is "afterward." The ab- 
 sence of accuracy, in the quota- 
 tions of the Old Testament intro- 
 duced into the New, betokens rather 
 a use of them by way of accommo- 
 dation than of rigid fulfilment — / 
 loill pour out of my Spirit upon all 
 Jlesh. The Spirit is not a person or 
 a distinction of the Godhead, but an 
 influence, a light, a wannth, issu- 
 ing tlierefrom to enkindle mankind. 
 The maxims of the Jewish schools 
 were, « The Divine Majesty dAvell- 
 eth not on any out of the land of 
 Israel;" "The Holy Ghost is nev- 
 er imparted to any Gentile." But 
 elsewhere it was said by the Rab- 
 bins, " When Moses laid his hands 
 upon Joshua, the holy, blessed God 
 said, ' In the time of the old text, 
 each individual prophet prophesied ; 
 but in the times of the Alessiah, all 
 the Israelites shall be prophets.'" 
 In the enumeration of " sons " and 
 " daughters," " young men " and " old 
 men," " servants and hand-maidens," 
 is conveyed the idea that all classes, 
 sexes, and ages, would be iml)ued 
 with the most abundant knowledge 
 of divine things. New and bright- 
 er revelations would be given to tlie 
 world, and more universally diffused 
 among all tl)e masses of society. — 
 Wonders in heaven above, ^c. The 
 description here given has no literal, 
 pointed application, it is clear, to the 
 
II.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 35 
 
 22 ever shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved. Ye men 
 of Israel, hear these words ; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved 
 
 events on the day of Pentecost, ex- 
 cept so far as they poetically set 
 forth a great revolution in the polit- 
 ical or religious affairs of the w^orld, 
 by images drawn from the heavenly 
 bodies and meteorology. See the 
 note on Mat. xxiv. 29; Luke xxi. 
 25, xxiii. 30 ; Rev. vi. 16. But this 
 imagery is very much like that 
 ■which our Lord uses to describe 
 the overthrow of the Holy City. — 
 Vnpor of smoke. In the Hebrew, 
 " pillars of smoke," probably in ref- 
 erence to the appearance of the as- 
 cending smoke, and its resemblance 
 to columns erected in the atmos- 
 phere. — That great and notable day 
 of the Lord. The changes and 
 convulsions here depicted find no 
 counterpart after the advent of the 
 Messiah, unless it be in the destruc- 
 tion of the city of Jerusalem and 
 the Jewish worship. The expres- 
 sion, " day of the Lord," is often 
 used in the Scriptures to denote a 
 time of visitation and judgment, 
 when punishment would be inflicted 
 for national sins. Is. ii. 12; Ezek. 
 XXX. 3 ; 1 Thess. v. 2. — Whosoever 
 shall call on the name of the Lord. 
 Rom. X. 13. Rosenmuller and 
 Kuinoel remark that this phrase 
 means " to worship God," but that 
 Peter accommodated the language 
 to his own times in the following 
 sense : " To him who now receives 
 the doctrine of Christ, it will be 
 well ; God will favor him." — Saved. 
 As a matter of history, it may be 
 mentioned, in this connexion, that, 
 though the Jews perished by myriads 
 in the destruction of their city by 
 the Romans, yet that not one of the 
 Christians was among the number, 
 for they had all fled, warned by 
 prophecy, and taken refuge beyond 
 the Jordan. There is a spiritual 
 salvation, too, which is insured to 
 
 all that call upon the Lord, to 
 all that call upon him in truth ; 
 to all that acknowledge Jesus as 
 the Messiah, and embrace his re- 
 ligion. 
 
 22. Hear these words. Peter is 
 earnest to induce them to hear 
 him ; he again and again appeals 
 to their candor ; he urges upon them 
 arguments and reasons. He had 
 cast off the charge of intoxication, 
 and justified the outpouring of the 
 Spirit by the predictions of one of 
 their own prophets; he now draws 
 the attention of his audience more 
 directly to the great subject itself, 
 "Jesus Christ and him crucified." 
 — Of JVazareth. He hesitates not 
 openly and boldly to avow the ig- 
 noble origin of his Master, however 
 distasteful to his hearers. John i. 
 46, vii. 41, 52. How diff*erent from 
 the scene in the hall of Caiaphas, 
 when he was charged, Luke xxii. 
 59, with being a Galilean! What 
 could have wrought so great a 
 change, in so short a period, but 
 just those events related in the 
 gospel history, the resurrection and 
 ascension of Christ, and the descent 
 of the Spirit? The mighty effect 
 must have had a mighty cause. — 
 Jl man approved of God. Or " by 
 God." Better rendered by Thom- 
 son, " a man from God, pointed out 
 to you," &c. ; or by Wakefield and 
 others, "proved unto you to be a 
 man from God," &c. The " miracles, 
 wonders, and signs," — a Hebrew- 
 accumulation of terms to express the 
 idea more forcibly, — were the most 
 powerful proofs that Jesus was a 
 man from God, as he often argued 
 with the unbelieving Jews. Other 
 proofs would be weak, unless these 
 external ones took the lead and pre- 
 pared the Avay for their introduction ; 
 as these also, in like manner, would 
 
86 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 of God among you by miracles, and wonders, and signs, which 
 God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know : 
 
 be unavailing, unless they were ac- 
 companied and reenforced by the 
 spiritual and internal auxiliaries of a 
 spotless character, heavenly teach- 
 ings, and general adaptation and har- 
 mony. Its miraculous characteris- 
 tics are as inseparable from Chris- 
 tianity, as the bones from the body 
 which they support and protect. 
 United they stand, divided they fall. 
 What view Peter took of the nature 
 of Christ, is apparent from this verse. 
 Could he have spoken of him as he 
 has done here, if he regarded him as 
 God, the infinite and eternal Being ? 
 Could he have used the distinction of 
 persons he has made here, if Jesus and 
 God were tlie same being,if they were 
 literally one ? Calmet, a Trinitarian 
 writer, says, that, " in this passage, 
 St. Peter speaks of Jesus Christ only 
 as a prophet and a distinguished man, 
 visibly sent out and approved by 
 God. It was not necessary at first 
 to preach his Divinity, lest he should 
 offend his hearers, who were as yet 
 incapable of receiving so sublime a 
 truth." Erasmus says virtually the 
 same. But this would have been a 
 singular course for one so bold and 
 open as Peter to take ; and if he does 
 not here preach the whole truth re- 
 specting the nature of Jesus Clu-ist, 
 where does he thus preach it ? where 
 does he proclaim that Jesus is God ? 
 Where can Ave look with more cer- 
 tainty to ascertain what is Christian- 
 ity^ apart from the instructions of tiie 
 Meister, than to the discourses of his 
 inspired apostles ? who had no mo- 
 tive for concealment, but were called 
 upon, by the nature of their office 
 and the wants of the world, to preach 
 '•the truth, the whole truth, and 
 nothing but the truth." When Peter 
 calls Jesus a " man," doubtless he did 
 not mean that he was, as has been 
 unhappily phrased, « a mere man," 
 
 for he was different from all others 
 in his birth, capacities, and endow- 
 ments. He was raised up for a sub- 
 lime and special end. He was the 
 first-born of a new creation ; a new 
 Adam, from whom should spring 
 spiritually a new human race. He 
 was more than prophet. He was a 
 being designed to be the leader and 
 harbinger, the father and author, of a 
 new order of creatures. 
 
 But that Peter, while calling him 
 " man," did not also secretly believe 
 him to be God, and thus to be pos- 
 sessed of two natures, is most certain 
 from the very nature of things. For 
 to assert that the same being has 
 two natures, is two persons in one, 
 as is done in the present instance by 
 many, is not at all a mystery, but a 
 bold and palpable solecism, a flat 
 contradiction of terms. It is to say, 
 as has been forcibly urged by Yates, 
 " that the same mind is both a-eated 
 and uncreated, hoth Jinite and infinite^ 
 both able to do all things and not 
 able, both ignorant of certain subjects 
 and possessed of the most intimate 
 knowledge of them. If it be not cer- 
 tain that such a doctrine as this is 
 false, there is no certainty upon any 
 subject. It is in vain to call it a 
 mystery ; it is an absurdity, an im- 
 possibility." — In the midst of you, as 
 ye yourselves also know. John xv. 24. 
 This appeal to their personal obser- 
 vation was powerful, because it was 
 founded on truth. They could not 
 deny that they had seen the " mira- 
 cles, and wonders, and signs." Peter, 
 therefore, argued with them without 
 fear of contradiction, for nobody 
 could have the effrontery to gainsay 
 the facts themselves, Avhatever ex- 
 planation they might put upon them. 
 The Jews acknowledged the won- 
 derful works of our Lord, and we 
 have thus tlie testimony not only of 
 
II.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 m 
 
 23 him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowl- 
 edge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified 
 
 friends, but of foes, to their reaUty. 
 Mat. xii. 24 ; John iii. 2, xi. 47. 
 Peter was addressing at this time 
 the very individuals who had wit- 
 nessed the cures performed by Christ, 
 who had beheld tlie "signs" at the 
 crucifixion ; that the sun was dark- 
 ened, and the earth, " sighing through 
 all her works, gave signs of Avoe ; " 
 and his words must have sunk into 
 their hearts with a tlirilling and in- 
 describable power, of which we can- 
 not now conceive, and we cease to 
 wonder at the effects described in 
 ver. 37, 41. 
 
 23. Delivered, i. e. delivered up. 
 The word, as it stands in the text, 
 means directly the opposite of the 
 original. Jesus was delivered up, or 
 betrayed, by Judas to the Jews, and 
 also by the Jews delivered up to the 
 Romans. — The determinate counsel 
 and foreknowledge, i. e. what God 
 had willed and known. It might be 
 objected, on the part of the cavilling 
 Jews, that Jesus could not be the 
 true Messiah, fi)r God had rejected 
 him, had suffered him to be put to 
 death, in the most dishonorable man- 
 ner, by the hands of wicked men. 
 Surely this could not be the illustri- 
 ous and eternal Messiah, the sublime 
 hope of their nation, the King of the 
 world ! Peter removes this difficulty, 
 by alleging that it was foreknown 
 and foreordained that it should be 
 so ; the Messiah was to die, tliat 
 from his death might come life to 
 the world. It was the determinate, 
 the defined and settled, counsel and 
 foreknowledge of God that Jesus 
 should die. It was not therefore a 
 strange thing that had happened, but 
 what was to be looked for in the or- 
 dinations of the Most High. Luke 
 xxiv. 4o. Still the apostle, by de- 
 claring it to have taken place ac- 
 cording to the will and foreknow 1- 
 
 VOL. III. 4 
 
 edge of God, does not absolve the 
 actors from the guilt of Christ's 
 death, but speaks of the "wicked 
 hands," or, if that phrase is doubtful, 
 through the whole tenor of the dis- 
 course accuses them of a deep-dyed 
 crime. The old question of God's 
 foreknowledge and man's free agen- 
 cy is deep as the sea, and broad as the 
 sea, and no man can fathom it. As 
 Abbott has observed, "The human 
 mind will probably ever continue to 
 speculate in vain upon this subject 
 No one has yet resolved the theo- 
 retical difficulties in which it is 
 involved, altliough, practically, no 
 difficulty arises from it whatever." — 
 By ivicked hands, i.e. by the Ro- 
 mans, who, as being Gentiles, were 
 called sinners. The Greek adjective, 
 translated "wicked," means, literally, 
 " without law," i. e. the heathen. 
 The language of the apostle has, 
 therefore, a peculiar significance, 
 which is lost in our version. It is 
 true, Jesus was put to death by 
 wicked men, by hardened, sensual, 
 cruel Romans, whose history was 
 an epitome of blood : though Jesus 
 prayed for tlieir forgiveness, because 
 they did not know, at least in this 
 instance, what they did ; they were 
 unaware of the divine character and 
 dignity of him upon whom they laid 
 such ruthless hands. But Peter was 
 noAv remonstrating with the Jews, 
 and he would pierce their conscience 
 witli the peculiar remorse that they 
 had delivered up their Messiah, their 
 precious and glorious Deliverer, the 
 hope of ages, into the hands of the 
 heathen : it would have been sinful 
 enough to put him to deatli them- 
 selves, but it was yet worse to em- 
 ploy the " sinners," the " dogs," of 
 the uncircumcised, as they called 
 the Gentiles, to torture and crucify 
 their Lord of glory. 
 
THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 and slain : whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of 24 
 death : because it was not possible that he should be holden of 
 it. For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord 25 
 always before my face; for he is on my right hand, that I should 
 not be moved : therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was 26 
 glad ; moreover also, my flesh shall rest in hope : because thou 27 
 wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy 
 One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways 28 
 of life ; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 
 
 24 - 28. Whom God hath raised up. 
 In this bold and unrefuted assertion 
 of the resurrection of our Saviour, 
 we see evidence of its reality. 
 It was but a few weeks ago since 
 that event A report to discredit it 
 had been industriously circulated 
 among the Jews, and the soldiers 
 had been bribed to bear witness to 
 its falsehood. Mat. xxviii. 1 1 - 15. 
 But Peter, in the presence of assem- 
 bled thousands, courageously vindi- 
 cates that essential fact ; and, what is 
 to the point, suffers no contradiction. 
 The negative argument of silence 
 on the part of enemies, as well as 
 the positive one of the testimony of 
 friends, corroborates the resurrec- 
 tion of Jesus. We also remark that 
 God is said to have raised up his 
 Son ; he did not rise of his own 
 power or will from the sleep of the 
 tomb. The resurrection was a mir- 
 acle wrought by the Almiglity, not 
 by Christ. See notes on John x. 
 16-18. — Having loosed the pains 
 of death. Or, more properly trans- 
 lated, "the bonds of death." Jesus 
 is represented as bound in the prison- 
 house of death, until God interposed 
 and freed him on the third day. — 
 Because it ivas not possible that he 
 should be holden of it. The impos- 
 sibility here spoken of did not con- 
 sist in any natural obstacle, but in 
 the fact that « it was unfit in itself, 
 and contrary to the tenor of prophe- 
 cy," that the Messiah should " see 
 
 corruption" in the grave. No tomb 
 was strong enough to hold his 
 body, when the voice of God called 
 him forth to life. He arose triumph- 
 ant, and " abolished death." — For 
 David. In Ps. xvi. 8-11. David 
 was regarded by the Jews as tlie 
 type of the Messiah. The quotation, 
 as usual in the New Testament, is 
 made from the Septuatrint Greek 
 version, not from the Hebrew origi- 
 nal. — I foresaw the Lord, &,'€. Noyes, 
 in his admirable version of the 
 Psalms, has thus translated this pas- 
 sage : — • 
 
 " [ set the Lord before ine at all times ; 
 Since he is at my risrht hand, I siiall not f-ill. 
 Therefore jny lieart is glad, and my spirit 
 
 rejoiceth ; 
 .My flesh also dwellcth in security. 
 For Uioii wilt not jrive me up to the grave ; 
 Nor wilt thou suffer tl>y holy one to see the 
 
 pit. 
 Thou wilt show me the path of life ; 
 In thy presence is fulness of joy." 
 
 — Thou ivilt not leave my soul in 
 hell. The word "hell" is derived 
 from the Anglo-Saxon hel-an, to cov- 
 er ; a place covered. Bishop Horsley 
 remarks that " The English word 
 ' hell,' in its primary and natural 
 meaning, signifies nothing more than 
 ' the unseen and covered place,' and 
 is properly used, both in the Old and 
 New Testament, to render the He- 
 brew word in the one, and the Greek 
 word in the other, which denote the 
 invisible mansion of disembodied 
 souls, without any reference to suf- 
 
II.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 39 
 
 29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak uato you of the patriarch 
 David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with 
 
 30 us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that 
 God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, 
 
 ferii%s." This might have been 
 true of the primitive usage of the 
 word, but " hell " now means, in Eng- 
 lish, a place of torment, supposed to 
 be the abode of the wicked after 
 death ; and whenever therefore hades, 
 tlie Greek word in the present text, 
 is rendered " hell," it conveys the 
 idea, not of the vast subterranean 
 mansion of the departed good or bad, 
 as it ought to do according to Jew- 
 ish belief, but that of an abode, ac- 
 cording to the popular theology, of 
 superlative woe. The word hades 
 occurs eleven times in the New Tes- 
 tament ; Mat, xi. 23, xvi. 18 ; Luke 
 X. 15, xvi. 23 ; Acts ii. 27, 31 ; 1 Cor. 
 XV. .55 ; Rev. i. 18, vi. 8, xx. 13, 14 ; 
 and in every instance but one, tliat 
 of 1 Cor. XV. 55, it is rendered " hell," 
 when the proper translation would 
 have been either " death," the 
 " grave," as in 1 Cor. xv. 55, or the 
 " abode of the dead," as might suit 
 the connexion. Another word, which 
 is translated " hell " in our version 
 of the New Testament, is gekenna, 
 which is of Hebrew origin, signify- 
 ing " the valley of Hinnom ;" a valley 
 near Jerusalem, where the offal and 
 refuse of the city were cast, and 
 fires were constantly kept to con- 
 sume them, and worms were always 
 preying upon the decayed matter. 
 See note on Mat. v. 22. This term 
 is us -d eleven times by our Lord, 
 and once by James, and signifies 
 "punishment" or "a place of pun- 
 ishment" The only other word 
 which is rendered "hell" in the 
 New Testament, is Tariants. It is 
 used once in 2 Peter ii. 4. It is a 
 Greek word, taken from the ancient 
 mythology, and signifies the " abyss," 
 or abode of the Titans, or place 
 
 where Ixion, Sisyphus, and others, 
 were fabled to be punished. — To 
 see corruption. Which means to 
 suffer decay, to experience decom- 
 position. Acts xiii. 35. 
 
 29. Men and brethren. Hebrew 
 for " brethren." To call their atten- 
 tion to something important which 
 he was about to utter, he uses this 
 address ; as Ave naturally call a per- 
 son by name in conversation, whose 
 ear Ave wish to gain to what we are 
 about to say. — The patriarch David. 
 Acts xiii. 36 ; 1 Kings ii. 10. This 
 title was applied to David because 
 he was the venerable ancestor of the 
 royal line, Avldch for so many years 
 sat on tJie JeAvish throne, and from 
 Avhich the Messiah originated. It is 
 likewise used in connexion Avith the 
 names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 
 the progenitors of the Israelites. 
 Acts vii. 8, 9; Heb. vii. 4. The 
 heads of. the families, or the chief 
 men of the tribes, Avere also thus 
 designated. 2 Chron. xix. 8. — His 
 sepulchre is ivith us unto this day. 
 The sepulchre of the kings was on 
 Mount Zion. David, as Ave are in- 
 formed by Josephus, was buried Avith 
 great pomp and splendor by liis son 
 Solomon, and an immense sum of 
 mon'^y deposited in the tomb ; for 
 he states that, 1300 years afterAvards, 
 Avhen Hyrcanus Avas besieged by 
 x\ntiochus, he took out 3000 talents 
 to induce the enemy by money to 
 raise the siege ; and Herod also sub- 
 sequently rifled the tomb of a large 
 amount of treasure. 
 
 30 - 32. It has long been a con- 
 troverted point among interpreters, 
 hoAv the apostle should be under- 
 stood in thus quoting and applying 
 this Psalm of David to the Messiah. 
 
40 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Cha] 
 
 according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his 
 throne ; he seeing this before, spake of the resurrection of Christ, 31 
 
 The same difficulty also arises in 
 relation to the use made of it by- 
 Paul in Acts xiii. 34 - 36. The gen- 
 eral method is to consider David as 
 uttering in Ps. xvi. a literal prophecy 
 of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 
 which Peter quotes as conclusive 
 proof that Jesus was the Messiah, 
 since he had been raised up by God 
 from the dead, and thus fulfilled the 
 words of the inspired prophet. But 
 against this view there lies the great 
 objection, that the Psahn bears not 
 the least apparent trace of a pro- 
 phetic character, regarding tlie dis- 
 tant coming Messiah. As observed 
 by Noyes, and as appears from the 
 version by him, before quoted, " The 
 person who is the subject of this 
 Psahn expresses his entire depend- 
 ence upon God, his gratitude for 
 divine goodness, his satisfaction with 
 the condition assigned him, and his 
 firm hopes of future protection and 
 favor." It would even seem to be 
 doubtful, according to tlie above 
 translation, whether the author origi- 
 nally had any reference to any 
 tiling except the present life. 
 
 Agam, to quote further the same 
 author, "Some Christians who be- 
 lieve the apostles to be inspired as 
 teachers of the Christian system, 
 rather than as reasoners and inter- 
 preters, suppose David, or the author 
 of the Psalm, to be the only person 
 described in it." So that Peter and 
 Paul are regarded by this class of 
 interpreters, as having made this mis- 
 take as to one class of the evidences 
 of Christianity, or one of the proofs 
 of the resurrection of Christ ; viz. 
 that they quoted as a prophecy what 
 was not so in reality, and had no 
 reference to the Messiah. If tliis 
 should appear to be the fact, the 
 great difficulty is the liability of the 
 apostles, after their spiritual illumi- 
 
 nation, to err in so important a point 
 as the proofs of the truth and divini- 
 ty of the Christian religion ; though 
 that might perhaps be parrie* by 
 referring to the traces of imperfec- 
 tion or doubt in relation to other and 
 equally important affairs and duties. 
 See Acts xv. 6, 39 ; Gal. ii. 11 - J4. 
 There is still another mode of ex- 
 planation, which has its difficulties, 
 but which is perhaps less embar- 
 rassed than the preceding ones. It 
 supposes that Peter quotes rather by 
 way of rhetorical illustration, than of 
 theological argument ; that he uses 
 a mode of reasoning adapted to the 
 Jewish audience which he was ad- 
 dressing, as the author of tlie Epistle 
 to the Hebrews pursues a course 
 of argumentation best suited to He- 
 brew prepossessions ; that the words 
 David uses could not have been lit- 
 erally applicable to him, for he died 
 and was buried, and saw corruption ; 
 but tliat in a more sublime sense 
 they are to be understood of the 
 Messiah, that he would arise from 
 the dead. It is true that, in ver. 25, 
 it is said that " David speaketh con- 
 cerning /tiwi," i. e. Christ ; but such 
 expressions are in some measure free 
 and popular, not literal ; for, as Kui- 
 iioel observes, the formula, " to speak 
 concerning any one," is often em- 
 ployed to denote, not that tlie words 
 were peculiarly spoken of the indi- 
 vidual, but that they might be ac- 
 commodated to his case. See Eph. 
 V. 32, where the apostle says, " I 
 speak concerning Christ and the 
 church," meaning that he had intro- 
 duced a figurative illustration from 
 the relation of a man to his wife, 
 wliich was appropriate to the case of 
 Christ and the church. The mean- 
 ing would be, then, that what David 
 had said of himself was capable of 
 being used, in a more sublime sense, 
 
II.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 41 
 
 that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corrup- 
 32 tion. This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are wit- 
 
 with reference to the resurrection of 
 the Messiah. Newcome says that 
 " This prophecy, in its most eminent 
 sense, applied to Jesus Christ ; al- 
 though it had an inferior sense, also, 
 viz. that David should be preserved 
 from death, notwithstanding the mal- 
 ice and power of his enemies." The 
 case of Caiaphas, see notes on John 
 xi. 49 - 52, is in point here to some 
 extent He did not predict, as a 
 prophet, tlie death of Jesus, but he 
 said Avhat might afterwards be re- 
 garded in the light of prophecy, and 
 tiius applied. Still this method is 
 burdened with the objections of be- 
 ing rather obscure, of holding to the 
 theory of two senses, of not assign- 
 ing a clear and definite meaning to 
 the apostle's Avords, and of supposing 
 that he used arguments to convince 
 the JeAvs that did not have weight 
 with his own mind, — a device better 
 suited to a Grecian sophist than a 
 ('hristian apostle. 
 
 There is also another interpreta- 
 tion of the following kind : David is 
 understood, in the Psalm, to rejoice 
 that his seed should not be extinct ; 
 that though he died, yet the line 
 should be continued ; for the Mes- 
 siah had been promised, and that was 
 a guaranty that the family would be 
 perpetuated. The Jews considered 
 it a great misfortune to die child- 
 loss, and have one's family cease at 
 death. But, on the other hand, to 
 view one's posterity extending on in 
 unbroken succession, v/as a matter 
 of great rejoicing. For example, 
 recur to these text's : Deut. xvii. 20 ; 
 Vs. XX xvii. 28. It was in such a 
 frame of mind thit the Psalm was 
 composed. Peabody remarks, in his 
 Essay on Prophecy, that " David ac- 
 knowledges the promise of that glo- 
 rious descendant from himself, in 
 whom his name would be perpetuat- 
 4# 
 
 ed, so that he should, after deatli, 
 enjoy, as it were, a posthumous and 
 perpetual life. When he says, ' Thou 
 wilt not suffer thy holy one to see 
 corruption,' he means the same that 
 Horace does when he says, ^ JVon 
 omnis moriar ,* ' ' I shall not wholly 
 die, I shall revive and live in the 
 glory of that Messiah who shall 
 make my name an universally hon- 
 ored name, my kingdom a perpetu- 
 
 ally glorious kingdc 
 
 The apos- 
 
 tle simply quotes the Psalm to show 
 that it had been fulfilled, that Da- 
 vid's line had descended unbroken, 
 and appeared in the person of Jesus, 
 whom God had raised up to be both 
 Lord and Christ, and crowned the 
 proof of his authority by his resur- 
 rection and ascension. The diffi- 
 culty of this view is, that it makes 
 what is said about God " raising him 
 up," ver. 24, 31, 32, and his "resur- 
 rection," as is usually understood, 
 from the dead, to refer back to his 
 original advent into the world, and 
 his being brought into being at first 
 by God, Avhich is somewhat hard. 
 But this view, on the whole, is en- 
 cumbered with as few difficulties, 
 perhaps, as any that can be pro- 
 posed. It derives considerable sup- 
 port from the 30th verse, in partic- 
 ular ; for it there seems to be stated 
 that the "raising up," spoken of, Avas 
 not simply from the grave, but origi- 
 nally upon Christ's first advent into 
 the Avorld. See, also, xlcts iii. 22, 2G, 
 v. 30, xiii. 23. 
 
 Peabody thus paraphrases ver. 30, 
 31 : " Being a prophet, and knovAdng 
 that God had sworn Avitli an oath to 
 him, that, of the fruit of his loins, ac- 
 cording to the flesh, he Avould raise 
 up Christ to sit on his throne, he, 
 foreseeing this, said, concerning the 
 raising up of Christ, (to sit on his 
 throne,) that his own (David's) soul 
 
^ 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 nesses. .Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and 33 
 having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he 
 hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. For David is 34 
 not ascended into the heavens, but he saith himself, The Lord 
 said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy 35 
 
 was not left in Hades, neither did 
 his own (David's) flesh see corrup- 
 tion." — That of the fruit of his 
 loins, according to the Jiesh, he would 
 raise up Christ to sit on his throne. 
 Griesbach sets aside from the text, 
 as spurious, the expression, " accord- 
 ing to the flesh he would raise up 
 Christ," and would leave it to read 
 thus : " that of the fruit of his loins 
 one should sit on his throne." — 
 Christ. Should be « the Christ," or 
 " Messiah." — That his soul ivas not 
 left. The same distinguished Ger- 
 man critic also leaves out the words 
 " his soul," as spurious, and the sen- 
 tence reads thus : " tliat he was not 
 left." In both cases, the best ver- 
 sions and manuscripts do not contain 
 the expressions which are found in 
 the received text. — Raised up. This 
 would appear to refer to his ascen- 
 sion, from the " therefore " of the 
 next verse. — Whereof we all are loif- 
 nesses. It was not only important to 
 assert that Jesus had been raised up 
 by God, but also to adduce testimo- 
 ny to the same end. The apostle, 
 therefore, with his associates, stands 
 boldly forward, and, in the presence 
 of the Jewish people, declares that 
 they were witnesses of these things. 
 The argument from miracle and 
 prophecy was corroborated by liv- 
 ing testimony. 
 
 33. Acts V. 31 ; Phil. ii. 9. Be- 
 ing by tJie right hand of God exalted. 
 This expression, properly rendered, 
 is. Being exalted at, and not by, the 
 right hand of God. See, also, ver. 34, 
 and Acts v. 31. This is the usual He- 
 brew figure to express high exalta- 
 tion and favor with God. — Having 
 received of the Father the promise, 8^c. 
 
 John xiv. 16, 26, xv. 26, xvi. 7, 13 - 
 15. Winer remarks tliat the phrase, 
 " to receive the promise of the Spir- 
 it," relates to what takes place when 
 the promised good itself is received, 
 or when the promise is fulfilled. — 
 He hath shed forth this, ^-c. Agree- 
 ably to his promise and prediction, 
 now that he himself is taken aAvay, a 
 Holy Spirit is sent in his place ; and, 
 as it is bestowed by his request, and 
 in accordance with the assurances 
 he had given, it is said to be shed 
 forth by him. Kuinoel says, " The 
 meaning is, ' We owe to Christ those 
 gifts with which we have been en- 
 dowed, those operations of the di- 
 vine power in which we rejoice.' " 
 Where is the propriety, then, of 
 speaking of the personality of the 
 Holy Spirit, when it is thus described 
 as an influence shed forth, not of its 
 own volition, but by Christ, or at liis 
 request, and in fulfilment of the prom- 
 ise of the Father ? — See and hear. 
 He appeals to the evidence of their 
 own senses. They had seen multi- 
 tudes drawn together by w^onder. 
 They had heard the apostles and 
 disciples using the gift of tongues, 
 and speaking in many foreign lan- 
 guages. Would they not, at least, 
 believe their own senses ? 
 
 34, 35. David is not ascended into 
 the heavens. The object of the apos- 
 tle, here, was not to represent what 
 was the state of the dead, but to as- 
 sert that the language of the Psalm 
 he quotes could not be applied liter- 
 ally to David, for he had not visibly 
 ascended, like Jesus, to the power 
 and glory of God, though he might 
 be living in a conscious spiritual 
 state after death. — 77ie Lord said 
 
II.] OF THE APOSTLES. 43 
 
 36 foes thy footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know 
 assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus whom ye have 
 crucified, both Lord and Christ. 
 
 37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, 
 and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and 
 
 unto my Lord. Ps. ex. 1. Though 
 the same word is used in Greek for 
 " Lord " in both instances, yet, in the 
 original Hebrew, it is, " Jehovah said 
 unto my Lord," or Moni, a title of 
 high honor and respect, and one form 
 of which is sometimes used by the 
 Jews, instead of the' word Jehovah, 
 which they feared to utter common- 
 ly. The expression is used by Peter, 
 however it may have been originally 
 employed, to describe the superiority 
 which God gave his Son over his 
 enemies, by raising him up on high, 
 and placing him at his right hand. 
 — Thy foes thy footstool. It was 
 sometimes the custom for conquer- 
 ors, in ancient times, to put their 
 foot on the neck of the vanquished, 
 in token of their victory and power 
 over them. The triumph of Christ, 
 his exaltation on high, the spreading 
 power and influence of his name and 
 gospel in the world, should be mat- 
 ter of joy to all his followers ; and 
 should encourage them, that, if they 
 likewise persevere, tliey shall in no 
 wise fail of tlie crown of life. " If 
 Ave be dead with Christ, we shall 
 live with him ; if we suffer, we shall 
 also reign with him." How glorious 
 a prospect ! how divine a reward ! 
 
 36. In this verse, the apostle draws 
 the foregoing reasoning to a con- 
 clusion, establisliing the point that 
 Jesus, whom they had so ignomini- 
 ously and cruelly treated, was indeed 
 Lord and Christ, or Messiah ; that 
 God had exalted him on high at his 
 own right hand, and that furtlier op- 
 position to him would only recoil 
 upon his enemies in their ruin. — 
 The house of Israel. The family or 
 nation of Israel. — Know assuredly. 
 
 Strong and undeniable affirmation. 
 — God hath made. Calvin remarks 
 on this phrase, "Peter says viade, 
 because God the Father conferred 
 tliis honor on Jesus." — Whom ye have 
 crucified. This renders the contrast 
 the more vivid. The being whom 
 the Jews had gone so far as even 
 to crucify, was the very one whom 
 God had exalted to be Lord and Mes- 
 siah. — Both Lord and Christ. Not 
 Supreme Lord of all things, but Lord 
 in that subsidiary sense in which it is 
 used in ver. 34 : " The Supreme Lord, 
 Jehovah, said to my Lord." From 
 ver. 2.2 to 31, he argued that Jesus 
 is the Christ, or the Messiah, the 
 Anointed, and in ver. 34, tliat lie is 
 " Lord," or high in authority. With- 
 out the set formality of logic, or the 
 strict arrangement of a discourse, 
 the speeches of the apostles are 
 urgent to the point ; and, while they 
 leave out no important consideration, 
 they are compact and brief, and bear 
 testimony that they are the overflow- 
 ings of minds filled with a heavenly 
 wisdom. 
 
 37. JVow when they heard this. 
 That they had crucified their Lord 
 and Messiah, the great desire and 
 hope of their nation. — They were 
 pricked in their heart. They were 
 cut or stung to the heart; or, as 
 the German of Luther has it, " When 
 they heard it, it went through tlieir 
 heart." The apostle had, by his 
 very serious and home-put discourse, 
 brought them to a sense of their 
 guilt and danger. They saw the 
 wickedness of their conduct in de- 
 livering up their Messiah to be cru- 
 cified by the hands of the Romans. 
 They felt alanned. They were 
 
44 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Re- 38 
 pent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus 
 Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
 
 smitten, not only with strong com- 
 punction of conscience, but they 
 trembled at those judgments which 
 threatened them in the " great and 
 notable day of the Lord." The ef- 
 fects here described flowed naturally 
 from the speech of the apostle, which 
 set before the Jews so plainly their 
 personal accountableness and un- 
 faithfulness. They had heard Jesus ; 
 they had witnessed his miracles ; ver. 
 22 ; they had been invited to become 
 his disciples ; but they had turned a 
 deaf ear, hardened their hearts, and 
 employed the wicked hands of " the 
 uncircumcised " to put him to the 
 death of a slave and a malefactor. 
 Well might their hearts be cut to 
 the quick, when they were once led 
 to feel, that the being they had thus 
 treated, Avas no less than the Mes- 
 siah himself, the great deliverer, the 
 hope of two thousand years, the 
 Lord of glory. — What shidl we do ? 
 Acts ix. 6, xvi. 30. Their ques- 
 tion showed symptoms of moral 
 soundness yet remaining. They did 
 not, like Judas, indulge in that "sor- 
 row of the world " which " worketh 
 death," but turn with earnest en- 
 treaty to their spiritual advisers for 
 guidance. They ask a most signifi- 
 cant question. They -wish to he di- 
 rected in the right way, and show 
 already their full confidence in those 
 who a little before, ver. 13, were 
 the objects of the most scandalous 
 charges. It is the sign of returninir 
 moral health, when the corrupt and 
 impenitent inquire, What shall we 
 do? 
 
 38. Repent. The word of the 
 original has the primitive sense " to 
 perceive afterwards," " to have an af- 
 terview or tliought ; " and hence the 
 secondary meaning, " to repent" But 
 the Roman Catholic translation, " do 
 
 penance," is wholly unauthorized ; 
 for, when repentance is accompanied 
 with external signs of sorrow or pen- 
 ance, it is so stated, as in Mat xi. 2L 
 Besides, the " penance " enjoined by 
 the Catholics is artificial and unscrip- 
 tural, and consistent with continued 
 wickedness. But the repentance re- 
 quired by Christ and his apostles 
 Avas first the proper sorrow for the 
 past, and then reformation of moral 
 conduct for the future, not the mere 
 badges of penitent emotion. So that 
 the translation of Coverdale is not 
 so much out of the way, " amende 
 yourselves ;" tliough this rather de- 
 scribes the fruit of repentance than 
 repentance, as an incipient state of 
 the regenerated mind. Said Mat- 
 thew Henry, " Repent ; that is a 
 plank after shipwreck." Said Lutlier, 
 " Where there is pardon of sins, 
 there is life and holiness." — Be 
 baptized every one of you.. He en- 
 joins, as the next step after their re- 
 pentance, universal baptism into the 
 Christian faith. Acts xx. 21. If bap- 
 tism AVELS enjoined by Christ, Mat. 
 xxviii. 19, Mark xvi. 1(3, and univer- 
 sally observed by the apostles and 
 early preachers of the gospel, Avhy is 
 it not noAv a valid and essential ordi- 
 nance and means of grace ? The 
 public profession of Christianity is 
 as necessary noAv^ as it ever AA-as. — 
 In the name of Jesus Christ. This 
 shows that the particular formula, 
 given in Mat xxviii. 19, had no spe- 
 cial eflicacy, apart from the ideas 
 Avhich it was intended and used to 
 convey ; and tliose ideas A\'ere essen- 
 tially summed up in the form, " in 
 the name of Jesus Christ," for tlie 
 profession of his name implies belief 
 in tlie Father and in the influence 
 of his Holy Spirit He exhorts tlie 
 JeAvs to abandon tlieu: old preju- 
 
II. 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 45 
 
 39 the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your chil- 
 dren, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our 
 
 40 God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and 
 exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 
 
 dices, to confess Jesus to be their 
 Messiah by the act of baptism, and 
 thus to become receivers of pardon 
 and the Holy Spirit. — For the remis- 
 sion of sins. Or, as Clarke reads, " in 
 reference to the remission oi' remo- 
 val of sins." As observed by Ols- 
 hausen, this was the negative side, 
 the entire clearing away of tlie Old. 
 Baptism was to be the sign ; and the 
 things signified were tlie cleansing 
 from sin, and new spiritual endow- 
 ments. — The gift of the Holy Ghost, 
 or Holy Spirit This, according to 
 the foregoing author, is the positive 
 side, the communication of the Spirit, 
 the necessary antecedent to the es- 
 tablishment of the New. Many 
 Trinitarian writers interpret the 
 " Holy Spirit " impersonally. Barnes 
 remarks that " The gift of the Holy 
 Ghost here does not mean his ex- 
 traordinaiy gifts, or the power of 
 working miracles." So many others. 
 But that what is signified is, ac- 
 cording to Kuinoel, the effects of 
 divine power, a full and accurate 
 knowledge of divine tilings, a spirit- 
 ed and perpetual pursuit of holiness, 
 a burning zeal to profess and propa- 
 gate the doctrine of Christ. John 
 iii. 5 ; Gal. iii. 3, 14, v. 22, 23. There 
 is no evidence, that all of that vast 
 multitude were promised by Peter, 
 or did receive, the gift of working 
 miracles, speaking with tongues, and 
 exercising other supernatural pow- 
 ers ; on the contrary, the natural in- 
 ference is the other way, as the voice 
 of commentators has generally de- 
 cided. 
 
 39. The promise, i. e. of the aid 
 and influence of the Spirit, Avhich 
 would be given to all that sought it 
 in the appointed way. -r To you. Al- 
 
 though they were involved in the 
 blood of the innocent and the An- 
 ointed One, the door of mercy was 
 still standing open, and the hand of 
 pardon and promise was stretched 
 out. — To your children. The bless- 
 ing Avould not cease with that gen- 
 eration; it would be transmitted to 
 their posterity, without limit. — To 
 all that are afar off. John x. 16; 
 Eph. ii. 17, iii. 6. Wakefield ren- 
 ders it, " all your furthermost poster- 
 ity ;" but that idea has already been 
 essentially conveyed in the preced- 
 ing clause, and is unnecessary here. 
 Some understand it of the distant 
 Jews living in Gentile countries; 
 but it is more applicable to the Gen- 
 tiles themselves ; for though Peter 
 was not yet illuminated entirely on 
 this point, as the history shoAvs in 
 Acts X. 28, 34, still the common opin- 
 ion of the Jews, in Avhich the apostle 
 no doubt shared, attributed to the 
 Gentiles great benefits from the com- 
 ing of the Messiah. They would, it 
 was supposed, become members of 
 his kingdom by being proselytes to 
 the Jewish faith. — The Lord our 
 God shall call, i. e. as many as, in the 
 providence of God, should be fa- 
 vored with the preaching of the gos- 
 pel. The promise was free to all. 
 
 40. Many other ivords. The his- 
 torian professes to give only tlie most 
 important outlines of the address, and 
 frankly tells us that he has not re- 
 corded the whole. Many classic au- 
 thors framed speeches of their OAvn, 
 and put them in the mouths of their 
 principal characters, as if they were 
 actually their words. But the ad- 
 dresses of the apostles and disciples 
 in the Acts are the true, though ab- 
 breviated, report of what was reaJly 
 
46 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [CilAP. 
 
 Then they that gladly received his word, were baptized : and 41 
 the same day there were added unto them about tliree thousand 
 
 said, and bear countless internal 
 marks of their genuineness, which 
 no invention of man could have de- 
 vised. — Testify. Stronger, " earn- 
 estly testify," or " solemnly admon- 
 ish." — Save yourselves. However 
 much God performs of the work, 
 there is always much left to the fidel- 
 ity and industry of man ; and every 
 precept in tlie Bible is a virtual an- 
 nouncement of man's free agency 
 and moral responsibleness. — Unto- 
 ward. The Greek primarily means 
 « crooked," and secondarily " per- 
 ve^-se," " depraved." Deut. xxxii. 5. 
 Terrible calamities were hanging 
 over the Jewish people on account 
 of their wickedness; tliat genera- 
 tion would not pass away before ruin 
 would fall upon city, temple, and na- 
 tion. As a security against impend- 
 ing temporal judgments, Luke xxi. 
 18, much more on account of the 
 claims of truth — a higher motive — 
 and on account of the retributions of 
 futurity, ought they to embrace the 
 Christian faith. They ought to come 
 out and separate themselves from 
 a generation upon which could be 
 charged hypocrisy and corruption, 
 and the gigantic sin of disowning 
 the Son of God and putting him to 
 death. 
 
 41. Gladly. This word is retained 
 in the text by Griesbach, but it is 
 marked by him as probably spurious, 
 because it is wanting in several of 
 the best ancient authorities, — Were 
 baptized. This was the rite of initi- 
 ation into the Christian church, and 
 we see it immediately complied with, 
 as our Lord had commanded. Mat 
 xxviii. 19. As to the mode, the facts 
 that the number of persons was so 
 large to be baptized in one day, and 
 the day already far advanced, ver. 
 15, that the number to perform the 
 ceremony was so small, tliat tJiere 
 
 were but few collections of water of 
 any amount in the city or neighbor- 
 hood of Jerusalem, and tliat the pools 
 and other places were under the con- 
 trol of hostile Jews, tend to the be- 
 lief that the ceremony was perform- 
 ed by sprinkling or aflfusion, rather 
 than by total immersion of the body. 
 But, eV^n were it proved to a demon- 
 stration — which it never can be — 
 that the whole three thousand were 
 immersed, it no more follows neces- 
 sarily that sprinkling or affusion is 
 not genuine or sufficient baptism, 
 than that the Lord's supper is inef- 
 ficacious because it is administered 
 in the daytime instead of the even- 
 ing ; or because it is in a lower, in- 
 stead of an upper, room ; or because 
 the disciples receive the elements 
 sitting in their pews, and not reclin- 
 ing around a common table. It is 
 not the manner in which a ceremony 
 is performed that is essential — al- 
 ways providing it is a decent man- 
 ner — to constitute its validity, but 
 the spirit and motives of the actors. 
 The sign never for a moment should 
 be permitted to compete, in value or 
 importance, with the thing signijkd. 
 Baptism is efficacious as a sign, a 
 means, and its virtue depends upon 
 the disposition of him who performs 
 and him who receives it ; not upon 
 the particular mode of its perform- 
 ance ; though one mode, as that of 
 sprinkling, may be more convenient, 
 safe, and becoming, than another, and 
 therefore to be chosen. — Three thou- 
 sand souls. Or, persons. The custom 
 of drawing inferences from the day 
 of Pentecost to modern revivals, is 
 wholly out of place. The cases are 
 widely dissimilar. To speak of " a 
 Pentecostal effusion of the Spirit," is 
 a mere figure of speech. The day 
 of miracles is no more. We are to 
 look now for tlic ordinary, but not 
 
IL] 
 
 42 souls. 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 47 
 
 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doc- 
 
 trine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 
 43 And fear came upon every soul : and many wonders and signs 
 4t were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, 
 45 and had all things common ; and sold their possessions and 
 
 the extraordinary, gifts of the Spirit 
 upon the speaker. The preacher is 
 not now a Peter, with an apostolic 
 tongue of fire and authority, but a 
 man with only his natural resources, 
 so far as inspiration is concerned. 
 An audience is not prepared now, as 
 was the audience then, by a long 
 course of events, to receive a strong 
 and decided impression in relation to 
 the simple matter of fact of Jesus be- 
 ing the Messiah. The solemn scenes 
 of the Pentecost, tlierefore, furnish no 
 justification or encouragement to tlie 
 disorders and unhealthy excitements 
 of modern revivals ; and in the beau- 
 tiful picture which is here preseriled 
 of the church, after this occasion, 
 contrasted Avith the schisms and 
 backslidings of churches at the pres- 
 ent day, after what is called a revi- 
 val, Ave behold the difference be- 
 tween the work of God and the vio- 
 lent and unnatural work of men, and 
 of unwise men. 
 
 42, 43. Continued steadfastly in 
 the apostles' doctrine. Which means 
 that they devoted themselves con- 
 stantly to the instructions of the 
 apostles. The idea is, not their per- 
 tinacity in adhering to the doctrines 
 of the apostles, but their constancy 
 in attending upon tlieir teachings. — 
 Fellowship. Society, or social sym- 
 pathy. Phil. ii. 1. — Breaking of 
 bread. Whether this refers to the 
 Lord's supper, to wliat were called 
 their agapre, or love-feasts, or to their 
 common social entertainments, is an 
 unsettled question among critics, and 
 cannot, perhaps, now be determined 
 with certainty. — To hreaJc bread, is 
 a JcAvish phrase, meaning to make a 
 meal, according to Pearce ; and these 
 
 were probably occasions of social 
 entertainment, connected with reli- 
 gious services, as the commemora- 
 tion of the love of Christ and prayer. 
 The breaking of bread is frequently, 
 though not always, associated with 
 the Lord's supper in tlie New Testa- 
 ment, and therefore naturally a^vak- 
 ens the idea that something of tlie 
 kind is m.eant here. It has been 
 supposed that the Lord's supper was 
 observed once a week by the early 
 Christians. See Mat. xxvi. 26 ; Luke 
 xxiv. 30 ; Acts ii. 46, xx. 7 ; 1 Cor. 
 xi. 24. — A)id fear came upon every 
 soul. A reverential awe generally 
 settled upon tlie minds of the peo- 
 ple. The cause is mentioned in the 
 next line. The miracles Avrought by 
 the apostles produced this effect. A 
 sketch of several of the wonders and 
 signs performed by them, is given in 
 the succeeding chapters. The pic- 
 ture here presented of the early 
 church is beautiful and life-like. 
 The features delineated are such as 
 we should naturally expect from 
 what goes before — love, sympathy, 
 fortitude, high trust in God, and af- 
 fectionate remembrance of Christ — 
 while a universal awe broods over 
 the people at witnessing the Avon- 
 derful works of the apostles, who 
 profess to perform tliem in the name 
 of a crucified, but conquering, Mes- 
 siah, soon to come and inflict fearful 
 retribution upon his enemies. 
 
 44, 45. Believed, i. e. were disci- 
 ples; for none could become such 
 without the principle of faith. — Were 
 together. This, probably, refers, not 
 to meeting in the same place, but to 
 tlie union which prevailed in the 
 Christian body. They harmonized. 
 
48 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And 46 
 they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and break- 
 ing bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness 
 
 As yet there was no schism. — Had 
 all things common. This is a gen- 
 eral, not a universal, term, as will 
 appear in the following remarks. 
 They were so knit together by the 
 ties of faitli and sympathy, that tlie 
 distinctions of property were in a 
 manner forgotten. They lived a 
 higher life, and breathed a less earth- 
 ly and selfish spirit. — Sold their pos- 
 sessions, i. e. their real estate, or 
 houses and lands, for so the original 
 implies. The natural love of prop- 
 erty was diminished by the prospect 
 of great changes and the coming of 
 the great day of the Lord, as well as 
 by the more enlarged and benevo- 
 lent sentiments of CMstianity. They 
 sold their property to share it with 
 their poorer brethren, who were lia- 
 ble, after their profession of the gos- 
 pel, to lose the assistance of tlieir 
 former friends and patrons. — Goods, 
 By which is meant their movable or 
 personal property. — Parted them to 
 all men, as every man had need. Acts 
 vi. 1. Many writers have found in 
 this passage the history of a com- 
 munity of goods among the early 
 Christians ; but the more general and 
 reasonable opinion now is, that no 
 such state of things, rigidly speak- 
 ing, is here described. Because, (1.) 
 The terms of the narrative do not au- 
 tliorize so universal an inference, but 
 are rather intended to represent the 
 liberality and benevolence of the 
 disciples ; (2.) The histoiy afterwards 
 speaks of the community of property 
 as voluntary, not necessary — as a 
 gift, not a duty ; Acts iv. 32, v. 4 ; 
 g.) Mary, the mother of Mark the 
 Evangelist, is represented, in Acts 
 xii. 12, as the owner of a liouse in 
 Jerusalem ; (4.) The distinction ob- 
 served in speaking of the rich and 
 the poor, Gal. ii. 10 ; James ii. 2, 5, 0, 
 
 V. 1 ; the contributions and alms for 
 the needy, and even for the poor at 
 Jerusalem, where this community of 
 goods existed, Acts ix. 36, xi. 29 ; 
 
 1 Cor. xvi. 1 ; 2 Cor. ix. 1-5, and 
 the apostolic precepts to hospitali- 
 ty and benevolence, Rom. xii. 13; 
 
 2 Thes. iii. 12 ; James ii. 15, 16, show 
 conclusively that all property was 
 not literally merged in a common 
 stock, but that the arrangement spok- 
 en of in the text was a device of 
 benevolence for the necessities of 
 the time being, not a perpetual or 
 general institution. There was noth- 
 ing like the intercommunity of goods 
 among the Essenes and Therapeuta;, 
 of ancient, and the monks. Shakers, 
 and other associated bodies, of mod- 
 ern" times. As has been said, the 
 object was not "to destroy property, 
 but selfishness," and to promote the 
 comfort of the poor in their cliange 
 of faith. The apostles showed their 
 more than human wisdom, in not in- 
 corporating with the new religion 
 any thing inconsistent with its uni- 
 versality and adaptation to all ages, 
 races, and governments. 
 
 46. We have, in this and the fol- 
 lowing verse, a continued picture of 
 the beauty and spiritual vitality of 
 the early church. What author of 
 fact or fiction has presented a more 
 interesting history of a happy com- 
 munity than the Christian evangel- 
 ist — a community to Avhich every 
 man, in his right senses, would more 
 desire to join himself — or in which 
 all the elements of love, and peace, 
 and progress, are more thoroughly 
 combined ? Cannot society, nations, 
 mankind, be brought, finally, to fulfil 
 the exquisite promise of this long- 
 departed age, and restore, as it were, 
 tlie old painting to tlie reality of new 
 life ? The highest form of Christian 
 
II.l 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 4e and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all 
 the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as 
 should be saved. 
 
 civilization is yet to appear, but tlie 
 dawn has broken from the east. — 
 Continuing daily with one accord in 
 the temple. They probably attended 
 the worship in the temple at the 
 usual hours of prayer, of nine in the 
 morning and three in the afternoon. 
 Acts iii. 1. They had not yet 
 shaken themselves free of the Jew- 
 ish yoke, and tliey rightly retained 
 some fealty to the old faith in their 
 adoption of, and assimilation with, 
 the new one ; as naturalists tell us 
 that the old leaf does not fall to the 
 ground, until the new bud begins 
 to swell underneath it. — Breaking 
 bread from, house to house. Or, " at 
 iiome," in contradistinction to their 
 exercises in the temple. The same 
 occasions are referred to here as in 
 ver. 42. The character of the re- 
 past was that of a social entertain- 
 ment, united with a religious com- 
 memoration. Acts XX. 7. It is said 
 that the agapcB, or love-feasts, arose 
 from the necessity of providing for 
 the poor, who had formerly lived on 
 the sacrifices ; but Avho, after their 
 conversion, were cut off by their 
 f lith from this source of support. — 
 7Vmr meat. Old English for " food," 
 whether animal or ves^etable. — ■ JViih 
 gladness. Some discern, in this 
 phrase, the joy of the poor for the 
 bounty so generously afforded. — Sin- 
 glentss of heart. And in these words 
 is seen the simplicity and freedom 
 from pride and ostentation of the 
 rich in their benevolence. But the 
 expressions are general, rather than 
 limited to classes, and describe at 
 once the purity of motive, and the 
 elastic spirit of joy, pervading the 
 new association. We have here a 
 description of the influence which 
 true religion, truly received and 
 obeyed, has upon its subjects. 
 
 VOL. III. 5 
 
 47. Praising God. They recog- 
 nized the great source of all bless- 
 ings, temporal and spiritual, in God. 
 Christian piety does not suffer us to 
 dwell chiefly upon secondary causes, 
 but prompts us to rise to the First 
 Great Cause. — Having favor ivith 
 all the people. 2 Tim. iii. 12. It is 
 not said that they had favor Avith the 
 priests, Pharisees, and Sadducees ; 
 on the contrary, they soon suffered 
 persecution from that quarter. See 
 Acts iv. ], and elsewhere. But their 
 virtues were such as to conciliate 
 the favor of all unprejudiced wit- 
 nesses. The common people heard 
 our Lord himself gladly, though, in 
 their fickleness, they could after- 
 wards shout his crucifixion. Be- 
 cause a man is persecuted, it does 
 not necessarily follow that he is a 
 good man ; and because a man is 
 not persecuted, it is to be inferred no 
 more certainly that he is a bad man. 
 — • Such aS- should be saved. Ver. 40. 
 Thomson renders it, "them who were 
 cured," referring to those restored by 
 the miraculous power of the apostles. 
 Symonds renders it, " Christian con- 
 verts," or " converts to Chi-istianity ; " 
 Bloomfield, " the saved ; " which is to 
 be prefen-ed, as the original is a par- 
 ticiple, and simply describes those 
 who were put in the way of salva- 
 tion, without pronouncing any de- 
 cision, as our version does, respect- 
 ing the final issue of tlieir course in 
 another world. This participle oc- 
 cm-s in four other places in the New 
 Testament, and is rendered rightly 
 " be " or " are saved." See the ref- 
 erence below. The simple sense is, 
 that the Lord added to tlie church 
 daily those who had laid aside their 
 old Jewish faith, and become the 
 professed disciples of Christ by faith 
 and baptism, and thus were saved 
 
50 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 TJie Cure of the Lame Man, and the Address of Peter. 
 
 IV OW Peter and John went up together into the temple, at the 
 
 already, were put in a saving way, 
 and would, if they persevered faith- 
 fully, be finally saved. Luke xiii. 
 23, xix. 9 ; Rom. xi. 11 ; ] Cor. i. 18, 
 XV. 2; 2 Cor. ii. 15; Titus iii. 5; 
 Rev. xxi. 24. The term " church," in 
 this connexion, means the assembly, 
 the body of professed believers, who 
 had been baptized, as stated in ver. 41. 
 There are two aspects, in which it 
 is desirable to study this history of 
 the early church ; one, that of their 
 BELIEF, which, as we learn from tbe 
 speeches of the apostles and the 
 Avhole tenor of the narrative, was 
 simple and fundamental, and em- 
 braced but few of those points now 
 raised to the highest pitch of impor- 
 tance by more than half of Christen- 
 dom ; the other, is that of their con- 
 duct, which was eminently pure, 
 benevolent, devout, and heavenly- 
 minded, Avorthy of the apostolic age, 
 and worthy to shed its beautiful light 
 over the whole world. Let us imi- 
 tate the simplicity of their faith, and 
 aspire after the purity of their life. 
 
 CHAPTER HI. 
 
 The historian stated, in ver. 43 of 
 the last chapter, tliat " many signs 
 and wonders" were done by the 
 apostles, and he now proceeds to 
 specify an instance which was re- 
 markable in itself, and which led to 
 an important discourse by Peter. 
 
 1. Jfent up together. Were going 
 up together. The apostles and dis- 
 ciples of Jesus rarely went fortli 
 single-handed, but two by two tliey 
 labored and preached, and thus en- 
 joyed the immense support and aid 
 of fraternal sympathy in their dan- 
 gers and sufferings. — Into the temple. 
 Luke xxiv. 53 ; Acts ii. 46. This 
 was still the house of God to them. 
 
 They were in a state of transition 
 from the old to tlie new religion, and 
 it was a sign of a healthy spiritual 
 sensibility, to change gradually from 
 the one to the other. They could 
 still worship in the temple with a 
 clear conscience, as their Master 
 had done before them ; for outward 
 institutions had not yet been estab- 
 lished and perfected to express and 
 cultivate Christian veneration. — The 
 hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 
 The hours of prayer and the hours 
 of sacrifice are said, by Lightfoot, to 
 have been the same in the Hebrew 
 code. We learn, from the example 
 of David, Daniel, and Peter, as well 
 as from the authority of the Talmuds, 
 that tlie Jews had three hours of 
 prayer daily, — the third hour, at nine 
 o'clock, A. M. ; the sixth hour, at 
 noon; the ninth hour — our present 
 case — at three o'clock, P. M. Ps. 
 Iv. 17; Dan. vi. 10, 13 ; Acts ii. 15, 
 X. 9. The Jewish computation of 
 time is worthy of note. The day 
 was divided into twelve hours, what- 
 ever was the season of the year. 
 John xi. 9. An hour, therefore, was 
 not uniformly of the same length, 
 and the third or the ninth hour would 
 not fill on the same point, according 
 to our reckoning, at all periods of 
 the year. This method was intro- 
 duced from Babylon after the cap- 
 tivity : it still prevails in tlie East. 
 To reduce Jewish time to ours, it is 
 therefore necessary to obsei-ve when 
 the sun rises, and from that starting- 
 point ascertain what would be the 
 succeeding hours agreeably to our 
 reckoning. The correspondence of 
 the Jewish third, sixth, and nintli 
 hour with our nine, twelve, and three 
 o'clock, is therefore strictly exact 
 only at tlie time of the equinox. 
 
m.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 51 
 
 2 hour of prayer, being- the ninth Jiovr. And a certain man lame 
 from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the 
 gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them 
 
 2. The cure of the lame man 
 probably took place not long after 
 the events related in the foregoing 
 chapter, and, as many believe, during 
 the feast of Pentecost, when large 
 multitudes were still together, Acts 
 iv. 4, from all parts of the world. — 
 Lame, ^c. Acts iv. 22, xiv. 8. The 
 particularity with which the writer 
 relates events, and multiplies places, 
 dates, and circumstances, adds not 
 only interest, but credibility, to the 
 narrative, for it bespeaks the honest 
 historian and the observing Avitness. 
 The fact that this man had been a 
 cripple from his birth, during forty 
 years, and tliat he was accustomed 
 to be placed daily at the gate of the 
 temple to ask alms, rendered his 
 case more difficult of cure, and his 
 cure more conspicuous. — fVas car- 
 ried. Was in the act of being 
 carried. He was unable to help 
 himself. His condition was truly 
 pitiable. Imagine his poor, desolate, 
 and hopeless lot ; and the joyful re- 
 bound of his feelings in ver. 8, 9, 
 will seem true to nature. The state 
 of the sick, lame, blind, insane, deaf 
 and dumb, in lands unenlightened by 
 the gospel, is heart-rending to con- 
 template. The good fruits of Christ's 
 doctrine of love to God and love to 
 man are seen in the asylums and 
 hospitals of relief and charity, spring- 
 ing up in Christendom more and 
 more from age to age. It has been 
 said that heathenism could adduce 
 but one hospital, and that that was 
 established to keep and relieve sick 
 and aged animals, as horses and 
 cows ! while man was left uncared 
 for. What a striking contrast be- 
 tween the practical effects, of the 
 two systems, even upon man's pres- 
 ent welfare ! — Whom they laid daily. 
 It was his daily resort, and conse- 
 
 quently he was well known. It 
 was customary in the East, both 
 in Jewish and heatlien countries, 
 to place the poor and diseased 
 at the entrances of the sacred 
 places to solicit charity, as well 
 as by the wayside, and at the doors 
 of the rich. Mark x. 46 ; Luke xvi. 
 20. Those who went to pay their 
 devotions, were also called to prove 
 their benevolence. The same cus- 
 tom has prevailed in Christian tem- 
 ples. The modern efforts for the 
 prevention of pauperism, the sup- 
 pression of street beggary, and the 
 establishment of ministers at large, 
 so that the poor' may be spiritually, 
 as well as physically, blest, and 
 helped so as to awaken tlie desire 
 and the power to help themselves, 
 are rich and heavenly manifestations 
 of a higher state of civilization, of a 
 deeper sympathy with him who went 
 about doing good, and of the practi- 
 cability of applying his religion to 
 cure the worst evils of humanity. — 
 The gate of the temple, which is called 
 Beautiful. There is some debate 
 respecting the location of this gate ; 
 but it was probably the one called 
 the Tenth, situated on the east, en- 
 tering into the court of the women, 
 made by Herod the Great, of Corin- 
 thian brass, of the most skilful Avork- 
 manship, and ornamented in the most 
 beautiful manner. The whole was 
 87^ feet in height, and the doors 70 
 feet The tenn Susan, or Shushan, 
 (lily,) was also given to it by tiie 
 Rabbins, perhaps from the peculiar 
 style of the decorations. 1 Kings 
 vii. 19. Josephus writes that, "Of 
 the gates, nine of them were every 
 where overlaid with gold and silver ; 
 likewise tlie posts and the lintels. 
 But one, witliout the temple, made 
 of Corintliian brass, did much ex- 
 
52 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 that entered into the temple ; who, seeing Peter and John about 3 
 to go into the temple, asked an alms. And Peter fastening his 4 
 eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed 3 
 unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter 6 
 said, Silver and gold have I none ; but such as I have give I thee : 
 
 ceed in glory those that were over- 
 laid with gold and silver." At this 
 gate began " the inner temple," as 
 distinguished by Josephus from " tlie 
 outer temple." — To ask alms, 8fc. 
 As this was the most frequented gate 
 of tlie temple, and in the vicinity of 
 Solomon's porch, ver. 11, John x. 
 23, he was placed here as tlie most 
 eligible position for begging of the 
 passing crowd. 
 
 3-5. Seeing Peter and John. He 
 did not distinguish them from other 
 worshippers. — Fastening his eyes. 
 -This is expressed by one participle 
 in Greek, derived from a verb, used 
 by Luke no less than twelve times 
 in his Gospel and tlie Acts, but oc- 
 curring nowhere else in the New 
 Testament, except twice in Paul's 
 Epistles. The style of different sa- 
 cred writers is identified by an ob- 
 servation of such slight peculiarities. 
 — Look on lis. They wished to ar- 
 rest his notice, and prepare his mind 
 for what was to follow ; that his in- 
 terest might be awakened, and that 
 he might understand the cause of 
 his cure, and refer it to its true 
 source. Attention is the first con- 
 dition of spiritual good. — Expecting 
 to receive something, i. e. of a pecu- 
 niary nature, as appears from the 
 words of Peter in the next verse. 
 The graphic description of this scene, 
 between the apostles and the lame 
 man, annihilates every pretence of a 
 fabricated story. 
 
 6. Silver ami gold. 2 Cor. vi. 10. 
 A circumlocution, or indirect phrase, 
 to signify money or riches. It is re- 
 lated by Clarke, that Thomas Aqui- 
 nas, surnamed " the Angelical Doc- 
 
 tor," who was highly esteemed by 
 Pope Innocent IV., going one day 
 into the pope's chamber, where they 
 were reckoning large sums of mon- 
 ey, the pope, addressing himself to 
 Aquinas, said, "You see tliat the 
 church is no longer in an age in 
 which she can say, ' Silver and gold 
 have 1 none.' " It is true, holy fa- 
 tlier," replied the Angelical Doctor ; 
 " nor can she now say to the lame 
 man, ' Rise up and walk.' " — Snch as 
 1 have. The miraculous gitt intrust- 
 ed to my care and exercise. — In 
 the name of Jesus Christ. The apos- 
 tles worked their miracles in tlie 
 name or authority of their Lord, as 
 tlieir object was to lead men to be- 
 lieve in him, as the Son of God, and 
 tlie long-expected Messiah. Mark 
 xvi. 17. — Of JVazardh. They hes- 
 itated not to avow the obscurity of 
 his origin, and to challenge Avith 
 boldness the faith of their country- 
 men in one who bore this despised 
 name. — Rise up and ivalk. I say, 
 Rise up and walk. The command 
 is to be introduced by some such 
 phrase understood. We cannot but 
 notic.^, intliis verse, the change which 
 has come over the apostles. They 
 had been ambitious of power, and 
 wealth, and distinction. They had 
 contended Avith one another, who 
 should be the greatest. They had 
 asked for seats on either hand of 
 their Master in his kingdom. But 
 they now confess their poverty with- 
 out shame, glory in the name of their 
 rejected Master, and seek no higher 
 renown than doing good, by his au- 
 thority, to a poor, lame man. 
 
III.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 53 
 
 7 in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And 
 he took him by the right hand, and lift him up : and immedi- 
 
 8 ately his feet and ankle-bones received strength. And he, leaping 
 up, stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, 
 
 9 walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw 
 
 10 him walking and praising God : and they knew that it was he 
 which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple : and they 
 were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had hap- 
 pened unto him. 
 
 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 
 
 7-9. Lift. Should be " lifted."— 
 His feet, i. e. the lower parts of his 
 feet ; as some render it, " the soles." 
 — Received strengih. It appears that 
 his lameness arose from a weakness, 
 not from being maimed, or destitute 
 of a limb. — Leaping up, i. e. from 
 his bed or couch on Avhich he lay. 
 Is. XXXV. 6. Bloomfield remarks that 
 he leaped, not so much from joy, nor 
 to try whether he could walk, "but, 
 it should seem, at first from ignorance 
 how to walk, by which his essays 
 would be rather leaping than walk- 
 ing ; just as the imperfect glimmer of 
 the newly-acquired sight of the blind 
 man, Mark viii. 24, made him first 
 < see men as trees Avalking.' To 
 leap well describes the headlong 
 eagerness of the incipient action, as 
 to stand, and to walk, the other stages 
 of it : 'he first leaped, then stood still, 
 and (then) walked,' i. e. in a regular 
 manner." The perfect cure of so 
 chronic and inveterate a case in an 
 instantaneous manner, sufficiently 
 marks the superhuman character of 
 the act. — Into the temple, praising 
 God. He referred his cure to the 
 liigh source from which it came, and 
 testified his grateful sense of his de- 
 liverance by acts of adoration and 
 praise. How appropriate and beau- 
 tiful that the sick and lame, who 
 have been detained from the courts 
 of the Almightv, should, when able, 
 5* 
 
 enter them, and return thanks that 
 they have received strength and 
 health ! Yet how true to the gener- 
 al insensibility of human nature is 
 the narrative given in Luke xvii. 12 
 -W\ — All the people, S^c. They 
 were witnesses of the fact. They 
 knew what the lame man was be- 
 fore, they saw with their own eyes 
 what he was now, and natural emo- 
 tions of surprise and wonder filled 
 their minds. 
 
 10, 11. They kneiv that it loas he, 
 ^'c. There are several particulars 
 Avhich make the cure of the cripple 
 a strong proof of the miraculous 
 poAver of the apostles, and exclude 
 the possibility of deception. The 
 man had been lame from his birth. 
 He had been known for forty years 
 as an invalid, and been brought dai- 
 ly to his place to beg at one of the 
 most crowded thoroughfares of the 
 temple. He asked not to be cured, 
 but begged money ; and there could 
 have been no collusion between him 
 and his benefactors. He was sud- 
 denly and entirely restored, so as 
 immediately to stand, leap, and walk, 
 as if he had always enjoyed the ex- 
 ercise of his limbs. The cure was 
 done in a public place, and the peo- 
 ple were witnesses 'of it They were 
 convinced tliat it was a miracle. 
 They manifested all the natural signs 
 of astonishment, and, after listening 
 
54 
 
 THE AC'l'S 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it^ he an- 12 
 swered 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 ? The God of Abra- 13 
 ham, 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. 
 
 to the address of Peter, became con- 
 verts to tlie Christian faith in great 
 numbers. Acts iv. 4. It would be 
 credulity of the grossest kind to be- 
 lieve, against all proof or probability, 
 tliat the apostles, in this case, prac- 
 tised any deception or fraud. It 
 would be to take up the saying of 
 one of old, " It is impossible, there- 
 fore I believe." — Held Peter and 
 John. Or, clung to them. He could 
 not leave the side of those, who had 
 done him such an unspeakable ben- 
 efit. He not only praised God, but 
 he expressed his thankfulness to tlie 
 servants of his benevolence. — The 
 jieople ran together. There v/as the 
 hurry and running natural to an ex- 
 cited multitude. They rushed to- 
 gether in a crowd where the men 
 were, who had done the wonderful 
 work. — The porch that is called Sol- 
 omon^s. The portico. This was not 
 probably built by Solomon, but stood 
 where his portico- had done, and up- 
 on the same foundation. It was on 
 the east of the temple, and overhung 
 a very deep valley, from which a wall 
 of inmiense stones had been built up 
 to support it. It afforded a sheltered 
 way in stormy weather ; and, from 
 hints in the New Testament, v/e in- 
 fer that it was a much frequented 
 place. John x. 23 ; Acts v. 12. 
 
 12. Jlnswered unto the people. 
 More correctly, " addressed the peo- 
 ple." — On lis. " Us " is emphatic. 
 He contrasts themselves with "the 
 God of Abraham," &c. The people 
 need not wonder at what is done, as 
 if it was accomplished by any thing 
 
 else than divine power, nor look on 
 us, as if we are any more tlian hum- 
 ble subordinates of the Almighty. 
 Ps. cxv. 1 ; 2 Cor. iv. 5, 7. — Jls 
 though by our own power or holiness, 
 i. e. by any inherent pov.'er, or sanc- 
 tity of character. Lightfoot says 
 that " Such a conceit walked among 
 the nation, that extraordinary holi- 
 ness might attain to miraculous work- 
 ings." The miracle was Avrought by 
 a transmitted energy from God, of 
 which the apostles were but tlic 
 channels and conductors. TJiey 
 disclaimed all tlie honor and gloiy 
 of such an amazino^ deed ; and di- 
 rected attention to its Great Cause, 
 and to the important end for Avhich 
 it was performed. The theory, that 
 miracles are capable of being wrought 
 in proportion as there are faith, and 
 spirituality, and holiness, in tlie agent, 
 is contrary to the text ; which ex- 
 pressly sets aside all such conditions 
 of personal character as essential to 
 the achievement, and refers all back 
 to the higher Source from which the 
 power had emanated, and which em- 
 ployed now a Avavering Moses, and 
 now an impulsive Peter, as its hu- 
 man instrument 
 
 13. The God of Abraham, «,-c. It 
 is not to be overlooked, in this verse, 
 that the apostles do not merely con- 
 trast tliemselves Avith God, but with 
 the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, 
 and of Jacob, tlie God of their fa- 
 thers ; thus seizing upon that relation 
 or character in which the Deity stood 
 to them peculiarly, and which Avas 
 most essential to the purpose in hand. 
 
lil.l 
 
 OF THE Al'Ua'l'LEfcl. 
 
 5& 
 
 U But ye denied the Holy One, and the Just, and desired a mur- 
 15 derer to be granted unto you; and killed the Prince of life, whom 
 
 He addressed their feeling- of coun- 
 try and ancestry. He virtually says, 
 We did not do this great work, but 
 God ; and not only God, but the very 
 God of the ])atriarchs, the Being in 
 whom you trust and glory. The 
 new religion did not alienate them 
 from the protecting Deity of Israel : 
 on the contrary, it was that God him- 
 self who had performed the miracle, 
 through human instrumentalities, to 
 honor his Son. — Glorified his Son 
 Jesus. His servant Jesus, according 
 to Robinson, or his minister, or am- 
 bassador. He wrought the wonder- 
 ful cure, and his object was not sim- 
 ply to relieve trie lame man, but he 
 had an ulterior purpose, — to glorify 
 his Son Jesus, to substantiate his 
 claims as tlie Messiah, to make him 
 honored and obeyed by mankind. 
 The miracles were deeds of kind- 
 ness, but tlieir highest aim was to 
 glorify Jesus, and extend the faith in 
 his divine origin and Messiahsliip. 
 TJiey were mercies, but also proofs, 
 qnickeners, enlighteners. — Whom ye 
 delivered up, Sfc. He compares the 
 glory Aviiich God gave his Son, with 
 tlie indignities which were heaped up- 
 on him by the Jews ; who renounced 
 their allegiance to their Messiah, 
 and, not content with that, even pro- 
 cured his death by wicked Gentile 
 ha]ids. — Pilate, ichtn he was deter- 
 mined, Sfc. He completes the cli- 
 max of their iniquity by showing 
 that they were worse than tlie hea- 
 then judge himself, for he adjudged 
 hirn innocent, and wislied to release 
 him, but was overborne by the clam- 
 or of his enemies. They had been 
 guilty of dishonoring and destroying 
 him whom God, the God of their 
 fathers, glorified; and, still more, 
 they had outraged, by their wicked- 
 ness, even the moral sense of a Gen- 
 tile ruler. 
 
 14, 15. The Holy One, and the 
 Ju^t. Titles elsewhere given to our 
 Lord in Acts iv. 27, 30 ; 1 John ii. 1 ; 
 Rev. iii. 7. His enemies themselves, 
 as well as his friends, joined in pro- 
 nouncing him innocent and right- 
 eous. This was the testimony of 
 Judas, who betrayed, and of Pilate, 
 who condemned, and of Herod, who 
 judged, and of tlie centurion, who 
 guarded his cross. Mat xxvii. 4; 
 Luke xxiii. 14, 15, 47. — Desired a 
 murderer. Barabbas. Luke xxiii. 
 1(3-19. The pitch of their guilt 
 v>^as revealed in the fact, that they 
 not only caused a holy and just per- 
 son, the Prince of life, to be put to 
 death, but had even preferred a mur- 
 derer to him. Every circumstance 
 is introduced and arrayed, so as to 
 give their wickedness its true and viv- 
 id colors. — Killed the Prince of life. 
 Contrasted with " murderer " above. 
 The one took life, the other gave 
 it ; the one destroyed existence, the 
 otiier conferred the highest state of 
 being, — moral, spiritual life. The 
 word here rendered " Prince " is lit- 
 erally "leader," "chief," "conduct- 
 or," and, in Heb. ii. 10, is translated 
 " captain." The idea is, that he is 
 the conductor to spiritual, immortal 
 life ; not that he is the original crea- 
 tor and author of either our physical 
 or moral being. John x. 10. Jesus 
 came to enlarge and enrich our true 
 life ; to extend tlie boundaries of our 
 faith, and hope, and love ; to give our 
 spiritual faculties a higher, wider, 
 and happier exercise. Whoever 
 lives in him, truly lives. — Whom God 
 hath raised from the dead, 6{c. God 
 glorified his Son by raising him to 
 life, after the Jews had put him to 
 a cruel and ignominious death ; of 
 which resurrection the apostles were 
 constituted witnesses to the world. 
 One of their most important offices 
 
56 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 God hath raised from the dead ; whereof we are witnesses. And 16 
 his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, 
 whom ye see and know : yea, the faith whicii is by him, hath 
 given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And 17 
 now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also 
 your rulers. But those things which God before had showed by 18 
 the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath 
 
 was to hear testimony to this all-en- 
 lightening fact, this sublime truth, 
 without which all their preaching 
 was vain, and their converts were 
 yet m their sins. Acts iv. 2 ; 1 Cor. 
 XV. 12-20. In these last verses, 
 an implied antithesis is run between 
 the apostles the supposed, and God 
 the real, cause of the cure ; between 
 the wicked conduct of the Jcavs and 
 the moral sense of Pilate, a heathen 
 governor; between their treatment 
 of Jesus, and the honor shoAvn him 
 by God ; between the choice of Ba- 
 rabbas, a murderer, and the rejection 
 of the guide to life ; between tlie 
 death inflicted on the Messiah by his 
 countrymen, and the life from the 
 dead bestowed by God. There is a 
 strength and majesty in these ad- 
 dresses of the apostles, a power of 
 reasoning and of appeal, which make 
 them especially worthy of the study 
 of all Christian teachers ; and wliich 
 prove that the fishermen of Galilee 
 had received a Avisdom, far superior 
 to the knowledge of their times. 
 
 16. His name, %'c. John xv. 26 ; 
 Acts ii. 33. The miracle is referred 
 to its true source in the faiih re- 
 posed in J esus. The word " name " 
 often stands for the person himself. 
 The value of faith, as here stated 
 by Peter, corresponds with the fre- 
 quent testimony of our Lord to its 
 efficacy. . " Thy faith hatli made thee 
 whole." — Whom ye see and know. 
 Unless the facts had really taken 
 place as related, could the apostle 
 appeal so confidently and triumph- 
 antly to tlieir truth ? Would an im- 
 
 postor repeatedly demand attention 
 and investigation, and refer to the 
 personal knoAvledge of his auditors ? 
 — Yea, the faith tvhich is by him. 
 The idea of faith, as the essential 
 condition to the miracle, is so im- 
 portant that it is repeated in this sec- 
 ond clause of the verse. The mira- 
 cle would prove morally efficacious 
 only in proportion as it was associat- 
 ed with Jesus ; in whose name, and 
 fortlie furtherance of whose gospel, it 
 was worked. Faith in Jesus, as the 
 Son of God, and the promised Mes- 
 siah, is as necessary noAv as then, in 
 order that his religion may work its 
 cure of our diseased and infirm char- 
 acters. 
 
 17, 18. As Neander has observed, 
 " After Peter had said Avhat tended 
 to convince them of their guilt, he 
 adopted a milder tone, to infuse con- 
 fidence, and to revive the contrite. 
 He brought forward what might be 
 said in extenuation of tliose, who had 
 united in the condemnation of Christ, 
 ' that in ignorance they had denied 
 the Messiah,' and that, as far as tliey 
 and their rulers had acted in igno- 
 rance, it was in consequence of a 
 higher necessity. It was the eternal 
 council of God, that the Messiah 
 should suffer for the salvation of 
 men, as had been predicted by the 
 prophets." — / wot. Old English for 
 "I know," from tlie Anglo-Saxon, 
 wit-an, to see, to wit, to bnoAv ; 
 from which comes our word wit. — 
 Through ignorance ye did it, i. e. put 
 Jesus to death. The same extenua- 
 tion of their conduct Avas given by 
 
III.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 57 
 
 19 SO fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your 
 sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come 
 
 our Lord himself, upon tlie cross, 
 Luke xxiii. 34 : " Father, forgive 
 tliem, for they know not what tJiey 
 do ; " and by Paul, in Acts xiii. 27 ; 
 and in 1 Cor. ii. 8 : " Which [wisdom] 
 none of the princes of this world 
 knew ; for, had they known it, they 
 would not have crucified the Lord of 
 glory." This apostle also assigns 
 tlie same palliation of his persecu- 
 tion of the Christian church. 1 Tim. 
 i. 13. It is clear, in these cases, that 
 ignorance is not adduced as an en- 
 tire excuse, but as a mitigation of the 
 guilt. The Jews were culpable for 
 Sieir ignorance. They did not wish 
 to know, did not hear, and see, and 
 understand witli candor, but wrapped 
 themselves up in their prejudices, 
 and turned a deaf ear to the teach- 
 ings of Christ The ignorance of 
 Paul was also sinful, because he had 
 not taken the pains to know tlie 
 truth in so important a matter, and 
 before pursuing such high-handed 
 measures of persecution. Such is 
 the universal rule. That men do not 
 know their duty extenuates, but does 
 not excuse, their misconduct ; for it 
 is tlieir duty to study and know trutlis 
 so vital ; no obligation is more im- 
 perative. — By the mouth of all his 
 prophets. JIU is not to be pressed. 
 The general voice of prophecy, right- 
 ly understood, proclaimed a suffer- 
 ing, as well as an eventually victo- 
 rious, Messiah. Luke xviii. 31, xxiv. 
 26, 27, 46. Compare Is. liii. 3 - 10 ; 
 Dan. ix. 26. — Christ « The Christ," 
 the Messiah. Campbell remarks that 
 " God does not force the wills of his 
 creatures; but he makes both their 
 errors and their vices conduce to ef- 
 fect his wise and gracious purposes." 
 19. Repent ye. Mark i. 15. He 
 noAV makes an application of his 
 doctrine, and appeals to their con- 
 sciences and hearts. If they had erred 
 
 tlu-ough ignorance, they had now an 
 opportunity to make amends for their 
 past wickedness. The particular sin 
 he calls upon them to repent of, was 
 tlie sin of rejecting and crucifying 
 the Messiah : that was their leading 
 iuiquity. — Be converted. Literally, 
 " turn." He exhorts them first to re- 
 pent, to feel remorse for their con- 
 duct, and resolve to amend ; and then 
 to turn from their evil course to the 
 path of life and peace. One word 
 implies rather tlie change of mind, 
 and the other the reformation of the 
 conduct. — That your sins may be 
 blotted out Acts ii. 38 ; Is. xliii. 25. 
 Notwitlistanding their great guilt in 
 the rejection and crucifixion of the 
 Messiah, God was still ready to for- 
 give tliem on condition of their re- 
 pentance and reformation, and their 
 now becoming the disciples of tlieir 
 crucified Saviour. Mat. xii. 32. If 
 they would repent and turn, their 
 " sins would be blotted out." This 
 figure of speech is taken from effa- 
 cing or blotting out Avhat is inscribed 
 on a tablet, or in a book ; as God is 
 represented figuratively as keeping. 
 a book, in which he records the evil 
 actions of men ; a book of remem- 
 brance, from which, if they repent 
 of what they have done, he obliter- 
 ates the accusing entries. It does 
 not appear that the conditions, or the 
 effects of pardon, are any different 
 now, from what they were before the 
 death of Christ. They are still re- 
 pentance and reformation ; the same 
 under the Jewish and under the 
 Christian system. The death of Je- 
 sus was not to affect in the least the 
 fundamental principles of the divine 
 government, but to act upon tlie hu- 
 man heart, and bring it into harmony 
 with the will of God. The strain of 
 Moses and tlie prophets to the wicked 
 and disobedient was, Repent, and 
 
58 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 from the presence of the Lord ; and he shall send Jesus Christ, 20 
 which before was preached unto you : whom the heaven must 21 
 receive, until the times of restitution of all things, which God 
 hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets, since the 
 
 you shall be forgiven. John the 
 Baptist and Jesus preached repent- 
 ance, as the preliminary step to en- 
 tering the kingdom of heaven. And 
 now we find the apostles taking up 
 the same exhortation, and urging 
 home, with irresistible power, on their 
 hearers, the duty of repentance, and 
 the promise of mercy. But it is no- 
 where said in the Bible that forgive- 
 ness cancels all the consequences 
 of sin ; that no blemish or stain is 
 left; that the penitent sinner is as 
 pure and fair as if he had never sin- 
 ned at all. Ps. xcix. 8. Pardon re- 
 moves the greatest evil, the state of 
 alienation from God, and the fear of 
 his displeasure ; but many of tlie 
 physical and moral effects of sin still 
 remain. The wound may be healed, 
 but a scar is left. Therefore fear, 
 fear to sin. — When the times of re- 
 freshing shall come. Or, better, " that 
 the times of refreshing may come." 
 A variety of opinions is held re- 
 specting the meaning of this phrase. 
 But the general idea is this, that, if 
 they would repent and reform, they 
 would be pardoned, and would enjoy, 
 nationally, that happy state of peace 
 and joy belonging to the Mes- 
 siah's kingdom. " The times of re- 
 freshing" — literally, "of breathing 
 again " — were conditional, and de- 
 pended upon the fulfilment of duty 
 on their part If they would accept 
 the proffers ofdivine mercy, and com- 
 ply with the obligation of the new 
 covenant, a happier season would 
 come, when the moral and spiritual 
 laws would be obeyed, when truth, 
 and liberty, and holiness, and love, 
 would reign. The golden age of 
 their untiring hopes would open up- 
 on the world. Tlie kinfydom of God 
 
 would come, and his will be done 
 on earth as in heaven. — From the 
 presence of the Lord. Rendered by 
 Bloomfield, as a Hebrew circumlo- 
 cution for "by God's providence," 
 
 20, 21. Jl7id he shall send Jesus 
 Christ. This is connected with tlie 
 preceding clause, " that the times of 
 refreshing may come, and that he 
 may send Jesus Christ." Acts i. 11. 
 This refers to the coming of Christ, 
 not personally, but in the spirit and 
 power of his religion, especially at 
 the overthrow of Jerusalem and 
 Judaism. The times of refreshing 
 would also be the times of the com- 
 ing of Christ in the spirit, with which 
 he would penetrate the world, the 
 preaching of his disciples, and the 
 reproduction of his own life and like- 
 ness in the characters of his follow- 
 ers. — Preached unto you. Gries- 
 bach and other critics read, "ap- 
 pointed or destined for you." Jesus 
 was sanctified and sent by the Fa- 
 ther for the rescue and salvation of 
 the world, dead in trespasses and 
 sing. He was set apart for this of- 
 fice. The speaker urges the point, 
 that Jesus came not to preach him- 
 self, not to do his own will, but the 
 Avill of him that sent him ; that he 
 was the ordained ambassador, clothed 
 with the authority of Heaven, and en- 
 titled to the obedience of men. He 
 was no pretender, no impostor, but 
 the very Son of God, the venerated 
 Messiah, the heavenly King. There 
 could only be guilt and ruin in re- 
 jecting his claims ; but, on the other 
 hand, times of refreshing would fol- 
 low the faitli and practice of his re- 
 lioion. — Whom the heaven must re- 
 ceive. Or, rather, " must retain ; " or, 
 " whom it is proper that the heavena 
 
III.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 22 world began. 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 
 
 23 unto you. And it shall come to pass, that every soul which will 
 not hear that Prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 
 
 should retain." This was thrown in 
 to meet a difficulty in the Jewish 
 mind. The Messiah was expected 
 to reign in person on the earth. But 
 he was withdrawn at his ascension, 
 and was no more to be seen guiding 
 and animating his followers. The 
 apostle assures his hearers that the 
 heavens ought to retain him, that it 
 was not proper tiiat he should be 
 personally present during the pro- 
 cess of moral renovation in the world. 
 Lightfoot parapln-ases the whole pas- 
 sage thus : " However, tlierefore, ye 
 have crucified Christ, yet God shall 
 still send you Jesus Christ in the 
 preaching of the gospel, to fulfil 
 these things. Him, indeed, as to his 
 person, the heavens do contain, and 
 sliall contain, until all these things 
 be perfected ; expect not, therefore, 
 with the erring nation, his personal 
 presence always on earth, but he 
 shall make up and constitute all 
 things by us his ministers, until the 
 times determined and prefixed for 
 the perfecting of this restitution 
 shall come." — The. times of restitu- 
 tion of all things. The times of re- 
 storing or accomplishing all things. 
 Milman remarks that " This restitu- 
 tion of all things, in the common 
 Jewish belief, was to be almost si- 
 multaneous with, or to follow very 
 closely, the appearance of the Mes- 
 siah ; " and he hints that Peter may 
 not yet have been entirely disen- 
 cumbered of the Jewish notion that 
 the Messiah would immediately re- 
 appear, to fulfil to the Jewish people 
 all that they iiad hoped from this 
 greater than Moses. Acts i, 6. " The 
 times of restitution," and " the times 
 of refreshing," ver. 19, are tliought 
 
 by some to be the same. They are 
 equivalent to the time when tlie 
 prophecies relating to the Messiah 
 should be accomplished, when Chris- 
 tianity should prevail, and a new 
 moral creation arise. Mat xvii. 11 ; 
 1 Cor. XV. 25; Heb.x.l2, 13; 2 Pet 
 iii. 13. Newcome, with Pearce, par- 
 aphrases the sentence thus : " When 
 all things shall be disposed, ordered, 
 settled, in a perfect state, from their 
 present imperfect one." There is no 
 reference, probably, to the end of 
 time, or to the general resurrection. 
 
 — Which Concerning which times. 
 
 — By the mouth of all his holy proph- 
 ets, since the world began. Or, " from 
 the beginning." Nothing is more 
 clear than that Judaism contemplat- 
 ed a successor superior to itself; that 
 the Old Testament points to tlie 
 New ; that Moses and the prophets 
 saw, in prophetic vision, Jesus and 
 the apostles. And, in reasoning with 
 the Jews, Peter well presses this ar- 
 gument, that Jesus was foretold by 
 the patriarchs and prophets ; and that, 
 so far from his deserting the ancient 
 faith, he was most directly and faith- 
 fully carrying it out to its legitimate 
 and expected results, and advancing 
 the great hope and desire of the na- 
 tion to the consummation, devoutly 
 to be wished. 
 
 22, 23. Moses. The Jews relied 
 much upon the authority of Moses ; 
 and if the apostle could adduce his 
 great name on his side, the effect 
 Avould be irresistible. He shows 
 that, so far from rejecting Moses, he 
 clung with the most reverential faith 
 to his teachings. — Uiito the fatlitrs^ 
 i. e. the ancient Israelites. — Ji proph- 
 et. See Deut xviii. 15, 18, 19. The 
 
60 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow 24 
 after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these 
 
 general view of the commentators 
 is, tliat Moses predicts a series of 
 prophets, rather than any single in- 
 dividual ; and that the words are ap- 
 plicable to Jesus, as he was the 
 greatest and the last of the line ; and 
 what is said of the guilt of disobe- 
 dience, is especially applicable to 
 those who rejected and crucified 
 him. — Of your brethren, like unto 
 me. Acts vii. 37. This sufficiently 
 indicates tlie character of the pro- 
 phetic line, and of the last, as of all 
 preceding members. Jesus resem- 
 bled Moses, though in nature and of- 
 fice far exalted above him, in the 
 fact that he was the head of a new 
 covenant, that he was a lawgiver, and 
 that he was a mediator between God 
 and his people. How free from jeal- 
 ousy was that great Hebrew leader, 
 in thus pointing out the long line of 
 his successors, and the illustrious 
 personage at its close ! Hov/ much 
 of the self-forgetting spirit, which af- 
 terwards characterized John the Bap- 
 tist ! — "he must increase, but I must 
 decrease." — That every soul, ^t. 
 This is not an exact quotation, but 
 gives the sense of Deut. xviii. 19, 
 " I will require it of him." — Shall 
 be destroyed from among the people, 
 i. e. not put to death, but cut olf, ex- 
 communicated — the most fearful of 
 all punishments. He could be no 
 true Israelite, who did not hearken 
 to the prophet whom Moses himself 
 had pointed out, and for which his 
 religion was but a preparation. TJie 
 argument of this address of Peter, 
 the more we consider his audience, 
 will be felt to be unanswerable. 
 We cease to wonder at the immense 
 number of his converts. Acts iv. 4. 
 When we compare his present speech 
 with his former blindness and vacil- 
 lation, can we hesitate to ascribe the 
 
 difference to the working in his mind 
 of new influences, shed abroad on 
 tlie day of Pentecost ? 
 
 24. All the prophets. A general 
 term, not to be cut to the quick ; a 
 majority, many of the prophets. — 
 Samuel. He was the most distin- 
 guished religious teacher and proph- 
 et after Moses, and the Jews called 
 him "the master of the prophets." 
 He is mentioned in honorable con- 
 nexion with Moses and Aaron, in Ps. 
 xcix. 6. In 2 Sam. vii. 16, 25, 29, 
 we have references to the perpetui- 
 ty of the house of David, which is 
 fulfilled in the reign of Jesus the son 
 of Da\ id. — As many as have spok- 
 en, i. e. officially, professionally, as 
 religious teachers and prophets. Gen. 
 xii. 3 ; Is, xi. liii. ; Dan. ix. 2G ; Hag. 
 ii. 7, 9. Though we may find it dif- 
 ficult, in all cases, to point out the 
 exact prediction in so many words, 
 yet we find, in most of the prophet- 
 ical books, a looking forward and up- 
 ward to a glorious age to come : a 
 yearning after a purer and happier 
 condition of the world ; bnlliant 
 flashes of hope in the deepest na- 
 tional abasement ; and an unfaltering 
 faith in that overruling God Avho 
 would bring light out of darkness, 
 and make the wrath of men praise 
 him. Hardly any object in the world 
 is more sublime, morally speaking, 
 than one of those old Hebrew seers, 
 plunged in the midst of a dark and 
 degraded generation ; yet lifting up 
 his" head, and looking beyond his 
 time to the auspicious future, to the 
 Messiah and his kingdom; and, 
 amidst poverty, contempt, and sin, 
 still maintaining an unshaken loyal- 
 ty to his God, and perhaps falling a 
 victim to popular odium or royal 
 jealousy, as a preacher of righteous- 
 
III.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 61 
 
 23 days. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant 
 which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And 
 
 2G in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 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. 
 
 25. Ye are the. children of the 
 prophets. A phrase expressive, not 
 of literal descent, but of endeared 
 moral relation. They were the sons, 
 pupils, disciples, of the prophets. 
 They professed to follow their guid- 
 ance, and trust in their predictions. 
 He appeals to them to make good 
 their honorable relation to the proph- 
 ets, on this occasion, by hearkening 
 to their prophecies of the Messiah. 
 He would awaken their reverence, 
 and enlist even their pride on the 
 side of truth. He would warn them 
 not to disgi-ace, by their infidelity, the 
 exalted character of being the sons 
 of the prophets. — Of the covenant. 
 Tliey were the children of the cov- 
 enant, i. e. admitted to its privileges. 
 They were a party in tiie compact, 
 by which the Lord would be their 
 God, and tliey should be his people. 
 Gen. xxii. ]8. As they would not 
 forfeit their title to the great bless- 
 ings of the ancient covenant, the 
 venerable charter of their national 
 existence and distinction, — as they 
 Avould be faithful to that binding 
 compact of two thousand years, — he 
 entreats them not to reject him who 
 was the centre and crown of the 
 whole, the Messiah, in whom the 
 wJiole huiiKin species were to be 
 blessed. — M/ide, ivith our fathers. 
 The reverence they owed their an- 
 cestors should not suffer them to 
 break lightly the ancient agreement. 
 — Saying unto ./Vorahavi, ^c. Gen. 
 xii. 3, xvii. 2-10, xviii. 18. Since 
 the Messiah was to spring from the 
 line of Abraham, it was thus that, 
 in his seed, all the nations of the 
 earth should be blessed. This sen- 
 tence is a declaration of the univer- 
 
 VOL. III. 6 
 
 sality of the Christian religion, — the 
 richest and the most needed bless- 
 ing that can be conferred upon the 
 world. Gal. iii. 8, 16. Thank God, 
 prophecy is now becoming history, 
 and all nations are being blest by 
 the gospel : the heralds of the cross 
 pierce the darkest corners of the 
 earth, and Jesus is preached and 
 obeyed among some of all the kin- 
 dreds of the earth. — In thy seed. 
 Through thy seed, i. e. the Messiah, 
 the descendant of Abraham. 
 
 26. Unto you first. The Jews 
 were first favored with the privileges 
 of the gospel. The opportunity was 
 given to the lost sheep of the house 
 of Israel to return to the fold of the 
 true Shepherd. But if they lent a 
 deaf ear to the voice of mercy, then 
 the apostles were to turn to the Gen- 
 tiles. Mat. X. G ; Luke xxiv. 47 ; John 
 iv. 22 ; Acts xiii. 46. — Having raised 
 up, i. e. originally provided. Ver. 22. 
 No reference is here made to his 
 having raised Jesus from the dead. 
 Cod had created, appointed, sancti- 
 fied, and sent his Son on this great 
 moral errand of bringing men back 
 from their wanderings. He was the 
 Messenger of his will, the Ambassa- 
 dor of iiis counsels. — To bless you. 
 Ver. 25. You would share in his 
 blessings M'ith the rest of the kin- 
 dreds of the earth, or even earlier, 
 and more than they. — In turning 
 away every one- of you from his ini- 
 quities. Words of truth and power. 
 Jesus came to save us not in our 
 sins, but from them. Mat i. 21. 
 The apostle seems here to become 
 aware of the spiritual nature and 
 object of Christ's mission, as a moral 
 agency to save men from error and 
 
THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The Imprisonment of Peter and John, their Examination before the Sanhedrim, 
 and Release, and the Prosperity of the Christian Church. 
 
 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain 
 
 sin. What greater blessing for all 
 the kindreds of the human family 
 than this ! Speak not of gold and 
 silver, of genius, or office, or sceptres. 
 Do we not knoAv that they are baw- 
 bles all, when compared witli turning 
 from error and sin to the faith, obe- 
 dience, and service, of the ever-living 
 Father? Neither earth nor heaven 
 has any greater good to bestow, than 
 to wean men from their base and 
 selfish desires, and implant the germ 
 of a moral, spiritual, and heavenly 
 life. Too often, alas ! has tlie beau- 
 tiful purpose of his religion been 
 overlooked, and the gospel been 
 made an engine of party or power. 
 But there it still stands on high, the 
 lotty, the monumental truth, that Je- 
 sus came to save men by turning 
 them from wickedness of every kind, 
 from all abuses and perversions, from 
 injustice, and sensuality, and impie- 
 ty, to reconcile them to God, and 
 breathe a new spiritual life into their 
 souls. O that every denomination 
 of Christians might inscribe tliis sub- 
 lime purpose on its banners, and go 
 forth to war, not with its brethren, 
 but with the common and mortal foe, 
 with sin and misery ! And when we 
 see the great spiritual design of 
 Christianity, its benevolence and ex- 
 cellence, how Avorthy was it then of 
 labor, danger, and even the sacrifice 
 of life ; and how Avorthy is it noAv of 
 the same boundless devotion in its 
 behalf! — Every one of you. Reli- 
 gion is a personal concern. Christ 
 Avould bless and save every man. 
 But there is no truth more certain, 
 than that Ave can be blessed and 
 saved by him only in proportion as 
 we are faithful in our duties, and 
 exert our OAvn poAvers to love and 
 
 follow him. There is no magic, no 
 spell, in his salvation, by Avhich the 
 sluggard or the scoflTer can be res- 
 cued from the path of ruin, without 
 any effort on his part. His religion 
 is a system of motives, means, helps, 
 in beautiful analogy with the great 
 fabric of Nature and the living pres- 
 ence of Providence. Jesus saves us 
 by teaching us the truth ; by the 
 communication of spiritual influ- 
 ences ; by spurring our flagging 
 powers, and enkindling our dead- 
 ened affections ; by presenting high 
 and holy motives, draAvn from God, 
 from life, death, and eternity, fitted 
 to bear on the vital springs of action, 
 the living point of the heart He 
 has come to give us thrilling con- 
 victions of the evil and ruin of sin, 
 to uncover the judgment scene, to 
 bring immortality to light, and to 
 lead us to act Avith a Avise reference 
 to futurity. But only as Ave cherish 
 an individual faith in Christ, and a 
 sense of personal responsibility, can 
 Ave be " every one of us," turned from 
 our iniquities, and blessed and saved 
 Avitli an everlasting salvation. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 ]. ^^nd as they spake. "While 
 they were speaking" Avould be a 
 more definite rendering. The di- 
 vision into chapters interrupts the 
 narrative commenced in the last 
 chapter. — The priests. They at- 
 tended upon the temple service in 
 great numbers, and Avould be jealous 
 of any interference Avith their reli- 
 gious influence over the people. — 
 The captain of the temple. Or, " ruler 
 of the temple." Some uncertainty 
 exists respecting this officer. Light- 
 foot, Hammond, and otliers, call him 
 
IV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 6^- 
 
 2 of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being grieved 
 that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the res- 
 
 3 urrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put 
 
 a Roman commander, whose station 
 was in the neighboring tower of 
 Antonia, and whose duty it was to 
 repress any disturbance or insurrec- 
 tion within the courts or avenues of 
 the sacred edifice. But the more 
 probable opinion, advocated by Le 
 Clerc, Lardner, Kuinoel, Rosenmul- 
 ler, Bloomfield, Robinson, Olshausen, 
 and many others, is, that it was a Jew- 
 ish officer, the prefect of the guard 
 of the Levites ; stationed to preserve 
 order and to watch over the sacred 
 things of the temple ; and variously 
 called by the Talmudists, " the man 
 of the mountain of the house," 
 and "the head of the ward." An 
 officer of this description is spo- 
 ken of by Josephus, where he men- 
 tions, in his Antiquities, the bind- 
 ing of " the high-priest Ananias, 
 and the captain Ananus ; " and also 
 calls Eleazer, the son of the high- 
 priest Ananias, " captain." Lardner 
 remarks that, as " there was a great 
 variety of ministrations at the tem- 
 ple, and a great number of priests 
 and Levites always in waiting, but 
 especially at the feasts ; it is very 
 likely there was an officer who pre- 
 sided over each division, and that 
 there was one who had command 
 above all the rest" See Luke xxii. 
 4, 52; also John ^viii. 12. There 
 appears to have been, on this occa- 
 sion, no tumult, as in Acts xxi. 31, to 
 arouse the jealousy of a Roman. 
 Besides, we can hardly suppose that 
 the priests would associate so famil- 
 iarly with a Gentile, lest they should 
 be defiled. — The Sadducees. They 
 constituted one of the leading Jew- 
 ish sects, and at this time appear to 
 have been in the ascendant. See 
 note on Mat iii. 7. They were ac- 
 counted more severe in their admin- 
 istration of public affairs, when in 
 
 power, than the rival sect of Phari- 
 sees. — Came upon them. The origi- 
 nal implies suddenness and violence 
 of approach, as if with hostile inten- 
 tions. 
 
 2. Being: grieved. More than that, 
 "filled with anger, indignation." 
 They were not sorry, but provoked 
 at the conduct of the apostles. — 
 Taught the people. The priests would 
 be more particularly oflfended at this, 
 because they deemed it the exclu- 
 sive right of the Rabbins, and doc- 
 tors of the laAv, and scribes, to teach 
 the people upon the subject of reli- 
 gion. This ecclesiastical jealousy 
 of interference has been exhibited 
 at various periods of history, and 
 many a reformer has met with the 
 frowns of those who were officially 
 the guardians of the interests of truth 
 and righteousness, but who proved 
 unworthy of their high trust. — 
 Through Jesus^ the resurrection from 
 the dead, i. e. that the resurrection 
 was proved and exemplified by the 
 case of Jesus. The Pharisees, who 
 believed in this doctrine, would be 
 indignant to have it advocated in 
 connexion with him whom they had 
 crucified. But tlie Sadducees more 
 particularly would be exasperated at 
 the preaching of this truth, because 
 they denied immortality to the hu- 
 man spirit Acts xxiii. 8. The mo- 
 tives, therefore, suggested in this 
 verse for the persecution of the dis- 
 ciples, are entirely in harmony with 
 what we elsewhere learn of the 
 opinions and pretensions of the 
 priests and Sadducees. No want of 
 charity was shown by the historian 
 in putting this construction upon 
 their proceedings. 
 
 3. Pid them, in hold. Or, "in 
 prison ; " perhaps the same mentioned 
 in Acts V. 18. As it was now even- 
 
64 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Cha]^. 
 
 them in hold unto the next day : for it was now even-tide. How- 4 
 beit, many of them which heard the word, believed; and the 
 
 number of the men was about five thousand. And it came 5 
 
 to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, 
 and Annas the high-priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alex- 6 
 ander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high-priest, 
 
 added, but that the whole number 
 up to this time, amounted to about 
 five thousand. Acts ii. 41, 47. If 
 this growth is astonishing, we must 
 recollect the powerful agencies 
 brought into operation upon the Jews 
 at this time ; which enabled the 
 apostles, in one sense, to do gi-eater 
 works than their Master, as he had 
 predicted. John xiv. 12. The death 
 of Jesus, his resurrection, and ascen- 
 sion, witli all the accompanying cir- 
 cumstances, had prepared tlie way 
 for great effects. The apostles 
 stood upon a vantage ground, not 
 before afforded, from which to urge 
 home the truths of the gospel. 
 
 5, 6. Rulers. By which is prob- 
 ably meant persons of great authori- 
 ty and influence in Jewish affairs, 
 who had seats in the Sanhedrim. 
 This body consisted of about seven- 
 ty members, before whom the apos- 
 tles were tried, as their Lord had 
 been before them. — Elders and 
 scribes. These were different classes, 
 distinguished, the one rather by 
 age and gravity, the other by their 
 employment as transcribers and in- 
 terpreters of the Jesvish law. The 
 Avhole, together, constituted the high- 
 est council of the nation. — Annas 
 the high-priest. Called by Josephus, 
 Ananus. He had been high-priest 
 formerly, and still retained the name, 
 though it is supposed that he now- 
 held the office of vicar, or deputy, 
 Caiaphas being the actual high-priest. 
 He had seen the remarkable fortune 
 of having five sons, and one or two 
 sons-in-law, in the office of high- 
 priest. He is mentioned in connex- 
 ion with Caiaphas in Luke iii. 2 ; and 
 
 ing, — for the miracle was wrought 
 after three o'clock in the afternoon. 
 Acts iii. 1, — they were put into cus- 
 tody until tlie next day, when tlie 
 Sanhedrim could be assembled : 
 though in tlie case of the Master, 
 their hot impatience, and perhaps 
 fear of a reaction in the popular 
 mind, urged them to a night session. 
 Mat. xxvi. 74, xxvii. 1. — Even-tide. 
 Evening. " Tide " is from the An- 
 glo-Saxon word tid, which means 
 time, season, hour. It was probably 
 now about the hour of twilight, 
 called by the Jews the second 
 evening ; the first, according to the 
 Pharisees, beginning at the ninth 
 hour, or our three o'clock. Acts iii. 1, 
 or, according to the Caraites, a class 
 professing greater purity, at sunset, 
 or about our six o'clock, P. M. 
 
 4. Howbeit. " But." Notwith- 
 standing the check now intended by 
 the assault of persecution, the Chris- 
 tian church increased to a great 
 number. — Heard the loord. The 
 Improved Version and Sacy render 
 it "heard tlie discourse of Peter." 
 Luke tlirows in the present verse to 
 show what the effect was of the 
 apostle's preaching, recorded in the 
 last chapter, before he proceeds to 
 give the narrative of the trial. — Be- 
 lieved, I. e. became followers of the 
 Messiah, for faith was the essential 
 preliminary to discipleship. — .ISTum- 
 ber of the men. Of souls, of human 
 beings. — Was. Original, " was 
 made," or "became." — About Jive 
 thousand. The writer does not pro- 
 fess perfect accuracy, but gives the 
 round numbers. The idea seems 
 to be, not that so many were now 
 
IV.l 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 69^ 
 
 7 were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set 
 them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name 
 
 8 have ye done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, 
 
 9 said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if 
 
 to him Jesus was first carried, as it 
 would seem, out of deference to his 
 high standing. John xviii. 13. — 
 Caiaplms. The fact of his relent- 
 less hostility to Jesus, evinced how 
 slight was the probability of an im- 
 partial trial to the apostles. Mat 
 xxvi. 65 ; John xi. 49 - 53, xviii. 14. 
 — John and Alexander. It has been 
 variously conjectured by the learned, 
 that John was the celebrated Jo- 
 chananben Zaccai, a Jewish Rabbin, 
 of whom it was said, at his death, 
 that "the glory of Avisdom ceased ; " 
 and that Alexander was Alexander 
 Lysimachus, a very wealthy man, 
 brother to the distinguished Philo, 
 and connected by marriage with 
 Agrippa the elder ; but nothing cer- 
 tain is known of them beyond their 
 names in this place. — The kindred 
 of the hi^h-priest. Acts v. 1 7. The 
 heads of the twenty-four courses are 
 understood by some ; while others, 
 with more likelihood, regard the kin- 
 dred as signifying the connexions 
 of the powerful house of Annas. By 
 the above enumeration, the historian 
 tacitly exhibits the hopelessness of 
 justice being done to the prisoners, 
 and the formidable array of their en- 
 emies. — At Jerusalem. The San- 
 hedrim sometimes sat in other places. 
 Wakefield, however, intimates, by 
 his version, the idea that the mem- 
 bers of the council belonging to Je- 
 rusalem assembled, while those liv- 
 ing elsewhere were absent, on such 
 short notice. 
 
 7. Set them in the midst. The San- 
 hedrim were seated in a semicircle ; 
 and persons coming before them on 
 business, or criminals, Avere pllced 
 literally "in the midst," or in the 
 area surrounded by the seats of the 
 
 members. It is to be inferred, from 
 ver. 14, that the restored cripple was 
 also put into custody, with his friends, 
 and now arraigned with them before 
 the council ; or that he voluntarily 
 presented himself as an evidence in 
 their behalf. — By what poiver, or by 
 ivhat name, have ye done this ''I Mat 
 xxi. 23. They perhaps thought to 
 intimidate them, or to make them 
 ashamed of avowing as their Mas- 
 ter the crucified Jesus. They com- 
 posed the most venerable body of 
 the nation, men of great weight and 
 influence with the people, of vast 
 learning, and long practice in civil 
 and ecclesiastical affairs ; and they 
 might well suppose that their very 
 presence would strike terror into the 
 fishermen of Galilee, common and 
 unlettered men. They ask them by 
 what poAver or art, and by the in- 
 vocation of Avhat name, they had 
 Avrought the cure of the lame man, 
 related in the previous chapter. " The 
 JcAvs believed very wonderful Avorks, 
 even miracles, to be performed by 
 magic arts and incantation, i. e. in- 
 voking the names of certain angels 
 or illustrious patriarchs," as Abra- 
 ham, Solomon, and others. Compare 
 Acts xix. 13. They therefore in- 
 quire the origin of their poAver, and 
 what name they used, treatino- it as 
 if it had been a case of exorcism or 
 Avitchcraft, in Avhich an unlaAvful or 
 diabolical influence had been used. 
 Mat xii. 24. The Jews pretend that 
 Jesus wrought his miracles by getting 
 possession of the ineffable name of 
 God, deposited in the sanctuary, and 
 usin^ it as a potent talisman. 
 
 8,^9. Filled ivith the Holy Ghost, 
 i. e. the Holy Spirit of God. Mat 
 X. 18-20. That the mind of the 
 
m 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [CiiAi?. 
 
 we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent 
 man, by what means he is made whole; be it known unto you 10 
 all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus 
 Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from 
 the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 
 
 apostle was illuminated by wisdom 
 from on high, may be inferred from 
 the difference of his conduct now, 
 and in the same place on a former oc- 
 casion, related in Mat. xxvi. 69 - 75, 
 and the change of his views respect- 
 ing the object of Christ's coming. 
 Acts i. 6. There is no evidence that 
 any new descent of the Spirit came 
 upon him now ; but he and his asso- 
 ciates were constantly breathing a 
 new atmosphere of life and light 
 since the day of Pentecost. The 
 bands of ignorance and prejudice 
 had dropped off forever, and tliey 
 henceforward lived, and moved, and 
 had tlieir being, in a new world, 
 Avliere they saw things as they are. 
 They were truly filled with the Holy 
 Spirit; they Avere spiritualized ; they 
 no longer dwelt on the ideas of tem- 
 poral fame and power ; they saw the 
 sublime spiritual realities of God's 
 kingdom, and Avere true to the 
 lofty convictions of right and duty. 
 Thus elevated and illumina-ted, wliat 
 strength, courage, boldness, power, 
 and soundness of mind, they display, 
 compared with their timidity in be- 
 fore flying, like a flock of friohtened 
 slieep," frovn the jaws of their pursu- 
 ers ! Now they became truly " sons 
 of thunder;" while tlieir hghtnings 
 enlightened the world, " coming 
 out of-tlie east, and shining even 
 unto the west" — Ye rult7-s of the 
 people, and elders of Israel. While 
 lie thus address -s them with the most 
 profound respect, he tacitly reminds 
 them of their great responsibleness, 
 as actinjy, not only for themselves, 
 but for the nation, the chosen peo- 
 ple of Israel. They were " a city 
 set on a hill." It became them to 
 
 do nothing unworthy of their higJi 
 stations and extensive influence. — 
 The good deed done to the impotent 
 man. Men are usually arraigned for 
 their evil deeds ; if we are judicially 
 examined for the benefit Ave con- 
 ferred on one of our suffering felloAv- 
 creatures, we are prepared to say in 
 Avhose authority Ave have done the 
 miracle. There is a tinge of irony 
 in the ansAver of Peter. — By ivhat 
 means. Rather, " by Avhom," by 
 Avliose name, or authority, the cure 
 Avas Avrought. 
 
 10. Unto you all, ar.d to all the peo- 
 ple of Israel. It Avas not a dec'd to be 
 ashamed of or hidden ; he Avishcd it 
 might be })roclaimed to tlie Avhole 
 n-'ition, in connexion Avitli him in 
 Avhose nam.G and authority it Avas 
 performed. — By the name. The 
 rulers had asked them, "By Avhat 
 name have ye done this ?" Ver. 7. 
 The reply is emphatically put in like 
 terms as the question. — Jesus Christ 
 ofjVazareth. Every Avord carries Avith 
 it Aveight and poAver. It Avas in the 
 name of Jesus, the Me-siah, of Naz- 
 areth — the most distinguished be- 
 insf, originatinof from Avhat they re- 
 garded, in their false estimate of 
 things, as the loAvest of places, out 
 of AA^hich nothing good could come. 
 John i. 4(i. — JVhom ye crucfied, whom 
 God raised, ^-c. He here vividly 
 contrasts, as he did in Acts iii. 13, 
 the manner in Avhich the Messiah 
 Avas treated by his countrymen, Avith 
 the manner of his treatment by God. 
 He charges home upon tliem, Avith 
 unequalled boldness, the crime of 
 crucifying the Messiah. They had 
 arraigned the prisoner to try him as 
 a violator of tlieir laAvs ; but, lo I the 
 
IV 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 67 
 
 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which 
 
 12 is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in 
 any other : for there is none other name under heaven given 
 
 tables are turned, and the prisoner 
 himself becomes judge, and the ru- 
 lers culprits, to answer to the gravest 
 charge, to the most awful crime, com- 
 mitted against the laws of the High- 
 est! Peter, wlio denied his living 
 Lord and Master, owns him departed, 
 and asserts, in the foce of a Saddu- 
 cean high-priest and Sanhedrim, his 
 resurrection from the dead. Whom 
 they had killed, God had brought to 
 life ; whom tliey had raised on the 
 cross, God had raised to heaven. — 
 By him doth this man stand. I re- 
 peat, he says, it was by him that the 
 miracle was wrought; and tliis man, 
 Avho never stood before from the day 
 of his birth, now stands before you 
 as a living witness to the truth of 
 rny statement. " The timid, treiti- 
 liling, yielding, vacillating Simon, he 
 wjio just before was terrified by a 
 servant crirl, and who, on the lake, 
 ■was afraid of sinking, is now trans- 
 ibrmed into the manly, decided, and 
 firm CepJias, (rock,) fearless before 
 the great council of the nation, and, 
 in an unv»'avering tone, asserting the 
 authority of him whom he had just 
 before denied, and Avh^an they had 
 just before put to death. Peter had 
 no worldly motive to actuate liim. 
 Nothing but a conviction of the t7-idh 
 could have wrought tiiis change, and 
 transformed this timid disciple into a 
 bold and uncompromising apostle." 
 Barnes. Nothing is said, upon these 
 occasions, of John, except that he is 
 witli Peter. We can readily con- 
 ceive how much the more ardent and 
 hnpetuous apostle leaned for sympa- 
 thy and support upon the disciple 
 whom Jesus loved: and what a silent 
 strength was shed into his naturally 
 wavering spirit. Gal. ii. '2-14, from 
 tliat beaming presence of love and 
 of fortitude, which, if it dared less, 
 
 could bear more, and which had stood 
 in the hall of Caiaphas, and at the 
 foot of the cross, when Peter had 
 quailed and fled. Compare John 
 xviii. 15, 16; Mat. xxvi. 75; John 
 xix. 26, 27. 
 
 11. This is the stone, S^c. This is 
 a quotation from Ps. cxviii. 22, and 
 applied, by way of illustration, to him- 
 self by Jesus, Mat. xxi. 42, as it is 
 also here by Peter. The idea is, 
 that Jesus, whom they had rejected, 
 w^as the true Messiah. The figure 
 is taken from architecture, in which 
 the builders lightly value at first a 
 stone, which they afterwards employ 
 as a top-stone, or coping. It is not 
 the corner-stone of the foundation, 
 but of the summit, which is here 
 spoken of, though elsewhere a simi- 
 lar figure is used of the stone at the 
 basis. Is. xxviii. 16 ; Rom. ix. 33 ; 
 £ph. ii. 20; 1 Peter ii. 6. Him 
 whom they had denied, God liad 
 owned ; whom they had insulted, God 
 had honored ; whom they had slain, 
 God had raised up to life; whom 
 they had loaded wdtli opprobrious 
 names, God had honored with the 
 highest titles ; whom they had cast 
 aside as a worthless stone, God, the 
 supreme architect, had wrought into 
 his lofty edifice as the most con- 
 spicuous head of the corner, to bind 
 the whole together, and complete the 
 structure. 
 
 12. Salvation. Literally, " safe- 
 ty," " deliverance." Two methods 
 of interpreting this passage prevail ; 
 one limiting it to the case of physi- 
 cal, miraculous ' cure ; the other ex- 
 tending it over the whole ground of 
 spiritual and eternal salvation. Prob- 
 ably, as a distinguished critic has 
 remarked, the word in the original 
 means, in the first instance, restora- 
 tion to health ; and, by a kind of an- 
 
68 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 among men, whereby we must be saved. Now, when they 13 
 
 saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were 
 unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled ; and they took 
 
 tithesis, which is very common, is 
 afterwards applied in a more exten- 
 sive sense. It is the same word used 
 in Luke xix. 9, and John iv. 22, and 
 in many other places, with a similar 
 import, referring to spiritual bless- 
 ings. The idea of spiritual safety 
 was no doubt suggested by the res- 
 toration of the lame man to sound- 
 ness ; but that this verse is not a 
 mere frigid declaration of the only 
 healing miraculous power being res- 
 ident in Christ, or capable of being 
 invoked in his name, is apparent from 
 the preceding verse; in which the 
 Messiah is spoken of in his highest 
 capacity, as exalted by God to the 
 summit of poAver and influence, 
 though rejected and crucified by 
 men. Again, the last part of the 
 verse, " whereby we must be saved," 
 militates against the notion of mere 
 bodily cures being intended. The 
 whole forms a fitting conclusion and 
 virtual exhortation suitable at the 
 close of his address. — JVone other 
 name. By which is meant system, 
 faith, religion. — Given. Or, " es- 
 tablished." — Whereby we must he 
 saved. In the paraphrase of Haynes, 
 " There is no otlier or different way 
 of salvation than what Christ taught, 
 nor any ' different teacher.' The way 
 of salvation is but one ; and a differ- 
 ent teacher must be a false teacher." 
 It is not meant that none are saved 
 of the heathen, or Muhammedans, or 
 Jews, or infants, that never heard of 
 the Saviour ; or that individuals of 
 these classes that are saved, are saved 
 without their own choice or knowl- 
 edge, by any change which the death 
 or mediation of Christ has worked 
 upon the fundamental laws of God. 
 For we are assured, on the best au- 
 thority, — that of this apostle him- 
 self, — that " God is no respecter of 
 
 persons ; but, in every nation, he that 
 feareth him, and worketh righteous- 
 ness, is accepted with him." Acts 
 X. 34, 35. If any man, in any part 
 of the earth, has become, under the 
 influence of nature, providence, and 
 the Spirit of God, without the Bible 
 and the Saviour, holy, and just, and 
 true, in one word, Christ-like, he is 
 saved ; he is prepared for a future 
 state, for heaven, for the presence of 
 God and the society of Jesus. He 
 has thus, without knowing it, become 
 a Christian, so far as he could. There 
 is but one kind of goodness in the 
 world ; and he who possesses that, 
 under whatever system, whose spir- 
 itual nature and affections are in 
 healthy exercise, and whose aim is 
 heavenward, is saved here and here- 
 after. This view does not contra- 
 dict in any measure the text, when 
 fairly interpreted ; for it is clearly 
 a general, not a universal, proposi- 
 tion ; or, if universal, it is so in the 
 sense of spiritual resemblance to Je- 
 sus, that all must be saved by being 
 like him, having his spirit It is 
 prospective, also, not retrospective, 
 and signifies that Christianity is to 
 be the only saving religion in the 
 world ; the great moral lever to raise 
 the degraded and fallen, the grand 
 agency of the soul's rescue, guid- 
 ance, and culture. Moses was su- 
 perseded ; henceforth mankind were 
 to date from Christ, as the author of 
 a new moral epoch and creation, the 
 Adam of a. new human species. John 
 xiv. 6 ; 1 Cor. iii. 11. 
 
 13, 14. The boldness of Peter and 
 John. Or, more exactly, " the free- 
 dom of speech," the confidence in 
 defending themselves. 2 Cor. iv. 13. 
 The apostles exhibited no audacity 
 or irreverence, but a free, frank, and 
 ready speech, and an assured and 
 
IV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 li knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. And be- 
 holding the man which was healed standing with them, they 
 
 unabashed demeanor, not usual in 
 common persons who were brought 
 before so august a council as the 
 Sanhedrim. — Unlearned and igno- 
 rant men. This is a very unfortunate 
 rendering of our translators, and rep- 
 resents the apostles as inferior to 
 what they really were. That they 
 were neither " unlearned " nor " ig- 
 norant," in the usual sense of those 
 words, is apparent from the Gospel 
 which one, and the Epistles Avhich 
 both, wrote ; from the speeches here 
 given ; from their sayings in other 
 places ; from tlie fact that they had 
 been so long under the instruction of 
 Chi'ist ; and from the presumption that 
 they were as well acquainted with 
 the sacred literature of their nation, 
 as the fidelity of parents, and the 
 general care taken in this respect, 
 would make them. The 61*81 word 
 simply expresses the idea that tliey 
 were " illiterate," not that they were 
 not versed in the Scriptures ; their 
 quotations showed them to be so ; 
 but that they were unacquainted with 
 the rabbinical lore, with the tradi- 
 tions and Talmuds, the oral law, 
 which had been accumulating for 
 ages around the Mosaic writings, 
 and which constituted the everlast- 
 ing study and hair-splitting of the 
 Jewish schools. The scribes and 
 doctors of the law looked with su- 
 preme contempt, John vji. 49, up- 
 on those that Avere uninitiated into 
 these endless mysteries and laby- 
 rinths of comments, and fables, and 
 sophistries, by which the traditions 
 of men had been elevated above the 
 commandments of God ; and which 
 made more account of tithing mint, 
 and anise, and cumin, than of ob- 
 serving judgment, mercy, and faith. 
 See Mat xi. 25 ; 1 Cor. i. 27. Jesus 
 and his followers came to bring men 
 back to the simple and eternal truths 
 
 of God's kingdom ; and, though pos- 
 sessed of tliis highest and best of all 
 knowledge, they were called " illit- 
 erate," because they had not received 
 the education of sophists and casu- 
 ists. Mat. xiii. 54 ; John vii. 15, 1(). 
 The other term, "ignorant," is, in 
 the original, "common men," ren- 
 dered, by Luther, Cranmer, and Tyn- 
 dale, " lay men " or persons. Refer- 
 ence is simply made to the private, 
 unofficial stations of Peter and John. 
 Thoy held no civil or ecclesiastical 
 office, yet presumed to work mira- 
 cles and teach the people : this was, 
 in the eyes of wise scribes and law- 
 yers, contraiy to all precedent and 
 propriety. — Took knowledge. Or, 
 " recognized." They first marvelled, 
 and tlieir w^onder stimulated their 
 recollection or perception. — Thai 
 they had been iviih Jesus. " Had 
 been his companions and adherents." 
 They recognized tlie source of their 
 power in him Avho had been their 
 Master and Teacher. — The man 
 ivhich loas healed standing. The last 
 word is emphatic ; he stood before 
 them, having been completely cured 
 of his lameness. This r/as now the 
 second day, and the cure still held 
 good, and there was no relapse. — 
 Could say nothing against it. Could 
 not gainsay or deny it Ver. 16 ; Acts 
 xix. 3(). This is important testimo- 
 ny. But, though they could not re- 
 fute the argument of Peter intellect- 
 ually, their hearts Vv-ere hardened, that 
 they 'Would not believe in the divine 
 origin and right of Jesus as tlie Mes- 
 siah. Prejudice and pride prevent- 
 ed them from bowing to the lowly 
 Nazarene. Barnes remarks, that, 
 though the apostles were " not taught 
 in the schools, yet there was an im- 
 portant sense in which they were not 
 unlearned and ignorant men. Their 
 example should not, tlierefore, be 
 
70 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 could say nothing against it. . But when they had commanded 15 
 them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among them- 
 selves, saying, What shall we do to these men ? for that indeed 16 
 a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them 
 that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But that it 17 
 spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, 
 that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they 18 
 called them, and commanded them not to speak at ail, nor teach 
 
 pleaded in favor of an unlearned 
 ministry. Christ himself expressed 
 his opposition to an unlearned min- 
 istry, by teaching them himself, and 
 then by bestowing on them miracu- 
 lous endowments, which no learning 
 at present can furnish. It may be 
 remarked, further, that, in the single 
 selection which he made of an apos- 
 tle after his ascension to heaven, 
 when he came to choose one who 
 had not been under his personal 
 teaching, he chose a learned man, 
 the apostle Paul, and thus evinced 
 his purpose that there should be 
 training, or education, in those who 
 are invested with the sacred of- 
 fice." 
 
 35, 16. Commanded them to go 
 aside. To enjoy greater opportunity 
 and freedom to deliberate together, 
 as to the best management of the af- 
 fair. This was customary in courts, 
 where, after an ambassador had giv- 
 en his message, he was requested to 
 withdraw for a time, until the coun- 
 cillors could confer together and 
 come to a decision. — Council. In 
 the original, " Sanhedrim ; " the tech- 
 nical name for the Jewish council of 
 seventy, used here, however, rather 
 as the place of their meeting, the 
 council-chamber. — What shall we 
 do. They were in a dilemma, as 
 men always are when they are in 
 the wrong. John xi. 47. They 
 could not deny, and they ivoidd not 
 acknowledge, the cure that had been 
 performed, and the conclusion to 
 which it irresistibly led, of die truth 
 
 and authority of Jesus as the Mes- 
 siah. They Avished, therefore, to 
 hush up the matter, terrify the preach- 
 ers into silence, and get over the dif- 
 ficulty in the easiest way possible. — 
 JVotable miracle, i. e. a miracle well 
 known, published abroad. It was 
 spread through the city. Every body 
 had heard of it. — We cannot deny it. 
 It was in vain, therefore, for them, 
 wise and influential as they were, to 
 attempt to discredit so plain a matter 
 of fact. If the people were igno- 
 rant of their curious learning, yet 
 tliey could not be cheated out of 
 the testimony of tlieir own senses. 
 They had seen and known the lame 
 man, and they now beheld him re- 
 stored. These facts were too stub- 
 born to be winked out of sight. 
 
 17, 18. That it spread no further 
 among the people. They were anx- 
 ious that the doctrine, in further- 
 ance of which the miracle had been 
 wrought, should be stayed from wi- 
 der progress among the people, over 
 whom they professed to hold supreme 
 jurisdiction. How utterly vain, how 
 childishly weak and wicked, such a 
 plan! that the gospel spread no 
 further among the people ! tliat tlie 
 rising sun go down in the east ! How 
 little had they computed the re- 
 sources of the truth and its destiny ! 
 what blind guides to the people Avhom 
 they pretended to lead! Has not 
 this history, in its essential features, 
 been repeated since, and man vainly 
 and madly sought to stifle the con- 
 victions of duty, and stop tiie diffu- 
 
IV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 71 
 
 19 in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said 
 unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken 
 
 20 unto you more than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but 
 
 sion of Hght ? Such eftbrts may be 
 successful for a time ; but 
 
 " Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again ; 
 
 'i'he eternal years of God are hers ; 
 
 While Error, wounded, writhes in pain, 
 
 And dies amidst her \vorshii)per8." 
 
 — Straitly threaten. A Hebraism, 
 literally rendered " threaten with a 
 threat," and expressing intensity of 
 meaning. — JVot to speak at all, nor 
 teach, in the name of Jesiis. They 
 forbade them from proclaiming in 
 any way the name and authority of 
 Jesus, or using it amon^ the people 
 at all, even to work a miracle and a 
 cure. 
 
 19, 20. Whether it he right in the 
 sight of God, ^c. The principle on 
 which they act they are ready to 
 submit to their judges themselves, 
 for they felt assured that they could 
 not impugn its validity. They were 
 the servants of God, not of man. 
 They had been chosen to go forth 
 on an important mission to the world. 
 They had been the bosom compan- 
 ions of the Messiah, and received 
 his command to preach his gospel, 
 and feed the flock. They had been 
 endued with a spiritual influence to 
 qualify them yet further for their 
 work. Should tliey pause, turn back, 
 and obey the command of man, to 
 give up this enterprise ? There could 
 be no doubt respecting their duty, 
 and by that they intimate they shall 
 abide, come Avhat Avill. They had 
 once fled ; but they flee no more ; 
 their minds are made up, and they 
 are ready to do and suffer all in be- 
 half of their Master. The avowal 
 of their principles is still more ex- 
 plicit in Acts V. 29. The commen- 
 tators quote from heatlien philoso- 
 pliers, expressions breathing a kin- 
 dred spirit, as if the duty was so 
 plain as to be visible even in the 
 
 light of nature. Thus Socrates said 
 to his judges, " I embrace and love 
 you, O ye Athenians, but I will obey 
 God rather than you." Thus, too, 
 Arrian enjoined, " When thy supe- 
 riors command thee any thing, thou 
 must remember there is One above 
 who sees thee, and that thou ought- 
 est rather to please him than man." 
 In things lawful and innocent, it is 
 not only right, but a duty, to obey 
 the magistrate ; but in things un- 
 lawful, and clashing with the will of 
 God, it is equally right and a duty to 
 obey God rather than man. " It is a 
 rule in the common law of England, 
 that if any statute be made contra- 
 ry to the law of God, it is null and 
 void." It ought to be the rule of ev- 
 ery land. No nation can prosper, or 
 even be a nation, that sets human 
 legislation above the everlasting laws 
 of God. The first question is, what 
 is right ; the second, what is expe- 
 dient. What is right will necessa- 
 rily be expedient, in the grand issue ; 
 but what seems, to the short-sighted 
 vision of man, expedient for the time 
 being, may not be right. There is 
 danger of sometimes mistaking what 
 the will of God is, what is right, and 
 confounding the dictates of our own 
 passions with the intimations of con- 
 science and the voice of the Almigh- 
 ty. It is therefore needful to enlight- 
 en, as well as to obey, conscience. — 
 JVe cannot but speak the things, S^c. 
 Necessity was laid upon them to 
 preach the gospel. They must speak 
 or die. Truths were struggling with- 
 in for utterance — truths which they 
 had been commissioned to proclaim ; 
 truths vital to the interests and sal- 
 vation of a sinful world. They were 
 chosen to be witnesses to the great 
 facts of the life, death, and resurrec- 
 tion, of Jesus, and they could not 
 
72 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 speak the things which we have seen and heard. So, when they 21 
 had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing 
 how they might punish them, because of the people : for all men 
 glorified God for that which was done. For the man was above 22 
 forty years old on whom this miracle of healing was showed. 
 
 And being let go, they went to their own company, and report- 23 
 ed all that the chief-priests and elders had said unto them. And 24 
 when they heard that, they lift up their voice to God with one 
 accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast m.ade heaven. 
 
 prove " disobedient unto the heaven- 
 ly vision." 1 Cor. ix. 16. However 
 much they respected tlie authority of 
 the Sanhedrim, they plainly intimat- 
 ed that they should disregard their 
 commands, in consideration of the 
 higher law of tlie Eternal. 
 
 21. Further threatened them. The 
 Sanhedrim, seeing tlie purpose of 
 their prisoners, and judging them to 
 be contumacious, add yet further 
 threatenings, and then dismiss them. 
 — Finding nothing how they might 
 punish them. Finding no way to 
 proceed against them, as they had 
 violated no law, and as the sympa- 
 thy of the people was enlisted in 
 their favor. — Because of the people. 
 " The common people heard Jesus 
 gladly," and they were in general 
 much more open to conviction than 
 the learned and powerful of tlie na- 
 tion. Their favor repeatedly be- 
 friended both Jesus and his apostles, 
 and stayed the uplifted arm of vio- 
 lence. But they were fickle-mind- 
 ed ; and when they had shouted ho- 
 sannas one day, they would, perhaps, 
 cry. Crucify him, the next. Mat. xxi. 
 26, xxvi. 5 ; Acts v. 26. — Glorified 
 God, S^-c. They referred the cure of 
 the cripple to its true source, in God, 
 who had given such power to men. 
 The better feelings of their nature 
 praised and reverenced so v»onder- 
 ful and beneficent a deed ; and the 
 rulers feared to inflict on Peter and 
 John what their hearts prompted of 
 wrong and cruelty. 
 
 22. ^hove forty years old. This 
 fact was not stated before, but it 
 comes in here incidentally, to show 
 that one cause of the devout praise 
 of the people was the cure of the 
 lameness ; after it had proved so in- 
 veterate and hopeless, and their sym- 
 pathies had been so lono- called forth 
 towards the poor helpless sufferer, 
 laid, as he was, to beg in a public 
 place. 
 
 23. TJiey ivent to their oivn com- 
 pany. Or, " to their own associates," 
 or friends ; probably to the twelve, 
 or to the one hundred and twenty. — 
 The chief-pi'iests and elders. As tlie 
 great council was composed chiefly 
 of these classes of men, their names 
 often stand for the Sanliedrim itself. 
 Peter and John naturally resort for 
 sympathy and guidance to the cir- 
 cle of fellow-believers and fellow- 
 laborers, and report their affairs and 
 dangers. 
 
 24. Lift {for « lifted,") — «'?7A one 
 accord. Probably one led the ser- 
 vice, and the rest joined witli one 
 heart and mind. If there were ene- 
 mies without, there was concord 
 within. — Lord, thou art God, %-c. 
 Their prayer was addressed to God. 
 They did not follow any previous 
 form of devotion, but took one 
 adapted to the feelings and wants 
 of the occasion. Their invocation 
 of tlic Sovereign of the creation, and 
 rising to tlie thought of Him, as the 
 Maker, Proprietor, and Disposer of 
 all worlds and beings, was beautifully 
 
IV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 73 
 
 25 and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is ; who, by the mouth 
 of thy servant David, hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and 
 
 2G the people imagine vain things ? The kings of the earth stood 
 up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and 
 
 27 against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, 
 whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with 
 the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 
 
 28 for to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before 
 
 adapted to soothe and sustain their 
 hearts under their severe trials. 
 They were in the hands of the Al- 
 mighty. He would do what was right 
 and best. All things wore at his dis- 
 posal, and his sei-vants need not fear. 
 25, 26. Thy servant David, Ps. 
 ii. 1, 2. This identifies David as the 
 author of the Psalm. — The heathen 
 rage. A figure, in the original, taken 
 from the neighing and impatience 
 of horses. This P^lm is supposed 
 to have been composed during the 
 hostility of surrounding heathen 
 nations, the Moabites, the Philis- 
 tines, and Amalekites ; and is ap- 
 plicable, by accommodation, to the 
 persecution of Christ and his apos- 
 tles by the Jews, who, in this in- 
 stance, occupied the place of the 
 heathen, in conjunction with Herod, 
 Pilate, and the Romans. — Imagine 
 vain things. Or, " meditate or pur- 
 pose vain counsels." For their plans 
 against infinite Power and Wisdom 
 would necessarily prove futile. The 
 Psalmist remonstrates with them on 
 tlie folly of the attempt to fight 
 against God and his anointed King. 
 — Stood up, i. e. stood side by side, 
 or banded together for mutual help. 
 We have in these two verses an ex- 
 ample of Hebrew parallelism in poe- 
 try ; the last clause in a sentence or 
 verse conveying the same idea as 
 the former, with a slightly varied 
 expression. — The Lord, i. e. Jeho- 
 vah, God. — His Christ. INIore prop- 
 erly rendered, " his Anointed," as in 
 the Psalm itself, where the Septua- 
 voL. ni. 7 
 
 gint version reads, " his Christ," the 
 Greek noun meaning Anointed, of 
 which the verb is given in the suc- 
 ceeding verse, " whom thou hast 
 anointed." David was consecrated 
 as king by Samuel, anointing him 
 with oil in the midst of his brethren, 
 1 Sam. xvi. 13, tlie customary rite of 
 inducting priests, prophets, and kings, 
 into their office. Hence, though Je- 
 sus was never literally anointed, he 
 was appropriately termed the Christ, 
 the Anointed ; as being sanctified by 
 God as a spiritual king and prophet 
 to his people and to the world. 
 
 27, 28. Thy holy child Jesus. 
 Translated properly by some, " thy 
 holy servant." — JVhom thou hast 
 anointed. Or, " set apart " to the oflSce 
 of teacher and Saviour. Messiah, in 
 Hebrew, and Christ, in Greek, mean 
 Anointed. — Herod. Tetrarch of Gal- 
 ilee, sometimes designated as king. 
 Luke iii. 1 ; Mark vi. 14. He was 
 in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' 
 trial, who was sent to him by Pon- 
 tius Pilate, in the hope of shifting 
 the responsibility of condemnation 
 fi-om himself upon another. Luke 
 xxiii. 7, 11. — Pontius Pilate. He 
 was the procurator of Judea at that 
 time, and, by his unwilling sentence, 
 pronounced the doom of crucifixion. 
 M;)t. xxvii. 24, 26. Thus it might 
 be appropriately said, that " kings 
 and rulers " had united against the 
 x\nointed of the Lord. — Gentiles, 
 i. e. Romans, whose soldiers were 
 the executioners. — The people of 
 Israel Who, instigated by the elders 
 
74 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings : and 29 
 grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak 
 thy word, by stretching forth thy l^and to heal ; and that signs 30 
 and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 
 
 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where 31 
 
 they were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the 
 Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. 
 
 and chief-priests, had demanded, with 
 loud outcries, the death of the Mes- 
 siah. Thus "the heathen and the 
 people " conspired against the Lord 
 and against his Christ. — Gatliered 
 together. Griesbach adds, from many 
 authorities, "in this city." This 
 great wickedness had even been 
 done in the holy city itself, the 
 city of God upon Mount Zion. — 
 Thy hand and thy counsel determin- 
 ed before. Or, to adopt the par- 
 aphrase of Newcome, "thy power 
 and tliy counsel, thy powerful coun- 
 sel," determined before. Peter says 
 this to obviate the objection made 
 against a suffering, crucified Mes- 
 siah. It had been so willed by God, 
 though the actors unconsciously per- 
 fonned their part in fulfilling the di- 
 vine purpose, and were to be ab- 
 solved from none of the guilt of 
 their bad motives. Gen. 1. 20. See 
 notes on Acts ii. 23, and iii. 18. 
 
 29, 30. Behold their threatenings. 
 Render them futile, look upon tliem 
 to frustrate their evil counsels. He 
 here refers to the menaces of the 
 Sanhedrim in ver. 17, 2L — That 
 with all boldness, S^-c. With all free- 
 dom of speech, the same expression 
 as used in ver. 13. They prayed not 
 that tJiey might be revenged upon 
 his enemies, not that they might be 
 delivered from danger and suffering ; 
 but their single and heroic petition 
 is, that they may prove adequate to 
 their gre"at and glorious office of 
 preaching the truth to the world ; 
 and that God would follow it with 
 those signs and miracles which 
 
 would seal it with a divine sanction. 
 — Stretching forth thy hand to heal, 
 i. e. exerting thy divine power to 
 heal. The image is taken from the 
 act of stretching out the hand to 
 confer a favor or blessing, or to 
 guide one. — Signs and wonders. 
 Hebraism for "Avonderful signs," 
 miracles, which were the unanswer- 
 able arguments that God was with 
 them.— Holy child Jesus. See note on 
 ver. 27. The word rendered " child " 
 would be more properly translated 
 " sen'ant," as the same word is in 
 ver. 25, where it is applied to David. 
 Not that the English is improper, 
 except as a translation ; it is not en- 
 tirely faithful here to the original. 
 Jesus ivas the holy child and Son of 
 God, but different words are else- 
 where used to convey the idea. Can 
 we read this beautiful and lofty strain 
 of supplication, and not feel how 
 good and how strengthening it is to 
 pray — to pray in union with our 
 friends — and when danger and per- 
 plexity are around us, to turn our 
 faces heavenward, and behold there 
 the glory and goodness of Him that 
 sitteth above all ! How strange that 
 we should be willing to struggle on 
 alone, when such a Helper, such a 
 Defender and Comforter, is nigh ! 
 
 " O, sweet it is to know, to feel. 
 
 In all our gloom, our wanderings here, 
 No night of sorrow can conceal 
 
 Man from thy notice, from thy care." 
 
 31. The place was shaken. At the 
 conclusion of their prayer, the place 
 of their meeting was agitated by an 
 earthquake, or some other commotion 
 
IV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 75 
 
 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, 
 and of one soul : neither said ^ny of them that aught of tlie things 
 which he possessed was his own ; but they had all things coni- 
 
 of the elements, as a sensible token 
 of the answer and favor of God. So, 
 in Acts ii. 2, 3, there are exter- 
 nal manifestations of the descent of 
 the Spirit of God, fitted to impress, 
 through the senses, the soul. The 
 approach of God, or an unusual com- 
 munication of his power, is often 
 represented, in the Old Testament, 
 under the image of an earthcjuake or 
 other striking exhibition of power 
 in the outward creation. Even the 
 heathen, according to Virgil, deemed 
 an earthquake a sign of the favor of 
 the Deity, under some circumstances. 
 Acts xvi. 25, 26. — They ivere all 
 filed with the Holy Ghost. Bloom- 
 field remarks that we must not take 
 Ghost or Spirit here in a personal 
 sense. It is the influence of the 
 Spirit of God. In the language of 
 Lardner, " There was a fresh effusion 
 upon them of knowledge, power, and 
 comfort; whereby they were assured 
 of their being enabled to do every 
 thing needful to confirm the truth of 
 Christ's resurrection." Accordingly, 
 it is said tliere, at ver. 33, " And 
 witli great power gave the apostles 
 witness of the resurrection of the 
 Lord Jesus." It would seem that 
 they had now a better understanding 
 of truths before revealed. — They 
 spake the icord of God tenth boldness, 
 i. e. with freedom and frankness of 
 speech. See remarks on ver. 13, 29. 
 Their prayer was answered, and they 
 were inspired to rise above the fears 
 and menaces of their enemies, and 
 faithfully discharge their hio-h office 
 of proclaiming the truth. Mark xi. 
 23, 24 ; James v. 16. 
 
 32. The Multitude of them. Now 
 amounting to several thousands, ver. 
 4, and daily increasing. Acts ii. 47. 
 — Of one heart and of one soul. 
 Acts iL 42. These words describe 
 
 their love and union in the strongest 
 manner. They were animated with 
 those noble sentiments of love to 
 God, and love to man, which make 
 of one spirit all who receive them in 
 their fulness and purity. The an- 
 cients give several illustrations of 
 the unity of mind produced by friend- 
 ship. The Jews describe two friends 
 as one man. Aristotle, being a.-ked 
 ■what is a friend, replied, " one soul 
 dwelling in two bodies." Plutarch 
 quotes an ancient sentence of the 
 same purport, " two friends, one soul." 
 Ovid speaks of those " who, two in 
 body, were one in mind." If any 
 thing could exceed the convincing 
 argument afforded by the miracles in 
 support of Christianity, it is its moral 
 power in moulding, humanizing, and 
 sanctifying the hearts of its converts. 
 — That aught of the things, 8{c. 
 Used in illustration of their warm 
 sympathy for one another, ratlier 
 than as a literal expression that all 
 the landmarks of property were en- 
 tirely removed. — They had all things 
 common. In use, rather than in pos- 
 session. See notes on Acts ii. 44, 
 45, where the picture of the early 
 church is colored with the same 
 beautiful hues, as in the present pas- 
 sage. They testify practically their 
 love to one another by yielding up 
 their property for the general good, 
 and disregarding their own rights 
 of possession in their readiness to 
 relieve and bless all. Riches bo- 
 came a secondary consideration, in 
 comparison with the glorious truths 
 and interests of their divine Master. 
 Mat. xix, 21. Their example, in its 
 spirit, if not in its letter, is especially 
 Avorthy of being followed in this age ; 
 w^hen so many make haste to be 
 rich, and violate the laws of God 
 and man in their unholy schemes ; 
 
76 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 mon. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the 33 
 resurrection of the Lord Jesus : and great grace was upon them 
 all. Neither was there any among them that lacked : for as M 
 many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and 
 brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them 35 
 down at the apostles' feet : and distribution was made unto every 
 
 man according as he had need. And Joses, who by the 36 
 
 apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, 
 The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 
 
 and when the rust of gold and silver 
 has eaten into the heart and flesh of 
 Christian piety itself. 
 
 33. fVith great power gave the 
 apostles ivitness, ^"C. Both by their 
 preaching and miracles. Ver. 31 ; 
 Acts ii. 43. — The resurrection, &fc. 
 This is the key-stone of the gospel. 
 By confirming this, they gave power 
 and stability to the whole edifice of 
 doctrines and promises, which the 
 Master Builder had erected. In par- 
 ticular, they prostrated the system 
 of the Sadducees, a species of half 
 infidelity, Avhich had then risen to 
 authority, and sat in the seat of 
 Moses. Acts xxiii. 8. For they 
 could not only reason on the subject; 
 but could assert, without fear of con- 
 tradiction, and on the testimony of 
 hundreds of witnesses, the memora- 
 ble fact, that Jesus had personally 
 risen from the tomb, and appeared 
 among the living. — Great grace ivas 
 upon them all. Or, " great favor was 
 upon them all," or all were held in 
 great favor. The repute in which 
 they were viewed by the people is 
 here probably intended, not the 
 blessings bestoAved on them by God. 
 Compare Acts ii. 47. Their broth- 
 erly love, their ardent piety, and 
 their superiority to the world, gained 
 the favorable regard of the people at 
 large, despite the hostility of the 
 elders and rulers. How rapid and 
 triumphant would have been the 
 progress of Christianity over the 
 world, had this ancient excellence 
 
 continued to diffuse its sweet savor 
 among the followers of Jesus ! 
 
 34, 35. That lacked. That was 
 reduced to indigence and distress. 
 The reason w^hy none were thus un- 
 fortunate is assigned beloAv, viz., 
 that the more wealthy sold their pos- 
 sessions and deposited the proceeds 
 in a common stock. — ^s many 
 as. Better, according to Bloomfield, 
 " such as ; " not that all necessarily 
 did it; but such, in general, as were 
 possessors of property, sold it for 
 distribution. — Laid them doivn at 
 the apostles' feet, i. e. placed the price 
 at the disposal of tlie apostles ; who 
 naturally acted as the economical, as 
 well as the religious, heads of the 
 new community until a further or- 
 ganization, which soon took place, 
 was made. How wide the contrast 
 between the spirit now seen, and 
 that of him who but a short time 
 before sold the Master himself into 
 the hands of his enemies, at the price 
 of a common slave ! May Heaven 
 save us from selling our principles 
 and souls for money ; but rather give 
 us that self-forgetting benevolence, 
 as well as stainless honesty, which 
 casts at the feet of the Lord the pro- 
 ceeds of our industry and fortunes, 
 to be disposed of as shall seem to 
 him best for the good of the suffer- 
 ing, and the hungry, and the friend- 
 less ! — ./?5 he had need. The just 
 and beneficpnt rule of distribution. 
 
 3C), 37. Barnabas. A further ac- 
 count is given of this individual in 
 
v.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 77 
 
 37 having land, sold itj and brought the money, and laid it at the 
 apostles' feet. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The Death of Ananias and Sapphira ; the Rescue of the Apostles from Prison, 
 and their Trial before the Jewish Council, and Release, after Uie Speech of 
 Gamaliel. 
 
 IjUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife. 
 
 succeeding portions of the history. 
 Acts ix. 27, xi. 22, 25 ; and else- 
 where ; for commentators have not 
 hesitated to identify the Barnabas 
 here mentioned with the companion 
 of Paul. His benevolence here was 
 a fitting germ to his noble devotion 
 in a wider field of travelling, preach- 
 ing, and confirming the churches. 
 "The son of consolation," perhaps 
 of a milder and softer temperament, 
 he formed an appropriate associate 
 with the ardent and indomitable 
 Paul ; as did the beloved John with 
 the hasty and impetuous Peter. — 
 Being interpreted. This indicates 
 the adaptation of this history to for- 
 eigners, rather than to Jews, to 
 whom the explanation would have 
 been unnecessary. — The son of con- 
 solation. Rendered by others, "of 
 exhortation," or preaching, implying 
 that he was distinguished in that 
 capacity ; which was not inconsistent, 
 indeed, with his being a " son of 
 consolatioiL" — A Levite. One of 
 the tribe of Levi, the son of Jacob, 
 which was set apart to the sacred 
 office among the Joavs. Num. iii. 
 Deut xviii. 6-8. They were to 
 have no inheritance, for the Lord 
 was their inheritance. They re- 
 ceived, however, forty-eight cities in 
 different parts of the land. Num. 
 XXXV. 2-8, and they could purchase 
 and hold landed property, as in the 
 case of Jer. xxxii. 6-9. — Cyprus. 
 The largest island in the Mediterra- 
 nean Sea, lying in the eastern part, 
 extremely fertile, and celebrated for 
 its worship of tlie heathen sfoddess 
 7# 
 
 Venus. It abounded in wine, oil, 
 and honey, but its inhabitants were 
 indolent and sensual. Dion Cassiua 
 states that the Jews were very nu- 
 merous in this island. Acts xiii. 4, 
 XV. 39, xxvii. 4. — Sold it, ^c. Mat. 
 X. 9, 10. His case is mentioned ap- 
 parently as one example of many, 
 only the more remarkable, as he 
 afterwards became a distinguished 
 teacher of the gospel in conjunction 
 with Paul. See notes on ver. 34, 35. 
 We notice in this chapter, — (L) 
 The paramount importance of tlie 
 resurrection of Jesus Christ from the 
 dead, in the preaching of the apostles. 
 Ver. 2, 10, 33. Has it the same prom- 
 inence in modern, as it had in an- 
 cient, preaching ? ( 2.) The courage 
 of the apostles in proclaiming un- 
 welcome truths, is worthy of imita- 
 tion in every age. Ver. 2, 11, 17, 29, 
 33. ( 3.) The superiority of the gos- 
 pel to all other religions, though its 
 Founder was put to death and dis- 
 owned by the chosen people of Israel. 
 Ver. 11, 12. ( 4.) The impotence of 
 man to resist the cause of truth by 
 threats and persecutions. Ver. 17, 33. 
 ( 5.) The comfort of devotion and tlie 
 answer to prayer. Ver. 24-31. ( 6.) 
 The rich fruits of the gospel, worthy 
 of him who planted, of tliem who 
 watered, and of God who gave tlie 
 increase. Ver. 32 - 37. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 This chapter is intimately con- 
 nected with tlie preceding one, and 
 proceeds to relate a terrible event 
 growing out of the custom of liber- 
 
78 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 sold a possession, and kept hsick part of the price, (his wife also 2 
 being privy to it,) and brought a certain part, and laid it at the 
 apostles' feet. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled 3 
 thy heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the 
 price of the land ? While it remained, was it not thine own ? and 4 
 after it was sold, was it not in thine own power 1 why hast thou 
 conceived this thing in thy heart ? thou hast not lied unto men, 
 
 ality therein described, and which 
 was most conspicuous in the case 
 of Barnabas. The present division 
 of the Scriptures into chapters and 
 verses, often witliout reference to 
 the connexion of tlie subject, very 
 much mars and interrupts the mean- 
 ing and effect of the word of God. 
 The reader should therefore exercise 
 his judgment in perusal, and read 
 rather according to the sense, than 
 abide implicitly by the artificial par- 
 titions. 
 
 1, 2. Ananias, iviih Sapphira his 
 wife. Nothing is known of them ex- 
 cept what is related in this sad his- 
 tory, and all conjectures are idle. 
 The curtain is drawn aside by the 
 hand of the historian for a moment, 
 and we look in upon the tragic stage, 
 and recognize a few individuals whom 
 he points out, and then the pall of 
 oblivion drops over the whole. — A 
 possession. Land. Ver. 3. — Kept 
 hack part of the price. Or, " kept- it 
 for himself," or embezzled, or pur- 
 loined it At first, this Avith hoi ding 
 of a portion of the value appears to 
 be the crime they committed ; but it 
 will be seen atlerwards that their 
 sin was their keeping a part back, 
 and professing that what they brought 
 forward, was the whole proceeds of 
 the sale. Ver. 4. — His loife also be- 
 ing privy to it. What aggravated, if 
 possible, the offence, was, that they 
 entered into a conspiracy between 
 themselves to practise this deceit. 
 Sins committed in conjunction with 
 others cannot be lightened, and a 
 portion shared by each; but press, 
 
 with their whole weight, upon every 
 partner in the transaction, and as- 
 sume even a darker dye from the 
 mutual consciousness of guilt. They 
 are thus more shameless, and more 
 influential for evil, from the coun- 
 tenance and incitement of numbers. 
 Let us never " lay the flattering unc- 
 tion to our souls," that sin can be 
 made any less sinful by many en- 
 gaging in it ; or that there can be 
 any easy and innocent partnership in 
 doing wrong. — A certain part. But 
 ostensibly as if it were the whole. — 
 Laid it at the apostles^ feet, i. e. placed 
 it at their disposal ; as, for the present, 
 they were the financiers, as well as 
 teachers, of the new association. See 
 Acts iv. 37. 
 
 3, 4. But Peter said. He became 
 supernaturally acquainted with the 
 hidden iniquity. It becomes those 
 who predicate omniscience of Christ, 
 because he kncAv the hearts of men. 
 Mat. xii. 25, to consider what infer- 
 ence, according to that rule, should 
 be drawn respecting Peter in this 
 connexion. — }fT)y hath Satan, S{c. 
 TJie word Satan properly means an 
 adversary, and was probably used by 
 the Jews and other Orientals as liter- 
 ally signifying the being and source 
 of evil. All sin and moral wrong 
 were said to spring from the sugges- 
 tions of this prince of darkness. He 
 was supposed to be vast in presence 
 and power, as if rivalling the Deity 
 himself. Such was the language of 
 the times. Such was the figurative 
 method of speaking adopted by our 
 Saviour and his apostles, in conform- 
 
v.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 70 
 
 5 but unto God. And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and 
 
 ity to the customs of the age. Thus, 
 with a similar metaphor, we our- 
 selves speak of hellish conduct; as 
 if it were conduct too wicked to be 
 conceived from ordinary motives, and 
 must have been inspired from hell. 
 Thus, also, are the epithets diabolical 
 and Satanic often employed. See 
 notes on Mat. iv. 1-11; John xiii. 
 2, 27. To show that the wickedness 
 was not from a foreign source, but 
 from within, tlie apostle says, ver. 4, 
 " Wiiy hast thou conceived this thing 
 in thine own heart ? " Covetousness 
 was the Satan that prompted An- 
 anias and Sapphira. — Filled thy 
 heaii. An idiom for " instigated or 
 emboldened thee." — To lie to the 
 Holy GJiost, i. e, to endeavor to de- 
 ceive us, the apostles, in whom the 
 Holy Spirit is resident, who are en- 
 dowed with extraordinary divine 
 gift.s, and authorized to exercise a 
 commanding influence upon the des- 
 tinies of the Christian religion. The 
 Holy Ghost is not here to be regard- 
 ed, as any person or influence, sepa- 
 rate from tlie person and influence 
 of God himself. As the spirit of man 
 and man are one, so the Holy Ghost 
 and God are one and indivisible. 
 God is Spirit. The gifts and influ- 
 ences of the Holy Spirit are the gifts 
 and influences of God. Thus Atha- 
 nasius says, " For where the Spirit of 
 God is, there is God ; as it is said, 
 ' Hereby know we that God dwell- 
 eth in us, because he has given us 
 of his Spirit'" 1 John iv. 13._— 
 While it remained, loas it not thine 
 own ? The apostle shows, that his 
 crune consisted not in withholding 
 the purchase money ; but in double- 
 dealing, in pretending to contribute 
 all, instead of a part, to the general 
 fund. His crime was deception, 
 " falsehood, the fountain of all evil." 
 It appears that none of the Christian 
 converts were compelled, by any law 
 
 or regulation of the apostles, to sell 
 their property, and throw it into the 
 common stock. It was no condition 
 of discipleship, but the pure and vol- 
 untary dictate of Christian love and 
 brotherhood. And even after they 
 had sold their property, it was still 
 under their absolute control, as di- 
 rectly implied by the question of the 
 apostle, in the present verse ; and 
 they could contribute a part, or the 
 whole, as they saw fit, to the com- 
 mon treasury of benevolence. I3ut 
 Ananias and Sapphira had under- 
 taken to play a hypocritical part, and 
 seem more benevolent than they real- 
 ly Avere. — Wliy hast thou conceived 
 this thing in thy /leari? This is a 
 comment on the expression above, 
 " Why hath Satan filled thy heart," 
 &c., as if the act was so bad a one, 
 that it must have had a worse than 
 human origin. — Thou hast not lied 
 unto men, Sfc, i. e. not so much unto 
 men as unto God. Ex. xvi. 8. The 
 offenders might think that the apos- 
 tles were most wronged and sinned 
 against ; but Peter carries their minds 
 up higher, to God. The sin was 
 committed against the all-seeing 
 One, against his Son, his Spirit, his 
 church, his sei-vants. It was a sac- 
 rilegious fraud. They had no per- 
 sonal feeling about the deception; 
 but were indignant that the cause of 
 Heaven should be wounded by the 
 base hypocrisy of its pretended 
 friends. 
 
 5. Fell doion, and gave up the ghost. 
 Or, more correctly, "expired." It 
 is not probable that his death was 
 caused by the operation of mere nat- 
 ural causes, as remorse of conscience, 
 or sudden fright, but by the direct 
 visitation of God ; whether by the 
 interposition of Peter, or not, is left 
 undetermined ; but probably he in- 
 voked no avenging power, as no 
 trace of it is left in the text, at least 
 
80 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all them that heard 
 
 until we come to ver. 9. A great 
 objection has been raised, from this 
 passage, against the gospel itself; an 
 objection, however, capable of being 
 answered. Since God hath given 
 life to all, he has a right to take that 
 life when and how it pleaseth him. 
 Mere life is of less value than moral 
 and spiritual results. How often 
 have multitudes perished in further- 
 ance of some great good, or to re- 
 move some great evil ! Witness the 
 deluge, the destruction of the cities 
 of the plain, many wars, and the lives 
 sacrificed in behalf of religion. In 
 the present case, this dreadful blow 
 fell with healing efficacy upon the 
 infant church. If we first consider 
 the crime of Ananias, we shall see it 
 to have been of a very heinous na- 
 ture in itself, and very dangerous to 
 the Christian cause. It was false- 
 hood, fraud, hypocrisy, against which 
 our Lord ever hurled his most vivid 
 rebukes. The case of this wretched 
 man and woman was probably some- 
 thing like this : They share with 
 their countrymen the general and 
 delusive expectation of a temporal 
 Messiah. They become converts to 
 the gospel, with much of tliis feel- 
 ing. They are looking for honors, 
 and rewards, and pleasures. They 
 feel, however, some uncertainty of 
 the issue of the matter. The San- 
 hedrim is arrayed against them. Oth- 
 ers cast in their all with undoubting 
 fiith into the treasury of the Lord. 
 But not so Ananias and Sapphira. 
 They have one eye upon the new re- 
 ligion, and the other turned to see 
 v/hat loop-hole of escape there would 
 be, if Christ should prove to be an 
 impostor, and his community be dis- 
 persed. (See an article in Scripture 
 Interpreter, vol. iv. pp. 73 - 77, by C. 
 Palfrey.) They conclude, therefore, 
 to give only a part, and reserve a 
 part of their estate against a change 
 
 of circumstances. But they are 
 urged by vanity, and the desire of 
 the favor of men, to profess more 
 than they performed. They attempt 
 to serve God and Mammon at the 
 same time. They pretend to be en- 
 titled to a living from the common 
 stock, when they had not put all into 
 the common stock. In the weak and 
 worldly state of their faith, they are 
 easily led into a snare. Their sin 
 was aggravated, too, by the fact that 
 it was purely voluntary. No one re- 
 quired them to sell their land; or, 
 when they had sold it, no one re- 
 quired them to cast all the proceeds 
 into the general treasury. Again, 
 they conspired together to do the sin, 
 which increased the turpitude of the 
 offence. They also deliberated up- 
 on it ; there Avas not the excuse of 
 sudden passion, or unforeseen tempt- 
 ation. It was a piece of cool, delib- 
 erate, and hardened wickedness. To 
 turn, here, from the sin to the condi- 
 tion of the Christian church, at tliat 
 time, we shall see the necessity of 
 some severe and powerful example, 
 to arrest the corruption and hypoc- 
 risy that would fain creep into the 
 bosom of the brotherhood. The 
 stroke must come as a bolt from 
 heaven, as a visitation from God, 
 and carry healing and life in its 
 course. Though there was no cloud 
 hovering over the church by day, nor 
 fire sinning as its watch-light in the 
 night, yet it was essential that a pro- 
 found and living conviction should 
 be begotten in every mind, that God 
 was around it as a munition of rock ; 
 that it was under his care, and noth- 
 ing could prevail against it Hence 
 the wholesome and necessary sever- 
 ity of this punishment And we see, 
 afterwards, that the effect was salu- 
 tary in tlie highest degree. — Great 
 fear came on all, ^c. This was the 
 intended result The design was to 
 
v.] 
 
 OF TPIE APOSTLES. 
 
 81 
 
 6 these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and 
 
 7 carried him out, and buried him. And it was about the space 
 
 of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, 
 
 8 came in. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye 
 sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 
 
 9 Then Peter said unto her. How is it that ye have agreed together 
 to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ? behold the feet of them which 
 have buried thy husband arc at the door, and shall carry thee 
 
 strike a proper awe into the minds 
 of the people. They saw tliat it 
 Avas a matter in real" earnest to be a 
 Christian, and that false pretences 
 would not avail, except to the ruin 
 of all adventurers and speculators. 
 Thus speaks Neander : " So terrible 
 was this judgment, in order to guard 
 the first operations of the Holy Spir- 
 it, before the admixture of that poi- 
 son, which is always most prejudicial 
 to the operations of divine power on 
 mankind ; and to secure a reverence 
 for the apostolic authority, which was 
 so important as an external govern- 
 ing power for the development of 
 the primitive church, until it had ad- 
 vanced to an independent steadfast- 
 ness and maturity in the faith." The 
 effect was beneficial and desirable ; 
 the character of the young associa- 
 tion of disciples was vindicated, its 
 j)urity preserved, and its faith mixed 
 witli a deeper veneration for God, 
 and his spiritual influences, and for 
 the claim of unreserved dedication 
 of life, time, possessions, and talents, 
 to his service. 
 
 6. The young men. Some have 
 supposed these to be a species of of- 
 ficers in the Christian church; but 
 the more probable opinion is, that 
 they were simply the younger por- 
 tion of the community present, on 
 whom the duty naturally devolved, 
 as the most vigorous and alert of the 
 company. — Wound him up. x\s the 
 Jews used no coffins in burial, the 
 sole covering of tlie body consisted 
 of folds of cloth swathed around it. 
 
 Such are the coverings of the mum- 
 mies, which are now disinterred. 
 The body, in the present instance, 
 may have been wrapped in the mantle 
 worn while living. — Buried him. 
 According to Jahn, the latter Jcavs, 
 unlike the earlier ones, buried the 
 body soon after death. The heat of 
 a tropical climate naturally required 
 an early interment. In the present 
 instance, the haste with which the 
 act was performed, probably arose in 
 part from the nature of the death. 
 
 7. Three hours after. Bloomfield 
 suggests, that it was at the next 
 prayer-time, as the intervals were of 
 three hours. Various reasons why 
 the wife had not heard of the awful 
 end of her husband, may be conjec- 
 tured; but it is a characteristic of 
 the sacred historians that they state 
 facts " without note or comment," ex- 
 planation or inference. The fact 
 that she did not know what was 
 done, accounts for her coming in, 
 which would otherAvise have seemed 
 unnatural, after the tragic scene de- 
 scribed above. 
 
 8, 9. Answered. Better, " ad- 
 dressed " her. — For so much, i. e. 
 for as much as your husband said, as 
 much as you professed, or brought 
 into the common fund. — Yea, for so 
 much. She thus endorsed the crim- 
 inal act of her husband, and became 
 not only privy to it, but a joint act- 
 or. — Afp'eed together to tempt the 
 Spirit of the Lord. They formed a 
 conspiracy against the truth. " The 
 Spirit of the Lord " is here the same 
 
82 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 out. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up 10 
 the ghost. And the young men came in, and found her dead, 
 and carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great 11 
 fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these 
 
 as " the Holy Ghost " in ver. 3, and 
 " God " in ver. 4. In one case, God, 
 or " the Lord," is introduced ; in an- 
 other, " the Holy Spirit ; " and, in the 
 third instance, both are united, and 
 we have " the Spirit of the Lord." 
 They are all thus demonstrated to be 
 identical ; as much as if we should 
 speak of Milton in one place, of his 
 mind in another, and the mind of 
 Milton in still another ; we should 
 mean but one and the self-same be- 
 ing in all. " To tempt the Spirit," 
 was to put it to the proof, to attempt 
 to elude or deceive it, or those who 
 acted under its guidance and by its 
 inspiration. They did not, as the 
 chief motive of their conduct, seek 
 to tempt God, or to overreach his 
 all-present Spirit ; but, in seeking 
 their sinister ends of covetousness, 
 hypocrisy, and vanity, they did not 
 hesitate thus to do ; it was no obsta- 
 cle in their way to reflect that their 
 conduct was hostile to the will of 
 God. — 2%e feet^ ^c. Agreeably to 
 a Hebrew idiom, by which, instead 
 of the persons themselves being men- 
 tioned, that part of the body is spok- 
 en of which is exercised in the con- 
 templated act — Shall can-y thee out. 
 Or, " will carry thee out ; " not a 
 threat, or imprecation, but a predic- 
 tion, or the statement of a fact. 
 Peter knew, but it does not appear 
 that he commanded, what their fate 
 should be. He simply announced 
 the will of a higher power in her 
 instantaneous death. 
 
 10,11, Yielded up the ghost. More 
 correctly rendered, " expired ; " the 
 same Avord in the original as that 
 translated, in ver. 5, " gave up the 
 ghost." — Buried her loith her hus- 
 
 band. Melancholy union in death, 
 as there was guilty partnership in 
 life ! Others of the early church fell 
 martyrs to the cause of truth, and 
 tlieir names were honored ; but Ana- 
 nias and Sapphira died victims to 
 their own base passions and hypoc- 
 risy, and are enrolled forever witli 
 the company of Judas, the traitor. 
 Dreadful fate, worthy not merely to 
 strike a momentary dread at the time, 
 but to send a piercing voice of warn- 
 ing through all ages ; saying. Beware 
 of falsehood, beware of hypocrisy, of 
 vainglory, of covetousness, of want 
 of faith ; for in these snares you may 
 be caught, and perish spiritually, as 
 well as bodily ! " Well did the Sa- 
 viour know that hypocrisy would be 
 one of the most insidious and deadly 
 foes to the purity of the church ; at 
 its very threshold, therefore, he set 
 up this warning to guard it, and laid 
 the bodies of Ananias and Sapphira 
 in the path of every hypocrite that 
 would enter the church." — Great 
 fear came, &fc. The terrible visita- 
 tion of God worked its intended re- 
 sult Great awe fell upon the church 
 and the surrounding circle of people 
 who heard the facts. The apostles 
 were seen to be accompanied by 
 the visible guardianship of a higher 
 Power, and that it was madness to 
 oppose or deceive them. If any 
 were meditating the same guilt, their 
 purpose was nipped in the bud. The 
 purity of the church Avas guarded, 
 and a holy reverence descended upon 
 all minds. Thus, by this outward 
 display of God's power and over- 
 ruling care of his religion, high spir- 
 itual influences were conveyed ; the 
 soul was deeply affected through the 
 
v.i 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 83 
 
 12 things. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs 
 
 and wonders wrought among the people ; (and they were all with 
 
 13 one accord in Solomon's porch. And of the rest durst no man 
 
 14 join himself to them : but the people njagnified them. And be- 
 lievers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men 
 
 15 and women;) insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the 
 streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the 
 shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. 
 
 senses, as in the case of the sound 
 and tongues of fire, Acts ii. 2, 3, and 
 the earthquake. Acts iv. 31. 
 
 12 - 14. By the hands of the apos- 
 tles. A Hebraism for " by the apos- 
 tles." — Many signs and ivonders, i. e. 
 miracles. — "i^nd they were all tvith 
 one accord in Solomon^s porch. John 
 X. 23. See note on Acts iii. 11. 
 This statement is made in proof of 
 tlie unity and increase of the Chris- 
 tian church, which had now become 
 so large as to require the ample por- 
 tico of Solomon as its place of meet- 
 ing. The English version improp- 
 erly commences a parenthesis with 
 this clause. — Of the rest durst no 
 man join himself unto them. Of va- 
 rious interpretations, it is preferable 
 to understand that none of the rest, 
 i. e. that none of the same stamp of 
 Ananias and Sapphira, the worldly 
 and hypocritical, dared unite them- 
 selves with the Christian church. 
 The offence was not repeated. None 
 ventured to join themselves to the 
 new community with sinister views, 
 but only true and upright believers 
 in the Lord. Ver. 14. — The people 
 magnified them, i. e. the multitude at 
 large. So far from any odium or im- 
 putation arising against the apostles 
 or the Christian community from 
 the case of Ananias and Sapphira, 
 or any criminality being charged 
 against them, as has been done by 
 the unbelievers of later times ; the 
 respect of the people was greatly in- 
 creased by the demonstration they 
 had witnessed, of the suporintending 
 
 power of God over the infant cause 
 of Christianity. — Believers were the 
 more added to the Lord, S{c. Or, as 
 others render it, "believers in the 
 Lord Avere added," &c. This is not 
 inconsistent with the first clause of 
 ver. 19. For though the base and 
 unspiritual were overawed and kept 
 back by the recent dispensation, yet 
 all true hearts were by this very 
 cause more drawn to the pure and 
 heaven-watched church. Ver. 14 is 
 made parenthetical by Griesbach, 
 Bloomfield, and other distinguished 
 critics. 
 
 15. Insomuch that they brought, Sfc. 
 This is connected with ver. 13. The 
 readiness with which they brought 
 the sick to be cured, was an evi- 
 dence how much the people magni- 
 fied them. — hito the streets. Or, ac- 
 cording to the margin, " in every 
 street." — Beds and couches. The 
 first descriptive rather of what the 
 rich used, the other the small mat- 
 tress or couch of the poor. All 
 classes resorted to him to be healed. 
 — That at the least the shadow of 
 Peter, ^'C. Comp. Mat. ix. 21, 22 ; 
 Acts xix. 11, 12. Observe, it is not 
 said that the shadow actually cured 
 any, or that it effected a cure, with- 
 out the distinct volition of Peter. 
 On the contrary, it is plain, from all 
 the accounts of miracles in the New 
 Testament, that they were wrought 
 by God at the will of his Son and 
 the apostles, and not by any inhe- 
 rent, miraculous virtue communica- 
 ted to any inanimate object. The wo- 
 
84 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 There came also a multitude out of the cities, round about unto 16 
 Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with 
 unclean spirits ; and they were healed every one. 
 
 Then the high-priest xq^e up, and all they that were with him, 17 
 (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with in- 
 dignation, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in 18 
 
 man in the Gospels was cured, not 
 by the hem of Jesus' garment, but 
 by the exertion of his miraculous 
 power ; so the shadow of Peter had 
 no intrinsic efficacy apart from him- 
 self, though it might perhaps be 
 used as connecting the act and the 
 agent. It was the same superstition 
 that led the people to associate the 
 idea of so much power with the 
 mere shade of an apostle, that has in 
 every age magnified the relics of 
 saints in the Roman Catholic and 
 other churches. The historian re- 
 lates the fact, without comment, as 
 an evidence of the growing faith of 
 the people in the miraculous power 
 of the apostles. There is no evi- 
 dence in this or any other portion of 
 the history, that Peter possessed any 
 superiority over the rest of the apos- 
 tles, except what was derived from 
 the natural energy of his character. 
 It was as Peter, and not as an apos- 
 tle, that he took the lead in preach- 
 ing and working miracles. 
 
 16. A multiiude out of the cities. 
 The reader will observe that out is 
 in Italics in the text, showing that it 
 •was not in the original language, 
 but inserted by the translators in 
 their version. Here, as almost eve- 
 ry where else in the Scriptures, the 
 sense is improved by leaving out the 
 Italicised word, though there are ex- 
 ceptions to this general rule. The 
 fame of Peter and the other apostles 
 was widely extended ; so that, as in 
 the days of the Master himself, the 
 sick of the whole region round about 
 sought that aid, which they could 
 find in no natural means. — Vexed 
 with unclean spirits, i. e. those afflict- 
 
 ed with insanity, melancholy, or epi- 
 lepsy ; who, in the language of the 
 times, were possessed with unclean 
 or evil spirits. It is commonly said, 
 by those who believe that these 
 were real possessions of Satan or 
 the devil, that such cases are always 
 distinguished from mere sickness as 
 such. So in this case ; so in Mat 
 iv. 24, X. 1; Mark i. 32, 34, xvi. 
 17, 18; Luke iv. 40, 41, vii. 21. 
 But in reply to this, Farmer, a great 
 authority on this subject, in his Es- 
 say on Demoniacs, has justly said, 
 "This is only one proof, amongst 
 several others, of the New Testa- 
 ment, adopting the popular language 
 on this subject." Not that a real 
 distinction did exist, but that one was 
 supposed to exist between ordinary 
 diseases and possessions. Again, 
 the language of the sacred history 
 is variable ; sometimes lepers are 
 distinguished from other sick per- 
 sons, as much as are demoniacs, or 
 the possessed of devils, as they are 
 incorrectly rendered in our version. 
 Mat. X. 8. Besides, the distinction 
 in question, between demoniacs and 
 sick people, may have also arisen 
 from the fact that, in tlie former case, 
 the mind, as well as the body, was 
 affected, as is well known in epilep- 
 sy, insanity, &c. On this whole 
 subject, see notes on Mat iv. 24, 
 viii. 28 - 34 ; Luke viii. 35. 
 
 17,18. The high-priest. Probably 
 Caiaphas, though the title was also 
 given to Annas, in consideration of 
 his past services. See note on Acts 
 iv. 6. As Caiaphas had been a chief 
 agent in the crucifixion of the Mas- 
 ter, he naturally cherished a deep 
 
v.] OF THE APOSTLES. 89 
 
 19 the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by night opened 
 
 20 the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said. Go, stand 
 and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life. 
 
 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in 
 the morning, and taught. But the high-priest came, and they 
 that were with him, and called the council together, and all the 
 
 malignity against his apostles and 
 followers. — All they that were with 
 him, i. e. his partisans, the members 
 of the Sanhedrim and others of his 
 own sect, as is explained in the next 
 cl luse. — Sadducees. The Christian 
 doctrine of resurrection, so frequent- 
 ly and powerfully urged by the apos- 
 tles, especially conflicted with this 
 sect, and therefore aroused all their 
 iiostility. It has been justly re- 
 marked that, though the Pharisees 
 had more influence over the common 
 people on account of their professed 
 sanctity ; yet chat the Sadducees 
 possessed the greatest power among 
 the wealthy and educated classes of 
 the nation. They appear at this 
 time to hold the supremacy in the 
 Sanhedrim. — Indignation. Literal- 
 ly, " zeal," in a good or bad sense, 
 though no single word in English 
 precisely represents the original. 
 The meaning here is, that they Avere 
 filled with anger. The success of 
 Peter and his associates stirred up 
 all their fiery passions, and prompted 
 them to new acts of persecution. — 
 Laid their hands on, i. e. caused 
 them to be arrested. — Apostles. 
 Whether all the Twelve, or only 
 Peter and John, is not stated. — 
 In the common prison. Or, " public 
 prison," where common and aban- 
 doned malefactors were confined. 
 Since the apostles could not be con- 
 futed in argument, or silenced by 
 threats. Acts iv. 21, their enemies 
 resolved to exercise the right of the 
 strongest, and use the argument of 
 force, — a method of procedure which 
 has found too many imitators in ev- 
 ery age. " The right of might " has 
 yoL. III. 8 
 
 been substituted for the might of 
 right. 
 
 19. The angel of tlve, Lord, ^c. 
 There is no reason or opportunity of 
 supposing aught, in this instance, 
 but a direct and miraculous inter- 
 position of God, exerted through 
 some instrument or agent, called an 
 angel. The article the, before angel, 
 is not in the original. " An angel of 
 the Lord" would be more correct 
 Acts xii. 7, xvi. 26. This astonish- 
 ing rescue was adapted to encourage 
 the apostles in their course, to re- 
 buke their persecutors, and to spread 
 new emotions of wonder and rever- 
 ence among the people towards the 
 cause thus favored of Heaven. 
 
 20. Speak in the temple. They 
 are freed for an object, viz., to con- 
 tinue their work of preaching. They 
 are directed to enter the most public 
 place, Avhere they would meet tlie 
 greatest concourse of people, at the 
 same moment proclaiming the gos- 
 pel, and, in the freedom of their own 
 persons, exhibiting a striking evi- 
 dence of its divine autliority. — All 
 the words of this life. A circumlocu- 
 tion for 'the gospel;' the leading 
 doctrine of which was the resurrec- 
 tion from the dead, or life and im- 
 mortality beyond tlie grave. John vi. 
 68, xvii. 3. The great truth of spir- 
 itual eternal life was especially dis- 
 tasteful to those, most active in this 
 movement against tlie apostles. Chap, 
 xxiii. 8. 
 
 21. TFhen they heard that, they en- 
 tered, ^"c. We see their promptness. 
 With them, to hear, was to obey. 
 They were not " disobedient unto the 
 heavenly vision," but were ready 
 
86 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have 
 them brought. But when the officers came, and found them not 22 
 in the prison, they returned, and told, saying, The prison truly 23 
 found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without 
 before the doors : but when we had opened, we found no man 
 within. Now, when the high-priest, and the captain of the tem- 24 
 pie, and the chief-priests heard these things, they doubted of 
 them whereunto this would grow. Then came one and told 25 
 them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are stand- 
 ing in the temple, and teaching the people. Then went the 26 
 captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: 
 for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 
 And when they had brought them, they set them before the coun- 27 
 
 again to plunge into the sea of diffi- 
 culties which rolled around them. 
 How sublime the heroism of these 
 ancient " defenders of the faith " ! — 
 Early in the morning. They were 
 freed during the night, ver. 19, and 
 as early as the people assembled for 
 their morning devotions, the apostles 
 were present to address them. See 
 Luke xxi. 38 ; John viii. 2. — The 
 high-priest came, i. e. to the place of 
 meeting, whether in the temple, the 
 palace of the high-priest, or else- 
 where. — They that ivere with him. 
 See ver. 17. — All the senate. Lit- 
 erally, "all the eldership." This 
 term is probably not used as synony- 
 mous with "the council" or San- 
 hedrim before mentioned, in order to 
 give foreigners an idea of the nature 
 and officeof that body, as Schleus- 
 ner conjectures ; but stands for the 
 elders of Israel in general, who were 
 invited to be present upon this impor- 
 tant occasion, on account of their age 
 and wisdom. See chap. iv. 8, xxii. 5. 
 23, 24. The keepers standing loith- 
 out, fyc. Griesbach rejects " with- 
 out," as destitute of good authority. 
 The prisoners had been taken out 
 without injury to the prison, or the 
 knowledge of the guard. Chap. xir. 
 (5-9, The manner of operation is 
 
 not described, and conjectures are 
 idle. It is sufficient that the hand 
 of God opened a way for their re- 
 lease. — The captain of the temple. 
 See note on chap. iv. 1. — l^hey 
 doubted ofUmn ivhereunto this would 
 groiv. Or, as some translate it, 
 " what this would be ; " and otliers, 
 "how this could be ;" how the pris- 
 oners could escape from such close 
 confinement. The priests and elders 
 were thrown into perplexity. Bloom- 
 lield renders it into a popular expres- 
 sion, "They did not know what to 
 think of it," which is expressive of 
 wonder at some circumstance con- 
 nected with any thing; as, for in- 
 stance, the means, manner, or event 
 of it. Chap. X. 17. 
 
 26. The captain, i. e. the prefect 
 of the temple, a Jewish officer. See 
 note on chap. iv. 1. The elders 
 and priests received the astounding 
 intelligence that their prisoners had 
 not only escaped, but were again 
 preaching in the most public place. 
 Whereupon officers are despatched 
 with the captain of the temple to 
 arrest tliem again. But such was 
 the general favor of the people, tliat 
 they were obliged to treat them 
 mildly, to escape a popular uproar. 
 — For they feared the people. The 
 
v.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 m 
 
 28 cil : and the high-priest asked them, saying, Did not we strailly 
 command you, that ye should not teach in this name? and be- 
 hold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to 
 
 29 bring this man's blood upon us. Then Peter and the other 
 
 apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than 
 
 30 men. The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew 
 
 sense of tlie verse is improved by 
 throwing this into a parenthesis, 
 according to Winer and Bloom- 
 field ; the clause, " lest they should 
 have been stoned," depending upon 
 "brought them Avithout violence," 
 not upon " feared tlie people." " The 
 common people " heard the apostles, 
 as they did Jesus, " gladly." Their 
 goodness, their wonderful and be- 
 nevolent deeds, their excellent teach- 
 ings, and the power which accompa- 
 nied them, conciliated the good- will 
 of a large class. 
 
 28. Straitly command. Literally, 
 " command with a command " — a 
 Hebraism for an earnest, peremptory 
 injunction. Chap. iv. 17, 18, 21. 
 The high-priest charges them with 
 violating the laws of the Sanhedrim, 
 a g-rave offence. — In this name. A 
 natural feature appears here. They 
 do not mention the person, as he was 
 most odious to tliem, but refer to him 
 in an indirect way. The apostles 
 taught and wrought miracles only in 
 the name of Jesus. — Filled Jerusa- 
 lem with your doctrine. An enemy's 
 testimony to the fidelity and zeal of 
 the disciples ; that, so soon after their 
 ministry began, they had leavened 
 to so great an extent the holy city 
 itself, the heart and centre of tlie 
 Jewish religion. — Intend to bnng 
 tkis rtmn^s blood upon us. Another 
 touch of nature and reality. They 
 avoid mentioning the name of Jesus 
 Christ, but speak of "this name," 
 and " this man's blood." Their con- 
 sciences, too, are active, and the 
 sense of remorse excited, as is seen 
 by the accuracy with which they re- 
 fer to the imprecation, made by the 
 
 Jews at the crucifixion of Chi-ist, 
 Mat xxvii. 25, " His blood be on us 
 and on our children." They begin 
 to fear that his blood will be on 
 them ; but they only persist in being 
 the more violent, the more nearly 
 they are convinced of their sin and 
 error. They wish to keep them- 
 selves in countenance by new and 
 forced zeal. They therefore accuse 
 tlie apostle of the very offence of 
 which they had themselves been 
 guilty, viz., of calling down the blood 
 of Jesus upon the Jewish people and 
 posterity. The addresses of Peter 
 did, indeed, cHarge home the crime 
 of putting the Messiah to death upon 
 the Jewish nation, and particularly 
 the rulers ; but it was done to awaken 
 tliem to repentance for so horrible 
 a wickedness, and make them par- 
 takers of the blessings of the Messi- 
 ah's kingdom. But it Avas no part 
 of their object to stir up a sedition 
 among the people against the elders 
 and chief-priests on account of their 
 implication in the Messiah's death, 
 as the high-priest might imply in his 
 accusation. 
 
 29, 30. Answered and said. Peter 
 spoke in the name of the rest In 
 the Scriptures and other ancient 
 An-itings, that is often attributed to 
 many which properly belongs to only 
 one. — Obei/ God rather than men. 
 See notes on chap. iv. 19, 20. — The 
 God of our fathers. He makes the 
 same reference as in chap. iii. 33. 
 He Avould convince them that it was 
 no strange God, but the God whom 
 tlie Jews worshipped, and their fa- 
 thers before them, that was appear- 
 ing for the redemption of his people 
 
THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 and hanged on a tree: him hath God exalted with his right hand 31 
 to he a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, 
 and forgiveness of sins. And we are his witnesses of these 32 
 things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to 
 
 by Jesus the Messiah. This appeal 
 was one of peculiar force, and touched 
 the springs of patriotism and venera- 
 tion for their ancestors, the patriarchs 
 and prophets of old. — Raised up 
 Jesiis. Referring, not to his resur- 
 rection from the dead, but to his 
 being originally set apart for this 
 work, honored with a divine commis- 
 sion. Chap. ii. 32, iii. 22, 26, xiii. 
 23. — Slew and hanged on a tree. 
 Or, slew by hanging upon a tree, or 
 cross. The primary meaning of the 
 original is "wood," whence come 
 secondary senses of stake, post, gib- 
 bet, cross, or what is made of wood. 
 He contrasts here, as upon former 
 occasions, the wicked treatment of 
 our Lord, by the Jewish rulers and 
 people, with the honor and exaltation 
 given him by God. Chap. ii. 3, iii. 
 13. He hesitates not, in the pres- 
 ence of the powerful and venera- 
 ble council, the wise, learned, and 
 wealthy of the nation, to say fear- 
 lessly, " whom ye slew." There is 
 a blind and reckless animal coinage 
 that rushes into the thickest of the 
 battle-field without fear ; but we be- 
 hold in these men of God a courage 
 of a superior, of a moral, kind ; a 
 courage derived from the exercise 
 of the highest, not, as in the other 
 case, often from the lowest, princi- 
 ples of human nature. 
 
 31, 32. Exalted ivith his right hand. 
 Or, " at his right hand." Chap, ii, 
 33. By this is evidently signified, 
 not a local position, but a spiritual 
 state of honor and glory, fitly imaged 
 by the right hand, the post of dignity 
 and acceptance with kings, who thus 
 showed their regard to their favorites. 
 — To he. Superfluous words of the 
 translators. — Prince. Leader, con- 
 
 ductor, as in the way of life and duty. 
 Chap. iii. 15, and note. — Saviour. 
 Mat. i. 21. He would bless man- 
 kind by turning and saving every one 
 of them from his iniquities. They 
 would then be prepared to follow 
 him, as the leader in the way of life 
 and heaven. Our Lord came to save 
 men, not so much from punishment, 
 
 — for that they still sufter if they sin, 
 
 — as from the need of punishment ; 
 not so much from the natural conse- 
 quences of sin, — for they remain the 
 same, — as from sin itself, the great- 
 est evil ; not from God, — for he only 
 punishes to reform, — but from them- 
 selves, from the perversions and cor- 
 ruptions of their own nature. — To 
 give repentance to Israel, and forgive- 
 ness of sins. Or, " remission of sins." 
 Luke xxiv. 47. By giving repent- 
 ance is here understood the publi- 
 cation of those great facts and truths 
 which would awaken penitence ; 
 which would lead even Israel, though 
 stained with tlie blood of her Mes- 
 siah, to turn from the evil of her 
 way, and embrace the Christian faith. 
 Jesus was not empowered to create 
 repentance in the sinner, or to bring 
 both Gentiles and Jews to the adop- 
 tion of liis religion, by any arbitrary 
 or mystical influence, or in a mode 
 ti-enching upon man's free agency; 
 but by the natural operation of truth 
 upon the human mind, revealing tlie 
 love of God, his readiness to forgive, 
 and the ingratitude, misery, and ruin 
 of disobedience. We have here, 
 also, the natural order, first repent- 
 ance, then forgiveness. Such is the 
 promise of God, that they stand in 
 the relation of cause and effect. He 
 that repents is forgiven, because he 
 repents; though he cannot, in all 
 
v.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 33 them that obey him. When they heard that, they were cut 
 
 34. to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. Then stood there 
 up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of 
 the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded 
 
 instances, repair the evil done. The 
 will is accepted for the deed, and 
 God receives back to his favor the 
 returning prodigal. The coming of 
 our Saviour did not affect the eternal 
 principles of the divine government, 
 tlie relation of moral causes and 
 effects, but was designed to make 
 them more clearly understood, more 
 vividly felt and heeded, by mankind. 
 
 — Wt are hiswitiusses of these things. 
 Luke xxiv. 48 ; Acts i. 8, ii. 32. An 
 important office of the apostles was 
 to bear testimony to the facts which 
 they had witnessed, of the miracles, 
 teachings, death, resurrection, and as- 
 cension of their Master. — The Holy 
 Ghost, i. e. according to Beausobre 
 and L'Enfant, " the miraculous gifts 
 which Jesus had bestowed upon his 
 apostles, and which they confen*ed 
 upon believers." John v. 37. God 
 had added to the personal testimony 
 of the apostles, the sanction and pow- 
 er of his Holy Spirit ; which enabled 
 tJiem to speak with other tongues, 
 work wonders, and by whose instru- 
 mentality, in an angelic form, tliey 
 had just been delivered from a 
 strong and guarded prison. — Whom. 
 Should be, "which." The transla- 
 tors often use " which " for " who " 
 and " whom," in speaking of persons ; 
 but here tliey have reversed their 
 usual error, and employed " whom " 
 in relation to what is not a person, 
 but a gift, an influence from on high. 
 
 — To them that obey him, i. e. to tlie 
 apostles and others supernaturally 
 endowed. Obedience to God would 
 seem to be a condition of participa- 
 tion in the gifts of the Spirit 
 
 '33. Tliey ivere cut to the heart. 
 The original verb signifies, " to saw 
 through or asunder," and, in con- 
 8* 
 
 nexion with the teeth, to " gnash or 
 grate." The sense here is, that they 
 were enraged, transported with pas- 
 sion, not seized with remorse, as in 
 chap. ii. 37. The fact that the apos- 
 tles had disobeyed their command, 
 and continued to preach ; that, when 
 imprisoned, they had escaped ; and 
 that, when arraigned before the an- 
 cient and honorable of the land, they 
 had openly charged them witli the 
 murder of the Messiah, and pro- 
 claimed his resurrection from the 
 dead, and ascension on high, exas- 
 perated their passions to the highest 
 degree. — Took counsel to slay them. 
 Or, " purposed or determined to put 
 them to death." No decree was yet 
 passed. As they had effected the 
 death of the Master, they have no 
 compunction or hesitation in follow- 
 ing up the same bloody course to- 
 wards his adherents. 
 
 34. ^^ Pharisee named Gamaliel, 
 8>fc. This Avas a distinguished Jew- 
 ish doctor of the law, or interpreter 
 of the sacred books. He was the 
 son of Simeon and the grandson of 
 Hillel, also famous Jewish doctors. 
 The exalted title of Rabban wels 
 bestowed on Gamaliel, as indicative 
 of his great wisdom and reputation. 
 He was at one time president of the 
 Sanhedrim. He was also the in- 
 structor of Paul. Chap. xxii. 3. The 
 veneration in which he was held, 
 naturally gave great weight to his 
 counsel in this instance, both among 
 his own sect, the Pharisees, and also 
 with the Sadducees ; though his opin- 
 ions appear to be partly dictated by 
 a secret opposition to the high-priest 
 and his friends, as well as by his 
 profound and judicious wisdom. — 
 Commanded. Or, "requested," or 
 
9a 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap, 
 
 to put the apostles forth a little space ; and said unto them, Ye 35 
 men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as 
 touching these men : for before these days rose up Theudas, 36 
 boasting himself to be somebody ; to whom a number of men, 
 about four hundred, joined themselves : who was slain ; and all, 
 as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 
 
 « directed." — To put the apostles forth 
 a little space. The object was, in 
 chap. iv. 15, that there might be a 
 more free expression of opinion, and 
 that the prisoners might take no ad- 
 vantage or encouragement from what 
 was said. 
 
 35, 36. Take heed to yourselves, ^c. 
 Winer prefers the translation, " Take 
 heed to yourselves, on account of 
 these men, what ye would do, or are 
 about to do." It has been suggested 
 by Priestley, that Gamaliel might 
 give a more favorable opinion, from 
 the idea that God might be preparing 
 the way to deliver the Jews from the 
 dominion of the Romans, through 
 the wonderful power of the apostles, 
 and that he therefore prudently ad- 
 vises tliem to do nothing rashly, but 
 await the issue.— i?05e %ip Theudas. 
 Josephus, in his Jewish Antiquities, 
 has given a narrative of a certain 
 Theudas, who professed to be a 
 prophet, and drew a great multitude 
 after him, upon the pretext that, if 
 they would follow him to the River 
 Jordan, and carry their goods with 
 them, he would divide tlie waters by 
 his command, and give them a pas- 
 sage across on dry land. But Cus- 
 pius Fadus, then procurator of Judea, 
 despatched some troops against the 
 insurgents, by which many of them 
 were taken, many of them killed, 
 and the head of their leader brought 
 in triumph to Jerusalem. But the 
 Theudas of Josephus raised his re- 
 bellion about fourteen years after 
 the time of Gamaliel's address, and 
 cannot therefore be identified with 
 the TheudELS of the text. Various 
 solutions have been proposed for 
 
 this difficulty. Josephus may have 
 committed an anachronism or error 
 in time, and assigned the insurrec- 
 tion of Theudas to the period of 
 Cuspius Fadus, when it occurred, in 
 reality, ten or fifteen years before. 
 But the more probable supposition 
 is, that there were two leaders of the 
 same name, which was a very com- 
 mon one among the Jews. As a 
 collateral probability, it is stated in 
 Josephus, that there were no less 
 than four persons of the name of Si- 
 mon within forty years, and three 
 of the name of Judas within ten 
 years, who Avere all leaders of rebel- 
 lions ; and that, before the time of 
 the text, there were, according to 
 Josephus, "innumerable other dis- 
 orders in Judea," and the land was 
 " full of robberies." The compara- 
 tively small number connected with 
 the Theudas of Gamaliel rendered 
 him, perhaps, in the far more terrific 
 conflicts of the times, unworthy of 
 the notice of the Jewish historian. 
 To recite all the troubles of that tur- 
 bulent period, would have been an 
 endless task. The Jews, ardently 
 expecting their Messiah and Deliv- 
 erer, ill brooked the dominion of the 
 Romans ; and there never were Avant- 
 ino- leaders, who could draw together 
 adherents, and, \mder some political 
 or religious pretext, resist the estab- 
 lished government, and Avage a sort 
 of predatory warfare upon both coun- 
 trymen and foreigners. Usher and 
 Pearce meet the difficulty by sup- 
 posing that Theudas was another 
 name for Judas, whose rebellion Jo- 
 sephus narrates as occurring a little 
 after the death of Herod the Great j 
 
V.J 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 91 
 
 37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the tax- 
 ing, and drew away much people after him : he also perished ; 
 
 38 and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. And now 
 I say unto you. Refrain from these men, and let them alone : for 
 
 but the whole is founded on conjec- 
 ture. Gamaliel adduces the histori- 
 cal precedents of Theudas and Judas 
 in confirmation of his proposition in 
 ver. 38, 39, that if the work in ques- 
 tion were of men, it would come to 
 nought ; but if of God, it could not 
 be overthrown. — Boasting himself 
 to be somebody. Chap. viii. 9. An 
 idiom, meaning that he claimed to 
 be a great leader or prophet, or per- 
 haps the expected Messiah. — Four 
 hundred. This was a much smaller 
 number than that which united with 
 several otlier insurgents of the time. 
 Chap. xxi. 38. — Obeyed him. Or, as 
 in the margin, " believed him." 
 
 37. Judas of Galilee, in the days of 
 the taxing. After Archelaus, Mat 
 ii. 22, was deposed from tlie govern- 
 ment, and Judea was reduced to a 
 Roman province, in the reign of Au- 
 gustus, a census or enrolment, called 
 " taxing " in the text, was taken by 
 Quirinius, or Cyrenius, president of 
 Syria, to which Judea was attached. 
 Josephus says, " that the Jews were 
 at first surprised at the name of a 
 census, but that, by the persuasion 
 of Joazar, the high-priest, they gen- 
 erally acquiesced in it. However, 
 Judas Gaulanitis, associating to him- 
 self Sadduc, a Pharisee, excited the 
 people to rebellion ; told them that 
 an assessment would introduce down- 
 right slavery, and persuaded them 
 to assert their liberty. The people 
 heard their discourses with incredi- 
 ble pleasure. And it is impossible 
 to represent the evils the nation has 
 suflTered, which were owing to these 
 men." In another place, the same 
 writer says, "Judas, the Galilean, 
 was the leader of the fourth sect. 
 In all other points they hold tlie 
 
 same sentiments with the Pharisees. 
 But they have an invincible affection 
 for liberty, and acknowledge God 
 alone their Lord and Governor. From 
 this time the nation became infected 
 with this distemper ; and Gessius 
 Florus, by abusing his power when 
 he was president, threw them into 
 despair, and provoked them to rebel 
 against the Romans." Elsewhere 
 he says that Judas told the people 
 "they had a mean spirit, if they 
 could endure to pay tribute to the 
 Romans, and acknowledge mortal 
 men for their lords, after God had 
 been their King." Mat. xxii. ] 7 - 21 ; 
 Luke xiii. 1, 2. This revolt was the 
 beginning of difficulties, which were 
 never entirely quieted until the city 
 and nation of the Jews were de- 
 stroyed in the great war of Titus. 
 Josephus gives no account of the 
 fate of Judas, but it is recorded in 
 the text. His principles, however, 
 were imbibed and carried out by the 
 faction called Zealots, mentioned in 
 the history of the Jewish war. " The 
 taxing," or enrolment, here spoken 
 of, was subsequent about twelve 
 years to that related in Luke ii. 2. 
 Judas is called, by Josephus, not only 
 the Galilean, as by Gamaliel in the 
 text, but also Gaulanitis, the Gau- 
 lanite, as above, because he is said 
 to have been a native of Gamala, a 
 city belonging to Gaulanitis, which 
 was included in Galilee. 
 
 38, 39. And now I say unto you^ 
 Ifc. Having stated his facts and 
 premises, the speaker proceeds to 
 draw his conclusion, which is, that 
 they should refrain from killing or 
 maltreating the apostles, and let 
 them go on. For if the cause in 
 which they were embarked was of 
 
98 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to noucrht : 
 but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be 39 
 
 mere human origin, it would perish 
 without their interference, as did tlie 
 rebellions before mentioned. But if 
 it was of God, it could not be up- 
 rooted ; and if they assailed it, they 
 would take the undesirable attitude 
 of contending against God. Prov. 
 xxi. 30; Is. viii. 10. The Jewish 
 doctors have elsewhere recorded 
 similar sentiments ; as that " every 
 thing undertaken for God's glory 
 was certain of success;' and that 
 " every association, which was made 
 in the name of God, would stand ; 
 but that which was not for the honor 
 of God would fall." Neander re- 
 marks that " too much has been at- 
 tributed to these words of Gamaliel, 
 when it has been inferred from them 
 that he was a secret adherent of the 
 gospel ; the connexion he kept up 
 with the Jewish schools of theology 
 precludes such a supposition. By 
 the traditions of the Gcmara, we are 
 justified in considering him as one 
 of the free thinking Jewish theolo- 
 gians, which we also learn from his 
 being in favor of the cultivation of 
 Grecian literature ; and from his pe- 
 culiar mental constitution, we might 
 likewise infer, that he would be more 
 easily moved by an impression of 
 the divine, even in appearances, 
 which did not bear the stamp of his 
 party. On the one hand, he had a 
 clear perception of the fact, that all 
 fanatical movements are generally 
 rendered more violent by opposition, 
 and that what in itself is insignifi- 
 cant, is often raised into importance 
 by forcible attempts to suppress it. 
 On the other hand, the manner in 
 which the apostles spoke and acted 
 made some impression on a man not 
 wholly prejudiced ; while their exact 
 observance of the law, and hostile 
 attitude towards Sadduceeism, must 
 have disposed him more strongly in 
 
 their favor, and hence the thought 
 might arise in his mind that, after all, 
 there was something divine in the 
 cause they advocated." It is said 
 that Gamaliel died, as he had lived, 
 a Pharisee, about twenty years after 
 the events here recorded, and there 
 was great lamentation at his deatli. 
 Onkelos, the Targumist, is said to 
 have burnt seventy pounds of in- 
 cense at his funeral. The Mishna 
 affirmed that, when " Rabban Gama- 
 liel died, the glory of the laAv ceased ; 
 and purity and Pharisaism expired." 
 — This council or this ivork, i. e. of 
 the gospel ; the plan, and the effort 
 to realize the plan, of Christ. 
 
 We may surely be allowed to ar- 
 gue with the weapons of logic, which 
 the enemies of Christianity have 
 themselves put into our hands. Since 
 the gospel has not been overthrown, 
 but has gone on conquering and to 
 conquer, from age to age, and was 
 never so great a poAver as at this 
 day, Ave infer, conversely to the 
 proposition of Gamaliel, that it is of 
 God, and never can be overthrown. 
 It is true, that false systems of re- 
 ligion have spread far and wide, and 
 flourished long in the earth. But 
 they have often relied upon the 
 sword for their extension and per- 
 petuity. They have, too, made a 
 compromise with the passions, and 
 not demanded the pure morals of the 
 Christian system. They have also 
 fallen into perversions and corrup- 
 tions, from which they could not 
 recover, being destitute of the con- 
 servative and self-recuperative ener- 
 gy of the gospel. Our holy faith 
 has been attacked by every species 
 of foe, open and concealed ; by the 
 arm of the persecutor, and the argu- 
 ment of the philosopher; by the 
 doubts of the ignorant, and the 
 sneers of the Avitty. But it has come 
 
v.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 40 found even to fight against God. And to him they agreed : 
 
 and when they had called the apostles, and beaten therrij they 
 commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, 
 
 41 and let them go. And they departed from the presence of the 
 council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame 
 
 42 for his name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they 
 ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. 
 
 forth brighter and purer from every 
 furnace, in which it has been tried. 
 It still lives ; it prevails by moral 
 suasion; it fills the world. Cities 
 and empires rise and fall, but this 
 kingdom endureth throughout all 
 generations. Napoleon Bonaparte 
 remarked, in a conversation related 
 by his friend Count de Montholon, 
 " Alexander, Csesar, Charlemagne, 
 and myself, founded empires ; but on 
 what foundation did we rest the cre- 
 ations of our genius ? Upon force. 
 Jesus Christ alone founded his em- 
 pire upon love ; and at this hour 
 millions of men would die for him. 
 His eternal kingdom is proclaimed, 
 loved, and adored, and is extending 
 over tlie whole earth." 
 
 40. To him they agreed, i. o. in 
 part. They did not wholly refrain 
 from maltreating the apostles, but 
 concluded not to put them to death, 
 according to their original intentions. 
 Ver. 33. — Beaten them. The original 
 word signifies to flay, but the sense 
 here is to scourge, or beat with rods 
 or thongs — a cruel and deeply igno- 
 minious punishment, to which our 
 Saviour himself had been subjected. 
 Mat xxvii. 26. The usual number 
 of lashes was thirty-nine. 2 Cor. xi. 
 24. The apostles were now suffer- 
 ing what had been predicted in Mat. 
 x. 17. This infliction of pain gave 
 vent, as it were, to the malice of the 
 elders and priests. They perhaps 
 feared, too, that their authority might 
 be despised by others, if the apostles 
 went entirely free, afler they had 
 been forbidden to preach the gospel, 
 
 and had once escaped from prison. 
 
 — Should not speak in tlie name of 
 Jesus, i. e. preach the gospel, or work 
 miracles, which were both done in 
 that sacred name. The same pro- 
 hibition had been before enjoined 
 upon them in vain. Chap. iv. 17, 
 18, 21. 
 
 41, 42. T%e council. Comprising, 
 as it would seem, the Sarihedrim 
 and others called in on tlie occasion. 
 
 — Rejoicing that they were accounted 
 worthy, Sfc. Though they had been 
 most ignominiously treated, they ac- 
 counted it no disgrace, but an honor, 
 to suffer in so great a cause ; for they 
 were partakers of similar sufferings 
 as their Master before them. Plul. 
 iii. 10; Col. i. 24 ; 1 Pet. iv. 13.— 
 In ever]/ house. Or, " from house to 
 house," for such is the idiom of tlie 
 Greek. Instead of damping their 
 courage, their trials enkindled new 
 zeal in the diffusion of truth. In- 
 stead of obeying men, they betook 
 themselves with new fidelity and in- 
 terest to obeying God. — Teach and 
 preach. The one referring, proba- 
 bly, to their public labors, the other 
 to their private instructions ; the one 
 to what they did in the temple, tlie 
 other to what they did fi-om house 
 to house. — Jesus Christ, i. e. accord- 
 ing to the best translators, they 
 preached Jesus the Christ, or that 
 Jesus is the Christ, or Messiah. 
 Thus triumphantly closes this new 
 record of the persecution of the apos- 
 tles. The whole narration is lumi- 
 nous witli truth and reality, and 
 cannot but leave a deep impression 
 
94 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Appointment of Seven Deacons, and the Persecution of Stephen. 
 
 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was 
 multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the 
 Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily min- 
 
 upon every unprejudiced reader of 
 the divine origin and authority of 
 tlie gospel. 
 
 The following remarks in relation 
 to the case of Ananias, and also the 
 opinion of Gamaliel, are by Kenrick. 
 " 1. How could Peter have had the 
 effrontery to reprove Ananias for 
 uttering a lie, if he himself had been 
 at the same time publishing a more 
 flagrant lie, in reporting the resur- 
 rection of his Master, and in assert- 
 ing his own claim to a divine 
 commission ? How could God, the 
 impartial Judge of all the earth, 
 punish the less offender with so 
 much severity, and let the greater 
 go free ? Or how could men, with 
 such dreadful examples before their 
 eyes, persist in a notorious fraud? 
 To such questions as these, let the 
 enemies of our faith, if tliey are able, 
 reply." 
 
 2. " Happy would it have been for 
 the Jews, happy would it have been 
 for Christians, if tliey had always been 
 attentive to the maxims of this Avise 
 teacher ! How much innocent blood 
 would have been spared ! how much 
 human misery prevented ! But, al as, 
 it seems as if the bulk of mankind 
 had yet to learn what history and 
 observation have always taught the 
 enlightened, — the folly and wicked- 
 ness of persecutioru" 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 1. In those days. An indefinite 
 expression, implying that it was not 
 long after tlie events related in the 
 preceding chapter. The chronology 
 of the Acts is ascertained in only a 
 few points witli any dcgTee of cer- 
 
 tainty. — Was multiplied. Greater 
 numbers naturally opened more room 
 for jealousies and difficulties. The 
 obstacles in the way of a community 
 of goods, even to the small extent 
 practised in the early church, — much 
 more in the entire relinquishment of 
 all individual property to a general 
 stock, — were apparent very soon, 
 notwithstanding the wisdom and jus- 
 tice of the apostles, and those who 
 probably took the lead in this busi- 
 ness. — The Grecians against the 
 Hebrews. Two parties were formed, 
 consisting of two different classes of 
 the disciples. By the Grecians, or, 
 literally, Hellenists, it has been con- 
 tended by Lightfoot and many oth- 
 ers, that Luke means the Grecian, 
 or Grecised Jews, — foreign Jews, 
 — such as were Jews by their re- 
 ligion, though they were Grecian or 
 Gentiles by their country and lan- 
 guage, who had now come to Je- 
 rusalem. On tlie other hand, I>ard- 
 ner and other learned men, hold that 
 "the Grecians" were proselytes to the 
 Jewish religion, who were originally 
 Gentiles by birth, religion, and lan- 
 guage. It is needless to state the 
 various reasons on both sides. But 
 there is a third opinion, supported, in 
 full or in part, by the authority of 
 Kuinoel, Norton, Robinson, Milman, 
 Olshausen, and Ripley, which is 
 entitled to more consideration than 
 either of the above interpretations. 
 It is, that both foreign Jews and 
 Gentile proselytes to Judaism, wheth- 
 er converted to Christianity or not, 
 were included in the term. For, 
 since both classes existed, and both 
 probably had representatives in the 
 
VI.] 
 
 01<' TlJb: APOSTLES. 
 
 95 
 
 2 istration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples 
 unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the 
 
 3 word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye 
 out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost 
 
 prunitive church, it is probable that 
 they were put together under one 
 head ; and if either was excluded, 
 it was left without a designation. 
 Again, as some, like Timothy, were 
 of Gentile origin on one side, and 
 Jewish on the other, chap. xvi. 1, it 
 was necessary to have a word that 
 Avould not be inappropriate to both 
 Jewish residents abroad, and Gentile 
 proselytes. And, finally, we learn, 
 from the subsequent history, ver. 5, 
 that one of tlie officers to rectify 
 abuses, was a proselyte to Judaism ; 
 while the silence observed respect- 
 ing the others, in conjunction with 
 their Grecian names, favors the idea 
 that they were part, or all, foreign 
 Jews, using the Greek language. 
 By " the Hebrews " is meant genuine 
 Jews in all respects. Gen. xiv. li. — 
 Their widows were neglected. Particu- 
 lar regard was generally paid, in the 
 early church, to the relief of this class 
 of the afflicted, and often tlie desti- 
 tute. 1 Tim. V. 3, 9, 10, 16 ; James 
 i. 27. The text says that the widows 
 of the Grecians, or Hellenists, were 
 neglected, or overlooked, or passed 
 by. Partiality was shown in the dis- 
 tribution of the general fund of relief, 
 or what is called the " daily minis- 
 tration." See chap. iv. 35. As the 
 native Jews constituted the largest 
 and most important party in the new- 
 association, and felt a superiority to 
 foreign Jews and proselytes, on ac- 
 count of their living in the Holy 
 Land, their birth, education, and lan- 
 guage ; it was not unnatural that even 
 Christian principles and benevolence 
 should not at once make them im- 
 partial, in their treatment of those 
 whom they had been accustomed to 
 look down upon as inferiors. We 
 
 witness here the generous, equalizing 
 spirit of Christianity, already com- 
 mencing its attack upon the distinc- 
 tions of classes, and parties, and 
 castes, and proclaiming the great 
 
 truth of HUMAN BROTHERHOOD. 
 
 ■ 2. The twelve. Now complete by 
 the choice of Matthias. Chap. i. 2(i. 
 — The multitude of the disciples. By 
 this is not meant all the converts at 
 Jerusalem, but a large assembly of 
 those most interested in the affair. — 
 It is not reason. Or, " reasonable," 
 or it is not agreeable or proper. — 
 Leave the word of God, i. e. leave 
 preaching the word of God, or neg- 
 lect the peculiar and important du- 
 ties of apostles. Their first high 
 office wa,s to bear witness to the his- 
 tory of Jesus, and proclaim the word 
 of God, revealed by him, and con- 
 firmed by the Holy Spirit It would 
 not be proper or right to turn aside 
 from this great mission to tlie spir- 
 itual wants of the world, and to be 
 distracted by inferior, though useful 
 and necessary, occupations. — Serve 
 tables. As "tables" were used by 
 the exchangers of money. Mat. xxi. 
 12, at which they sat in the markets 
 or public places, the pln-ase is used 
 to describe, figuratively, an attention 
 to money matters, or to secular 
 affairs in general. The apostles 
 were set apart for higher concerns, 
 and should not be expected to take 
 care of the collection and distribution 
 of the general fund for the relief of 
 widows and the poor. Other per- 
 sons could more appropriately per- 
 form these duties. Chap. iv. 34, 35, 
 37, V. 2, 8. 
 
 3, 4. Look ye out among you. We 
 see here the power of choosing the 
 oScers accorded to the assembly or 
 
96 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we 4 
 will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of 
 the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and 5 
 they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, 
 and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Par- 
 
 church. The apostles did not dic- 
 tate what selection should be made, 
 but referred the matter to those who 
 would be interested in the appoint- 
 ment None of the arrogance, none 
 of tlie inordinate love of power, 
 which have, in succeeding times, 
 wrought such boundless mischief in 
 the church, were here exhibited. — 
 Seven men. This number possessed 
 a sacredness to a Jewish mind, 
 which may have had its weiglit on 
 the present occasion. — Of honest 
 report. In the original, a partici- 
 ple, — " testified, well accredited," 
 as full of the Holy Spirit — Holy 
 Ghost and wisdom. It is the unani- 
 mous voice of critics that the sense 
 is, "men well reported for their 
 Christian excellences and git\s, and 
 their worldly prudence in managing 
 such affairs as would come more 
 specially under their jurisdiction.'' — 
 TFliom we may appoint. Rather, 
 "Whom we may place or ordain," 
 for the appointment was by the peo- 
 ple, not the apostles : and the latter 
 were simply to perform the act of 
 consecration to the office, as they 
 did in ver. 6. — Over this husiness, 
 i. e. of "the daily ministration," or 
 the distribution to every person, as 
 he had need. Chap. iv. 35. — Give 
 ourselves continually. Or, literally, 
 " persevere in," or " be continually 
 engaged in." The mighty work in 
 which they were employed, required 
 their untiring devotion and perse- 
 verance. They could allow nothing 
 to compete, for a moment, with their 
 peculiar apostolic duties. — To prayer. 
 By which some understand the exer- 
 cises of meditation and supplication 
 in general, and not the mere act of 
 
 prayer. Nothing is more essential 
 to a preacher of the word of God, 
 than an habitual and prayerful com- 
 munion with the Spirit of God. Un- 
 ceasing devotion can alone give a 
 vivid sense of the reality of spiritual 
 things, and establish deep and living 
 convictions of the wants of the soul. 
 and the rich supplies from the foun- 
 tain of all. — The ministry of (he 
 word. Or, "service of the word." 
 They were to " serve " the word, not 
 tables. Ver. 2. This clause refers 
 ratlier to their public duties as preach- 
 ers of the gospel, which, in that age, 
 destitute of the art of printing, and in 
 every age, notwithstanding the mul- 
 tiplication of books, must be the 
 grand instrument for diffusing Chris- 
 tian truth, and quickening the moral 
 energies of mankind. The living 
 voice, and the presence of the living 
 soul, give an uncalculated power to 
 the administration of the gospel over 
 the masses of society, which would 
 be sought in vain in the utmost in- 
 fluence of -RTritten books and printed 
 eloquence. 
 
 5, 6. The saying pleased^ ^c. It 
 was customary, among the Jcavs, for 
 three persons to be appointed by 
 each synagogue, to oversee the sec- 
 ular concerns of the body, and to 
 provide for the poor. Hence the 
 proposition of the apostles would 
 coincide, in some measure, with their 
 former usages, and prove the more 
 acceptable. — They chose. Observe 
 that the choice rests exclusively with 
 the people at large. — Stephen, a 
 man full., &fc. Little is known of this 
 disciple, except what is related in 
 this and the following chapter. He 
 is chiefly distinguished as the proto- 
 
VI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 97 
 
 6 menas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before 
 the apostles : and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on 
 
 martyr, or the first Christian who 
 was put to death for his faitli. Chap, 
 vii. His abilities and gifts, both na- 
 tive and conferred, were ample, and 
 he appears to have caught a glimpse, 
 even earlier than others, of that 
 great mystery or secret of the king- 
 dom of Christ, that it was to be 
 thrown open to the Gentiles as well 
 as to the Jews. Hence he has been 
 called the forerunner of Paul. — 
 Philip. He, like Stephen, not only 
 discharged the secular duties of his 
 station, but preached the gospel. 
 His history is wrapped in darkness, 
 except some notices respecting his 
 labors in chap, viii., and his family 
 in chap. xxi. 8, 9. Of the remaining 
 five, nothing is known with certainty. 
 Their single honor was to have 
 their names inscribed in this book 
 of life. — JVicolas a proselyte, i. e. a 
 convert to the Jewish religion. The 
 reference is not to his conversion to 
 Christianity. Some of the ancients 
 identified him as the founder of the 
 sect of heretics called Nicolaitanes 
 in Rev. ii. 6, 15 ; but no credit is to 
 be attached to the conjecture. The 
 fact that he was a proselyte, indi- 
 cates that proselytes were included 
 in the term Hellenists, ver. 1, and 
 since most of the seven names are 
 Greek or Gentile, it is probable that 
 it included also foreign Jews. The 
 officers appointed appear to belong 
 principally to the party of complain- 
 ants, and they Avould therefore be 
 better able to redress the Avrongs of 
 the neglected, and more acquainted 
 with their wants. — Of Antioch. 
 This splendid city Avas situated in 
 Syria, on the River Orontes. It was 
 built by Seleucus Nicanor, one of 
 the kings of that country, and called 
 Antioch after his father, Antiochus. 
 It was the seat of belles-lettres and 
 the fin'? arts, and was reckoned, at 
 
 VOL. JII. 9 
 
 one period, as the third city in the 
 Roman provinces. Here the disci- 
 ples first received the appellation of 
 Christians. Chap. xi. 26. Antioch 
 has been subject in all periods to 
 tlie terrible devastations of wars and 
 earthquakes, and little at present 
 remains of its former splendor but 
 ruins. It is now under the dominion 
 of the sultan of Turkey, and is 
 called Antakia. — Whom they set he- 
 fore the apostles. The congregation 
 of disciples chose the proposed offi- 
 cers, and set them before the apos- 
 tles to be consecrated to their work. 
 — Prayed — laid their hands on them. 
 This act of consecration consisted 
 of prayer and the imposition of 
 hands; by which it would appear, 
 not that any authority was given, or 
 any gift of the Holy Spirit commu- 
 nicated ; but that these solemn ser- 
 vices were performed for their moral 
 and spiritual influence upon tlie 
 minds of all concerned. The cus- 
 tom of placing the hands upon per- 
 sons when set apart to an office, or 
 when a blessing Avas invoked upon 
 til em, is often introduced in the Bi- 
 ble. Gen. xlviii. 14, 18 ; Num. xxvii. 
 18, 2Ji; Mat. ix. 18; Mark vi. 5, 
 xvi. 18 ; Acts viii. 17 ; 1 Tim. iv. 
 14, V. 22 ; 2 Tim. i. 6. So, at the 
 pres^^nt day, the placing of the 
 Iiands upon the head of one set apart 
 for the gospel ministry should not 
 be deemed as a mystical act, con- 
 veying any hidden virtue, or confer- 
 ring any positive authority, so much 
 as an emblem of consecration, and a 
 blessing supplicated upon the indi- 
 vidual from God. That appears to 
 have been, at least in this case, the 
 extent of the virtue of the laying on 
 of hands even by the apostles them- 
 selves ; how much more truly is tliis 
 the case with their fallible succes- 
 sors in the ministry of reconciliation ! 
 
98 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 them. And the word of God increased ; and the number of 7 
 
 the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great com- 
 pany of the priests were obedient to the faith. 
 
 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and 8 
 
 The individuals appointed and set 
 apart above are usually called dea- 
 cons, from the Greek word " to ser\^e," 
 ver. 2 ; and the duties of those thus 
 designated among us somewhat re- 
 semble the office of tlie seven in the 
 text, in their oversight of the tempo- 
 rals of the church. But it is utterly 
 in vain to draw, as many sects of 
 Christians attempt to do, precedents 
 for one or another form of ecclesias- 
 tical organization and government, 
 from these early usages of the Chris- 
 tian church. The regulations then 
 adopted sprang up with tlie exigen- 
 cies of the times, like the growth of 
 Nature herself. There was no rigid 
 system, no formal arrangements. 
 The spiritual life of the behevers 
 took such outward forms as were 
 needful to express and cherish itself; 
 but there was no forcing, no iron bed 
 of uniformity. If a particular mode 
 of government, gradation of officers, 
 and fabric of laws and rules, were 
 essential to the existence and pros- 
 perity of the church, we should have 
 naturally looked for them in the 
 Acts of the Apostles. Since we do 
 not find them here ; since as many 
 inferences can be drawn from apos- 
 tolic usages, and plausibly, too, in 
 some measure, as there are modes 
 of church government in the \vorld ; 
 we cannot but come to the irresisti- 
 ble conclusion that the more simple, 
 natural, and well adapted to human 
 wants, any modes are, the more near- 
 ly they correspond in spirit, if not in 
 letter, to the administration of the 
 primitive and apostolic age. 
 
 7. The word of God increruted, S,r. 
 Or, " throve," or, " grew." The sense 
 of course is, that the knowledge of 
 the gospel was more diffused anciwul- 
 
 comed. The settlement of the diffi- 
 culties in the church would natural- 
 ly lead to new zeal and cooperation, 
 and a greater extension of the truth. 
 Persecution and trouble only served, 
 as we learn from the history, to call 
 forth new virtues and new successes. 
 All worked together for good to the 
 infant cause. — A great company of 
 the priests. This was very remarka- 
 ble, as the priests had hitherto proved 
 the greatest opponents to the gospel. 
 They were the most forward in the 
 persecution and crucifixion of Jesus, 
 and manifested the same unrelenting 
 malignity towards his apostles and 
 disciples. Their connexion with 
 the religion of Moses, and their in- 
 terest in the perpetuity of its ser\-ices 
 and rites, inclined their minds, in- 
 dependently of those considerations 
 which aftected tlie people at large, 
 to view with aversion and distrust 
 the new faith ; which they ignorantly 
 supposed was the subversion, not the 
 fulfilment and carrying out, of the 
 religion of their fatliers. When the 
 onward progress of the word of God 
 had therefore prevailed over many 
 of this unpromising class, and their 
 important influence was gained, it 
 was an item worthy of record. — 
 Obedient to the faith. Or, to Christian- 
 ity ; for faith is so large and essen- 
 tial an element in its composition, that 
 it is sometimes put for the whole. — 
 We learn from Ezra ii. 36 - 40, that 
 the whole number of priests Avas 
 large, and Josephus, against Appion, 
 speaks of twenty tliousand at that 
 day. 
 
 8. Stephen, full of faith and power. 
 Or, according to the reading admit- 
 ted by Griesbach, "full of grace and 
 power," i, e. divine favor and the 
 
VI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 99 
 
 9 miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the 
 synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and 
 Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia, and of Asia, 
 
 power of working miracles. Ver. 5. 
 The narrative of the appointment of 
 seven deacons naturally introduces 
 tlie history of Steplien, the most dis- 
 tinguished of them, whose martyr- 
 dom is hereafter related. Chap. vii. 
 Wonders and miracles. Hebraism 
 for " miracles " simply, or, " wonder- 
 ful works." 
 
 9. The synagogue. The number 
 of synagogues, or Jewish places of 
 worship, was very great in Jerusa- 
 lem, and variously recorded by the 
 Talmuds as being between four and 
 five hundred. As Jews from every 
 part of the then known world re- 
 sorted to the holy city at the festi- 
 vals, they had synagogues for their 
 own use, designated by the names of 
 the countries from which they came ; 
 and in them the Greek language, to 
 which they were habituated, was 
 used, and their particular wants 
 more regarded. According to some 
 authors, the various classes here 
 enumerated constituted one party, 
 with a synagogue in common ; but 
 the better view is, that the Jews 
 from each nation had their peculiar 
 place of worship ; one belonging to 
 the Cyrenians, and another to the 
 Cilicians, &c. — Ldbertines. Some 
 difference of opinion has existed re- 
 specting this class, whether they 
 took their name from their country, 
 or from their civil condition. Sev- 
 eral critics contend that they belong 
 to a place in Africa called Libertum, 
 or Libertina, near Carthage, and cite 
 the mention of such a place from 
 ancient writers and the records of 
 councils. The fact that the name is 
 introduced in connexion with the 
 Cyrenians and Alexandrians is also 
 afftrmed as a collateral probability. 
 But much uncertainty rests upon 
 the existence and location of such a 
 
 place. Hence most incline to the 
 other principal opinion, that the Lib- 
 ertines were so called from their 
 condition. The term is a Latin word, 
 expressed in Greek letters. Roman 
 slaves who had obtained their free- 
 dom were called liberti, freedmen, 
 and their posterity, libertini, the chil- 
 dren of freedmen. Many Jews had 
 been taken captive in war at various 
 times, and, after being carried to 
 Italy, were made free by their Ro- 
 man masters. Philo states that one 
 portion of Rome was inhabited by 
 this class of persons. But several 
 years before the period spoken of in 
 the text, Tiberius, the Roman em- 
 peror, resolved, to use the language 
 of Tacitus, "to expel the Egyptian 
 and Jewish rites. And a decree of 
 the senate was passed that four thou- 
 sand of the Libertine race, infected 
 with that superstition, and who were 
 of a fit age, should be transported 
 into the Island of Sardinia ; and that 
 the rest should depart from Italy 
 within a time limited, unless they 
 renounced their profane rites." Jo- 
 sephus and Suetonius corroborate 
 the same statement, and expressly 
 call the Libertine race Jews. As 
 these freedmen, whether Jews or 
 proselytes to the Jewish religion, 
 were very numerous, it is not im- 
 probable that they are spoken of in 
 the text, as having a synagogue in 
 Jerusalem. The Talmuds often speak 
 of the synagogue of the Libertines, 
 or those made free, and of the syna- 
 gogue of the Alexandrians. — Cyre- 
 nians. See note on chap. ii. 10. — 
 Alexandrians. Inhabitants of Alex- 
 andria, a city of Egypt, situated on 
 the Nile, built by Alexander the 
 Great, in tlie fourth century before 
 Christ, and originally peopled by 
 colonics of Greeks and Jews. At 
 
100 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the 10 
 wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned ll 
 men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words 
 
 one period, it was second only to 
 Rome, distinguished for its immense 
 size, the magnificence of its build- 
 ings, its vast commerce, and schools 
 of science and literature. It was 
 the great mart of intercourse be- 
 tween the eastern and western world. 
 The Jews were so numerous here, 
 that Philo, a contemporary with 
 Christ, states that they inhabited 
 two fifths of the city. It was here 
 that the Septuagint, or version of 
 the Seventy, the Greek translation 
 of the Hebrew Scriptures, was made. 
 Christian as well as Jewish schools 
 long flourished at Alexandria, until 
 it was conquered by the Muhanune- 
 dans in the seventh century ; and it 
 has since continued under their do- 
 minion. — Cilicia. This was a prov- 
 ince of Asia Minor, bounded south 
 by the Mediterranean Sea, east by 
 Syria, north and west by Cappadocia, 
 Lycaonia, Isauria, and Pamphylia. 
 Paul was a native of Tarsus, the 
 chief city in this country, and was 
 perhaps connected with the syna- 
 gogue of the Cilicians, and engaged 
 in the controversy with Stephen, for 
 we learn, from chap. vii. 58, viii. 1, 
 xxii. 20, that he was present at his 
 death, and kept the clothes of the 
 witnesses. — Jlsia. See note on 
 chap. ii. 9. — Disputing. Or, " ques- 
 tioning," or, " reasoning with." 
 
 10. JVot able to resist the ivisdom 
 and the spirit, ^c. As Stephen was 
 supernaturally gifted with a spirit 
 of wisdom, apart from his superior 
 native abilities, the Jcavs were whol- 
 ly unable to confute him with the 
 weapons of reason ; and hence, in 
 their passion, they resorted to the 
 blind argument of force. By thus 
 shifting the mode of attack, they 
 confessed their inferiority, and yield- 
 ed him the palm of truth. 
 
 11. Suborned, i. e. they secretly 
 procured men, who would take a 
 false oath, or perjure themselves. 
 Mat xxvi. 59, 60, 61. The method 
 of procedure very much resembled 
 that pursued toAvards the Master. 
 They procured witnesses not to fab- 
 ricate utter falsehoods, but to put a 
 false construction upon what was 
 really said. Comp. Mat. xxvi. 61, 
 with John ii. 19 - 21. — Blasphemous 
 tvords against Moses and against 
 God. . Stephen saw that the gospel 
 was the completion of the law, that 
 Jesus was to supersede Moses ; and 
 he probably said what he believed 
 on the subject He wished to con- 
 vince his countrymen that, in becom- 
 ing the followers of the Messiah, 
 they were carrying out the very 
 scheme which Moses commenced, 
 and most truly honoring that great 
 lawgiver. Hence Neander observes 
 that, by the witnesses being called 
 false, it does not follow that all tl^ey 
 said was a fabrication, but only that 
 they had, on many points, distorted 
 the assertion of Stephen, with an 
 evil intention. It was far from his 
 design to attack the divine origin 
 and holiness of the law, or blaspheme 
 Moses. Ver. 13, 14. But he prob- 
 ably represented the religion of the 
 Jews as an arrangement for the time 
 being, and as eventually falling be- 
 fore the grand movement of higher 
 and more spiritual truths. The 
 slightest hint of that kind would, of 
 course, be caught up and magnified 
 into the gravest crime. His case in 
 this respect resembled that of his 
 Master. He was charged with blas- 
 phemy, the capital crime, which, 
 in a theocracy like Judaism, was not 
 only a religious, but a political^ of- 
 fence, treason against God the King, 
 as well as impiety to tlie Most High, 
 
VI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 101 
 
 12 against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the peo- 
 ple, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon Am, and 
 
 13 caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false 
 witnesses, which said. This man ceaseth not to speak blasphe- 
 
 it mous words against this holy place, and the law : for we have 
 heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this 
 place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 
 
 15 And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw 
 his face as it had been the face of an angel. 
 
 and punishable with death. See 
 Lev. xxiv. 16 ; Deut. xiii. TO. The 
 above view helps to explain the 
 bearing of the address of Stephen in 
 chap. vii. 
 
 1'^. Tim) sUired up the people, i. e. 
 tlie foreign Jews of ver. 1), with 
 whom Stephen, as being probably a 
 Hellenist, ver. 1, 5, was more imme- 
 diately connected, excited the people 
 at large, as weJl as the scribes and 
 priests, against him. The necessity 
 of making their victim odious in the 
 popular view, if they would succeed 
 in tlieir persecution, was apparent 
 from the favor with which the people 
 regarded the Christian cause. Chap, 
 ii. 47, iv. 21, v. 26. — Came wpon 
 him, i. e. violently. — Council. The 
 Sanhedrim. 
 
 13. Set up false witnesses, i. e. 
 tliose whom they had prepared be- 
 forehand. They were false, inas- 
 much as they maliciously misrepre- 
 sonted what Stephen had said, and 
 mingled truth and falsehood in their 
 statement — This holy place, i. e. the 
 temple, or, as some think, the holy 
 city. — The law. The law of ]Moses ; 
 v/hich the Jews made a kind of idol, 
 ignorant that it was not an end, but 
 a means to something higher. 
 
 14. Shall destroy this place. The 
 old charge, seemino-ly copied from 
 John ii. 19 - 21 ; Mat. xxvi. 61. — 
 Change the customs, 8{c. Or, abro- 
 gate the Mosaic ritual of sacrifices 
 and ceremonies. It is unlikely that 
 Stephen made any direct assertions 
 
 of this kind, for the disciples had 
 hardly risen yet into the comprehen- 
 sive view of the relations between 
 the law and the gospel ; but he 
 might use expressions which they 
 tortured into these offensive words. 
 
 1.5. Looking steadfastly on him. 
 His appearance was such as to at- 
 tract their attention. — Saw his face 
 as it had been the face of an angd, 
 i. e. beaming with a shining, glo- 
 rified expression, such as angels 
 were supposed to wear. Gen. xxxiii. 
 10 ; 2 Sam. xiv. 17, xix. 27. In- 
 stances of the same proverbial phrase 
 occur in the Jewish Talmuds. It is 
 not to be inferred that there was 
 any thing miraculous here, but that 
 Stephen manifested such a heavenly 
 repose and dignity before his infuri- 
 ated enemies, that he seemed like 
 an angel. So far from any embar- 
 rassment, as of guilt and imposture, 
 being witnessed in his deportment, 
 he met his judges with tlie look of 
 assured innocence and radiant seren- 
 ity, as well as of immovable fortitude. 
 
 We learn from this chapter that 
 prosperity brings its troubles : when 
 the disciples were increased, a mur- 
 muring arose, ver. 1 ; that every one 
 should fulfil his own part in the Chris- 
 tian brotherhood, some preach the 
 word, some " sei-ve tables," ver. 2 ; 
 that trials well borne result in greater 
 good, ver. 7 ; that " the voice of the 
 people " is not always " the voice of 
 God," especially when they are un- 
 der the o^uidance of interested and 
 
102 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER Vn. 
 
 The Defence and Martyrdom of Stephen. 
 
 J- HEN said the high-priest, Are these things so? And he said, 2 
 Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken ; The God of glory appeared 
 unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before 
 he dwelt in Charran, and said unto him, Get thee out of thy 3 
 country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I 
 
 corrupt leaders, ver. 12; that true 
 religion is eminently fitted to pro- 
 duce serenity and self-possession in 
 the midst of the most appalling dan- 
 gers, and to change the natural look 
 of horror into an angelic sweetness 
 and composure, ver. 15 ; and that all 
 the powers of men in vain league 
 themselves together to overcome the 
 cause of God. One true heart is 
 mightier than all tiie hosts of evil. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 1. T^ high-priest Who was, er 
 officio, president of the Sanhedrim. • — 
 ^re these things so ? i. e. he puts Ste- 
 phen upon his defence, and inquires 
 whether it was true, according to the 
 charge, chap. vi. 11, 13, 14, that he 
 had blasphemed God and Moses, the 
 holy place and the law, and predict- 
 ed the destruction of the temple and 
 the abrogation of the Jewish worship. 
 
 2. Men, brethren. A HebrcAv idi- 
 om, which should be rendered simply 
 " brethren," referring to his equals 
 in age, or to the people at large. — 
 Fathers. Or, " elders," members of 
 the Sanhedrim. — The God of glory. 
 Or, to drop the Hebraism, " the glo- 
 rious God." By the use of this term, 
 Stephen expresses his veneration, 
 and virtually repels tlie charge of 
 blasphemy. Chap. vi. 11. — Our 
 father Abralutm. The Jews thus 
 designated their illustrious ancestor. 
 The address of Stephen consists of 
 a detail of Jewish history, from the 
 time of Abraham to Solomon. Its 
 bearings upon the accusation brought 
 
 against him will be pointed out at 
 the close of tlie chapter. — Meso- 
 potamia. See note on chap. ii. 9. 
 Chaldea, in which Abraham is in 
 some passages said to dwell, was 
 sometimes used also to include Mes- 
 opotamia, on which it bordered. Ac- 
 cording to Gen. xi. 28, 29, xii. 1, 
 compared with Gen. xxiv. 10, Abra- 
 ham and his relatives are represented 
 as living in Mesopotamia. — Char- 
 ran. Called, in the Old Testament, 
 Haran, a city in the northern part 
 of Mesopotamia, a place where Te- 
 rah and his son Abraham abode for 
 a season, before the latter was called 
 to Canaan. It afterAvards went un- 
 der the name of Carrae, and was the 
 scene of the overthrow and death of 
 Crassus, the Roman general, in his 
 war against the Parthians. Abra- 
 ham is represented in the text as 
 favored by a divine revelation, be- 
 fore he came to Charran ; but in the 
 histoiy in Genesis, he seems to be 
 first addressed when at this place, 
 though there is no express disclaimer 
 of previous communications. It has 
 been conjectured, by some interpret- 
 ers, that Stephen followed, here and 
 elsewhere in his speech, the tra- 
 ditionary, rather than tlie recorded, 
 account ; for the Talmuds and Philo 
 speak of God appearing to Abraham 
 first in Chaldea, and afterwards in 
 ChaiTan, and even some passages of 
 Scripture favor this idea. Gen. xv. 
 7 ; Neh. Lx. 7. 
 
 ^ 3. ^rwZ said unto him, i. e. in Mes- 
 opotamia, or what is called in Gen- 
 
VII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 108 
 
 4 shall show thee. Then came he out of the land of the Chal- 
 deans, and dwelt in Charran. And from thence, when his father 
 was dead, he removed him into this land wherein ye now dwell. 
 
 6 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to 
 set his foot on : yet he promised that he would give it to him for 
 a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no 
 
 6 child. And God spake on this wise, That his seed should so- 
 journ in a strange land ; and that they should bring them into 
 
 esis, JJr of the CJialdees, and not at 
 tlie time spoken of in Gen. xii. ], 
 when he dwelt in Charran. — Get 
 thee out of thy country, ^r. This 
 command was given to rescue Abra- 
 ham from idolatry, and to make him 
 the head of a new race, who should 
 worship the one true God, and bo 
 the depositary of a new religion for 
 tJie world. 
 
 4. Land of the Chaldeans, i. e. 
 JNIesopoiamia. Ver. '2. — Dwelt in 
 Charran. His residence here is only 
 temporary, and, although it was in the 
 aforenamed country from which he 
 was said to come out, yet the expres- 
 sion was used because he was on 
 his way out of that land. — fVlien his 
 father ivas dead. Here is a difficulty 
 m chronology ; for, by computations 
 of the age of Terah, the father 
 of Abraham, and the period when 
 tlie latter removed from Chan-an to 
 Canaan, made from Gen. xi. '20, S2, 
 xii. 4, it would appear that Terah 
 was still living when his son emi- 
 grated to Canaan. Many solutions 
 have been proposed, as that Terah 
 was morally dead when his son left 
 him, being an idolater ; that the Sa- 
 maritm text should be preferred, 
 which reads one hundred and five in- 
 stead of tlie present number, Gen. xi. 
 32; for errors in numerical state- 
 ments are frequent; that Abraham 
 was not necessarily born when Te- 
 rah was seventy years of age, but 
 might have been the youngest of the 
 sons, thoufrh mentioned first on ac- 
 count of his distinction, and might 
 
 have been born long after the age 
 of Terah tliere mentioned ; but the 
 more probable explanation is that of 
 Bloomfield and others, that Stephen 
 followed, here and elsewhere, tlie 
 traditions of his countiymen, which 
 were well known to his auditors, 
 though somewhat at variance with 
 the recorded history. — He removed 
 him, i. e. God. — Into this land, i. e. 
 Canaan. 
 
 5. JVot so much as to set his foot 
 on. Or, to use our term, " not a foot 
 of land." Lightfoot remarks "tliat 
 Abraham was forced to buy. Gen. 
 xxiii., a place of burial, though all 
 the land was given him by promise." 
 He Avas himself a pilgrim and so- 
 journer, but he rested with undoubt- 
 ing faith on the promises of God, and 
 hence became " the father of the 
 faithful." Gen. xii. 7. — He had no 
 child. A circumstance placing in 
 greater prominence his invincible 
 trust in the divine covenant. 
 
 6. Shoidd sojourn in a strange 
 land. By which is meant the abode 
 of the Hebrews in Egypt. — Entreat. 
 Old FJnglisli for "treat" — Four hun- 
 dred years. Gen. xv. 13. This is a 
 statement in round numbers of the du- 
 ration, both of the Egyptian bondage, 
 and of the preceding abode of tlie pa- 
 triarchs in the land of Canaan, which, 
 exactly computed, would amount to 
 about four hundred and thirty years, 
 the same as stated in Ex. xii. 40, 41, 
 Gal. iii. ] 7, and by Josephus in his his- 
 tory. The patriarchs dwelt in Canaan 
 about two hundred years previously 
 
104 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years. And the 7 
 nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God : 
 and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this 
 
 place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And 8 
 
 so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ; 
 and Isaac begat Jacob, and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs. 
 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt : but 9 
 God was with him, and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and 10 
 gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; 
 and he made him governor over Egypt, and all his house. Now 11 
 there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and 
 great affliction ; and our f ithers found no sustenance. But when 12 
 Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers 
 first. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his 13 
 
 to the emigration into Kgypt, where 
 their posterity remained in seiTitude 
 during two hundred years longer. 
 
 7. JVill I judge. Or, better, " pun- 
 ish ; " which prediction w^as fearfully 
 fulfilled by the plagues related in 
 Exodus, and the overthrow of the 
 Egyptians in the Red vSea. Indeed, 
 the accuracy with which all these va- 
 rious prophecies were accomplished, 
 furnishes an irresistible argument in 
 support of the divine authority of 
 the Mosaic dispensation. — Serve me 
 in this place, i. e. the descendants of 
 Abraham would serve and worship 
 God in the land of Canaan. Com- 
 pare Gen. XV. 14 ; Ex. iii. 12. This 
 was the great aim of the Jewish rev- 
 elation — that the nation, after a 
 long discipline of toils, and suffer- 
 ings, and teachings, should be estab- 
 lished, in the land of Canaan, in the 
 pure worship of the one God ; and 
 thus become an instrument, diffusing 
 abroad that fundamental doctrine in 
 all tlie earth, and preparing the way 
 for more advanced revelations of spir- 
 itual truth. 
 
 8. The covenant of circiimcisio7i. 
 Gen. xvii. 4-10. " Circumcision was 
 the token of the covenant, which 
 God made with Abraham and his 
 
 posterity. This covenant or compact 
 consisted of a promise from God that 
 he would be their God, and an agree- 
 ment, which was ratified by the rite 
 of circumcision on their part, that 
 they would be his people. — ^Ind so, 
 ^-c. i. e. " in virtue," according to 
 Bloomfield, of that covenant. — 'The 
 twelve patriarchs. So called because 
 they were the heads of the twelve 
 Jewish tribes. 
 
 9. Moved ivith envy. Gen. xxxvii. 
 4, ] 1, 28. They we're jealous of the 
 favor wdth which their father treated 
 his youngest son. — But God was 
 ivith him. Notwithstanding he was 
 deserted by those most nearly con- 
 nected by the ties of kindred, and 
 sold into a foreign land as a common 
 slave, he Avas under the guidance 
 and protection of that higher Power 
 " w^ho shapes our ends, rough hew 
 them as v/e will." Gen. xxxix. 2, 21, 
 23, xlv. 7, 8. 
 
 10. Deliverel him, &"c. Gen. xli. 
 Joseph was wonderfully preserved 
 and elevated to power for the good 
 of his fiimily and nation. 
 
 1 1 - 18. See Gen. xli. - xlv. — A 
 dearth. Famines were more frequent 
 in the early ages, before the arts of 
 agriculture were improved, or the fa- 
 
VII.] 
 
 UF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 106 
 
 brethren : and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 
 H Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his 
 
 15 kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. So Jacob went down into 
 
 16 Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, and were carried over into 
 Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a 
 sum of money of the sons of Emmor, the father of Sychem. 
 
 cilities of commerce established be- 
 tween different nations. — Great af- 
 Jliction. The natural consequence 
 of the severe famine. The story of 
 Joseph and his brethren is one of the 
 most beautiful and life-like histories 
 in the literature of the world. — JVo 
 sustenance. Not even of a coarser 
 kind, as the word in the original im- 
 plies. — Corn^ i. e. grain of any spe- 
 cies, as maize, wheat. — Joseph was 
 made known. Or, made himself 
 known. 
 
 14. Threescore and ffleen souls. 
 This number conflicts with Gen. xlvi. 
 26, 27 ; Ex. i. 5 ; Deut x. 22, where 
 Jacob and his posterity are said to 
 be seventy, at the time of the emi- 
 gration into Egypt. The Septuagint 
 version, however, records seventy- 
 five, in harmony with the present 
 text To make out this number, 
 some would include the wives of Ja- 
 cob's sons ; but the better explana- 
 tion is found in the fact that the de- 
 scendants of Joseph, though not em- 
 igrants from Canaan, belonged to 
 the sum total of Jacob's posterity, 
 and are so recorded by the Septua- 
 gint in Gen. xlvi. 27, where, instead 
 of the number two, in Hebrew it 
 reads nine, i. e. Joseph and his wife, 
 their two sons, Manasseh and Ephra- 
 im, and their five grandsons, men- 
 tioned in 1 Chron. vii. 14 - 21, Ash- 
 riel, Machir, Zelophehad, Peresh, 
 sons of Manasseh; and Shuthelah, 
 son of Ephraim. Stephen perhaps 
 intimates the vast growth of the na- 
 tion from such small beginnings, as 
 an implied justification of the feeble- 
 ness of the Christian cause at first. 
 
 15, 16. So Jacob went down, S^c. 
 Compare Gen. xlvi. — Wei'e carried 
 over into Sychem. Elsewhere called 
 Shechem, and Sychar, a city of Sa- 
 maria. Josh. xxiv. 32 ; John iv. 5. 
 Its present name is JVabulus. Jose- 
 phus, in his Antiquities, represents 
 the brethren of Joseph to have been 
 buried at Hebron; but the Jewish 
 Rabbins, and also Jerome, agree with 
 Stephen, in assigning Shechem as 
 their burial-place. — That Abraham 
 bought, ^c. Contrary to this state- 
 ment, we are informed in Gen. xxiii. 
 that Abraham bought the cave and 
 field of Ephron the Hittite, which 
 was in Machpelah, before Mamre; 
 whereas the bargain with the sons 
 of Emmor, the faSier of Sichem, was 
 made by Jacob. Gen. xxxiii. 18, 19. 
 To account for this error, some crit- 
 ics concur in the opinion that Abra- 
 ham was introduced by some tran- 
 scriber without authority, and that 
 the true nominative is he, referring 
 to Jacob in ver. 15, who is last men- 
 tioned. But the Abbotts, in their 
 notes on the New Testament, remark 
 that " This is another of the instances 
 in which Stephen's account appears 
 not to correspond with the Mosaic 
 history, and of which no satisfactory 
 explanation has yet beengiven. The 
 necessity of finding such explana- 
 tion depends upon the question, whe- 
 ther we consider this address of 
 Stephen as divinely inspired. The 
 sacred writers often record the dis- 
 courses of uninspired men." See, 
 also, Barnes on tliis verse to the 
 same effect. — Emmor. In Hebrew, 
 Hamor. Gen. xxxiv. 18. 
 
106 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had 17 
 sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, till 18 
 another king arose, which knew not Joseph. The same dealt 19 
 subtly with our kindred, and evil-entreated our fathers, so that 
 they cast out their young children, to the end they might not 
 
 live. In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding 20 
 
 fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months : and 21 
 when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and 
 nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all 22 
 
 17-19. The time of ike promise^ 
 i. e. fulfilment of the promise, that 
 they should be released from bond- 
 age, and enter into the inheritance 
 of Canaan, the promised land. Gen. 
 xii. 7, XV. 14, 16. — Greiv and multi- 
 plied. See Ex. i. 7 - 12. — Jlnother 
 king arose. His name is only mat- 
 ter of conjecture. — Knew not Jo- 
 seph. Ex. i. 8. The probable sense 
 is, " did not care for him," or " re- 
 garded not the memory of his bene- 
 fits." Joseph at this time was dead, 
 but the reigning monarch did not re- 
 member his service to the country, 
 and continue to his kindred the fa- 
 vors enjoyed under the previous reign. 
 — Dealt subtly, i. e. insidiously, 
 deceitfully, Ex. i. 10, " wisely," in a 
 bad sense. — So that they cast out, &fc. 
 Besides expressly ordering the death 
 of the male children, Ex. i. 16, 18, 
 22, the policy of the cruel monarch 
 was, to grind the Israelites with so 
 severe a bondage, that they would 
 prefer to abandon their children to 
 destruction, rather than seQ tliem 
 live to be the most abject slaves. — 
 They might not live, i. e. the young 
 children. The custom of infanticide 
 is one of the marks of the lowest 
 condition of humanity, among savage 
 and barbarous nations. Life is held 
 so cheap, and is so wretched, that tJie 
 parents choose death for th^ir off- 
 spring, as the more desirable lot In 
 some Eastern tribes, birth is an oc- 
 casion of lamentation, and death of 
 joy and festivity. 
 
 20, 21. Was exceeding fair. Lit- 
 erally, " fair to God." As tlie He- 
 brews had no superlative degree for 
 their adjectives, they attached to 
 them the word God to give intensity 
 of meaning. Thus, very high moun- 
 tains were called the mountains of 
 God, Ps. XXX vi. 6 ; lofty cedars, the 
 cedars of God, Ps. Ixxx. 10 ; a vehe- 
 ment flame, a flame of God, Cant 
 viii. 6 ; a very great city, a city of 
 God, Jon. iii. 3. See, also, 2 Cor. x. 4. 
 The idea would seem to be, what 
 was great, or beautiful, or lofty, even 
 before God, who truly knows what 
 possesses these qualities. We em- 
 ploy the words " divine " and " di- 
 vinely " to heighten the force of our 
 expressions. Heb. xi. 23. Jose- 
 phus also calls Moses " a youth of 
 divine beauty ;" and, in another place, 
 says, " No one could look at him with- 
 out being struck with his beauty, 
 and unable to take his eyes off" from 
 him." — In his father's house three 
 months. He was secretly presen'ed 
 during that time, Ex. ii. 2, 3 ; and, 
 when concealment Avas no longer 
 possible, he was exposed in an ark 
 of bulrushes by the brink of the riv- 
 er Nile. — JVourished him for her 
 own son. Or, caused him to be 
 taken care of and educated as her 
 own son, though by his own mother. 
 Ex. ii. 8-10. 
 
 29. Learned in all the wisdom of 
 the Egyptians, i. e. he was trained or 
 educated in all their wisdom. What 
 this consisted of is stated by vari- 
 
VII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 107 
 
 the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in 
 
 23 deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his 
 
 24 heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing 
 one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him 
 
 25 that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian : for he supposed his 
 brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would 
 
 26 deliver them : but they understood not. And the next day he 
 showed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set 
 them at one again, saying. Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye 
 
 ous ancient authors ; as, arithmetic, 
 music, astronomy, astrology, medi- 
 cine, geometry, hieroglyphics, poetry, 
 physics and metaphysics, and ethics. 
 Egypt was universally regarded and 
 called the mother of the arts and 
 sciences. Ancient civilization took 
 its rise in that country, and was 
 thence spread abroad throujjhGreece, 
 Rome, and other lands. The works 
 of* skill and power which still exist 
 there, the pyramids, catacombs, and 
 temples, excite the wonder and ad- 
 miration of the traveller. The Jewish 
 Rabbins said, " that, of the ten por- 
 tions of wisdom which came into the 
 world, the Egyptians had niney and 
 that all the other inhabitants of the 
 earth had only the remaining por- 
 tion." The Scriptures recognize the 
 eminent wisdom of this people. See 
 1 Kings iv. 30; and Is. xix. 11-13. 
 — Mighty in words and in deeds. 
 Although Moses disclaimed any 
 ability as a fluent orator, Ex. iv. 10, 
 yet that he was mighty in words, as 
 an inspired propliet and leader, as a 
 counsellor as well as actor in the 
 most remarkable scenes, is suffi- 
 ciently proved by his wise laws and 
 by the Pentateuch, written by him ; 
 and, as some writers have conjec- 
 tured, by the authorship of the book 
 of Job. Respecting his deeds, Jo- 
 sephus, in his Antiquities, relates a 
 story of Moses' leading the Egyptian 
 army in a war against the Ethio- 
 pians, Avho had invaded thfnr territo- 
 ry, and obtaining a complete victory 
 
 over the enemy, and talcing the capi- 
 tal city, Saba, or Meroe. But, inde- 
 pendently of any such tradition, his 
 miracles in Egypt, Ex. vii. - xii., and 
 his guidance of the Israelites through 
 the sea and the wilderness, justify 
 the epiihet of the text Heb. xi. 23 
 -29. 
 
 23, 24. Full fortv years old. The 
 Jews had a saying that " Moses was 
 forty years in Pharaoh's palace, forty 
 years in Midian, and forty years in 
 tiie wilderness." Ver. 30. Stephen 
 follows tradition here and in otlier 
 places. — It came into his heart How 
 far he was as yet conscious of the 
 part he was to take as a deliverer 
 of the Hebrews, and author of a new 
 system of religion, does not appear; 
 but some foreshadowing of the fu- 
 ture was present to his mind, accord- 
 ing to ver. 25. — To visit. With a 
 view to learn their condition and re- 
 dress their wrongs. — Suffer icrong. 
 As the Hebrews were in the most 
 abject servitude, he soon found ob- 
 jects for his compassion and inter- 
 position. Ex. ii. 11, 12. His zeal burst 
 out in open acts of violence against 
 the oppressor. We here behold the 
 fire of that spirit which afterwards 
 kindled the whole nation, emitting 
 its first flames. — Smote^ i. e. killed 
 the Egyptian. 
 
 25 - 28. Understood Jww that God, 
 S^'c. This is a tradition, or an infer- 
 ence of the speaker. As God had 
 pro.Tiised that they should be deliv- 
 ered from their bondage ; when they 
 
108 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbor wrong, 27 
 thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge 
 over us ? Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yester- 23 
 day 1 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the 29 
 land of Madian, where he begat two sons. And when forty years 30 
 were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount 
 
 saw one so high in station and influ- 
 ence as Moses taking their part, they 
 might naturally conclude that the 
 day of deliverance was at hand; but 
 slavery and woe had cast them into 
 gloom and despair. They ceased to 
 hope. — They strove. Ex. ii. 13. Two 
 Hebrews were now in a quarrel. — 
 Set them at one, i. e. pacified them, 
 composed their difficulties. The 
 words at one are sometimes formed 
 into one term, atoiie, and used by 
 early writers with the sense, to make 
 one, or to make to agree. Hence the 
 word atonement, at-one-ment, at or in 
 one mind ; reconciliation, harmony. 
 Rom. V. 11. — Sirs, ye are brethren, 
 a^c. Beautiful reasoning! Excel- 
 lent conclusion from noble premises ! 
 Since men, to enlarge the statement 
 beyond all sectional and national 
 limits, are all brethren, why should 
 they quarrel and make war against 
 one another ? Why should they bite 
 and devour one another ? Why 
 should they not recognize their broth- 
 erhood with one another, and their 
 common sonship to God ? Why 
 should they nut act on that just pre- 
 cept, " Each for all, and all for 
 each" ? In the midst of jarring in- 
 terests, sects, parties, and nations, 
 let the mild voice of Christian love 
 be heard, adopting the sentiment of 
 even an earlier faith, « Sirs, ye are 
 brethren ; why do ye wrong one to 
 another ? " — Who made thee, ^t. The 
 usual recompense of blame f )r tlie 
 peacemaker. Gen. xix. 9; Luke xii. 
 14. It is a touch of nature, that this 
 repulse came from the injurer, and 
 not the injured. He that is con- 
 scious in his own heart of wroirT-, 
 
 first becomes angry. — jis thou didst, 
 ^'c. The news had been spread a- 
 broad of the event of the day before. 
 
 29. Then fed Moses, &fc. Ex. ii. 
 14, 15. Thus learning that the af- 
 fair had become public, he fled from 
 the vengeance of Pharaoh. — fVas a 
 stranger. Or, " a sojourner," a tem- 
 porary dweller. — Madian. Or Mid- 
 ian, a district of Arabia, so called 
 from Midian, a son of Abraham. 
 Gen. XXV. 2. This territory extend- 
 ed along the eastern shore of the 
 Red Sea, and reached as far as 
 Mount Smai and the borders of Mt)- 
 ab. Ex. iii. 1, xviii. 5; Num. xxxi. ; 
 Judg. vi. - viii. The Midianites af- 
 terwards became powerful enemies 
 to the Hebrews. — Two sons. Moses 
 married Zipporah, the daughter of 
 Reuel, or Jethro, a Midianite priest, 
 by whom he had two sons, Gershom 
 and Eliezer. Ex. ii. 15 - 22. 
 
 30. When forty years, ^'c. See 
 ver. 23. Moses was at this time 
 eighty years old. Man, in his im- 
 patience, might regard the Provi- 
 dence of God as too long delaying 
 its interposition ; but the Almighty 
 was slowly preparing the way for 
 the triumphant deliverance of his 
 people, by the instrumentality of 
 one who was long buried in obscu- 
 rity in the heart of an Arabian wil- 
 derness. It is the dictate of Chris- 
 tian faith and hope to behold the 
 day slowly, but surely, approaching, 
 when every chiin of slavery shall 
 be broken in every region of the 
 earth. — Mo U7it Sina. This account 
 is reconciled with Ex. iii. 1, by the 
 fact that the same mountain had two 
 peaks ; one called Horeb, and the 
 
VIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 109 
 
 31 Sina, an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. When 
 Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight ; and as he drew near to 
 
 32 behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, I am the 
 God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, 
 and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not 
 
 33 behold. Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy 
 
 34 feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. I have 
 seen, I have seen the aflfliction of my people which is in Egypt, 
 and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver 
 
 35 them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. This Moses, 
 whom they refused, saying. Who made thee a ruler and a judge 1 
 the same did God send to he a ruler and a deliverer by the hand 
 
 other Sinai. Hence the two terms 
 ■were used interchangeably. Rob- 
 inson, in his Biblical Researches, 
 comes to the conclusion that Horeb 
 was originally the general name for 
 the who^e cluster of mountains, and 
 Sinai that of a particular summit; 
 but that, in subsequent times, as in 
 the New Testament, Josephus, and 
 other writers, Sinai became the gen- 
 eral, and Horeb the specific, desig- 
 nation. — An angel of the Lord in a 
 flame, &,-c. We here learn that by 
 an angel is meant any manifestation 
 of the divine presence or power, as 
 in a dream, a voice, a vision, a wind, 
 a fire. Ex. iii. 2, 4. It appears that 
 the voice is represented as coming 
 from God himself. The appearance 
 was brilliant and splendid, as of a 
 flaming; fire ; though not literally a 
 fire, for the bush was not consumed. 
 There is no evidence Avhatever, as 
 some assert, tliat the angel of the 
 Lord here and elsewhere spoken of 
 was the Messiah. 
 
 31. fVondersd. That the bush was 
 not consumed. Ex. iii. 2, 3. 
 
 32. / am the God of thy fathers, &,'c. 
 By which it was intimated that the 
 covenant made with them was re- 
 membered, and would be fulfilled. 
 
 33. Put offthij shoes from thy fed, 
 ^'c. In the East, contrary to our man- 
 ners, it is a token of respect to uncov- 
 
 VOL. III. 10 
 
 er the feet, but of disrespect to un- 
 cover the head. Worshippers took 
 off" their shoes or sandals before en- 
 tering a temple, and suppliants be- 
 fore they entered the presence of a 
 king. — Is holy ground. This com- 
 mand naturally impressed the mind of 
 Moses with a solemn sense of venera- 
 tion for the Almighty, who seemingly 
 appeared to him here for tlie first time. 
 
 34. / have seen, I have seen. Repe- 
 tition implies energy of emotion. " I 
 have surely seen." Comp. Ex. iii. 7. 
 — Am come down to deliver them. As 
 God is an omnipresent Spirit, he is 
 in one place as much as another, or, 
 to use the rather quaint expression, 
 " His centre is every where, his cir- 
 cumference nowhere." But to accom- 
 modate his language to the material 
 conceptions of men, he represents 
 himself as moving from place to place. 
 
 35. Whom they refused. Stephen 
 would intimate tliat, as the rejection 
 of Moses by his countrymen Avas no 
 evidence against his divine mission, 
 so the fact that .Tesus was crucified 
 conflicted not with his being the 
 Messiah. It was a strong argument. 
 — A ruler. Or, military leader and 
 governor. — Deliverer. Literally, ran- 
 somor, redeemer. Moses ransomed 
 or redeemed the children of Israel, 
 by the sacrifice and consecration of 
 himself, and all his faculties and en- 
 
110 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. He brought 36 
 them out, after that he had showed wonders and signs in the land 
 of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years. 
 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A 37 
 Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your 
 brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that 38 
 was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake 
 to him in the Mount Sina, and with our fathers : who received 
 the lively oracles to give unto us: to whom our fathers would 39 
 not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned 
 back again into Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go 40 
 before us : for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the 
 
 ergies, to deliver them from the 
 bonda2:e of Egypt, and lead them 
 into the promised land. He ran- 
 somed the captive Hebrews by pay- 
 ing no price, except that of his oAvn 
 " labors, dangers, and sufferings." 
 
 36. He brought them out. This 
 very Moses, Avhom they rejected, 
 was the grand instrument of their 
 deliverance. — Wonders and signs. 
 The same terms are applied to the 
 miracles of Moses as to those of 
 Christ. Chap. ii. 22. — £^/;?f. The 
 miracles there consisted of the ten 
 plagues, brought upon Pharaoh and 
 his people, for refusing to dismiss 
 the Hebrews. — In the Red Sea. 
 Which lies between Arabia and 
 Egypt, and is about 1400 miles long. 
 It is so called by reason of a reddish 
 tinge to its waters from some sea 
 plant. The waters were parted for 
 tlie passage of Moses and his host, 
 but closed upon tlieir pursuers and 
 overwhelmed them. — In the wilder- 
 ness. The pillar of fire by night, 
 and cloud by day, the descent of 
 manna and quails, and the drawing 
 of streams of living water from a 
 rock, were some of the " wonders 
 and signs," in their journey in the 
 wilderness. — Forty years. This long 
 wandering was designed to purify 
 the Hebrews from their idolatrous 
 propensities, and prepare them for 
 their inheritance in Canaan. 
 
 37. This is thai Moses, ^c. The 
 very same Moses predicted the com- 
 ing of that Messiah whom you, in 
 imitation of tlie disobedience of your 
 fathers, have rejected and destroyed. 
 — Jl prophet, &fc. See notes on 
 chap. iii. 22, 23 ; Deut. xviii. 15. 
 
 38. This is he. Another emphatic 
 reference to Moses. — The churchy 
 Or, the assembly ; or, body of Israel- 
 ites. The word is not to be under- 
 stood in our sense of a church. — 
 The lively oracles. Better, tlie li^ng 
 or life-giving oracles, in reference to 
 the life which they imparted to the 
 soul. It was promised to the obe- 
 dient, that their lives should be pro- 
 longed in the land of Canaan. Lev. 
 xviii. 5 ; Deut xxxii. 47. The term 
 oracles was used by tlie ancients to 
 describe the responses or commu- 
 nications from their gods ; and the 
 same word is here employed for the 
 divine instructions to the Hebrews. 
 The revelations of God eminently 
 deserved the epithet life-giving, for 
 they call into healthy exercise and 
 progress the higher and nobler facul- 
 ties of the human constitution, and 
 confer what may truly be called life, 
 happiness, blessedness. John vi. 63, 
 X. 10. 
 
 39. 40. Our fathers ivould not obey. 
 The perversity of the Israelites is 
 arrayed in darker colors, when con- 
 trasted with tlie honors which were 
 
VIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 Ill 
 
 41 land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And they 
 made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and 
 
 42 rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Then God turned, 
 and gave them up to worship the host of heaven ; as it is written 
 in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered 
 to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in 
 
 45 the wilderness? Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, 
 and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to 
 worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 
 
 lavished upon Moses by the Almigh- 
 ty, as their ruler and deliverer, the 
 receiver of the law, and the founder 
 of a new dispensation of religion. 
 Stephen would virtually draw tlie 
 inference tliat, as were their ances- 
 tors, so were they, stiff-necked and 
 faithless. — In their hearts turned 
 hack. Not that they desired to re- 
 sume the yoke of bondage, but they 
 yearned after the habits, and idola- 
 tries, and sensual enjoyments of 
 Egypt. Ex. xvi. 3 ; Num. xi. 5. — 
 Make us gods, i. e. idolatrous images ; 
 for it was customary for many tribes 
 to carry, w^hen. going to war, or 
 taking a journey, idols, which were 
 thought to give success to tlieir en- 
 terprises. — As for this Moses, 8fc. 
 An expression of contempt. — TVe 
 wot not. Old English for " we know 
 not" 
 
 41. They made a calf. Ex. xxxii. 
 We here find them already adopting 
 the Egyptian idolatry, notAvithstand- 
 ing the wonders and signs througli 
 which they had passed; for the prin- 
 cipal divinity in that country was 
 Apis, worshipped under the form of 
 an ox, selected Avith great care, and 
 containing certain peculiar marks. — 
 Offered sacrifice, &fc. They readily 
 adopted the idolatrous solemnities 
 and festivities of the nation, from 
 which they had just been delivered. 
 
 42. To tvorship the host of heaven. 
 A prevalent form of Orient il idolatry 
 was Zabaism, or the worship of the 
 heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and 
 
 stars. — In the book of the prophets. 
 Amos V. 25 - 27. Stephen cites tlie 
 prophets to confirm his statements. 
 The twelve minor prophets, from 
 Hosea to Malachi, were included in 
 one book by the Jews. — Have ye 
 offered, &cc. Implying that they had 
 not offered sacrifices, or had mingled 
 them with heathen rites, or had wor- 
 shipped God in form, but not in deed 
 and truth. 
 
 43. Yea. Better rendered, " nay." 
 So far from their uniformly rendering 
 an acceptable worship to God, they 
 even plunged into the grossest forms 
 of heathen idolatry. — Took up. Or, 
 bore about ; in allusion to the man- 
 ner in which the images of heathen 
 gods are carried round in proces- 
 sions, being placed aloft, to be seen 
 and worshipped by the devotees. — 
 The tabernacle. Or, case ; or, shrine ; 
 intended to contain the statue of the 
 god. — Moloch. Derived from the 
 Hebrew Avord meaning king, and 
 generally supposed to signify the 
 sun, one of the host of heaven, ver. 
 42, which Avas AA'orshipped by Orien- 
 tal idolaters. It is evident that the 
 IlebrcAvs were at various periods 
 addicted to the worship of this idol. 
 See Lev. xviii. 21, xx. 2 - 5 ; Deut 
 xii. 31, xviii. 10 ; 1 Kings xi. 7 ; 2 
 Kings xvi. 3, xxi. .3, 6 ; Ps. cvi. 37, 
 38 ; Jer. vii. 31. The folloAving 
 description of tliis idol and its wor- 
 ship is quoted by Lightfoot from 
 the Rabbins, in their comment on 
 2 Kings xxiii. 10 : " His face was 
 
lis 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as 44 
 he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it 
 according to the fashion that he had seen. Which also our 45 
 fathers, that came after, brought in with Jesus into the posses- 
 sion of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our 
 
 like a calf, and his hands were 
 stretched out as a man's that reach- 
 eth out to receive something from 
 his neighbor. He was made of 
 brass, and was heated with fire 
 under, till he was glowing hot; and 
 then tlie priests put the child into 
 his arms, and there he was burnt ; 
 and tlie priests made a noise in the 
 mean while with drums, that the fa- 
 ther might not hear the child's cry ; 
 and therefore it was called ' Tophet,' 
 from ' Toph,' a ' drum or tahor.' " — 
 The star. Which, Priestley remarks, 
 shows that the deity which was rep- 
 resented was one of the host of 
 heaven. — Your god Remphan. Called 
 Chiun in Amos v. 26. The latter 
 was probably the Syrian, the former 
 the Egyptian, name ; representing, as 
 is conjectured, the planet Saturn. 
 Zabaism, or the worship of the heav- 
 enly bodies, prevailed among many 
 Eastern nations, — Figures. Liter- 
 ally, types, representations, images. 
 — And 1 will carry you away. This 
 was the retribution which would 
 overtake them, for departing from 
 the worship of the true God. — Be- 
 yond Babylon. Amos writes, " be- 
 yond Damascus." The scope of the 
 sense is the same in both cases ; for 
 both are statements that they should 
 be carried away as exiles into for- 
 eign countries of tlie East. Many 
 of the Jews were, in point of fact, 
 transported beyond Babylon into As- 
 syria and Media. 2 Kings xvii. 6. 
 Stephen would apparently remind his 
 prejudiced hearers of the lapses of 
 their fathers, and the frightful calam- 
 ities which followed their rebellion. 
 
 44. The tabernacle of witness. Or, 
 of testimony that God was with 
 
 them. The tabernacle of God is 
 contrasted with the tabernacle of 
 Moloch. Ver. 43. As the Hebrew 
 religion was a theocracy, in which 
 God was the king, and the priests 
 and Levites were his ministers and 
 courtiers, the tabernacle was in the 
 place of the royal tent, in which the 
 sovereign communicated, through 
 his servants, with the people, and 
 where his tables of commandments 
 were kept, and his honor dwelt Ex. 
 xxix. 42, 43. — Jls he had appointed, 
 i. e. God. — SJi02dd make it accord- 
 ing to the fashion, ^*c. We learn, 
 from Ex. xxv. 9, 40, xxvi. 30 ; Heb. 
 viii. 5, that a model was given him, 
 according to which the tabernacle 
 was to be constructed. Stephen had 
 testified his respect for Moses and 
 the law ; he now proceeds to vindi- 
 cate his regard, indirectly, for the 
 tabernacle and the temple, the holy 
 places of their nation. 
 
 45. Our fathers that came ajler. 
 Josh. iii. 14. Or, better, according 
 to the margin and various versions, 
 as Luther, Tyndale, and others, 
 " our fathers having received." — Je- 
 sus. The Greek word for Joshua, 
 the leader of the Hebrew host into 
 the land of Canaan. Heb. iv. 8, has 
 the same mistranslation. — The Gen- 
 tiles, i. e. the Canaanites, who were 
 driven out to make room for the 
 establishment of a purer worship. 
 The language of Stephen clearly 
 implies that the Israelites acted un- 
 der the direction of God, in extir- 
 pating the heathen tribes. — Unto 
 the days of David, i. e. the tabernacle 
 which was built lay JNIoses, and car- 
 ried into the promised land by Joshua, 
 continued until the time of David. 
 
VII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 113 
 
 4<5 fathers, unto the days of David ; who found favor before God, 
 
 47 and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. But 
 
 48 Solomon built him a house. Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth 
 4:0 not in temples made with hands ; as saith the prophet, Heaven 
 
 is my throne, and earth is my footstool : what house will ye 
 build me ? saith the Lord : or what is the place of my rest ? 
 
 ^y Hath not my hand made all these things ? Ye stiff-necked, 
 
 and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the 
 
 4G, 47. Found favor before God. 
 He is represented as a man after 
 God's oAvn heart, 1 Sam. xiii. 14 ; 
 Ps. Ixxxix. 20 - 24, and his reign 
 ■vvas a brilliant epoch in Jewish his- 
 tory. — Desired to find a tahernade, 
 ^"c. David wished to build a temple, 
 as a permanent place of deposit for 
 the sacred things, and for the Avor- 
 ship of the people, but was forbidden 
 by God on account of liis warlike 
 character. 2 Sam. vii. ; 1 Kings viii. ; 
 1 ChroiL xxii. 8. The word " taber- 
 nacle " is not the same in the original 
 as that which is thus translated in 
 ver. 43, 44, but means a pitched or 
 stationary tent or dwelling. — But 
 Solojnon built, &fc. David made ex- 
 tensive preparations, but Solomon 
 was the builder of the temple. 1 
 Kings vi. ; 1 Chron. xxii. 
 
 48. Howbeit. Notwithstanding the 
 honor paid to God in building him tab- 
 ernacles and temples, it was not to be 
 imagined tliat he was limited to these 
 sacred places ; for the creation is his 
 dwelling, the universe his temple. 
 1 Kings viii. 27, where the same lofty 
 idea of the divine majesty was ex- 
 pressed by Solomon at the dedication 
 of his temple. Acts xvii. 24. — Jls 
 saith the prophet. A free quotation 
 from Is, Ixvi. 1. 
 
 49, 50. Stephen seems to adduce 
 tlie testimony of Solomon a,nd Isiiah 
 to prove that there might be a super- 
 stitious reverence, as among the 
 Jews, for the particular places of 
 Avorship, and a forgetfulness that 
 God Avas limited to no time nor 
 
 10* 
 
 temple, but Avas unbounded in pres- 
 ence and glory. — Heaven is my 
 throne, ^c. Images taken from earth- 
 ly royalty, to shadoAv fortli the splen- 
 dor of the divine majesty. We 
 should endeavor to form true and 
 enlarged conceptions of the being 
 of God, avoiding the extreme of the 
 Materialist on one side, and that of 
 the Pantheist on the other. We ought 
 to aspire continually after purer ideas, 
 and more profound convictions of the 
 reality, of the goodness and the un- 
 speakable glory of God. By purity 
 of heart, by the study of his Avorks, 
 the contemplation of his image in 
 Jesus, and never-ceasing conrniu- 
 nion with his spirit, Ave should seek 
 at the same time to increase our 
 knoAvledge, and to strengthen our 
 trust, in our Heavenly Father. The 
 idea of God is the vitp,l germ of all 
 religion in the soul. 
 
 51. At this point, Stephen sud- 
 denly changes the strain of his re- 
 marks, and breaks out in a vehement 
 appeal to his auditors, borne on by 
 the stream of his OAvn indignant 
 feelings, and seeing the gathering 
 passions of his enemies. He Avas 
 perhaps interrupted in his defence 
 by a repetition of the charge of blas- 
 phemy, upon his remarks in ver. 
 49 - 51 ; and, finding tliat there Avas 
 no room for conciliation, adopted 
 the most indignant style of address. 
 This would account for the abrupt 
 transition from ver. 50 to 51. — Ye 
 stiff-necked. A figure taken from the 
 body to describe tlieir self-Avill and 
 
114 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 Holy Ghost : as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the 52 
 prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain 
 them which showed before of the coming of the Just One ; of 
 whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers ; who 33 
 have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not 
 kept it. 
 
 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and 54 
 
 perverseness, and often applied to 
 the Jews in the Old Testament. Ex. 
 xxxiii. 3, 5. — Uncircumcised. Lev. 
 xxvi. 41; Jer. vi. 10. Another meta- 
 phorical expression, to describe their 
 impiety and wickedness, taken from 
 the great peculiar rite of the Jewish 
 covenant. They were unwilling to 
 hear, and, having heard, to be per- 
 suaded of, the truth. — Resist the 
 Holy Ghost. Or, Spirit ; i. e. accord- 
 ing to Grotius and Rosenmuller, ye 
 oppose yourselves to the admonitions 
 of God, delivered by the prophets. 
 Schleusner says, that the word Spirit 
 here denotes all the means, by which 
 God endeavors to reform the minds 
 of men. — Jls your fathers did, so do 
 ye. In their rejection of Jesus and 
 his apostles, they were exact imi- 
 tators of their fathers, who had per- 
 secuted Moses and the prophets. 
 And as the opposition which the 
 servants of God encountered of old 
 was no argument against their di- 
 vine commission, the same rule held 
 good in respect to the divine autliori- 
 ty of the Messiah. 
 
 52. JfTiich of the prophets, ^c. 
 Mat xxiii. 31, 35. A general dec- 
 laration that persecution had been 
 the lot of the servants of God, not 
 that every individual was maltreated. 
 — TVhich showed before, ^"C. Or, fore- 
 told. The prophets had predicted the 
 coming of Christ — The Just One, i. e. 
 the just by eminence, the absolutely 
 righteous. Acts iii.l4, xxii.l4; James 
 V. 6. — Have been now the betrayers, 
 ^c. The chain of iniquity had been 
 continued in unbroken succession ; 
 
 like fathers, like sons. It was the 
 same spirit, in every age, of hostility 
 to the truth, and stubborn prejudice. 
 The Jews betrayed or delivered up 
 Christ into the hands of Pilate, and 
 were instrumental of his murder by 
 urging a sentence of condemnation 
 against the will of the judge himself. 
 
 53. The laiv. Or, the Mosaic dis- 
 pensation. — By the disposition of 
 angels. Or, according to Winer, at, 
 in consequence of, conformably to, 
 such arrangements. The idea is, 
 that angels were appointed as min- 
 istering instruments for its diffusion. 
 Gal. iii. 19 ; Heb. ii. 2. A question 
 has been raised, but not fully settled, 
 whether by angels we are to consid- 
 er Moses, Aaron, Joshua, and others, 
 regarded as the messengers of God ; 
 or beings descending from other 
 spheres to mingle in the concerns of 
 men ; or inanimate objects, as tem- 
 pest, fire, wind, the executors of 
 God's Avill. Ps. Ixxviii. 49; Is. 
 xxxvii. 36. — And Imve not kept it. 
 His last words were a remonstrance 
 against their wickedness in disobey- 
 ing the laAv, which was solemnized 
 by the administration of angels, 
 and the sacrifice of a long line of 
 prophets. 
 
 54. They ivere cut to the heart. 
 See note on chap. v. 33, Avhere the 
 same verb is used without the noun. 
 The passions, not the consciences, of 
 the hearers, were excited. See chap, 
 ii. 37. — Gnashed on him, ^'c. Ex- 
 pressive of the most ungovernable 
 rage. Since Stephen was violently 
 interrupted before he closed his de- 
 
V11.J 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 115 
 
 55 they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the 
 Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory 
 
 56 of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, 
 Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing 
 
 57 on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud 
 voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 
 
 58 and cast liim out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses 
 
 fence, it is impossible to say, with 
 certainty, what conclusions he would 
 have drawn from the Jewish history ; 
 or how he would have used them to 
 vindicate his innocence, had he been 
 permitted to close his remarks. But 
 this recapitulation was probably in- 
 tended as a tacit, if not a direct, 
 testimony to his respect for Moses 
 and the law, and to the waywardness 
 of the Jews under every succession 
 of teachers, past and present 
 
 55, 56. Full of the Holy Ghost. 
 Spirit. Stephen, the first martyr, is 
 miraculously animated and sustained, 
 that he might exhibit an inspiring 
 example of fortitude to encourage 
 that "noble army" which was to 
 come after him. — Saw the glory of 
 God., ^c. " This prophetic view was 
 presented to him in the form of a 
 symbolic vision. As he looked up 
 to heaven, it appeared to open be- 
 fore his eyes. In more than earthly 
 splendor, there appeared to him a 
 form of divine majesty ; he beheld 
 Christ, (whose glorious image was 
 probably present to him from actual 
 recollection,) glorified and enthroned 
 at the right hand of God. Already 
 in spirit raised to heaven, he testified 
 with full confidence of what he be- 
 held." — Jesus standings &fc. He is 
 usually represented as sitting at the 
 right hand of God, Mat xxvi. 64 ; 
 Mark xvi. 19; but the posture of 
 standing indicated his having arisen, 
 as it were, to approve and assist his 
 suffering disciple. — Behold, 1 see,&fc. 
 This declaration stimulated them to 
 new fury and outrage. He not only 
 
 claimed a miraculous character for 
 his Master, but professed himself to 
 enjoy divine visions. Though re- 
 jected by his earthly judges, he 
 looked up to a loftier tribunal, " the 
 high bench of heaven," and beheld 
 the signals of approval and assist- 
 ance in the celestial presence. 
 
 57. They cried out, ^c. These 
 various acts were not merely the 
 expressions of rage, or intended to 
 drown the alleged blasphemy of 
 Stephen, but they were symbolical 
 actions, to denote their horror and 
 detestation of his speech. The San- 
 hedrim and the spectators joined 
 in these tumultuary proceedings. — 
 Stopped their ears. As if to hear no 
 further words from his lips. Accord- 
 ing to the Jewish writers, it was 
 customary to exhibit like tokens of 
 displeasure, whenever blasphemous 
 or indecent language was heard. 
 Mat xxvi. 65. 
 
 58. Cast him out of the city. It 
 was not lawful to execute a con- 
 demned person within the limits of 
 the city. Lev. xxiv. 14 ; 1 Kings 
 xxi. 13 ; Luke iv. 29. We see, in 
 the present instance, how much 
 more powerful was their superstition 
 than their sense of right They 
 could put a good man to death with- 
 out compunction, but they could not 
 do it without conforming to the 
 utmost punctilio of ceremonial cus- 
 tom. Comp. John xviii. 28. — Stoned 
 him. The punishment for blasphe- 
 my. The death of Stephen appears 
 to have taken place, not by a formal 
 decree of the Sanhedrim, for that 
 
118 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was 
 Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God^ and saying, 59 
 
 body no longer had the power of life 
 and death, being under the Roman 
 government, but by a riotous assault. 
 The regularity of their proceedings 
 in casting him out of the city, and 
 in the fact that the witnesses cast 
 the first stone, rather strengthens, 
 than subverts, this view. For such 
 mobs are usually observant, in some 
 points of the letter of the law, in pro- 
 portion as tliey outrage its spirit — 
 Laid doivn their clothes. To give 
 themselves the more freedom, they 
 laid aside, as usual when exercising, 
 their mantles, or loose outer gar- 
 ments. According to custom, tlie wit- 
 nesses, chap. vi. 11, 13, tlu-CAv the first 
 stone, as if to seal the truth of their 
 testimony, and to show that they Avere 
 accountable for what was done. The 
 criminal was commonly first thrown 
 down an eminence upon a large 
 stone, and, if that failed to kill him, 
 he was then stoned with large stones ; 
 first by the witnesses, and then by 
 the people at large. Deut. xvii. 7 ; 
 Lev. xxiv. 16. — A young man^s feet — 
 Saul. Paul, the person here spoken 
 of under the name of Saul, calls him- 
 self "aged" in Phil. 9' This is 
 accounted for by the fact that there 
 was an interval of about thirty years 
 between the martyrdom of Stephen, 
 A. D. 34, and the period of the Epis- 
 tle to Philemon, about A. D. 62. His 
 office of taking care of the garments 
 of the witnesses, while they were en- 
 gaged in this dreadful crime, showed 
 his interest, and guilty participation, 
 in the deed. Chap. xxii. £0. 
 
 59. Calling vfon God. This is 
 an instance of the sectirian biases 
 of the translators. The word " God," 
 in Italics, is not in the original, but 
 is introduced by them wholly with- 
 out authority. The true rendering 
 is " invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, 
 receive my s'pirit." As has been 
 
 conceded by Trinitarian writers, 
 there is no authority here for ad- 
 dressing supreme worship to Christ. 
 Hey says, " There is not, perhaps, any 
 express command to invoke Christ 
 under the title of God. The early 
 Christians used to invoke Christ, and 
 Pliny says, 'tanquam Deum;'' yet 
 Pliny's idea of a God was not con- 
 fined to the one supreme invisible 
 Being. St. Stephen addresses Christ, 
 but does not use the word God, 
 though it is found in our translation, 
 in Italics ; and his address is the ejac- 
 ulation of a man dying in the Chris- 
 tian cause." Coleridge also says, 
 " that Christ was visually present to 
 Stephen : his invocation, therefore, 
 was not, perforce, an act of religious 
 adoration, an acknowledgment of 
 Christ's Deity." The circumstances 
 under which Stephen invoked Jesus 
 were peculiar, entirely different from 
 those of believers at the present 
 day ; for he enjoyed a vision of 
 Jesus in the heavenly state, distinct 
 from God; and he therefore ad- 
 dresses him as he would have done 
 if upon the earth, and commends his 
 spirit to his care. It was an act of 
 fiiith in him, as tlie resurrection and 
 the life, as the Intercessor with the 
 Father, as the Judge of tlie quick 
 and the dead ; but not the ascription 
 to him of divine attributes, or the 
 rendering of supreme homage, which 
 Jesus, both by example and precept, 
 tauglit his disciples to give to tlie 
 Almighty alone. Mat vi. 9 ; Luke 
 xxiii. 34, 46 ; Rev. xix. 10. It is very 
 remarkable, as has been said, and 
 illustrative of this text, that Michael 
 Servetus, the martyr of Geneva, 
 when on the way to the stake, whose 
 aoonies he endured in consequence 
 of his faith, that Jesus Christ ivas not 
 the supreme Deity, often exclaimed, 
 " O God, save my soul ! O Jesus, 
 
vn.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 117 
 
 60 Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down and cried 
 with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And 
 when he had said this, he fell asleep. 
 
 Son of tlie Eternal God, have mercy 
 upon me ! " — Receive mi/ spirit, i. e. 
 to thy presence, to thy blessedness. 
 
 60. He kneeled down. He took 
 this posture on account of the wounds 
 he had received from his cruel ene- 
 mies, as well as from its being the 
 attitude of devotion. — Cried with a 
 loud voice. The agony of expiring 
 nature. — Lord, lay not this sin to 
 their charge, i. e. impute not this sin 
 to them. Hold them not responsible 
 for this crime. This beautiful peti- 
 tion breathed the very spirit of him 
 who prayed on the cross, Father, for- 
 give them ; for they know not what 
 they do. Luke xxiii. 34. Though 
 he had just denounced, in unsparing 
 terms, their wickedness, yet he felt 
 the tenderest compassion for their 
 impenitence. He thus exhibited 
 those combined elements of the gen- 
 tle and the severe, the mild and the 
 heroic, which constitute the most ex- 
 alted form of human excellence. In 
 relation to the connexion of the dy- 
 ing martyr with the future apostle 
 to the Gentiles, Augustine pointedly 
 said, "If Stephen had not prayed, 
 the church would not have had St. 
 Paul." — iZe/eZ? asleep. This soft- 
 ened expression is often used by the 
 Jewish and Scripture writers to de- 
 note death ; for Avhat is death, right- 
 ly viewed, but a sleep ? The force 
 of the phrase is more prominent in 
 this case, when the contrast is felt 
 between the violence of his enemies 
 and the peaceful death of their vic- 
 tim. 1 Cor. XV. 18, 20. 
 
 " With awful dread his murderers shook, 
 As, radiant and serene, 
 The lustre of his dying look 
 Was like an angel's seen." 
 
 In considering tlie character of 
 Stephen's speech before the Jewish 
 Sanhedrim, a disappointment is often 
 
 experienced, as if it Avas not adapted 
 to the purposes of the defence, and 
 its point is not readily seen. But 
 this difficulty will be relieved by ex- 
 ainining the following particulars in 
 the case : (1.) The charge of blas- 
 phemy against God and Moses, by 
 asserting that Christ would destroy 
 the holy place and subvert the law 
 and ritual of Moses. (2.) Stephen's 
 recital of Jewish history testitied to 
 his devout veneration for Moses as 
 the messenger of God : his declara- 
 tions respecting the tabernacle and 
 temple indirectly showed his respect 
 for the Jewish worship. But from 
 these very elements and rudiments 
 of a pure religion, he showed, accord- 
 ing to the testimony of Moses and 
 the prophets themselves, that tlieir 
 system was but preliminary to that 
 of a greater prophet, ver. 37, and a 
 more universal and spiritual wor- 
 ship, ver. 48 - 50, while the frequent 
 rebellions of the Hebrews against 
 their divine leaders, ver. 9, 25, 35, 
 39, 40, 51, 52, found but too exact a 
 counterpart, in the crucifixion of the 
 Messiah and the persecution of his 
 followers. It was no proof, tlierefore, 
 against the divine authority of Jesus, 
 that he had been rejected by his 
 countrymen, for they had always 
 been a stiff-necked and rebellious 
 race. (3.) If the address of the mar- 
 tyr seem inappropriate and inconclu- 
 sive, it is to be remembered that it 
 was brought to an abrupt and violent 
 termination by the ferocity of his 
 judges, who gave him no time to 
 make his intended application. 
 
 In the death of Stephen, we per- 
 ceive the pulsation of a new and 
 more intense life in the heart of tlie 
 Christian church. It Avas a Avitness 
 to the trutli of Christianity, sealed 
 with blood. It Avas a proof of tlie 
 
118 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER Vni. 
 
 TTie Persecution of the Church, the Account of Simon Magus, and the Conversion 
 of the Ethiopian Eunuch. 
 
 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time 
 there was a great persecution against the church which was at 
 Jerusalem ; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the 
 regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout 2 
 men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation 
 
 zeal of the beUevers, and the augury 
 of their success ; for nothing has ever 
 been more true than that " the blood 
 of the martyrs has been the seed of 
 the church." In the serene self-pos- 
 session of this proto-martyr, we wit- 
 ness the power of religion in the 
 most terrible exigencies of our con- 
 dition ; and in the prayer of mercy 
 for his murderers the noblest attes- 
 tation to the influence of the gospel, 
 in creating a spirit of entire self- 
 sacrifice and of boundless benevo- 
 lence. 
 
 CHAPTER yill. 
 
 1. Saul was consenting unto Ms 
 death. Or, literally, "to his taking 
 off." "Consenting" is too feeble. 
 Tyndale better renders it, " Saul had 
 pleasure in his death," as the verb 
 means to take pleasure with others 
 in any thing. The zeal of Paul led 
 him not only to consent to, but to 
 rejoice in, the death of so distin- 
 guished an advocate of the gospel. 
 This clause is most unfortunately 
 separated from the last chapter, to 
 which it belongs, by the absurd di- 
 vision of the chapters. — At that time. 
 The martyrdom of Stephen was the 
 signal to new outrages. The ene- 
 mies of the church, having once 
 tasted blood, raged with increased 
 fury against tlieir unhappy victims. 
 Chap. xi. 19. We enter, at tliis point, 
 upon a new epoch in the develop- 
 ment of Christianity. The first seven 
 chapters of the Acts contain an 
 account of the progress of the new 
 
 religion in the holy city. But the 
 history now takes us beyond these 
 limits, and records its triumphs in Ju- 
 dea, Samaria, and over the Gentiles. 
 Chap. viii. - xii. — A great persecution. 
 This was the first great assault upon 
 the Christian church, in which he who 
 was afterwards one of the chiefest of 
 the apostles, was the leading spirit. 
 Chap. xxvi. 10 - 12. — The church 
 which was at Jerusalem. Notwith- 
 standing the pretensions of Rome, 
 this was the earliest church of Christ 
 — Were all scattered abroad, S^c. In 
 obedience to tlie Master's injunction, 
 Mat x. 23, when persecuted in one 
 city, they fled into another. — Except 
 the apostles. Until their services 
 were required in other places, ver. 
 14, they remained in the holy city, 
 braving the fury of persecution, chap, 
 xii. 1, 2, in order to protect the ris- 
 ing interests of the infant church. 
 
 2. Carried. This word is techni- 
 cally used for the preparation of a 
 corpse for burial, and is rendered by 
 Tyndale " dressed Steven," i. e. for 
 interment — Made great lamentation. 
 As for one whom they highly es- 
 teemed and deeply mourned. These 
 testunonies of respect were given 
 not only by Christian believers, but 
 by Jews also, " devout men," who 
 disapproved of the popular fanati- 
 cism. Acts ii. 5. " Among the Jews, 
 and, indeed, among most nations of 
 the earth, it was esteemed a work 
 of piety, charity, and mercy, to bury 
 the dead." Mat xxvii. 57, 59, 60 ; 
 John xix. 39, 40. 
 
VIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 119 
 
 3 over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering 
 into every' house, and haling men and women, committed them 
 to prison. 
 
 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where 
 
 5 preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of 
 
 3. Made havoc. Ravaged. This 
 word is commonly used in describ- 
 ing the ferocity of wild beasts, in 
 seizing and devouring their prey. 
 It vividly describes the devastations 
 of the young zealot among the Chris- 
 tian flock. Gal. i. 13. — Entering 
 into every house. Or, breaking into 
 every house. His forcible entry into 
 private houses for his victims, show- 
 ed the terrible energy of his perse- 
 cution, sparing no place, age, nor sex. 
 Chap. xxii. 4. — Hating. Indicating 
 the violence with which they were 
 dragged before magistrates or to 
 prison. — Committed them to prison. 
 Preliminary to trial by the Sanhe- 
 drim, and execution by the Romans. 
 Saul was empowered by the chief 
 priests, chap. xxvi. 10, and acted in 
 this affair from a mistaken religious 
 zeal, and with an unenlightened con- 
 science, tiiinking that he was serv- 
 ing God, laboring for his glory. 
 But his sin consisted in the obstinacy 
 of his prejudices, and his blind ad- 
 herence to a bigoted sense of duty. 
 The sincerity of Paul, his conscien- 
 tiousness, and his zeal, were all laud- 
 able ; but his example has left a 
 lesson that ought never to be for- 
 gotten in tlie world, viz., that, if any 
 infusion of blind self-will and sullen 
 atlherence to the ancient faitli, be- 
 cause it is the ancient faith, mingle 
 in our motives; if we do not seek 
 the light, and examine for ourselves, 
 and cling to our purest convictions 
 of truth, we may fall into the ranks 
 of Paul the persecutor, rather than 
 of Stephen the martyr. 
 
 4. JVent even/ where preachins; tlve 
 word. Or, evangelizing, or proclaim- 
 ing the glad tidings of the gospel. 
 
 The dispersed Christians fled into 
 various countries, chap. xi. 19, bear- 
 ing the message of salvation far and 
 wide. " These holy fugitives were 
 like so many lamps, lighted by the fire 
 of the Holy Spirit, spreading every 
 where the sacred flame by which 
 they themselves had been illumi- 
 nated." Here was a practical dem- 
 onstration of tlie futility of perse- 
 cution ; for the very means so vigor- 
 ously applied to crush the cause of 
 truth, only served to give it a wider 
 extension, like seed scattered from 
 a shaken tree, and borne to every 
 quarter by the furious blasts of the 
 tempest. 
 
 5. Philip. It is agreed tliat this 
 was Philip, the deacon, one of the 
 seven, chap. vi. 5, elsewhere called 
 the evangelist, chap, xxi, 8, and not 
 Philip the apostle, chap. i. 13; for 
 we are told, ver. 1, that the apostles 
 remained at Jerusalem, and that their 
 assistance was afterwards required, 
 ver. 14-17, in granting the gift of 
 the Holy Spirit. As the history of 
 the first of the seven, Stephen, chap, 
 vi. 5, was given in the foregoing 
 chapter, Luke proceeds here to re- 
 late the acts of Philip, tlie second in 
 that catalogue. — The city of Sama,- 
 ria. Or, "a city of Samaria," the 
 country. There was no city at that 
 time called Samaria, for the ancient 
 one of that name had been totally 
 effaced from tlie earth. The one 
 here referred to was either Sebaste, 
 or x\ugusta, built by Herod the Great, 
 in honor of Augustus, the Roman 
 emperor ; or Sychar, or Sichem, near 
 Mount Gerizim; which is the more 
 probable, as it had already been fa- 
 vored by the teachings of the Saviour 
 
120 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with 6 
 one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip sp'ake, hear- 
 ing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, 7 
 crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed 
 with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, 
 
 were healed. And there was great joy in that city. But ^ 
 
 there was a certain man, called Simon, which before time in the 
 same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, 
 
 himself. John iv. As Samaria was 
 partly settled by Jews, received the 
 Pentateuch, and expected the coming 
 of the Messiah, it was ripe for the 
 labors of the Christian evangelist. — 
 Preached Christ. The term Christy 
 in the Noav Testament, ought, in a 
 multitude of cases, to receive the 
 definite article before it, where it 
 has been omitted by the translators. 
 The grand question was, whether tlie 
 Messiah, the Christ, the Promised, 
 Expected One, had actually appear- 
 ed ; and the preaching of the early 
 disciples was clearly directed to the 
 point, as here by Philip, to identify 
 Jesus as the Christ. Our Lord had 
 directed his followers to proclaim 
 his gospel in Samaria. Chap. i. 8. 
 
 6. The people with one accord (nave 
 heed. The candor of the Samaritans 
 compares favorably with the obsti- 
 nate prejudices of the Jews. John 
 iv. 35 - 41. — Hearing, and seeing 
 the miracles. The labors of the dis- 
 ciples, as of the Master, consisted 
 of two great divisions — words and 
 deeds, instructions and miracles. 
 
 7, 8. Unclean spirits. See note 
 on chap. v. 16. — Palsies. Priestley 
 remarks that " the cure of madness, 
 which was imagined by the Jev/s to 
 be occasioned by the agency of evil 
 spirits, and that of the palsy, which 
 is also here mentioned, were both of 
 them miracles of a very extraordi- 
 nary nature, and they are always 
 noticed as such in all the gospel 
 history." — There ivas great joy in 
 that city. The natural result ol" the 
 
 relief afforded to the sick and wretch- 
 ed, and the proclamation of those 
 truths which are fitted to guide and 
 cheer the hearts of men. 
 
 9. Simon. The history of this 
 individual is involved in great ob- 
 scurity, and little reliance can be 
 put upon many of the traditions pre- 
 served, concerning him, by the early 
 Christian fathers. He is usually 
 termed Simon Magus, from his prac- 
 tising magical arts. The Magi, wise 
 men, were distinguished for their 
 knowledge of astronomy and astrol- 
 ogy, by which they professed to cal- 
 culate the fortunes of individuals ; 
 and for their acquaintance with the 
 powers of nature and the remedies 
 of diseases, by which they could 
 astonish mankind, and impose upon 
 their credulity, as being possessors 
 of more than mortal power. They 
 could, tlierefore, act as jugglers, and, 
 by their knowledge of some of the 
 facts of natural philosophy, play tricks 
 of legerdemain. Norton remarks 
 that, " from all the notices of Simon, 
 it does not seem likely that he much 
 affected the character of a specula- 
 tive philosopher or tlieologist, or was 
 solicitous to establish any system of 
 doctrines. He appears to have been 
 a bold, artful, vainglorious, dishonest 
 adventurer, claiming to possess su- 
 pernatural powers, and having mucli 
 skill in obtaining control over the 
 minds of others. He may be classed 
 with certain impostors and fanatics, 
 not uncommon in the age in which 
 he lived, who, proceeding on the 
 
VIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 121 
 
 10 giving out that himself was some great one : to whom they all 
 gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying. This man is the 
 
 11 great power of God. And to him they had regard, because that 
 
 12 of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. But when 
 they believed Philip, preaching the things concerning the king- 
 dom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, 
 
 13 both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also : and 
 when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, be- 
 
 doctrines of the Pythagorean Pla- 
 tonists (as they may be called) pre- 
 tended, tlirough mystical exercises 
 of mind, to have attained a com- 
 munion with the invisible world, and 
 to possess a power, which they de- 
 nominated theurgy, of performing 
 supernatural works by divine assist- 
 ance. Simon had learned in a sim- 
 ilar school ; and though he was prob- 
 ably more of an impostor than a fa- 
 natic, yet a religious impostor can 
 hardly be very successful without a 
 mixture of fanaticism. If he suc- 
 ceed in deceiving others, he com- 
 monly succeeds, partially at least, in 
 deceiving himself. The false opin- 
 ion which he creates in those about 
 him, reacts on his own mind. Si- 
 mon, we may suppose, like the gen- 
 erality of men in his age, was a 
 believer in the power of magic, or 
 theurgy, and, when he saw the mira- 
 cles performed by Philip, was filled 
 with astonishment, and regarded him 
 as operating through magical pow- 
 ers, unknown to himself." Simon 
 was accounted by the early Avriters 
 as the head of the Gnostics, and the 
 father of all heresies. Hence there 
 was nothing too bad to be said of 
 him. But, as observed by Olshausen, 
 this was because the heretical ele- 
 ment first pressed into tlie church in 
 Simon. His was a convenient name 
 to which to attach every thing evil. 
 — Beforetime, i. e. before Philip came 
 thither, Simon had been practising 
 his magical arts in Samaria. — Used 
 sorcery. The whole is one participle 
 
 VOL. III. 11 
 
 in Greek, signifying practising as 
 a Magus or magician. — Bewitched. 
 This unfortunate translation was 
 made at a period when witchcraft 
 was a part of the popular, and even 
 religious, belief. The same word is 
 translated "wondered" in the thir- 
 teenth verse, in relation to the emo- 
 tion felt by Simon for the miracles 
 of Philip, and should have been ren- 
 dered in the same way in this verse. 
 He astonished the people of Sama- 
 ria, or made them wonder. — Some 
 great one. Some extraordinary being, 
 whose title is given in the next 
 verse. 
 
 10. From the least to the greatest, 
 i. e. all, of every class and age. — 
 This man is the great power of God. 
 Or, as Griesbach and other critics 
 read, " This man is the power of God, 
 called Great." What these words 
 exactly mean, we cannot now under- 
 stand. But the probable sense is, 
 that they regarded him as a " mani- 
 festation of the hio^hest power of 
 God." " The mighty power of God 
 energizes in him." 
 
 11. Bewitched. The same remark 
 is to be made on this word as in 
 ver. 9. 
 
 12. 13. The fact that Philip was 
 able to compete successfully with 
 this great impostor, and divert the 
 attention of the people at large from 
 their blind wonder, to a practical and 
 saving faith in the gospel, attests the 
 power with which he was intrusted, 
 iDoth to preach and to work miracles. 
 When Simon saw the real miracles 
 
122 
 
 THE ACT« 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 holding the miracles and signs which were done. Now when 14 
 
 the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had 
 received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John : 
 who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they 15 
 might receive the Holy Ghost: (for as yet he was fallen upon 16 
 none of them : only they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
 Jesus.) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received 17 
 
 of Philip, he was struck with amaze- 
 ment, and apparently sought, by be- 
 coming his adherent, to gain the same 
 art. His profession of Christianity 
 was vitiated by corrupt motives ; his 
 belief was mercenary. He was a 
 speculator in signs and wonders. — 
 Wondered^ i. e. to take up the trans- 
 lation of ver. 9 and 11 of the same 
 word, " was bewitched." — Miracles 
 and signs. Or, signs and ^eat mir- 
 acles, as in the margin. Simon Avas 
 amazed to find himself outdone in 
 his own profession. 
 
 14. That Samaria had received^ 
 ^c. Evidently a general expression, 
 implying that the cause prospered 
 abundantly in that region, not that the 
 whole country was actually Chris- 
 tianized. — They sent unto them Peter 
 and John. Who had been before 
 united, chap. iii. iv., in the work of tlie 
 ministry. They were delegated to 
 aid Philip with their efforts and au- 
 thority, and confer the gift of the 
 Holy Spirit. In relation to the claims 
 of the Roman Catholic church, and 
 of its alleged founder, Whitby re- 
 marks ; " Here we find Peter sent by 
 the other apostles, and by tlie church, 
 which is a sign he was not their 
 head and superior; for greater is 
 he that sends than he that is sent" 
 
 15. Co7ne doivn. Not that they 
 literally descended, but it was a mode 
 of language to speak of going up to 
 a great city, and of coming doum 
 from it. John vii. 8. — Receive the 
 Holy Ghost. Almost universally un- 
 derstood as signifying those miracu- 
 lous gifts, which were a seal of their 
 
 faith, and an instrument of useful- 
 ness to others. The apostles appear 
 to have been the only ones who 
 possessed the power of conferring 
 these gifts. 
 
 16, 17. He. Should be «it;" 
 the Spirit being impersonal. — hi 
 the name of the Lord Jesus. Or, 
 " into the name," &c. This formula 
 is essentially the same as that used 
 in Mat. xxviii. 19, and is generally 
 adopted in the book of Acts. The 
 authority of Philip extended only as 
 far as baptism. — Laid their hands 
 on them. Not probably upon all, at 
 least not upon Simon Magus ; though 
 Avhat he asked was not the gift of 
 the Spirit, but the power of communi- 
 cating it to others. There is no rea- 
 son to believe that there was any 
 particular virtue in imposition of 
 hands, except as a sign or token. 
 It was a custom, not an essential. 
 Jesus put his hands upon tlie chil- 
 dren he blessed. The apostles laid 
 their hands upon the seven deacons, 
 when they were set apart for their 
 office. The act was symbolical of 
 a blessing invoked and conferred. 
 Mat. xix. 15 ; Acts vi. 6. The sac- 
 rament of confirmation, as held by 
 the Roman Catliolic church, and tlie 
 same regarded as a necessary rite, 
 and required by the church of Eng- 
 land, before persons can be admitted 
 to the communion, are justified by 
 this and other texts. But there is 
 no evidence of a peculiar ordinance 
 being established at this time, and 
 designed to be perpetual in the 
 church. Besides, none but the apos- 
 
VIII.] OF THE APOSTLES. 123 
 
 18 the Holy Ghost. And wlien Simon saw that through laying 
 
 on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered 
 
 19 them money, saying, Give me also this power, that on whomso- 
 
 20 ever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter 
 said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast 
 
 ties, not even Philip the evangelist, 
 could invoke the descent of the Holy 
 Spirit upon the Samaritan converts ; 
 and there is not a particle of evi- 
 dence that the apostolic office and 
 authority were delegated to any suc- 
 cessors. The object, then, was, more- 
 over, to convey to the believer the 
 extraordinary, and not, as is done 
 now, the ordinary, gifts of the Holy 
 Spu^t 
 
 18, 19. When Simon saw — heof- 
 fered them money. Notwithstanding 
 he had been baptized, and believed 
 in the miracles and doctrines of the 
 gospel, it is plain that he compre- 
 hended not its real object. He 
 looked at it as a better species of 
 sorcery than his oVvn, and therefore 
 sought to become acquainted with 
 it He beheld the apostles doing 
 mightier works than his own, and 
 he wished to get possession of the 
 same power ; not to do good, but for 
 the purposes of self-interest. The 
 mercenary character of his feelings 
 was demonstrated by his offer of 
 money to purchase the holy power ; 
 which, in turn, he thought to use as 
 an instrument for making money, 
 and for increasing his own reputa- 
 tion. In the language of Norton, 
 " He probably thought Jesus to have 
 been a great theurgist, and wished 
 to become possessed of the secrets 
 which he imagined him to have 
 communicated to his disciples. Be- 
 ing confirmed in this state of mind 
 by witnessing the effects produced 
 by the imposition of the hands of the 
 apostles, he did what naturally oc- 
 curred to him — he offered money to 
 purchase their disclosure. He Avas 
 at first humbled and terrified by the 
 
 severe rebuke of Peter ; but no evil 
 immediately followed ; and it ap- 
 pears, from the further accounts of 
 him, that he resumed confidence, 
 pursued his former course of life, 
 and was excited to set himself up 
 as a rival of our Lord." — 2^hat on 
 whomsoever, Sfc. He desired a gift 
 which the apostles did not and could 
 not convey — the power of granting 
 the Holy Spirit, the gifts of tongues, 
 and miracles to yet others. This 
 request, therefore, met, in fact, — 
 though only one is assigned — with 
 two grounds of denial ; one, that it 
 was impracticable to be granted ; 
 and the other, that it was sacrile- 
 gious ; an attempt to purchase what 
 was the free gift of God with 
 money. 
 
 20. Thi/ money perish with thee. 
 This expression has been variously 
 regarded by different expositors, as 
 an imprecation — a prediction — a 
 denunciation. The apparent tenor 
 of the phrase is certainly impre- 
 catory. It seems to say, "Let thy 
 money and thyself go to perdition." 
 It was uttered impulsively by Peter ; 
 and though it might somewhat con- 
 flict with the perfect spirit of Chris- 
 tian love for the sinner, yet we do 
 not profess to predicate perfection 
 of the apostles, as we do of their 
 Master. At one time they were 
 ready to invoke fire upon their ene- 
 mies. Luke ix. 54. Paul uses, 
 chap, xxiii. 3, an expression savoring 
 strongly of imprecation, and he hesi- 
 tates not to accuse Peter and Barna- 
 bas of unwortliy compliances and 
 dissimulation. Gal. ii. 13, 14. The 
 apostles were men; and it is one 
 proof of the divinity of the gospel, 
 
134 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 thought that the gift of God may be purcnased with money. 
 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter : for thy heart is 21 
 
 that, although they were compara- 
 tively uneducated, enveloped in Jew- 
 ish prejudices, and marked by some 
 imperfections of character, they yet 
 wrought miracles, not by their own 
 holiness, chap. iii. 12, and taught 
 a spiritual faith far transcending 
 their condition, education, and origi- 
 nal characters. Peter's words in the 
 text were severe and denunciatory, 
 and perhaps it may be said tliat, even 
 if imprecatory, they proceed from a 
 praiseworthy spirit. God has charged 
 our nature with a latent fire of moral 
 indignation, seemingly designed to 
 put the wicked in awe, that they sin 
 not ; which results in sin only when 
 it is allowed to exert a long and 
 corroding influence upon the affec- 
 tionate sensibilities of the heart. 
 Our Saviour himself appears not to 
 have been destitute of this moral in- 
 dignation, though immediately tem- 
 pered with compassion. Mark iii. 5 ; 
 Eph. iv. 26. Wakefield renders the 
 expression, " away with thee and 
 thy money." — Th£ gift of God, ^c. 
 The precise impiety of this sorcerer 
 consisted in the sacrilege which he 
 would commit upon sacred things, 
 the confounding of celestial gifts 
 with the grossest interests of earth, 
 and the blasphemous idea that the 
 Spirit of God could be put up for 
 sale in the market. Mat. x. 8, xii. 
 32. From the case of Simon, the 
 crime of buying or selling ecclesias- 
 tical preferments or church benefices 
 has been denominated Simony — a 
 sin only known in church establish- 
 ments, in which there is a union of 
 ecclesiastical and political power, 
 and the control of curacies is lodged 
 in the hands of wealthy patrons. 
 
 21. JVeither part nor lot. A He- 
 brew repetition of terms, expressive 
 of strength of meaning. Deut. x. 9. 
 So far from his being gifted with 
 
 the highest privileges of the apostolic 
 office, he would be cut off" from all 
 participation in the blessings of the 
 gospel, if he indulged in so gross 
 and sordid a spirit — In this matter. 
 Or, literally, " in this word, doctrine," 
 i. e. in the gospel, in the promises 
 and joys of the Christian faith. He 
 had shown hiijiself incapable of ap- 
 preciating tlie purpose of the apos- 
 tles, and placed their wonderful and 
 beneficent miracles on a level with 
 his own tricks. He was thus inca- 
 pacitated, not arbitrarily, but from 
 the very nature of things, from tast- 
 ing of the peculiar satisfactions and 
 blessings of a self-denying, heroic, 
 and benevolent life like theirs. — Thy 
 heart is not right in the sight of God. 
 The reason is here assigned for tlie 
 foregoing declaration. The motive 
 of the magician was corrupt. His 
 heart was impure in the sight of the 
 holy and omniscient God. His aim 
 was not human good, .and the di- 
 vine glory, but self-aggrandizement. 
 "Peter's terrible rebuke presents 
 him to us as a faithful preacher of 
 the gospel, insisting most impressive- 
 ly on the supreme importance of 
 disposition in every thing which is 
 imparted by Christianity, in direct 
 opposition to the art of magic, which 
 disregards the necessary connexion 
 of the divine and supernatural with 
 the disposition of the heart, drags 
 them down into the circle of the 
 natural, and attempts to appropriate 
 to itself divine power by means of 
 something else than that which is 
 allied to it in human nature, and the 
 only possible point of connexion for 
 it. The poetical fancies of Christian 
 antiquity, which make Peter the rep- 
 resentative of the principle of simple 
 faith in revelation, and Simon the 
 representative of the magical and 
 theosophic (speculative) tendency in 
 
VIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 125 
 
 22 not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wick- 
 edness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thy heart may be 
 
 23 forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitter- 
 24. ness, and in the bond of iniquity. Then answered Simon, and 
 
 said, Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which 
 
 the human mind, have important 
 truths for their basis." — Neander. 
 
 22. Repent — pray. Two great du- 
 ties are incumbent on the^inner — to 
 lament the wickedness of the past, to 
 supplicate guidance for the future — 
 reformation and devotion, restitution 
 and piety. He cannot truly repent of 
 his sins, who does not humble him- 
 self before God, and beseech his par- 
 don. And he cannot truly pray to 
 Him, who is of purer eyes than to 
 behold iniquity, who does not deplore 
 every erring step, and resolve and 
 strive to amend his course. — Jf per- 
 haps the thought, ^c. Actions are 
 not man's only sins. The field of 
 moral responsibleness includes more 
 than his mere overt conduct The 
 wide empire of thoughts, wishes, im- 
 aginings, falls under the jurisdiction 
 of the divine laws. Though Simon 
 had only thought, not executed, his 
 bad design, yet for the conception he 
 was accountable, and must exercise 
 repentance. The perhaps of tlie 
 apostle refers, of course, not to any 
 doubt that God would forgive the 
 sinful thought, if repented of, but to 
 the contino^ency of Simon's repent- 
 ance. God is gracious, and forgives 
 every sin that is repented of; but the 
 question here was, whether the evil 
 man would repent or not. Pardon 
 follows penitence with the certainty 
 of effect following cause. B-it this 
 was a species of sin against the Ho- 
 ly Spirit, wjiich argued such a state 
 of mind as rendered it doubtful wheth- 
 er the evil-doer would be inclined 
 to repent, and fulfil the conditions on 
 which alone forgiveness is bestowed. 
 See notes on Mat xii. 31, 32. If we 
 have sinned, though but in thought, 
 11* 
 
 if our bad purpose never has ripened 
 into tlie bitter fruit of positive and 
 overt transgression, yet the obliga- 
 tions to repent and pray are as bind- 
 ing upon us now, as they were upon 
 Simon. I'he laws of the Creator are 
 the same yesterday, to-day, and for- 
 ever. Dan. iv. 27 ; Joel ii. 14 ; Jo- 
 nah iii. 9. 
 
 23. In the gall of bitterness. To 
 describe the deep depravity of Si- 
 mon, the apostle uses this figurative 
 expression. The primary sense of 
 gall is bile, tlie bitter secretion of 
 the liver ; and hence comes a second- 
 ary meaning of malignity, bitterness 
 of spirit, wickedness. Simon was in 
 the condition of sin, whose ways are 
 hard and bitter. Deut xxix. 18; 
 Rom. iii. 14 ; Heb. xii. 15. — In the 
 bond of iniquity. The bad man is 
 represented as bound by his sins, as 
 a prisoner who is held fast by his 
 chains. Prov. v. 22. The sinner is 
 often represented in the Scriptures 
 as the slave of sin, as he truly is. 
 Jolin viii. 34 ; Rom. vii. 23. Simon 
 was in a bitter and enslaved state. 
 His avarice, vainglory, and hypoc- 
 risy, had thrown many a chain around 
 his spiritual and immortal nature, and 
 infused many a bitter and deadly 
 drug into the sweet cup of life. 
 
 24. Pray ye to the Lord for me, &/-€. 
 Alarmed by the severe language of 
 Peter, he requests his intercession, 
 as believing that he had great influ- 
 ence with"^ that mysterious power 
 whose vengeance he feared ; but his 
 own language intimates that his re- 
 pentance Avas insincere and unwor- 
 thy ; that he desired, not so much to 
 be delivered from his sins, as from 
 their inevitable consequences. Ver. 
 
126 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 ye have spoken come upon me. And they, when they had 25 
 
 testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jeru- 
 salem, and preached the go'spel in many villages of the Sa- 
 maritans. 
 
 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise 26 
 and go toward the south, unto the way that goeth down from 
 
 20. True humility and penitence 
 would have dictated different words. 
 If we may credit tlie accounts of ec- 
 clesiastical history, he continued an 
 inveterate enemy to the gospel, the 
 great heresiarch of Christian antiqui- 
 ty ; but probably much of fable min- 
 gled in iJiese ancient traditions. It 
 is difficult to separate the wheat from 
 the chaff. Mr. Norton, in his late 
 work on the Genuineness of the Gos- 
 pels, considers the narrative given 
 by Justin Martyr, respecting the ded- 
 ication at Rome of a statue to Si- 
 mon as a god, as probably trustwor- 
 thy, tliough it has been generally set 
 aside by Protestant writers. If tliis 
 fact be substantiated, it would indi- 
 cate the continuance of Simon in his 
 magical practices, and his visiting 
 Rome, as reported by the early wri- 
 ters. The relation of Justin Martyr 
 is contained in his first Apology for 
 Christianity,, as follows : " Afler the 
 return of Christ to heaven, the de- 
 mons put forward certain men, call- 
 ing themselves gods, who not only 
 were not persecuted, but were hon- 
 ored by you. Such Avas Simon, a 
 certain Samaritan, who, during the 
 reign of Claudius Cesar, having 
 performed magical works, through 
 the art and power of demons, in yo7ir 
 imperial city of Rome, was account- 
 ed a god, and has been honored by 
 you with a statue as a god, which 
 statue has been erected on the is- 
 land in the Tiber, between the two 
 bridges, with this inscription in Latin: 
 Simoni Deo Sando ; and almost all 
 the Samaritans, and a few also among 
 other nations, acknowledge and wor- 
 ship him as the First God." 
 
 25. JJnd they, ^c. i. e. the apostles 
 Peter and John. — Testified. No lit- 
 tle part of their apostolic office con- 
 sisted in bearing testimony to the 
 fundamental facts. of Christianity. — 
 Returned to Jerusalem. As the head- 
 quarters of their labors and influ- 
 ence. — In many villages, &fc. In 
 this missionary tour, they found the 
 Samaritans even more prepared than 
 the Jews, to welcome their instruc- 
 tions. 
 
 26. TJie angel. Properly, an an- 
 gel. By what method the commu- 
 nication was made to Philip, \\'hether 
 internally or externally, it is in vain 
 to conjecture. Ver. 29 would indi- 
 cate a silent suggestion to the mind, 
 without any voice or miraculous ap- 
 pearance. — Toivard the souths i. e. 
 from Samaria, where Philip then was. 
 — Gaza. This was one of the most 
 ancient cities of Canaan, Gen. x. 
 19, and was celebrated as one of the 
 five cities of the five Philistine lords. 
 Josh. X. 41, XV. 47 ; 1 Sam. vi. 17. 
 It was the scene of many of the 
 exploits of Samson. Judg. xvi. Gaza 
 was situated about sixty miles south- 
 west from Jerusalem, at a distance 
 of about two and a half miles from 
 the Mediterranean Sea. Arrian says 
 " that it was the last inhabited town 
 as a man goes from Phcenicia to 
 Egypt, on the borders of the wilder- 
 ness." Its situation as a frontier 
 town, lying between Egypt and Pal- 
 estine, on the great route of the mil- 
 itary expeditions between Egypt and 
 the kings of Assyria, Persia, and 
 Syria, subjected it to all the changes 
 and barbarities of war. It was cap- 
 tured by Alexander the Great, in his 
 
VIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 137 
 
 27 Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert. And he arose, and went : 
 and behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under 
 Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her 
 
 28 treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, was return- 
 
 expedition into Egypt; Avas rebuilt, 
 and afterwards destroyed again by 
 Alexander Jannaeus, and again re- 
 built by the Roman general Gabin- 
 ius ; and, from the fact that coins ex- 
 ist of this city, struck in honor of 
 Titus and other following emperors, 
 it is inferred that tlie tenn desert, in 
 this verse, referred to the way, and 
 not to the town, which was flourish- 
 ing at this time. It was visited by 
 Robinson in 1838, and he computes 
 its population as consisting of fifteen 
 or sixteen thousand inhabitants, be- 
 ing larger than Jerusalem. As it is 
 situated on the line of the great car- 
 avans which pass between Egyi)t and 
 Asia, it enjoys a considerable and 
 prosperous commerce. — WMch is 
 desert, i. e. which way lies through a 
 desert, or thinly-peopled region. This 
 was probably said to point ouf tlie 
 road, on which he would fall in with 
 the eunuch. According to Rob- 
 inson, there appear to have been an- 
 ciently two roads leading from Jeru- 
 salem to Gaza, which exist, indeed, at 
 the present day, though not gener- 
 ally travelled. One, through Eleu- 
 theropolis to Gaza, actually passes 
 now through tlie desert, i. e. a tract 
 of country without villages, inhabit- 
 ed only by nomadic Arabs. 
 
 27. Ethiopia. There were two 
 countries called Cush or Ethiopia in 
 Asia, one situated in the region of 
 the Tigris and Euphrates, Zeph. iii. 
 10, and the other in what is called 
 Arabia Felix. 2 Chron. xxi. 16 ; 
 Hab. iii. 7. But this was the Afri- 
 can Ethiopia, Ethiopia Superior or 
 Proper, lying south of Egypt, and 
 now including Abyssinia, Nubia, and 
 Sennaar, tlie capital of which was 
 Meroe, which name was also some- 
 
 times applied to the whole country. — 
 Candace. We learn, from ancient 
 pagan authors, that this was not an 
 individual name, but the title of the 
 female sovereigns of the kingdom, as 
 Cesar was of the emperors of Rome, 
 and Seleucus of the kings of Syria. 
 Strabo, speaking of an insurrection 
 of tlie Etliiopians against the Ro- 
 mans, says, " Among Uiese were the 
 officers of Queen Candace, who in 
 our days reigned over the Ethio- 
 pians." Pliny, in his Natural His- 
 tory, in speaking of Meroe, says that 
 " the report made by the messen- 
 gers of Nero was that the edifices 
 of the city were few ; that a Avoman 
 reigned there of the name of Can- 
 dace, which name had descended to 
 tlieir queens successively for many 
 years." These authorities are of 
 great weight, as indicating tliat the 
 epitliet was applied to tlie queen of 
 that country. — JVho had the eharge 
 of all her treasure. The office of 
 treasurer was one of the highest in 
 rank and responsibility, as is apparent 
 from the preceding expression, " a 
 eunuch of great authority ; " by 
 which is implied that he was lord- 
 chamberlain of the royal household, 
 a counsellor of state. — Had come — 
 to worship. By this it appears that 
 he was a Jew, or, more likely, a 
 Jewish proselyte, who had taken this 
 distant journey from the dictates of 
 piety, in order to be present at one 
 of the great festivals of the Jews, 
 probably that of the Passover. 
 
 28. Sitting in his chariot. We 
 learn from the Scriptures, that wheel 
 carriages were used in the most an- 
 cient times. Gen. xlv. 19 ; Ex. xiv. 
 25. What the construction of the 
 carriage in the text was, cannot be 
 
12^ 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 ing; and sitting in his chariot, read Bsaias the prophet. Then 29 
 the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near and join thyself to this 
 chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the 30 
 prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readestl 
 And he said. How can I, except some man should guide me ? 31 
 And he desired Philip that he would come up, and sit with him. 
 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led 32 
 as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb dumb before his 
 shearer, so opened he not his mouth : in his humiliation his 33 
 judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his genera- 
 
 determined with any accuracy, since 
 there were various species of chari- 
 ots, some drawn by horses, and oth- 
 ers by oxen. — Read Esaias the 
 prophet, i. e. Isaiah. The Ethiopian 
 probably used the Greek or Septua- 
 gint version of the Scriptures, made 
 at Alexandria, which was in exten- 
 sive circulation. It was one of the 
 directions of the Jewish Rabbins, 
 that, " when any one Avas going on 
 a journey, and had not a companion, 
 he should study the law." Passages 
 are also cited from their Avritings, in 
 which it is enjoined that students of 
 the -word of God should read aloud. 
 After the narrative of Simon Magus, 
 that of the Ethiopian eunuch seems 
 to be introduced as by Avay of con- 
 trast ; exhibiting, as it does, his love 
 of the Scriptures and of the trutli, his 
 simple and earnest faith, and readi- 
 ness to follow the light, and profess 
 the gospel as soon as he understood it. 
 We see, also, that his color and liis 
 country made him of none tlie less 
 value in the sight of tlie Infinite Fa- 
 ther; for he commissioned his ser- 
 vant specially to meet and instruct 
 him ; and, as is supposed, made him 
 an instrument of spreading the gos- 
 pel in his own benighted country. 
 
 29. The Spirit said unto Philip. 
 By which some understand the an- 
 gel, ver. 26 ; but the more general 
 and probable interpretation is, that 
 he received a spiritual suggestion or 
 
 internal prompting. The whole pas- 
 sage bears the traces of a miraculous 
 interposition. — Join thyself to this 
 chariot. The first intimation, ver. 
 26, was general ; this one was par- 
 ticular, lie is commanded to seek 
 the acquaintance of tlie Ethiopian. 
 
 30, 31. Philip ran. Showing the 
 promptness with which he complied 
 with the divine monition. — Heard 
 him read. As he Avas reading aloud. 
 Ver. 28. — Understandest thou what 
 thou readest ? This question seemed 
 to b*e dictated by a knowledge of his 
 state of mind, and of tlie aid Avhich 
 Avas about to be communicated to 
 enable him to understand the Avord 
 of God. The inquiry might have 
 been uttered Avith such a tone, as to 
 indicate at once an interest and an 
 ability to communicate tlie needed 
 instruction. — How can I, except some 
 man, &yC. With frankness and hu- 
 mility the eunuch replied to the ques- 
 tion, in tenns Avhich confessed his 
 ignorance and need of guidance. 
 He carried in his swarthy bosom a 
 truth-loving and truth-seeking dis- 
 position. And while many a learned 
 doctor of the laAv was unvisited by 
 any special messenger of salvation, 
 to this humble-minded African was 
 granted an inspired teacher to en- 
 lighten his ignorance, and guide his 
 soul in the Avay of trutli and peace. 
 
 32, 33. Place of the scripture. Is. 
 liii. 7, 8. It is quoted, not from the 
 
OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 129 
 
 VIII.] 
 
 34 tion ? for his life is taken from the earth. And the eunuch 
 answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the 
 
 35 prophet this ? of himself, or of some other man 1 Then Philip 
 opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached 
 
 Hebrew, but from the Greek, version, 
 or Septuagint, which was probably 
 employed by the eunuch. The vari- 
 ations in the sense are inconsidera- 
 ble and unimportant. The passage 
 is thus rendered by Noyes, in his 
 version of Isaiah : — 
 
 " As a lamb, that is led to the slaughter, 
 And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, 
 He opened not his mouth. 
 By oppression and punishment he was taken 
 
 away. 
 And who of that generation would consider 
 That he was cut off from the land of the 
 
 living? " 
 
 — He was led as a sheep, Sfc. By 
 which was described the meekness 
 and submission with which he yield- 
 ed to his sufferings and death. No 
 more vivid images of an uncomplain- 
 mg resignation could be adduced 
 than those of the lamb, dumb before 
 the butcher, and of the sheep, silent 
 before its shearer: When Jesus was 
 unjustly accused, he uttered no re- 
 proaches against Ms enemies; but 
 bore all their insults and indignities 
 with patience and composure, and 
 committed himself to Him who judg- 
 eth righteously. — In his humiliation. 
 In his lowly and depressed condi- 
 tion, in his extreme distress. — His 
 judgment was taken away. A just 
 trial and sentence was denied him. 
 His condemnation was extorted. He 
 was unjustly condemned and put to 
 death. — Who shall declare his gen- 
 eration'^ This clause has afforded 
 matter for a great variety of opinions 
 among interpreters ; some under- 
 standing it, Who shall declare the 
 duration of his kingdom, which 
 is to be perpetual? or. Who can 
 describe his spiritual posterity ? or, 
 Who can portray the wickedness of 
 that generation by which he was put 
 
 to death ? The last exposition seems, 
 on the whole, preferable. The idea 
 was, to represent in powerful terms 
 the injustice and depravity of the 
 men of that period, and the exclama- 
 tion of the text was fitted to convey 
 that impression. — For his life is 
 taken from the earth. That life, so 
 precious and so pure, is taken from 
 the earth by injustice and violence. 
 What greater proof could there be 
 of the deep-dyed guilt of that gener- 
 ation ? As has been observed, " Had 
 Isaiah been writing a history of Je- 
 sus of Nazareth, he could not have 
 drawn a more vivid and accurate 
 portrait than is presented " here of 
 the submission of Christ, and the 
 malignity of his enemies. It would 
 seem that no doubt could exist, as to 
 its application to the case of the 
 Messiah, for Philip immediately pro- 
 ceeds to employ it in that sense, and 
 thence to preach Jesus to the Ethio- 
 pian. Taking, however, both of the 
 last clauses together, as a friend 
 suggests, it would seem not improb- 
 able that the prophet was speak- 
 ing of the manner in which men 
 would regard the Messiah's death. 
 They would say, " No generation of 
 disciples shall succeed: there is a 
 perpetual end to his dispensation. 
 He has come and gone ; who is left 
 to declare his generation? for his 
 life is taken away, and all hope ex- 
 tinguished in the tomb." 
 
 34, 35. Answered. Rather, " ad- 
 dressed." — Of whom speaketh the 
 prophet, 4'c. He wished to ascertam 
 the identity of the person spoken 
 of by Isaiah, and the individual to 
 whom he referred. The readiness 
 with which the eunuch unfolded his 
 difficulties to his spiritual adviser, 
 
130 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came 36 
 unto a certain water : and the' eunuch said, See, here is water ; 
 what doth hinder me to be baptized ? And Philip said, If thou 37 
 believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and 
 
 indicated the truth-seeking spirit by 
 which he was prompted. It is said 
 that the ancient Jewish "writers un- 
 derstood the passage as referable to 
 the Messiah ; but, in later times, to 
 evade the force of the prophetical 
 argument, it has been applied to 
 Isaiah or Jeremiah, or to some other 
 prophet. — Began at the same scrip- 
 ture. By which is directly implied 
 that that passage itself referred to Je- 
 sus Christ. Luke xxiv. 27, 44 - 46. 
 — Preached unto him Jesus. By 
 which is meant the truth of Jesus, 
 the name of the person standing for 
 the name of his religion. The prin- 
 cipal point of course was, to identify 
 Jesus as the predicted and expected 
 Messiah, the Son of God. Ver. 37. 
 In addition to this main object of 
 establishing tlie essential truth of 
 the Messiahship, it would appear, 
 from ver. 36, that he enjoined the 
 profession of the Christian faith, and 
 a compliance with its ordinances. 
 
 36. A certain loater. What this 
 water was, can only be inferred from 
 the nature of the country and the 
 testimony of travellers and others. 
 It is a region, however, in which, as 
 is well known, there are no large 
 bodies or streams of water. Euse- 
 bius says, " It was a fountain in the 
 neighborhood of Bethsora, in the 
 tribe of Judah, between Jerusalem 
 and Hebron." Jerome, also, who 
 had visited the place, says, " that 
 the water gushes up at the foot of a 
 hill, and is soon reabsorbed in the 
 ground." Brocard remarks, " that 
 the pool is so shallow that a camel 
 will drink it to muddiness." Sandys 
 says, " Gaza is situated in a bottom 
 between two rocky mountains ; and 
 here I saw tlie ruins of an ample 
 
 church, and below that a fountain, 
 whose pleasant waters are forthwith 
 drank up by the earth which pro- 
 duced them. Here, they say, Phil- 
 ip baptized the Ethiopian eunuch, 
 whereupon it retaineth the name of 
 'the Ethiopian fountain;' and no 
 question but the adjoining temple was 
 erected out of devotion to the honor 
 of the place and memory of the fact." 
 Maundrell and Pococke have also 
 described the place. Dr. Harris, a 
 worthy authority in such investiga- 
 tions, and who collected the above 
 passages, says, " It was this shallow- 
 ness of the fountain which makes 
 this reference to it interesting, by 
 indicating that the baptism could not 
 have been by immersion." — What 
 doth hinder me, S^c. By which it 
 appears that the eunuch had been 
 instructed in the duty of Christian 
 baptism and profession, incumbent 
 on those who believed in Jesus as 
 the Messiah. Chap. ii. 38, 41. The 
 spirit which he manifested is worthy 
 of all imitation — honest, prompt, and 
 devoted. Chap. xxii. 16. " And 
 now, why tarriest thou ? arise, and 
 be baptized, and wash away thy sins, 
 calling on the name of the Lord." 
 
 37. Believest with all thine heart. 
 " With the heart man believeth unto 
 righteousness ; and witli tlie mouth 
 confession is made unto salvation." 
 Rom. X. 10. The evangelist enjoins 
 as essential, not simply the assent of 
 the intellect, or the faith of the un- 
 derstanding, but the earnest trust of 
 tlie heart — / believe that Jesus Christ 
 is the Son of God. Or, as it would 
 be better rendered, that Jesus, the 
 Christ, is the Son of God ; or that 
 Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. 
 The simplicity of this ancient pro- 
 
vm.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 131 
 
 38 said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he 
 commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went down both 
 into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized 
 
 39 him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit 
 of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no 
 
 fession is worthy of especial notice. 
 " How short and simple was the 
 faith of Christians in those times ! 
 Happy would it have been for the 
 church, if no more articles of faith 
 had been added to this creed ! " — 
 This verse is, however, according- to 
 Griesbach and the best critics, of so 
 doubtful autliority, not being found 
 in many of the ancient manuscripts, 
 that they have rejected it from the 
 text 
 
 38. They went down both into the 
 water. Or, more properly, to the 
 water, for the preposition does not 
 necessarily signify into. All believe 
 that they went down to the water, 
 and some think that they entered 
 into it That depends upon what 
 was the mode of baptism. If by 
 sprinkling, it was only necessp„ry to 
 advance to the water's brink ; if by 
 aftusion, or Avater being poured upon 
 the head, as some ancient painters 
 represent, they would probably go 
 into the water ; or if by immersion, 
 they would do the same. If, now, 
 we consider the object of the ordi- 
 nance of boptism, as symbolic of re- 
 pentance, purification, and self-con- 
 secration to the cause of Christ, the 
 fulfilment of this object most evi- 
 dently depends, not upon the man- 
 ner, but the spirit, witli which the 
 ceremony is performed, provided the 
 manner is decent and proper; just 
 as the efficacious observance of the 
 Lord's supper does not consist in the 
 time, the manner, the posture of tlie 
 communicants, tlie precise quality 
 of the elements, or any other extrin- 
 sic appendages, but in the spirit of 
 Christian faith and love, and devo- 
 tion to the cross, with wliicb tlii^ 
 
 beautiful festival is observed. "In 
 the arrangements for conducting the 
 services, and administering the rites, 
 of religion, all modem denominations 
 vary from the primitive forms, as 
 times, climates, manners, and cus- 
 toms, vary." 
 
 39. When they were come vp out of 
 the water. Or, from the water, would 
 be equally proper. — The Spirit of the 
 Lord caught away Philip. By which 
 has sometimes been understood, that 
 the evangelist was caught away and 
 borne through the air to Azotus. 
 1 Kings xviii. 12 ; 2 Kings ii. 16. 
 But the more rational interpretation 
 is, that he was led quickly away by 
 an intimation of the Spirit, or by a 
 divine instinct or prompting that he 
 should not pursue the journey farther 
 Avith the Ethiopian nobleman, but 
 turn back to the scenes of duty in 
 other directions. — Saio him no more. 
 Because he had withdrawn, on his 
 return to his family and brethren. — 
 Jind he went on his ivay rejoicing. 
 Literally, and better, /or he went on, 
 &c. That is the reason why the 
 eunuch saw him no more. The joy 
 Avhich he felt naturally arose from 
 the new and precious light which he 
 had received, and the blessed faith 
 which he had professed ; for there 
 are no deeper springs of happiness 
 capable of being opened in the hu- 
 man soul than those of truth and 
 duty. Eusebius, in his Ecclesiastical 
 History, relates that the Ethiopian, 
 " becoming the first fruits of believ- 
 ers throughout the world, is said to 
 have been the first, on returning to 
 his country, that proclaimed the 
 knowledge of God, and the saving 
 abode of our Saviour among men. 
 
132 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 more : and he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found 40 
 at Azotus : and passing through, he preached in all the cities, 
 till he came to Cesarea. 
 
 So that, in fact, the prophecy ob- 
 tained its fulfilment tlirough him. 
 'Ethiopia stretched forth her hands 
 unto God.'" Ps. Lxviii. 31. But 
 this testimony, though corroborated 
 by Irenaeus, Cyril, and Jerome, is 
 deemed by many as a mere tradition, 
 unworthy of much credit For it is, 
 furthermore, said that the Christian 
 religion was not preached, at least 
 extensively, in that country, until 
 the fourth century, when it was in- 
 troduced by Frumentius, delegated 
 for that object by Athanasius, the 
 bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. 
 
 40. Was found. As observed by 
 Bloomfield, " The air of the expres- 
 sion seems to refer to the rapt feel- 
 ing with which Philip left the eu- 
 nuch and went to Azotus." — Azotus. 
 This was one of the ancient cities 
 of the Philistines, lying about 30 
 miles south of Gaza, and called in 
 Hebrew Ashdod. JosJi. xv. 47 ; 1 
 Sam. vi. 17. It is a seaport on the 
 shores of the Mediterranean. It 
 underwent many changes in the 
 wars between the Jews and other 
 nations, being captured by the As- 
 syrians, Is. XX. 1, by Judas Mac- 
 cabaeus, 1 Mace. v. 68, burned by 
 Jonathan, his brother, 1 Mace. x. 84, 
 and rebuilt by the Roman general 
 Gabinius. Its modern name is £5- 
 dud. Robinson says, " It was point- 
 ed out to us, upon a low, round 
 eminence, with trees thick around it, 
 like a wood, probably olives. There 
 are said to be no ruins ; and the 
 place seems now to be only an ordi- 
 nary Moslem village." — He preached 
 in all the cities. There lay on the 
 shores of the IMediterranean, or at a 
 short distance from it, the towns of 
 Jamnia, Joppa, Gilgal, Lydda, and 
 others. — Cesarea. Tliis city is to 
 be distinguished from Cesarea Phi- 
 
 lippi, in Galilee. It was in Judea, 
 on the sea-shore, and about 60 
 miles north-west from Jerusalem, and 
 about 90 north from Azotus. Its 
 ancient name was Strato^s Tower. 
 Herod the Great enlarged the city, 
 and named it Cesarea, in honor of 
 Augustus Cesar, the Roman empe- 
 ror. It contained a fine harbor, many 
 most splendid temples, palaces, and 
 other edifices. The inhabitants were 
 chiefly Greeks. It was the seat of 
 the Roman governor, and became 
 the capital of Palestine after the 
 overthrow of the holy city. Chap, 
 xxiii. 23, 33. Its present ruined as- 
 pect presents a striking lesson of tlie 
 instability of human pomp and power, 
 when it is considered that it was 
 once one of tlie most magnificent 
 cities in the Eastern world. Philip 
 returned to Cesarea because it was 
 the abode of his family. Chap, 
 xxi. 8. 
 
 This chapter opens with a history 
 of the dangers which beset the 
 church in tlie persecution following 
 tlie death of Stephen, and especially 
 the formidable character of one of 
 the persecutors. So young, so vigor- 
 ous, and powerful an enemy seemed 
 to threaten the entire extinction of 
 the rising cause of Christianity. 
 But we shall learn, in the next chap- 
 ter, how feeble and vain is the power 
 of man, however learned, zealous, 
 and influential, in contending against 
 truth and the Author of truth. 
 
 The persecution of the Christian 
 flock, too, was overruled for greater 
 good ; for their dispersion scattered, 
 far and near, tlie seeds of divine 
 truth, and enlarged the boundaries 
 of the Saviour's kingdom. So, in 
 tlie wise and beneficent providence 
 of God, is good educed out of evil. 
 The Almighty makes the wrath of 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 1^ 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The Conversion of Saul, and the Miracles of Peter. 
 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against 
 
 man praise him, and the remainder 
 of wrath he will restrain. 
 
 In Simon Magus, we behold a 
 new, and even more fatal, enemy- 
 rising up against Christianity; for 
 the violent persecutor cannot do so 
 much mischief as the secret corrupt- 
 er. The former lops off the perhaps 
 diseased branches of a vigorous tree ; 
 while the other infuses a deadly sap 
 into every pore and leaf, producing a 
 gradual decay and ruin. In Simon 
 appeared first the incipient form of 
 that many-branched corruption which 
 overspread the Christian church, and 
 for ages made " a gain of godliness," 
 used the holy name of Christ to sub- 
 serve the worst purposes of party 
 and power, and sold the gifts of 
 Heaven, and the sanctities of tlie 
 Spirit of the living God, for " filthy 
 lucre." 
 
 But in the Ethiopian eunuch, there 
 is witnessed that beautiful simplicity 
 of faith, that single honesty of pur- 
 pose, and prompt devotion to ti'uth 
 and duty, which present a pleasing 
 contrast to the rage of the bigoted 
 persecutor, and the guile of the sor- 
 did magician. So in all ages has 
 there been a holy conservative influ- 
 ence, in the midst of the elements 
 of persecution on one side, and of 
 corruption on the other. There have 
 ever been the faithful, few or many, 
 w]io have served God Avith true 
 hearts, and left behind memories 
 embalmed in every virtue. Be these 
 our study and our inspiration. The 
 most distant martyr that ever died 
 for the sike of Jesus, the humblest 
 disciple that has been enrolled in 
 the book of life, go to make a part 
 of that pure galaxy of light and 
 glory, by which our moral heavens 
 are illuminated, and the morning 
 
 VOL. III. 12 
 
 star of our faith attended on its tri- 
 umphant and brightening course. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 This chapter contains one of the 
 most interesting and important events 
 in the early history of Christianity — 
 the conversion of Paul, tlie apostle 
 to the Gentiles. This change, from 
 the most untiring persecutor of the 
 church to its zealous advocate and 
 martyr, is a remarkable proof of the 
 truth and divine origin of the gospel, 
 and shows that a more than mortal 
 hand was stretched out to guard and 
 guide the Christian flock. 
 
 1. Saul. He is before introduced 
 as keeping the clothes of the wit- 
 nesses at tlie death of Stephen, chap, 
 vii. 58, and as an active persecutor 
 of the disciples. Chap. viii. 1, 3. His 
 history is here resumed, and, with 
 some exceptions, constitutes the chief 
 substance of the remaining chapters 
 of this book. He was a native of 
 Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia, was 
 educated at Jerusalem under Ga- 
 maliel, and possessed great abilities, 
 both natural and acquired, uncon- 
 querable zeal, quick perception, bril- 
 liant imagination, never- wearied per- 
 severance, warm affections, ardent 
 piety, immense power, both of reso- 
 lution and endurance, and the best 
 learning of his time and country. 
 The acquisition of such a man, in 
 the energy of opening manhood, from 
 the side of the enemy, was not un- 
 worthy of divine interposition. — Yet 
 breathing out threatenings and slaugh- 
 ter. He was not content with the 
 death of Stephen, the dispersion of 
 the disciples, and the abundant evil 
 he had already eflfected ; but he still 
 continued to breatlie the most im- 
 placable hostility. As in chap. viii. 
 
134 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high-priest, and desired 2 
 of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found 
 
 3, he is said to make havoc, like a 
 wild beast, of the church, so here he 
 is represented as breathing threat- 
 enings and slaughter; or, as some 
 prefer, laying aside the idiom, tlireat- 
 enings of slaughter, the most san- 
 guinary spirit. Similar phrases are 
 used by ancient authors. Thus Ho- 
 mer speaks of " the Greeks breathing 
 strength." Theocritus uses a simi- 
 lar phrase, " They came into the 
 assembly breathing mutual slaugh- 
 ter ; " also, Euripides speaks of one 
 " breathing out fire and slaughter." 
 Saul was filled with the most dead- 
 ly hatred, and unquenchable zeal, 
 against the followers of Jesus. There 
 was no persecutor so furious, and 
 in every respect so formidable, and 
 none, therefore, so desirable to gain, 
 as a convert to Christianity. Chap, 
 xxvi. 10 - 12. — Jf'ent unto the high- 
 priest. The high-priest, as president 
 of the Sanliedrim, the Jewish coun- 
 cil, would sign the letters, ver. 2, or 
 commission, issued in their name 
 and authority. The office of high- 
 priest was at that time held, as has 
 been supposed, by Theophilus, a son 
 of Annas, or Ananas, chap. iv. 6, 
 who was substituted for his brotlier 
 Jonathan, the previous incumbent, 
 by Vitellius, governor of Syria, as 
 Josephus relates in his Antiquities, 
 L. 18, chap. 7. 
 
 2. JDtsind of him letters, i. e. cre- 
 dentials from the council, empower- 
 ing him to act in behalf of their 
 jurisdiction. — Damascus. A city in 
 Ccele-Syria, distinguished for its 
 antiquity, splendor, and opulence. 
 It is situated on the River Chry- 
 sorrhoas, or Barradi, in a deliglitful 
 plain, south-east of the mountains of 
 Anti-Libanus. Gen. xiv. 1.5. It is 
 about 140 miles north-east from Jeru- 
 salem. The surrounding country is 
 fertile, the climate one of tlie most 
 
 pleasant in the world, so that it has 
 been called " the paradise on earth." 
 It has in all ages been a great mart 
 of internal commerce, and a rendez- 
 vous for numerous caravans. It has 
 undergone the terrible devastations 
 of war, and been the theatre of bat- 
 tles and sieges innumerable. It is 
 from this city that the Damascus 
 steel, the goods called damasks, and 
 roses and fi-uit-trees of the same name, 
 receive their designation. The pres- 
 ent population is estimated at from 
 one to two hundred tliousand, con- 
 sisting of Muhammedans, Christians, 
 and Jews. It is now called Da- 
 masch, or Bemesch. Came, the trav- 
 eller, says that "The celebrated 
 plain of roses, from the produce of 
 which the rich perfume, ottar of 
 roses, is obtained, is about three 
 miles from tlie town. The place 
 called ' tlie Meeting of the Waters,' 
 is about five miles to the north-west 
 of the city. Here tlie River Barradi, 
 which may be the ancient Abana, 
 being enlarged by another river 
 which falls into it, about two miles 
 off, is divided into several streams, 
 which flow through the plain. The 
 separation is the result of art. The 
 streams, six or seven in number, are, 
 some of them, carried to water the 
 orchards and gardens of the higher 
 grounds, others into the loAver; but 
 all meet at last close to the city, and 
 form the fine cataract" The ancient 
 road from Jerusalem runs near Da- 
 mascus, between two mountains, ly- 
 ing near together ; one of which is 
 called Cocab, "the star," and the 
 other JMedawer, El Cocab, " tlie cir- 
 cle of lip-ht," in commemoration of 
 the dazzling splendor which shone 
 around Paul. Ver. 3. — To the syn- 
 agogues. The Jews at this time were 
 very numerous in Damascus ; for 
 Josephus states that, at different 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 135 
 
 any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might 
 
 3 bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he 
 came near Damascus : and suddenly there shined round about 
 
 4 him a light from heaven ; and he fell to the earth, and heard a 
 voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me 1 
 
 times, ten thousand and eighteen 
 thousand were slaughtered at once 
 in tlie city. The Sanhedrim pos- 
 sessed great control over all the Jews, 
 resident in foreign countries. In 
 what veneration it was held may be 
 inferred, says Lightfoot, from this — 
 that "The rule and determination 
 concerning intercalating the year, 
 concerning the beginning of tlie 
 year, and the appointed time of the 
 feasts, &c., came from it; as also 
 that it was esteemed a keeper and 
 repository of the oral law." — Of 
 this way, i. e. of this party or persua- 
 sion, the Christians. Chap. xix. 9, 23, 
 xxiv. 14. — Men or women. Show- 
 ing the indiscriminate and unsparing 
 cruelty which animated his proceed- 
 ings. — Might bring them hound unto 
 Jerusalem. That they might be tried 
 by the Sanhedrim. However pro- 
 tected by the civil authorities of the 
 countries in wliich they resided, the 
 Jews were yet bound, by a certain 
 religious allegiance, to the ecclesi- 
 astical tribunal in the holy city. 
 The synagogues were answerable to 
 the Sanhedrim. If, as has been sup- 
 posed, Aretas, king of Arabia, was 
 ruler at Damascus at this time, he 
 would throw no obstructions in the 
 way of Jewish power over their own 
 believers ; since, if not a proselyte, 
 he was a favorer of the Jews. Or, 
 even under the Roman government, 
 the authority of the high-priest would 
 probably have encountered no im- 
 pediment in the execution of his 
 plans, so far as ecclesiastical aifairs 
 were concerned. The Sanhedrim 
 took cognizance of the claims of re- 
 ligious teachers and prophets, and 
 of all that concerned the purity or 
 
 diffusion of their faith abroad, no less 
 than at home. 
 
 3. He came near Damascus. The 
 spot is still pointed out by the credu- 
 lous where this event occurred, near 
 the city of Damascus, and the super- 
 stition of the pilgrim has delighted 
 in carrying away some token from 
 the place; but the identity of the 
 particular locality is quite doubtful. 
 — Suddenly there shined round about 
 him, ^c. The suddenness of the ap- 
 pearance has led some to confound 
 it with a flash of lightning, but there 
 is no intimation of any such natural 
 phenomenon. Every circumstance 
 in the narrative proclaims an extra- 
 ordinary occasion, unlike any com- 
 mon manifestation of the elements. 
 The time was noon, chap. xxii. 6, 
 when the senses would be least likely 
 to be deceived; Paul was in com- 
 pany with others, which would also 
 diminish the opportunity of mistake, 
 ver. 7; the light is represented as 
 surpassing the splendor of noonday, 
 chap. xxii. 6, xxvi. 13: thus every 
 particular bespoke the impossibility 
 of any illusion of the eye or ear, and 
 of any other than the certainty of a 
 divine interposition. 
 
 4. Heard a voice. The absurdity 
 of supposing that the light and voice 
 were any terrific natural phenomena, 
 acting upon tlie fears and fancies of 
 Paul, has been well set forth by 
 Bloomfield. A dialogue is repre- 
 sented as being held, and the He- 
 brew language used. Chap. xxvi. 14. 
 His attendants were rendered speech- 
 less, ver. 7, though tliere is no ev- 
 idence that they were under the 
 influence of any high-wrought emo- 
 tions, favorable to an illusion. The 
 
m THE ACTS [Chap* 
 
 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am 5 
 Jesus whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against 
 the pricks. And he trembling, and astonished, said. Lord, what 6 
 
 voice is not called thunder, but ar- 
 ticulate speech ; and the light is not 
 called lightning, but a briglitness 
 above that of the sun. — Said, Saul. 
 Expressive of earnest address. Luke 
 X. 41, xxii. 31 ; Mat. xxiii. 37.— Why 
 persecutest thou me ? Though Saiil 
 was acting in the name of the high- 
 priests and Sanhedrim, his agency 
 was seen to be a primary moving 
 cause, and he was addressed indi- 
 vidually ; while, on the other hand, 
 though he was engaged in hunting 
 after the lives of the disciples, Jesus 
 identified himself as the chief mark 
 at which the persecution was amied. 
 To persecute his disciples, he con- 
 sidered as persecuting himself, Mat. 
 XXV. 45 ; and to aid his followers, he 
 graciously accepted as service done 
 personally to him. 
 
 5. Who art thou, Lord? Kenrick 
 remarks, that "The ready answer 
 which Saul gives to the question pro- 
 posed to him, shows that he could 
 not be struck to the ground by light- 
 ning ; for that deprives men of the 
 use of their mental faculties, as well 
 as of their sight" By Lord, Saul 
 means simply to use a word of ad- 
 dress, which is frequently translated 
 sir, John iv. 19, for he was not yet 
 aware of the dignity of the individual 
 who spoke to him. — I am Jesv^ 
 whom tfwu persecutest. In chap. xxii. 
 8, the despised designation was add- 
 ed, " of Nazareth." It is apparent 
 that Christ appeared personally to 
 the apostle, as if to qualify him for 
 his new office. 1 Cor. ix. 1, xv. 8, 9. 
 Whether he had seen Jesus during 
 his life is not known, but is mere 
 field of conjecture. — It is hard for 
 thee to kick against the pricks. Or, it 
 is impossible for thee to kick against 
 tlie goads. These were sticks point- 
 ed with sharp iron, used in driving 
 
 oxen. See Judg. iii. 31 ; 1 Sam. xiii. 
 21. The expression is proverbial, 
 and is found in many ancient wri- 
 ters. The sense of it is, that it is folly 
 to attempt to resist a power, when, by 
 resistance, injury follows only to him 
 who makes it ; as the restive ox that 
 kicks against the goad of the driver 
 only injures himself. Euripides says, 
 "I, who am a frail mortal, should 
 rather sacrifice to him who is a God, 
 than, by giving place to anger, kick 
 against the goads." ^schylus gives 
 the injunction, " Kick not against the 
 goads." Pindar, likewise, — "It is 
 profitable to bear willingly the as- 
 sumed yoke ; to kick against the goads 
 is pernicious conduct." The sense 
 is clear : Saul, by resisting the cause 
 of Christ and God, was only wound- 
 ing himself; as has been said, " He 
 that strikes the adamant is himself 
 stricken ; and he that kicks the goads 
 is himself goaded." His attack upon 
 the church would only recoil upon 
 himself in a terrible retribution. Such 
 is the eternal law. He who resists 
 the cause of truth, is himself visited 
 with the infiictions he would heap 
 upon others. Mat. xvi. 18 ; Acts v. 
 39. Such is the condition of all 
 who suppress the admonitions of con- 
 science, and resist the will of God. 
 They dash themselves against sharp 
 spikes, and are thrown back wound- 
 ed, bleeding, dying. The way of 
 transgressors is emphatically hard. It 
 should be stated that the last clause 
 of this verse, with the first of the 
 next until the word arise, is omitted 
 by Griesbach and other critics, who 
 suppose that it was probably foisted 
 into the text here from the parallel 
 passage in chap. xxii. 10, xxvi. 14, 
 where it occurs. 
 
 6. Trembling and astonished. He 
 trembled under the reproaches of a 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 137 
 
 wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, 
 and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 
 
 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hear- 
 
 8 ing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; 
 
 wounded spirit, and was astonished 
 at the sudden apparition which burst 
 upon his view, and arrested his evil 
 career. — Lord, what loilt thou have 
 me to do') Saul elsewhere declared 
 that he sinned ignorantly and in un- 
 belief, verily thinking that he was 
 doing God service by persecuting the 
 Christians. Hence, as soon as the 
 path of duty was pointed out to him, 
 he shoAved a readiness to walk in it. 
 His sin had been ignorance, a blind 
 adherence to an unenlightened con- 
 science, a dogged submission to his 
 old Jewish prejudices and bigotiy. 
 But when light from heaven flashed 
 upon him, though it blinded his phys- 
 ical sight, it shone into the darkened 
 chambers of his mind, and showed 
 him what manner of spirit lie was of, 
 and converted him from the error of 
 his way. There is no evidence that 
 any miracle was wrought upon the 
 mind of Saul, but only externally. 
 The supernatural cause produced a 
 natural result, in awakening his won- 
 der, presenting new evidence to his 
 understanding, and addressing new 
 motives to his heart. No parallel 
 can be drawn between the change 
 of Paul and modern cases of conver- 
 sion to Christianity. He was arrest- 
 ed in his course for a greater object 
 than his mere individual benefit ; and 
 his fidelity to his sense of right, 
 though dark and degraded, s-^emed 
 yet to furnish a ground for the re- 
 Avard granted him, in having a spe- 
 cial interposition to snatch him from 
 destruction. At this day, we can 
 expect only the natural influences 
 of the divina Spirit; and to wait for 
 miracles, is to abandon one's self to 
 ruin. — Go into the city, i. e. Damas- 
 cus, at which tliey had now nearly 
 12* 
 
 arrived. Ver. 3. — It shall be told thee, 
 ^c. In the first emotions of an agi- 
 tated mind, possessed of the stronor 
 passions of Saul, it Avas no time to 
 communicate information respecting 
 his duty. We see, in the gradual- 
 ness even of his sudden conversion, 
 a careful compliance with the great 
 laAvs of the human soul, and an adap- 
 tation to its wants. 
 
 7. Stood speechdess. They had aris- 
 en after falling to the earth, and re- 
 mained speechless from amazement. 
 There is an apparent discrepancy, if 
 we compare these words witli chap, 
 xxvi. 34; but it is only apparent; 
 for at first they had fallen to the 
 ground Avith the terror produced by 
 the instantaneous flash of light, and 
 the noise succeeding or accompany- 
 ing it. — Hearing a voice. But in 
 chap. xxii. 9, it is expressly said, 
 " They heard not the voice that spake 
 to m'^." These clauses may be rec- 
 onciled, either by understanding the 
 Avord to signify, in this instance, the 
 simple act of hearing, and in the 
 other that of understanding; or by 
 regarding the voice to mean here 
 mere sound, as it sometimes does, 
 and in the other instance an articu- 
 late speech, Avhose meaning they 
 could distinguish. But both meth- 
 ods, in reality, amount to the same 
 thing. — Seeing no man. The only 
 object they Avitnessed Avas a general 
 brilliant light; but we may infer, 
 from ver. 17, 27, chap. xxii. 14; 1 
 Cor. ix. 1, XV. 8, that Paul actually 
 beheld the form of Jesus at this 
 time. 
 
 8, 9. When his eyes were opened, he 
 saw no man. What he had seen 
 was not evident to the external 
 sense, but to tlie mind ; and when 
 
r38 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man : but they led 
 him by the hand, and brought liim into Damascus. And he was 9 
 
 three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. And 10 
 
 there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and 
 to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said. Behold, 
 I am here, Lord. And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go 11 
 into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house 
 
 the excitement was past, and he 
 arose from the earth, he first found 
 that he had been struck blind, and 
 that, though his eyes were capable 
 of being opened, they yielded no 
 sight The loss of his vision might 
 have been natural, though the cause 
 was supernatural ; for it is said, in 
 chap. xxii. 11, to liave been produced 
 by the intensity of the light. Where 
 a sufficient cause for any effect is 
 known, it is unpliilosophical to as- 
 sign any additional or greater cause. 
 Such is tlie fact in relation to the 
 blindness of Saul. But in relation 
 to his conversion, by the same rule, 
 it is philosophical, as well as scriptu- 
 ral, to believe the cause was super- 
 human ; for thus only can the great 
 effect produced be rationally ac- 
 counted for. — Three drnjs, ^'c. The 
 period for Saul's blindness and fast- 
 ing was probably ordy a part of three 
 days, according to the Jewish reck- 
 oning. The event occurred on one 
 day ; for a whole day he remained 
 without light or food ; and on the 
 third he was visited by Ananias. 
 Thus the resurrection of Christ took 
 place after three days, i. e. after the 
 third day began. The condition of 
 Saul Avas highly favorable to unin- 
 terrupted and serious meditation. He 
 had been suddenly arrested in his 
 furious career. He had heard the 
 words of tliat Messiah, whose disci- 
 ples he was dragging to prison and 
 to death. It was the crisis of his 
 moral being, the dread pause be- 
 tween good and evil, life and death. 
 It was well that external objects 
 
 were excluded for a season, that bis 
 thoughts might turn inward upon 
 themselves, that he might take a new 
 reckoning on the sea of life, and ma- 
 ture the exercises of a devout and 
 deeply contrite, yet hopeful and res- 
 olute spirit, bent upon doing with its 
 might whatever it found to do. To 
 fast, under such circumstances, was 
 not an obedience to custom, but a 
 dictate of nature. 
 
 10. A certain disa'ph, i. e. a Jew- 
 ish convert to Christianity. His ex- 
 cellent character is described in chap, 
 xxii. 12. It has been conjectured, 
 but Avithout any historical evidence, 
 tliat he Avas one of the seventy mis- 
 sionaries appointed by Christ. Luke 
 X. 1 . Nothing is furtlier known of 
 him than what is introduced in this 
 connexion. He was immortalized 
 by his participation in these events 
 in the life of him, who Avas at once 
 the greatest enemy and the greatest 
 friend to Christianity. — In a vision. 
 Whether in sleep or not, is left un- 
 determined. Suffice it to say, it Avas 
 a supernatural suggestion, shown to 
 be so by the fact, that communica- 
 tions Avere made directly contrary to 
 the opinions and feelings of Ananias. 
 — Behold, I am here, Lord. Words 
 Avhich attested his cheerful readi- 
 ness to obey the mandates of Heaven, 
 Avhatever they might be. Gen. xxxi. 
 11; 1 Sam. iii. 4. Our obedience, 
 to be acceptable to God, must be not 
 only complete, but prompt and cheer- 
 ful. 
 
 11. Street ivhich is called Straight. 
 The inhabitants profess to identify 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 m 
 
 of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus : for behold, he prayeth, 
 
 12 and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias, coming in, and 
 
 13 putting Ids hand on him, that he might receive his sight. Then 
 Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how 
 
 U much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem : and here he 
 
 tliis street and other sacred localities, 
 even to the present day. Thus Carne 
 says that "The street, still called 
 Straight, and where St. Paul is with 
 reason said to have lived, is entered 
 by the road from Jerusalem. It is 
 as straight as an arrow, a mile in 
 length, broad, and well paved. A 
 lofty window in one of the towers to 
 the east, is shown us as the place 
 where the apostle was let down in a 
 basket In the Avay to Jerusalem is 
 the spot where his course was arrest- 
 ed hy the light from heaven." Maun- 
 drell, also, in his Journey, says, " This 
 morning Ave went to see the street 
 called Straight. It is about half a 
 mile in length, running from east to 
 west through the city. It being nar- 
 row, and tlie houses jutting out in 
 several places on both sides, you 
 cannot have a clear prospect of its 
 length and straightness. In this 
 street is shown the house of Judas, 
 with whom Paul lodged ; and in the 
 same house is an old tomb, said to be 
 Ananias's ; but how he should come 
 to be buried here they could not tell 
 us, nor could we guess, his own 
 house being shown us in another 
 place. However, the Turks have a 
 reverence for this tomb, and main- 
 tain a lamp always burning over it." 
 — Judas. Nothing is further known 
 of this individual, except the present 
 record. — Said of Tarsus. Tarsus 
 was a city of Asia Minor, the capi- 
 tal of Cilicia, distinguished for its 
 literature and Grecian philosophy; 
 and, on account of its numerous 
 schools and learned men, was ranked 
 with Athens and Alexandria, or even 
 preferred before them. On account 
 of the services which this place ren- 
 
 dered in the civil wars and commo- 
 tions, it was made free by Augustus, 
 the Roman emperor, and enjoyed 
 certain peculiar immunities ; and it 
 has been supposed by some, though 
 doubted by others, that its inhabit- 
 ants enjoyed the privileges of Ro- 
 man citizenship. — Behold, he pray- 
 eth. As it were, a general designa- 
 tion of the ruling sentiment of Paul's 
 mind at the time, as devotional and 
 supplicatory. The spirit of wrath 
 and headlong zeal was laid aside. 
 He assumed an humbler and more 
 penitential attitude, more appropriate 
 to the sinfulness of his past life, and 
 significant of the holy and beautiful 
 office he was henceforth to discharge, 
 as an awaken er of devotion in mul- 
 titudes of hearts in all ages. The 
 fervor of his Epistles teaches us what 
 was the fervor of his prayers. 
 
 12. Hath seen in a vision. As re- 
 marked by Farmer, "Saul, though 
 now blind, saw Ananias as clearly, 
 in representation or vision, as he did 
 when he appeared to him visibly, up- 
 on the recovery of his sight This 
 is one proof, amongst many others, 
 that the miraculous scenes of a vis- 
 ion were not always, if ever, placed 
 before the bodily eye, but were dis- 
 cerned by the mind without the as- 
 sistance of the corporeal organ." 
 The correspondence between the 
 two visions evinces their common and 
 divine source. — That he might re- 
 ceive his sight. The restoration of 
 his sight was one of the first and 
 most palpable blessings he could re- 
 ceive. 
 
 13, 14. / have heard hy many. It 
 was common report that Saul was 
 the most formidable persecutor of 
 
140 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 hath authority from the chief-priests, to bind all that call on thy 
 name. But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for he is a 15 
 chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and 
 kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how 16 
 
 the Christian body. — To thy saints. 
 By which is meant simply the disci- 
 ples of Christ, without reference to 
 moral character or peculiar sanctity 
 of mind. Under the Jewish dispen- 
 sation, all who were embraced in the 
 covenant of God's people were called 
 saints, not out of respect to their ab- 
 solute goodness, but their relative 
 privileges as compared with the sur- 
 rounding idolaters. Thus, under the 
 reign of Christ, those were designat- 
 ed by the same title who had become 
 converted from Judaism and heathen- 
 ism, irrespective of tlieir proficiency 
 in the divine life. They had become, 
 as it were, ceremonially clean and 
 holy, as the Jews had formerly been, 
 and were entitled to the epithet in 
 question. The terra, in both cases, 
 " denotes what is supposed to be the 
 case in persons so designated, and 
 suggests what they ought to &e." — 
 Ha^. authority, &fc. Ver. 2, chap. viii. 
 3. Information had apparently been 
 communicated, in advance, to the 
 Christians at Damascus to prepare 
 for the onset of Saul among them, 
 who was coming empowered with 
 ample ecclesiastical authority, and 
 raging, like a beast of prey, to seize 
 his unhappy victims. — That call on 
 thy name. A mistaken rendering, 
 conveying an unauthorized inference. 
 Since thy refers back to Lord, and 
 Lord refers to Jesus, it has been 
 concluded that the disciples were 
 termed those who invoked or prayed 
 to Christ But the participle can be 
 taken, indifferently, either as the 
 passive voice, signifying those called 
 after thy nnme, or surnamed after 
 thee ; or middle voice, signifying 
 those that called themselves after thy 
 name. Acts xv. 17. This is, there- 
 
 fore, an appellation of Christians, 
 and not a statement of the object to 
 which their religious worship was di- 
 rected. In these two verses, Ana- 
 nias indirectly expresses his fears of 
 encountering the terrible persecutor, 
 as if some stratagem had been laid 
 to decoy him into the jaws of de- 
 struction. 
 
 15. He is a chosen vessel unto me. 
 Literally, a vessel of choice. So far 
 from Ananias shrinking from an in- 
 terview with Saul, he was enjoined 
 to seek it, as the means of advancing 
 in the highest degree the cause he 
 had most at heart Saul was to be 
 a chosen vessel — a figurative expres- 
 sion, implying that he would be em- 
 inently useful in promoting the re- 
 ligion of Jesus. Gal. i. 1. The 
 Jewish, Greek, and Roman writers 
 were accustomed to this phrase. Po- 
 lybius says of Damocles, that " He 
 was a useful instrument, and fit for 
 the management of affairs." — To 
 bear. Still continuing the figurative 
 expression of the vessel, in which 
 any thing might be carried from 
 place to place. — Gentiles — kings — 
 the children of Israel. The predic- 
 tion Avas fulfilled : Saul became the 
 bearer of the glad tidings of the gos- 
 pel to the heathen world, the apostle 
 to the Gentiles. Chap. xxii. 21 ; Rom. 
 xi. 13, XV. 16. He advocated the 
 cause of Christianity before kings 
 and rulers, and the great men of the 
 earth, chaps, xxv. xxvi. xxvii., and it 
 was uniformly his practice to make 
 the first appeal to his own brethren. 
 Chap. xiv. 1, xvii. I, 2. 
 
 1(3. Hoiv great things he must suf- 
 fer. One reason why Ananias need 
 not dread to approach the once ter- 
 rific persecutor of his brethren, was 
 
IX.] OF THE APOSTLES. 141 
 
 17 great things he must suffer for my name's sake. Arid 
 
 Ananias went his way, and entered into the house : and putting 
 his hands on him, said, Brother Saul, the Lord (even Jesus that 
 appeared unto thee in the way as thou earnest) hath sent me, 
 tliat thou mightest receive thy sight, and be filled with the Holy 
 
 18 Ghost. And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been 
 scales : and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was bap- 
 
 ly tized. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. 
 Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were 
 
 ver. 15, that he had been specially 
 selected as a mighty agent in pro- 
 moting Christianity : another reason 
 is alleged in this verse, viz., that he 
 was to give the ultimate proof of his 
 sincerity and devotedness by suffer- 
 ing, and greatly suffering, in behalf 
 of the gospel. Some understand 
 that a special revelation, by vis- 
 ion or otherwise, would be made 
 to Saul of his future sufferings and 
 martyrdom ; others, tliat Christ would 
 give an example in him of what 
 ought to be cheerfully undergone for 
 the sake of human salvation ; that he 
 would prove an illustrious evidence 
 how much men could and ought to 
 endure for so excellent an object 
 Whichever method is admitted, it af- 
 fects not the general fact of the un- 
 common endurance of the apostle to 
 the Gentiles, and of tlie mountains 
 of toil, and pain, and affliction, which 
 oppressed, but could not crush, his 
 indomitable spirit. Chap. xx. 23, xxv. 
 11 ; 1 Cor. XV. 10, 19 ; 2 Cor. xi. 23 
 -28; 2 Tim. iii. 10-] 2. 
 
 17. Putting his hmids on him. In 
 tlie way of conferring a blessing, 
 agreeably to Oriental custom, Mat. 
 xix. 13, not as a peculiar ceremony, 
 essential to ordination and induction 
 into the ministerial office. If the 
 theory of ecclesiastical government 
 held by some be true, it would seem 
 to be necessary that the hands of the 
 apostles, and not those of a mere pri- 
 vate Christian, should be laid upon 
 the head of Paul ; though it may be 
 
 claimed that that was done, chap, 
 xiii. 3, yet that act was not apparent- 
 ly apostolic, and Saul had previously 
 exercised the office of a Christian 
 preacher. Ver. 20, 22, 29. — Brother 
 Saul. The fraternal designation, to 
 indicate his reception into the Chris- 
 tian brotherhood, and the confidence 
 reposed in his conversion. — Even. 
 This word is not in the original, and 
 is entirely superfluous. — That ap- 
 peared unto thee. Implying the per- 
 sonal appearance of the Saviour to 
 his new convert. — Receive thy sigJtt 
 — filled ivith the Holy Ghost. Ananias 
 was advanced, on this occasion, to the 
 high honor of being the medium to 
 communicate a miraculous cure and 
 spiritual influence, such as elsewhere 
 devolved upon the apostles. Proba- 
 bly he gave other instructions at this 
 time, which are not recorded, adapt- 
 ed to Saul's condition and calling. 
 Chap. xxii. 12 - 16. 
 
 18, 19. There fell from his eyes as 
 it had been scales. It is not said, or 
 probably intended, as some inter- 
 preters have taken it, that scales lit- 
 erally fell, from his eyes, but that the 
 recovery of his sight took place, as 
 if scales had dropped from the or- 
 gans of vision. The restoration of 
 sight was instantaneous. No natu- 
 ral remedies were applied to heal 
 him. Ananias had been specially 
 commissioned for this cure and spir- 
 itual communication, and no doubt, 
 therefore, is left that though tlie 
 blindness was naturally produced, 
 
142 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 at Damascus. And straightway he preached Christ in the syna- 20 
 gogues, that he is the Son of God. But all that heard him were 21 
 amazed, and said, Is not this he that destroyed them which called 
 on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that 
 
 yet that the restoration was miracu- 
 lous. — Arose and was baptized. Bap- 
 tism was ever the initiatoiy cere- 
 mony to a profession of the faith 
 of Christ Chap. ii. 38, 41, iii. 19, 
 xvi. 33. The rite Avas adminis- 
 tered in this case, as is probable, by 
 Ananias, a private Christian, — a 
 significant fact for those to consider, 
 who insist upon an apostolical suc- 
 cession, and assert the maxim, " No 
 bishop, no church ; " or for those who 
 deem no baptism as valid unless ad- 
 ministered, not by lay, but by clerical, 
 hands. — Received meat, i. e. any kind 
 of food. He had fasted three days, 
 ver. 9, and the scenes through which 
 he had passed had exhausted his 
 strength, so that the expression, " He 
 took food, and was revived," is not 
 thrown in without meaning. — Ce?-- 
 tain days loith tlw disciples. Rather, 
 some days, &c. He who had come 
 on a mission of destruction became 
 a confidant and helper to the very 
 cause he intended to overthrow. 
 His intercourse with the disciples 
 was seemingly necessary, in order to 
 instruct him in the truths of Chris- 
 tianity, and prepare him for his 
 ministry. 
 
 The conversion of St. Paul has 
 ever been regarded, as a powerful 
 argument in support of tlie Christian 
 rehgion, as a divine revelation. So 
 impressed was Lyttleton with the 
 force of this argument, that he wrote 
 an epistolical essay, in which he ad- 
 vocated that "The conversion and 
 apostleship of St. Paul alone, duly 
 considered, was of itself a demon- 
 sti-ation sufficient to prove the truth " 
 of the above proposition. In that 
 work he abundantly shows, that Paul 
 " could have been neitlier an impos- 
 
 tor, who said what he knew to be 
 false with an intent to deceive; or 
 an enthusiast, who, by the force of an 
 overheated imagination, imposed on 
 himself, or was deceived by the 
 fraud of others : but that what he 
 declared to have been the cause 
 of his conversion, and what hap- 
 pened in consequence of it, did all 
 really occur, and that therefore the 
 gospel was a revelation from Heav- 
 en." This selection of a single 
 point in the great argument possesses 
 some advantages, by concentrating 
 attention in a single direction, and 
 excluding all secondary considera- 
 tions. Milman remarks, that " No 
 event in Christian history, from its 
 improbability, as well as its influ- 
 ence on the progress of the religion, 
 would so demand, if the expression 
 may be used, the divine intervention, 
 as the conversion of St. Paul. Paul 
 was essentially necessary to the de- 
 velopment of the Christian scheme. 
 To doubt, in whatever manner it 
 took place, his divine mission, would 
 be to discard all providential inter- 
 position in the design and propaga- ■ 
 tion of Christianity." \ 
 
 20, 21. Straightway. The ardor 
 of Paul's temperament did not allow 
 him to delay the gi-eat work, to which 
 he had been so wonderfully sum- 
 moned. — Christ — that he is the Son 
 of God. Griesbach and many others 
 approve the reading, "Jesus — the 
 Son of God." For no one doubted 
 that Christ, or the Messiah, would be 
 the Son of God. But the critical point 
 was, to show that Jesus was identical 
 Avith the Son of God, the Messiali. 
 Chap. ii. 36, viii. 37. The syna- 
 gogues afforded a fine field for intro- 
 ducing the docti-ines of Christianity 
 
IX.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 143 
 
 22 he might bringr them bound unto the chief-priests 1 But Saul 
 increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which 
 
 23 dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. And 
 
 after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill 
 
 24 him. But their laying await was known of Saul. And they 
 
 25 watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples 
 took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket. 
 
 directly to numerous bodies of Jew- 
 ish worshippers. — JVere amazed. 
 Their astonishment was perfectly 
 natural, from the circumstances of 
 the case, and showed that the change 
 which had taken place was capable 
 of being explained on no common 
 grounds. — Called on this name. See 
 note on ver. 14. 
 
 22. Saul increased, ^c. His con- 
 version was sudden, and there Avas 
 consequently great room for the im- 
 provement, both of his intellectual 
 conceptions and his moral convic- 
 tions of the truth. — Confounded. 
 Or perplexed, or confuted, the Jewish 
 disputants. — Is venj Christ. More 
 correctly translated, " is the Christ," 
 since the word rendered veri/ is the 
 definite article in the original. 
 
 Between the junction of these two 
 verses, 22 and 23, is supposed to be 
 a chasm of three years. Gal. i. 18, in 
 which Saul withdrew from his former 
 associates and resorts, and retired 
 into Arabia ; where he received di- 
 vine revelations, and, in the exer- 
 cises of prayer and meditation, and 
 the duties of benevolence to the many 
 Jews dwelling there, nursed the 
 spirit of the gospel in his heart to 
 strength and maturity, and came 
 forth fully prepared to discharge his 
 sublime mission of benevolence. 
 How he passed his time he does 
 not infomi us; hut we can easily 
 see how beautiful was this retire- 
 ment and repose to so fiery a nature 
 as that of Paul ; and how truly such 
 a repose fitted him to preach Chris- 
 tianity, not only with intelligence, 
 
 but deep and matured fervor. Some, 
 however, conjecture that the breach 
 in the narr^,tive occurs between the 
 first and last clause of ver. 19. The 
 Arabian frontier approached near 
 Damascus, and Paul may have re- 
 tired but a short distance from the 
 city, in order to escape the vigilance 
 of his enemies. The omission of 
 this journey by Luke shows that 
 there was no concert between the 
 writers, and, instead of weakening, 
 strengthens, the probability of truth 
 and genuineness. 
 
 23. Jlfter that many days. This 
 is understood to signify the seclusion 
 of three years in Arabia. Gal. i. 18. 
 In 1 Kings ii. 38, 39, we have the 
 precise expression of many days 
 equivalent to three years. — The Jews 
 took counsel to kill him. By which 
 is meant, that they plotted his death, 
 as in chap, xxiii. 12, xxv. 3. The 
 hostility of the Jews evidently arose 
 from his zeal and ability as a Chris- 
 tian apostle, and their anger at his 
 conversion. Force is the only argu- 
 ment which bigotry and malice un- 
 derstand how to use against the 
 friends of truth. 
 
 24, 25. Their laying await was 
 known of Saul. Or, by Saul, through 
 his own vigilance and quick appre- 
 hension, or the information of some 
 kind friend tliat his life was endan- 
 gered. — Watched the gates day and 
 night. Aretas, king of Arabia Pe- 
 trea, whose daughter married Herod 
 Antipas, had possession of Damas- 
 cus at this time, and his administra- 
 tion was favorable to the Jews, and 
 
144 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join 26 
 
 himself to the disciples : but they were all afraid of him, and 
 
 hostile to whoever was obnoxious to 
 them. He made war against Herod, 
 because he divorced his daughter to 
 marry Herodias, the mother of Sa- 
 lome. Mark vi. 17 ; 2 Cor. xi. 32. 
 The text would indicate that a pub- 
 lic guard was kept, in order to seize 
 Paul if he should attempt to escape 
 by the gates, which were, of course, 
 the only thoroughfares of the city. — 
 JLet him down by the tvall in a basket. 
 Ancient cities were walled, to pro- 
 tect them against enemies. Proba- 
 bly some friend resided in the house 
 adjoining the wall of Damascus. It 
 appears that Paul was let doAvn 
 through a window in a basket by 
 the side of the wall, and thus avoid- 
 ed passing out at the gates, where 
 he would inevitably have encoun- 
 tered his enemies. Josh. ii. 15. There 
 was nothing in this flight inconsist- 
 ent Avith Christian courage and loyal- 
 ty to duty. For the Master himself 
 had directed his apostles not to 
 throw away their lives recklessly, 
 hut when persecuted in one city, 
 to flee into another. Mat. x. 23. 
 " The method of drawing up or let- 
 ting down persons in baskets is still 
 very much resorted to in the East, 
 when danger is apprehended from 
 the ordinary mode of ingress or 
 egress. The Christians at Damas- 
 cus fail not to point out the precise 
 part of the wall where the apostle 
 was let down. It occurs at an old 
 gate in the wall, which has long 
 been walled up, on account of its 
 being rendered of little use by the 
 vicinity of the present eastern gate." 
 There is probably, however, more of 
 sentiment than of fact in these tra- 
 ditional localities. 
 
 26. When Saul was come to Jeru- 
 salem. This is supposed to have 
 been after his three years' residence 
 in Arabia. Gal. i. 17, 18. He had 
 
 not, until now, visited Jerusalem 
 since he went forth as a sanguinary 
 persecutor, breathing threatenings 
 and slaughter. How great was the 
 change to himself, to the church, and 
 to the interests of mankind ! " Tru- 
 ly, this is the Lord's doing : it is mar- 
 vellous in our eyes." — Assayed. Or, 
 attempted, endeavored. — But they 
 ivere all ajfraid of him, Sfc. It seems 
 unaccountable, at flrst, that there 
 should have been this fear and sus- 
 picion, when Paul had been so long 
 a Christian believer, after being so 
 prominent a persecutor. But Light- 
 foot has suggested some considera- 
 tions which help to solve the diffi- 
 culty ; as that the distance between 
 Jerusalem and Damascus was great ; 
 that the persecution still continued 
 at Jerusalem which had commenced 
 at the stoning of Stephen, and the 
 disciples of Damascus Avould be de- 
 terred from going thither; the just 
 fears which would possess the disci- 
 ples at Jerusalem in a time of per- 
 secution ; and the quarrels subsisting 
 between Herod and Aretas, which 
 would cutoff'intercourse between the 
 two cities. Tlie retired life of Paul, 
 also, in Arabia, naturally caused a 
 recollection of him to drop out of the 
 minds of the disciples at Jerusalem ; 
 and when his name was again men- 
 tioned, the old idea of him, as their 
 former gi*eatest enemy, instantly re- 
 turned, and overpowered, in their 
 minds, any rumor which might have 
 come to their ears of his conversion. 
 This history, like that of tlie Gospels, 
 is remarkable as simply narrating 
 facts, without drawing inferences or 
 explaining difficulties. The suspicion 
 of the disciples was entirely natural, 
 and proves that there was no collu- 
 sion between them and the new con- 
 vert ; but, on tlie contrary, a rigid 
 scrutiny into the reality of his change, 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 145 
 
 27 believed not that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, 
 and brought Am to the apostles, and declared unto them how he 
 had seen the Lord jn the way, and that he had spoken to him, 
 and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of 
 
 28 Jesus. And he was with them coming in and going out at 
 
 29 Jerusalem. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, 
 and disputed against the Grecians : but they went about to slay 
 
 30 him. Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down 
 to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 
 
 and the means by which it was ef- 
 fected. 
 
 27. But Barnabas took him. Not- 
 ■vvithstanding the general distrust, 
 there was one individual who, either 
 on account of former acquaintance, 
 or other unknown reason, gave heed 
 to his story, and yielded him his 
 countenance and aid. Chap. iv. 36, 
 37, xi. 22-24.— Brought hwi to the 
 apostles. Or, introduced him to them. 
 SauI saw, at this time, only two of 
 them, Peter and James, Gal. i. 18, 19, 
 either because the others were absent 
 from the city, or from the private 
 manner in which tliey were com- 
 pelled to live on account of the 
 persecution, and their want of con- 
 fidence in the reality of his change. 
 — Declared unto them, i. e. Barnabas 
 gave a narrative of his miraculous 
 conversion, and subsequent zeal as a 
 preaclier of Christianity. 
 
 28, 21). fVas with them, coming in 
 and going out. By which is meant, 
 that he was on terms of confidence 
 and daily intercourse. — Spake bold- 
 ly. By which is expressed, not only 
 the courage, but the freedom and 
 openness, with Avhich he preached 
 the gospel. For instances of the 
 same word, see Acts ii. 29, iv. 13, 29, 
 and other places. — In the name of 
 the Lord Jesus. — Tiiat name which 
 had been c ivered with isfnominy 
 and reproach, Saul noAv hesitates not 
 to take up as the glorious watcli- 
 word of his preaching, the command- 
 
 ^;^g authority of his duty and labors. 
 
 VOL. III. 13 
 
 — The Grecians. The foreign or 
 Hellenist Jews; by which may be 
 understood both Jews who resided 
 in other countries, and had come to 
 Jerusalem to live, and who used the 
 Greek language and Septuagint ver- 
 sion of the Scriptures ; and Gentiles, 
 who had become proselytes to Juda- 
 ism, and removed to the holy city. 
 See note on chap. vi. 1. — Went 
 about, ^c. i. e. undertook, plotted. 
 The very virulence of his enemies 
 showed how powerful was the preach- 
 ing of the apostle, and how incapa- 
 ble they were of meeting him on his 
 own ground of argument 
 
 30. Brought him down to Cesarea. 
 The disciples, becoming acquainted 
 with the murderous designs of his 
 enemies, follow the commands of 
 Christ, Mat. x. 23, and send hun 
 a^vay from danger and death. This 
 was probably Cesarea Philippi, Mat. 
 xvi. 13, and not Cesarea of Pales- 
 tine, mentioned in chap. viii. 40. — 
 Sent him forth to Tarsus. His native 
 city. See note on ver. 11. The 
 course of his journey and the coun- 
 tries he visited, are mentioned in 
 Gal. i. 21, by which it has been in- 
 ferred that he travelled by land ; in 
 which case Cesarea Philippi would 
 lie more directly in his way than the 
 seaport Cesarea. This is the opin- 
 ion of Witsius, Doddridge, Kenrick, 
 and Olshausen ; tliough many other 
 critics contend that it was Cesarea 
 on the sea-coast 
 
m 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea, and Galilee, 31 
 and Samaria, and were edified: and walking in the fear of the 
 Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied. 
 
 31. TJien had the churches rest, 8fc. 
 The persecution which had com- 
 menced with the martyrdom of Ste- 
 phen, chap. xi. 19, and which had 
 been promoted by the zeal and ener- 
 g-y of Saul, had ceased. This has 
 been attributed by some to the con- 
 version of the chief persecutor of 
 Christianity; but that event was 
 thi-ee years before, and yet the per- 
 secution continued. A much more 
 probable cause was the decree issued 
 by Caius Caligula, the Roman em- 
 peror, A. D. 39, to Petronius, govern- 
 or of Syria, commanding that his 
 statue should be erected in the holy 
 temple at Jerusalem, and that divine 
 worship should be paid to it as a 
 god. Josephus has given the fol- 
 lowing history of this transaction ; 
 and, as it occurred about the time 
 " the churches had rest," it has been 
 very rationally assigned as its cause ; 
 the Jews being so much occupied 
 with the horrible desecration Avhich 
 threatened their own temple and 
 worship, that they forebore to perse- 
 cute the disciples of Jesus. He says 
 " that Caligula ordered Petronius to 
 go with an army to Jerusalem, to set 
 up his statues in the temple there ; 
 enjoining him, if the Jews opposed 
 it, to put to death all that made any 
 .-esistance, and to make all the rest 
 if the nation slaves. Petronius 
 therefore marched from Antioch 
 into Judea with three legions, and a 
 large body of auxiliaries, raised in 
 Syria. All were hereupon filled 
 with consternation, the army being 
 come as far as Ptolemais. The 
 JeAvs, then gathering together, went 
 to the plain near Ptolemais, and en- 
 treated Petronius in the first place 
 for their laws, and in the next place 
 for themselves. Petronius was moved 
 by their entreaties, and leaving his 
 
 army and the statues at Ptolemais, 
 went into Galilee ; and at Tiberias 
 calls together the chief men of the 
 Jewish people, and exhorts them 
 to submit to the emperor's orders. 
 When they could not engage so to 
 do, he asked them, ' Will ye, then, 
 fight against Cesar?' The Jews 
 answered him that they or!ered up 
 sacrifices twice every day for Cesar 
 and the Roman people ; but tliat, if 
 he would set up the images, he ought 
 first of all to sacrifice the whole 
 Jewish nation, and that they were 
 ready to submit themselves, their 
 wives, and children, to the slaugh- 
 ter." Philo also gives essentially 
 the same narrative, with, however, 
 some discrepancies. He says that 
 multitudes of the Jews, leaving their 
 homes, came to Petronius, in Phoe- 
 nicia, with weeping and lamentation, 
 covered with dust, with their hands 
 behind them, as men condemned to 
 die, to beseech him to avert the 
 threatened sacrilege. Their lan- 
 guage was, " We come to you, sir, 
 as you see, unarmed. We have 
 brought with us our wives and chil- 
 dren, and relations, and throw our- 
 selves down before you, as at the 
 feet of Caius, having left none at 
 home, that you may save all, or 
 destroy all." Occupied with this ap- 
 palling danger, the rage of persecu- 
 tion naturally subsided. — Edified, 
 i. e. were built up — a metaphor taken 
 from architecture, and frequently 
 employed in the New Testament to 
 describe the Christian improvement 
 of the disciples. Rom. xiv. 19 ; 1 
 Cor. iii. 9, 10. — Walking in the fear 
 of the Lord, i. e. living in the exer- 
 cise of true piety to God. A devout 
 awe, a profound reverence, is one of 
 the truest elements of a religious 
 chai-acter. — Comfort of the Holy 
 
IX] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 147 
 
 32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters^ 
 
 33 he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. And 
 there he found a certain man named Eneas, which had kept his 
 
 31. bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. And Peter said unto 
 him, Eneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole : arise, and make 
 
 35 thy bed. And he arose immediately. And all that dwelt in 
 Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord. 
 
 Ghost They enjoyed an internal 
 conviction that they were the chil- 
 dren of God, by the witness of the 
 Spirit in their own hearts. The 
 comfort and enjoyment Avhich they 
 thus received is appropriately intro- 
 duced as one of the circumstances 
 showing their religious prosperity. 
 Besides the private satisfaction, they 
 may have also felt, as Schleusner 
 intimates, joy in the blessed progress 
 of Christianity in the world. 
 
 32. Throughout all quarters. Or, 
 among all the regions where churches 
 were planted. The history of Peter 
 is here resumed from chap. viii. 25. 
 — Saints. See note on ver. 33. — 
 Lydda. This town is situated about 
 12 miles from Joppa, and 25 from 
 Jerusalem. Its ancient name was 
 Lod. I Chron. viii. 12 ; Ezra ii. 33 ; 
 Neh. xi. 35. Under the Roman do- 
 minion, it took the name of JDiospo- 
 lis, or the city of Jupiter ; but it is 
 called at present Lud. It was cele- 
 brated as a seat of Jewish learning 
 under the Rabbins. Its fortunes, 
 like those of all the Oriental cities, 
 have been various, and its ruins are 
 still noble, especially those of the 
 church of St. George, reported, though 
 fabulously, according to Robinson, 
 to have been built by a king of 
 England. It is now " a considerable 
 village of small houses." 
 
 33. Eneas. From the name, it 
 has been inferred that he was a 
 Hellenist, though it was customary 
 for the same individual to have two 
 names, one in Hebrew or Syriac, and 
 another in Greek. This is the same 
 name as that of the distinijuished 
 
 Trojan hero, whose calamities and 
 adventures are sung by Virgil in his 
 poem entitled the ^Eneid. — Kept hia 
 bed eight years. Not, perhaps, literal- 
 ly confined, but, as Bloomfield com- 
 ments, " bedridden." — Sick of the 
 palsy. Of which there were several 
 kinds. See note on Mat. iv. 24. It 
 disabled the nerves of motion. 
 
 34. Jesus Christ maketh thee whole. 
 As much as to say, that the miracle 
 was performed in his name and au- 
 thority, and for the promotion of his 
 religion. It is equivalent to the ex- 
 pression in chap. iii. 6. The object 
 was to identify the miraculous agen- 
 cy witli Christianity, and employ it 
 as an evidence of its divine au- 
 thority. — Make thy bed. The object 
 of that command was to give evi- 
 dence of the reality of the cure. He 
 was directed to make and spread his 
 bed, in which action he would show 
 that he had the natural possession 
 of his powers of body. By some, 
 the command is understood as signi- 
 fying that he should spread couches 
 or carpets for the reception of his 
 guests, agreeably to the Orientil 
 method of festive entertainments and 
 hospitality. 
 
 35. Lydda. See note on ver. 32. 
 — Sai-on. The HebreAv name of 
 which is Sharon. 1 Chron. xxvii. 29. 
 It was an extensive and fruitful 
 plain, extending from Mount Carmel 
 to the vicinity of Joppa. Several 
 towns and villages were situated in 
 this plain, and it was proverbial for 
 the fragrance of its flowers. Cant, 
 ii. 1. — Turned to the Lord, i. e. be- 
 came the disciples of Christ A 
 
148 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, 36 
 which by interpretation is called Dorcas; this woman was full 
 of good works and alms-deeds which she did. And it came to 37 
 pass in those days, that she was sick, and died : whom when 
 they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. And for- 38 
 asmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard 
 that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him 
 that he would not delay to come to them. Then Peter arose, 39 
 and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into 
 
 preferable rendering of the verse has 
 been given by Kenrick and others : 
 " And all that dwelt at Lydda and 
 Saron that had turned to the Lord saw 
 him " — a fact stated to indicate the 
 general acquaintance with the cure, 
 which is much more probable tlian 
 that the effect of tlie miracle Avas to 
 make converts of all these people. 
 
 36. Joppa. This was a noted city 
 of Judea, about 40 miles north-west 
 from Jerusalem, situated on the Med- 
 iterranean Sea. It might be termed 
 the port of the holy city. It is re- 
 peatedly spoken of in the Old Tes- 
 tament. Josh. xix. 46 ; 2 Chron. ii. J 6 ; 
 Ezra iii. 7 ; Jonah i. 3. Its modern 
 name is Yafa. It is still a consid- 
 erable town, consisting of about 
 7000 souls, according to Robin- 
 son, of Avhom nearly one half are 
 Christians, including Greeks, Greek 
 Catholics, Arminians, and a few Lat- 
 ins. It has been distinguished in 
 history as the theatre of numerous 
 sieges and battles, especially dur- 
 ing those tremendous wars, tlie cru- 
 sades. Here, also, Napoleon put to 
 death 2000 of his prisoners in cold 
 blood. — Tabitha — Dorcas. The 
 fonuer is Hebrew, the latter Greek, 
 signifying gazelle, or antelope, a 
 graceful animal, to which the Orien- 
 tal poets frequently liken beautiful 
 women. — Full of good ivorks and 
 alms-deeds. In these terms her char- 
 acter for benevolence to the poor 
 and others is described, and the in- 
 terest of her friends and neighbors 
 in her thus accounted for. 
 
 37. Whom, when they had washed, 
 h was customary in ancient times to 
 wash the body before burial, or other 
 method of disposing of it. " Among 
 the Greeks," says Burder, " this cus- 
 tom was very particularly observed. 
 There were vessels in some of their 
 ancient temples for this purpose : 
 these were called, in Latin, labra. 
 The Greeks used warm water on this 
 occasion ; the modern Jews warm 
 water with roses and camomile. It 
 was designed to prevent precipitate 
 intennent." — In an upper chamber. 
 Which would be in the more retired 
 part of tlie house. 
 
 38. Lydda was nigh, to Joppa. It 
 was situated about 12 miles east 
 from Joppa. See ver. 32. — Would 
 not delay to come to them. From 
 their anxiety tliat there should be 
 no delay, and from the short distance 
 between the t.Avo places being men- 
 tioned, it would seem that their ob- 
 ject in obtaining Peter's presence 
 was not, as has been sometimes al- 
 leged, consolation in their grief, but 
 a hope of miraculous interposition 
 and restoration to life. 
 
 39. Brought him into the upper 
 chamber. This also would intimate 
 the wish or expectation of a super- 
 natural resuscitation of their friend. 
 — JJll the widoivs stood by him weep- 
 ing, 8f'c. This is a scene of wonder- 
 ful naturalness and pathos. Our 
 blessings brighten as they depart 
 Our friends are dearer after they 
 are dead. The benevolence of tlie 
 good woman had touched and won 
 
IX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 149 
 
 the upper chamber : and all the widows stood by him weeping, 
 and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while 
 
 40 she was with them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled 
 down, and prayed; and turning him to the body, said, Tabitha, 
 arise. And she opened her eyes : and when she saw Peter, she 
 
 41 sat up. And he gave her his hand, and lift her up ; and when 
 he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 
 
 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa : and many believed in 
 
 43 the Lord. And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in 
 Joppa with one Simon a tanner. 
 
 all their hearts. Her friends and 
 neighbors, her objects of charity, 
 the widoAvs, take a melancholy satis- 
 faction in showing what she had done 
 wJiile living ; and have no other or 
 more expressive way of manifesting 
 tlieir grief to Peter than the homely 
 one of exhibiting the articles of 
 clothing which she had made, prob- 
 ably for the needy and suffering. 
 The narrative, though brief, thus lets 
 us, in the most life-like way, into the 
 secret of her character, even more 
 than if pages of common description 
 had beon employed. She was a 
 kind benefactress, clothing the poor, 
 and, in humble labors for the relief 
 of others, exhibiting the noblest prin- 
 ciples of religion. Who shall say 
 that, while a Paul was preaching the 
 gospel to all countries and all ages, 
 and a Peter was planting churches 
 of the true faith, and working deeds 
 of more than mortal power, this 
 good woman was not sending up to 
 Heaven, from a lowlier altar, an 
 equally acceptable incense of devo- 
 tion, while she was engaged in mak- 
 ing " coats and garments " for the for- 
 gotten poor of the humble village of 
 Lydda ? God accepts us not for the 
 results of our actions, — for they are 
 often frustrated, or may be insignifi- 
 cant, — but for the spirit in which 
 they are performed. — Coats and gar- 
 ments., i. e. articles of upper and 
 under clothing. 
 
 40. Pvi them all forth. 2 Kings 
 13* 
 
 iv. 33 ; Mat. ix. 25. As if to shun 
 publicity, and compose his mind in 
 more fervent and rapt devotion. — 
 Prayed. Thus imitating the Master 
 himself in his supplication of the 
 divine blessing, when about to do 
 his wonderful works. John xi. 41, 
 42. — ^rise. Mark v. 41, 42. 
 
 41. Lift. Lifted. She at first 
 merely sat up, but subsequently en- 
 tirely recovered her strength, so as 
 to arise from the couch on which 
 she had been laid out, preparatory 
 to burial. Luke vii. 15. — The saints 
 and widows, i. e. the members of the 
 Christian fraternity. 
 
 42. Mamj believed in the Lord. 
 This was the natural and intended 
 effect of the miracle, where allowed 
 to Avork its true end. It was to gain 
 new adherents to the gospel, and 
 win the confidence of men to its di- 
 vine authority and its cheerful ser- 
 vice. John xii. 11. 
 
 43. Tarried many days. He con 
 tinued to labor in a field whicv 
 yielded so rich a return. — fVith, i. i 
 in the house of. — One Simon a tai: 
 ner. Nothing except what is related 
 here, and in chap. x. 6, is knoAvn of 
 this humble individual. For some 
 reason, perhaps for his piety and 
 kindness, he was honored with the 
 apostle as a guest, though his occu- 
 
 Jation in life was regarded by the 
 ews, from its contact with the skins 
 of dead animals, whether clean or 
 unclean, as unholy and disreputable 
 
150 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The History of Cornelius, and his Baptism and Profession of Christianity. 
 
 J. HERE was a certain man in Cesarea, called Cornelius, a 
 
 In the conversion of Saul, and the 
 repose and prosperity of the Chris- 
 tian churches, we discern the finger 
 of God. And as he has, in all peri- 
 ods, from the days of Peter and Saul, 
 ■watched over and directed the Chris- 
 tian movement, as really as he did 
 the hosts of Israel with his cloud by 
 day, and his pillar of fire by night, 
 who shall be so skeptical as to doubt 
 that he will ever, in all the future, 
 as in all the past, guard and guide 
 the interests of his kingdom on 
 earth? To doubt the progress of 
 Christianity is the Avorst kind of in- 
 fidelity. It is to disbelieve God and 
 man, prophecy and history, hope and 
 memory. We may lament single 
 losses, as brave men are wept that 
 fall in a successful battle ; we may 
 fear that partial evil will gain a tem- 
 porary ascendency here or there; 
 that some church or nation will not 
 prove faithful to itself; but as to the 
 issue of the grand whole, not a shade 
 of darkness or distrust ought for a 
 moment to rest upon our minds. We 
 owe it to our blessed Master never 
 to doubt, that he shall have " the 
 heathen for his inheritance, and the 
 uttermost parts of the earth for his 
 possession." The advancement of 
 tlie gospel is the movement of Om- 
 nipotence ; its career, the march of 
 God. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A new epoch in the development 
 of Christianity commences at this 
 point. We turn over a new leaf of 
 the apostolic history. That great 
 mystery of the kingdom of heaven, 
 or the truth formerly liidden, that 
 the Gentiles were to be admitted, 
 upon equal terms Avith the Jews, to 
 the covenant of mercy, now opened 
 upon the astonished minds of the 
 
 apostles and disciples. They had 
 preached and labored hitherto among 
 the Jews and the JeAvish - proselytes. 
 They Avere now taught that God is 
 no respecter of persons, but looks 
 Avith a benevolent eye upon his 
 children of every name and nation, 
 Avhether JeAvs or Gentiles. The ri- 
 gidity of the prejudices of the apos- 
 tles could apparently be relaxed only 
 by a divine interposition. Hence 
 the special illumination of Peter, and 
 the descent of tlie Holy Spirit upon 
 the assembled friends of the uncir- 
 cumcised Cornelius. This Avas in 
 accordance Avith the commands of 
 Christ, which Avere too liberal to be 
 at once comprehended by those 
 bound up in die contracted notions 
 of the JeAvs, Avho regarded them- 
 selves as the peculiar favorites of 
 Heaven, and despised all other na- 
 tions as sinners and unclean. It Avas 
 proper, indeed, that tlie gospel should 
 be first introduced to them, as they 
 had been prepared by the Avorsliip 
 of the only true God for further dis- 
 closures of divine truth. Mark xvi. 
 15 ; Luke xxiv. 49 ; Acts i. 8. But 
 they Avere but the germ of that 
 mighty tree of life, Avhose leaves Avere 
 for the healing of the nations. "Sal- 
 vation Avas of the Jcavs," and from 
 them the leaven Avas to proceed to 
 leaven the Avorld. Though Christ 
 and his apostles encountered the 
 bitterest opposition of their country- 
 men, in propao-ating a spiritual and 
 universal religion ; yet, if Ave consid- 
 er tlie condition of the pagan na- 
 tions, Ave shall perceive that there 
 Avas no other soil but that of Judea, 
 sufficiently clear of the Aveeds and 
 tares of idolatry, and its thousand- 
 fold corruptions, to receive and ger- 
 minate the seed of divine truth. 
 
X.] 
 
 OF THE AP08TLES. 
 
 151 
 
 2 centurion of the band called the Italian hand^ a devout man^ 
 and one that feared God with all his house, which gave much 
 
 Besides, the universal dispersion of 
 the Jews into all countries had 
 spread, even wider than the bounda- 
 ries of strict proselytism, some of 
 those pure and sublime elements of 
 tiie primitive faith in one God, which 
 were necessary preliminaries to all 
 further advancement in a holy faith 
 or a righteous practice. The Jews 
 were, indeed, and ever have been, 
 unfaithful to their great calling, as 
 the moral enlighteners of mankind. 
 They have clung to the idols of sect 
 and of nation, and have not been 
 willing to merge themselves in the 
 wider good of the whole human fam- 
 ily. They have given " to party, 
 what was meant for mankind." They 
 would not submit to take that sec- 
 ondary place, as a single link in the 
 great chain of the divine plan, which 
 had been assigned them in the coun- 
 sels of Heaven. They were free 
 agents, and they abused their free- 
 dom. But their unfaithfulness should 
 not render us insensible to the value 
 of those earlier revelations by Mo- 
 sps and the prophets, without which 
 there could have been neither Mes- 
 siah nor apostles. The New Testa- 
 ment grew upon the Old, as fruit 
 upon its stem ; and Avithout tlie stem, 
 though seemingly in itself barren 
 and unsightly, there could no fruit 
 ripen to perfection. 
 
 1. Cesarea. See note on chap, 
 viii. 40. — Cornelius. This was a 
 Litin name, common among the Ro- 
 mans. — c^ centurion. A commander 
 of 100 men, a division of the Roman 
 armies. Mat. viii. 5. — The band 
 called the Italian hand. The last word 
 is evidently superfluous in our trans- 
 lation. This was what was techni- 
 cally called a cohort, of which there 
 were ten in every legion, varying 
 in number, under different circum- 
 stances, from 300 to 1000 or more. 
 
 Arrian speaks of the Italian band or 
 cohort, and there are many instances 
 in which legions are designated by 
 that epithet. But a legion is not 
 here spoken of at all. The troops 
 here mentioned are called " Italian," 
 in contradistinction to the provin- 
 cial soldiers, which composed most 
 of the Roman corps in Syria and 
 Palestine. As Cesarea was the resi- 
 dence of the Roman governor, chap, 
 xii. 19, it is probable that these 
 troops constituted his body-guard, 
 and garrisoned the city, and that 
 Cornelius, one of their officers, was 
 a native born Roman citizen. 
 
 3. Devout, &fc. The character of 
 Cornelius, as here described, was of 
 the most pure and exalted kind, 
 combining piety to God and right- 
 eousness and benevolence to man. 
 There is no evidence that he was a 
 proselyte in any degree to the Jew- 
 ish faith ; but, from his residence in 
 Judea, and the aspiration of his na- 
 ture afler a more satisfactory reli- 
 o-ion than idolatry afforded, he had 
 imbibed the great sentiments of all 
 true service to God. Notwithstand- 
 ing the unfavorable influences of his 
 nation and profession, he became 
 eminent in virtue, and fitted to re- 
 ceive, as he did with gladness, ten- 
 derer and purer disclosures of divine 
 mercy. If he had been merely a 
 Jewish proselyte, his case would not 
 have constituted that strong line of 
 demarkation Avhich was now, for the 
 first time, crossed, in the communi- 
 cation of the gospel to the Gentiles ; 
 for proselytes had before embraced 
 Christianity. The conversion of the 
 centurion is elsewhere represented 
 as a new feature in tlie development 
 and diffusion of Christianity. Ver. 
 15, 22, 34, 35, 45, chap. xi. 1, 18, 
 XV. 7. — With all his house. His 
 piety was not only personal, but do- 
 
15S 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 alms to the people, and prayed to God alway. He saw in a 3 
 vision evidently, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of 
 God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius. And 4 
 when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, 
 Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are 
 come up for a memorial before God. And now send men to 5 
 Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter : he 6 
 lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the seaside : 
 he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. And when the angel 7 
 which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his 
 household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on 
 
 mestic and social. He showed liis 
 sincerity and zeal by leading his 
 family also in the same path in which 
 he walked himself. — Gave much 
 alms to the people, i. e. was very 
 charitable to the Jews. Ver. 22. — 
 Prayed to God alway, i. e. he con- 
 formed to fixed habits of devotion, 
 similar, it is likely, to tliose of the 
 Jews, from whom he had caught the 
 leading spirit of his character. There 
 was a beautiful propriety in such a 
 man, the flower of the Gentile world, 
 becoming tlie first fruits of Chris- 
 tianity. Mat. xiii. 12. 
 
 3. SaiD in a vision cvidenlly, i. e. 
 manifestly, or while awake, as dis- 
 tinguished from a vision in a dream, 
 while asleep. A vision is a super- 
 natural appearance or sight pre- 
 sented to the mind, without the in- 
 tervention of the senses. — J\*inlh 
 hour. Or, 3 o'clock in the after- 
 noon, the hour of Jewish prayer and 
 the evening sacrifice. — *^'ln angel 
 of God. In the form of a man, in 
 bright clothing. Ver. 30. Here the 
 circumstances under which the vis- 
 ion took place are described. 
 
 4. What is it, Lord ? Or, sir. John 
 xii. 21. A respectful inquiry of the 
 occasion of the vision. — Thy prayers 
 and thine alms — a memorial before 
 God. In which the acceptableness 
 to the Divine Being of his piety and 
 benevolence is simply described in 
 
 a metaphor, taken from the ascension 
 to heaven of the smoke and the burn- 
 ing incense of the sacrifices. Cor- 
 nelius was faitliful to the light he 
 enjoyed ; his heart was engaged in 
 his duty ; and although he was still 
 unenlightened in many respects, yet 
 his service Avas acceptable to Him 
 who searches the heart. 
 
 " Unheard by all but angel ears, 
 
 'i lie ;;oocl Cornelius knelt alone ; 
 Nor (ir.-njDpd his prayers and tears 
 \Voiikl help a world undone." 
 
 5, G. Joppa. See note on chap. ix. 
 3G. — Simon, a tanner, whose liouse 
 is hy the seaside. See note on chap, 
 ix. 43. The occupation of a tanner 
 was in general regarded with con- 
 tempt by tlie ancients, but by the 
 Jews was considered unclean. The 
 situation of his house, outside of the 
 town, by the seaside, was probably 
 both for the convenience of water 
 necessary to his trade, and in obedi- 
 ence to public regulations, that this 
 business should not be carried on 
 within a city, nor at less than fifty 
 cubits from its walls, on account of 
 the disagreeable and unwholesome 
 effluvia arising from the various 
 processes of the art. — He shall tell 
 thee ivhal thou oughtest to do. This 
 clause is excluded from the text by 
 Griesbach and other critics, as desti- 
 tute of valid authority. 
 
 7, 8. ^ devout soldier. The ap- 
 
X.] 
 
 OF TirE APOSTLES. 
 
 isa 
 
 8 him continually ; and when he had declared all these things unto 
 
 9 them, he sent them to Joppa. On the morrow, as they went 
 
 on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up 
 
 10 upon the house-top to pray, about the sixth hour : and he be- 
 came very hungry, and would have eaten : but while they made 
 
 11 ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain 
 vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at 
 
 12 the four corners, and let down to the earth: wherein were all 
 manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and 
 
 parent paradox of these terms, when 
 placed side by side, is explained by 
 tlie fact that, although Avar is in it- 
 self essentially evil and wrong, and 
 all who participate in it must bear 
 a partnership in the guilt, yet in- 
 dividuals educated under different 
 maxims may engage in it with un- 
 enlightened consciences, and still re- 
 main faithful to most moral and reli- 
 gious obligations. The fruits of the 
 family religion of Cornelius, ver. 2, 
 appeared in those who lived witli 
 him, even among his servants. — 
 Joppa. Which was situated about 
 30 miles south of Cesarea. 
 
 9. Peter ivent up upon the house- 
 top to pray. As the houses were 
 built Avith flat roofs, which were 
 guarded by parapets, the place to 
 Avhich Peter resorted was one of 
 convenient retirement. The apostle 
 still observed the Jewish custom of 
 devotion, in which he had been edu- 
 cated. — Mout the sixth how, i. e. 
 noon. As the messengers probably 
 started from Cesarea the evening be- 
 fore, they Avould arrive at about that 
 hour from their journey of 30 miles. 
 
 10. He became very hungry, Sfc. 
 His condition gave " a juster sense 
 of Avhat Avas afterwards to befall 
 him." — While they made ready. It 
 was customary to have but tAvo 
 meals, one at about 10 or 11 o'clock 
 in the forenoon, and the other prin- 
 cipal one at G or 7 in the after- 
 noon. This was not, perhaps, a reg- 
 ular meal. — He fell into a trance. 
 
 Or, an ecstasy fell upon him. By 
 Avhich is meant that he became rapt 
 in spiritual meditation and divine 
 communion, until he lost all cogni- 
 zance of things external, when the 
 symbolical representation here de- 
 scribed appeared before him. Trance 
 and vision are often used to express 
 the same state. In the Avords of 
 Fanner, " A prophetic ecstasy, there- 
 fore, denotes not an alienation of 
 mind or loss of reason, nor any 
 transport of fear, wonder, or other 
 passion, but that state the mind is in 
 when it receives extraordinary di- 
 vine communications by vision." 
 
 11, 12. Saw heaven opened. Mat. 
 iii. 16 ; Acts vii. 56. This figurative 
 language is used as if heaven Avas a 
 solid sphere, capable of being literal- 
 ly parted. — Jl certain vessel. This 
 was a general term for any article 
 of furniture or implement of use. 
 The particular form which the vessel 
 most resembled Avas that of a sheet 
 fastened at the four corners, — sig- 
 nificant of the entrance of Christians 
 into the church from every quarter, — 
 and lowered to the eartli. It is not 
 said tliat he literally saw such an 
 object descending, but that the rep- 
 resentation which Avas seen by him 
 bore this appearance. — Jill manner 
 of four-footed beasts. By which is 
 to be understood that all kinds of 
 animals belonging to earth, air, and 
 water, clean and unclean, Avere pre- 
 sented together. No part of the ani- 
 mal kingdom was without its repre- 
 
154 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice 13 
 to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, 14 
 Lord ; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or un- 
 clean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, 15 
 What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was 16 
 done thrice : and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 
 
 Now, while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which 17 
 
 he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from 
 Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before 
 
 sentative. Such was the vision ad- 
 dressed, not to the senses, but to the 
 soul. The distinction between four- 
 footed beasts and wild beasts is that 
 between the artificial classes of do- 
 mestic and wild animals. 
 
 13, 14. Rise, Peter, kill and eat. 
 This command derived its seem- 
 ing appropriateness from the circum- 
 stance of his hunger. Ver. 10. — 
 JVever eaten any thing that is com- 
 mon or unclean. This was said witli 
 the feelings of a Jew, who had been 
 educated to discriminate between 
 clean and unclean animals. Lev. xi. ; 
 Deut xiv. He still showed his loy- 
 alty to the commands of Moses in 
 this respect 
 
 15. What God hath cleansed, that 
 call not thou common. We here 
 come to the practical point of appli- 
 cation. The vision was designed to 
 convey an important lesson — tlie 
 abrogation of the Mosaic ritual, and 
 the introduction of the Gentiles 
 into the Christian church. The lit- 
 eral sense, indeed, was that the dis- 
 tinction had ceased between clean 
 and unclean animals ; and that they 
 might be eaten indiscriminately with- 
 ouffear of pollution ; but the spiritual 
 import was, that the Jewish peculiar- 
 ity henceforth ceased ; that the Gen- 
 tiles were no more to be regarded as 
 common or unclean, or to be rejected 
 from the Christian brotherhood, as 
 unworthy of participation with Jew- 
 ish converts in the blessings of the 
 gospel. It waa to teach a lolly les- 
 
 son of superiority to religious bigot- 
 ry and national clanship ; that God 
 viewed all mankind with equal re- 
 gard ; that all were his children, and 
 brethren one of another. What les- 
 son can be more important and prac- 
 tical than this, in its bearing upon 
 political privileges, social classes, 
 and religious sects ! We are to call 
 no men, whatever be their color, 
 condition, avocation, or religious sect, 
 common or unclean, since all are 
 dear in the sight of the infinite Fa- 
 ther, and should be dear one to an- 
 other. What God hath cleansed, 
 that call not thou, or account not 
 thou, common. 
 
 16. This ivas done thrice. To de- 
 note the certainty and importance of 
 the truth symbolically conveyed, and 
 impress it more deeply upon the mind 
 of the apostle. Repetition expresses 
 earnestness, assurance. Gen. xli. 
 32 ; Mat. xxvi. 44 ; 2 Cor. xii. 8. — 
 The vessel was received up, ^c. No 
 particular moral is to be extracted 
 from every item in a parable, vision, 
 or description in the Bible. To at- 
 tempt it, is to torture the word of 
 God. Many lines are drawn by way 
 of propriety and embellislmient, and 
 to fill out tlie narrative, as here ; 
 tliough some have endeavored to 
 draw a profound truth from tliis 
 clause. 
 
 17. Doubted in himself, S^c. So 
 far from imagining this scene, or in- 
 dulging in a mere idle and pointless 
 reverie, tlie apostle's attention was 
 
X.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 155 
 
 18 the gate, and called, and asked whether Simon, which was sur- 
 
 19 named Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the 
 vision, the Spirit said unto him. Behold, three men seek thee. 
 
 20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting 
 
 21 nothing: for I have sent them. Then Peter went down to 
 
 the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said. 
 Behold, I am he whom ye seek : what is the cause wherefore 
 
 22 ye are come ? And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just 
 man, and one that feareth God, and of good report among all the 
 nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send 
 
 23 for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. Then called 
 
 he them in, and lodged tke7n. And on the morrow Peter 
 
 went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accom- 
 
 24 panied him. And the morrow after they entered into Cesarea. 
 And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kins- 
 
 powerfully arrested ; but he could not 
 determine ';vhat was the intention of 
 the vision. At this critical moment, 
 however, the needed explanation 
 came ; just that event occurred 
 wliich, in his prepared state of mind, 
 Ava3 adapted to enlighten Peter's 
 understanding with nspect to a new 
 and wonderful development of the 
 Christian plan. — Simoii's house, i. e. 
 Simon, the tanner. Ver. 6. — 7V?e 
 s:ate. Rather, the vestibule or door 
 of the house. 
 
 18-22. Called, i. e. to the porter 
 at the door. From the custom of 
 tlius calling out, or speaking to the 
 per -on in attendance, the verb to call 
 upon has acquired a veiy common 
 and secondary sense of goins; to see, 
 waiting upon, visiting. — 7Vie Spirit 
 said unto him. By which is meant 
 that a special intimation is given 
 him by that divine Spirit under which 
 he constantly acted. - Three men. 
 Ver. 7. — Doubting nothing. Or, 
 making no scruples, though called to 
 associate with Gentiles, with whom 
 the Jews esteemed it pollution to 
 eat, and to be united familiarly. — 
 Which ivere sent unto him from Cor- 
 nelius. Cancelled from tfie t.':xt by 
 
 most critics, as spurious. — BeJwld, 
 I am he, 8^c. Peter promptly yields 
 to the call of duty, though the sum- 
 mons Avas so contraiy to all his Jew- 
 ish habits and prejudices. — A just 
 man, ^c. The charact^^r of Corne- 
 lius, as given by his own servant?, 
 refl'ct'd honor botli on him who 
 possessed, and them who could ap- 
 preciate, such traits of moral beauty 
 and excellence. — To hear words of 
 thee. The indefiniteness of this ex- 
 pression well corresponds to the in- 
 distinctness of their own conceptions 
 of the nature of Peter's message. 
 
 23, 24. Lodged them. The mes- 
 sengers had just arrived from a con- 
 siderable journey, and the day was 
 too far advanced to commence their 
 return. Ver. 9. — Certain brethren 
 from Joppa. The precise number, 
 as mentioned in chap. xi. 12, was 
 six. This was a new era in the 
 Christian history, and it was impor- 
 tant there should be some brethren 
 present as witnesses of what was 
 then done. As suggested by Priest- 
 Icy, since Peter first preached the 
 gospel to tlie Jews, chap. ii. 14, and 
 was here authorized fost to intro- 
 duce it to the Gentiles, there was 
 
156 
 
 men and near friends. 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 - And as Peter was coming in, Corne- 25 
 lius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped him. But 26 
 Peter took him up, saying, Stand up : I myself also am a man. 
 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that 27 
 were come together. And he said unto them, Ye know how 28 
 that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep com- 
 pany, or come unto one of another nation ; but God hath showed 
 
 thus fulfilled whatever of preemi- 
 nence was assigned him by the 
 promise of our Lord, Mat xvi. 18, 
 tliough the main sense of tlie promise 
 was true of all the apostles. Mat. 
 xviii. 18 ; John xx. 23. — The. moirow 
 after. Which was the fourth day 
 from the vision of Cornelius. Ver. 
 3, comp. ver. 8, 9, 23. — His kinsmen 
 and near friends. Cornelius was not 
 content witli limiting his spiritual 
 privileges and enjoyments to his own 
 personal gratification, but he freely 
 imparts them to his family, fellow- 
 soldiers, and friends. He who has 
 drank in any measure of the pure 
 spirit of religion will desire that 
 others also should quaff at the same 
 fountain of life. The worst kind of 
 selfishness is selfishness in religious 
 privileges. 
 
 25-27. Worshipped him, i. e. paid 
 him homage or obeisance, as v/as 
 usual to kings and other persons of 
 distinction in the East. As a wor- 
 shipper of the true God, Cornelius 
 would not, of course, have paid re- 
 ligious homage to any man, however 
 great or holy. The high respect 
 which Cornelius felt for the one dc- 
 vinely sent as his teacher, prompted 
 this act to Peter, though but a stran- 
 ger. Thus the worship which was 
 paid our Saviour was that of civil 
 obeisance, not of religious homage. 
 Mat. viii. 2 ; Mark v. G ; Luke xxiv. 
 ■ 52 ; John ix. 38. — Stand up ; I myself 
 also am a man. Cornelius had pros- 
 trated himself before Peter. It was 
 not because the act was religious 
 adoration, but because it was a to- 
 
 ken of too profound respect for him 
 to receive, as implying too great a 
 disparity between them, as servants 
 of the same God. The sensitiveness 
 with which the apostles shrank from 
 the honors offered them, whether 
 civil or religious, chap. xiv. 14, 15, 
 testifies how far they were from mak- 
 ing the honors of this world the aim 
 of their labors. Well would it have 
 been, if the pretended successors of 
 Peter had likewise shunned, with 
 equal impatience, those acts of adu- 
 lation and tokens of servile homage 
 which have been so abundantly paid 
 them by blind adherents ; and had 
 said, like Peter to the pious Corne- 
 lius, " Stand up ; Ave ourselves also 
 are men." — ^s he talked idth hirn, he 
 ivent in. It would appear that Cor- 
 nelius, under the impulse of his joy 
 and respect, had gone out to greet 
 the apostle as he approached, and 
 that, having met him, they returned 
 together into the house. 
 
 28. Unlmofid. Moses had, indeed, 
 forbidden alliances by marriage or 
 otherwise betAveen the Israelites and 
 foreign idolatrous nations, in order 
 to preserve the purity of tlie true re- 
 ligion. Lev. xviii. 24 - 30 ; Deut. vii. 
 3-12. But there was no provision 
 in his law to forbid the interchange 
 of proper civilities and offices of 
 kindness and hospitality. Thoso 
 more rigid prohibitions Avere the off"- 
 spring of scribes and Pharisees, and 
 indicated rather tlie period of cor- 
 ruption than of purity in the national 
 faith. They Avere glosses put upon 
 the text of the law, and betokened a 
 
X.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 157 
 
 29 me that I should not call any man common or unclean. There- 
 fore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent 
 
 30 for : I ask therefore for what intent ye have sent for me 1 And 
 Cornelius said, Four days ago I was fasting until this hour ; and 
 at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man 
 
 31 stood before me in bright clothing, and said, Cornelius, thy 
 prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance in the 
 
 32 sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, 
 whose surname is Peter ; he is lodged in the house of one Simon 
 a tanner, by the seaside : who, when he cometh, shall speak unto 
 
 33 thee. Immediately therefore I sent to thee ; and thou hast well 
 done that thou art come. Now therefore are we all here present 
 before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 
 
 narrow spirit of clanship, inconsist- 
 ent in a nation chosen by God to be 
 the depositary of a pure r ligion tor 
 the eventual good of all mankind. — 
 To keep company^ ^c. Liglitfoot re- 
 marks, that by tliese words it is not 
 to be understood as if Jews miglit 
 have no dealings at all with Gentiles ; 
 for they might walk, and talk, and 
 traffic with them, as they could hardly 
 help doing, living in heathen cities, 
 and coming into contact with the 
 Gentiles continually in trade at Je- 
 • rusalem. Neh. xiii. 16. But the un- 
 lawfulness of their intercourse with 
 the Gentiles consisted in a nearer 
 and more intimate society, and es- 
 pecially in these two thinirs, "eat- 
 ino" with them, and going into their 
 houses." Chap. xi. 3. It was on 
 account of these habits, that Tacitus 
 speaks of the " hostile spirit " of the 
 Jews towards all other nations, and 
 Paul, 1 Thess. ii. 15, that thoy are 
 " contrary to all men." — Another 
 nation, i. e. any besides the Jews. — 
 God hath showed me, S,'c. It was the 
 express revelation of God. The 
 vision wliich had been granted, vcr. 
 13 - 15, had taught him that the Mo- 
 saic distinction between clean and 
 unclean animals was abolished; and 
 thence the great inference was drawn 
 vor,. in. 14 
 
 tliat national distinctions were also 
 prostrated, and that the Messiah's 
 kingdom was equally accessible to 
 Jews and to Gentiles. 
 
 21 >, 30. Without gainsaying. Tliis 
 is the primary meaning of the origi- 
 nal, but tlie secondary sense is pref- 
 erable — without delay, promptly. — 
 / ask therefore for ivhat intent. Or, 
 cause or reason. The apostle had 
 already been partially informed, ver. 
 2:2, but would receive a more explicit 
 declaration from Cornelius himself, 
 in the presence of his friends. — 
 Four days ago. The vision occurred 
 on tlie first day ; the messengers ar- 
 rived on the second, at Joppa, ver. 
 9, 17 ; on the third, in company with 
 Peter and his brethren, ver. 2^3, com- 
 menced their return to Cesarea ; and 
 on the fourth arrived at the house of 
 the centurion. — / was fasting until 
 this hour, i. e. tlie same hour of the 
 day as when he was conversing with 
 Peter. Though not a proselyte, Cor- 
 nelius apparently confonned to many 
 customs of the JeAvs. — The ninth 
 hour, i. e. three o'clock in the after- 
 noon. Ver. 3. — In bright clothing. 
 Rather, in white clothing. Rev. xv. 
 G ; Mat. xxviii. 3. 
 
 31 - 33. See notes on ver. 4 - G, 
 
158 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I per- 34 
 
 ceive that God is no respecter of persons : but in every nation, 33 
 
 34. Of a truth I perceive. Ex- 
 pressing the earnestness of the con- 
 viction which now sprang up in his 
 mind. — God is no respecter of per- 
 sons. Mat. xxii. 16. This is an as- 
 sertion of the divine impartiality and 
 equity. The Creator favors none on 
 account of birth, nation, wealth, rank, 
 or power, nor does he neglect any 
 because they are destitute of these 
 external distinctions. Tiie bearing 
 of this declaration is apparent. The 
 grand truth had now flashed upon 
 the mind of Peter, that Jews and 
 Gentiles were equally the objects of 
 the benevolent regard of God. His 
 mind burst the cerements of old pre- 
 judices, and dilated into tlie liberty 
 of Christ, the world's Messiah. The 
 case of Corni^lius had taught him 
 that the grounds of acceptance with 
 God were not national or external, 
 but moral, grounds. The Roman 
 centurion had been taken, and the 
 JeAvish Rabbin left. The mysteries 
 of God had been hidden from the 
 wise and prudent, and revealed unto 
 babes. The weak things of the 
 world had been chosen, to confound 
 the things which are mighty. The 
 first had been last, and the last first. 
 In this seeming confusion, the im- 
 pulsive soul of Peter, guided by thi> 
 spirit of heaven, aliglited upon tlie 
 true principle, which he fearlessly 
 ntters. But it would be an illegiti- 
 mate inference from his Avords, tliat 
 God is no respecter of persons, as it re- 
 gards their characters and lives ; that 
 he treats the good and the bad alike ; 
 that his providence is promiscuous, 
 his government undistinguishing, his 
 favor and his frown equally capri- 
 cious; for the words of Peter relate, 
 not to the internal, but the extern 1, 
 condition. The instance of Corne- 
 lius himself testified that He had re- 
 spect to integrity and sanctity, vcr. 
 
 4, 22, 31 ; and in the next verse the 
 apostle proceeds to limit and explain 
 his first announcement, by declaring, 
 in the clearest manner, what was the 
 grand principle of acceptance or re- 
 jection with the impartial Deity. 
 
 35. In every nation. Whether Jew 
 or Gentile, bond or free, — He that 
 feareth him, and worketh righteous- 
 ness. Or, does right As Peter had 
 virtually declared, in the preceding 
 verse, " God was no respecter of per- 
 sons," that he would as readily re- 
 ceive to his favor a Cornelius as a 
 Gamaliel, a soldier of Rome as a 
 Rabbin of Jerusalem, the question 
 Avould naturally arise, Upon what 
 ground ums acceptance based ? how 
 should his justice and truth be vin- 
 dicated ? The essential criterion vras 
 here laid doAvn. God would accept 
 those, and only those, in any nation, 
 Avho revered him and worked right- 
 eousness. The tAvo leading branches 
 of human duty, as here indicated, 
 are Avhat is due to heaven and Avhat 
 to earth, Avhat to God and what to 
 man, — reverence and righteousness, 
 piety and benevolence. It is an- • 
 nounced, with noonday distinctness, 
 that, upon these premises, God is a 
 respecter of persons ; that he Avill ac- 
 cept the heaven-fearing and Avell-do- 
 ing man, and that he will reject the 
 impious and unrighteous. Thus is 
 the moral character of God, as a 
 righteous Governor of the universe, 
 vindicated against every aspersion, 
 and a system described under which 
 every intelligent and m.oral being 
 must rejoice to live. This declara- 
 tion sheds a world of light over all 
 the dealings of God Avith mankind 
 throughout succes.^ive ages. He has 
 poured out his Spirit upon certain 
 individuals, at various periods, not 
 because they Avere his special favor- 
 ites, but because they Avere selected 
 
X.] OF THE APOSTLES. 159 
 
 he that feareth him and worketh righteousness, is accepted with 
 
 as his agents for the good of the rest of 
 mankind. The Jews were his chosen 
 people, not simply for tlieir own sakes, 
 — for they*were ever a stiff-necked 
 and rebellious people, — but for the 
 s:ike of a corrupt and idolatrous worlds 
 The Christian nations, also, have been 
 blessed with the gospel, not that they 
 might pride themselves on their su- 
 perior privileges, and despise others ; 
 but that they might be light-bearers 
 to a world lying in darkness and the 
 shadow of death. In the mean time, 
 individuals all over the world, through 
 all time and into all eternity, are 
 treated according to their moral de- 
 serts, — good to the good, and evil to 
 the evil. The black and the white, 
 the Jew and the Gentile, the Chris- 
 tian and the heathen, are judged ac- 
 cording to the deeds done in the llesh, 
 whether good or bad. In making up 
 the account, as a hundred passages 
 of Scripture declare, allowance is 
 made for the talents, condition, and 
 privileges, of each soul, and the bal- 
 ance is struck to the side of mercy. 
 
 This interpretation sheds a gleam 
 of light over the condition of the 
 heathen, and justifies the ways of 
 God to man. If they have no clear- 
 er law, they are a law unto them- 
 selves, and by that they will be 
 judged. So far as they are faitliful 
 to the light of conscience, and heed 
 its divine sanctions, they must and 
 will taste its sweet and immortal ap- 
 proval. And this view does not di- 
 minish one iota the need of tlie gos- 
 pel to mankind, or make the cross of 
 Christ of none effect But, on the con- 
 trary, it enlarges, dignifies, heightens, 
 immeasurably, its necessity, value, 
 and glory. Christianity is an instru- 
 ment of regeneration, of improvement, 
 of salvation. The few cases of partial 
 fidelity to duty and to God among 
 the heathen — a Cornelius in one age, 
 a Socrates in another — are perfected 
 
 and multiplied by its power to myr- 
 iads and millions. It comes to prop- 
 agate spiritual light and life through 
 degraded masses of humanity, and 
 to enable multitudes to recognize a 
 higher moral law, and yield it more 
 consistent obedience than they paid 
 to the beggarly elements of super- 
 stition and custom. The sublime 
 principles of the moral government 
 of God remain the same under all 
 dispensations, yesterday, to-day, and 
 forever. And the single benevolent 
 and essential end for which Moses 
 and the prophets opened, and Jesus 
 and the apostles closed and sealed, 
 the covenant of mercy, was to en- 
 lighten mankind as to these princi- 
 ples, reconcile their hearts to them, 
 and through them to the Father ; and 
 move them by all hopes and fears, 
 once by the thunders of Sinai, and 
 ever by the blood of Calvary, to flee 
 from all sin, and to seek the refuge 
 of God, and his loving-kindness, 
 which is better than life. 
 
 As remarked, however, by Rosen- 
 muller, Peter does not assert an m- 
 difftrence of religions, but of nations. 
 That religion, of course, must be in- 
 finitely preferable, in comparison with 
 others, which leads men with the high- 
 est and strongest influences to " fear 
 God, and work righteousness ; " and 
 though Cornelius had done well as a 
 Gentile, with an infusion of Judaism, 
 he would do far better as a Chris- 
 tian ; for, though he had become a 
 man of prayer and consistent good- 
 ness, he yet needed the blessed mo- 
 tives and nurture of the gospel to 
 complete the work which had been 
 so well begun. The text is not, 
 therefore, to be construed as dimin- 
 ishing the necessity of the cross of 
 Christ, and the message of glad ti- 
 dings, since but few would ever ad- 
 vance, Avithout the gospel, even as 
 far as the centurion. The great por- 
 
160 
 
 Til J-: ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 him. The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, 36 
 preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all :) that word, 37 
 / 5«y, ye know, which was published throughout all Judea, and 
 
 tion of mankind would remain forev- 
 er in brutal sin ; while Cornelius, too, 
 and such as he, required further illu- 
 mination, impulse, and sanctification, 
 before they could be meet for the 
 heavenly kingdom, or attain to the 
 highest excellence of which they 
 were made capable. So that it may 
 be well said that " there is no other 
 name under heaven given among 
 men whereby we must be saved," 
 except that of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 36. The. wordy i. e. the revelation, 
 the gospel ; one of the leading prin- 
 ciples of which was that just de- 
 clared, that Jews and Gentiles alike 
 come under the merciful regards of 
 the impartial Father of all. — Sent 
 unto tlie children of Israel. Themes- 
 sage of good news and of great joy 
 had been first proclaimed to the Jews, 
 both by the Messiah and his follow- 
 ers. The worshippers of the one 
 true God were entitled to the first 
 opportunity. Their elementary dis- 
 cipline had prepared the way for the 
 reception of higher truths, and " the 
 touching of the soul to finer issues." 
 Mat. X. 5, 6 ; Luke xxiv. 47 ; Acts xiii. 
 46. — Preaching peace, &fc. Here, 
 also, appears the great idea indicat- 
 ed above. Peace between the Jews 
 and Gentiles was now proclaimed. 
 The walls of division and of bitter 
 alienation were throAvn down, and all 
 were brought into one body by Je- 
 sus. They were mutually recon- 
 ciled to one another, and jointly 
 reconciled to God. The gospel is 
 eminently a religion of peace. It 
 breathes peace and love as its very 
 element; it dies in the atmospliere 
 of violence and war. It enjoins and 
 diffuses peace in the soul, in families, 
 in society, in nations, through the 
 world. It came to uproot not only 
 tlie Jewish exclusiveness, but to unite 
 
 the tribes and races of men in a lov- 
 ing brotherhood ; to melt away the 
 icy repugnances of clanship, and par- 
 ty, and nationality, and to teach men 
 how to love their country not less, 
 but their race more ; so that the 
 Christian should adopt the golden 
 motto, " My country is the world, 
 and my countrymen all mankind." — 
 He is Lord of all. This clause is 
 parenthetical — thrown in, as numer- 
 ous Trinitarian writers concede, not 
 to declare tlie Deity of Jesus Christ, 
 but to express still further the reign- 
 ing thought of the whole passage — 
 that the Messiah was not the Mes- 
 siah of the Jews merely, but also of 
 the Gentiles ; was appointed the spir- 
 itual Lord of the world by the pow- 
 er delegated from the Father. Thus 
 Pyle has said, " This was the true 
 Messiah, the Saviour of all mankind. 
 Gentiles as well as Jews, constituted 
 by God the Father to be the Gov- 
 ernor and Judge of all the world." 
 
 37. That word. Rather, that thing, 
 matter, affair; for the original is 
 different from tlie term in ver. 36, 
 rendered in the same way ; the one 
 meaning the doctrine, as coming 
 from God, the other as taking a con- 
 crete form, as a religious movement, 
 and manifested in the life, preach- 
 ing, and death of Jesus Christ. Ver. 
 38. — Ye know. This verb governs, 
 as its object, ivord in this verse, 
 ivord in ver. 36, and Jesus in ver. 38, 
 which all appear to be put in appo- 
 sition with one another. The apos- 
 tle here appeals to the general 
 knowledge of his hearers respecting 
 the gospel ; for, besides the common 
 report, which would reach this popu- 
 lous city, of the miracles and doc- 
 trines of Christ, Philip, the evangel- 
 ist, had, in all probability, preached 
 the new religion in this place of hi3 
 
X.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 161 
 
 58 began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached ; how 
 God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with 
 power : who went about doing good, and healing all that were 
 
 own abode. Chap. viii. 40. — Pub- 
 lished throughout all Judea. By the 
 successive ministries of the twelve, 
 and the seventy, Luke ix. 10, as well 
 as by his own travels, Jesus had 
 diffused a general knowledge of his 
 revelation throughout Palestine. — 
 Betrnn from Galilee. This clause 
 would, in a strict succession of 
 thought, more properly come before 
 tiie last, thus, " The word began from 
 Galileo, and was published through- 
 out all Judea." Though Jesus was 
 a native of Bethlehem in Judea, yet 
 Nazareth and Capernaum were the 
 respective residences of his child- 
 hood and manhood, and his first 
 miracle was at Cana. His apostles 
 and disciples at first were principally 
 Galileans ; so that it mij^ht be truly 
 said that to obscure and despised 
 Galilee the world owes Christianity, 
 so tar as its earthly origin is con- 
 sidered. — After the baptism which 
 John preached. Peter fails not to 
 mention this important preliminary 
 step to the introduction of the gos- 
 pel, the preaching of reformation by 
 John, and his baptism of repentance. 
 Mat. iii. 
 
 38. How God anointed, ^-c. The 
 more strictly grammatical rendering 
 of this clause in connexion with 
 t!ie two preceding vers -s, according 
 to Scholefield, would be as follows : 
 "The word which he sent to the 
 children of Israel, preaching peace 
 by Jesus Christ, (he is the Lord of 
 all,) ye know ; even the matter which 
 took place throughout all Judea, 
 beofinning from Galilee, after the 
 baptism which John preached, con- 
 cerning Jesus of Nazareth, how God 
 anointed him," &c. In figurative 
 language, taken from the Jewish 
 custom of anointing their kings, 
 priests, and prophets, Jesus is repre- 
 14* 
 
 sented as being anointed, i. e. set 
 apart, invested with his holy office, 
 endued with power from on high. — 
 PFith the Holy Ghost and with power. 
 Or, to drop the circumlocution, with 
 the powerful influence of the Holy 
 Spirit, by which he was enabled to 
 work miracles, to 
 
 " Attest his hnavon-derived claim, 
 And glorify his Father's name." 
 
 — IVhx) went about doing good. No 
 words could express in a more sim- 
 ple and beautiful maimer tlie un- 
 wearied benevolence of our Master. 
 The traveller has visited various 
 countries in the pursuit of knowl- 
 edge, and the extension of his fame. 
 The conqueror has traversed conti- 
 nents, but left a trail of blood be- 
 hind him. The adventurous mer- 
 chant penetrates the most distant 
 regions of the earth in quest of gold. 
 The religious bigot compasses sea 
 and land to make one proselyte to 
 his own dark creed. But none, ex- 
 cept a divine invention, could devise 
 so original a character as tliis, of 
 him who went about doing good; 
 who used his great powers only to ac- 
 complish benevolent ends, by curing 
 the sick, comforting the afflicted, and 
 recovering the sinner. He was thus 
 the image of the Father's love, as 
 well as the bearer of the Father's 
 power. He did good, tlierefore, by 
 being first himself good, by the pure 
 effulgence of his OAvn benignant 
 spirit, and by acting under a lively 
 s mse of his responsibleness to God 
 for his power. He was ever ready to 
 forget and sacrifice himself for the 
 good of others, and the salvation of 
 men. He sought, also, chiefly to do 
 good to men spiritually, and to re- 
 deem their immortal souls from cor- 
 ruption. In all which we ought to 
 
im 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 oppressed of the devil ; for God was vvitli him. And we are 39 
 witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the 
 Jews, and in Jerusalem ; whom they slew and hanged on a tree : 
 him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly ; 40 
 not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, 41 
 even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from 
 
 imitate our great exemplar, and, like 
 him, in our several spheres, " go 
 about doing good." — Healing all 
 that were oppressed of the devil. 
 Fanner remarks, that "though one 
 author refers this passage to Christ's 
 recovering men from the poAver of 
 the devil, to obedience to God, it is 
 nevertheless evident that St. Peter 
 is here showing that Christ's divine 
 commission Avas demonstrated by his 
 miracles" The point is, that the 
 Jews were accustomed to regard all 
 the diseased as oppressed by an evil 
 spirit, Luke xiii. 11, 1C> ; but those 
 possessed by demons, or demoniacs, 
 i. e. insane, lunatic, and epileptic 
 persons, were supposed, in particular, 
 to be tormented by the spirits of 
 M'icked men deceased. To quote 
 the writer above, "The apostle seems 
 here to refer to Christ's cure of the 
 diseased in general, Avithout taking 
 into consideration the particular 
 case of the demoniacs ; who in the 
 Gospels are distinguislied from the 
 blind, the lame, the paralytic, and 
 those afflicted Avith other maladies ; 
 concerning Avhom we never read 
 that demons entered, or Avere ex- 
 pelled, from them." Mat. iv. 23. — 
 For God ivas ivith liim, i. e. in a mi- 
 raculous manner, assisting him to 
 perform his wonderful and beneficent 
 Avorks. John iii. 2, 34, xvi. 32. No 
 trutJi is reiterated more frequently 
 in the NeAv Testament than the 
 dependence of Christ upon the Fa- 
 ther ; that he was sanctified and sent, 
 raised up, commissioned, empoAvered, 
 by one greater than himself; and it 
 is a wholly unauthorized evasion 
 and subterfuge, from the pressure of 
 
 this oft-repeated fact, to resort to 
 the theory of the double nature, the 
 tAvofold being, of Christ 
 
 39, 40. IVe are witnesses of all 
 thinors. To bear testimony to the 
 truth of Christ's history Avas a lead- 
 ing branch of the apostolic office. 
 Luke xxiv. 48 ; John xiv. 26 ; Acts 
 i. 22, V. 32. — Who7n they slew and 
 hanged on a tree. Or, better, " Avhom 
 they slcAv by suspending on a tree," 
 i. e. cross. Chap. v. 30. — Htm God 
 raised up. In every instance, God 
 is referred to as the cause of Christ's 
 resun-ection. Chap. v. 31. — Showed 
 him openly. His appearance Avas so 
 manifest as to preclude the possibility 
 of mistake. 
 
 41. JVot to all the people, but unto 
 witnesses. Here is a smgular con- 
 cession that Christ did not appear, 
 except to his friends. At first this 
 might seem to impugn the validity 
 of the evidence of his resurrection, 
 but further consideration Avill lead 
 to a different conclusion ; for it 
 Avas necessary that those should see 
 him, after his resurrection, who had 
 been familiar Avith him during his 
 life ; else they might not identify 
 him. A miscellaneous multitude 
 could not, of course, have made any 
 record, or had an opportunity of 
 giving any trustA^'orthy testimony of 
 this important fact Besides, as to 
 any moral end being subserved by 
 his reappearance, those Avho had not 
 been convinced by his other miracles 
 and teachings, Avould not have been 
 persuaded, though he rose from the 
 dead and appeared to them. The 
 number of Avitnesses was sufficient 
 for the purpose, and at one time was 
 
OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 163 
 
 42 the dead. And he commanded us to preach unto the people, 
 and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to he the 
 
 43 Judge of quick and dead. To him give all the prophets witness, 
 that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive 
 
 41 remission of sins. While Peter yet spake these words, the 
 
 considerable. 1 Cor. xv. 6. It was 
 proper, also, that those should bear 
 witness to this wonderful fact w^ho 
 would make use of it for the great 
 end for which it was wrought, and 
 would die, if need be, for the truth 
 of what they testified. The fairness 
 of the apostle in stating that Jesus 
 appeared only to his disciples, car- 
 ries with it great weight, and over- 
 balances any supposed weakness in 
 the evidence. — Chosen before of God, 
 The apostles had been divinely se- 
 lected for the work. — fVho did eat 
 and drink, ^c. Luke xxiv. 42, 43 ; 
 John xxi. 12, 13. These circum- 
 stances are mentioned by Peter as 
 striking corroborations of the resur- 
 rection of Jesus, to assure them, be- 
 yond all doubt, of the reality of the 
 miracle. 
 
 42. He commamled us. See Mat. 
 xxviii. 19, 20 ; Luke xxiv. 47 ; Acts 
 i. 8. — ■ T/ie Judge of quick and dead. 
 See chap. xvii. 31 ; 2 Tim. iv. 8 ; 
 Heb. xii, 23. One of the prominent 
 objects of Christianity was to reveal 
 a future state of righteous retribution, 
 in which men will be judged accord- 
 ing to the deeds done in the flesh, 
 whether good or bad. The apostle 
 here announces that Jesus Avas to be 
 the Judge of the quick and the dead, 
 or the living and the dead, i. e. of all 
 men. From the facts that, in some 
 instances, God is represented as the 
 Judg-e, Eccl. iii. 17 ; Rom. ii. 16, iii. 6 ; 
 in others C/imf,Johnv.22, 27; 2 Tim. 
 iv. 1 ; in others the Word, John xii. 48 ; 
 in yet others, the twelve apostles, Mat. 
 xix. 28 ; and also the saints, 1 Cor. vi. 
 2, 3 ; — the most rational inference is, 
 that men will be judged according 
 to the eternal principles of righteous- 
 
 ness. But the particular administra- 
 tion is left in darkness, since the 
 declarations of Scripture, if literally 
 interpreted, would often conflict with 
 each other. Jesus will be the Judge 
 of mankind, both here and hereafter, 
 so far as their condition is determined 
 by the laws of his religion. The 
 expression used in the text some- 
 what corresponds, therefore, to that 
 in ver. 26, " He is Lord of all." 
 
 4^3. To kirn give all the prophets, &fc. 
 The word all is not to be pressed too 
 far, but that Jesus was tlie object of 
 prophecy is put beyond question by 
 his own declaration, as well as by 
 that of his apostles. Luke xxiv. 27, 
 44-46; Acts iii. 18, xiii. 27. It is 
 cust imary for the commentators to 
 refer to such passages as Is. xxviii. 
 16, liii. ; Zech. xiii. 1 ; but the appli- 
 cation is not always apparent. — 
 Whosoever believeth. in him, ^c. The 
 promise of remission of sins is here ' 
 given to him that believeth in Christ ; 
 because a true faith in him, by its 
 very nature, leads to repentance, 
 amendment of life, and good works. 
 Those who believed in Christ, even 
 from among the Gentiles, were also 
 cleansed from that state of ceremo- 
 nial uncleanness in which they were 
 involved, and admitted to tlie con- 
 dition of saints, or holy men, so far 
 as their external condition was con- 
 cerned. A new and living way was 
 opened to the favor of God, without 
 entering by the circuitous passage 
 of the Mosaic ritual. Belief, faith, a 
 moral sentiment and principle, not 
 an external ritual, were to be here- 
 after the criterion of character, and 
 the gi-ound of acceptance. 
 
 44. The Holy GJwst fell The 
 
151 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they 45 
 of the circumcision which believed, were astonished, as many as 
 came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured 
 out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with W3 
 tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, Can any man 47 
 forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have re- 
 ceived the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded -'8 
 them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed 
 they him to tarry certain days. 
 
 Jewish doctors taught that " the Ho- 
 ly Spirit would neither dwell upon 
 any heathen, nor upon any Jew in a 
 heathen country." Hence the de- 
 scent of the Holy Spirit upon this 
 company of Gentiles, and the extra- 
 ordinary gift of tongues bestowed 
 upon them, ver. 46, would be regard- 
 ed as testimony from heaven, that 
 Gentiles as well as Jews might enter 
 tlie new church of the Messiah, not- 
 withstanding their supposed ceremo- 
 nial unfitness. No miracle would 
 convince the Jews more readily than 
 this, that no national bar guarded 
 the entrance to Christ's kingdom ; 
 but that in him all nations should 
 find the liberty of a spiritual service, 
 and privileges only restricted, or ob- 
 structed in their use or enjoyment, 
 by the moral state of those who 
 sought them. 
 
 45, 46. They of the circumcision., 
 i. e. the companions of Peter from 
 Joppa. In the astonishment which 
 they exhibited, we detect the pre- 
 vious state of their minds, and the 
 narrow prejudices of Jewish exclu- 
 siveness. Probably the best illus- 
 tration of the strength of those 
 prejudices would be found, at the 
 present day, in the rooted antipathy 
 of the whites to the blacks. The 
 Jews deemed other nations but as 
 dogs and sinners ; and to admit them 
 to an equality with themselves in 
 religious privileges was a monstrous 
 desecration, a horrid sacrilege, in 
 their judgment —Sj)eak withtongues. 
 
 See notes on chap. ii. 4-8. The 
 fact that they were empowered to 
 speak in different tongues was well 
 calculated to prove, in the most 
 convincing manner, the reality of 
 the spiritual influence. — Answered. 
 More correctly, " said ;" or, " spoke." 
 
 47. Can any man forbid water ? By 
 wliich it' would seem that the water 
 was t(» be brought to tliem, and not 
 they to the water ; and hence might 
 be inferred the smallness of the 
 quantity to be used, and the proba- 
 bility of tlie mode employed as being 
 that of sprinkling, or affusion. The 
 question implies the possibility of a 
 doubt in the minds of some of the 
 spectators, as to tlie propriety of their 
 receiving Christian baptism. It is 
 evident that something more than 
 the baptism of the Spirit was required 
 for the Christian profession ; since 
 these Gentiles had already received 
 spiritual gifts, and yet w^ere baptized 
 with water, as an important addition- 
 al ceremony. The communication 
 of the Spirit and the gift of tongues 
 convinced the Jews present of the 
 propriety of baptizing even Gentiles, 
 which may serve to explain the re- 
 versed order of proceedings, com- 
 pared with that in chap. ii. 38, viii. 
 15-17, where the Spirit was impart- 
 ed after baptism. 
 
 48. Commanded them to be bap- 
 tized, ^T. Though execution of the 
 command is not mentioned, yet the 
 rite undoubtedly took place. It is 
 not stated who performed the office ; 
 
XI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 165 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 The Vision of Peter, and the Diffusion of the Gospel. 
 
 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judea, heard that 
 
 but, as the apostles did not always 
 baptize, it might, in this instance, de- 
 volve on the other brethren present 
 1 Cor. i. 14 - 17. The word command- 
 ed implies that the work was done by- 
 others. It is remarkable that, in all 
 the recorded instances of baptism in 
 the New Testament, the formula 
 used is not the precise one given by 
 Jesus, in Mat xxviii. 19; but the 
 words are, in the name of the Lord, 
 in the name of Jesus Christ This 
 should teach us not to have a blind 
 and superstitious regard for the par- 
 ticular form of words, but to rever- 
 ence its vital spirit, which is capable 
 of being conveyed in other terms 
 without violation. 
 
 The interest of the foregoing 
 chapter consists in that new act in 
 the progress of the Christian drama 
 by which the Gentiles are admitted 
 upon the stage, and even allowed 
 entrance into the holy of holies, the 
 influences of the Spirit and the privi- 
 leges of profession. A worthy leader 
 conducts the Gentile host into the 
 promised land of the gospel — Cor- 
 nelius, the holy, devout, and just 
 man. The long line of march has 
 still been sustained from generation 
 to generation, and it will, in due 
 time, draw into the " noble army " all 
 kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 
 God be thanked that, in view of this 
 glorious ancient example, we may 
 ever appeal with confidence from the 
 miserable illiberality and exclusive- 
 ness of dogmatists, to the benevolent 
 impartiality and even-handed admin- 
 istration of the Father of all ! that 
 creeds cannot shut Up the universal 
 trutli, nor churches limit the bound- 
 less mercies of Heaven ! We shud- 
 der at Jewish bigotry, which proposed 
 to monopolize God for its own be- 
 
 hoof, and sink the rest of the rational 
 creation into perdition. Let us not 
 be cheated by names, but see in 
 Christian bigotry, so rampant in many 
 of the lordly hierarchies and the 
 lowly heresies of the present day, a 
 yet more deplorable deviation from 
 the spirit of true feligion — an err- 
 ing from the right palJi, not in black 
 midnight or deceptive twilight, but 
 under the cloudless sun. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 In the development of Christiani- 
 ty, there are certain defined stages 
 and gradations. The preaching of 
 John the Baptist ; the life of Christ, 
 his death, and reappearance and as- 
 cension ; the spiritualization of the 
 apostles ; the conflict with the Jew- 
 ish sects, with Pharisaic bigotry, and 
 Sadducean skepticism ; the diversi- 
 fied struggle of the gospel, after it 
 passed tiie bounds of Judea, with 
 the hundred-headed Gentile idolatry, 
 that lay outstretched like some mon- 
 strous reptile, ready to lift up its glit- 
 tering crest in every city, and hiss 
 at the holy preachers of God with 
 its forked and poisonous tongue ; — 
 these constitute a succession of 
 growths, of unfoldings, of the truth 
 of Heaven, in its application to hu- 
 man sin and want, most interesting 
 in their character, and beautiful to 
 study. Who, that has an eye to be- 
 hold, and a heart to admire, the deli- 
 cate processes of nature — the spread- 
 ing of the living light ; the series 
 of germ, leaf, bud, flower, fruit, and 
 seed, in the plant — will not also ac- 
 knowledge the forming hand of the 
 Deity in this spiritual creation ; this 
 new heaven of brighter suns, this 
 new earth, with richer, lovelier pro- 
 ductions ? 
 
.166 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 the Gentiles had also received the word of God. And when 2 
 
 We stand, at the commencement 
 of this chapter, at a new stao^e of 
 expansion, at a new point of depart- 
 ure of the Christian faith, at the out- 
 set of the most important controversy 
 that has ever arisen in the church ; 
 one that concerned the lars^est par- 
 ties, the whole Jewish world being 
 on one side, and the whole Gentile 
 world on tlie other ; one that tested 
 the most thoroughly the nature and 
 aim of the gospel, confuting the Jew- 
 ish fallacy, and demonstrating the 
 divine impartiality to all mankind ; 
 one whose errors have more than 
 any other infected succeeding ages, 
 diffused mists and false lights through 
 whole nations, and mingled a vicious 
 element in the composition of most 
 systems of faith in Christendom. We 
 have come to the edge of that battle- 
 field, where the fortunes of churches, 
 and kingdoms, and souls, have been 
 decided in "high debate." Before 
 we become confused in the tumult of 
 the conflict, let us see the position 
 of the combatants, and understand 
 the nature and justice of tlieit re- 
 spective causes. 
 
 The Jews contended that the 
 Messiah was peculiarly their Messi- 
 ah. They monopolized his religion. 
 The Gentiles would be blessed by 
 him, not as Gentiles, but by first be- 
 coming Jews, and thus gaining a 
 title to his favor and promises. The 
 way to Jesus was still through the 
 ho!y temple. Every Gentile neck 
 must first bow to the yoke of Moses, 
 before it could lift itself up in the 
 liberty of Christ This was the feel- 
 ing of the apostles, Jews as they 
 w^ere, and long and stiffly did they 
 cling to their national peculiarity. 
 They were but babes, little ones, as 
 the Master called them, f ^r a long 
 time. They could not walk in their 
 Lord's footsteps. They could hardly 
 lisp the glorious language of love, 
 
 human brotherhood, and boundless, 
 impartial mercy, which lie used as 
 heartily and gracefully as if he had 
 not lived in Nazareth, nor worshipped 
 at Jerusalem. But he bore with 
 them tenderly, and nurtured them, 
 as a nurse her feeble child, until 
 they should grow up into the stature 
 of perfect men in him. 
 
 The Gentiles, on the other hand, 
 when they became converts, felt 
 painfully the stricture of this Jewish 
 bondage. The apostles themselves, 
 Peter by a vision, Paul by revela- 
 tion, and all by a councd, were 
 gradually or wholly emancipated 
 from the old error. They demanded 
 for their new disciples exemption 
 from the burdensome ritual, which 
 neither they nor tlieir fathers were 
 able to bear. Acts xv. 10. They 
 said that nothing which God had 
 cleansed, none of his creatures, chil- 
 dren, should be pronounced "com- 
 mon or unclean." They asserted 
 that all national distinctions were 
 sunk ; Jew and Gentile, bond and 
 free, were one, occupied the same 
 platform ; that not the works of the 
 law, the Jewish ritual, but faith, a 
 moral and spiritual principle, justi- 
 fied a man; that circumcision arid 
 uncircumcision availed nothing, but 
 a new moral creation in Christ ; that 
 tlie Jew would not be saved because 
 he was a Jew, nor the Gentile lost 
 because he was a Gentile ; but both 
 be judged by the faith, the disposition 
 of the heart, andthe practice of the life, 
 sincere and corresponding thereto. 
 
 Such, in brief, were the parties, 
 such the contest. And he will read 
 the New Testament in vain, to a 
 certain extent, who does not keep 
 these great outlines clearly marked 
 before his mind's eye, and appreciate 
 the merits of this controversy. It is 
 the only key to the difficult Epistles 
 of Paul. 
 
XL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 167 
 
 Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circum- 
 
 3 cision contended with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men 
 
 4 uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. But Peter rehearsed 
 
 the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto 
 
 5 them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying : and in a trance 
 I saw a vision ; A certain vessel descended, as it had been a great 
 sheet, let down from heaven by four corners ; and it came even 
 
 6 to me : upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I con- 
 sidered, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, 
 
 7 and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And I heard a voice 
 
 8 saying unto me, Arise, Peter ; slay, and eat. But I said, Not so, 
 Lord : for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered 
 
 9 into my mouth. But the voice answered me again from heaven, 
 10 What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And this 
 
 1. The. apostles and brethren. Not 
 only the private disciples, but the 
 apostles themselves, Avould shrink 
 from tlie bold step of Peter — the 
 admission of Gentiles without their 
 coming under the Jewish yoke. 
 They had already heard, by many- 
 tongued rumor, of the transactions at 
 Ccsarea. — In Judea. The city of 
 Cesarea was in tlie land of Judea; 
 but since it was essentially peopled 
 by Gentiles, it might stand, as sug- 
 gested by Calmet, somewhat in con- 
 teast with the Holy Land. 
 
 2. They that were of the circum- 
 cision contended with him ; i. e. the 
 Jewish Christians expostulated with 
 Peter for his late management of the 
 case of Cornelius and his Gentile 
 friends. The news had flown swifter 
 than the apostle, and his conduct 
 was already prejudged, and a verdict 
 made up against him. The brethren 
 were prepared, as soon as he arrived, 
 to administer their rebuke for meas- 
 ures which tliey regarded not only 
 as unauthorized, but subversive of 
 the gospel. The apostle was re idy, 
 however, to meet this burst of indig- 
 nation, and he judiciously offered, as 
 his best defence, a simple narrative, 
 ver. 4 - 17, of the whole matter ; 
 
 which would not excite their pas- 
 sions, like a course of argument or 
 appeal, and would furnish them with 
 data for making up their judgment 
 without bias. The fact that they 
 thus contended with Peter, and at 
 first questioned the wisdom of his 
 proceedings, shows how far they 
 were from yielding him tliat su- 
 premacy and infallibility in all re- 
 spects, which has been arrogated by 
 the church of Rome, not only for 
 him, but for the long and irregular 
 line of his pretended successors in 
 the papal chair. Gal. ii. 11 - 14. 
 
 3. tVentest in — didst eat with 
 than. The accusation contained two 
 branches ; one, that he went els a 
 friend into the house of Cornelius, 
 and the other, that he ate with the 
 Gentiles — both flagrant offences for 
 a Jew. Compare note on chap. x. 28. 
 
 4. Rehearsed — expounded it by 
 order. Or, began and laid it before 
 them in order. He gives a history 
 of the Avhole affair from beginning 
 to end, with all the minuteness inci- 
 dent to tliat simple and inartificial 
 state of society in ivhich Peter and 
 his companions had been brought up. 
 
 5-14. See an exposition of this 
 passage in the notes on chap. x. 9- 43. 
 
168 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 was done three times : and all were drawn up again into heaven. 
 And behold, immediately there were three men already come il 
 unto the house where I was, sent from Cesarea unto me. And 12 
 the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover, 
 these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the 
 man's house : and he showed us how he had seen an angel in his 13 
 house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and 
 call for Simon, whose surname is Peter ; who shall tell thee 14 
 words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. And as 15 
 I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the 
 beginning. Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how 16 
 that he said, John indeed baptized with water ; but ye shall be 
 baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then as God gave 17 
 them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord 
 
 Jesus Christ, what was I, that I could withstand God ? 
 
 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glori- 18 
 fied God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted 
 repentance unto life. 
 
 15, 16. And as I began to speak. 
 Or, as rendered by Winer, " scarce- 
 ly had I spoken a feAv words," im- 
 plying that he had advanced some- 
 what in his discourse, when the de- 
 scent of the Spirit took place. — 
 Then remembered I, 8fc. See chap. 
 i. 5, and note thereon. 
 
 17. As God gave them the like gift. 
 This was the critical point. The 
 gift of the Holy Spirit showed that 
 they were accepted, as well as the 
 Jews, to the privileofes of Christiani- 
 ty. — What was T. that I could with- 
 stand God 7 This passage has great 
 spirit, as rendered by Winer. — " But 
 I, who was I ? was I powerful 
 enough to hinder God ? " If Peter 
 admitted Cornelius and his kinsmen 
 to the privileges of the church with- 
 out circumcision, he would resist the 
 current belief of his associates ; but 
 if he refused, he would assume the 
 more tremendous responsibility of 
 withstanding God. In this strait be- 
 tween two, he could not hesitate 
 which course to pursue. 
 
 18. They held their peace. They 
 ceased to chide Peter for a neglect 
 of duty, when they saw how plainly 
 he was guided by the finger of God. 
 
 — Gloried God. They did not 
 merely acquiesce in silence, but ex- 
 hibited a positive gi-atification, and 
 expressed their thanks to God for his 
 wonderful interposition in behalf of 
 the Gentiles. A glimpse of higher 
 truth beamed upon their minds ; tlie 
 thrill of a nobler sentiment, of a 
 universal love, stiixed their hearts. 
 In this better moment of fresh con- 
 viction, before cold calculation and 
 worldly prudence had time to quench 
 their earnest zeal, they praised God 
 that Gentiles, too, had come to taste 
 the divine mercy. Gal. ii. 11 -14. 
 
 — Also. This word would possess 
 greater force if placed after " Gen- 
 tiles." — Granted repentance unto life. 
 By these words their change is de- 
 scribed from Gentile superstition and 
 sin to a pure religion. It is " an ex- 
 ample of that frequent Scripture use 
 of language by which God is said 
 
XL] 
 
 OP THE APOSTLES. 
 
 19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution 
 that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, 
 and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. 
 
 20 And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which when 
 
 to give what he enables one to attain, 
 by tlie natural or moral means im- 
 parted to them." The Most High 
 had communicated to them that rev- 
 elation of truth, that blessed gospel 
 of light and love, which enjoined 
 and promoted repentance unto life, 
 not to be repented of. Men will not 
 be sorry for what they have been, or 
 Avhat they have done, until they have 
 seen something better and holier, 
 with which comparing themselves, 
 they will deplore their deficiencies, 
 and hasten to redeem their wasted 
 time and talents. The gospel pre- 
 sents in Christ that lofty and shining 
 model of excellence, which of itself 
 deeply rebukes the lowness of their 
 virtues, and calls on them to repent 
 and live. " Repentance unto life " 
 is a combination of words, descrip- 
 tive of those three great stages or 
 processes in the development of the 
 soul's life, — amendment, — prog- 
 ress, — and blessedness. 
 
 19. The persecution that arose 
 about Stephen. Chap. viii. 4. The 
 very means employed to annihilate 
 the nascent church only served, in 
 the good providence of God, to dif- 
 fuse more widely its preachers and 
 its truth, and put it forever beyond 
 the power of man to extinguish it. 
 The history here leaves, for the most 
 part, the land of Judea, and the 
 preaching of the gospel to the Jews, 
 and records henceforth its triumphs 
 in other countries, and over the 
 Gentiles ; especially under the influ- 
 ence of Paul, the chiefest of the 
 apostles. — Phenice. Phoenicia, a 
 narrow strip of country, extending 
 along the shores of the Mediterra- 
 nean, between Syria and Palestine. 
 [t was distinguished for its com- 
 merce, and contained the celebrated 
 VOL. III. 35 
 
 cities of Tyre and Sidon, besides 
 several others of some note. Mark 
 iii. 8 ; Acts xxi. 3, 4, xxvii. 3. No 
 doubt many Jews were resident in 
 these great commercial emporiums. 
 — Cyprus. See note on chap. iv. 
 36. — Jlnt ioch. The capital of Sy ri a, 
 situated on the River Orontes, near 
 its mouth. It was founded by Antig- 
 onus, one of the generals of Alex- 
 ander the Great, and from him called 
 Antigonia ; but afterwards received 
 the name of Antioch, from AntiochuSy 
 another king of Syria, Avho completed 
 it. During the predominance of the 
 Christian religion, it was called The- 
 opoKs, the divine city. It was rich, 
 populous, and refined, and was at 
 one period accounted the next city 
 after Rome, and Alexandria, in the 
 Roman empire. Cicero describes it 
 as a noble and celebrated place, 
 abounding with learned men and 
 liberal studies. It was a great re- 
 sort of the Jews, and afterwards of 
 Cliristians, on account of the tolera- 
 tion here granted to different reli- 
 gionists. In all ages, it has been 
 exposed to those terrific enemies of 
 Oriental cities, wars and earthquakes. 
 In A. D. .588, no less than 60,000 
 persons perished in an earthquake; 
 and in 1822 it was reduced to a heap 
 of ruins by the same tremendous 
 agent. Its present name is Antakia, 
 and it numbers about 10,000 inhab- 
 itants. — To none hut unto the Jews 
 only. The proceedings of Peter, with 
 relation to Cornelias, had not, of 
 course, taken place when the dis- 
 ciples fled to Antioch ; and they 
 therefore still restricted, as usual, 
 their labors "to the lost sheep of the 
 house of Israel." 
 
 20. Men of Cyprus. See note on 
 chap. iv. 3d — Cyrene. Note on 
 
170 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching 
 the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them : ~i 
 and a great number believed, and t»rned unto the Lord. 
 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church 2- 
 which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth Barnabas, that lie 
 
 chap, il 10. One of the Cyrenians 
 is called Ludus in chap. xiii. 1. — 
 Spake unto the Grecians. Or, as edited 
 by Griesbach and others, " Greeks." 
 The difference is, that the Grecians, 
 or Hellenists, might be either foreign 
 Jews, or Gentile proselytes to Juda- 
 ism ; whereas it is supposed that the 
 Greeks or Gentiles are here meant, 
 and the fact is stated as remarkable, 
 and gratitude felt, ver. 23, that the 
 Gentiles also had received the grace 
 or favor of God. It is true, that most 
 ancient authorities read Grecians or 
 Hellenists, not Greeks or Gentiles; 
 but some contain tlie latter reading, 
 and internal evidence is thought to 
 be in favor of it. After the state- 
 ment in ver. 1 9, that the go-pel was 
 preached to the Jews in Antioch, 
 and of course, in all probability, to 
 tlie Hellenists, or foreign or con- 
 verted Jews, chap. vi. 1, 5, the wri- 
 ter proceeds to say, that some from 
 Cyprus and Cyrene, probably after 
 the admission of Cornelius and his 
 friends, went to Antioch, and preach- 
 ed to the Gentiles, which was some- 
 thing new. The example of Peter 
 was immediately taken up and acted 
 upon ; and by none Avould this be 
 more likely to be done tlian by the 
 Cyprians and Cyrenians, who from 
 having been themselves originally 
 Gentiles, or living among the Gen- 
 tiles, would feel a greater sympathy 
 with the degraded heathen, and a 
 more resolute spirit in recovering 
 them from their lost condition. 
 
 21. The hand of the Lord. Luke 
 i. 66. By which is meant, that the 
 power, the aid of God accompanied 
 them. They were empowered to 
 work miracles, speak with tongues, 
 
 invoke the descent of the Spirit, and 
 show incontrovertible evidenct- that 
 they were the teachers of a heaven- 
 sent religion. The consequence.'^ 
 were apparent. — A great number be- 
 lieved, 8{C. Those who were con- 
 vinced of the truth, passed through 
 the two necessary steps — belief and 
 profession. In the early ages, and 
 in all ages, it is not enough for men 
 to believe ; but they must also turn 
 to the Lord, make an open decla- 
 ration of their belief; for thus only 
 can the religion of Christ advanc^^, 
 by tlie avowed convictions and the 
 associated action of his disciples. 
 Said Jesus to Nicodemus, " Except a 
 man be bom of water and of the Spirit, 
 he cannot enter into the kingdom of 
 God." He that is truly a Christian 
 vn\\ desire to persuade others also to 
 become Christians ; and to that end 
 he v/ill declare his belief, and ob- 
 serve the outward means and ordi- 
 nances by Avhich it is nourished, and 
 " adorn the doctrine " by a useful 
 and holy life. 
 
 22. The church ivhich was in Je- 
 rusalem. If any church was entitled 
 to arrogate to itself peculiar claims, 
 and assume a preeminence over 
 others, it would seem to be this ; 
 which might be said to be planted 
 by the Saviour himself, and enjoyed 
 the care of not one, but all the apos- 
 tles. For any church, however, east- 
 ern or western, Greek or Romish, to 
 attempt to lord it over the faith of 
 their brethren, is an eiTor and sin, 
 only pardonable from the days of 
 darkness and of despotism in which 
 it origimlly arose ; but which to re- 
 peat, in the ninetoentli century, on tlie 
 part of every little offshoot of schism, 
 
XL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 171 
 
 23 should go as far as Antioch. Who, when he came, and had 
 seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with 
 
 24. purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. For he was 
 a ffood man, and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith : and much 
 
 25 people was added unto the Lord. Then departed Barnabas to 
 
 26 Tarsus, for to seek Saul : and when he had found him, he 
 brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole 
 year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught 
 much people. And the disciples were called Christians first 
 in Antioch. 
 
 every mushroom sect, is as ridiculous 
 as it is wicked. The church tliun- 
 ders, which carry a certain tone of 
 grandeur when launched from the 
 Vatican, become contemptible when 
 flung from the conventicles of yes- 
 terday. — They sent forth Barnabas. 
 Being a Hellenist, chap. iv. 36, ix. 
 27, he was well qualified to act fa- 
 vorably upon the Gentile converts 
 at Antioch. Besides, the contiguity 
 of Cyprus, his former residence, to 
 Antioch, had perhaps already opened 
 to him an acquaintance in that city. 
 
 23. The grace of God, i. e. his 
 favor, kindness, in admitting the 
 Gentiles also to the blessing-s of the 
 Messiah's kingfdom. It filled the 
 heart of Barnabas with joy, that the 
 bands of Jewish exclusiveness were 
 not to be swathed around tlie limbs 
 of the infant church ; but that it was 
 to go fortli in freedom, to win the 
 love and obedience of Jew and Gen- 
 tile, bond and free. — With purpose 
 of heart. Or, to drop the idiom, with 
 hearty purpose, with steady and earn- 
 est determination, to adhere to the 
 holy cause they had espoused. 
 
 24, 25. A good man, ^c. The 
 several distinguished qualifications 
 here enumerated, pointed him out as 
 a fit messenger from the church at 
 Jerusalem to the converts of Antioch. 
 — Much people ivas added, Sfc. The 
 natural result of the labors of so good 
 and gifted a man; though it might 
 
 be inferred, from chap. xiv. 12, that 
 he produced the effect rather by the 
 weight of his character, and the zeal 
 of his efforts, than by the power of 
 his preaching. Simple, earnest good- 
 ness, if it be informed and vitalized 
 by a spiritual faith, is itself more 
 eloquent than words, and impreg- 
 nates multitudes of minds with its 
 own life. A good man may be said 
 to have a magazine of spiritual forces 
 concentrated in himself, which are 
 capable of acting in every direction 
 at the same moment, with an energy 
 which neither time nor use can ex- 
 haust. The more good he confers 
 on others, the more grows his own 
 goodness. "Give, and it shall be 
 given unto you ; good measure, press- 
 ed down, and shaken together, and 
 running over, shall men give into 
 your bosom." — To Tai'sus. The 
 harvest is so large, and the reapers 
 so few, that Barnabas travels to Tar- 
 sus, the city of Saul ; whither he had 
 gone to escape the machinations of 
 his enemies, chap. ix. 29, 30, in 
 order to obtain his services at tiie 
 important post of Antioch. 
 
 26. A ivhole year. The great 
 cities of the East were important 
 stations for the establishment of 
 Christianity, and hence we find that 
 much time Avas devoted to Antioch, 
 Corinth, Ephesus. Chap, xviii. 11, 
 XX. 31 . — They assembled, i. e. for 
 worship and preaching-. Heb, x. 25. 
 
172 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto An- 27 
 tioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and 28 
 
 — The disciples were called Christians 
 first in Antioch. This remarkable 
 fact has called forth a variety of 
 questions, as to the origin and inten- 
 tion of the name. The followers of 
 Christ did not, probably, themselves 
 originate this designation ; for, both 
 before and after this time, they went 
 under the title of disciples, chap. i. 
 15, XX. 7; believers, chap. v. 14, 1 
 Tim. iv. 12; saints, chap. ix. 13, 
 xxvi. -10 ; brethren, chap. vi. 3, xxviii. 
 14 ; the church, chap. ii. 47, xv. 22 ; 
 the men of this way, chap. ix. 2, xxii. 
 4. Only two cases besides the pres- 
 ent occur, in the New Testament, 
 where the word Christian is used, 
 and in one of those it is employed by 
 Agrippa, chap. xxvi. 28, and in the 
 other by Peter, as if it were a term 
 of reproach, used by enemies. 1 
 Peter iv. 16. If it had arisen among 
 the disciples themselves, it would 
 naturally have been more generally 
 used. Again, it did not originate 
 among the Jews, for they preferred 
 the scornful epithet of JVazarene, 
 chap. xxiv. 5 ; or Galileans, chap, 
 ii. 7 ; and if they had called the dis- 
 ciples by the name of Christ, Mes- 
 siah, they might have been regarded 
 as assenting to the claims of Jesus 
 to that distinguished office. And the 
 fact that the Jews did not apply the 
 name of Christians, indicates that it 
 was not a title of contempt, for if it 
 had been, they would have gladly 
 appropriated it in their vocabulary 
 of abuse. The more probable sup- 
 position, therefore, is, that the name 
 arose at Antioch, among the Gentile 
 converts to Christianity, or their pa- 
 gan friends. It has not a Greek, but 
 a Roman, ending ; and, it is likely, 
 took its origin among that portion of 
 the population ; for Antioch was then 
 under subjection to Rome. The gen- 
 eral custom was followed by Avhich 
 
 disciples were called from their mas- 
 ters, as Flatonists from Plato ; Aris- 
 totelians from Aristotle ; Pythago- 
 reans from Pythagoras ; Epicureans 
 from Epicurus. That the name was 
 extensively known and used, is evi- 
 dent from Tacitus, the Roman his- 
 torian, who says tliat Nero " inflicted 
 exquisite punishment upon those peo- 
 ple who were commonly known by 
 the name of Christians. They had 
 their denomination from Christus, 
 who, in the reign of Tiberius, Avas 
 put to death as a criminal by the 
 procurator, Pontius Pilate." It has 
 been thought by some that the word 
 called is to be taken in a sense in 
 which it is sometimes used, of called 
 by divine appointment, or warned by 
 God. Chap. x. 22. But the more 
 rational interpretation is, that as no 
 special revelation was needed, none 
 Avas given, and that the word has the 
 simple sense of called, as in Rom. vii. 
 3, where it occurs. It is unavoidable 
 that diiferent denominations should 
 be called by different names, to dis- 
 tinguish them from one another ; and 
 the evil of sectarianism cannot be 
 cured by the resumption of any prim- 
 itive title, though it be even that first 
 given to the disciples at Antioch, as 
 has been practically demonstrated at 
 tlie present day, in the use of this very 
 name. On the contrary, the only 
 remedy for tlie present belligerent at- 
 titude of the Christian church within 
 itself, and the civil war raging among 
 the followers of tlie Prince of Peace, 
 is the wider diffusion of Christian 
 knowledge, charity and piety, and 
 the nearer approach of the disciples 
 to their common centre, Christ, which 
 will be a nearer approximation of all 
 the diverging lines of the Christian 
 brotherhood to one another. 
 
 27, 28. In these days. An indefi- 
 nite expression, used in transitions 
 
XL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 173 
 
 signified by the Spirit, that there should be great dearth through- 
 out all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius 
 2*J Cesar. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, 
 determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in 
 
 from one event to another. Mat iii. 
 1. — Prophets^ i. e. religious teach- 
 er's or preachers, who were also 
 sometimes gifted with a knowledge 
 of future events. Rom. xii. ; 1 Cor. 
 xii. xiv. ; Eph. ii. 20, iii. 5, 11. — 
 ^fJs^abus. Nothing further is known 
 of this individual except from the 
 present passage and chap. xxi. 10, 11. 
 It is generally inferred that he was a 
 Ciiristian disciple. — Sio^nijied by the 
 Spirit Or, was specially informed 
 by a divine revelation. It Avas an 
 event desirable to be known before- 
 li ind, in order that preparation might 
 be made against the necessities of 
 the time. — Great dearth, i. e. a se- 
 vere famine. The prevailing igno- 
 rance of agriculture, the desolation 
 of war, and the want of facilities of 
 intercourse, rendered the ancient na- 
 tions great sufferers, at certain peri- 
 o Is, for the want of food. — Through- 
 out all the world. It is contended by 
 Lardner and other critics, with much 
 justice, that this expression here sig- 
 nifies, not the whole habitable earth, 
 or even the Roman empire, but the 
 country nf Judea. Luke iv, 25, xxi. 
 20. Several dreadful famines oc- 
 curred about this period, in history, in 
 different countries ; but the one in 
 question would seem to be limited to 
 .ludea, for the brethren in Antioch, 
 ver. 29, determined to send relief to 
 the sufferers there. Rom. xv. 26 ; 1 
 Cor. xvi. ] ; 2 Cor. ix. — Which came 
 to piss in the days of Claudius Ce- 
 str. Cesar is excluded from the 
 text by Griesbach, and other editors 
 of the New Testament, as umvorthy 
 of admittance. In the reign of Clau- 
 dius, emperor of Rome, which began 
 A. D. 40, and ended A. D. 53, there 
 occurred no less than four famines, 
 15* 
 
 which visited various countries : the 
 first Italy, the second Greece, an- 
 other Italy, and still a fourth Judea. 
 The latter began about A. D. 44, and 
 continued till A. D. 46. Josephus 
 relates that " the arrival of Helena, 
 queen of Adiabenes, at Jerusalem, 
 was a great blessing to the people ; 
 for, the city laboring at that time 
 under a heavy famine, so that a 
 great many perished for want, the 
 queen sent abroad several of her offi- 
 cers, some to Alexandria for the pur- 
 chase of corn, otliers to Cyprus to 
 buy up dried figs. These having 
 used the utmost expedition, as soon 
 as they returned, she distributed 
 food to those that were necessi- 
 tous. By this liberality, she laid a 
 lasting obligation upon our whole 
 nation. Moreover, her son, Izates, 
 having heard of the famine, sent a 
 large sum of money to the chief men 
 of Jerusalem." The same author 
 also states that this famine happened 
 in the time of Cuspius Fadus, and 
 his successor, Tiberius Alexander; 
 wliich would be from the fourth to 
 the fifth and sixth year of the reign of 
 Claudius, and from A. D. 44 to A. D. 
 45 and 46. While the queen Helena 
 and her son, Jewish proselytes, re- 
 lieved their brethren in the faith, the 
 Christians also were not forgotten by 
 their more fortunate friends of Anti- 
 och and other places. 
 
 29. The disciples, i. e. at Antioch. 
 They are still designated by their 
 former title, and not by the new name 
 of ver. 26. — Send relief unto tJie 
 brethren, Sfc. This shows that the 
 distress was limited to Judea ; else 
 the disciples would not have been 
 able to yield succor to those at a dis- 
 tance, but would have been absorbed 
 
in 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Judea. Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the 30 
 hands of Barnabas and Saul. 
 
 in their own calamities. It is clear 
 from this, in connexion with other 
 passages, that there was no commu- 
 nity of goods generally prevailing in 
 the Christian churches ; but that the 
 ancient landmarks of property were 
 still unremoved, except by the en- 
 larged and generous spirit of phi- 
 lanthropy. In the generosity and 
 kind-heartedness of the brethi-en for 
 one another, Ave trace the germs of 
 that philanthropy which has in every 
 succeeding age borne fruits to man 
 and praise to God, and which is yet 
 to spread more widely, until that pe- 
 riod of peace and universal benevo- 
 lence shall come, which is the burden 
 of prophecy and the vision of hope ; 
 
 " W^hen tlie hriglit (;liain of love, that God 
 hath given, 
 Extends from heart to heart, and thence to 
 heaven." 
 
 30. The elders. This class of 
 persons is here mentioned, for the 
 first time, in connexion with the 
 Christian church, and a few words 
 will be proper in explanation. Eld- 
 ers were officers in the Jewish com- 
 monwealth, at the head of their re- 
 spective tribes, in accordance, per- 
 haps, with earlier patriarchal usages, 
 in wliich the oldest persons bore a 
 species of unofficial rule on account 
 of their age, experience and gravity. 
 Moses drew these to his aid as a kind 
 of notional council. Ex. iv. 2i), xii. 
 21, xxiv. 1, 9 ; Josh, xxiii. 2. The 
 members of the Sanhedrim were also 
 called elders, and likewise tlie ofHcers 
 of the synagogue. The name, there- 
 fore, is borrowed from the Jewish 
 people, and is employed by the New 
 Testament writers as an old term, 
 applicable to the new state of things. 
 Tlie word may be properly trans- 
 lated presbyters, as this term is de- 
 
 rived from tlie original Greek nQecr- 
 ^vreQoi. It is probable that those 
 thus called were usually wise and 
 aged men, whose long-tried experi- 
 ence and fidelity pointed them out 
 as the suitable almoners of the be- 
 nevolent donations for the poor, and 
 fitted to perform other religious du- 
 ties ; rather than as officers filling a 
 certain definitive post, and constitut- 
 ing one essential link in that gra- 
 dation of principalities and powers, 
 which some erroneously deem abso- 
 lutely necessary to the very exist- 
 ence of a Christian church. That the 
 elde7's or preshxfters were the same as, 
 or similar to, the bishops or overseers, 
 is evident from Acts xx. 17, 28 ; Tit. 
 i. 5, 7. Such is tlie view of Ham- 
 mond, Robinson, and many otiiers. 
 The use of the term, at the present 
 day, is often highly inappropriate ; 
 and when it is applied to the young 
 and crude, it carries with it no seri- 
 ous impression, but appears almost 
 like a burlesque upon sacred things. 
 To designate a youthful and inex- 
 perienced pastor or preacher as an 
 elder, is in bad taste, as well as poor 
 theology. If the Scripture title is to 
 be used, let it be applied to those who 
 are elders indeed, and are clotlied 
 with the venerableness of years and 
 gravity of character. In the present 
 case, as in many others, incalculable 
 harm has been done to the Bible, 
 by carrying a preconceived theory 
 into its interpretation, and measuring 
 every thing by this self-constituted 
 standard. Rather let the Scriptures 
 speak for themselves in tlieir OAvn 
 beautiful simplicity, and then they 
 will speak with their divine power 
 and persuasiveness. " Spare that 
 book." 
 
XII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 175 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Martyrdom of James, Imprisonment and Rescue of Peter, and Death of Herod. 
 
 J\0W about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his 
 
 2 hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the 
 
 3 brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 1. About that time. The chronol- 
 ogy is uncertain ; but it is supposed 
 that the persecution of the Christians, 
 recorded in this chapter, occurred 
 about A. D. 44. — Herod the king. 
 This was Herod Agrippa, the Elder, 
 or the Great, son of Aristobulus, the 
 son of Herod the Great by Mari- 
 amne. Aristobulus was put to death 
 by his father, through jealousy and 
 court cabals. Herod Agrippa was 
 educated at Rome, where he con- 
 tracted dissipated and extravagant 
 habits, in the luxurious reign of Ti- 
 berius. He was favored by the suc- 
 ceeding emperors, Caius Caligula 
 and Claudius Cesar, and appointed 
 king over the territories of Batanea, 
 Trachonitis, Abilene, Galilee, Sama- 
 ria, and Judea — a dominion about as 
 extensive as that of Herod the Great, 
 his grandfather. Archelaus, Mat. ii. 
 22, and Herod Antipas, who put John 
 the Baptist to death, were his uncles. 
 Mat. xiv. 1 - 12, and Herodias was 
 his sister. The Agrippa introduced 
 in chap. xxv. 13, and also Bernice, 
 were his children. He ruled seven 
 years, from A. D. 87 to A. D. 44. 
 The manner of his death is related 
 in ver. 2-3. — Stretched forth his hands. 
 Or, undertook, or proceeded, with vi- 
 olence. — To vex. Or, to do evil to, 
 or to maltreat, or afflict. 
 
 2. He killed James, ^t. i. e. he be- 
 headed him. There were f mr kinds 
 of capital punishment for crimes 
 among the Jews, viz., beheading, 
 stoning, burning, and strangling. 
 Killing with the sword, or behead- 
 ing, was the most ignominious, and 
 constituted, according to the Tal- 
 
 mud, the appropriate penalty for se- 
 ducing the people to a false worship. 
 Crucifixion was a Roman mode of 
 punishment ; but stoning, inflicted 
 upon Stephen, and beheading, in the 
 present instance, were Jewish cus- 
 toms. The James here spoken of 
 was called James the Greater in con- 
 tradistinction from James the Less. 
 He was the son of Zebedee and Sa- 
 lome, Mat. xxvii. 56, Mark xv. 40, 
 and brother of John, the beloved dis- 
 ciple. Mat. X. 2. He was doubtless 
 selected as being one of the most 
 prominent members of the Christian 
 body, whose loss would be severely- 
 felt. That cup, which his Master 
 had predicted would be given him 
 to drink, was mixed for him by the 
 sanguinary Agrippa. Mat. xx. 23. 
 Though not the first martyr to Chris- 
 tianity, he Avas called the apostolic 
 proto-martyr, as he was the first of 
 the twelve who sealed his fidelity 
 with his blood. It is related by 
 Clement of Alexandria, though the 
 story is probably legendary, that " as 
 the apostle Avas led forth to the place 
 of execution, the person who had ac- 
 cused him was so touched with the 
 courage and constancy which he dis- 
 played, that he repented of Avhat he 
 had done, came and fell down at his 
 feet, and earnestly begged pardon for 
 what he had said against him. St. 
 James tenderly raised him up, kissed 
 him, and said to him, ' Peace be to 
 thee, my son, and the pardon of thy 
 faults.' At this, his former accuser 
 publicly professed himself a Chris- 
 tian, and so both were beheaded at 
 the same time." 
 3. Became he saw it phased the 
 
176 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 pleased the Jews, he proceeded further lo take Peter also. Then 
 were the days of unleavened bread. And when he had appre- 4 
 hended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four 
 quaternions of soldiers to keep him ; intending after Easter to 
 
 Jews. The character of Agrippa 
 was directly the reverse of his grand- 
 father, Herod the Great, in this re- 
 spect; for, according to Joseplius, 
 Herod was continually obliging for- 
 eign states and cities by large boun- 
 ties, but did very few things to grati- 
 fy the Jews ; " whereas Agrippa was 
 of a mild and gentle disposition, and 
 good to all men ; he was beneficent 
 to strangers, but especially kind to 
 the Jews, his countrymen, and sym- 
 pathized with them in all their trou- 
 bles. For which reason, also, he 
 lived much at Jerusalem, observed 
 the Jewish institutions, practised the 
 purity they required, and did not let 
 a day pass Avithout worshipping God 
 according to the law." Lardner re- 
 marks on this, that " his zeal for the 
 institutions and customs of the Jews, 
 and his desire to oblige that people, 
 very much confirm the account St. 
 Luke gives of his forwardness in 
 persecuting the disciples of Jesus." 
 Like many other rulers, he was ac- 
 tuated by a love of popularity more 
 than by a regard to the right and the 
 good, and was willing to gratify the 
 people in their likes and dislikes, 
 tliough at the expense of justice and 
 humanity. — Proceeded further to take 
 Peter also. He aimed his blows at 
 the chief men, thinking thus more 
 readily to arrest the cause of Chris- 
 tianity in its infancy. His success 
 in the case of James emboldened 
 him to new outrages. — The days of 
 unleavened bread, i. e. the Jewish 
 Passover, in commemoration of the 
 preservation of the first-born of the 
 Hebrews, when those of the Egyp- 
 tians were cut oflT by the destroying 
 angel ; and of the deliverance from 
 bondage. It was kept in the month 
 
 Abib or Nisan, corresponding to 
 our April, and occupied eight days. 
 From the circumstance that only this 
 kind of bread was eaten during this 
 period, it was entitled " the feast of 
 unleavened bread." 
 
 4. Four quaternions of soldiers. 
 A quaternion consisted of a body of 
 four, so that the whole number was 
 sixteen. The night being divided by 
 the clepsydra, or water-clock, into four 
 watches, from sunset to sunrise, a 
 company of four men was required 
 for each watch. Two were in the 
 cell itself, and connected, as is sup- 
 posed, to Peter by chains, so that he 
 could not remove Avithout their know- 
 ing it ; and the other two stood sen- 
 try before the door of the cell of the 
 prison. There was, therefore, the 
 greatest care taken to guard against 
 an escape, and every hope of human 
 relief was extinct. But doubtless 
 the deliverances of the past "vvere 
 brought to mind, and experience in- 
 fused strength into faith. Chap. v. 
 18-20. — Jlfter Easter, i. e. more 
 correctly, "• after the Passover." The 
 present festival of Easter, as ob- 
 served by part of the Christian world, 
 was not then established, though this 
 translation would give tlie idea that 
 it was tlie Christian, and not the 
 Jewish, feast to which Herod paid 
 regard. Bede says " that Eostur- 
 monath, which is now called the Pas- 
 chal month, had its name from a god- 
 dess called Eosire, and to whom at 
 that time they used to celebrate fes- 
 tivals." This Avas a goddess wor- 
 shipped by the Anglo-Saxons before 
 their conversion to Christianity ; and 
 hence, after their profession of the 
 gospel, they changed their old idola- 
 trous rite into a celebration of tlie 
 
XII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 177 
 
 5 bring him forth to the people. Peter tlierefore was kept in 
 prison : but prayer was made without ceasing of the church 
 
 G unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought 
 
 him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two sol- 
 diers, bound with two chains; and the keepers before the door 
 
 resurrection of Christ, which occurred 
 about the same time of the year. As 
 our Lord rose three days after his 
 death, which occurred on the next 
 day after the Paschal supper, East- 
 er, among Christians, fell at the 
 same period as the Passover among 
 the Jews. But, as observed by Dr. 
 Clarke, "Perhaps there never was a 
 more unhappy, not to say absurd 
 translation. Every view we can take 
 of this subject shows the gross im- 
 propriety of retaining a name every 
 way exceptionable, and palpably ab- 
 surd." The circumstance that the 
 translators belonged to the English 
 Episcopal church led them, in the 
 present case, as in some others, to 
 give a modern and partisan dress 
 to the simplicity of ancient history. 
 Herod forbore to execute Peter dur- 
 ing the feast of Passover, out of re- 
 gard to tlie custom of the Jews, tliat 
 criminals should not suffer at that 
 time ; though there had been a gross 
 infraction of it in the crucifixion of 
 Jesus. — Bring him forth to the peo- 
 ple, i. e. according to the usage of 
 the word, " to put him to death." 
 
 5. Prayer was made without ceas- 
 ing. Or, literally, " extended," and 
 figuratively " intense, fervent," prayer 
 was made for the endangered apos- 
 tle. The eminence of Peter, and the 
 value of his services to the Christian 
 cause, naturally awaken the liveliest 
 sympathy in his behalf. As all hu- 
 man aid was unavailing, the disciples 
 resorted to Him who is a very pres- 
 ent help in time of trouble, and wlio 
 is mightier tlian the miglitiest. 1 
 Thes. V. 25 ; Heb. xiii. 3, 18 ; James 
 V. 16. They had full confidence in 
 the efficacy of intercessory prayer, 
 
 and their faith \^as not disappointed. 
 There are great encouragements held 
 out in the Scriptures to the perform- 
 ance of this duty ; and none who 
 have habitually prayed for their 
 friends, have probably ever doubted 
 that their prayers were heard. 
 
 (). IVould have brought him forth., 
 i. e. for execution. — The same night, 
 i. e. the night before tlie proposed 
 martyrdom. — Sleeping between two 
 soldiers, bound with two chains, &fc. 
 Every circumstance is thrown into 
 the account, to show how impossible 
 was an escape. Peter was asleep, — 
 the sleep of conscious virtue and of 
 divine trust, — and had no concert 
 with any friends without the prison, 
 whose arrival he was expecting, and 
 for which he was preparing. He 
 was in the custody of sixteen men, 
 who relieved each other so frequent- 
 ly that tliey could easily remain Avake- 
 ful. Four men were on guard at 
 once, two in the cell, and two watch- 
 ing the door without. That these 
 men should all be buried in sleep at 
 the same time, is incredible. They 
 also acted under the fear of tlie pen- 
 alty of death, if they suffered their 
 prisoner to escape ; and they actually 
 incurred that punishment, as Ave learn 
 from ver. 19, because he did escape. 
 The apostles had been delivered be- 
 fore, and their enemies Avould not be 
 likely to relax any of their regula- 
 tions on the present occasion, but to 
 be more rigid than ever in all their 
 precautions. Chap. v. 19. Such, 
 we infer, was in fact the case ; for 
 while, ordinarily, a prisoner was con- 
 fined to only one soldier by a chain, 
 in this case the apostle was bound to 
 two, one arm to each respectively, so 
 
178 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 kept the prison. And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon i 
 hiniy and a light shined in the prison ; and he smote Peter on the 
 side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his 
 chains fell off from his hands. And the angel said unto him, 8 
 Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals : and so he did. And he 
 saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 
 
 that the least motion on his part would 
 attract the notice of his companions. 
 Thus we see that every possible se- 
 curity was provided to prevent an es- 
 cape. And, considering all the cir- 
 cumstances, we may say, without ex- 
 aggeration, that no human force could 
 have broken into the prison and taken 
 out the apostle. The theories that 
 have been invented, to account for his 
 escape in a natural manner, are total- 
 ly devoid of verisimilitude. They 
 endeavor to account for what is mi- 
 raculous by imagining what would 
 be more than miraculous, and require 
 a greater credulity to believe. To 
 suppose that any friends could have 
 stolen into his prison from without, 
 eluded the sentinels at the door, en- 
 tered his cell without molestation, re- 
 moved his chains unknown to his as- 
 sociates, and snatched him from cus- 
 tody, without raising an alarm, is un- 
 natural and inconceivable. It would 
 require more faith to believe it, than 
 to believe in the truth and reality of 
 twenty miracles like the rescue of 
 Peter. The apostle was the leading 
 spirit of the Twelve, and his preser- 
 vation from imminent danger and 
 death was an object deserving the 
 divine interposition — " dignus vin- 
 dice nodus " — a difficulty worthy of 
 such a solution. 
 
 7. The angel of the Lord. By an- 
 gel, here, some understand any mes- 
 senger, as a friend ; or any method 
 of interposition and help, as an earth- 
 quake or lightning ; but such con- 
 jectures in reality involve the ac- 
 count in far greater difficulties than 
 would the admission of angelic and 
 miraculous interference, as usually 
 
 understood. It is harder to believe 
 that any associate or friend of the 
 prisoner could penetrate that close- 
 ly-guarded cell, and free Peter with- 
 out the knowledge of the sentinels, 
 or that the lightning could melt off 
 his chains, and break open the doors, 
 without harm either to Peter or the 
 guard, than to assent to a miraculous 
 interposition. — Came upon him. Or, 
 stood by him. — ^ light shined in the 
 prison. Those that love to account 
 for every remarkable event in the 
 Scriptures in a natural way, conjec- 
 ture that, in this case, it lightened. 
 But it is Avonderful that others were 
 not also aroused by the explosion, if 
 such were the fact. While, on the 
 other hand, light and splendid ap- 
 pearances are the frequent accompa- 
 niments of miraculous events. Luke 
 ii. 9 ; Acts ix. 3. — Sm^te, i. e. gen- 
 tly, so as to arouse him. — His chains 
 fell off from his hands. The chains, 
 with which he was bound with the 
 right and left hand to each soldier, 
 respectively. No art of man could 
 have freed him from these manacles 
 without the knowledge of his guard. 
 And that the lightning should have 
 discriminated so far as to melt his 
 chains without injuring him or the 
 soldiers; and that it should have 
 awakened him, but not them ; or 
 stunned the four inside and outside, 
 without further damage to them, — 
 is next to a miracle, if it be not one 
 itself. 
 
 8, 9. Gird thyself i. e. gird the in- 
 ner garment or tunic, which in sleep, 
 or when unoccupied, the Orientals 
 are accustomed to unloose for great- 
 er ease and comfort — Bind on thy 
 
XII.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 179 
 
 9 And he went out, and followed him. and wist not that it was true 
 which was done by the augel ; but thought he saw a vision. 
 
 10 When they were past the first and the second ward, they came 
 unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city ; which opened to 
 them of his own accord : and they went out, and passed on 
 through one street ; and forthwith the angel departed from him. 
 
 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a 
 surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out 
 of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people 
 
 12 of the Jews. And when he had considered the thing, he came to 
 the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark ; 
 
 sandals. Which were simply soles, 
 laced to the feet and ankles with 
 thongs. — Cast thy garment about 
 thee, i. e. put on the mantle or outer 
 garment with which the whole body 
 is invested, and which is laid aside 
 at night. The several directions, 
 relative to his dress, convey one in- 
 teresting idea, viz., the self-possession 
 and repose of mind, and sense of se- 
 curity, exhibited by the angel, and en- 
 joined indirectly upon Peter. There 
 was no occasion to fear — he was 
 under a divine protector. — JVist not. 
 Oil English for knew not. — Thought 
 he saw a vision. Awakened, as he 
 was, out of sleep at dead of night, 
 wholly unexpectedly to himself, and 
 miraculously freed from his chains 
 and confinement, it was perfectly 
 natural that he should be in a man- 
 ner bewildered, and hardly be able 
 to determine whether the scene was 
 roil or not, but should be inclined 
 to think that it was a visionary rep- 
 resent- ition. 
 
 10, Thefrst and the second ward. 
 '<■, " guard," referring to the soldiers 
 ^t^nding on sentry, at different posts. 
 — The iron gate, i. e. probably cov- 
 ered with iron plates, as is customary 
 at the present day. — That leadeth 
 uaio the city. The situation of the 
 prison is unknown, but it h ss been 
 conjectured that it was located in a 
 tower in tlie wall of the city, and 
 
 that this iron gate led from the prison 
 into the street of the town. — Which 
 opened to them of his own accord. Or, 
 grammatically, of its own accord, 
 1. e. self-moved. The idea is, tliat it 
 opened without any human instru- 
 mentality. Every item in the de- 
 scription indicates supernatural in- 
 terposition. — Passed on through one 
 street, ^/c. The angel conducted him 
 as far as was necessary for safety, 
 and then left him to his own efforts ; 
 Avhereas, had it been a human friend, 
 he would probably have accompanied 
 him to some place of safety, or the 
 house of an acquaintance. 
 
 11. When Peter was come to him- 
 sef. Or, had recovered his conscious- 
 ness. The fact that he was in a 
 state of bewilderment for a time, 
 does not diminish the probability of 
 a real interposition, or cast discredit 
 on his evidence, but rather the con- 
 trary, since he candidly acknowl- 
 edged precisely what was his state. 
 — From all the expectation, S^'c. It 
 appears that the Jews earnestly de- 
 sired the death of the apostle, and 
 that Herod was about to put his pris- 
 oner to death to gratify their san- 
 guinary disposition. 
 
 12. He came to the house of Mary. 
 The community of goods related in 
 chap. ii. 44, 4.5, was not of such a 
 nature tliat all parted with their 
 houses and goods, as is evident from 
 
180 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 where many were gathered together, praying. And as Peter 13 
 knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, 
 p'.Ded Rhoda. And when she knew Peter's voice, she opened 14 
 )Gt the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood 
 before the gate. And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But 15 
 she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It 
 is his angel. But Peter continued knocking. And when they 16 
 
 the present passage. Mary was the 
 sister of Barnabas. Col. iv. 10. — 
 John, whose surname ivas Mark. This 
 ■■■•'< Mark the Evangelist. He ac- 
 apanied Paul and Barnabas in 
 ne of their missionary excursions, 
 lud, as is supposed, wrote his Gospel 
 at the instigation and with the aid 
 of Peter. — Many were gathered to- 
 gether praying, i. e. for the release 
 of the apostle. Ver. 5. Though he 
 was in the extremity of danger, they 
 did not despair of the aid of Heaven 
 in his behalf In times of peril, it 
 was customary for the disciples to 
 hold religious exercises in the night. 
 Thus Pliny spoke of their assemblies 
 in the night, and others brought 
 their night-meetings as an accusa- 
 tion against the Christians. 
 
 13, 14. Knocked at the door of the 
 gate. Or, the door of the porch or 
 vestibule. — Came to hearken. It was 
 a time of persecution and terror, and 
 the Christians naturally took pre- 
 cautions to guard against any sur- 
 prise from their enemies. It was 
 customary, however, at all times, for 
 tlie person calling without to men- 
 tion his name to tlie porter within the 
 house. — Rhoda. Which signifies, 
 in Greek, "a rose." Grotius ob- 
 serves, that the Orientals gave the 
 names of flowers to their daughters, 
 as Susanna, a lily, and Hadessa, a 
 myrtle, &c. — Opened not the gate 
 for gladness. There is great natu- 
 ralness intliis stroke of the historian, 
 such as a fictitious writer would 
 have hardly imagined. Her joy, in- 
 stead of leading lier to admit Peter 
 
 instantly, as would seem to be the 
 spontaneous dictate, impelled her 
 first to gladden the company with 
 the joyful news of his escape. 
 
 15. It is his angel. By this is 
 understood by some a messenger 
 sent from Peter, or a friend who had 
 brought a message from him ; but 
 the more general and probable opin- 
 ion is, that it was regarded as his 
 tutelary angel or guardian spirit, ac- 
 cording to the popular superstitions 
 of the Eastern nations, in which the 
 disciples no doubt shared Avith the 
 rest of their countrymen. Mat xviii. 
 10. In addition to this idea, it was 
 also supposed that an angel would 
 assume the voice and figure of the 
 individual whom he represented, 
 after his decease. The popular im- 
 pression upon this subject would be 
 heightened by the fact of the im- 
 probability of Peter's liberation from 
 prison, and by the natural astonish- 
 ment into which they were thrown by 
 his sudden appearance. As remark- 
 ed by Doddridge and Newcome, 
 " A Jewish opinion about guardian 
 angels, or the souls of men converted 
 into ministering spirits, may be here 
 referred to, without establishing its 
 truth." 
 
 16. Saw him. " Seen him " would 
 be the proper translation, to corre- 
 spond with the pluperfect tense of 
 the " foregoing verb, "had opened." 
 — They were astonished. Hence it 
 appears, they had entered into no 
 conspiracy to free the apostle; and 
 thoup-h they prayed most fervently 
 tliat he migiit be delivered, yet they 
 
XII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 181 
 
 17 had opened the door^ and saw him, they were astonished. But 
 he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, 
 declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the 
 prison. And he said, Go show these things unto James, and to 
 the brethren. And he departed, and went into another place. 
 
 18 Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among 
 
 19 the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had 
 sought for him, and found him not, he examined the keepers, and 
 commanded that they should be put to death. And he went 
 down from Judea to Cesarea, and there abode. 
 
 had so little hope and faith, that 
 they could hardly believe their own 
 senses, when their prayers were an- 
 swered. 
 
 17. Beckoning unto them with the 
 hand. Or, as Bloomfield says, " Wav- 
 ing the hand downwards," to enjoin 
 silence. He feared lest, if they 
 made an outcry, tiie Jews would be 
 alarmed, and his escape be discov- 
 ered before he could flee to a place of 
 security. — Hoiv the Lord had brought 
 him, ^c. He regarded his deliver- 
 ance as miraculous. " How vain is 
 the power of man when opposed to 
 that of God ! Peter is seized by 
 order of the king; he is enclosed 
 within a triple wall ; he is watched 
 by more than a usual number of 
 guards, and he is fastened by a chain 
 to his keepers : but all these pre- 
 cautions are to no purpose, and had 
 they been multiplied tenfold, they 
 would have been equally ineffectual. 
 The chains dropped from his hands ; 
 the keepers are thrown into a deep 
 sleep, and the iron gates open of 
 their own accord. Vain is the con- 
 test between an arm of flesh and the 
 arm of Omnipotence ! All strength 
 is His ; the powers of nature are 
 only his energy; let not mortals, 
 however exalted, dare to oppose his 
 councils." Kenrick. — Unto James. 
 This was James the Less, so called, 
 as James the Elder or Greater had 
 been put to death. Ver. 2. He was 
 
 VOL. III. IQ 
 
 the son of Alpheus and Mary ; " the 
 brother," or cousin of our Lord, the 
 author of the epistle by his name, 
 and the president or bishop of the 
 church at Jerusalem. See Mat. x. 
 3 ; Mark xv. 40 ; Acts xv. 13, 22 ; 
 Gal. i. 19, ii. 12. Peter directs them 
 to inform James, as being the leading 
 officer in the church. — To the breth- 
 ren. Many were probably elsewhere 
 supplicating Heaven in behalf of tlieir 
 doomed friend. The ardent nature 
 of Peter, independently of the com- 
 mon ties of Christian brotherhood, 
 had knit many souls in closest affec- 
 tion to himself. They prayed not 
 only for Peter the apostle, but for 
 Peter the beloved. — Went into an- 
 other place. Whither is unknown. 
 Cesarea, Rome, and other places, are 
 conjectured, by various critics re- 
 spectively. Antioch is as probable 
 as any one, since we find him there 
 in Gal. ii. 11, and back again at Je- 
 rusalem in Acts XV. 7. 
 
 18. Jls soon as it ivas day. The 
 guard continued asleep till morning, 
 and then first discovered the escape 
 of their prisoner. — JVb small stir 
 among the soldiers. They knew well 
 the severity of military discipline, 
 and shrank from the terrible penalty 
 which threatened them. 
 
 19. Sought for him — examined the 
 keepers. He took two measures 
 to regain his prisoner — a general 
 search, and a particular examination 
 
182 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And Herod was highly displeased with them of Tyre and 20 
 Sidon. But they came with one accord to him, and having 
 made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, desired peace, 
 because their country was nourished by the king's country. 
 
 of the sentinels. — That they should 
 he -put to death. Literally, "led 
 forth ; " by which is meant, accord- 
 ing to an idiom, led forth to die. It 
 was customary to inflict a severe pun- 
 ishment, usually death, upon guards 
 who suffered a prisoner, committed 
 to their keeping, to escape; or the 
 same penalty was imposed upon the 
 keepers as would have been exacted 
 of tiie prisoner who had fled. Her- 
 od, in the present case, had no be- 
 lief in a miracle being wrought; or, 
 if he had, labored to make an oj^po- 
 site impression upon the public ; and 
 therefore held the soldiers strictly 
 accountable, and treated them as if 
 Peter had escaped by their conni- 
 vance or assistance ; — unhappy vic- 
 tims of a tyrant's displeasure! His pas- 
 sions were disappointed of their grat- 
 ification in putting the holy apostle 
 to death, and he wreaks his insane 
 anger upon the innocent tools of his 
 own power I It Avas time that Heaven 
 should move, in its might, and sweep 
 such a pest from the face of the 
 earth. — To Cesarea, and there abode. 
 This city became the head-quarters 
 of Roman splendor and idolatry in 
 Judea, and the rulers of the country 
 oflen made it their abode. Chap. 
 XXV. 1, 4. The particular object of 
 Herod at this time is related by Jo- 
 sephus, in his Antiquities, who gives, 
 throughout this passage of history, 
 important corroborations of tlie nar- 
 rative of Luke. " Having now reign- 
 ed three whole years over all Judea, 
 he went to the city Cesarea, former- 
 ly called Strato's Tower. Here he 
 celebrated shows in honor of Cesar, 
 a festival having been appointed to 
 be observed there at this time for his 
 safety. On this occasion, there was 
 
 a vast resort of persons of rank and 
 distinction, from all parts of the 
 country." The king remained there 
 until his death, which occurred soon 
 afterwards. 
 
 ^0. ff'as highly displeased. This 
 is one word in Greek, and signifies 
 "bore a hostile mind," or, "intended 
 war." Agrippa could not actually 
 make war upon these cities, for he 
 and they were alike under the gov- 
 ernment of the Romans, who would 
 permit no hostilities among their com- 
 mon vassals. But he was probably 
 incensed at some collision between 
 the commercial interests of Tyre and 
 Sidon, and his oAvn city of Cesarea, 
 and opportunities were doubtless 
 open, if not for direct war, yet for the 
 infliction of serious injuries upon the 
 Phcenician cities ; for they depended 
 chiefly upon their maritime and man- 
 ufacturing resources for prosperity, 
 and looked to Galilee and Judea for 
 their bread stuffs. Any interruption of 
 trade, tlierefore, would prove detri- 
 mental to their interests. — Came 
 with one accord, i. e. ambassadors 
 came conjointly from both cities. 
 Tyre and Sidon. It was a matter 
 that affected the interests of both 
 places. — Having made Blastus, 8{c. 
 Having prevailed Avith Blastus for 
 his intercession with Herod, as he 
 Avas a chamberlain, or master of the 
 king's bed-chamber; an oflicer high 
 in authority and influence, as was 
 usual for persons occupying that post 
 in a royal court. — Desired peace. 
 Not that there was Avar before, but 
 they Avished for a settlement of the 
 existing difficulties. — Because their 
 countnj was nourished, S»-c., i. e. they 
 Avere dependent upon the territories 
 of Herod for their grain ; a species 
 
XII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 183 
 
 21 And upon a set day, Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon 
 
 22 his throne, and made an oration unto them. And the people 
 gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man. 
 
 23 And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he 
 gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms, and gave 
 
 of trade wliich they had carried on 
 from very early times with Palestine. 
 1 Kings v. 9, 11 ; Ezra iii. 7 ; Ezek. 
 xxvii. 17. Notliing is related in Jo- 
 sephns, or any other historian of that 
 period, of the animosity of Herod to 
 the Phoenicians, as it was not per- 
 haps of much moment, compared with 
 many occuiTcnces of the times. But 
 it is appropriately introduced by 
 Luke, as explaining the occasion on 
 which the adulation of the people 
 was paid to the king as to a god. 
 
 21-23. And upon a set day, S^-c. 
 The account of the death of Herod, 
 by Josephus, corresponds so well 
 with that here given by Luke, that it 
 will be proper to give it in full. " On 
 tlie second day of the shows, early 
 in the morning, he came into tlie 
 theatre, dressed in a robe of silver, 
 of most curious workmanship. The 
 rays of the rising sun, reflected from 
 so splendid a garb, gave him a ma- 
 jestic and awful appearance. In a 
 short time they began, in several 
 parts of the theatre, flattering accla- 
 mations, Avhich proved pernicious to 
 him. They called him a god, and 
 entreated him to be propitious to 
 them, saying, ' Hitherto we have re- 
 spected you as a man ; but now we 
 acknowledge you to be more than 
 mortal.' The king neither reproved 
 these persons, nor rejected the im- 
 pious flattery. Soon after this, cast- 
 ing his ey^^s upwards, he saw an owl 
 sitting upon a certain cord over his 
 head. He perceived it to be a mes- 
 senger of evil to him, as it had been 
 before (according to a German sooth- 
 sayer, when he was imprisoned by 
 Tiberius) of his prosperity, and was 
 struck with the deepest concern. 
 
 Immediately after this he was seized 
 with pain in his bowels, extremely 
 violent at the very first. Then, turn- 
 ing himself toward his friends, he 
 spoke to them in this manner : ' I, 
 your god, am required to leave this 
 Avorld — fate instantly confuting these 
 false applauses just bestowed upon 
 me ; I, who have been called im- 
 mortal, am hurried away to death. 
 But God's appointment must be sub- 
 mitted to. Nor has our condition in 
 this world been despicable ; Ave have 
 lived in the state which is accounted 
 happy.' While he was speaking 
 these words, he was oppressed with 
 the increase of his pains. He was 
 carried, therefore, with all haste to 
 his palace. These pains in his bow- 
 els continually tormenting him, he 
 expired in five days' time, in the 
 fifty-fourth year of his age, and of 
 his reign the seventh." The cor- 
 respondences between this account 
 and the briefer narrative of Luke 
 are numerous and striking, while the 
 differences also bear witness to their 
 independence and truth. (1.) Both 
 assign Cesarea as the place of Her- 
 od's death. (2.) Luke speaks of a 
 sot day ; Josephus styles it the sec- 
 oml day of the shows. (-3.) They 
 agree respecting the splendor of 
 the kini^'s dress, one giving a mi- 
 nute, and the other a general, de- 
 scription of it (4.) Luke says, he 
 sit upon his throne, and made an 
 oration ; the JoAvish historian repre- 
 sents him going to the theatre, to 
 preside over the sIioaa^s, AA'here, prob- 
 ably, a kind of throne Avas erected 
 for the convenience of the monarch. 
 (5.) Luke apparently attributes the 
 impious flittcry of the people to their 
 
iM 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 up the ghost. 
 
 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 24 
 
 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they 25 
 had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose 
 surname was Mark. 
 
 satisfaction with his speech, while 
 Josephus introduces it directly after 
 his account of the majesty and splen- 
 dor of his apparel ; but both causes 
 might have contributed to produce it 
 (6.) Both represent him as receiving 
 without rebuke the blasphemous ad- 
 ulation of the people. (7.) Botli har- 
 monize essentially respecting his dis- 
 ease, both as to its cause as a judg- 
 ment of Heaven against his impiety, 
 and as to its nature, as loathsome 
 and agonizing; though it has been 
 observed, Luke, supposed to be a 
 physician, Col. iv. 14, describes the 
 symptoms, while Josephus states re- 
 sults. — It is the voice of a god. By 
 which is to be understood the term, 
 in that subsidiary sense, common 
 among the Greeks and Romans, who 
 had many divinities in their my- 
 tliology. — The angel of the Lord 
 smote him. By this is indicated a 
 special interposition, or judgment 
 from God, described in terms com- 
 mon among the Jews. Ex. xii. 
 27 ; 2 Sam. xxiv. 16. — Because he 
 gave not God the glory. Josephus 
 assigns the same cause of his dis- 
 ease and death essentially, tliough 
 not in direct terms ; for he says the 
 acclamations proved pernicious to 
 him, and that the king neither re- 
 proved these persons nor rejected the 
 impious flattery. — He ims eaten of 
 ivorms. What his disorder was, is 
 matter of conjecture, though it Avould 
 appear to be the same as that with 
 which Antiochus Epiphanes is said to 
 have died, which is described in 2 
 Mac. ix. 5; also Herod the Great 
 and Maximinian. It was a most 
 hideous and painful disease, in Avhich 
 the flesh became putrefied, and worms 
 came forth as from tlie body of tlie 
 
 dead. — Gave up the ghost. Or, 
 more properly translated, " expired." 
 The death of Herod occurred about 
 A. D. 44. 
 
 24. Bud the word of God grew. 
 This is spoken as by way of con- 
 trast with the end of the persecutor. 
 Herod, the enemy of the church, the 
 slayer of an apostle, dies in agony 
 and shame ; but the word of God 
 comes forth from the fiery trial in 
 immortal brightness and power, to 
 spread its blessed influences over 
 wider circles of human beings. 
 
 25. Barnabas and Said returned, 
 i. e. to Antioch, from which they had 
 been deputed on a mission of be- 
 nevolence to the poor at Jerusalem. 
 Chap. xi. 29, ^.^ Fulfilled their 
 ministi-y. By which is meant, in the 
 present case, their service in behalf 
 of the temporal, rather than tlie 
 spiritual, wants of their brethren. — 
 Took with them John. See note on 
 ver. 12. We behold these indefati- 
 gable men of God pursuing their 
 mission witli a faith that never fal- 
 tered, and a love that never cooled. 
 If mighty were the miracles and won- 
 ders with which tlieir authority was 
 attended, even more mighty were the 
 resolution of will, and the fortitude 
 of endurance, with which they buf- 
 feted the pelting tempest of perse- 
 cution, and pressed onward in their 
 glorious career. O, what a living, 
 salient force was theirs, yet how 
 tempered with a divine peace — the 
 repose of the most vigorous and har- 
 monious life ! 
 
 The church has now weathered 
 the second stonn of persecution, but 
 one of the sacred band has fallen be- 
 neath the headsman's sword. The 
 Twelve are again broken in upon, 
 
XIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 185 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 Paid and Barnabas go upon a Mission into Cyprus and Asia Minor. The Dis- 
 course of Paul at Antiodi. 
 
 IMOW there were in the church that was at Antioch certain 
 prophets and teachers ; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called 
 Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been 
 
 and their shattered ring is never 
 more made whole. But with losses 
 come helps. The arm of the Lord is 
 again bared, and an apostle is de- 
 livered, and a persecutor laid low — 
 Peter is snatched from the very jaws 
 of destruction, and Herod is hurled 
 trom the summit of his glory: Could 
 we read the Acts of the Apostles 
 with a fresh mind, no history on 
 eirth, except ths evangelic record, 
 would be more moving and Avonder- 
 ful, more grand and pathetic. As 
 the curtain is drawn aside from one 
 scene after another, we seem to be 
 witnessing a new enactment of the 
 great drama of creation — the forma- 
 tion of a new heavens and a new 
 earth ; new lights take their places 
 in the firmament; new flowers and 
 trees spring from the regenerated 
 soil ; new creatures bound into be- 
 ing; new forces begin to act, new 
 elements to combine ; and, though 
 there are toils, and fears, and sins, in- 
 vading the newly-planted Elden of 
 the Lord — though there are seen 
 the stains of the martyr's blood — 
 though the footsteps of d mger, and 
 the "whispers of the tempter, penetrate 
 into this hallowed creation — we yet 
 seem to hear the ancient benediction 
 of the Maker — " and, behold, it was 
 very good " ! 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 The history, from this point, is al- 
 most exclusively occupied with the 
 travels and labors of Paul. The 
 chief interest of the cause is also 
 transferred from the holy land to 
 Gentile countries. 
 
 16* 
 
 1. Antioch. This populous and 
 frequented city was a fine radiating 
 point for the diffusive light of Chris- 
 tianity. And as soon as a church 
 had been formed by preachers from 
 Jerusalem, fleeing hitlier for their 
 lives, chap. xi. 19, it became itself a 
 living centre of influence, in turn, 
 and despatched missionaries to yet 
 new fields of labor. Such is the ex- 
 pansive benevolence of the gospel. 
 — Prophets and teachers. It has 
 been inferred from Rom. xii. 6, 7 ; 1 
 Cor. xii. 28 ; Eph. iv. 11, that there 
 was a distinction between these 
 classes, but of what nature cannot 
 be certainly determined ; perhaps 
 prophets were public, and teachers 
 private, instructors of the church ; 
 though the same persons might 
 hold both offices, the diflference con- 
 sisting in gifts rather than in indi- 
 viduals. — Barnabas. Chap. ix. 27, 
 xi. 22, 26. — Simeon that ivas called 
 JViger. A Latin cognomen, mean- 
 ing "black." He was so called 
 probably on account of his color. 
 His history is unknown. — Lucius. 
 This is the same individual, in all 
 likelihood, mentioned in Rom. xvi. 
 21, — Cyrene. A city in Northern 
 Africa. Chap. ii. 10, and note. — 
 Manaen, which had been brought up 
 vnth. Or, as the margin better reads, 
 " foster brother." Nothing furtlier 
 is l<nov>'n of tliis person, except the 
 interesting fact here stated, that he 
 was the youthful companion of Her- 
 od, agreeably to the custom of the 
 East, by which the sons of princes 
 and rulers have lads of their own age 
 brought up with them as their play- 
 
186 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they minis- 2 
 tered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me 
 Barnabas and Saul, for the work whereunto I have called them. 
 And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on 3 
 
 mates and school-fellows. Many 
 cases like the above are cited from 
 ancient authors. Though educated 
 amidst pomp and luxury, Manaen 
 yet proved faithful to the highest 
 convictions of his soul, and wel- 
 comed the gospel, when offered to 
 him, as the guide of life. — Herod 
 the tetrarch, i. e. Herod Antipas, 
 Mat. xiv. 1, not Herod Agrippa, 
 chap. xii. He was the son of Herod 
 the Great, who sent him and his 
 brother Archelaus, Mat ii. 22, in 
 their youtli, to Rome to be educated. 
 His connexion with Manaen was 
 earlier in life, in the nursery. 
 
 2. Ministered to the Lord. Per- 
 formed religious services of prayer 
 and praise. See note on Luke i. 23. 
 
 — Fasting. It is the opinion of 
 Kemick, that these exercises of sup- 
 plication and fasting were of an un- 
 usually solemn kind, and instituted 
 for the purpose of invoking miracu- 
 lous aid. For this aid, "though 
 sometimes given unasked, could at 
 other times only be procured by 
 prayer, and that of the most solemn 
 and earnest kind. Accordingly, our 
 Saviour says, when speaking of de- 
 mons, ' This kind goeth not out, but 
 by prayer and fasting.' Mat. xvii. 21." 
 
 — The Holy Ghost said. There is 
 no assertion or implication here of 
 the personality of the Holy Spirit 
 apart from God himself, as has been 
 conceded by Trinitarian writers 
 themselves. See Wilson's remark- 
 able Concessions of Trinitarians. 
 Clarke paraphrases thus : " A reve- 
 lation of the divine will was made to 
 some person present ; " and Kuinoel 
 says, "The Divine Spirit, namely, 
 God, admonished them by some one 
 belonging to the church ; by a proph- 
 
 et" — Separate me. Old idiom, for 
 " separate for me," or, " to me." The 
 doctrine among believers in High 
 Church measures, and the Papal or 
 Episcopal mode of ecclesiastical gov- 
 ernment and apostolic succession, is, 
 that Saul and Barnabas were set 
 apart and consecrated as apostles at 
 this time. But tliere is no proof On 
 the contrary, the present consecra- 
 tion was not an investiture for a gen- 
 eral and perpetual office, but an ap- 
 pointment to a particular work, a 
 missionary tour in Asia Minor and 
 the Levant Besides, if such a con- 
 secration took place, it was under 
 the sanction and auspices of inferior, 
 or at most of equal, officers of the 
 clmrch with Paul and Barnabas 
 themselves. A fountain cannot flow 
 higher than its source. Paul derives, 
 too, his authority from a different 
 origin, in Gal. i. 1. Barnabas, more- 
 over, is seldom called an apostle, and 
 that not directly. Chap. xiv. 4 ; 1 
 Cor. ix. 6. They had already preached 
 the gospel before this time, chap. xi. 
 25, 26, and exercised as much power 
 as afterwards, so far as gifts and in- 
 fluences were concerned. The idea 
 that Paul Avas chosen by Jesus to 
 occupy the place of Judas, which the 
 apostles filled without authority by 
 the choice of Mattliias ; or that he 
 was substituted in lieu of James the 
 Greater, who suffered martyrdom, 
 chap, xii. 2, and that Barnabas was to 
 take the post of James the Less, who 
 was bishop of the church at Jerusa- 
 lem, is mere conjecture, without proof 
 or probability. — The work. Not an 
 office, but a work, a mission abroad. 
 3. Fasted and prayed. These were 
 not the same exercises as those 
 spoken of in ver. 2, but specially 
 
XIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 187 
 
 4 them, they sent them away. So they, being sent forth by the 
 
 Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia; and from thence they 
 
 5 sailed to Cyprus. And when they were at Salamis, they 
 preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And 
 
 6 they had also John to their minister. And when they had gone 
 through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a 
 
 designed to dismiss the apostles on 
 their great errand of benevolence. — 
 They laid their hands on them. This 
 was a moral, not an official act ; de- 
 signed not to confer the gifts of the 
 Spirit, or qualifications for their work, 
 or authority from any ecclesiastical 
 body, but to invoke a blessing upon 
 tliose beloved and gifted ones, who 
 were about to plunge into tlie mid- 
 night of the Gentile world, and en- 
 counter all the terrible dangers and 
 sufferings of persecution. Paul re- 
 peatedly and earnestly asserts his 
 apostolic authority from God, not 
 from man. Rom. i. 1 ; 1 Cor. i. 1 ; 
 2 Cor. i. 1 ; Gal. i. 1 ; Eph. i. 1 ; Col. 
 i. 1 ; 2 Tun. i. 1. 
 
 4. Being sent forth by the Holy 
 Ghost. It is conceded by Williams, 
 a Trinitarian writer, that the simple 
 sense of this passage is, that " Bar- 
 nabas and Saul were, by divine di- 
 rection, sent out from the churcli of 
 Antioch, on a special mission to the 
 heathen ;" and by Kuinoel that they 
 acted " under the monition and reve- 
 lation of the Spirit of God," which is 
 Ctod. — Seleucia. This was the port 
 of Antioch, situated about 15 miles 
 west of that city, on the Mediterra- 
 nean Sea, at the mouth of the River 
 Orontes, in Syria. It took its name 
 from Seleucus Nicanor, — one of the 
 generals and successors of Alexander 
 the Great, — by whjm it was built. 
 — Sailed to Cyprus. This island is 
 about 60 miles south-west from Se- 
 leucia, in the Mediterranean, or in 
 that part of it called the Sea of Ciiicia. 
 See note on chap. iv. 36. This was 
 the first journey of Paul. 
 
 5. They were probably induced 
 to visit this island, because it had 
 been the country of Barnabas, and 
 the gospel had already been preached 
 there before. Chap. xi. 19. — Sala- 
 7nis. This city was the capital, situ- 
 ated on the south-east part of Cy- 
 prus. It was built by Teucer, who 
 gave it the name of tlie island of Sal- 
 amis, from which he had been ban- 
 ished. It was subject to earthquakes. 
 It has been successively called Con- 
 stantia and Salina. — In the syna- 
 goscues of the Jews. The Joavs were 
 uniformly addressed first by the dis- 
 ciples, and if they turned a deaf ear, 
 the apostles then resorted to tlie 
 Gentiles. The synagogues furnished 
 excellent openings for preaching 
 Christianity to the Jews. — They had 
 also John to their minister. Or, " for 
 their servant," or, attendant. Chap, 
 xii. 12. He was the evangelist, oth- 
 erwise called Mai'k. In travelling 
 from place to place, occupied as they 
 were with the important duties of 
 their office, they naturally required 
 some one to attend to their secular 
 concerns, and provide for their con- 
 veniences and wants. 
 
 6. Had gone through the island 
 unto Paphos. The extent of the isl- 
 and, from east to west, was between 
 400 and 500 miles, which Avas trav- 
 ersed by Paul and his companions in 
 their work of mercy. — Paphos, sit- 
 uated on the western extremity of 
 Cyprus, was celebrated for its luxury 
 and licentiousness, and contained a 
 splendid temple dedicated to Venus, 
 AvJiose Avorship Avas of the most dis- 
 solute character. City and temple 
 
188 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus : which was 7 
 with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man ; 
 who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word 
 of God. But Elyraas the sorcerer (for so is his name by inter- 8 
 pretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from 
 
 were both destroyed by an earth- 
 quake, so that not a trace Avas left. — 
 Sorcerer. In the original, " Magus," 
 a magician. Chap. viii. 9. — A false 
 prophet. Or, pretended teacher, who 
 hypocritically professed inspiration. 
 — Bar-jesus, i. e. the son of Jesus or 
 Joshua, Bar being the Syriac for 
 son ; thus Barjona, signifying the 
 son of Jonas, Bartholomew the son 
 of Tolmai. 
 
 7. The deputy. The original is 
 " proconsul." It was the custom of 
 the Romans, after the accession of 
 Augustus to the empire, to divide 
 their provinces into two classes ; one 
 of which belonged to the emperor, 
 and was under the administration 
 of officers called proprdors, but the 
 other to the senate and ]loman peo- 
 ple, and was governed by procon- 
 suls. Cyprus had been a propreto- 
 rian province, but it had been trans- 
 ferred, before the present time, as 
 als ) Narbonese Gaul, to the senate, 
 and the presiding officer was there- 
 fore called a proconsul, as in the 
 text ; for a coin has been discovered 
 containing an inscription employing 
 tlie very same title of proconsul in 
 relation to Proclus, who m xt suc- 
 ceeded Sergius Paulus in the gov- 
 ernment of this island. An ancient 
 inscription, in the time of Caligula, 
 the predecessor of Claudius, the 
 present emperor, also styles Aquilius 
 Scaura proconsul of the province of 
 Cyprus. The accuracy of Luke, 
 therefore, in applying this title to the 
 ruler of the island, is triumphantly 
 vindicated, and he is proved to be 
 thoroughly acquainted witli the facts 
 which he related. These incidental 
 proofs carry with them the greater 
 
 weight, because they are incidental. 
 
 — Sergius Paulus. Nothing further 
 is known of this individual except 
 what is contained in the present 
 record. — Prudent. Sensible, intel- 
 ligent, sagacious. — IFho called for, 
 ^■c. His religious tendencies had 
 been already exhibited in his having 
 Elymas with him, for that individual, 
 doubtless, mingled some truths Avith 
 his tissue of pretence and sophistry, 
 and the Roman turned towards the 
 feeblest glimmering of light. When, 
 therefore, he heard of the coming of 
 the new preachers, he sought their 
 instructions with candor and earn- 
 estness*; nor sought in vain. 
 
 8. Elymas. This word means, in 
 Arabic, "Magus," or, "sorcerer," and 
 hence the epithet which was applied 
 to him, on account of his profession. 
 
 — Seeking to turn away, &fc. This 
 pretender not only sought to dispute 
 the ground with the new claimants 
 to public att' ntion, but also to alien- 
 ate their distinguished convert. His 
 interest was involved in supplanting 
 the apostles, and he hesitated at no 
 means, however bad, to effect his 
 purpose. The character of tins in- 
 dividual, like his profession, resem- 
 bled that of Sim.on Magus, whose 
 history is related in chap. viii. Re- 
 ligion, truth, Avere nothing to him, 
 except as they could be converted 
 for or against his own selfish ends. 
 " So prevalent Avas the practice of 
 sorcery among the Jews," accord- 
 ing to the quotations of Lightfoot 
 from the Talmuds, "that many of 
 their judges, elders, or rabbins, are 
 said to have attained such a pro- 
 ficiency in magic or sorcery as to 
 surpass even those who made it 
 
XIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 189 
 
 9 the faith. Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the 
 10 Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtlety, 
 and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all right- 
 eousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the 
 
 their profession." Among the dis- 
 tinguished men of Rome, also, as in 
 the present case of Sergius Paul us, 
 there was often a curiosity to seek 
 the aid of these religious pretenders, 
 or sorcerers, who professed to be 
 wise in whatever related to the gods 
 and futurity. Though the gospel 
 had many enemies and obstacles, 
 there were none more fatal to its 
 pure spirit of truth and holiness than 
 these traders in divine things, these 
 quacks in wisdom ; for, whether tliey 
 embraced it like Simon, or rejected 
 it like Elymas, they alike breathed 
 upon it a poisonous influence, and 
 diffused a subtle virus through the 
 faith of generations to come. The 
 ancient philosophy, falsely so called, 
 the superstitions of the East, and the 
 craft of the old magicians, have in- 
 fected the creeds and practice of 
 large portions of Christian history, 
 as could be substantiated by a recur- 
 rence to facts. It was not strange, 
 therefore, that the apostles, clear- 
 sighted as to the future fortunes of 
 the church, shuddered at the ap- 
 proach of one of these men, as at the 
 sight of an adder ; and that Peter, on 
 a former occasion, and Paul, at tliis 
 time, expressed their strongest in- 
 dignation, and even let fly the ar- 
 rows of warning and punishment 
 
 9. Said, who also is called Paul. 
 The " also" would be more appropri- 
 ately placed after Paul. The name 
 of Saul is dropped at this place, and 
 that of Paul ever afterwards em- 
 ployed. The cause of this change 
 is unknown. If the apostle had two 
 names at the beginning, it is remark- 
 able that only one has been used 
 hitherto ; and it is not probable that 
 he adopted the name of Sergius Pau- 
 
 lus, as tliat would be for the greater to 
 receive a title from the less ; though 
 the use of Paid as a constant designa- 
 tion may have arisen first ajnong the 
 family and attendants of the procon- 
 sul. The adoption of a new name 
 did not, moreover, occur on account 
 of Paul's conversion, because, even 
 after that event, he still retained his 
 former one. We therefore conclude, 
 that the change took place out of 
 deference to Gentile preferences of 
 a Roman to a Hebrew name for the 
 apostle to the heathen world. The 
 meaning of Said is, desired, that of 
 Paul, small, little. But, though hav- 
 ing different senses, the words may- 
 have been the same essentially in 
 pronunciation, the Romans calling 
 Paul whom the Jews called Saul ; 
 as the Dutch call Hans, whom we 
 call John, and the French Jean, and 
 the Greeks and Latins Johannes, 
 and the Hebrews Jochanan. — Filled 
 ivith the Holy Ghost. " Filled with 
 the influence and inspiration of the 
 Holy Spirit, not under the impres- 
 sion of spleen or anger." — Set his 
 eyes on him. Implying intentness 
 and severity of look. 
 
 10. O full of all subtlety. Or, 
 fraud, guile, deceit — Mischief. The 
 Greek signifies " ease, or, lightness 
 of doing ; " hence a secondary mean- 
 ing of levity, wickedness, and de- 
 ception. Some conjecture a refer- 
 ence to his tricks of legerdemain 
 and sleight of hand, but it is unne- 
 cessary. — Thou child of the devil. 
 The same language was employed 
 by our Lord in respect to the Jews. 
 John viii. 44. See, also, 1 John iii. 
 8. But such a phrase does not en- 
 dorse tlie belief of the existence of 
 tlie devil, as a species of second 
 
1^ THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 Lord? And now behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, 11 
 and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And 
 immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he 
 went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the 12 
 deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished 
 at the doctrine of the Lord. 
 
 Almighty, and predicate of Elymas 
 a literal sonship to this malignant 
 being; but it is popular language, 
 fitted to convey, by a powerful illus- 
 tration, Paul's abhorrence of the sor- 
 cerer, as if he was too bad a man to 
 act simply under tlie guidance of his 
 own heart, but was actuated by the 
 reputed father of evil, the god of 
 wickedness and sin. — Of all right- 
 eousness. Of all goodness. The 
 heaping of epithet upon epithet, and 
 description upon description, identi- 
 fies the impassioned and imaginative 
 Paul of the Epistles, who rushes with 
 the stream of energetic tlioughts, and 
 overflows with vivid figures. — Wilt 
 thou not cease, &fc. He indignantly 
 inquires whether he would not cease 
 his impiety, and forbear perverting 
 the right ways of tlie Lord, or tliAvart- 
 ing the righteous purposes of Heaven 
 in the conversion of the proconsul, his 
 friends and people. A threat lurks 
 under such a remonstrance ; as much 
 as to say, that if he did not abstain 
 from further opposition, he would be 
 visited with temporal judgments. 
 
 11. T%e hand of the Lord is upon 
 thee. A Scripture phrase to express 
 an infliction of punishment, or a 
 chastisement of God. — JVot seeing 
 the sun, ^'c. He would suffer a tem- 
 porary blindness, so severe as not to 
 be able to distinguish the light of 
 the sun. — T^ei-e fell on him a mist, 
 &fc. As remarked by Bloomfield, 
 " The supervention of the blindness 
 is graphically described, by various 
 stages of the affection. First, a cloud, 
 as it were, came over the eyes, which 
 soon increased to darkness, and that 
 terminated in that total eclipse, in 
 
 which the sun is dark ! " — fVent 
 about, seeking some to lead him by the 
 haiid. " This state of Elymas is in- 
 imitably represented in one of the 
 cartoons of Raphael, in which his 
 whole figure expresses the depth of 
 distress, concern, uncertainty, and con- 
 fusion ; and, to use a word common 
 in exhibiting this matchless piece of 
 painting, he is blind from head to foot. 
 In this manner the text authorized 
 the painter to express the state of 
 this miserable culprit" The remarks 
 made upon the case of A.nanias and 
 Sapphira, in justification of their pun- 
 ishment by a summary death, are 
 essentially applicable to the present 
 instance of judicial visitation. See 
 chap, v., and notes thereon. It was 
 better that one man should be made 
 blind physically for a season, than 
 tliat multitudes, by his unrebuked 
 crafl and guile, should be made spirit- 
 ually blind to the great realities of 
 the gospel. Every lower good should 
 be freely sacrificed for a higher good. 
 12. fVhen he saiv what was done, 
 believed. We witness the result of 
 the punishment of Elymas, in estab- 
 lishing tlie faith of the proconsul. 
 Such was the intended effect of tlie 
 miracle, and in all likelihood its in- 
 fluence extended to other individuals. 
 Some traditions have been preserved 
 that the sorcerer himself was soften- 
 ed by his retribution, and became an 
 eminent disciple, but they are desti- 
 tute of credit. We have an instance, 
 in Sergius Paulus, of the rich and 
 powerful embracing Christianity, and 
 tlie epithet applied to him, in ver. 7, 
 was vindicated. If Christianity is 
 needed by the poor to sustain them 
 
XIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 191 
 
 13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they 
 came to Perga in Pamphylia : and John, departing from them, 
 
 14 returned to Jerusalem. But when they departed from Perga, 
 they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue 
 
 15 on the Sabbath day, and sat down. And after the reading of 
 the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto 
 them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of 
 
 under their peculiar trials, it is equal- 
 ly requisite to fortify the powerful 
 and prosperous against their beset- 
 ting temptations. Whatever the ex- 
 ternal condition be, it is needed by 
 every human soul, for its develop- 
 ment and nutriment as a soul, as 
 a spiritual intelligence holding im- 
 mortal relations to God and mankind. 
 Whether Paulus was baptized, and 
 received as an avowed adherent to 
 the Christian community, is not re- 
 lated, as no further history of his life 
 is recorded. 
 
 13. Paid and his company, i. e. 
 Barnabas and Mark, ■with perhaps 
 other converts from Cyprus, as it was 
 customary at times for delegations 
 of the brethren to accompany the 
 heralds of the cross in their expedi- 
 tions from one country to anotlier. 
 Chap. ix. 30, xvii. 15. — Loosed from 
 Paphos, i. e. sailed from this port 
 in Cyprus. — Perga in Pamphylia. 
 Pamphylia was one of the provinces 
 of Asia Minor. See note on chap. ii. 
 10. A voyage from Cyprus to this 
 country took them across the Cilician 
 Sea. Perga, the capital of Pamphylia, 
 stood upon the banks of the River 
 Cestus, about 1'2 miles from its mouth, 
 and was distinguished for what Ci- 
 cero calls " the most ancient and sa- 
 cred temple of the goddess Diana," 
 situated upon a neighboring moun- 
 tain. — John, departing from them. 
 Whether he turned back through 
 fear of danger, or impatience under 
 hardships, or the call of business at 
 home, his reasons were not satisfjic- 
 tory to Paul, chap. xv. 38, wlio after- 
 
 wards refused his company, though 
 he finally became reconciled to him, 
 and coupled endearing epithets with 
 his name. Col. iv. 10 ; Philemon 24 ; 
 2 Tim. iv. 11. — Returned to Jeru- 
 salem. Where his mother resided, 
 and owned a house. 
 
 14. Aniioch in Pisidia. Pisidia 
 was a district of Asia Minor, bounded 
 by Lycaonia on the north, Pamphy- 
 lia on the south, Cilicia and Cappado- 
 cia on the east, and Asia on the west 
 Antioch is called Antioch in Pisidia, 
 to distinguish it from tlie city of that 
 name, ver. 1, in Syria, chap. xi. 26. 
 It was, strictly speaking, in Phrygia, 
 but belonged to Pisidia, and was 
 situated about 90 miles north from 
 Perga. — On the Sabbath day. Cor- 
 responding to our Saturday. What- 
 ever part of the Avorld they visited, 
 they found Jewish synagogues, open 
 to their worship and exhortations. 
 — Sat down. They took the posi- 
 tion, in the house, of teachers or ex- 
 horters, so that it would be expected 
 that they should address the meeting 
 at the proper time. 
 
 15. AJler the reading of the law 
 and the prophets. See Luke iv. 17, 
 and note thereon. The Pentateuch, 
 or law of Moses, was divided into 
 sections, one of which was read each 
 Sabbath day, and the whole in the 
 course of the year. Such a portion 
 was also read from the prophets, in 
 conjunction with the law, at each 
 time, as would harmonize with it. 
 It is the conjecture of Bengel, that, 
 on this occasion, the reading lessons 
 were Deut. i. and Is. i., as these were 
 
199 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 exhortation for the people, say on. Then Paul stood up, 16 
 
 and beckoning with Ids hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that 
 fear God, give audience. The God of this people of Israel n 
 chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as 
 strangers in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought he 
 them out of it. And about the time of forty years suffered he 18 
 
 read together, and Paul seemingly re- 
 fers, in ver. 18, to Deut. i. 31. After 
 the Scriptures were read, it was cus- 
 tomary for the officers of the syna- 
 gogue, or some stranger present, to 
 expound and exhort — The rulers 
 of the synagogue. There were three 
 rulers to every synagogue, who reg- 
 ulated all its concerns, granted per- 
 mission to preach and exhort, and, 
 according to Lightfoot, possessed 
 also a civil power, and constituted 
 " the council of three," which settled 
 quarrels and rendered justice in 
 pecuniary transactions. The other 
 principal officer in a synagogue was 
 the minister, or " the angel of the 
 church," Rev. ii. iii., who prayed, 
 read, and exhorted. Luke iv. 20. — 
 Any word of exhortation, ifc. Paul 
 and Barnabas were invited, as stran- 
 gers, to address the people. The dis- 
 tance of Antioch from Jerusalem, 
 the head-quarters of their faith, natu- 
 rally rendered the congregation more 
 interested in hearing those who had 
 come from the holy city. — Say on. 
 Speak. 
 
 16. Beckoning with his liand. As 
 if to secure attention. Paul employ- 
 ed the opportunity to give a discourse 
 upon the gospel. He first made a vir- 
 tual acknowledgment of his faith in 
 the law and the prophets, by a rapid 
 sketch of the Jewish history, and then 
 argued the completion of the ancient 
 promises by the life, death, and res- 
 urrection of Jesus, whom he urged 
 upon their faith and obedience as the 
 true Messiah, who could not be neg- 
 lected or disobeyed with impunity. 
 This address bears some similarity 
 to that of Stephen, except in being 
 
 shorter, and being brought to an un- 
 broken conclusion, while Stephen 
 was interrupted before the end. — 
 Men of Israel, and ye tJiat fear God. 
 Here are the two classes described, 
 of genuine Jews, and proselytes from 
 among the Gentiles. Ver. 42, 43. 
 
 17. Paul commenced his address 
 with a conciliating tone, agreeably to 
 the rule of the ancient rhetoricians, 
 that a public speaker should seek in 
 his exordium, or introduction, to ren- 
 der his audience " attentive, docile, 
 and well disposed." — Chose our fa- 
 thers. The children of Israel were 
 selected from other nations for an 
 important, special end ; not for their 
 oAvn national aggrandizement, but for 
 the good of the whole family of man. 
 — Exalted the people, ^c. Notwith- 
 standing the bondage of Egypt, the 
 Israelites multiplied from a single 
 family into a great nation, and when 
 they Avere redeemed from slavery 
 they were numbered by myriads. 
 Ex. xii. 37. — With a high arm. 
 With an uplifted or outstretched 
 arm, expressive of a powerful mani- 
 festation of divine aid. Comp. Ex. 
 vii. - XV. ; Deut xxvi. 8. The mira- 
 cles in Egypt, and the passage of the 
 Red Sea, justified the phrases, " with 
 a strong hand," " with a high arm." 
 
 18. About the time of forty years. 
 The Hebrews spent this time in 
 journeying the short distance from 
 Egypt to Canaan through the deserts 
 of Arabia. Ex. xvi. 35 ; Deut viii. 
 2, 3. The old generation that was 
 sensualized by its bondage in Egypt, 
 and proximity to idolatry, must pass 
 away, and a new race come upon the 
 stage, better prepared to carry out 
 
xiii.] 
 
 OP THE APOSTLES. 
 
 193 
 
 ly their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed 
 seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to 
 
 20 them by lot. And after that, he gave unto them judges, about 
 the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the 
 
 the purposes of Heaven in the estab- 
 lishment of a pure worship on earth 
 — the germ of a boundless growth 
 of true faith through all ages and all 
 nations. — Suffered he their manners. 
 The best critics read, "Nourished, 
 or bore, or fed them as a nurse ; " 
 changing the word in the original 
 into another slightly different in 
 form, which is found in good author- 
 ities. The Israelites were guided 
 and guarded by a favoring Providence 
 in tiieir journeyings. Their disci- 
 pline was ordered for their best good, 
 and every visitation carried healing 
 and life in its train. When reduced 
 to extremity, they called upon the 
 God of their fathers, and they ever 
 found that his ear was not heavy 
 that it could not hear, nor his ann 
 shortened that it could not save. Ex. 
 xix. 4; Num. xi. 12; Deut. i. 31; 
 Is. xlvi. 4. 
 
 19. Destroyed seven nations, i. e. 
 the Canaanites, Hittites, Girgashites, 
 Amorites, Hivites, Perizzites, and 
 Jebusites. Deut. vii. 1 ; Josh. iii. 10. 
 These tribes Avere not utterly extir- 
 pated, but their national existence 
 was essentially broken. — He divided 
 their land to them hy lot. Or, he al- 
 lotted, or assigned them the land. 
 Josh. xiv. XV. Bishop Watson, in 
 his Apology for the Bible, remarks 
 that, " As to the Canaanites, it is 
 needless to enter into any proof of 
 the depraved state of their morals ; 
 they were a wicked people in the* 
 time of Abraham, and they, even 
 then, were devoted to destruction 
 by God ; but their iniquity was not 
 then full. In the time of Moses, 
 they were idolaters, sacrificers of 
 their own crying or smiling infants ; 
 devourers of human flesh ; addicted 
 
 VOL. III. 17 
 
 to unnatural lust; immersed in the 
 filthiness of all manner of vice. Now, 
 I think, it will be impossible to prove, 
 that it was a proceeding contrary to 
 God's moral justice to exterminate 
 so wicked a people. He made the 
 Israelites the executors of his ven- 
 geance ; and, in doing this, he gave 
 such an evident and terrible proof of 
 his abomination of vice, as could not 
 fail to strike the surrounding nations 
 with astonishment and terror, and to 
 impress on the minds of the Israelites 
 what tliey were to expect, if they 
 followed the example of tlie nations 
 whom he commanded them to cut 
 off. ' Ye shall not commit any of 
 tli,ese abominations, that the land 
 spew not you out also, as it spewed 
 out the nations that were before you.' 
 How strong and descriptive this lan- 
 guage ! The vices of the inhabitants 
 were so abominable, that the very 
 land was sick of them, and forced 
 to vomit tliem forth, as the stomach 
 disgorges a deadly poison ! " The 
 removal of the idolatrous tribes of 
 Canaan, and the introduction of a 
 new people, charged with a great 
 mission for the good of mankind, and 
 imbosoming in their sacred ritual the 
 purest ideas of God, were events as 
 justifiable as any judgments or dis- 
 pensations that occur in the admin- 
 istration of the divine government ; 
 by which life is freely sacrificed for 
 the promotion of great principles, a 
 lower good is made to yield to a 
 higher good, sin is punished, and 
 virtue is rewarded. 
 
 20. He srave unto them judges. Or, 
 " rulers ;" for this term is more com- 
 prehensive than that used in the re- 
 ceived version. " It may be observ- 
 ed," to use the language of Mihnan, 
 
194 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 prophet. And afterward they desired a king : and God gave 21 
 unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, 
 by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, 22 
 
 " that, although these men were, in 
 Hebrew phraseology, said to be rais- 
 ed up by the Lord, that is, inspired 
 with the noble design, and endowed 
 with ability, to deliver their country, 
 yet all their particular actions are no- 
 where attributed to divine direction." 
 — About the space of four hvndred 
 and ffty years, ^c. Here a discre- 
 pancy occurs between Paul and J 
 Kings vi. 1, which has been called 
 "the cross of chronologists." For 
 if we add to the 450 years, which 
 are here assigned to the judges, the 
 17 years of Joshua, the 40 of Sam- 
 uel and Saul, the 40 of David, and 
 the 3 of Solomon before the temple 
 was commenced, we have in all 
 about 590 years, instead of the 480 
 of 1 Kings vi. 1, from the exodus 
 out of Egypt to the fourth year of 
 Solomon. It is thought, therefore, 
 that the period under tlie judges 
 must be miscalculated by one or the 
 other writer. Paul appears to have 
 used the current computations of his 
 day ; for Josephus says that " Solo- 
 mon was now in the fourth year of his 
 reign, when he began his mighty 
 work, (the erection of the temple ;) 
 592 years from the Israelites' coming 
 out of Egypt ; 1020 years from Abra- 
 ham's coming out of Mesopotamia 
 into the land of Canaan ; 1440 from 
 the deluge ; and from tlie creation of 
 the world, 3102." Taking out of the 
 592 years of Josephus, 40 years in the 
 wilderness, and the periods of Josh- 
 ua, Samuel, Saul, and Solomon, reck- 
 oned above, and we have 452, about , 
 the same period as that assigned 
 by Paul for the time of the judges. 
 It may be impossible now to recon- 
 cile the text with the statement in ] 
 Kings vi. 1 ; but it should be borne 
 in mind, that the subject of ancient 
 chronology is involved tlyoughout 
 
 in much obscurity ; that as numbers 
 were expressed by letters, there was 
 much room for mistakes in transcrib- 
 ing; and that Paul agrees, in his 
 chronology, with Josephus, and the 
 prevalent computations of the Jews. 
 
 21. They desired a king. 1 Sam. 
 viii. 5 ; Deut xvii. 14, 15. It seems 
 not to have been originally intended 
 that tlie Hebrew government should 
 become a monarchy ; but it was ne- 
 cessary in this, as in another case, to 
 yield to the hardness of tlie hearts of 
 the people, Mat xix. 8, to their am- 
 bition and vanity. — Savl, the son of 
 Cis. Or, Kish. 1 Sam. ix. 1. — By 
 the space of forty years. Here is 
 also a difficulty in chronology. For 
 the reign of Saul alone was probably 
 but about twenty years, and to this 
 must be added that of Samuel's gov- 
 ernment, to make up the period of 
 forty years, which is doubtless the 
 true explanation; for Josephus also 
 speaks of the reign of Saul as ex- 
 tending over forty years, including a 
 portion of tlie life of Samuel. 
 
 22. Removed him. The cause is 
 related in I Sam. xv. He disobeyed 
 the commands of God by sparing the 
 Amalekites. He distrusted God, and 
 consulted a sorceress. 1 Sam. xxviii. 
 The Philistines conquered him in 
 battle, and he was driven by despair 
 to commit suicide. 1 Sam. xxxi. — 
 liaised up unto them David. 1 Sam. 
 xvi. From a shepherd boy, he be- 
 came the greatest monarch of the 
 age. — He gave testimony. Comp. 
 
 ,1 Sam. xiii. 14, with Ps. Ixxxix. 20. 
 — I have found David, a man after 
 mine own heart, S^-c. The high eu- 
 logy which is here pronounced upon 
 David's character, has been often mis- 
 understood. Infidelity has seized 
 hold of the crimes of David to slan- 
 der tlie cause of religion. It is im- 
 
Xlll.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 he raised up unto them David to be their king : to whom also he 
 gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a 
 
 portant to keep in mind the current 
 remark of the commentators, that the 
 praise bestowed upon him was rather 
 for his public than his private con- 
 duct, if such a distinction can be 
 made ; that he was a man after God's 
 OAvn heart, rather as David the king 
 than as David the man. For, as a 
 sovereign, he was faithful in uphold- 
 mg the worship of God, in checking 
 idolatry, and in the general mainte- 
 nance of the laws of J ehovah. 1 Kings 
 xiv. 8, 9, XV. 3, 5. He should be judged, 
 too, by the moral standard of his day, 
 not by Christian rules. The follow- 
 ing quaint, but beautiful, thoughts 
 m.ay, however, still further show that, 
 although he sinned, he repented, and 
 ever exhibited a heaven-seeking as- 
 piration. Edward Irving writes thus 
 of David : " The force of his charac- 
 ter was vast, and the scope of his life 
 was immense. His harp was full- 
 stringed, and every angel of joy and 
 of sorrow swept over the chords as 
 he passed ; but the melody always 
 breathed of heaven. And such oceans 
 of aifection lay witliin his breast as 
 could not always slumber in tlieir 
 calmness. For the hearts of a hun- 
 dred men strove and struggled to- 
 gether within the narroAV continent 
 of his single heart. And will the 
 scornful men have no sympathy for 
 one so conditioned, but scorn him 
 because he ruled not with constant 
 quietness the unruly host of divers 
 natures which dwelt within his single 
 soul ? Of self-command surely he will 
 not be held deficient, who endured 
 Saul's javelin to be so often launched 
 at him, while tlie people without were 
 willing to hail him king; who en- 
 dured all bodily hardships and taunts 
 of his enemies when revenge was in 
 his hand, and ruled his desperate 
 band like a company of saints, and 
 restrained them from their country's 
 
 injury. But that he should not be 
 able to enact all characters without a 
 fault, — the simple shepherd, the con- 
 quering hero, and the romantic lover ; 
 the perfect friend, the innocent out- 
 law, and the royal monarch ; the po- 
 et, the prophet, and the regenerator 
 of the church ; and withal the man, 
 the man of vast soul, who played not 
 these parts by turn, but was the origi- 
 nal of them all, and wholly present 
 in them all, — O ! that he should have 
 fulfilled this high-priesthood of hu- 
 manity, this universal ministry of 
 manhood, without an error, were 
 more than human. With tlie de- 
 fence of his backslidings, which he 
 hath himself more keenly scrutinized, 
 more clearly discerned against, and 
 more bitterly lamented, than any of 
 his censors, we do not charge our- 
 selves ; but if, when of these acts he 
 became convinced, he be found less 
 true to God and to righteousness, in- 
 disposed to repentance, and sorrow, 
 and anguish, exculpatory of himself, 
 stout-hearted in his courses, a formal- 
 ist in his penitence, or in any way 
 less worthy of a spiritual man in 
 those than in the rest of his infinite 
 moods, — then, verily, strike him from 
 the canon, and let his Psalms become 
 monkish legends, or what you please. 
 But if these penitential Psalms dis- 
 cover the soul's deepest hell of ago- 
 ny, and lay bare the iron ribs of mis- 
 ery, whereon the very heart dissolv- 
 eth ; and if they, expressing the same 
 in Avords, melt the soul that conceiv- 
 eth, and bow the head that uttereth 
 them, then, we say, let us keep tliese 
 records of tlie psalmist's grief and 
 despondency as tlie most precious of 
 his utterances, and sure to be needed 
 in the case of every man who essay- 
 eth to live a spiritual life." The fol- 
 lowing words, hardly sentences, are 
 from Carlyle. " David, the Hebrew 
 
196 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. Of this 23 
 man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised unto Israel 
 a Saviour, Jesus : when John had first preached, before his 24 
 coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 
 And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Who think ye that I 25 
 am ? I am not he. But behold, there cometh one after me, 
 whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. Men and 26 
 brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever 
 among you feareth God, to y©u is the word of this salvation 
 
 king, had fallen into sins enough ; 
 blackest crimes ; there was no want 
 of sins. And thereupon the unbe- 
 lievers sneer and ask, Is this your 
 man according to God's heart ? The 
 sneer, I must say, seems to me but a 
 shallow one. What are faults, what 
 are the outward details of a life, if 
 the inner secret of it, the remorse, 
 temptations, true, often-baffled, nev- 
 er-ended struggle of it, be forgotten ? 
 ' It is not in man that walketh to di- 
 rect his steps.' Of all acts, is not, 
 for a man, repentance the most di- 
 vine ? The deadliest sin, I say, were 
 that same supercilious consciousness 
 of no sin ; — that is death ; the heart 
 so conscious is divorced from sincer- 
 ity, humility, and fact ; is dead : it is 
 'pure' as dead, dry sand is pure. 
 David's life and history, as written 
 for us in those Psalms of his, I con- 
 sider to be the truest emblem ever 
 given of a man's moral progi-ess and 
 warfare here below. All earnest 
 souls will ever discern in it the faith- 
 ful struggle of an earnest human soul 
 towards what is good and best. Strug- 
 gle often baffled, sore baffled, down 
 as into entire wreck ; yet a struggle 
 never-ended ; ever, with tears, re- 
 pentance, true, unconquerable pur- 
 pose, begun anew. Poor human na- 
 ture ! Is not a man's walking, in 
 truth, always that ? ' a succession of 
 falls.' Man can do no other. In 
 this wild element of a life, he has to 
 struggle onwards ; now fallen, deep- 
 abased ; and ever, with tears, re- 
 
 pentance, with bleeding heart, he has 
 to rise again, struggle again still on- 
 wards. That his struggle be a faith- 
 ful, unconquerable one : that is the 
 question of questions." 
 
 23. Of this man's seed, 8fc. Agree- 
 ably to the prediction. Is. xi. 1 - 10 : 
 '• And there shall come forth a rod 
 out of tlie stem of J esse, and a branch 
 shall grow out of his roots," &c. 
 The whole tenor of prophecy was, 
 that the Messiah would be the son 
 of David. — Raised unto Isi'ael. Un- 
 to Israel first, but not exclusively. 
 Griesbach reads " brought," instead 
 of " raised." — A Saviour, Jesus. See 
 note on Mat. i. 21. 
 
 24, 25. When John had first 
 preached, before his coming, i. e. be- 
 fore the mission of Jesus, John had 
 already preached the baptism of re- 
 pentance, or proclaimed a moral ref- 
 ormation of the people, of which 
 baptism was the sign and seal. Mat. 
 iii. ; Mark i. — As John fulfilled his 
 course. Or, better, " while John was 
 fulfilling his course ; " a metaphor 
 taken from the ancient games of 
 running in the stadium. — / am not 
 he, S,T. Luke iii. 16; John i. 20. 
 The humility and disinterestedness 
 of these words give us an impressive 
 idea of the elevated virtue and holy 
 integrity of tlie Baptist. Paul wise- 
 ly introduced the testimony of John, 
 because the people entertained a 
 great reverence for him, believing 
 him to be a true prophet. 
 
 20. Men and brethren, i. e. without 
 
XIU.l 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 197 
 
 27 sent. For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because 
 they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are 
 read every Sabbath day, they have fulfilled them in condemning 
 
 28 him. And though they found no cause of death in him, yet 
 
 29 desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had 
 fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from 
 
 the idiom, " brethren." — Children of 
 the stock, ^c, i. e. Jews. — Whosoever 
 among you jeareth God, i. e. prose- 
 lytes of^ the Gentiles. It has been 
 observed that Paul does not, at this 
 time, declare the accession of the 
 Gentiles to the privileges of the Mes- 
 siah, since it Avould only excite their 
 prejudices before the truth could 
 gain a foothold in their minds. — 
 The word of this salvation is sent. Or, 
 the message or doctrine of this sal- 
 vation ; so denominated because, by 
 it, a sinful world would be redeemed 
 from its guilt and miseries, and a way 
 of reconciliation and peace with God 
 opened to the returning penitent. 
 
 27. They thai dwell at Jerusalem, 
 &i'c. The crime of rejecting the 
 Messiah, and putting him to death, 
 particularly rested upon the inhabit- 
 ants and rulers of the holy city. 
 Paul hints that the Jews of Antioch 
 were as yet innocent, and it behoved 
 them to beware implicating them- 
 selves in the iniquity of their coun- 
 trymen. — Kiiew him not, S,'c., i. e. 
 did not recognize or acknowledge 
 him as the Messiah. This was the 
 only mitigation of their offence. 
 Luke xxiii. *M. They were, how- 
 ever, answerable for their ignorance, 
 for if they had not chosen darkness, 
 tliey might have seen the true light. 
 Obstinacy, prejudice, suppression of 
 their real convictions, had plunged 
 them into voluntary night. — Proph- 
 ets which are real every Sabbath day. 
 A portion of the prophets was read 
 every week, in connexion with the 
 regal ar lesson in the law. See note 
 on ver. 15. But although the proph- 
 17* 
 
 ecies were read, they were not un- 
 derstood — a fact true to this day, so 
 far as the JeAvs are concerned. If 
 any thing is more important than the 
 reading of the word of God, it is that 
 it should be understood. — They have 
 fidfiUed, ^-c. The Jews unwittingly 
 fulfilled the old predictions by their 
 condemnation of their Messiah ; for 
 it had been intimated that he would 
 be " a man of sorrows, and acquaint- 
 ed with grief." Luke xxiv. 44-46 ; 
 Is. liii. 3. 
 
 28. Though they found no cause 
 of death, i. e. no just cause. This 
 circumstance gave the darkest hue 
 of guilt to their conduct. They put 
 an innocent being to the most dread- 
 ful death. Although tliey changed 
 the gi'ound of accusation, first char- 
 ging him with blasphemy, a religious, 
 and then with sedition, a political, 
 offence ; summoned false witnesses ; 
 adjured the prisoner himself, and 
 used every art which malice could 
 devise, or tyranny could execute; 
 yet his betrayer, judges, execution- 
 ers, and the spectators, all agreed, 
 with singular unanimity, that he died 
 a death of fearful injustice. Mat. 
 xxvii. 4 ; Luke xxiii. 14, 15, 22, 27, 
 47, 48. 
 
 29. Fulfilled all. See Luke xxiv. 
 26, 27; John xix. SO.— They took 
 him down, ^-c, i. e. he was taken 
 down ; or those who put him to death 
 were instrumental of his being taken 
 down, or of all the consequences 
 which followed his deatli ; Luke xxiii. 
 53 ; though Joseph and Nicodemus, 
 with their friends, not the rulers and 
 soldiers, actually performed the fu- 
 
198 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [ClIAP. 
 
 the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. But God raised him from 30 
 the dead: and he was seen many days of them which came up 31 
 with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto 
 the people. And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the 32 
 promise which was made unto the fathers, God hath fulfilled the 33 
 same unto us their children, in that he hath raised up Jesus 
 again J as it is also written in the second psalm, Thou art my 
 Son, this day have I begotten thee. And as concerning that he 34 
 raised him up from the dead, now no more to return to corrup- 
 tion, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of 
 David. Wherefore he ^aith also in another psalm, Thou shalt 35 
 not suffer thy Holy One to see corruption. For David, after he 36 
 had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, 
 and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption : but he, whom 37 
 
 neral rites. — The tree. The cross. 
 
 30, 31. But God raised him, S,-c. 
 But he met Avith different treatment 
 from God, who restored him to hfe, 
 and vindicated his cause. The mir- 
 acle of the resurrection is always at- 
 tributed directly to the agency of 
 God. — Seen mxtmj days, ^'c. Forty 
 days. The strongest possible evi- 
 dence of the reality of his return to 
 life was afforded by his being seen 
 by many and few, in different places, 
 during a considerable period, per- 
 forming various actions, and uttering 
 lessons such as belonged only to 
 him to speak and do ; and, finally, by 
 his disappearance into the heavens, 
 in open day, from his gazing disci- 
 ples. Chap. i. 1-11; x. 41. 
 
 32, 33. Glad tidings, how that the 
 promise. It was a matter of joy to 
 the Jews that the Messiah had come, 
 for they regarded him as the deliv- 
 erer of their nation, and every heart 
 beat with impatience for tlie estab- 
 lishment of his kingdom. — Raised up 
 Jesus again. Or, simply, "raising 
 up," or appointing Jesus as the Mes- 
 siah. Not the resurrection, but the 
 original ordination of Jesus as the 
 Messiah, is here described. — In the 
 second psalm. Ps. ii. 7. Griesbach 
 
 and many other critics read, "the 
 first psalm;" because the first psalm 
 was formerly reckoned by the Jews 
 as a preface, and the second stood as 
 the first ; or the first two psalms were 
 reckoned as one, and the passage 
 here quoted was thus included in the 
 first — Thou art my son, ^x. Spoken 
 of the relation between God and the 
 Messiah, who, as the vicegerent of 
 God, is figuratively called his Son, 
 and Avliom, therefore, he is figura- 
 tively said to beget, i. e. to appoint, 
 to declare as a king. Heb. i. 5, v. 5. 
 34-37. ^'Is concerning that he 
 raised him up from the dead. Here 
 is reference to tlie resurrection. Ver. 
 30. — JVo more to return to corrup- 
 tion. The body of Christ had not 
 been in corruption at all, as it was 
 raised before decomposition ; but this 
 expression is used with relation to 
 dying again, and being buried. Christ 
 had been raised to an immortal life. 
 — / loUl give you the sure mercies of 
 David. See Is. Iv. 3. What is here 
 meant is, tlie promise that the line of 
 David should be continued on the 
 throne forever, which was spiritually 
 fulfilled in the everlasting kingdom 
 of Christ. The ratification of this 
 covenant was sealed by the resur- 
 
XIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 \99 
 
 38 God raised again, saw no corruption. Be it known unto you 
 therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached 
 
 39 unto you the forgiveness of sins; and by him all that believe are 
 justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by 
 
 rection of our Lord from the dead ; 
 for had he not been raised up, the 
 promise would have been broken. — 
 In another psalm. Ps. xvi. 10. See 
 an explanation of this and the fol- 
 lowing sentences in chap. ii. 25 - 34, 
 and the notes thereon. God did not 
 suffer the lineage of David to fail, but 
 preserved his successors to the time 
 of Jesus, raised liim up as the eter- 
 nal King of Israel, and thus made 
 sure to him the mercies which he 
 hid promised of old. This coiu-se 
 of arguing was well adapted to pro- 
 duce a vivid impression upon the 
 Jews, and to convince them of the 
 reality of Christ's advent, and the 
 sinfulness of opposing his claims. — 
 Served his own generation. Or, bet- 
 ter, "served or performed the will of 
 God in his age or day ; " which he 
 did by the energy with which he 
 maintained the worship of God, and 
 suppressed the idolatrous tendencies 
 of his people. — Fell on sleep. Or, 
 slept ; or, died. — JVas laid unto his 
 fathers. An allusion to the manner 
 of burying in the East, by which a 
 whole family or lineage were succes- 
 sively buried in the same tomb or 
 catacomb, until it was filled with 
 dead bodies. — Saw no corruption. 
 The case of Jesus was to be distin- 
 guished from other individuals who 
 ii id been raised from the dead, as 
 Lazarus, and the widow's son of 
 Nain; for they died again, and re- 
 turned to corruption, but he rose to 
 the spiritual world, and entered Avith- 
 in the veil, where decay and death 
 cannot come. The prophecies, and 
 the preaching of John the Baptist, all 
 bore united and irresistible testimo- 
 ny to his Messiahship, and the duty 
 of belief and obedience. 
 
 38, 39. Men and brethren. Breth- 
 ren. — Is preached unto you the for- 
 giveness of sins. Luke xxiv. 47. 
 Men are sinners. They are all sick 
 with a moral disease. The gospel is 
 the remedy, and Christ the Physician. 
 For he encourages men to repent by 
 the assurance of pardon. He reveals 
 the rich mercy of God to every re- 
 turning sinner. He cherishes the 
 holy desire of reconciliation and 
 peace, breaks not the bruised reed 
 of a penitential emotion, nor quench- 
 es tlie smoking flax of a heaven- 
 lifled aspiration ready to burst into a 
 pure flame. He treats men as they 
 are, meets them on their own level, 
 and shows tliem the awful nature and 
 consequences of their transgressions ; 
 but bids them, nevertheless, hope, 
 with full assurance in God, as a 
 Father, ready to help them escape 
 the toils and snares of sin, merciful 
 to forgive, and plenteous in redemp- 
 tion. Here lies the secret of the 
 power and salvation of the gospel. 
 It shows us that God loves us, loves 
 us even in our sins, cannot consent 
 that we should perish, pleads with us 
 in a voice of parental tenderness, but 
 of Avarning ; and has, in giving us his 
 Son to live and die for us, demon- 
 strated more powerfully than words 
 could do, that, if we would not be 
 dead to all that is good, and true, and 
 fair, and quench tlie great immortal 
 hope of our being, we must cast away 
 every sin, and turn to him and live. 
 — All that believe are justified from 
 all things, ^*c. We here alight, for 
 the first time, on the Pauline idea of 
 Justification, the grand key to the 
 epistles, the central principle of this 
 apostle's faitli, and the characteristic 
 of his whole religious system. ^ He 
 
»dO 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 the law of Moses. Beware therefore, lest that come upon you 40 
 which is spoken of in the prophets ; Behold, ye despisers, and 41 
 wonder, and perish : for I work a work in your days, a work 
 which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it 
 unto you. 
 
 contrasted here, as he did through 
 several of his epistles, the gospel 
 with the law of Moses. The law 
 was a rigid master ; it exacted the 
 utmost penalty for every sin. It was 
 sternly just. But it dealt with ex- 
 ternals ; it walked by sight. It pre- 
 scribed this offering, or that sacrifice, 
 for the wrong-doer, and the heart 
 might still be far away from true 
 penitence, though the outward act 
 was performed to a punctilio. The 
 law, then, could not justify a sinner. 
 It was not to be expected, for that 
 was not its leading aim. It was a 
 ritual, a schoolmaster, a disciplina- 
 rian, to clear the way for higher truth, 
 and a holier service. A man might, 
 as the Pharisees did, perfonu every 
 item of legal requirement, so far as 
 outward exercises were concerned, 
 and yet be a veiy sepulchre, as they 
 were, of moral rottenness and death. 
 But the gospel, according to Paul, 
 emphasized faith, a moral, spiritual 
 sentiment of the heart, as alone en- 
 titling man to be justified, or treated 
 as just by God. He had come un- 
 der a new and advanced teacher, 
 Christ, who had to do with the heart, 
 Avhose eye pierced the motives of 
 conduct, and judged the character 
 like the all-seeing God. The law 
 was " weak," as the apostle else- 
 where says; it did not appeal, like 
 the message of the Crucified One, to 
 the heart. It did not justify the sin- 
 ner, because it could not so power- 
 fully help him to repent of his sins, 
 and fulfil the single condition of jus- 
 tification, viz., Repenta>xe and 
 Reformation. If a Jew did, by 
 any means, repent, however, he was 
 pardoned as much as a Christian is 
 
 now. See Ezek. xviii. xxxiii. But 
 faith, full, undoubting confidence in 
 Christ, justifies the transgressor, be- 
 cause it works a moral revolution in 
 his character, assures him of the 
 goodness of God, and convinces him 
 that, if he still suffers some of the 
 consequences of his sins, even after 
 repentance, yet that God has can- 
 celled others, and will treat and love 
 him as his child, as if he had never 
 strayed, and will open to him the 
 whole heaven of love and blessed- 
 ness, and bid the angels rejoice over 
 his recovery. Rom. viii. 1. 
 
 40, 41. Beware therefore, ^'c. Prob- 
 ably Luke gives only the leading 
 ideas of Paul's address, not the Avhole, 
 word for word. These two verses 
 contain the sum of the whole matter, 
 tlie conclusion from all the foregoing 
 reasoning, viz., the importance of 
 heeding the heaven sent Teacher, 
 and the ruin of disobedience. — In 
 the prophets. The twelve minor 
 prophets, from Hosea to Malachi, 
 were reckoned by the Jews as one 
 book, and hence the quotation is said 
 to be taken from the prophets. See 
 Ilab. i. 5. — Behold, ye despisers, ^t. 
 The warning in Habakkuk was di- 
 rected to the Jews, in view of the ap- 
 proaching destruction of their nation 
 by the Chaldeans; and the predic- 
 tion was fulfilled in the Babylonish 
 captivity. Paul quotes this passage 
 as highly appropriate to the circum- 
 stances of his hearers, who would 
 witness, in their day, a retribution 
 of the most terrible kind inflicted by 
 the Romans upon the Jewish nation. 
 — A ivork which yov shall in no imse 
 believe, ^'c. It was so incredible that 
 their city and temple could be de- 
 
XIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 201 
 
 42 And when the Jews were gone out of the synagogue, the 
 Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them 
 
 43 the next Sabbath. Now, when the congregation was broken 
 up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and 
 Barnabas; who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in 
 
 4t the grace of God. And the next Sabbath day came almost the 
 
 45 whole city together to hear the word of God. But when the 
 
 Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake 
 against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting 
 
 stroyed, that the strongest assertions 
 of Christ and his apostles produced 
 no effect upon the people, but they 
 madly rushed on, in their career to 
 ruin, with an irresistible momentum. 
 As a matter of history, it is well 
 known that all the disciples of Jesus, 
 giving heed to his warnings, escaped 
 tiie destruction which overtook the 
 immense mass of their countrymen. 
 
 42. The Jews — the Gentiles. These 
 words are expunged from the text 
 by Griesbach and other trustworthy 
 critics, and the verse reads thus: 
 " And when they, i. e, the apostles, 
 were gone out, the people besought 
 that these words might be preached 
 to them the next Sabbath," i. e. the 
 Jewish Sabbath, corresponding to our 
 Saturday. The address of Paul had 
 left so deep and favorable an impres- 
 sion, that they wished to hear further 
 of the matter. The text of the pas- 
 sage, in the original, is, however, so 
 uncertain, that some commentators 
 are disposed to cancel the whole as a 
 gloss which has crept in from the 
 margin ; but tliat conjecture is unau- 
 thorized. 
 
 43. WTven the congregation was 
 broken up. Literally, and better, as 
 avoiding the expression of any idea 
 of violence, "when the synagogue 
 was dissolved." — The Jews and re- 
 ligious proselytes. Here, again, as 
 in ver. 16, the two classes are spoken 
 of, viz., Hebrews and Gentile pros- 
 elytes. — Persuaded them to continue 
 in the grace of God. Or, exhorted 
 
 them to remain faithful to their be- 
 lief in the gospel, which fully re- 
 vealed the grace or favor of God, his 
 mercy to the returning sinner, and 
 his interest in the Gentiles. The 
 apostle here struck upon a very prac- 
 tical point, the necessity of continuing 
 in the right way, as well as of enter- 
 ing into it at first Multitudes have 
 a period of interest in religion, yet, 
 alas ! do not persevere in the use of 
 means and a steady cultivation of 
 the Christian character ; but lose their 
 first love, backslide, and their last 
 state is worse than the first, because 
 they are with more difficulty renewed 
 in the temper of their minds. " If ye 
 continue in my word," said our Mas- 
 ter, " then are ye my disciples in- 
 deed." John viii. 31 ; Acts xiv. 22. 
 44, 45. The next Sabbath day. See 
 ver. 42, where the word " next " is a 
 different one in the original from that 
 used in this verse, though the sense 
 is essentially the same. — Mmost the 
 whole city. For it was not a very 
 large place. Both Jews and Gen- 
 tiles gathered to the same assembly. 
 — When the Jews saw, Sfc. It excit- 
 ed their envy to see Gentiles flock- 
 ing to the apostles, and treated by 
 them as on terms of equality with 
 the chosen people, and admitted to 
 the privilege of passing tlieir judg- 
 ment upon the claims of the Messiah. 
 The same envy afterwards broke out, 
 and it constituted, all through the 
 apostolic age, one of the greatest ob- 
 stacles to the progress of truth among 
 
m& 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 and blaspheming. Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and 46 
 said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have 
 been spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from you, and judge 
 yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gen- 
 tiles : for so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee 47 
 to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation 
 unto the ends of the earth. And when the Gentiles heard 48 
 this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord : and as 
 
 the Jews. — Contradicting and hlas- 
 pheming. They were not content to 
 use the weapons of reason and truth, 
 but showed the weakness of their 
 cause by resorting to abuse and im- 
 piety — a practice which has found 
 too many counterparts among con- 
 troversialists of every age. Chap, 
 xvii. 5. 
 
 46, 47. Waxed hold, and said. Or, 
 using great freedom of speech, they 
 said. See chap. iv. 13. So far from 
 being daunted by the furious opposi- 
 tion which beat upon them, they rose 
 with the rising storm, and still showed 
 themselves to be the fearless servants 
 of the Great Master. — That the word 
 of God shoidd first have been spoken 
 to you. Mat. x. 5, 6 ; Rom. x. 19 -21 ; 
 Acts xxii. 21. The Jews, as the 
 recipients and pupils of the earlier 
 dispensation, were entitled to have 
 the first offer of the gospel. — Judge 
 yourselves unworthy. This is irony. 
 They did not judge themselves un- 
 worthy, but they behaved as if they 
 did ; they virtually declared, by tlieir 
 conduct, that they were not worthy to 
 receive so blessed a boon as the gift 
 of a Messiah, and the promise of 
 everlasting life. — Lo ! ive turn to 
 the Gentiles. The moral courage, 
 and grandeur of sentiment, con- 
 tained in these words, can be but 
 feebly understood by us now, after 
 that great controversy between Jew- 
 ish bigotry and gospel liberty has 
 passed away ; but when we consider 
 the original education of Paul, as 
 one of the straitest of the straitest 
 
 sect, and the violent prejudices, not 
 only of his enemies, but even of his 
 Christian converts and companions, 
 against the admission of the Gentiles 
 to any equality of Christian privileges 
 with the Jews, we shall feel that the 
 apostle spoke as no ordinary hero. — 
 The Lord commanded us, ^c. Paul 
 fortified his position by the bulwark 
 of Scripture. He professed to be 
 guided by the express will of God. 
 He was acting in conformity to the 
 great original plan of the Almighty. 
 — / have set thee to be, 4'c. Refer to 
 Is. xlix. 6. It is evident, by refer- 
 ence to the passage, that the Gen- 
 tiles were included in the promised 
 blessings of a new order of things, 
 under the expected Deliverer. The 
 enlarged spirit of the prophets re- 
 buked the contracted temper of that 
 generation. 
 
 48. They were glad, and glorified 
 the word, ^'c. The contrast betAveen 
 the narrowness of tlie Jews and tlie 
 generous sentiments of Paul was too 
 plain to be overlooked. The Gen- 
 tiles glorified or extolled the passage 
 of Scripture which had been quoted 
 by the apostle, for it was an unan- 
 swerable argument against the Jews. 
 As many as ivere ordained, ^'c. This 
 rendering is bad, and the inferences 
 often drawn from it totally groundless 
 and presumptuous. The true ver- 
 sion is, " As many as were disposed, 
 bent on, or inclined to, eternal life, 
 believed." "Eternal life" is used 
 for the gospel itself, of which it is 
 the vital doctrine, and the sublime 
 
XIII.] OF THE APOSTLES. 203 
 
 49 ni'^ny as were ordained to eternal life, believed. And the word 
 
 promise. The readiness of the Gen- 
 tiles to welcome the gospel, is com- 
 pared with the obstinacy and envy of 
 the Jews in ver. 46. The one party 
 put it from them, the other were glad 
 to receive it ; the one judged them- 
 selves unworthy of everlasting life, 
 the other glorified the word which 
 contained so vast a boon, and were 
 disposed to seek and secure it. But 
 if the doctrine of Paul was, that God 
 had foreordained and decreed a part 
 of mankind to salvation, and passed 
 by the rest, and the larger part, and 
 "ordained them," to use the lan- 
 guage of the Westminster Assem- 
 bly, " to dishonor and wrath for their 
 sin, to the praise of his glorious jus- 
 tice," tlien it would hardly have been 
 a matter of gladness with the Gen- 
 tiles, for it was a worse exclusive- 
 ness than Jewish nationality and 
 pride. Some individuals of their 
 own number might be cut off from 
 the catalogue of mercy. Then the 
 Jews, who resisted the apostles, were 
 not responsible for their conduct ; for 
 tliey Avere doing precisely what God 
 had decreed, from the foundation of 
 the world, they should do ; and there 
 was no reason why Paul and Bar- 
 nabas should desert the JeAvs, and 
 resort to the Gentiles ; for some of 
 both classes were ordained accord- 
 ing to this monstrous theory, and 
 some were not ; and it mattered not 
 in which field they worked, if, in- 
 deed, all their labors were not super- 
 fluous. And if the Jews and the 
 Gentiles were not free agents, why 
 did the apostles exhort and warn 
 them, ver. 38-41, as if they were at 
 liberty to choose their own way ? If 
 tliey were already decreed, some to 
 certain woe, and others to eternal 
 salvation, exclusively of all eflforts of 
 tlieir own, then preaching to them 
 was a mockery ; and every encour- 
 agement was only to tantalize them 
 
 with hopes, from which a portion 
 were forever debarred. On the con- 
 trary, Paul treated both the Jews who 
 rejected, and the Gentiles who wel- 
 comed, the truth, as endowed with 
 freedom of choice, and amenable for 
 their actions ; and he praised the 
 one, and condemned the other. There 
 is an eternal counsel of God, but it 
 is perfectly consistent with the power 
 of choice on the part of every moral 
 agent. Bloomfield, in speaking of 
 this passage, says, that " so far from 
 favoring the system of absolute elec- 
 tion, the words rather support the 
 opposite doctrine, namely, that God, 
 while 
 
 " birding Niiture fast in Fate, 
 
 Left free the human will I " 
 
 And Home, in his Introduction, re- 
 marks, tliat " if tlie verse had been 
 translated according to the proper 
 meaning of the original, it would have 
 run thus : ' As many as were disposed 
 for eternal life, believed.' Which 
 rendering is not only faithful to the 
 original, but also to the context and 
 scope of the sacred historian, who is 
 relating the effects, or consequences, 
 of tlie preaching of the gospel to the 
 Gentiles." In the language of Ro- 
 senmuller, " Paul used the words of 
 common life, which must not be used 
 to cover philosophical and metaphys- 
 ical notions. Nothing is here in- 
 tended respecting absolute decrees." 
 So Newcome, in harmony witli tlie 
 Trinitarian writers above quoted, 
 says, "./^5 7nanii of the Gentiles be- 
 lieved as were inwardly disposed to 
 receive the doctrine of everlasting 
 life ; as had an orderly and well-pre- 
 pared mind for that purpose ; as had 
 disposed themselves to it." 
 
 49. The word of the Lord. Or, 
 the Christian religion. — All the re- ^ 
 gion, i. e. in Pisidia and the adjoin- 
 ing provinces. 
 
Si04 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap 
 
 of the Lord was published throughout all the region. B#t 5C 
 
 the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women, and the 
 chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and 
 Barnabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. But they shook 51 
 off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 
 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost. 52 
 
 50. The devout and honorable wo- 
 men. Neither of the epithets here 
 used expresses any thing in relation 
 to their personal character; for it 
 would have been singular indeed, if, 
 in that case, they would have em- 
 barked in a persecution of the apos- 
 tles. Devout merely refers to their 
 being proselytes, and honorable to 
 their high rank. They prevailed 
 upon their influential Geniile rela- 
 tives and friends, some of Avhom M'ere 
 in the government, to banish the 
 holy missionaries of the cross. We 
 often find woman, in the New Testa- 
 ment, standing on the Master's side ; 
 but seldom, a>s here, in the band 
 of his enemies. — Coasts. Borders, 
 boundaries. 
 
 51 . Shook off the dust. Chap, xviii. 
 6 ; Mat. x. 14. As an emblem of 
 their disapprobation, and of warning 
 to the place, as if they regarded it 
 as a heathen city. No fires of re- 
 venge burned in the breasts of these 
 good men, but they turned away in 
 pity, in a soiTOwful indignation, from 
 a field so promising at first, in which 
 they hoped to have planted many a 
 living seed of truth. It is remark- 
 able and beautiful, as has been ob- 
 served hereupon, that the writings 
 of the evangelists and apostles are 
 always free from expressions of re- 
 sentment. In the narrative of tlie 
 persecution and death of Jesus, and 
 the opposition of the Jews to his 
 apostles, there is no reproacliful lan- 
 guage used, but facts are simply 
 stated, and left to speak for them- 
 selves. No history in the world 
 bears such luminous evidences of 
 rnercy, love, good-will to all men, 
 
 even to tlie evil and the unthankful. 
 
 — Iconium. See notes on chap. xiv. 
 1,6. 
 
 52. The disciples, i. e. of Antioch. 
 
 — With joy, and ivith the Holy Ghost. 
 Such were the fruits of the apostles' 
 labors. Joy, and a holy and powerful 
 spiritual influence, followed in tlieir 
 train. Religion, in modern times, is 
 often so much allied with false phi- 
 losophy and dark and degrading hu- 
 man dogmas, that she wears a face 
 very unlike her radiant, cheerful, joy- 
 ful expression in the apostolic age. 
 Sfie is now, too frequently, a widow 
 dressed in melancholy mourning 
 weeds, not a celestial queen of divine 
 beauty and grace, a vision of heaven, 
 whose look is a benediction. Such 
 she was, when James bled and Paul 
 preached. The truths, that God is 
 our Father, and man our brother, and 
 Jesus our Saviour, and heaven our 
 home, ought surely, if any thing in 
 heaven or on earth can, to give us 
 joy and peace. It is a Christian duty 
 to be happy. He but poorly recom- 
 mends his faith, or makes his light 
 shine, avIio carries about only a sul- 
 len or sanctimonious visage, not the 
 beaming cheerfulness of a happy, 
 reconciled heart. The gospel is a 
 message of good news ; and as we 
 brighten up with glad expressions 
 of voice, look, and gesture, at receiv- 
 ing good tidings from our friends, — 
 an absent father or brother, — so 
 ought we to rejoice, and again re- 
 joice, in the intelligence from our 
 unseen Father, in tlie news from the 
 higher, heavenly world. If we would 
 interest the young in religion, we 
 must show them, in our daily life, the | 
 
XIV. i 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 205 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 The Travels and Labors of Paul and Barnabas in Asia Minor. 
 And it came to pass in Iconium, that they went both together 
 into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great mul- 
 
 2 titude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks, believed. But 
 the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their 
 
 3 minds evil-affected against the brethren. Long time therefore 
 abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony 
 unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be 
 
 peace, joy, and delight, with which 
 it fills every devout bosom. 
 
 " ' Joy to those that love the Lord ! ' 
 Saith the sure, eternal word. 
 Not of earth the joy it brings, 
 Tempered in celestial springs : 
 'Tis the joy of pardoned sin 
 When we feel 'tis well within ; 
 'Tis the joy that fills the breast 
 When the passions sink to rest." 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 1. Iconium. Chap. xiii. 51. This 
 was tlie capital of Lycaonia, though 
 assigned by some authors to Pisidia 
 or Phrygia, situated upon the Lake 
 Troofilis, about 120 miles from the 
 Mediterranean Sea. See note on 
 ver. 6. It is in a delicious climate, 
 imbosomed amidst lofty mountains, 
 and abounding with gardens and 
 meadows. It has been a place of 
 considerable distinction in history, 
 and capita] of the country of Cara- 
 mania. Though surrounded by Avails 
 and tOAvers, and adorned with edifices 
 of magnificence, it has fallen very 
 much into ruins, and its inhabitants 
 live in that squalid wretchedness 
 common in Turkish cities. Its pres- 
 ent name is Cogni, or Cornieh, or 
 Koniah. — So spake, i. e. with such 
 power. — Greeks. The Gentile pros- 
 elytes. 
 
 2. Gentiles, i. e. those not Jews 
 
 — proselytes, and perhaps heathen. 
 
 — Made their minds evil-affected. Or, 
 imbittered; incensed them against 
 the brethren, or disciples of Christ. 
 
 \0L. III. 18 
 
 This verse should be included in 
 parentheses. 
 
 3. Therefore. Or, " however," or, 
 " accordingly." It is a mere particle 
 of transition, not of conclusion from 
 premises. As a great multitude be- 
 lieved, ver. 1, so tliey continued a 
 long time,* and preached with great 
 freedom. — Lord, i. e. God. — Gave 
 testimony unto the ivord of his grace, 
 i. e. confirmed by miracles, wrought 
 by the apostles, the gracious reve- 
 lation of mercy and truth by his Son. 
 The paramount object of the mira- 
 cles in the New Testament was to 
 establish the divine authority of Je- 
 sus and his apostles. It is true that 
 they were usually, though not al- 
 ways, — Avitness the destruction of 
 the SAvine, the blindness of Elymas, 
 and tlie death of Ananias and Sap- 
 phira, — for the relief of suffering; 
 but this was their incidental, not 
 tlieir essential, characteristic. Their 
 chief attribute of benevolence con- 
 sisted, not in their bringing relief to 
 here and there an individual at tlie 
 time, but in being Avrought for the 
 establishment of that religion wliich 
 would cure tlie ills of time and en- 
 hance the joys of eternity ; save the 
 sinner from his guilt and Avoe, and 
 spread love and peace through mil- 
 lions of hearts. The miracles are 
 the effulgent signatures of God's in- 
 terposing mercy for the good of more 
 than flesh and blood — for the sake 
 of the undying soul. 
 
206 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 done by their hands. But the multitude of the city was divided : 4 
 and part held with the Jews, and part with the apostles. And 5 
 when there was an assault made both of the Gentiles, and also 
 of the Jews, with their rulers, to use them despitefuUy, and to 
 stone them, they were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra and 6 
 Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round 
 about : and there they preached the gospel. 7 
 
 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, 8 
 being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked. 
 The same heard Paul speak : who steadfastly beholding him, 9 
 and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, said with a loud 10 
 voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked. 
 
 4, 5. Was divided. Literally, in 
 the original, " A schism was made." 
 —Held with. Or, "Took the side 
 of," &c.— TAe apostles. Both Paul 
 and Barnabas are called apostles, 
 though the title, in its strict sense, is 
 more applicable to the former. — JVas 
 an assault made. Not actually made, 
 but contemplated; for they became 
 aware of it, and escaped. Ver. 6. 
 The majority of the city, probably, 
 took part against the advocates of 
 truth. But the unpopularity of a cause 
 is no sign of its error. Both Jews 
 and Gentiles combined in this un- 
 holy work, though the gospel was a 
 dispensation of mercy to the latter 
 as much as to the former. — To stone 
 them. The penalty of blasphemy. 
 Deut. xiii. 10 ; Acts vii. 57 - 59. 
 
 6. Fled unto Lystra. Mat. x. 23. 
 This place is situated in the south 
 part of Lycaonia. It is refen-ed to, 
 by Pliny, as belonging to, the prov- 
 ince stated in tlie text ; but Ptolemy 
 assigns it to Isauria. The fact is, 
 that the boundaries of these districts 
 were indeterminate, and the same 
 cities were variously appropriated. 
 I^ystra was distinguished as the na- 
 tive town of Timotliy. Chap. xvi. 1. 
 It is now called Latik. — Derhe. 
 This place was at a short distance 
 from Lystra, as is supposed, though 
 little is known about the precise lo- 
 
 cation of either city. — Lycaonia 
 was an inland province of Asia 
 Minor, bounded by Cappadocia, Phry- 
 gia, Pisidia, Cilicia, and Isauria. 
 Strabo, tlie geographer, says, while 
 speaking of this region, " Thence 
 are the Lycaonian hills, plain, cold, 
 naked, and pastures for wild asses. 
 About these places stands Iconium, 
 a town built in a better soil." And 
 Pliny also mentions, " that there was 
 granted a tetrarchy out of Lycaonia, 
 on that side which borders on Gala- 
 tia, consisting of fourteen cities ; the 
 most famous of which is Iconium." 
 
 8. There srd. "Meant, it should 
 seem, to express, graphically, tlie con- 
 dition of this poor Avretch, who had 
 never walked.^'' He was, probably, a 
 beggar, sitting in some public place 
 to solicit alms, and, tlierefore, known 
 to many. — A cripple. Which, ac- 
 cording to the derivation of the word 
 from creep, signifies one who could not 
 walk upright The greatness and 
 certainty of his cure were enhanced 
 by its contrast with his former help- 
 less state. 
 
 9. Heard Paul speak, S^c. Per- 
 haps he related the miracles and 
 cures which had been wrought, ver. 
 3, in other places, as well as dis- 
 coursed in general of the gospel. — 
 Had faith to be healed. " The di- 
 vine in the appearance and discourse 
 
XIV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 907 
 
 11 And when the people saw what Paul had. done, they lift 
 
 up their voices, saying, in the speech of Lycaonia, The gods are 
 
 12 come down to us in the likeness of men. And they called Bar- 
 nabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief 
 
 of Paul, deeply impressed him, and 
 caused him to look up with confi- 
 dence, as if he expected a cure from 
 him." Mat xv. 28; Luke vii. 50; 
 Acts iii. 6, 8. 
 
 11. Tn the speech of Lycaonia. 
 What this was, is not known, but it 
 has been conjectured to be an idiom 
 of tlie Greek, corrupted by provin- 
 cialisms. Paul and Barnabas, how- 
 ever, as it appears, did not under- 
 stand it, else they would have earlier 
 repressed the enthusiasm of the peo- 
 ple. Hence it has been inferred, 
 that they did not possess the gift of 
 tongues. — The gods are come doivn 
 to us, ifc. Chap, xxviii. 6. This 
 was in accordance with the popular 
 faith of the heatlien world. It was 
 believed that the gods, or divinities 
 of their mythology, came down from 
 heaven to earth, and, assuming the 
 disguise of a human form, travelled 
 from place to place, to inspect the 
 affairs of mankind. Many narratives 
 of this kind are given both in prose 
 and poetry. Homer says, 
 
 " They, curious ofl of mortal actions, deign 
 In forms like these to round the earth and 
 
 main ; 
 Just and unjust recording in their mind, 
 And with sure ej'es inspecting all mankind." 
 
 Ovid also introduces Jupiter as 
 coming from heaven to redress 
 wrongs. 
 
 "The clamors of this vile, degenerate age, 
 The cries of orphans, and th' oppressor's 
 
 rage. 
 Had reached the stars: 'I will descend,' 
 
 said I, 
 In hope to prove this loud compliint a lie. 
 Disguised in human shape, I travelled round 
 The world, and more than what [ heard, 
 
 I found." 
 
 Milman remarks, that "It is re- 
 markable, that in this wild and in- 
 
 land region, we find the old barbarous 
 religion maintaining a lively and 
 commanding influence over the pop- 
 ular mind. In the more civilized 
 and commercial parts of the Roman 
 world, in Ephesus, in Athens, or in 
 Rome, such extraordinary cures as 
 that of the cripple might have been 
 publicly wrought, and might have 
 excited a wondering interest in the 
 multitude ; but it may be doubted 
 whether the lowest or most ignorant 
 would have had so much faith in the 
 old fabulous appearances of their own 
 deities, as immediately to have im- 
 agined their actual and visible ap- 
 pearance in the persons of these sur- 
 prising strangers. It is only in the 
 remote and savage Lystra, where the 
 Greek language had not predomina- 
 ted over the primitive barbarous dia- 
 lect (probably a branch of the Cap- 
 padocian), that the popular emotion 
 instantly metamorphoses these pub- 
 lic benefactors into the J ove and Mer- 
 cury of their own temples." 
 
 12. TViey called Barnabas, Jupiter^ 
 ^c. Jupiter was the principal deity 
 of the ancient mythology, the father 
 of gods and men, the ruler of heaven 
 and earth. He was invested with the 
 form of a grave, majestic old man, 
 clothed with venerableness and awe, 
 and having eyes expressive of deep 
 meditation and commanding author- 
 ity. " He is generally represented 
 as sitting upon a golden or ivory 
 throne, holding in one hand thunder- 
 bolts just ready to be hurled, and 
 in the other a sceptre of cypress. 
 His looks express majesty, his beard 
 flows long and neglected, and .the 
 eagle stands with expanded wings 
 at his feet" Barnabas, as being the 
 older — for he was the uncle of Mark, 
 
208 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their 13 
 city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would have 
 done sacrifice with the people. Wliich when the apostles. Bar- 14 
 nabas and Paul, heard of, they rent their clothes, and ran in 
 among the people, crying out, and saying, Sirs, why do ye these 13 
 things ? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach 
 unto you, that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living 
 God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things 
 
 the Evangelist — and probably larg- 
 er person, and less given to speaking 
 than Paul, — was identified by the 
 superstitious inhabitants as their tu- 
 telary deity, Jupiter. Whereas, Paul, 
 who was younger and smaller, 2 Cor. 
 X. 10, and an orator, they readily con- 
 jectured was Mercurius, or Mercury. 
 This god Avas esteemed the patron 
 of eloquence, and the inventor of the 
 lyre ; and was represented as a young 
 man, with a winged cap, and small 
 wings on Ms feet, and a wand of 
 wonderful powers, called caduceus, 
 which was also winged and bound 
 witli two serpents. He was the mes- 
 senger of the gods, and was fabled 
 to attend Jupiter in his descents in- 
 cog, upon the earth. It has been 
 observed that "the persuasion of 
 their being Jupiter and Mercury 
 might gain the more easily on the 
 minds of the Lycaonians, on account 
 of the well-known fable of Jupiter 
 and Mercury, who were said to have 
 descended from heaven in human 
 shape, and to have been entertained 
 by Lycaon, from whom the Lycaoni- 
 ans took their name." 
 
 13. The priest of Jupiter, i. e. prob- 
 ably, the principal one, for a temple 
 
 usually had several priests Which 
 
 tvas before their city. Jupiter was rep- 
 resented and worshipped, in differ- 
 ent places, as were all the heathen 
 gods, under various characters, as the 
 Tiyinderer, the Preserver, the Aven- 
 ger, &c. In this instance, he was 
 honored by the Lycaonians as the 
 founder and protector of their city, 
 
 and a temple was erected to his ser- 
 vice in front of the town. — Oxen. 
 It was customary to sacrifice these 
 animals to Jupiter. It is likely that 
 two were brought, one to be offered 
 to each of the supposed divinities. — 
 Garlands. They adorned the statues 
 of the gods, and also the victims to 
 be offered, with wreaths of flowers. 
 Thus Ovid says, 
 
 " A purple fillet his broad brow adorns. 
 With flowery garlands, crowns, and gilded 
 horns." 
 
 Also, Vu-gil, 
 
 •' The victim ox that was for altars pressed, 
 Trimmed with white ribbons, and with gar- 
 lands dressed." 
 
 — Unto the gates. It is not clear 
 whether we are to understand the 
 gates of the city, or the portals of the 
 temple, or the porch of the house, 
 where the apostles were. — Sacrifice 
 with the people. This act of offering 
 sacrifice was the surest test of their 
 sincerity and earnest superstition. 
 
 14. Heard of. They had not been 
 aware of what was in progress, until 
 tlie impious act was ahnost consum- 
 mated. — Rent their clothes, and ran, 
 Sfc. By these strong and violent to- 
 kens, they expressed their abhorrence 
 of the contemplated sacrifice, and 
 arrested the idolatrous worship. 
 
 15. JVe also are men of like pas- 
 sions ivith you. Chap. x. 26. This 
 rendering gives an improper turn to 
 the passage. The original is rather, 
 "We are men — not gods; like-af- 
 fected with you;" subject to the 
 infirmities, conditions, changes, of 
 
XIV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 209 
 
 16 that are therein : who in times past suffered all nations to walk 
 
 17 in their own ways. Nevertheless he left not himself without 
 witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and 
 
 mortality. James v. 17. — Preach 
 unto you, Sfc. We are not only frail 
 mortals ourselves, but the identical 
 object of our labors and teachings is, 
 to reform these abominations of idol- 
 atry, and establish the faith and wor- 
 sliip of the one true God. — These 
 vanities. These sacrificial rites of- 
 fered to imaginary divinities are so 
 called, as being nothhig, having no 
 substantial or useful existence in the 
 sense claimed for them by their wor- 
 sliippcrs. 1 Sam. xii. 21 ; 1 Kings 
 xvi. 13 ; Jer. xiv. 22. God is the 
 Reality, not bits of wood or stone, 
 or the deities they represent, which 
 have no life themselves, and which 
 are capable of ji^iving none to their 
 devotees. Such seems to be the 
 sense of the apostle. — The living 
 GoL As contradistinguished from 
 these vain idols and tlieir rites, and 
 from dead men deified and adored. 
 — fVJiich made heaven, and earth, ^t. 
 Gen. i. 1. This was a chief reason 
 why he was entitled to the supreme 
 hoaiage of all his intelligent and 
 rational offspring. 
 
 16, 17. In times past, i. e. previous- 
 ly to the advent of the Messiah. — 
 Suffered all nations. Chap. xvii. 30. 
 Or, more exactly, " all the Gentiles," 
 for the Jews ivere favored with a 
 divine revelation and interposition. 
 By this is meant, that these people 
 were left to the light of nature. We 
 are not to understand that God was 
 not displeased with the idolatry and 
 sinfulness of the heathen world, but, 
 nevertheless, he did not directly in- 
 terpose, or send special prophets, as 
 he did to the Jews. The experiment 
 was demonstrated on a large scale, 
 in the Oriental, Greek, and Roman 
 civilization, of the inability of man, 
 unvisited by light from Heaven, to 
 grope his way through the twilight 
 18* 
 
 of a natural faith, and attain to full 
 peace and blessedness. — jVeverthe- 
 less, i. e. although he granted no di- 
 rect revelation, yet he manifested, 
 by the ordinary course of his divine 
 Providence, his love and good will to 
 mankind. In the words of Plotinus, 
 a heathen philosopher of the school 
 of Plato, " God has afforded to all 
 men a measure of heavenly truth, 
 which, though latent or scanty, may 
 yet suffice, as he has judged, for 
 healing to some, and for a testimony 
 to all. If we attend to the voice of 
 created nature, it will loudly proclaim 
 its origin, not from the Cretan Jupi- 
 ter or the Arcadian Mercury, but 
 from the unknown God whom Paul 
 preached to the Athenians." — In 
 that he did good. The beautiful rea- 
 soning of the apostle on the amount 
 of knowledge which might be glean- 
 ed, if men were faithful, even from 
 nature and providence, in relation 
 to tlie character of the Creator, is 
 further developed in Rom. i. 18 - 21, 
 and is corroborated by many sayings 
 of ancient heathen writers, who often 
 discoursed of One God in a style far 
 superior to their age. It was a re- 
 mark of Synesius, a bishop of Cyrene, 
 that " to do good was, so to speak, 
 the very nature of the Deity, as much 
 as for fire to warm, or for light to 
 shine." — Gave us rain from heaven. 
 Or, from the clouds. The mention 
 of rain, in particular, as one of the 
 clearest manifestations of the divine 
 benignity, was in accordance with 
 an old Jewish saying, that " there 
 were three keys — of life, rain, and the 
 resurrection — always kept in God's 
 own hand," — not given to any dele- 
 gate or proxy ; as indicating a more 
 direct and special act of power on the 
 part of the Supreme. The apparent 
 irregularity with which it falls, and 
 
210 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. And 18 
 with the?e sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they 
 
 had not done sacrifice unto them. And there came thither 19 
 
 certain Jews from Antioch, and Iconium, who persuaded the 
 people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, sup- 
 
 the difficulty of foretelling it, and its 
 absolute necessity to the prolonged 
 existence of either animate or vege- 
 table creatures, single the rain out as 
 worthy of emphasis in the brief rec- 
 ord of Heaven's gifts to man. " The 
 circuit of the waters," in their won- 
 derful passage from tlje sea into the 
 atmosphere by evaporation, their con- 
 densation into clouds and rain, fall 
 wpon the earth, formation into streams 
 and mighty rivers, and return to the 
 great reservoir of the ocean from 
 which they issued in an invisible 
 fonn, is, to every devout mind, a per- 
 petual miracle of celestial power and 
 goodness. Jer. v. 24. — Fruitful 
 seasons. Which intimately depend 
 upon seasonable showers and dews. 
 — Filling our hearts with food and 
 gladness, i. e. filling our bodies with 
 suitable food, and cheering the heart 
 with the rich bounties of nature. 
 " Of all the common operations of 
 Providence," remarks Henry, " the 
 heathen chose to form their notions 
 of the supreme God by that which 
 speaks terror, and is proper to strike 
 an awe of him upon us, and that was 
 the thunder, and therefore they called 
 Jupiter the thunderer, and represented 
 him with a thunderbolt in his hand ; 
 and it appears, by Ps. xxix. 3, that 
 that ought not to be overlooked ; but 
 tliG apostle here, to engage us to 
 worship God, sets before us Jiis be- 
 neficence, that we may have good 
 thoughts of him in every thing where- 
 in we have to do with him, may love 
 him, and delight in him, as one that 
 doth good, doth good to us, doth 
 good to all, in giving us rain from 
 heaven and fruitful seasons." Cicero, 
 the Roman orator and heathen phi- 
 
 losopher, also finely says, " And here, 
 on this earth on which we dwell, 
 the sky does not cease to be genial, 
 nor the trees, in their proper season, 
 to shoot forth branches, nor the vines 
 to bud and bring their reviving fruits 
 to perfection, nor the boughs to hang 
 down witli ripe berries, nor the corn 
 to yield its expected increase ; hut 
 all things flourish, the springs are 
 continually running, and the fields 
 are clothed with grass. And then, if 
 we consider what a multitude there 
 is of cattle, partly for food, partly for 
 carrying, and partly for clothing our 
 bodies ; and the nature of man him- 
 self, who seems to be fonned for 
 contemplating heaven and the gods, 
 and to adore and worship them, and 
 that the Avhole earth and sea lie open 
 for his use ; when we see and con- 
 sider these, and innumerable other 
 things, can we doubt whether there 
 is a Superior Being, who is either 
 the Creator of these things, if they 
 Avere indeed created, as Plato thinks ; 
 or, if they ahvays were, as Aristotle 
 supposes, who is the Manager and 
 Disposer of so great a work and 
 charge ? " " If we hearken to the 
 voice of the world," says Plotinus, 
 " we shall hear it say nothing but 
 'God hath made me.'" So much 
 for the witness which even the 
 wisest heathen bore to the truth 
 of Paul's argument. 
 
 19. Certain Jeivsfrom Antioch, ^'c. 
 They followed tlie apostles with im- 
 placable hostility from place to place. 
 Chap. xiii. 50, 51, xiv. 2. — Persuad- 
 ed the people. Or, gained over the 
 people, or, instigated them. — Stoned 
 Paid. As the more conspicuous for 
 his zeal. See 2 Cor. xi. 23, 25. — 
 
XIV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 211 
 
 20 posing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round 
 about him, he rose up, and came into the city : 
 
 21 And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And 
 when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught 
 many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and to 
 
 22 Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting 
 them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much 
 
 Drew him out of the city. It is ob- 
 servable that the heathen hesitate 
 not to stone Paul in the city, and 
 afterwards drag him out, probably in 
 a rough and brutal manner, as if to 
 leave him outside of the walls, to be 
 exposed as food for beasts and birds 
 of prey ; whereas, Stephen, accord- 
 ing to the different usage of the 
 Jews, was first hurried from the holy 
 city, and then stoned to death with- 
 out its Avails. Chap. vii. 57, 58. — 
 Supposing he had been dead. Whetli- 
 er so in reality, or not, is left unde- 
 termined. The change of the peo- 
 ple, from superstitious homage of the 
 apostles to murderous hatred, took 
 place, perhaps, after some interval of 
 time had elapsed, between ver. 18 
 and 19. It was occasioned, too, by 
 emissaries coming from other places 
 and incensing the Lystrians. There 
 was, also, in all likelihood, a change 
 of parties, — as suggested by the 
 Abbotts, — the friends of Paul and 
 Barnabas being thrown into discour- 
 ao-ement and inaction, and the other 
 side, which had always cherished a 
 deadly animosity, being stimulated 
 to new zeal, and rising to an ascend- 
 ency. 
 
 20. Hoivheit, ^c. Though they 
 supposed him dead, yet, while the 
 disciples surrounded him, he was 
 restored so as to be able to return 
 into the city, and on the next day to 
 set out on a journey. The facts, that 
 Paul had been stoned so as to be ap- 
 parently dead, and dragged through 
 the streets, and cast out of the town, 
 
 as a common malefactor; and that, 
 after such violence was done him, 
 he should be able to get up, and go 
 into the city, and depart on the mor- 
 row to another place, bear a strong 
 impression that he was restored by 
 somethinof more than ordinary means. 
 2 Tim. lii. 11. — Berbe. To this 
 place Gaius belonged, mentioned 
 in Acts XX. 4, and 3 John 1. 
 
 21, 22. Had taught many. Or, 
 better, according to the margin, " had 
 made many disciples." Derbe was 
 the ultimate point of their travels ; 
 and they fearlessly return through 
 the same places, Lystra, Iconium, 
 and x^ntioch, where they had been 
 fiercely persecuted. — Confirming. 
 Or, strengthening. No religious cer- 
 emony or sacrament is here alluded 
 to, such as is now called confirma- 
 tion, but a moral, spiritual influence, 
 infusing new energy into their faith. 
 — And. This word is in Italics, and 
 should be left out They confirmed 
 the souls of the disciples, exhorting, 
 or by exhorting, them to continue in 
 the faith. — Through much tribula- 
 tion, &fc. In reference, not to the 
 ordinary trials of the Christian, but 
 to the peculiar dangers which beset 
 the disciples of that period, from the 
 hostility of bigoted J ews and super- 
 stitious Gentiles. John xvi. 33; 2 
 Tim. iii. 12. There is an important 
 sense, however, in which we must 
 in all ages enter into the kingdom 
 of heaven, by passing through the 
 furnace of affliction, and " learning 
 obedience by the things we suffer." 
 
212 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. And when they had 23 
 ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fast- 
 ing, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed. 
 And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to 24 
 Pamphylia. And when they had preached the word in Perga, 25 
 they went down into Attalia : and thence sailed to Antioch, 26 
 from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God, 
 
 for the work which they fulfilled. And when they were 27 
 
 come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all 
 that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door 
 of faith unto the Gentiles, And there they abode long time 28 
 with the disciples. 
 
 23. Ordained. Rather, " chose," or, 
 "appointed." The Greek does not 
 express the idea of ordination, as now 
 understood by the Christian world. 
 — Elders. Note on chap. xi. 30. In 
 order to perpetuate the influence of 
 the gospel, in the places where they 
 had labored, they organized the dis- 
 ciples into a body, and appointed, or 
 caused to be appointed, officers to 
 take charge of each church, and 
 teach, exhort, and superintend its 
 affairs. 1 Pet v. 1-3. They con- 
 secrated them to their work with 
 prayer and fasting, and commend- 
 ed them to the divine protection, 
 in which they had the fullest con- 
 fidence. 
 
 24,25. Pisidia — Pamphylia. See 
 notes on chap. xiii. 13, 14. — JntoM- 
 tah'a. Or, better, " to Attalia, " as we 
 usually say into, or to, in speaking of 
 a country, but to, in speaking of a 
 town. Attalia was a seaport of Pam- 
 phylia, built by Attalus Philadelphus, 
 king of Pergamus, in the second cen- 
 tury before Christ, and called after 
 the name of the founder. It is now 
 Aniali. They here tool^ship for 
 Syria. 
 
 26. Antioch. Not, of course, the 
 Antioch of ver. 21, which was in 
 Pisidia, but the city of this name in 
 Syria, chap. xiii. 1. They had been 
 absent, according to the computa- 
 
 tions of some, about three years, on 
 this first apostolical journey ; during 
 which time they had visited Salamis 
 and Paphos, on the island of Cyprus, 
 and Perga, Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, 
 Derbe, Attalia, and other places, in 
 tliree of the provinces of Asia Minor, 
 viz., Pamphylia, Pisidia, and Lycao- 
 nia. — Recommended to the grace, ^r. 
 They were sent forth from Antioch 
 on tliis missionary enterprise, and 
 committed, by the prayers of the 
 church, to the divine favor. They 
 had performed the work assigned 
 them, and now returned to give an 
 account of their labors to those who 
 had given them their commission. 
 
 27, 28. Rehearsed. Or, related. 
 With them. By them, by their means. 
 They had been the instruments, in 
 the hand of God, of accomplishing 
 great good. — Opened the door of faith 
 ■unto the Gentiles. 1 Cor. xvi. 9. This 
 Avas a subject of gratitude, that the 
 blessings of the Messiah's reign were 
 shared by the Gentiles ; and the op- 
 portunity given of spreading the truth, 
 as it is in Jesus, beyond all national 
 and territorial limits. — Abode long 
 time. How long cannot be definitely 
 ascertained ; but, as some conjecture, 
 about two, others five years. Some 
 insert, at tliis blank period in the his- 
 tory by Luke, the transactions of 
 Gal. ii. 
 
XV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 213 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The Gentile Controversy is settled by the General Assembly at Jerusalem, and the 
 Decision made known among the Churches. 
 
 And certain men which came down from Judea, taught the 
 brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner 
 
 We observe, in this chapter, (].) 
 the different character of the preach- 
 ing addre-!sed to the Jews, chap, 
 xiii. 16-41, compared with that. di- 
 rected to the Gentiles, ver. 15, 16; 
 the one being appealed to on the 
 ground of the revealed religion 
 which they already possessed; and 
 the other on the great institutes of 
 natural theology, open to those who 
 did not enjoy a special revelation, — 
 an adaptation to tlie wants and con- 
 dition of each class, worthy of the 
 wisdom from on high. (2.) The dif- 
 fusive, missionary spirit of the gos- 
 pel, — a little leaven seeking to 
 leaven the whole lump. The disci- 
 ples did not wait until they had made 
 converts of all the people of Antioch 
 before they sent forth the heralds of 
 salvation to other lands, but early 
 scattered the seed of trutli, far and 
 wide, over many provinces and coun- 
 tries. It is an example for every 
 age, and for every body of Christian 
 believers : " Freely ye have received, 
 freely give." 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 The great Jewish and Gentile con- 
 troversy, at this point, again broke in 
 upon tlie peace of the church, and 
 arrayed its members in hostile atti- 
 tude towards one another. For a 
 statement of its merits, see the intro- 
 duction to chap. xi. As the law 
 given by Moses was the law of God, 
 the Jews could not understand its 
 temporary character and object, but 
 supposed it to be perpetually binding 
 upon tliem, and upon all who became 
 members of the Messiah's kingdom. 
 The aim of his coming was judged 
 
 to be the perfecting and confirming 
 of the law, not the superseding and 
 abrogation thereof. Hence, when, 
 as at the period of Paul's return to 
 Antioch, the Christian body had in- 
 corporated into itself a large number 
 of Gentiles, the Jewish Christians 
 were alarmed ; they saw their f lA'or- 
 ite system falling into disuse, Moses 
 superseded, his law not observed, 
 and multitudes of those, whom they 
 had regarded as the offscouring of 
 the earth, pressing into the very holy 
 of holies of the Messiah's clmvch, 
 without conforming to the earlier 
 ritual given fi-om heaven. In tliis 
 chapter, we shall see the wisdom of 
 the Christian leaders of botli parties 
 in managing this delicate and mo- 
 mentous affair ; though many of the 
 Jewish converts still maintained the 
 controversy long afterwards, as the 
 epistles of Paul testify — many of 
 which were expressly written to 
 meet this problem of the age, but 
 have been wofully misunderstood, 
 because their leading purpose, as 
 controversial writings, has not been 
 kept distinctly and steadily in view. 
 1. Certain men ivhich came down 
 from Judea, i. e. what are sometimes 
 called Jewish zealots, or Judaizing 
 teachers, because of the zeal and per- 
 tinacity with which they urged the 
 observance of the law of Moses upon 
 the Gentile disciples. Judea and 
 Jerusalem were naturally the head- 
 quarters of this party, whence they 
 sallied fortli to spread their views 
 wherever Christian churches flour- 
 ish (^d. — Erceptye be circumcised after 
 the manner of Moses. Or, " according 
 to the institution of Moses." As cir- 
 
214 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 of Mosfes, ye cannot be saved. When therefore Paul and Bar- 2 
 nabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they 
 determined that Paul and Barnabas, and certain other of them, 
 should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about 
 this question. And being brought on their way by the church, 3 
 they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conver- 
 sion of the Gentiles : and they caused great joy unto all the 
 brethren. And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were 4 
 received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they 
 declared all things that God had done with them. But there 5 
 rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees, which believed, say- 
 
 cumcision was the great rite of the 
 Jewish religion, it stands as a gen- 
 eral term, descriptive of the ritual 
 of which it was so essential a part. 
 The same use of the word is often 
 introduced into the epistles of Paul ; 
 the Jews being classed as those of 
 the circumcision, and the Gentiles as 
 those of tlie uncircumcision. Gal. 
 vi. 15. — Ye cannot be saved, i. e. en- 
 joy tlie favors of the Messiah's king- 
 dom, and inherit the promises of 
 God, attached to tlie new covenant 
 made with his people. Before the 
 advent of Christ, there had been a 
 difference of opinion among the Jews 
 themselves, as Josephus relates, re- 
 specting the necessity of proselytes 
 being circumcised, — some holding 
 stricter views than others. 
 
 2. Paul and Barnabas. They 
 took the Gentile side of the question. 
 Eph. iii. 2-6. The change of Paul 
 from a zealous Pharisee to a gener- 
 ous-minded apostle bears the impress 
 of a divine work. — J^o small dis- 
 sension. The question was impor- 
 tant, great interests were at stake, 
 and it was natural that strong feelings 
 should be enlisted on both sides. — 
 Go up to Jerusalem,, 8,*c. The au- 
 thority and sanctity of the holy city 
 to a Jewish mind seem to have been 
 easily transferred to the Christian 
 convert The disciples still turned 
 tlieir faces to Mount Zion, and were 
 
 enlightened. Ps. xx. 2. There was 
 the empty tomb of the ascended Mas- 
 ter. There was " the goodly fellow- 
 ship " of the tAvelve, noAv reduced to 
 eleven, not by treachery, but the 
 more honorable cause of martyrdom. 
 There Avere the bretliren, and the first 
 Christian church; and thither they 
 would naturally resort for counsel 
 and autliority to compose their differ- 
 ences. Gal. ii. 11 - 14, v. 2 ; Phil. iii. 
 3; Titus i. 9-11. 
 
 3, 4. Brought on their umy, i. e. 
 escorted, or honorably attended, by a 
 delegation of the church, when they 
 set out from Antioch. Chap. xvii. 
 15. — Phenice, ^'C. Phenicia and Sa- 
 maria lay directly on the route to 
 Judea from Antioch. — The conver- 
 sion of the Gentiles, ^'C. This occa- 
 sioned great joy, because it was un- 
 expected, and because the Gentiles 
 could come to Jesus without travers- 
 ing tlie circuitous route of Jewish 
 rites and ceremonies. The labors 
 of Paul and Barnabas in Cyprus, 
 Asia Minor, and Syria, had yielded 
 rich first-fruits of the Gentile har- 
 vest. — Received of the church, fyc. 
 In a hospitable and cordial manner. 
 — That God had done with them. 
 Or, by them. They constantly held 
 themselves up as tlie instruments of 
 the Divine Agent. 
 
 5, 6. Certain of the sect of the 
 Pharisees. Who would, retaining 
 
XV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 215 
 
 ing, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command 
 them to keep the law of Moses. 
 
 6 And the apostles and elders came together for to consider of 
 
 7 this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter 
 rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how 
 that a good while ago, God made choice among us, that the 
 Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and 
 
 8 believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them wit- 
 
 9 ness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us : and 
 put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by 
 
 their old ideas, as most earnest stic- 
 klers for the letter of the law, take the 
 lead on this question, and oppose 
 the admission of the Gentiles to the 
 church on any more liberal ground 
 than that of submission to the yoke 
 of Moses. -^ And to command them, 
 &fc. A similar statement to that in 
 ver. 1. We here see that the de- 
 mand was not that the Gentiles should 
 merely be circumcised, but that they 
 should comply with the whole ritual 
 of Moses. — The apostles and elders. 
 From ver. 12, 22, 23, we infer that 
 the brethren, or a large body of tlie 
 disciples, Avere also present. It would 
 seem to have been in a popular, 
 rather than a limited assembly ; de- 
 signed, not to enact laws so much as 
 to give advice ; not to command, but 
 persuade. It has been common to 
 call this " the first general council " 
 of Jerusalem; but the informality of 
 its organization, the mild and rec- 
 ommendatory tone of its decisions, 
 render it s > far unlike the subsequent 
 associations of that name, that it is, 
 perhaps, inappropriat<j and undesira- 
 ble to call it a council. As observed 
 by Lightfoot, " It was not a conven- 
 tion premeditated and solemnly sum- 
 moned, but only occasional and emer- 
 gent." — To consider of this matter. 
 They came to deliberate, to speak, 
 and hear, and compare, and weigh 
 opinions, not to publish, in a dictato- 
 rial tone, results already attained. 
 
 But if inspiration had been plenary 
 in relation to all subjects connected 
 with the gospel, it would only have 
 been requisite for the apostles to 
 speak, in order to be heard and 
 obeyed ; and they would not have 
 disagreed among themselves. 
 
 7. Much disputing. Or, discuss- 
 ing. Because the gospel is a reli- 
 gion from heaven, it does not follow 
 that all who believe in it will be ex- 
 empt from some passions of anger 
 and occasional flashes of revenge ; 
 for though « the spirit indeed is will- 
 ing, the flesh is weak." And though 
 the apostles were inspired, it did not 
 prevent Paul from being hasty, chap, 
 xxiii. 3-5, and Peter timid and va- 
 cillating, Gal. ii. 11-14. — A good 
 while ago. Ten years, or more, as 
 computed by some. Chap. x. — God 
 made choice, i. e. in the vision of an- 
 imals, and the accompanying cir- 
 cumstances, he showed to Peter the 
 myst< ry of the kingdom of the Mes- 
 siah, viz., the free admission of Gen- 
 tile converts to Christianity without 
 passing under the Jewish yoke of 
 bondaije. 
 
 8, a The gift of the Holy Spirit 
 constituted a strong argument in 
 proof of th;? lawfulness of receiving 
 Gentiles in fall communion and sym- 
 pathy without the Mosaic obser- 
 vances. God, who knew the heart, 
 and Avhat qualifications were neces- 
 sary, had borne witness, had ap- 
 
216 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 faith. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the 10 
 neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able 
 to bear ? But we believe, that through the grace of the Lord il 
 
 Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. Then all the 12 
 
 multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, 
 declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among 
 
 proved, as with authentic voice, of 
 the course of Peter, Paul, and Bar- 
 nabas. — Put no difference. He not 
 only gave gifts, but gave as many 
 rich tokens of his love and sanction, 
 to the Gentiles, as to the converts 
 from the Jews. And as they were 
 not pure ceremonially, according to 
 Jewish notions, they had been puri- 
 fied by faith, 1 Peter i. 2'2, placed on 
 another ground of sanctity and jus- 
 tification, viz., that of the believing 
 state of the heart 
 
 10. Tempi ye God. See note on 
 Mat. iv. 7. Or, needlessly expose 
 them to dangers and trouble ; as it 
 would be resisting the will of God 
 and periling the virtue of the Gen- 
 tile convert, to require him to incor- 
 porate Judaism and the gospel in 
 one. For, as Farmer observes, " To 
 tempt God, is to make an improper 
 trial of his poAver, to make new and 
 unreasonable demands upon it, after 
 sufficient evidence has been already 
 afforded ; and to do this, not barely 
 from presumption, but from distrust." 
 — To pid a yoke. This imagery is 
 frequent, in the Scriptures, to de- 
 scribe the imposition of any burden, 
 or duty, or restraint. Lam. i. 14, iii. 
 S7 ; Mat. xL 29, 30, xxiii. 4 ; Gal. v. 
 ] ; 1 Tim. vi. 1. — Which neither our 
 fathers nor we ivere able to bear. 
 Here is a free confession of the 
 burdensome character of the Mosaic 
 ritual, particularly as it was over- 
 laden with numerous traditions and 
 comments by the Rabbins. The 
 moral law was not annulled by tlie 
 odvent of Christ; nor was the great 
 purpose of tlie Mosaic dispensation 
 frustrated ; — Jesus came to fulfil, to 
 
 carry it out, not to destroy it ; — but the 
 special enactments, the ceremonial 
 and external apparatus of that sys- 
 tem, Avere to pass away, as no longer 
 needed, as a burden useless and hurt- 
 ful to lay upon the necks of the Gen- 
 tile converts. It was a tempting of 
 God, a frustrating of his will, and 
 provoking of his displeasure, to im- 
 pose these old trammels of a past 
 age upon the youthful limbs of a new 
 faith ; to fetter the liberty of Christ, 
 of spiritual manhood, with the lead- 
 ing-strings of J ewish childhood. 
 
 11. Through the grace of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, ^'c. All were to look 
 for salvation to the mercy revealed 
 through the Messiah, to the favor 
 of God in Christ, not to any exter- 
 nal observances, or ritual obedience. 
 The stress of the sentence is, that, 
 so far from these legal requirements, 
 circumcision and sacrifices, being 
 essential to the Gentiles as a ground 
 of acceptance with the Most High, 
 they were not even necessary to 9ie 
 Jews themselves; for they likewise 
 could not noAv be justified by the 
 works of the law, or compliance witli 
 the Mosaic ceremonial, but by faith 
 in the mercy of God in the revela- 
 tion of his Son. The unworthy 
 compliances of Peter with Jewish 
 prejudices, related in Gal. ii. 11-14, 
 no doubt occurred several years be- 
 fore, when it is conjectured he went 
 to Antioch in the Herodian persecu- 
 tion. Chap. xii. 17, 25. 
 
 12. Declaring what miracles, IfC. 
 After Peter had concluded his re- 
 marks, Paul and Barnabas gave their 
 testimony also to the same effect. 
 They had been empowered by Go4 
 
XV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 217 
 
 13 the Gentiles by them. And after they had held their peace, 
 
 James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. 
 11 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, 
 15 to take out of them a people for his name. And to this agree 
 IG the words of the prophets ; as it is written. After this I will re- 
 turn, and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen 
 down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it 
 17 up : that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all 
 the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who 
 
 to work miracles among the Gen- 
 tiles, which showed that he approved 
 of tlie course they pursued in admit- 
 ting them into the Christian church 
 without circumcision. He would not 
 have granted such a sanction to their 
 labors, if they adopted false prin- 
 ciples of action in their ministry. 
 Though they were inspired, yet the 
 argument from facts would be more 
 convincing to their Jewish opponents 
 than their mere words, or the state- 
 ment of impressions received by their 
 own minds. 
 
 13, 14. James nnsivered. Or, 
 " made an address." This was James 
 the Less, the son of Alpheus, some- 
 times c.dled the bishop of Jerusalem 
 by the early writers. He was presi- 
 dent, apparently, of the assembly; and 
 after others had expressed their opin- 
 ions, he summed up the matter, and 
 gave a species of decision as to the 
 best course to be pursued. Neander 
 remarks, that, " On account of his 
 strict observance of the law, he was 
 held in the greatest reverence by 
 the Jews, and in his words, there- 
 fore, the greatest confidence would 
 be placed. He brought their de- 
 liberations to a close, by a proposal 
 whicii corresponded t) his own pe- 
 culiar moderation and mildness, and 
 was adapted to compose the existing 
 differences. Referring to Peter's ad- 
 dress, he said that this apostle had 
 shown how God had already received 
 the Gentiles, in order to form a peo- 
 ple dedicated to his service. And 
 
 VOL. III. 19 
 
 this agreed with the predictions of 
 the prophets, who had foretold that, 
 in tlie times when the decayed the- 
 ocracy was to be gloriously revived, 
 the worship of Jehovah would be 
 extended also among the Gentiles. 
 Accordingly, Avhat had recently oc- 
 curred among the Gentiles need not 
 excite their astonishment. God, who 
 effected all this, was noAv fulfilling 
 his eternal counsel, as he had prom- 
 ised by his prophets. Since, there- 
 fore, by this eternal counsel of God, 
 the Gentiles were to be incorporated 
 into his kingdom by the Messiah, let 
 them not dare to do any thing which 
 might obstruct or retard the progress 
 of this Avork. They ought not to lay 
 any unnecessary burdens on the con- 
 verted Gentiles." — Men and breth- 
 ren. Brethren. — Simeon. Hebrew 
 of Simon. — M the first. Better, 
 " first." Chap. x. — A people for his 
 name. As the Hebrews had been 
 chosen out of other nations for the 
 recipients of a purer faith and wor- 
 ship, so now were converts gathered 
 out of the Gentile world to constitute 
 a new race and kingdom of men for 
 the glory of God. Peter appeared, 
 in this assembly, as possessing no 
 superior authority to the other speak- 
 ers, which could favor the papal 
 claims of his supremacy in the apos- 
 tolic college. On the contrary, if 
 any one took the lead, it was James. 
 15-18. Of the prophets. The 
 book of the minor prophets, of whom 
 Amos, who flourished about 780 or 
 
218 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap, 
 
 doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works from 18 
 the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we lU 
 trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to 
 God : but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollu- 20 
 tions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, 
 
 790 B. C, was one. — As it is ivrit- 
 ten. See Amos ix. 11, 12. The 
 
 particular aim of the prophet seems 
 to have been, to describe the resto- 
 ration of the Jewish prosperity, the 
 rebuilding of the temple after the 
 Babylonish captivity, and the spread 
 of the true faith even beyond Judea, 
 all which was fulfilled about two 
 hundred years afterwards. James 
 employed this by way of accommo- 
 dation, as illustrative of the admis- 
 sion of the Gentiles into the Mes- 
 siah's kingdom. Peter had reasoned 
 from the gifts of the Spirit, and the 
 purification of faith, granted to the 
 Gentiles, ver. 8, 9 ; Paul and Barna- 
 bas, from miracles done, by the di- 
 vine power and approbation, among 
 the heathen ; and James adduces the 
 voice of the elder dispensation itself, 
 which embraced the Gentiles in its 
 plan of mercy. — After this, S^c. i. e. 
 the destruction of Israel. — The tab- 
 ernacle, i. e. figuratively, the family, 
 or people, of David, who would be 
 restored and built up again in their 
 own land. The quotation is not 
 made strictly according to the He- 
 brew, or the Greek version. — The 
 residue of men. Or, the Gentiles, 
 the rest of the human family besides 
 the Jews. — Known unto God, &,'c. 
 A portion of this verse is deemed 
 spurious by Griesbach and other crit- 
 ics. They read it as follows, be- 
 ginning with the last clause of ver. 
 17 : " Who doeth all these things, 
 ivhich ivere known from the beginning 
 of the world." It is probably a re- 
 mark of James, not a quotation from 
 Amos; and implies, that the pur- 
 poses of God were known to him 
 from the beginning. He foresaw 
 
 from the first the whole course of 
 events, and the development of the 
 patriarchal. Mosaic, prophetic, and 
 Christian dispensation. His plan 
 Avas eternal. 
 
 19. My sentence is. Or, " I judge 
 or conclude." — That we trouble not 
 them, S)C. By imposing upon them 
 the yoke of ceremonial observances. 
 
 — The Gentiles — turned to God, i. e. 
 Gentile converts. There is no evi- 
 dence, in this verse, that James pass- 
 ed a decree by his own authority, 
 but simply oflfered what, in modern 
 phrase, would be called a resolution, 
 for the consideration of the assembly. 
 
 20. That we turite unto them. Be- 
 cause the Gentile converts were scat- 
 tered about in distant places. Tlie 
 decision contained four prohibitions. 
 
 — Pollutions of idols. A custom 
 was prevalent in Gentile countries, 
 that, after a sacrifice had been of- 
 fei-ed in a heathen temple, and a 
 portion had been given to the priests, 
 the remainder of the offerings was 
 either exposed for sale in the mar- 
 ket, or served up by the worship- 
 per for the entertaimnent of his 
 friends, either in his oAvn house or 
 at the temple of the idol. This in- 
 junction Avas, therefore, designed to 
 forbid the Gentile Christians from 
 eating the flesh of animals Avhich 
 had been offered in sacrifice to the 
 heathen gods. The temptation to 
 Avhich they A\^ere exposed, in this re- 
 spect, and the coiTuption which Avas 
 thus introduced into their faith, are 
 described in 1 Cor. viii., x. 14-23. 
 
 — Fornication. This is mentioned 
 in connexion Avith idolatry, because 
 tlie worship of the heathen temples 
 wa& often polluted by this vice, and 
 
XV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 219 
 
 21 and from blood. For Moses of old time hath in every city them 
 that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath 
 day. 
 
 the professed acts of religion itself 
 mingled with the most horrible licen- 
 tiousness. The tendencies to this 
 sin in the dissolute cities of the Eist, 
 covered as it was by a professedly 
 sacred sanction, were so strong, that 
 the caution to the Gentile disciples 
 was by no means superfluous. 1 Cor. 
 V. It is the opinion of some that, 
 by this clause, marriage with idola- 
 ters, or within the degrees prohib- 
 ited by the law, or, in general, all 
 intercourse forbidden thereby, was 
 here excluded, as offering danger- 
 ous temptation to apostasy from the 
 Christian faith. — jFVo^i things stran- 
 gled^ and from blood. They Avere to 
 refrain from eating the flesh of ani- 
 mals Avhich had been strangled, 
 which was an abomination to the 
 Jews, but in high esteem among the 
 heathen ; for suffocated or strangled 
 flesh was regarded as very dehcious 
 by the ancients. Herodotus relates 
 that the Scythians were accustomed 
 to strangle the animals oflered in 
 sacrifice to their gods. This pre- 
 cept, therefore, was aimed against 
 cruelty, luxury, and intemperance. 
 Abstinence from blood is enjoined 
 on the ground of Gen. ix. 4 ; L-v. 
 xvii. 10-14; Deut. xii. 23 ; 1 Sam. 
 xiv. 34. Milman remarks, that " The 
 influence of James effected a dis- 
 creet and temperate compromise : 
 Judaism, as it were, capitulited on 
 honorable terms. The Christians 
 Avere to be left to that freedom en- 
 joyed by the Proselytes of the Gate, 
 but they Avere enjoined to pay so 
 much respect to those with Avhom 
 they were associated in religious 
 Avorship, as to abstain from those 
 practices Avhich Avere most offensive 
 to their habits. The partaking of 
 t!ie sacrificial feasts in the idolatrous 
 temples Avas so plainly repugnant to 
 
 the first principles, either of the Jcav- 
 ish or the Christian theism, as to 
 be altogether irreconcilable Avith the 
 professed opinions of a proselyte to 
 either. The using of things stran- 
 gled, and blood, for food, appears to 
 have been the most revolting to 
 JoAvish fe ding ; and perhaps, among 
 the dietetic regulations of the Mo- 
 saic laAv, none, in a southern climate, 
 was more conducive to health. The 
 other article in this celebrated de- 
 cree Avas a moral prohibition, but not 
 improbably directed more particu- 
 larly against the dissolute rites of 
 those Syrian and Asiatic religions, 
 in Avhich prostitution formed an es- 
 sential part, and Avhich prevailed to 
 a great extent in the countries bor- 
 dering upon Palestine." Lardner 
 has clearly shoAvn that these pro- 
 hibitions Avere rather temporary and 
 ceremonial than moral, and Avere de- 
 signed at the same time to bring the 
 Gentile Christians nearer to the Jcav- 
 isli converts, by abstaining from those 
 things which Avere abominable to 
 the "latter ; and also to Avean the 
 Gentile disciples from their heathen 
 customs and mode of living, and their 
 sensual and idolatrous rites. A feAV 
 authorities add, as a fifth injunction, 
 " And not to do to others, what they 
 Avould not have done to themselves," 
 — a very good command, but an 
 unauthorized reading in tlie text 
 
 21. For Moses of old time hath, S,-c. 
 The sense of this verse appears to 
 be that, as the above things Avere 
 essentially prohibited by the Jewish 
 laAv, Avhich Avas read in every city on 
 the Sabbith day, the Gentile con- 
 verts ought to abstain from them out 
 of deference to the feelings of their 
 Jewish brethren, if for no other rea- 
 son. If these habits, to Avhich the 
 Gentiles had been addicted while 
 
220 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, 22 
 to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul 
 and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnanied Barsabas, and Silas, 
 chief men among the brethren : and wrote letters by them 23 
 after this manner ; The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send 
 greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, 
 and Syria, and Cilicia. Forasmuch as we have heard, that cer- 24 
 tain which went out from us, have troubled you with words, 
 subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep 
 
 idolaters, were not rigidly discon- 
 tinued, there Avould be a constant 
 source of irritation existing, from the 
 displeasure of the Jewish disciples 
 towards their fellow-Christians. — 
 Being read in the sjpiagogues evei'y 
 Sabbath day. Josephus says, " Our 
 lawgiver, Moses, that Ave might not 
 be ignorant of his laws, ordered us 
 to let all other business alone, and 
 assemble ourselves for hearing the 
 law read, and getting a thorough 
 knowledge of it, not once only, or 
 twice, or frequently, but upon every 
 Sabbath day ; a thing which all other 
 lawgivers seem to have omitted." 
 
 22. Then pleased it, S^c. There 
 seems to have been no further dis- 
 cussion, but all agreed with the opin- 
 ion of the wise apostle. In the lan- 
 guage of Luther, "Therefore they 
 agree that James should prescribe, 
 and since their consciences are left 
 free and unfettered, that, they think, 
 is enough for them; they were not 
 so envious as to wish to quarrel about 
 a little thing, provided it could be 
 done without damage." — Chosen 
 tnen of their own company. Prob- 
 ably some individuals were selected 
 who were on the Jewish side of the 
 question, as Paul and Barnabas took 
 the part of the Gentiles. For it was 
 desirable, in order to gain credence 
 with the Jews at Antioch, that some, 
 of their own party should make 
 known to them the decree. — Judas, 
 surnamed Barsabas. Nothing is 
 elsewhere known of tliis individual. 
 
 — Silas. Otherwise called, in the 
 Greek form, SilvaniLS. Chap. xvi. 
 25, xvii. 4 ; 2 Cor. i. 19. 
 
 23. Wrote letters. Literally, " hav- 
 ing written." It is not implied that 
 more than one epistle was written, 
 directed to the different churches. — 
 ^^nd brethren. The assembly con- 
 sisted, not only of the apostles and 
 elders, but also of private Cliristians, 
 who had a voice in its decisions as 
 much as Peter or Paul. In short, it 
 was a species of popular convention, 
 not a strict council in which none, 
 excepting those possessing certain 
 credentials and qualifications, could 
 have a seat. — Send greeting, i^'c. 
 The brotherly and benignant spirit 
 of this letter missive is widely differ- 
 ent from most of the decrees of 
 councils, and bulls of popes, which 
 have been ostensibly issued in the 
 Christian name. The meaning of the 
 word " greeting," in the original, is, 
 literally, " to rejoice," or, " to wish 
 joy or health." — Jlntioch — Syria 
 
 — Cilicia. The controversy raged 
 principally in these places, tiiough 
 the letter was equally applicable to 
 tlie Avhole Gentile Avorld. 
 
 24. Certain ivhich went out from 
 us. Who are mentioned in ver. 1, 
 but who had no authority from the 
 church at Jerusalem. — Troubled you 
 with words. Or, disturbed you Avith 
 doctrines and discourses. — Subvert- 
 ing your souls. Rather, "unset- 
 tling," or, perverting your minds 
 from the truth. 
 
XV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 •221 
 
 25 the law ; to whom we gave no such commandment : it seemed 
 good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen 
 
 2G men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul : men that 
 have haznrded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you 
 
 28 the same things by mouth. For it seemed good to the Holy 
 Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these 
 
 29 necessary things ; that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and 
 from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication : 
 from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye 
 
 30 well. So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: 
 
 and when they had gathered the multitude together, they deliv- 
 
 31 ered the epistle. Wliich when they had read, they rejoiced for 
 
 25, 26. It seemed good unto us, &,'€. 
 The whole character of the epistle 
 is popular and advisory, Avithout any 
 stamp of absolute authority on one 
 side, or cringing subserviency on the 
 other. — fVith one accord. Or, bet- 
 ter, " all together." — Hazarded their 
 lives. Chap. xiv. This testimony to 
 their heroic and self-sacrificing spirit 
 wfis added as a moral weight to 
 their authority ; nothing was claimed 
 on the score of official dignity, but 
 they were entitled to be heard as 
 all-devoted ministers of Christ, ready 
 to yield up every thing to his cause. 
 
 27. Tell you the same things by 
 mouth. Or, " verbally." Belonging 
 to Uie Jerusalem party, Judas and 
 Silas would be able to explain, in 
 private and public, more at length, 
 the reasons of the decision, and soften 
 the rigid prejudices of their country- 
 men, without being subject to tiie 
 suspicions and jealousies with which 
 Paul and Barnabas were regarded. 
 
 28, 29. Seemed good to the Holy 
 GJiost and to us, i. e. to ns acting 
 under the influence of the Holy 
 Spirit Their decision was made 
 under the divine sanction in general, 
 though there is no special inspira- 
 tion at the time claimed. — These 
 necessary things. Necessary to the 
 
 19* 
 
 peace and prosperity of the Christian 
 churches. — Ye shall do well. It will 
 be well with you, or promote your 
 salvation. Doddridge observes, that 
 "This gentle manner of concluding 
 was worthy tlie apostolical wisdom 
 and goodness. Too soon did suc- 
 ceeding councils, of inferior author- 
 ity, change it for the style of anathe- 
 mas ; forms which have, I doubt not, 
 proved an occasion of consecrating 
 some of the worst passions of the 
 human mind under sacred names, and 
 which, like some ill-judged weapons 
 of war, are most likely to hurt the 
 hand from which they are thrown." 
 — Fare ye well. Literally, "be ye 
 strong, well." 
 
 30, .31. Had gathered the multitude 
 togetJier, i. e. the Antiochian church. 
 Tlie popular air of all the proceed- 
 ings in this chapter is very observa- 
 ble. The great body of Christians 
 in Antioch met together to listen to 
 the advice which had been sent to 
 them from the great body of Chris- 
 tians at Jerusalem. — Rejoiced for 
 the consolation. Or, " for the direc- 
 tion," or, instruction. They re- 
 joiced because the Gentiles were 
 exempted from a painful yoke, and 
 their minds were definitely settled 
 on this agitating question. 
 
222 
 
 TflE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 the consolation. And Judas and Silas, being prophets also them- 32 
 selves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed 
 them. And after they had tarried there a space, they were let 33 
 go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles. Notwithstand- 34 
 ing, it pleased Silas to abide there still. Paul also and Barnabas 35 
 continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the 
 Lord, with many others also. 
 
 And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go 36 
 again and visit our brethren, in every city where we have 
 preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And 37 
 Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname 
 was Mark, But Paul thought not good to take him with them, 38 
 who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with 
 
 32, 33. Being prophets. Or, re- 
 ligious teachers. — Confirmed them, 
 i. e. strengthened their minds in the 
 decision already made. The epistle 
 •was very brief, and there was much 
 room for explaining and enforcing 
 it. — In peace. The whole business 
 had been amicably adjusted, and the 
 delegates from Jerusalem were dis- 
 missed in brotherly love. The great 
 controversy, however, was by no 
 means put to a final rest, for no 
 small portion of the epistles of Paul 
 is occupied with its discussion ; in 
 which he combated, with the great- 
 est energy and eloquence, the big- 
 otry of the Jewish Christians, and 
 strove for the liberty of Christ. 
 
 34. This whole verse has been 
 regarded as of doubtful authority, by 
 numerous critics, not being found in 
 many authorities. Some manuscripts 
 add to the received text, " but Judas 
 onlv departed." 
 
 35, 36. The history of Paul and 
 Barnabas is again resumed, and their 
 powerful exertions described in pro- 
 moting, both at home and abroad, 
 that cause which was dearer to them 
 than ease or life itself. — Let us go 
 again. The zeal of Paul projected a 
 second journey throughout all places 
 
 which they had previously visited. 
 The dangers to which many Chris- 
 tian converts were exposed, with 
 Jewish exclusiveness on one side, 
 and Gentile idolatry on the other, 
 rendered these visitations necessary 
 to the growth of feeble and perse- 
 cuted churches. The coming of the 
 apostles would infuse new courage 
 into the desponding, awe overbear- 
 ing enemies, and nip many luxuriant 
 evils in the bud. — How they do, i. e. 
 religiously. 
 
 37. John, ivhose surname iras Mark. 
 The evangelist. The interest of 
 Barnabas in Mark, as his nephew. 
 Col. iv. 10, was probably the chief 
 reason of his being so strenuous to 
 have him as a travelling companion 
 and assistant. 
 
 38. Who departed from them, %'C. 
 We are left to conjecture, without 
 any light from history on the sub- 
 ject " It is uncertain whether Paul 
 was unreasonable or Mark unfaith- 
 ful." But the former Avas highly 
 displeased, and refused to have the 
 latter as an associate in the work, 
 though he afterwards became recon- 
 ciled, and spoke of him with interest. 
 Col. iv. 10 ; 2 Tim. iv. 11 ; Phile- 
 mon, 24. 
 
OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 2*23 
 
 XV.] 
 
 39 them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between 
 them, that they departed asunder one from the other : and so 
 Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus. 
 
 40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by 
 
 41 the brethren unto the grace of God. And he went through Syria 
 and Cilicia, confirming the churches. 
 
 39. The contention was so sharp. 
 The severest animosities often grow 
 out of the slightest cause, as more 
 temper was manifested in this dis- 
 pute about a small affair, than in the 
 settlement of the Jewish and Gentile 
 controversy. Though inspired, the 
 apostles were still men, and were 
 liable to the infirmities and passions 
 of men. It adds to the credibility 
 of the sacred history, to see them 
 introduced as they were, in the cos- 
 tume of real life, with their sins and 
 weaknesses about them ; yet still 
 holding forth the word of life, tiie 
 light of the world, and doing and 
 daring sublimely in its behalf. Paul 
 and Barnabas become more real to 
 our hearts and our faith, from the 
 fact, that not every fault is studious- 
 ly veiled from our sight, but they are 
 seen to have the touch and soil of 
 humanity upon tliem, and are pre- 
 sented to us in their distinct indi- 
 viduality. — Chfprns. The country 
 of Barnabas. 1 Cor. ix. 6. 
 
 40, 41. Chose Silas. Ver. 34. It 
 was desirable, and necessary, that 
 the early preachers should not go 
 forth single-handed. They needed 
 sympathy, help, defence ; in one Avord, 
 a conpdant. The wisdom of Jesus 
 was shown by his sending forth his 
 preachers two by two. Luke x. 1. — 
 The grace. " The favor," or, pro- 
 tection, of God. — Co7ifirming. See 
 note on chap. xiv. 22. 
 
 In reference to the subjects con- 
 tained in this chapter, it may be re- 
 marked, (1.) In the language of 
 Doddridge, — " How early did the 
 spirit of bigotry and imposition be- 
 
 gin to work in the Christian church ! 
 that fatal humor of imposing a yoke 
 on the neck of Christ's disciples, by 
 making indifferent things necessary ! 
 an unmanly and anti-Christian dis- 
 position ; Avhich has almost ever since 
 been rending the church to pieces, 
 and clamorously throwing the blame 
 on those who have been desirous, on 
 principles truly evangelical, to stand 
 fast in the liberty with which their 
 Divine Master has made them free. 
 How foolish and how mischievous 
 the error, of making terms of com- 
 munion which Christ has never 
 made ! and how presumptuous the 
 arrogance of invading his throne, to 
 pronounce from thence damnatory 
 sentences on those who will not, 
 who dare not, submit to our uncom- 
 missioned and usurped authority ! " 
 
 (2.) We learn that the nature of 
 their inspiration was not such as to 
 preclude the exercise of the apostles' 
 minds, difference of opinion upon 
 some subjects among themselves, and 
 liability to temptation and sin. 
 
 (.3.) But, in the beautiful spirit in 
 which the Gentile controversy was 
 adjusted, we discern the Master's 
 benediction of peace and love still 
 brooding, apparently, over the bands 
 of his disciples, and uniting each to 
 each, and all to him. How widely, 
 how sadly different from tliat clangor 
 of war and hoarse dispute which we 
 hear echoing along the succeeding 
 line of Christian history, from age to 
 age, even to our own day ! We 
 despairingly ask. Where has been 
 the love of the Master ? Where has 
 been the love of the brethren ? 
 
224 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 Paul and Silas pass from Asia Minor to Macedonia ; are imprisoned at Phtlippi, 
 and delivered from their Enemies by the Interposition of God. 
 
 XHEN came he to Derbe and Lystra : and behold, a certain 
 disciple was there, named Tirnotheus, the son of a certain wo- 
 man which was a Jewess, and believed, but his father was a 
 Greek : which was well reported of by the brethren that were 2 
 at Lystra and Iconium. Him would Paul have to go forth with 3 
 him ; and took and circumcised him, because of the Jews which 
 were in those quarters : for they knew all that his father was a 
 
 (4.) In the assembly at Jerusa- 
 lem, we read no rigid precedents for 
 all following time, but valuable ex- 
 amples, whose spirit is immortal. 
 There was no arrogance, no assump- 
 tion, no tyranny. All hear, and are 
 heard. It was, as it should be, a 
 meeting of brothers. It breathed not 
 maledictions, but benedictions. It 
 was called for a special object, and 
 that object is kept in view, and set- 
 tled. From this first council, as it is 
 called, was issued, though James pre- 
 sided, and Paul reasoned, not com- 
 mands, but advice ; not dictations, but 
 suggestions. No creed was framed, 
 no confession of faith drawn up, no 
 mode of church government estab- 
 lished, no ordinances enacted ; but 
 all Avas left in the same freedom in 
 which it was found, and the injunc- 
 tions made were prohibitory, not pos- 
 itive. Such a narrative ought not to 
 be read in vain by the belligerent, 
 exclusive, and self-righteous sects 
 of Christendom ! 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 ], 2. Derbe and Lystra. See note 
 on chap. xiv. 6. — Tirnotheus. The 
 Latin of Timothy, to whom Paul ad- 
 dressed two of his epistles. — ^ Jew- 
 ess, and believed, i. e. was originally a 
 Jewess, but afterwards became a con- 
 vert to Christianity, probably at the 
 time of the previous visit of Paul and 
 B-^niabas. Chap. xiv. A high char- 
 
 acter is given to Eunice, the mother, 
 and to Lois, the grandmother, of 
 Timothy, in 2 Tim. i. 5. He had 
 been religiously educated at home, 
 and the impressions of his early years 
 were not lost. Prov. xxii. 6. Paley 
 has noticed, in his Horce PaulincB, 
 the undesigned, and therefore weigh- 
 ty, coincidences between the fact 
 here stated, that the mother of Tim- 
 othy was a Jewess that believed, and 
 the mention of her faith, 2 Tim. i. 5 ; 
 and again betAveen the silence of the 
 epistle in relation to the other parent, 
 and the silence of the Acts as to his 
 faith ; the circumstance only that he 
 was a Gentile being given. — A 
 Greek. Or, Gentile. It was con- 
 trary to the JeAvish institutions for 
 the chosen people to contract matri- 
 monial alliances Avith heathen na- 
 tions, Ezra ix. 12 ; but it was re- 
 garded as less heinous for females 
 to marry Gentile husbands than for 
 males to marry Gentile Avives, though 
 both connections Avere not infrequent 
 — JVhich. Who, i. e. Timothy. — 
 Was ivell reported of. Or, " held in 
 good repute." This testimony cor- 
 responds to his general character, as 
 exhibited in both the epistles of Paul 
 to his Christian laborer. 1 Tim. vi. 
 12; 2 Tim. i. 5, iii. 14,15. 
 
 3. Circumcised him — for they knew 
 all. Or, "all knew." It was cus- 
 tomary, according to the TaJmuds, 
 for the fatlier to have control of his 
 
XVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 225 
 
 4 Greek : and as they went through the cities, they delivered them 
 the decrees for to keep, tliat were ordained of the apostles and 
 
 5 elders which were at Jerusalem. And so were the churches 
 established in the faith, and increased m number daily. 
 
 6 Now, when they had gone throughout Phrygia, and the region 
 of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the 
 
 7 word in Asia; after they were come to Mysia, they assayed to 
 
 children's religious observances ; and, 
 because his father Avas a Gentile, 
 Timothy was not circumcised. As 
 Paul wished to employ him as a co- 
 worker witli himself, among Jews as 
 well as Gentiles, the rite of circum- 
 cision was performed as a mere pru- 
 dential regulation, in deference to 
 Jewish prejudices ; since, for a half- 
 Jew not to be circumcised, would be 
 worse than for one, Gentile-born, to 
 neglect it. Chap. xxi. 20. Paul 
 Avas firm to withstand, to the last 
 point, the requirement of circumcis- 
 ion as an essential to the Christian 
 profession, as is evident from the 
 case of Titus. Gal. ii. 3, 4, 5, v. 6. 
 The decree of tlie Christian assem- 
 bly at Jerusalem, chap, xv., had de- 
 cided that matter in relation to the 
 pure Gentiles ; but Timothy was par- 
 tially a debtor, so to speak, by his 
 birth, to the Jewish law ; and, though 
 the apostle was so unyielding where 
 the rite was demanded as necessary, 
 lie would, in the exercise of a gen- 
 erous charity, yield much to the scru- 
 ples of his weaker brethren, where 
 no principle would be compromised. 
 Horn. xiv. 21 ; 1 Cor. viii. 13, ix. 20-22. 
 4, 5. The decrees. See chap. xv. 
 'Zi-2d. — EstablisJied in the faith, 
 and increased, c^-c. This was the re- 
 sult of those wise and judicious meas- 
 ures that had been adopted, by which 
 the Gentiles were exempted from the 
 burdensome ritual of Moses. The 
 prosperity of the Christian church, 
 in every age, intimately depends up- 
 on its being kept pure from foreign 
 admixtures of ceremonies and doc- 
 
 trines not essential to its nature, or 
 perhaps at variance with it, when 
 rightly understood. 
 
 6. Phrygia. A large central prov- 
 ince of Asia Minor, surrounded by 
 Cappadocia, Galatia, Mysia, Lydia, 
 Caria, Lycaonia, Pisidia, Lysia, and 
 Bithynia. Its inlmbitants claimed 
 to be the most ancient people in the 
 world, and even the Egyptians yield- 
 ed them the palm in that respect. 
 The capital was Apamea. And, of 
 " the seven churches " mentioned in 
 the Apocalypse, two, Laodicea and 
 Colosse, to which Paul wrote one of 
 his epistles, were situated in this dis- 
 trict. — Galatia. Another province 
 of Asia Minor, bounded by Pontus, 
 Phrygia, Cappadocia, Paphlagonia. 
 and Bithynia. It derived its name 
 from a colony of Gauls, who emi- 
 grated thither, in the third century 
 before Christ, in quest of new habi- 
 tations. One of the epistles of Paul 
 is directed to the Galatians. — Were 
 forbidden of the Holy Ghost. Or, by 
 a prompting, or revelation, of that 
 Spirit of God, under whose sanc- 
 tions and directions they acted. The 
 reasons of the prohibition are not 
 given, though we may conjecture 
 that the object was to spread more 
 widely the life-giving power of Chris- 
 tian truth. — Asia. By which is 
 meant, not the whole region of Asia 
 Minor, but Proconsular Asia, includ 
 ing several districts of Mysia, Caria, 
 Lydia, &c., of which the capital was 
 Ephesus. Rev. i. 11. 
 
 7. Mysia. This was situated in 
 the north-west part of Asia Minor, 
 
226 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 go into Bithyni-/: but the Spirit suffered them not. And they, 8 
 passing by Mysia, came down to Troas. And a vision appeared 9 
 to Paul in the night: There stood a man of Macedonia, and 
 prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. 
 And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to lO 
 go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering, that the Lord had called 
 us for to preach the gospel unto them. 
 
 and had for its boundaries Bithynia, 
 Phrygia, Lydia, the Mediterranean, 
 Hellespont, and Propontis. Its prin- 
 cipal town was Pergamus. — Jissayed. 
 Or, attempted. — Bithynia. A prov- 
 ince east of Mysia, bounded by that 
 district, Paphlagonia, Phrygia, Gala- 
 tia, and the waters of the Euxine, 
 Bosphorus, and Propontis. — But the 
 Spirit. Or, as most critics read, in 
 obedience to the best ancient author- 
 ities, " the spirit of Jesus ; " the spir- 
 it which Jesus had promised. Dr. 
 Adam Clarke observes that this 
 " reading is undoubtedly genuine, 
 and should be immediately restored 
 to the text." 
 
 8. Troas. Or, the Troad. This 
 was the name of a maritime district 
 of Mysia. It was immortalized as 
 being the scene of the epic poem of 
 Homer, the Iliad, and also of part of 
 the ^Eneid, by Virgil. Troas is also 
 the name of a city in the district of 
 Troas, at the distance of about four 
 miles, as is conjectured, from tlie 
 site of ancient Troy. Acts xx. 5 ; 
 2 Cor. ii. 12 ; 2 Tim. iv. 13. 
 
 9. A vision, &fc. Whether by a 
 dream, or otherwise, can only be 
 matter of inference and conjecture. 
 — A man of Macedonia. A man in 
 the costume of that land. Macedo- 
 nia Avas a large country in Europe, 
 lying across the waters of the Hel- 
 lespont, and the northern part of the 
 iEgean Sea, from Troas, and bound- 
 ed on the south by Epirus and Thes- 
 saly, on the north by Dardania and 
 Mcesia, on the east by Thrace and 
 tlie ^gean Sea, and on the west by 
 
 the Adriatic Sea, and Illyricum. It 
 was distinguished as the kingdom of 
 Philip and his son Alexander the 
 Great, who, about three centuries be- 
 fore Christ, made himself master of 
 almost all tlie then known world. But 
 the overgrown empire was divided, 
 after his death, by his ambitious gen- 
 erals ; and Macedonia fell a prey, in 
 process of time, to the conquests of 
 the Romans under Paulus ^milius. 
 — Cowie over, ^c, i. e. come over and 
 help us by preaching the gospel. 
 Christianity had not yet been intro- 
 duced into Europe ; and the genius 
 of the whole continent, and even of 
 ages to come, the genius of vast mul- 
 titudes of men seeking for light and 
 peace, and finding none, appeared, as 
 it were, in the person of that seem- 
 ing Macedonian man, and asked for 
 " help." That word beautifully de- 
 scribes the chief office of the Chris- 
 tian religion, in its blessed influence 
 upon the world. It is help, guidance, 
 light. It is help to aid man in work- 
 ing out his own salvation ; in being 
 good, and doing good. It is not a 
 substitute for his own exertions, but 
 a quickener and director of them. 
 It saves man by helping him save 
 himself. 
 
 10. We endeavored. Or, " w^e 
 adopted, or sought means." By 
 the use of the first person plural, 
 the commentators infer that Luke 
 now, for the first time, became at- 
 tached to tlie party of Paul, and 
 henceforth travelled witli him, as is 
 indicated, through most of the re- 
 mainder of the Acts, by the sign of 
 
XVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLfc:S. 
 
 2*^7 
 
 11 Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course 
 
 12 to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis ; and from thence 
 to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and 
 
 13 a colony : and we were in that city abiding certain days. And 
 on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where 
 prayer was wont to be made ; and we sat down, and spake unto 
 
 the pronoun used above. A consid- 
 erable portion of the history, there- 
 fore, is that of an eye and ear-wit- 
 ness. — Assuredly gathering. Or, 
 inferring with great certainty. 
 
 1 1. Loosing from. A nautical term, 
 " sailed aAvay." — With a straight 
 course. Over the iEgean Sea, now 
 the Archipelago. — Samothracia. Or, 
 Samothrace. This was an island in 
 the ^gean, about thirty miles in cir- 
 cumference. It was called Samo- 
 thrace, or the Samos of Thrace, to 
 distinguish it from other places of 
 the same name. It was an asylum 
 ibr criminals and adventurers. Its 
 madern name is Samandrachi. — JVe- 
 apolis. This was a seaport in Ma- 
 cedonia, or, according to some wri- 
 ters, in Thrace. Neapolis was not 
 fir from Philippi. Its present name 
 is JVapoli. It is situated between 
 one and two hundred miles from 
 Tro^s. 
 
 1'2. Philippi. This city was origi- 
 nally within the limits of ancient 
 Thrace ; but, being conquered by 
 Philip, the father of Alexander the 
 Greit, he gave to it his own name. 
 It was celebrated as the battle-field 
 of Cesar against Pompey, and also, 
 afterwards, of Antony and Augustus 
 agfain^t Brutus and Cassius, in the 
 first, century before the advent of the 
 Messiah. — Which is the chief city. 
 Or, one of the chief cities, or the 
 chief city which is a colony in that 
 country. After Macedonia had been 
 conquered by Paulus ^Emilius, it was 
 divided into four parts, and Philippi 
 was one of the principal cities in 
 Macedonia Prima, or the first part, 
 though not the capital, for that was 
 
 Amphipolis, according to Livy. — 
 And a colony. Or, more simply, 
 without the conjunction, " a colony," 
 as it is put in apposition to Philippi. 
 This fact, long standing unsupport- 
 ed by any evidence, has been unex- 
 pectedly corroborated by coins which 
 have been discovered in later times. 
 It appears, by their veracious testi- 
 mony, that Julius Cesar planted a 
 colony here, and granted high privi- 
 leges to the place, which were af- 
 terwards augmented by gifts from 
 Augustus, the succeeding emperor. 
 There were colonies of different 
 rank, according to the favors grant- 
 ed them, and called by different ti- 
 tles, as Roman, Latin, Italian, and 
 military : — to which class Philippi 
 belonged, is beyond our knowledge. 
 13. By a river side, where prayer 
 loas wont to he made. The name of 
 the river is unknown, though it is 
 conjectured to be the Strymon, or a 
 branch of it. It was a Jewish prac- 
 tice to have oratories, or proseuchfBj 
 or places of prayer, near some water, 
 in order to be accommodated in the 
 numerous ablutions which were con- 
 nected with their religion. Thus 
 Josephus remarks — and other an- 
 cient writers might be quoted to the 
 same effect — that the city of Hali- 
 carnassus decreed permission to the 
 Jews to erect these edifices. " We 
 ordain that the Jews who are willing, 
 both men and women, do observe the 
 Sabbaths ; and perform sacred rites, 
 according to the Jewish law ; and 
 build proseuch.fB (or places for prayer) 
 by the sea-side, according to the cus- 
 tom of their country; and if any 
 man, whetlier magistrate or private 
 
238 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 the women which resorted thither. And a certain woman named 14 
 Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which wor- 
 shipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she 
 attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when 15 
 she was baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If 
 ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my 
 
 person, give them any hinderance or 
 disturbance, he shall pay a fine to 
 the city." An early act of tolera- 
 tion. — Sat doion. Took the position 
 of public teachers. — Women. Who, 
 perhaps, came at one hour, and the 
 men at another, for the purposes of 
 worship; or, probably, the services 
 had not then commenced. 
 
 14. Lydia. Her name being de- 
 rived, it is likely, from the country 
 of her residence. — A seller of pur- 
 ple. Purple was a color of great 
 cost and richness, which was made 
 from a shell-fish, and garments col- 
 ored with which were worn chiefly 
 by the wealthy and powerful. — Thy- 
 atira. This was a city of Lydia, a 
 province of Asia Minor, situated near 
 Mysia, and now called Ak-hisar. It 
 is remarkable, as furnishing an inci- 
 dental proof to the veracity of the 
 history here given, that an inscription 
 has been discovered, in modern times, 
 in the ruins of this city, which was 
 made by the corporation of dyers, (it 
 concludes with the word dyrrs,) in 
 honor of a distinguished Roman, in 
 the reign of Caracalla, by the name of 
 Antonius Claudius x\lphenus. Thus 
 truth bears the test of ages, and finds 
 strong confirmations in every discov- 
 ery and research of the learned, be- 
 cause they often reveal circumstan- 
 tial and undesigned coincidences. — 
 JVhich worshipped God. Or, was a 
 proselyte. — Whose heart th". Lord 
 opened. This is a Hebrew form of 
 speech to describe what takes place 
 in tlie. course of divine providence, 
 as if it were effected by a special in- 
 strumentality of Heaven. Thus the 
 Lord was said to harden Pharaoh's 
 
 heart, Ex. x. 1, and to prompt David 
 to number the people, 2 Sam. xxiv. 
 ], though in neither case is the lan- 
 guage to be taken literally, but fig- 
 uratively. So profound and earnest 
 was the piety of the Hebrews, that 
 they associated God with every thing, 
 and every thing with God, so that no 
 philosophical line was ever drawn by 
 them of the limits of human respon- 
 sibility. In the case of Lydia, wo 
 recognize a soul already devout and 
 weil-disposed, a mind waiting and 
 thirsting for higher and purer truth. 
 This happy condition of spiritiuil in- 
 terest is attributed to God, for lie is 
 the First Cause of all causes, ^e 
 prime Agent and Mover of all ; 
 though there is still room left for the 
 freedom of human choice, and for the 
 guilt of grieving away, or tlie virtue of 
 welcoming and cherishing, the Spirit 
 of truth. In short, she was, under 
 the grace and providence of God, 
 converted from a state of spiritual 
 blindness to light, and peace, and joy. 
 1 5. She was baptized, and her hoiise- 
 hold. She submitted to the ini- 
 tiatory rite of Christian profession, 
 agreeably to the comma,nds of Christ, 
 and the practice of the apostles. 
 The fact that her household was also 
 baptized certainly strengthens the 
 idea that personal belief was not 
 always a prerequisite to baptism ; for, 
 supposing there were no infants in 
 the fimiily, it would have been re- 
 markable, indeed, if each household 
 baptized, as that of Lydia, that of the 
 jailer, ver. 33, and that of Crispus, 
 chap, xviii. 8, 1 Cor. i. 14, and that 
 of Stephanas, 1 Cor. i. 16, had been 
 composed of adult persons, or those 
 
XVLj 
 
 OF TilE APOSTLr.S. 
 
 2:^3 
 
 16 house, and abide there : And she constrained us. 
 
 And it 
 
 came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel, possessed 
 with a spirit of divination, met us, which brought her masters 
 
 arrived at years of discretion; and 
 not only so, but that all these indi- 
 viduals believed simultaneously with 
 the head of the family, and were bap- 
 tized not only as households, agree- 
 ably to the custom of circumcision, 
 and also agreeably to tlie custom of 
 baptism among proselytes to Juda- 
 ism, as Lightfoot has abundantly 
 shown from the Talmuds, but were 
 all baptized as personal believers in 
 the gospel. Nevertheless, it is con- 
 ceded, that it is matter of inference, 
 whether tlie subjects of baptism, in 
 this and the other cases, were young 
 or old, or whether they Avere all be- 
 lievers or not; the only and the 
 strong question being, on which side 
 do probabilities incline, in favor or 
 against infant baptism; and we be- 
 lieve they do decidedly in favor of 
 that holy and beautiful rite ; or, at 
 least, that faith on the part of the 
 subject of baptism was not an essen- 
 tial prerequisite in every instance. — 
 Come into my house. She forthwith 
 put her religion into exercise, by 
 practising the Christian virtue of 
 hospitality, so important, and so often 
 enjoined at that period. Phil. iv. 3 ; 
 Ueb. xiii. 2; 1 Peter iv. 9; Mat. x. 
 40-42. 
 
 16. ^s ive ivent to prayer. Or, to 
 the place of prayf*r, or oratory ; on 
 another occasion from that last re- 
 lated. — ^^ certain damsel. Or, fe- 
 male servant or slave. — Possessed 
 tv'th a spirit of divination. Or, as the 
 original and margin read, " witli a 
 spirit of Python." This is a classi- 
 cal allusion to the ancient mythology. 
 Python was a serpent or dragon, 
 fabled to have been killed by Apollo, 
 to whom the name also of tJie mon- 
 ster was transferred, and he was 
 called the Pythian Apollo. Hence 
 diviners and soothsayers were called 
 VOL. III. 20 
 
 by the same name, as the priestesses 
 in the temple of Apollo were believed 
 to be inspired by the god, and to 
 utter oracles when in the state of 
 enthusiasm and ecstasy. This popu- 
 lar term was adopted by the sacred 
 writer, without, of course, endorsing 
 the truth or error of that belief of the 
 Gentile world. The language of 
 the times was used — the modes of 
 speech, the idioms, the phrases, — 
 because that was the only language 
 which could be understood by the 
 generality. The girl in question 
 was probably melancholy or insane, 
 which gave rise to the idea that she 
 was possessed with a different spirit 
 from her own. Her owners readily 
 turned her disease to an account, and 
 employed her, for the purpose of gain, 
 as a diviner of future events, or a 
 soothsayer, or fortune-teller. It is 
 not incredible that many were easily 
 imposed upon in that age of igno- 
 rance and superstition, when, even at 
 this day, there are thousands that 
 can be duped by any impostor or 
 fanatic Avho possesses cunning and 
 address. She was, perhaps, sincere 
 in the belief that she was really pos- 
 sessed by the spirit of the Pythian 
 god; as the priestess of Apollo at 
 Delphos Avas affected, probably, by 
 the mephitic gas which arose from 
 the earth where the tripod, on Avhich 
 she sat, was placed. It has been the 
 opinion of some critics, that this a\^o- 
 man Avas also a ventriloquist, or one 
 Avho could utter sounds from the 
 brea.st, Avithout any perceptible mo- 
 tion of the lips. — Much gain. The 
 credulity of the people was great, 
 and they paid large sums, without 
 complaint, for her services ; and 
 it Avas the loss of this gain that 
 maddened her owners against the 
 apostles. 
 
330 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 much gain by soothsaying : the same followed Paul and us, and 17 
 cried, saying. These men are the servants of the most high God, 
 which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she 18 
 many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the 
 spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out 
 
 of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her 19 
 
 masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught 
 Paul and Silas, and drew them into the market-place unto the 
 
 17. These men are the servants^ ^t. 
 She had heard them preach, and 
 knew their claims, and it was per- 
 fectly in character with a wandering 
 mind, to repeat over and over again 
 the principal strain and burden of 
 their mission, " that they were the 
 messengers of God, and had come to 
 point out the way of salvation to the 
 people." This trait of tlie insane is 
 often seen in every age. They seize 
 tlie current news, and give it pub- 
 licity, or boldly assert something 
 which the prudence of the sane would 
 shrink from uttering. See note on 
 Mat. viii. 29. While, on the other 
 hand, as remarked by Farmer, " the 
 honorable testimony she bore to Paul 
 could not be the effect of the spirit of 
 Python or Apollo, because it tended 
 to disparage himself and the whole 
 tribe of heathen deities. If you say 
 it was the devil Avho bore this testi- 
 mony to Paul, you will find it more 
 difficult still to account for this zeal 
 for truth in the father of lies ; be- 
 cause this testimony, as it would 
 appear to proceed from one of tJieir 
 own gods, would have great weight 
 with the Gentiles. Nor was any 
 evil spirit constrained to bear tliis 
 testimony to Paul; for the apostle 
 was grieved at it, and, in order to put 
 a stop to it, cured her disorder." 
 
 18. This did she many days. Here 
 was another decided indication of 
 insanity. She was possessed with 
 what is technically called " a fixed 
 idea," which led her to follow them 
 from day to day, and reiterate the 
 
 same expression. The insane often 
 pursue one object without its being 
 possible to divert their minds from it 
 — Being giieved, i. e. because he 
 saw her sad state, and the miserable 
 tool she was made by the craft of her 
 owners, to dupe the credulous and 
 superstitious. — To come out of her. 
 The apostle speaks to her in her ex- 
 isting state of mind, and, in order to 
 confirm the cure which was miracu- 
 lously wrought, he exorcises the sup- 
 posed spirit of divination. The same 
 method was pursued by Christ him- 
 self. See note on Mat. viii. 32. — 
 He came oid, S^c. By which figura- 
 tive expression, the departure of the 
 disease is described. Paul restored 
 her to her right mind, and she ceased 
 to follow them with her maniacal 
 cries. The superstition was very 
 prevalent in the heathen world, that 
 insanity was not a lower, but a high- 
 er, state of the human faculties ; and 
 deference was paid to the deranged, 
 as if they were in correspondence 
 with the gods, and knew more of tlie 
 future, and the destinies of men, tlian 
 ordinary mortals. Such was the ig- 
 norance and Avant of science among 
 the great mass of men, that they 
 could be easily imposed upon by these 
 pretended diviners and soothsayers. 
 When, accordingly, Paul restored 
 the girl to her right reason, the spell 
 was broken, and her masters could 
 no long'er use her as an instrument 
 for making money. 
 
 19, 20. The hope of their gains 
 ivas gone. As observed by critics. 
 
XVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 231 
 
 20 rulers, and brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, 
 
 21 being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs 
 which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being 
 
 22 Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them : 
 and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to 
 
 there is a paronomasia, or play upon 
 words, in the original, which is lost 
 in our version, for the same verb is 
 here used as that in the preceding 
 verse, which describes the departure 
 of the disease ; when her insanity 
 came out, or departed, the hope of her 
 masters' gains departed likewise. — 
 Caught Paul and Sila^, i. e. laid vio- 
 lent hands on them as criminals. — 
 The market-place. Or, forum, where 
 not only merchandise was exposed 
 for sale, but public assemblies and 
 trials were held. — The rulers. Or, 
 civil magistrates, who, in Roman 
 colonies, were called duumviri, or 
 prcdors. — To the magistrates. The 
 same officers, according to Rosen- 
 muller, Kuinoel, Bloomfield, and oth- 
 ers, as those called rulers above — 
 the latter being a general, the former 
 a specific, term. — Being Jews. This 
 was artfully tPirown in to excite an 
 odium against the apostles; for the 
 Jews were universally held in disre- 
 pute throughout the Roman world, 
 and though tolerated in their reli- 
 gion, were subjected to many civil 
 disabilities, — Do exceedingly trouble 
 our city. They professed great anx- 
 iety for the welfare of the commu- 
 nity, though the secret spring of their 
 hostility was the loss of their gains. 
 Chap. xix. 24-27. "The love of 
 money is the root of all evil;" and 
 scarcely can a Christian reforma- 
 tion of the corrupt habits and in- 
 stitutions of society proceed, in any 
 age, a single step, without coming 
 in conflict with this mighty motive 
 of human conduct The progress 
 of temperance, human freedom, 
 honesty, purity, and every other 
 good cause, by which Christianity is 
 
 brought into practical operation, and 
 domesticated, so to speak, among the 
 homes and business of men, encoun- 
 ters no foe more formidable, univer- 
 sal, or obstinate, than the love of gain, 
 however unrighteously acquired. 
 
 21. Customs which are not law/id, 
 ^c. Referring to the doctrines, re- 
 ligious services, and worship, incul- 
 cated by the apostles, at which 
 these men professed to be very much 
 alanned, as trespassing both upon law 
 and order. Ver. 20. The Romans 
 tolerated other religions, where they 
 did not interfere with their own ; but 
 it was an ancient law, that the peo- 
 ple should "neither worship new 
 gods, nor the gods of other countries, 
 but those of their own." Servius 
 says, that "care was taken, both 
 among the Athenians and the Ro- 
 mans, that no one should introduce 
 new religions ; on which account Soc- 
 rates was condemned, and the Chal- 
 deans, or Jews, driven from Rome." 
 Cicero states the law, that " no per- 
 son shall have any separate gods, 
 or new ones, nor shall he privately 
 worship any strange gods, unless 
 they be publicly allowed." Ter- 
 tullian also mentions " a decree, 
 that no god should be consecrated, 
 unless approved by the senate." The 
 adroitness of " the masters " in crim- 
 inating the preachers of the gospel 
 with teaching a new religion, is now 
 apparent ; for they ostensibly exhib 
 ited them in plain opposition to the 
 law of the empire, and enlisted pub- 
 lic sentiment against them on that 
 behalf. — Being Romans. As by 
 way of contrast with Paul and Silas, 
 who were Jews. Ver. 20. 
 
 22. Rent off their clothes. Caused 
 
233 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, !23 
 they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them 
 safely. Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into 24;j 
 
 the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And 24^| 
 
 at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God : 
 and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great Sfi-I 
 earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken : 
 and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's 
 
 tlie clothes of the apostles to be rent 
 off, or actually stripped them off 
 themselves in a paroxysm of anger. 
 It was customary, both among the 
 Jews and Romans, for persons who 
 were beaten to have their clothes 
 violently torn off, without any regard 
 to their preservation. — To heat them. 
 The original is, " to beat with rods." 
 The subordinate officers that inflicted 
 tliis punishment were called lictors, 
 who were kept constantly in attend- 
 ance by Roman magistrates. 2 Cor. 
 xi. 23, 25. 
 
 23, 24. Had laid many stripes up- 
 on them. The Jews are accustomed 
 to inflict only thirty-nine stripes, but 
 the Romans were not limited by any 
 humane restriction. Paul, perhaps, 
 refers to this occasion in 2 Cor. xi. 
 23, where he speaks of himself " in 
 stripes above measure." Their pun- 
 ishment, thus far, was illegal, as no 
 examination or trial had been held. 
 — To keep them safely. As prison- 
 ers of consequence, who, they were 
 aAvare, perhaps, might escape by 
 means of their superhuman power. 
 Chap. xii. 7-11. — Into the inner 
 prison. For the sake of greater se- 
 curity. — Made their feet fast in the 
 stocks. This was a wooden machine 
 for confinino' prisoners in uneasy and 
 painful positions; which contained 
 openings for the feet, and sometimes, 
 also, for the arms and neck. After be- 
 ing severely beaten, and their wounds 
 remaining undressed, ver. 33, this 
 close and painful confinement M'ould 
 be doubly agonizing. 1 Thes. ii. 2. 
 
 25. Jlt midnight. On account 
 their great sufferings of body, thej 
 were probably unable, like Petei 
 chap. xii. 6, to sleep ; but remained 
 awake, and passed the weary hours ii 
 supplications and songs to Heaven.^ 
 — The prisoners heard them. TM 
 sounds were so unusual in tho6 
 gloomy abodes, that they arrestee 
 the attention of the prisoners. Eve 
 ry statement in this verse conveys 
 new and individual impression, 
 was at midnight, when the rest of th^ 
 world were sleeping, that Paul an< 
 Silas, with wounds still bleeding, anc 
 limbs painfully confined, so far froi 
 indulging in complaints, pray to Got 
 for strength to support them unde 
 their trials, and sing songs of praise! 
 that they were accounted worthy 
 suffer in so glorious a cause. Ani-J 
 mated by the joyful and inspiring na-j 
 ture of the religion for which theyi 
 endured so much, thpy lifted up thei 
 voices on high until the prison re-j 
 sounded with their " hymns of lofty^ 
 cheer," and the poor victims of sin ; 
 and suffering, incarcerated with them, 
 heard the glad strains, and thrilled 
 with emotion at such new and strange 
 harmony w ithin walls echoing only 
 to groans and sighs. " The dark- 
 ness, the stillness, the loneliness, 
 all give sublimity to the scene, and 
 teach us how invaluable is the priv- 
 ilege of access to the throne of mer- 
 cy, in this suffering world." 
 
 26. ./3 p-eat earthquake. A mani- 
 festation of the divine pow-er and aid 
 often vouchsafed before. Chap, iv 
 
XVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 233 
 
 27 bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out 
 of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his 
 sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the pris- 
 
 23 oners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, 
 
 29 Do thyself no harm : for we are all here. Then he called for a 
 light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before 
 
 30 Paul and Silas ; and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must 
 
 31, V. 19, xii. 6, 7. — All the doors — 
 every one's hands, ^c. All the pris- 
 oners, apparently, were set at liberty. 
 These effects could scarcely have 
 been produced by a mere natural 
 earthquake. 
 
 27-29. fVould have killed himself. 
 He was held responsible for the safe- 
 keeping of his charge ; and, seeing 
 his prison-doors thrown open by the 
 earthquake, which awoke him out of 
 sleep, he instantly infeiTed their es- 
 cape, and that his own life was for- 
 feited. Chap. xii. 19. He was 
 prompted by terror at once to kill 
 himself, by falling on the point of 
 his sword. Of course he would not 
 have thought of perpetrating such an 
 act, so suddenly, unless previously 
 educated in the maxims of that day, 
 by Avhich it was accounted right to 
 commit suicide. Thus Cato perished 
 at Utica ; and thus, in this very place 
 of Philippi, Brutus and Cassius, af- 
 ter their defeat by Antony and Au- 
 gustus, fell on their swords, together 
 with numbers of their friends. What 
 a contrast between the spirit of hea- 
 thenism and the spirit of Christianity ! 
 — between the jailer, about to tlirow 
 his life away rashly and needlessly, 
 and the apostles, who attached a true 
 value to existence as the gift of God, 
 and bore the rods of the lictor, tlie 
 gloom of tlie dungeon, and the dis- 
 tress of the stocks, with unterrified, 
 even with prayerful and jubilant, spir- 
 its ; and, tliough danger and death 
 are before them. 
 
 Yet argue not 
 
 Against Heaven's hand or will, nor bate a iot 
 
 20* 
 
 Of heart or hope ; but still bear up, and steer 
 Right onward.'" 
 
 — Do thyself no harm. Commit not 
 evil against thyself; lay no hand of 
 death on thine own body. The 
 precept, though specially designed 
 against self-murder, is of wide ap- 
 plication ; for there are many modes 
 of suicide, some quicker and others 
 slower. We ought to indulge in no 
 habit, or practice, which mars tlie 
 wondrous constitution of body and 
 soul, that combined masterpiece of 
 the creation, that link between two 
 worlds, " half dust, half deity." Ex- 
 cesses of mind and body, violations 
 of tlie natural laws, whatever leads 
 to sickness or to sin, comes under the 
 apostolic prohibition. — Trembling, 
 and fell down, 8fc. He prostrated 
 himself before those whom, but a 
 short time previous, he had loaded 
 with every indignity and cruelty. 
 
 30. Brought them out. From the 
 inner prison, into which they had been 
 thrust at first. Ver. 24. — Sirs. A 
 title of respect — Jfhat must I do to 
 be saved"? There are two tJieories 
 of expounding this question; one, 
 that he inquires respecting his pres- 
 ent safety ; the other, that he asks 
 the way of eternal salvation. But 
 if we will consider that the jailer was 
 a heathen, — that he was in great 
 temporal fear and agitation, — that 
 tlie earthquake had convinced him of 
 the high and perhaps superhuman 
 character of his prisoners, — and that 
 the rumors of their teaching the way 
 of salvation had probably reached 
 his ears before this time, we shall 
 
2m 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 I do to be saved ? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus 31 
 Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake 32 
 unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. 
 And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their 33 
 stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And 3i 
 
 see that his mind was, so to say, not 
 in a simple, but a complex, state. 
 Various feelings and anxieties were 
 struggling in his breast for utterance. 
 He was full of contending emotions, 
 and he poured them all out in that 
 one bursting ejaculation, that prayer 
 for help, that supplication of the 
 whole soul : " What shall I do ? how 
 shall I be saved ? is there any help 
 for me ? " He had reference to eter- 
 nal salvation, in all likelihood, but not 
 to that alone ; he was stricken to the 
 heart by all this sudden and mighty 
 manifestation of God — this amazing 
 miracle, which had shaken the prison 
 to the foundation, and bidden every 
 door fly open, and every chain and 
 fetter fall. He felt that he had ex- 
 posed himself to the anger of some 
 high power above him ; and his ques- 
 tion was the result of all these va- 
 rious feelings united — partly colored 
 by his dread of the temporal penalty 
 hanging over him, if his prisoners 
 escaped, partly by what he had heard 
 of the apostles' teaching the way of 
 salvation, and partly by the tremen- 
 dous display that rushed upon his 
 senses, when he awoke from sleep, 
 of the working of a more than mor- 
 tal hand upon every prison bolt and 
 bar. To identify the question of this 
 dim, agitated, frantic, pagan mind, 
 at the hour of midnight, amid such 
 a scene of outward confusion, and a 
 moment before bent upon suicide, 
 with the inquiry of one at the pres- 
 ent day, educated amid the reflected, 
 if not received, light of the gospel re- 
 specting his future and eternal state 
 of blessedness hereafter, is to con- 
 found, in one, very dissimilar states 
 of mind. Though the question it- 
 
 self is the greatest one which man 
 can ask, or God answer — the ques- 
 tion of questions, the grand prayer 
 and yearning of the immortal soul. 
 
 31, 32. Believe on the Lord Jesus 
 Christ. Or, in the paraphrase of 
 Bloomfield, " embrace the Christian 
 religion, i. e. so as to obey it, and 
 thou and all thy family shall attain 
 salvation." Faith in Christ is put for 
 the reception of the whole religion 
 of which he was the Author and 
 Finisher. Faith is the first step ; be- 
 cause the use of means, the applica- 
 tion of the truth, the seeking for aid, 
 and obedience to the Christian pre- 
 cepts, are all dependent upon confi- 
 dence reposed in Jesus as the Mes- 
 siah, the Son of God, the Saviour of 
 the soul. And it is the want of faith 
 — a living, personal conviction, and 
 sense of trust in him — Avhich weak- 
 ens men's hearts, and yields them up 
 as victims to temptation. Confidence 
 in Jesus as a divine Guide and Help- 
 er to tlie sinner, is the Alpha and 
 Omega of religion. For, where it 
 really exists, it can hardly fail to lead 
 to good works, and every virtue and 
 grace ; since it establishes, as it were, 
 a living chain of communication be- 
 tween eartli and heaven, man and God, 
 the soul, and the fountain of life and 
 light which can fill and satisfy it. — 
 Spake unto him the word of the Lord, 
 i. e. discoursed of the doctrine of the 
 Lord, and explained more fully its 
 duties and promises. This he did, 
 not only to the jailer, but pointed out 
 to his whole household the way of 
 salvation. 
 
 33,34. Washed their stripes. "Mer- 
 cy before sacrifice." He first per- 
 formed an act of pressing need to 
 
XVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 QS5 
 
 when he had brought them into liis house, he set meat before 
 them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. 
 
 35 And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, 
 
 36 Let those men go. And the keeper of the prison told this 
 saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now 
 
 37 therefore depart, and go in peace. But Paul said unto them, 
 They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and 
 have cast us into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily ? 
 
 38 nay, verily ; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. And 
 
 the wounded apostles, whose stripes 
 had been neglected before, and he 
 was afterwards baptized. How dif- 
 ferently he looked upon those bleed- 
 ing wounds, when his spiritual eye 
 was opened, and he saw that they 
 were the wounds of brethren, and 
 when, before, he deemed Paul and 
 Silas as mere seditious Jews, who 
 deserved no better fate. — Was bap- 
 tized, he and all his, straightway. See 
 remarks on ver. 1.5. The rite was 
 performed immediately, and, in all 
 probability, by sprinkling or affusion, 
 not by immersion; for there were 
 but few accommodations for the lat- 
 ter in a prison or its purlieus. — 
 Brought them into his house. From 
 the prison. — ^nd rejoiced. The nat- 
 ural rebound of his feelings, after 
 such fear and remorse, was joy. Re- 
 ligion is happiness. 
 
 35, 36. The sergeants. The in- 
 ferior officers in attendance, who 
 carried rods and an axe, and were 
 called lictors. The earthquake and 
 the transactions of the night had not 
 been in vain in their er'ects upon 
 the rulers of Philippi. — Depart, and 
 go in peace. They probably sup- 
 posed that the apostles would gladly 
 seize tlie opportunity and depart, but 
 they mistook the spirit of the men 
 and their cause. 
 
 37. Beaten us, Sfc. Every cir- 
 cumstance of aggravation is intro- 
 duced, to slio-.v the subject in its tr.ie 
 light. Tliev had beenbeiten, beaten 
 opeuly, w^thuut hiving been tried 
 
 or condemned, which was a viola- 
 tion of general law ; and all this, 
 though they were Romans — Paul, 
 at least, being free-born; while, to 
 cap the whole, they had been thrust 
 into prison and bound in the stocks. 
 These things were a flat violation of 
 the Valerian law, which forbade a 
 Roman citizen being bound, — and 
 of the Sempronian or Porcian law, 
 which exempted him from being 
 punished with rods. For to say, " I 
 am a Roman citizen," was a bulwark 
 of defence in every part of the earth. 
 Here was a complication of injustice, 
 a tissue of mal-administration, not 
 to be winked out of sight — Thrust 
 us out privily^ They were mean 
 as well as cruel. They had not only 
 proceeded in this high-handed man- 
 ner, but, when they saw their error, 
 they wished to cover it up, and let 
 it pass quietly by, instead of frankly 
 confessing the wrong, and yielding 
 reparation, or at least asking pardon 
 for their misconduct. But Paul stood 
 upon his rights, and demanded a sat- 
 isfactory acknowledgment, which he 
 finally obtained. The high-toned 
 spirit which he exhibited was not in- 
 consistent with the meekness and hu- 
 mility of the Christian character, and 
 would command, more likely, the re- 
 spect of the people for the remaining 
 brethren of the church. 
 
 38, 39. They feared, &fc. They 
 knew how flagrant was the offence 
 against the majesty of Rome, to beat 
 and imprison her citizens without a 
 
236 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they 
 feared when they heard that they were Romans. And they came 39 
 and besought them, and brought them out, and desired them to 
 depart out of the city. And they went out of the prison, and 40 
 entered into the house of Lydia : and when they had seen the 
 brethren, they comforted them, and departed. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 The Persecution of Paul in Macedonia, and his Discourse at Athens. 
 IN OW when they had passed through Amphipolis, and Apollo- 
 nia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the 
 
 hearing. They trembled for the con- 
 sequences, and came and Immbled 
 themselves before those very men 
 whom, a short time previous, they 
 had mangled, and insulted with wan- 
 ton cruelty. Such are some of the 
 wonderful contrasts of this remark- 
 able history. — Came — besought — 
 brought — and desired. A redupli- 
 cation of terms, to describe the great 
 pains and earnest entreaty of the 
 magistrates, that the apostles Avould 
 go from the prison and the city peace- 
 fully, and overlook tlie injustice of 
 their conduct. 
 
 40. House of Lydia. See ver. 15. 
 — Comforted tkem, i. e. in view of 
 the dangers and tribulations around 
 them; which, however, the inter- 
 posing mercy of God would scatter, 
 as he had dissipated the black cloud 
 which lately threatened their entire 
 destruction — but which, as it was 
 now passed, they saw spanned with 
 the bow of promise, and radiant with 
 immortal beauty and hope. 
 
 There are many things in this 
 chapter worthy of serious study and 
 personal application; for here are 
 true sketches of human nature, on 
 one side, and the shining of the 
 blessed truths of the gospel, on tlie 
 other. But there is one point that 
 should be singled out, and deeply 
 pondered, for it is the essential of 
 
 Christianity. " Believe on the Lord 
 Jesus Christ" Ver. 31. This is 
 a subject for a sermon, for a vol- 
 ume. How simple this early faith, 
 yet how sufficient ! Perish creeds, 
 perish confessions of faith, and let 
 the church universal fear not to cast 
 herself on this Rock of Ages, this 
 primitive foundation ! This was the 
 adequate creed of Peter, of Martha, 
 of the lame man, of the eunuch, of 
 Lydia, and of the jailer. It can fill 
 our souls, as it filled and satisfied 
 theirs. Then would peace descend 
 and dwell among the churches of 
 God, and there would be " one body, 
 and one spirit ; one Lord, one faith, 
 one baptism, one God and Father of 
 all, Aviio is above all, and through 
 all, and in you all." 
 
 CHAPTER XVIL 
 
 1. J]mphipolis. This was the 
 chief town in the southern region of 
 Macedonia, and was situated on the 
 River Strymon, at no great distance 
 from its entrance into the iEgean 
 Sea. It derived its name, Avhich sig- 
 nifies around the city, from the cir- 
 cumstance of the river flowing around 
 it, and forming a peninsula, or, as 
 others say, an island. It was, ori- 
 ginally, a colony of the Athenians, 
 and occasioned many difficulties be- 
 tween that nation and the Spartans. 
 
XVII.] 
 
 OF Tin: APOSTLES. 
 
 S37 
 
 2 Jews. And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and 
 three Sabbath days reasoned with them out of the Scriptures, 
 
 3 opening and alleging, that Christ, must needs have suffered, and 
 risen again from the dead ; and that this Jesus, whom I preach 
 
 4 unto you, is Christ. And some of them believed, and consorted 
 with Paul and Silas : and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, 
 
 5 and of the chief women not a few. But the Jews which 
 
 believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd 
 fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the 
 city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought 
 
 In the middle ages it was styled 
 Chrysopolis^ or the golden city. A 
 town still exists upon the ancient 
 site, under the name of Empoli, 
 or Yamholi. — Apollonia. This city 
 was also on the route from Philippi 
 to Thessalonica, It was a colony 
 formed by the Corinthians, and a 
 place of considerable trade. — Thes- 
 salonica. This was the capital of 
 the second district, under the four- 
 fold division of Macedonia by the 
 Romans, and was the principal place 
 of the whole country, as it was the 
 residence of the Roman governor, or 
 proconsul. It lay about 20 miles 
 south-Avest of Philippi, at the head 
 of the Thermaic Gulf, which extends 
 up from the iEgean Sea, and was an- 
 ciently called T%erm«, but changed 
 its name either in honor of Thessa- 
 lonica, the daughter of Philip, or on 
 account of the victory over the Thes- 
 s.dians by that king. Two of the 
 epistles of Paul were directed to the 
 church founded there. Its present 
 name is Saloniki. — Jl synagogue. 
 Literally, the synagogue, i. e. accord- 
 ing to Winer, the only synagogue 
 of tlie place, or, as others contend, of 
 that region. 
 
 2, 3. ^s his manner loas. Luke 
 iv. 16. Both Jesus and his apostles 
 preached the gospel in the Jewish 
 synagogues. Acts ix. 20, xiii. 5, 
 14. — Reasoned. Discoursed. — The 
 Scriptures, i. e. the Hebrew Scrip- 
 
 tures. — Opening. Or, explaining, 
 unfolding. — Suffered. It was pre- 
 dicted that the Messiah would be a 
 sufferer, as well as conqueror, Luke 
 xxiv. 27, 45, though the crucifixion 
 of our Lord was then, as it is now, 
 a great stumbling-block in the way of 
 the Jews believing in him. — Christ, 
 should be, the Christ. 
 
 4, 5. Consorted with Paid and Si- 
 las. Or, became their adherents. 
 Luke and Timothy had probably re- 
 mained behind at Philippi, for the 
 first person, indicating the presence 
 of Luke in the company of Paul, oc- 
 curs not again until chap. xx. 5. — 
 Devout Greeks, i. e. heathen partly 
 Judaized, though not perhaps prose- 
 lytes in full ; and also, as is likely, 
 those who were idolaters. 1 Thes. 
 i. 9. — Chief ivomen. Or, women of 
 rank. — Moved with envy. At the 
 success of the apostles. This vice 
 has been ever a great obstacle to the 
 progress of truth and righteousness. 
 It excited the Jews to crucify the 
 Master, and it hunted the apostles to 
 prison and to death. Mat. xxvii. 18 ; 
 Acts xiii. 45. — Lewd fellows of the 
 baser sort. Rather, "wicked or vile 
 men of those frequenting the mar- 
 ket," by which are meant the Idlers 
 or loungers in the public places of 
 the city ; the rabble. The Jews were 
 willing to descend to any instruments, 
 however mean and contemptible, to 
 effect their bad purpose. — Jason. 
 
238 
 
 TJIE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 to bring them out to the people. And when they found them 6 
 not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the 
 city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down, are 
 come hither also ; whom Jason hath received : and these all do 7 
 contrary to the decrees of Cesar, saying, that there is another 
 king, one Jesus. And they troubled the people, and the rulers 8 
 of the city, when they heard these things. And when they had 9 
 
 taken security of Jason and of the other, they let them go. 
 
 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night 10 
 unto Berea : who coming thither^ went into the synagogue of the 
 
 Who was a kinsman of Paul, Rom. 
 xvi. 21, and entertained him and his 
 company at his own house. — To 
 the. people, i. e. to a popular assembly, 
 which should pronounce upon their 
 alleged crime. 
 
 6. Found them not As they had 
 probably learnt their danger, and fled 
 to a place of security. — That have 
 turned the world upside doiun. Chap, 
 xvi. 20. The turmoil at Philippi, 
 produced by the opposition of the 
 Jews to the preaching of the gospel, 
 had been reported at Thessalonica, 
 Thus the charge of agitation and 
 disturbance was then, as it is now, 
 laid at the door of those who seek to 
 promote the cause of reformation and 
 righteousness, though it belongs in 
 reality to those who cling to old errors, 
 corrupt institutions and customs, and 
 forswear improvement. As has been 
 truly and keenly said by Pierpont, 
 « To bring peace, Christ knew that 
 he must first bring 'division' and 
 a * sword.' His first apostles were 
 charged with ' turning the world 
 upside down.' They meant to do 
 so ; for they found the world wrong- 
 side up. To a great extent, it is so 
 still; for the work of the apostles, 
 of Jesus, and of his gospel, is not 
 yet finished." 
 
 7. Hath received; i. e. entertained 
 as guests. — To the decrees of Cesar. 
 It was the law of Rome, botli under 
 the republican and the imperial gov- 
 
 ernment, that no one should be styled 
 king in any of the subject provinces, 
 except by express permission. Clau- 
 dius Cesar sat at this time on the 
 throne. — Thai there is another king, 
 one Jesv^. Or, better, as in the origi- 
 nal, simply, " Jesus." The apostles 
 were charged with high treason 
 against the crown. The artfulness 
 with which the Jews alleged this 
 crime, resembled the crimination of 
 the Saviour himself. Luke xxiii. 2. 
 They do not assign any violation 
 of religion, but feign a political of- 
 fence, to which the Gentile magis- 
 trates would, of course, be more sen- 
 sitive. The only sense in which 
 Paul pressed the claims of Jesus 
 as a king was a figurative one, but 
 capable of being perverted by the 
 malice of his enemies. Christ was 
 a king, but "his kingdom was not 
 of this world." John xviii. 36. 
 
 8-10. Troubled the people, and 
 the rulers. They were alarmed at 
 such a charge, as ominous of civil 
 revolution and ruin to their city ; for 
 Rome was jealous of her power, and 
 terrible in her vengeance. — Had 
 taken security. Or, as we should 
 say, had admitted them to bail, or 
 put them under bonds to keep the 
 peace, or to be responsible for the 
 conduct of Paul and Silas. — The 
 other. It should not be singular, but 
 plural, " the others." Ver. 6. — Be- 
 rea. This town was 35 or 40 miles 
 
OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 239 
 
 XVII.] 
 
 11 Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in 
 that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and 
 searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. 
 
 12 Therefore many of them believed ; also of honorable women 
 
 west of Thessalonica, on the River 
 Astrceus, near Mount Bermius, and 
 about 30 miles from Pella, the birth- 
 place of Alexander the Great, B. C. 
 355. It afterwards went under the 
 name of Irenopolis, and is now called, 
 by the Turks, from its old designa- 
 tion, Boor, but by others, Carta Vena. 
 — Synascogue. See note on ver. 2. 
 
 11. jyiore noble. The primary 
 sense of the words is, " better born," 
 or, " of a higher rank," but here, met- 
 aphorically, "of a nobler, more in- 
 genuous disposition." Candor, dili- 
 gence in seeking after truth, superi- 
 ority to old, but ill-founded preju- 
 dices, are indeed noble traits, though 
 they are seldom estimated accord- 
 ing to their just and high value. — 
 Searched the Scriptures daily. Their 
 nobleness of mind was evinced by 
 their openness in receiving the truth, 
 and the care they took to investi<jate 
 the subject by the standard, not of 
 human opinions, but of the Scrip- 
 tures. They were willing to take 
 some pains to search and investigate, 
 and not condemn the apostles un- 
 heard. Such an example should 
 challenge the admiration and imita- 
 tion of the world. Its value is in- 
 estimable. For it ought to be known 
 and felt, that not the scoffer, nor 
 skeptic, but the inquirer and the be- 
 liever, pursue the really noble and 
 magnanimous course. If men scoin 
 and rail at religion, it is because 
 they do not know what it is ; they 
 have mistaken some poor human car- 
 icature for the matciiless and glow- 
 ing original. They have drank from 
 the muddy streams, not at the crys- 
 tal fountain. They have studied 
 creeds, not the Bible. It is a most 
 melancholy, but instructive, fact, that 
 
 several of the chiefs of infidelity have 
 confessed that they had not even read 
 the whole of that sacred book, upon 
 which they poured out their ven- 
 omous abuse ! There is emphasis, 
 too, in the word daily. The Bere- 
 ans did not pursue their biblical 
 studies with such long intervals in- 
 tervening as to lose the thread of 
 interest and thought, but daily re- 
 sumed the blessed task. We know 
 that the mariner daily takes his reck- 
 oning on the bosom of the mighty 
 ocean, to descry which way its winds 
 and waves are bearing his frail bark ; 
 and that the traveller daily consults 
 his guide-book, to ascertain his way, 
 and steer to his destination. The 
 Bible is our guide-book, our practi- 
 cal navigator on the infinite voyage, 
 in the heaven-bound journey. O, 
 mortal — poor, weak, sinning child 
 of earth — often turn to its celestial 
 guidance, daily consult its earnest, 
 affectionate counsels ! Let the an- 
 gel of its twofold covenant wrestle, 
 morning and evening, with your soul, 
 and not depart without leaving his 
 blessing behind. 
 
 12. Therefore many of tJiem be- 
 lieved, ^-c. The natural consequence 
 of so much candor and faithful in- 
 quiry. The Bible only needs to be 
 known, to be believed ; religion only 
 asks to be tried, to be loved and 
 obeyed. — Honorable women. Unlike 
 the women of rank and extensive in- 
 fluence in Antioch, in Pisidia, chap, 
 xiii. 50, the Bereans espoused the 
 truly noble and honorable part The 
 power which wealthy, cultivated wo- 
 men, of high station in society, are 
 capable of exerting, is immense, and 
 it becomes them to remember the 
 greatness of their responsibility, and 
 
^40 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 which were Greeks, and of men not a few. But when the Jews 13 
 of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was 
 preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred 
 up the people. And then immediately the brethren sent away 14 
 Paul, to go as it were to the sea : but Silas and Timotheus abode 
 there still. And they that conducted Paul brought him unto 15 
 Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timo- 
 theus for to come to him with all speed, they departed. 
 
 Now, while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was 16 
 stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 
 
 the vast impetus they can impart to 
 social and pliilanthropic improve- 
 ments. 
 
 13,14. Stirred up the people. Ex- 
 cited a popular commotion. The 
 verb contains a figure, as it is de- 
 rived from a word signifying the 
 surge of the sea. The evil-minded 
 emissaries from Thessalonica had 
 aroused a tumult like a tempest upon 
 the sea. — To go as it icere to the 
 sea. Or, correctly rendered, to go 
 toward the sea. The original does 
 not necessarily mean that any feint or 
 stratagem was used ; but may simply 
 refer, as the usage of Greek writers 
 shows, to the direction he was about 
 to take. The principal brunt of the 
 persecution was against Paul. Silas 
 and Timothy are pennitted to remain 
 in peace, and water what Paul had 
 planted. The apostle naturally v/ent 
 to the seaport nearest to Berea, Pyd- 
 na, which was upon the Thermaic 
 Gulf, running up from the ^gean 
 Sea; but it is doubtful whether he 
 finally took his journey to Athens by 
 land or by sea. 
 
 15. Athens. The capital of Attica, 
 one of the districts of Greece, about 
 ^50 miles south-easterly from Berea. 
 It W£LS, originally, an Egyptian colo- 
 ny, under Cecrops, and received its 
 name from Athena, the Greek name 
 of the goddess Minei-va, its tutelary 
 divinity, the ruins of whose beautiful 
 temple, called tiie Parthenon, are 
 
 still extant. This city was called 
 " the eye of Greece, the inventor 
 of letters, the light of the civilized 
 world," so brilliant was its career in 
 arts, arms, literature, and government. 
 Its poets, orators, warriors, philoso- 
 phers, and statesmen, have been the 
 praise and wonder of ages. The 
 city of Socrates, and Plato, and Aris- 
 totle, and Demosthenes, never can 
 be forgotten. The ruins of its tem- 
 ples, and other works of art, still as- 
 tonish the traveller by their beauty 
 and magnificence. Like other cities 
 of the eastern world, it has been the 
 sport of war, tyranny, and ruin. But 
 it is now the capital of the new king- 
 dom of Greece, under Otho, and, by 
 the genial influence of civilization 
 and Christianity, it may rise from 
 ages of barbarism to more tlian its 
 ancient glory. 
 
 1(1. His spirit was stirred in him. 
 His mind was excited to mingled 
 indignation and compassion at the 
 spectacle of so much folly and super- 
 stition. — Wholly given to idolatry. 
 Or, full of idols, as in the margin. 
 With respect to the historical fact 
 here stated, the voice of ancient wri- 
 ters is unanimous in agreeing with 
 the sacred record. Thus Pausanias 
 says, that " it had more images tlian 
 all the rest of Greece." Josephus 
 remarks, tliat " the Athenians are 
 tlie most pious of all the Grecians." 
 iElian called Athens "the altar of 
 
XVII.] OF THE APOSTLES. 241 
 
 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with 
 the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met 
 
 18 with him. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of 
 the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, What will this 
 babbler say ? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of 
 strange gods : because he preached unto them Jesus, and the 
 
 Greece." Philostratus observes that 
 " it was the part of prudence to speak 
 well of all the divinities, e.-^pecially at 
 Athens, where there were altars to 
 the unknown gods." And Petronius, 
 a Roman satirist, contemporary with 
 Paul, uttered the sarcasm that " this 
 city was so full of deities, that it is 
 easier to find a god than a man." In 
 short, there was no city on the face 
 of tlie globe, in which heathenism 
 had more concentrated all that was 
 rich, magnificent, and seductive. It 
 was the focus of idolatry, which had 
 there aiTayed itself with whatever of 
 grace, beauty, and fascination, could 
 be yielded by the combined genius 
 of painting, sculpture, architecture, 
 philosophy, and poetry. And the in- 
 ability of man, without revelation, to 
 att.in to the highest personal and 
 social good, and to be virtuous and 
 happy, was nowhere more clearly 
 demonstrated than in the splendid, 
 but corrupt, cities of antiquity, like 
 Athens, Corinth, and Rome. 
 
 17, 18. The devout persons. Either 
 proselytes to Judaism, or Gentiles 
 religiously hiclined. — In the markit 
 daily. It was customary in Athens 
 for the philosophers to teach their 
 doctrines in frequented places, in the 
 groves and porticoes of the city. — 
 Epicureans. So called from Epicu- 
 rus, a celebrated Athenian philoso- 
 pher, who flourished about 300 years 
 before Christ. He taught that pleas- 
 ure was the summum bonum, or great- 
 est good of life, though not such as 
 arose from sensual indulgences, but 
 the gratifications of the mind, and 
 the enjoyments of a virtuous and 
 contented disposition. He is said to 
 
 VOL. III. 21 
 
 have passed a pure and exemplary 
 life ; but his followers perverted his 
 doctrines into a license of sensual 
 pleasures, so tliat the term Epicurean 
 is now used proverbially to describe 
 a voluptuary. Paul, in his address, 
 refen-ed to this system, which denied 
 the creation of the world by God; 
 excluded divine Providence, and lim- 
 ited the existence of man to the pres- 
 ent state. — Stoics. This sect of phi- 
 losophy derived its name from stoa, 
 a porch, or portico, •where its doc- 
 trines were taught by Zeno, a native 
 of Cyprus, who flourished about the 
 same period as Epicurus. This sect 
 held that God had made the world, 
 which was under the dominion^ of ne- 
 cessity ; that happiness lay in virtue, 
 and that virtue was its own reward ; 
 that all virtues were bound in one, 
 and all vices equal. The Stoics 
 taught a lofty insensibility to pain, 
 that pleasure and pain were the same, 
 and that all passions and affections 
 were to be studiously suppressed, and 
 the mind kept in an unruffled calm. 
 To the leading doctrines of this sect, 
 also, the apostle refers, at least indi- 
 rectly. In modern representations 
 both of the system of Epicurus and 
 of Zeno, great injustice has been 
 done to their original doctrines. For 
 " they were both right, and both 
 wrong : for Christianity shoAvs us that 
 virtue and happiness, one and indi- 
 visible, constitute the highest and 
 only good, and the proper end and 
 aim of being." — Encountered. Or, 
 disputed with him. — This babbler. 
 Literally, this picker-up of seeds, this 
 trifler. — Setter forth. Or, " an an- 
 nouncer, or preacher." — Strange 
 
242 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 resurrection. And they took him, and brought him unto Areo- 19 
 pagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof 
 thou speakest, is ? For thou br ingest certain strange things to 20 
 our ears; we would know therefore what these things mean. 
 (For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent 21 
 their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new 
 thing.) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars-hill, and said, 22 
 
 gods. Or, neAV, or foreign, demons 
 or divinities, such as the heathen 
 worshipped ; which were often men, 
 deified after their deatli. TJiey prob- 
 ably understood Paul as introducing 
 two new deities ; one of .them Jesus, 
 and the other the resurrection, which 
 was of the feminine gender in Greek, 
 and might have been deemed a new 
 goddess to be worshipped. Thus, 
 Modesty, Desire, Fame, Piety, had 
 altars erected to their worship in 
 Greece. The introduction of new 
 gods into their mythology was a mat- 
 ter demanding grave consideration, 
 — endangering, as it might, the ad- 
 oration paid to their established di- 
 vinities. 
 
 19 - 21. Jireopagus. Translated 
 or explained as " Mars-hill," ver. 22. 
 This was a rocky eminence in the 
 city, on which the court, called the 
 tribunal of Areopagus, instituted by 
 Solon, was held ; " the most honora- 
 ble and the most holy tribunal of all 
 Greece." . The name was derived 
 from the fable, that Ares, Mars, Avas 
 arraigned here, and tried before the 
 gods for the murder of a son of Nep- 
 tune, and hence it was called Mars- 
 hill ; and the members of the court 
 were styled Areopagites. Ver. 34. 
 It sat in the open air, by night, upon 
 stone seats, and was distinguishod 
 for its impartiality and gravity; so 
 that foreign states resorted to it as an 
 umpire. But, in Paul's case., tJiere 
 was apparently no judicial proceed- 
 ing, but only a popular address de- 
 livered there because it was a more 
 convenient and grave' a place for tiie 
 
 discussion of such matters. — What 
 this new doctrine, &fc. Mark i. 27. 
 Their curiosity, rather than their pi- 
 ety, was excited ; but they were can- 
 did, to hearken to whatever reason- 
 ing he might offer. — Ceiiain strange 
 things. The gospel was to them but 
 a new philosophical theory ; and they 
 inquired respecting it rather as ama- 
 teurs in speculation, not as moral 
 agents, as sinners, who had an inter- 
 est of life and death at stake. — ^nd 
 strangers. Many resorted to Athens, 
 as tlie seat of the fine arts, belles- 
 lettres, and philosophy, to obtain their 
 education. Most of the great men 
 of Rome studied, in their youth, at 
 this city. — Some new thing. This 
 characteristic of the Athenians is 
 corroborated by the ancient authors. 
 Thus Demosthenes describes the 
 Athenians as " inquiring, in the place 
 of public resort, if there are any 
 news." Thucydides also speaks of 
 them as " excellent in suffering them- 
 selves to be deceived by novelty of 
 speech." And an ancient commen- 
 tator of this passage remarks . that 
 Thucydides here blames " the Athe- 
 nians, who made it their only busi- 
 ness to tell and hear something that 
 was new." And Meussiiie has stated, 
 there were more than three hundred 
 news-resorts in Athens. Thus do 
 we invariably find sacred history sub- 
 stantiated by many incidental and 
 direct proofs from heathen Avriters. 
 
 22. Stood in the midst of Mars- 
 hill. Or, to preserve unifonnity of 
 rendering with ver. ]9, "Areopagus." 
 In tbi5 place " tlie Christian leader 
 
XVII. I 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 243 
 
 Ye men of Athens, I perceive that, in all things ye are too super- 
 
 23 stitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found 
 
 an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. 
 
 Whom therefore ye ignorantly worsliij), him declare I unto you. 
 
 takes his stnncl, surrounded on every 
 side with whatever was noble, beau- 
 tiful, and intellectual, in the older 
 world — temples, statues, public edi- 
 fices, and the walks of the philoso- 
 phers. It was in the midst of tiiese 
 elevating associations, to whicli the 
 student of Grecian literature in Tar- 
 sus, the reader of Menander and of 
 the Gree]c philosophical poets, could 
 scarcely be entirely dead or igno- 
 r.mt, that Paul stands forth to pro- 
 claim the lowly, yet authoritative, 
 religion of Jesus of Nazareth." Prob- 
 ably, only the heads of Paul's dis- 
 course are preserved by Luke. — 
 Ye men of Athens. The classical 
 designation. — Too superstitious. An 
 unliappy translation, which exhibits 
 the apostle as ignorant of human na- 
 ture, and destitute of that tone of 
 conciliation and decorum, at the 
 opening of his discourse, Avhicli is 
 an essential rule in all oratory, sa- 
 cred or secular. The literal sense 
 of the adjective is " god-fearing," 
 and Paul uses the comparative de- 
 gree, " more god-fearing," i. e. than 
 others ; or, in freer terms, very re- 
 ligiously inclined, much devoted to 
 the Avorship of the gods. Instvad of 
 an abrupt and harsh rebuke at the 
 onset, " he begins with acknowledg- 
 ing, in a laudatory manner, the 
 strength of the religious sentiment 
 among the Athenians, and adducing, 
 as a proof of it, that, while walking 
 amongst their sacred edifices, he 
 lighted on an altar dedicated to an 
 unlaiown god." A similar mistrans- 
 lation to the present one occurs in 
 chap. XXV. 19, where, instead of "su- 
 perstition," we ought to read reli- 
 gion. Would it not be well for the 
 modern Christian missionary to adopt 
 
 more of the matter and manner of 
 Paul's discourse at Athens, tlian to 
 make the peculiar dogmas of his sect 
 the prominent topics of address ? 
 
 2S. Your devotions. The term is 
 moi'C general, and signifies "your 
 objects of worship" and veneration, 
 as gods, altars, temples. — To ike 
 unknown god. The critics cite Vii- 
 rious ancient authors in confirmation 
 of this inscription mentioned by Paul. 
 Diogenes Laertius speaks of '• there 
 being found, in his day, in the bor- 
 ouglis of the Athenians, anonymous 
 altars," erected on the occasion of 
 the city being delivered from the 
 pestilence. Pausanias wrote that 
 " nigh unto the altar of Jupiter Olym- 
 pius was an altar of unknown gods." 
 Philostratus refers to the same fact ; 
 and the author of Philopatris uses 
 the form of an oath, " I swear by the 
 unknown (gods) at Athens ; " and 
 again, " We have found and wor- 
 shipped the unknown (god) at Ath- 
 ens, and we will give thanks to him." 
 The apostle appropriately adduces 
 this striking fact, as showing that 
 they were very religiously disposed. 
 It is the conjecture of Eichhorn that, 
 " When inscriptions upon sonie of the 
 most ancient altars became efiaced 
 by time, and it was not known to 
 whom they were dedicated, a fresh 
 inscription was made to an unknown 
 god." — IVhom therefore ye ignorant- 
 Li) worship^ fyc. The apostle ingeni- 
 ously, but f:-drly, identifies the God 
 Avhom he preached with the God 
 whom they ignorantly adored, and 
 to whom they had erected an altar. 
 He also happily took advantage of 
 this incidental confession of their ig- 
 norance, as if to justify himself for 
 what was so great presumption in 
 
244 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 God, that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he 24 
 is Lord of heaven and earth, dvvelleth not in temples made with 
 hands; neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he 25 
 needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all 
 things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to 26 
 dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times 
 
 their eyes — an itinerant Jew under- 
 taking to instruct the mighty mas- 
 ters of Grecian philosophy. 1 Cor. 
 i. 22-25. By the laws of Athens, it 
 was death to introduce new gods, 
 without the sanction of the tribunal 
 of the Areopagus. 
 
 24, 25. Made the luorld, ^'c. The 
 apostle exhibits the Deity, neither as 
 an idle being, of human shape, ac- 
 cording to the Epicureans, nor as a 
 mere soul of the world, according to 
 the Stoics ; but as an intelligent 
 Spirit, superior to his works. He 
 also conflicted with the Stoic doc- 
 ti-ine, that matter was eternal ; since 
 he predicates of the world a crea- 
 tion within time. Rosenmuller ob- 
 serves that " Paul, with consummate 
 art, so tempers his address, as now 
 to contend on the side of the vulgar, 
 against the philosopher, and now on 
 the side of tlie philosopher, against 
 the people, — and yet, again, against 
 both parties." — Dwelleth not in tem- 
 ples. ] Kings viii. 27; Is. jxvi. .1. 
 The aptness of tliis remark will be 
 best appreciated, when it is remem- 
 bered that Paul stood in the midst of 
 a city full of heathen temples, altars, 
 statues, and sacrifices, — the very 
 metropolis of polytheism, from which 
 the fumes of incense were constant- 
 ly rising to heaven. The sublimity 
 of the simple annunciation of tlie 
 nature and worship of the true God, 
 will be best felt when the circum- 
 stances under which Paul spoke are 
 taken into consideration. — J?* though 
 he needed any thing, ^-c. It was im- 
 piety, not adoration, to offer sacri- 
 fices to such a being, under tlie im- 
 
 pression that tliey were necessary to 
 his existence or happiness ; for he is 
 not only all-sufficient to himself, but 
 is tlie inexhaustible source of life, and 
 breath by which life is supported, 
 and of all things which make it de- 
 sirable, happy, and hopeful. 
 
 26. Made of one blood all nations 
 of men, ^c. Here, and in ver. 30, 
 the apostle teaches the doctrine of a 
 divine Providence, in tacit opposition 
 to those philosophers who held tliat 
 all human beings and affairs were 
 the sport of chance, or the machines 
 of fate. God had originally made 
 all of one parentage, and arranged 
 the period of national existence, and 
 determined the vast changes of col- 
 onization and emigration. He had 
 placed one tribe here, and another 
 there ; and determined the rise, de- 
 cline, and fall of empires. He was 
 not a national god, but the Father of 
 the whole family of man. By assert- 
 ing the doctrine of a common origin, 
 the apostle at tlie same time virtually 
 taught that, as a Jew, he did not, and 
 tliat his audience, as Grecians, ought 
 not to, claim any natural superiority 
 over the rest of mankind. The Jews 
 should not pride themselves upon be- 
 ing the chosen people, nor the Athe- 
 nians boast of their descent, — claim- 
 ing, as tliey did, to be aborigines on 
 tlie soil of Attica, — nor the philoso- 
 phers wrap themselves up in haughty 
 pride, and stand aloof from their spe- 
 cies ; for the same blood flowed in all 
 their veins. Olshausen remarks that 
 the apostle here confirms the doctrine 
 of tlie Old Testament, which ac- 
 quires, after all the latest researches 
 
XVIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 245 
 
 27 before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation ; that they 
 should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find 
 
 28 him, though he be not far from every one of us : for in him we 
 live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own 
 
 29 poets have said, For we are also his offspring. Forasmuch then 
 as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the 
 Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and 
 
 of physiology and geology, new and 
 complete probability that all mankind 
 descended from one pair. The com- 
 mon origin of the human race fur- 
 nishes a host of arguments against 
 slavery, oppression, pride, and sel- 
 fishness ; and bids every mortal man 
 remember, Avith vivid feeling, that he 
 is his " brother's keeper," wherever 
 his influence can extend. 
 
 27, 28. If haply thty might feel af- 
 ter him, &)•€. i. e. if, perhaps, or possi- 
 bly, they might search afler Iiira, and 
 find him out, even in the twilight of 
 natural religion. The end for v\^]iich 
 they were created, placed on tlie 
 eaith, and nourished, was to seek 
 God, to pursue after the highest 
 knowledge, to live a spiritual life in 
 the Father. Even the works of na- 
 ture bespoke One God, if men would 
 seek to know him. Rom. i. 19, 20. 
 — Tliough he he not far from every 
 one, ^c. Jer. xxiii. 23, 24. The 
 nearness of God to his creatures, and 
 his interest in them, were doctrines 
 in direct contradiction both to those 
 who denied the existence of a pre- 
 siding divinity, and to those who re- 
 solved him into an iron destiny. — In 
 him we live, &fc. This is connected 
 with the foregoing clause, and forms 
 a species of climax ; God is not only 
 neir us, but ive live in Him who is all 
 in all. According to Neander, it 
 may be understood as expressing 
 more than what men have in com- 
 mon with other creatures, viz., their 
 secret connection with God, as the 
 Father of spirits, in virtue of their 
 si)iritual and moral nature. — ^s cer- 
 21* 
 
 tain, also, of your own poets have 
 said, S^c. It appears that Paul was 
 conversant with Greek literature, as 
 well as the peculiar learning of the 
 JcAvs. The sentiment of his quota- 
 tion is found in several ancient poets, 
 with a heathen application. In a 
 hymn to Jupiter by Cleanthes, a Stoic 
 philosopher and poet of Troas, suc- 
 cessor to Zeno as the master of that 
 system of philosophy, occurs tlie fol- 
 lowing passage : 
 
 " Ma e.«t!c Jove, all hail ! To thee belong 
 Til" >ii|)pii :i!)t p.ayer, the tributary soiior, 
 To til e foiti all thy mortal offspring due. 
 Fr >m line we came, from thee our being drew: 
 Wh tevf r lives and moves, great Sire ! is thine, 
 Embo(li<;d portions of the soul divine ! " 
 
 But more particularly, in a poem 
 upon de.-criptive astronomy, entitled 
 Phenomena, and written by Aratus, 
 B. C. 250, a native of Cilicia, the 
 country of Paul, we have the exact 
 words of the text : 
 
 " From Jove we sprung, whom we mortals 
 
 should ne'er 
 Leave unsung. Of Jove the public walks 
 
 are 
 Full, and councils all of men ; both the sea 
 And shore are full of him. From Jove comes 
 
 all 
 That we enjoy ; for we are his off^pring.^' 
 
 The original forms half of an hex- 
 ameter verse. Hesiod, Pindar, and 
 Lucretius expressed the same idea, 
 with sligfht verbal variations. 
 
 29. We are the. offspring of God, 
 ^■c. Gen. i. 26, 27. The reasoning 
 of the apostle is clear and strong. 
 Since men are living and intelligent 
 creatures, capable of seeking after 
 God, and since they are the offspring 
 
246 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at ; 30 
 but now coramandeth all men every where to repent : because 31 
 he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in 
 righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained : whereof he 
 hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him 
 
 of the Deity, they ought not to sup- 
 pose that any thing less than worship 
 to Him as a living being, would sat- 
 isfy their obligations to him, or the 
 claims of their own spiritual nature. 
 The conclusion is, that the whole 
 paraphernalia of idolatry — its tem- 
 ples, statues, images mltars, and sac- 
 rifices — was a false method of wor- 
 ship. For God did hot reside in 
 this temple, or that statue, peculiarly, 
 since they were but dead matter, but 
 he was a living intelligence like his 
 worshippers ; as were the offspring, 
 so was the parent. He was a spirit, 
 and nought would suffice but a spir- 
 itual worship, agreeable to the quali- 
 ties of his own nature. As if Paul 
 had said, "We, who are of celestial 
 origin, ought to entertain more noble 
 ideas of our celestial Father than to 
 liken him to gold or silver, or to en- 
 shrine him in a motionless, though 
 beautiful, statue of stone." Is. xl. 
 18 - 23. — Graven, i. e. wrought or 
 sculptured — an art carried to great 
 perfection at Athens. 
 
 30. This ignorance God ivinktd at, 
 ^'c. i. e. God, in ages past, had, with 
 much long-suffering, overlooked, so 
 to say, the abominations of heathen- 
 ism, great as they were, and had not 
 interposed to bring them to an im- 
 mediate end. The measure of men's 
 privileges was the rule of his judg- 
 ment Luke xii. 48. He permitted 
 demonstration to be made to them, 
 how far they could attain to the 
 knowledge of him without revela- 
 tion. Chap. xiv. 16, and note. But 
 he had now interposed to save them 
 from their spiritual debasement, and 
 the first word of the new dispensation 
 was Repentance. This was the bur- 
 
 den of John's preaching, and the 
 earliest precept of Jesus. The apos- 
 tles sounded the same call, and the 
 preachers of every age must proclaim 
 tbis imperative and preliminary duty, 
 and the promises of pardon and bles- 
 sedness. 2 Peter iii. 9. But, as 
 remarked by Cappe, the apostle is 
 not urging the argument for repent- 
 ance, in general, so much as that all 
 men every where should turn tliem- 
 selves from ritual observances, from 
 superstition and idolatry, and serve 
 Him, the living and true God, in 
 spirit, and in truth. 
 
 3J. Judge the ivorld in righteous- 
 ness, ".ludge" is often used in the 
 Bible with the sense of rule, govern. 
 1 Sam. viii. 5, 6 ; 1 Kings iii. 9 ; 
 Mat. xix. 28 ; Acts xxiv. 10. Here 
 was a powerful motive for repent- 
 ■ ance, and the adoption of a spiritual 
 religion. God, wlio had hitherto suf- 
 fered men to walk, as it were, in their 
 own ways, had now placed the world 
 under the moral rules of a neiv dis- 
 pensation, Avith a new governor at 
 its head ; and had, moreover, given 
 assurance, by his resurrection from 
 the dead, of his full power and au- 
 thority, as the representative of God, 
 and opened the view of a future day 
 of righteous retribution. See notes 
 on John v. 25 - 29, and Acts x. 42. — 
 By that man lohom he hath ordained. 
 If Jesus had been known to Paul as 
 the eternal and self-existent God, it 
 is utterly incredible that he should 
 have used a term expressive of a 
 finite, and created being. It is the 
 singular remark of Calmet, that " Paul 
 gives the name of man to the Sav- 
 iour, because his hearers were not 
 yet in a condition to know his di- 
 
XVII.1 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 247 
 
 32 from the dead. And when they heard of the resurrection of 
 
 the dead, some mocked : and others said, We will hear thee 
 
 33 again of this matter. So Paul departed from among them. 
 31 Hovvbeit, certain men clave unto him, and believed : among 
 
 the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named 
 Damaris, and others with them. 
 
 vinity, (deity.) He did not wish to 
 throw pearls before swine." — In that 
 he h'dh raised him, Sfc. The resur- 
 rection of Christ was the grand proof 
 of his commission and authority from 
 God, and at the same time exhibited 
 his moral empire over the souls of 
 men as extending onwards beyond 
 Uie transient dominion of the grave, 
 and spreading throughout a bound- 
 less eternity. 
 
 32. Some mocked. They were, 
 probably, the Epicureans, who dis- 
 believed in a future state, and who 
 Avould, therefore, be most disposed to 
 ridicule the doctrine of the resurrec- 
 tion. The apostle was interrupted 
 before the conclusion of his speech, 
 and it can only remain matter of 
 conjecture, what turn he would have 
 finally given to the argument for the 
 Christian mission before the polished 
 Athenians. — JVe ivill hear thee again. 
 These were perhaps the Stoics, who 
 held some notions of a general con- 
 flagration, and the restoration of the 
 earth under a regenerated form. 
 
 33, 34. Departed. From the Areo- 
 pagus. — Howbeit. N otwithstanding 
 the general levity with which his 
 inimitable discourse was received, 
 there were a few in whose hearts he 
 had planted the arrows of conviction. 
 It is remarkable, however, that, while 
 flourishing churches were founded 
 in some remote provincial towns, 
 in this city no Christian community 
 appears to have been then gathered. 
 The philosophy of Athens presented, 
 seemingly, a more adamantine front 
 to the reception of the humble gos- 
 pel of the crucified One, tlian the 
 
 sensuality of Corinth, or the ambition 
 of Rome. — Dionysius the Areopagite. 
 A member of the august court of the 
 Areopagus. One convert from such 
 a body was no small trophy. Notli- 
 ing further is known of him with 
 assurance. — Damaris. Probably a 
 woman of rank and influence. 
 
 It is worthy of especial attention, 
 that the discourses of the apostles, in 
 the book of the Acts, though ad- 
 dressed to both Jews and Gentiles, 
 contain scarce a trace, even by hard- 
 wrung inference, of those doctrines 
 that are now brought forward as the 
 very sum and substance of the gos- 
 pel by many Christians, and without 
 assent to which none are allowed by 
 them the Christian name or privi- 
 leges. May Ave not put our finger 
 fearlessly on the speeches of Peter 
 and Paul, and ask where, Avhere is 
 the dogma of the Trinity? of the 
 Deity (not the divinity) of Jesus 
 Christ ? of the Personality of the 
 Holy Spirit ? of the total native De- 
 pravity of man ? of the vicarious suf- 
 ferings and death of Christ ? of the 
 Election of some to eternal life, and 
 of others to eternal perdition, without 
 choice or act of their own ? — and 
 other points which might be speci- 
 fied. On the contrary, are not the 
 direct teachings of these inspired 
 men clearly the following : — the One 
 God, the Maker of all, and Father 
 of men; the Messiah, predicted to 
 the Jews by the prophets as his Son, 
 and the Saviour of sinners ; the Holy 
 Spirit, as the miraculous aid and gifts 
 bestowed on the apostles and others, 
 or the natural influence of the mind 
 
248 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 CHAPTER XVHI. 
 
 Paul visits Corinth and Ephestis, and returns to Judea and iiyria; and thence 
 makes a Tour in Asia Minor. Apollos embraces the Gospel, and becomes a 
 Preacher. 
 
 After these things, Paul departed from Athens, and came to 
 Corinth ; and found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, 
 lately come from Italy, with his wife Priscilla, (because that Clau- 
 dius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome,) and came 
 
 of God upon the mind of man ; the 
 duty of Faith in tlie Son of God, of 
 Repentance for sin, and Reformation 
 of life ; of the Immortality of the 
 soul, and a Future State of righteous 
 Retribution. It is painful to speak 
 of the conti'oversies of our time ; a 
 sad silence seems sometimes tlie only 
 fitting expression ; but the cause of 
 Clu-istian truth, and the salvation of 
 sinners, demand that what was taught 
 with the wisdom, and sealed Avith 
 the blood, of those sainted men of the 
 apostolic age, and Avhat agreed per- 
 fectly Avith the lessons of the Master 
 himself, should be brought into that 
 clear and natural perspective in Avhich 
 they Avere then set ; and that the 
 additions and corruptions of men, 
 originated in Jewish and heathen 
 philosophy, imposed by the terrors 
 of persecution, and still sustained by 
 the force of prejudice and custom, 
 should be throAvn out of the scene. 
 The Bible be our creed, Christ our 
 Master, and all holy men our church ! 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 1. Corinth. The apostle soon left 
 Athens, Avhere the truth ajjparently 
 made little impression, and came to 
 this city, the capital of Achaia. Cor- 
 inth Avas built on tiie isthmus Avhich 
 joins the Peloponnesus to the rest 
 of Greece and the continent, between 
 the Corinthian Gulf, on the Avest, 
 running up from the Ionian Sea, and 
 the Saronic Gulf, connected Avith the 
 iEgean Sea, on the east. It had two 
 ports, Lecheeum and Cenchrea, re- 
 
 spectively situated on the above wa- 
 ters. Though once utterly destroyed 
 by the Romans, it was, at the time of 
 this history, flourishing in all its mag- 
 niticence. It Avas the mart of commerce 
 betAA'een the eastern and Avestern 
 parts of the Mediterranean Sea, bor- 
 dering on Europe, and distinguished 
 for its riches, luxury, and debauchery, 
 so that it has been called at once the 
 Venice and the Paris of antiquity. 
 Tlie arts and literature Avere also here 
 carried to great perfection, and Cor- 
 inth added one order to architecture. 
 Such Avas its splendor, that Cicero 
 called it "the light of all Greece," 
 though, in dissoluteness of manners 
 and the licentious Avorship of Venus, 
 it probably exceeded the sensuality 
 of any ancient city. Two of the 
 epistles of Paul are directed to the 
 disciples at this place. 
 
 2. A certain Jtio named Jlquila. 
 Who afterwards became a Christian, 
 Rom. xvi. 3, 4, together with his wife. 
 
 — Pontus. See chap. ii. 9, and note. 
 
 — Italy. One of the southern coun- 
 tries of Europe, extending into the 
 Mediterranean Sea, Avhose capital 
 was Rome. — Claudius, i. e. Clau- 
 dius Cesar, the Roman emperor, A. 
 D. 41 to A. D. 54, Avhen he was put 
 to death by poison. — Had command- 
 ed allJeu'S to depart, from Rome. Sue- 
 tonius, the biographer of Claudius, 
 relates that " he expelled from Rome 
 the JeAvs, Avho Avere constantly exci- 
 ting tumult under their leader Chres- 
 tus ; " by Avhich, as is supposed by 
 many, the disturbances between the 
 
XVIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 249 
 
 3 unto them. And because he was of the same craft, he abode 
 with them, and wrought, (for by their occupation they were tent- 
 
 4 makers.) And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, 
 
 5 and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and 
 Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in 
 
 G spirit, and testified to the Jews, that Jesus loas Christ. And 
 
 Jews and the Christians, chiefly con- 
 verts from the Jews, are to be under- 
 stood — the historian mistaking the 
 exact name, and not understanding 
 but what the prime agent was him- 
 S3lf Uving, and present at Rome. A 
 Roman historian, occupied, as he 
 would beUeve, Avith far greater mat- 
 ters of courts and kingdoms, would 
 not be likely to be very well in- 
 formed about the despised Jews, nor 
 to investigate very accurately the 
 history of their obscure chiefs. But 
 the general agreement between the 
 profane and the sacred writer is 
 worthy of remark, as proof of Luke's 
 veracity and fidelity as a narrator 
 of the events of the time. It may 
 be added, that the decree of banish- 
 ment was not long in force, as Clau- 
 dius soon afterwards died, and Aquila 
 was again in Rome. Rom. xvi. 3. 
 
 3. The same craft. Or trade, or 
 art. — And lorought. This statement 
 coincides with many passages in the 
 epistles. 1 Cor. iv. 12 ; 2 Cor. xi. 9 ; 
 1 Thes. ii. 9 ; 2 Thes. iii. 8 ; Acts 
 XX. 34. According to the customs 
 of Jewish education, Paul had been 
 taught the trade of tent-making ; and, 
 not wishing to be burdensome to his 
 friends in Corinth and Ephesus, and 
 desirous of removing every unworthy 
 charge, "that tlie ministry be not 
 blamed," he toils for his own support 
 with a lofty independence. It was 
 a saying of the Talmud, that he " that 
 teacheth not his son a trade does as 
 if he taught him to be a thief" Some 
 of the rabbins were called "shoe- 
 makers," others " bakers and carpen- 
 ters," &c. Jesus himself was a me- 
 
 chanic; see notes on Mat. xiii. 55, 
 and Mark vi. 3. Well would it be, 
 if labor was ever held in such honor, 
 and idleness and uselessness classed 
 with tlieir proper disgrace. " Un- 
 speakably touching is it, when both 
 dignities (of the material and the spir- 
 itual laborer) are united ; and he that 
 must toil outwardly for the lowest 
 of man's wants is also toiling in- 
 wardly for the highest. Sublimer, in 
 this world, know I nothing, tlian a 
 peasant-saint, could such now any 
 where be met with. Such a one will 
 take thee back to Nazareth itself; 
 thou wilt see the splendor of heaven 
 spring forth from the humblest depths 
 of earth, like a light shining in great 
 darkness." — Tent-makers. This trade 
 was in great request in the East, for 
 supplying soldiers, travellers, and 
 others. 
 
 4, 5. Reasoned — every SabbaiJu 
 Laboring witli his hands during the 
 six days of the week, he strove, on the 
 seventh, to reconcile his fellow-men 
 to God, and implant in tlieir hearts 
 the gospel-seed, the germs of infinite 
 love, progress, and blessedness. — 
 Were come. They were directed to 
 follow him, chap. xvii. 15, with all ex- 
 pedition. — JFas pressed in spirit. 
 "He was under the impulse of ar- 
 dent zeal." He was constrained to 
 speak. The coming of his friends, 
 and the intelligence tliey brought, 
 kindled his soul witli a new ardor in 
 his great work, and encouraged him 
 to preach witli redoubled power. 1 
 Cor. ii. 1 - 5. — JVas Christ. Ratlier, 
 " was the Christ." 
 
 6. And blasphemed. They not only 
 
250 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap 
 
 when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook Ms 
 raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own 
 heads : I am clean : from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles. 
 And he departed thence, and entered into a certain man's house, 7 
 named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard 
 to the synagogue. And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, 8 
 believed on the Lord with all his house : and many of the Corin- 
 thians hearing, believed, and were baptized. Then spake the 9 
 Lord to Paul in the night by a vision. Be not afraid, but speak, 
 and hold not thy peace : for I am with thee, and no man shall 10 
 set on thee, to hurt thee : for I have much people in this city. 
 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word 11 
 of God among them. 
 
 opposed the gospel, but heaped in- 
 sult and impious contempt upon the 
 blessed cause. — Shook his raiment. 
 As if to shake off the dust of the 
 place, or to express his abhorrence 
 of their conduct, and to show that he 
 considered his skirts clear of their 
 destruction. Neh. v. 13 ; Acts xiii. 
 51. — Your blood be upon your own 
 heads, ^c. The responsibility rests 
 upon you, not upon me. There is no 
 imprecation or threat, but an em- 
 phatic assertion, tliat, if they per- 
 ished, they would perish by tlieir 
 own folly, and not because the way 
 of salvation had not been pointed out 
 to tliem. 2 Sam. i. 16 ; Ezek. xxxiii. 
 4; Mat xxvii. 25. — Henceforth I 
 ■will go unto the Gentiles. Not in 
 general, but particularly at Corinth ; 
 for, elsewhere, Paul still addressed 
 the Jews iirst, as had been his cus- 
 tom. Chap. xix. 8, 9. These words 
 were spoken, not in anger and re- 
 venge, at his little success, but in 
 warning and a holy indignation at 
 their wickedness. 
 
 7. Departed thence, i. e. from the syn- 
 agogue. — Entered into a certain man's 
 house. It appears to have been not 
 his lodgings which he changed, but 
 his place of holding religious meet- 
 ings. — Joined hard to the synagogue. 
 Or, was situated very near, which 
 
 circumstance, perhaps, rendered it 
 more convenient for general access. 
 Nothing further is known of Justus. 
 
 8. Crispus. 1 Cor. i. 14. He was 
 baptized by Paul, perhaps, on account 
 of his official station in the syna- 
 gogue. — The chief ruler, ^'c. There 
 were usually several intrusted with 
 the care of the synagogues, of which 
 one held the chief post. The Sos- 
 thenes of ver. 17 was, perhaps, chosen 
 as his successor. 
 
 9, 10. Be not afraid. 1 Cor. ii. 3. 
 The apostle had met with much op- 
 position, and needed encouragement 
 — JVb man shall set on thee, to hurt 
 thee. It has been suspected that a 
 conspiracy was formed against him, 
 which threatened his life, but he was 
 assured that he was shielded by a 
 higher power. — For I have much 
 people in this city. This was a rea- 
 son why he should persevere in 
 preaching the gospel. Many would 
 be converted to the Christian faith, 
 and unite with the band of believers, 
 and thus become the people of God. 
 Dissolute though it was, Corinth af- 
 forded a finer field for religious in- 
 fluence than Athens, for it was not 
 puffed up, like that city, with the con- 
 ceit of its own wisdom. 1 Cor. i. 22. 
 
 1 1. Continued there a year and six 
 months. On account of the success 
 
XVlll.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 251 
 
 12 And when Gallic was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made 
 insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to 
 
 13 the judgment-seat, saying, Th\^ fellow persuadeth men to worship 
 It God contrary to the law. And when Paul was now about to 
 
 open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter 
 of wrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I 
 
 which attended his labors, and the 
 multitude of his converts. It was 
 during this period, as is supposed 
 with great probability, that he wrote 
 his two epistles to the Thessalonians, 
 and perhaps that to the Galatians; 
 since the churches in those places 
 had been lately planted, and required 
 guidance and encouragement. 
 
 12. Gallio. He was a younger 
 brotlier of Seneca, the distinguished 
 moralist and philosopher, and uncle of 
 the epic poet Lucan. He is eulogized 
 by Seneca, Quintilian, and Statius, 
 as uncommonly amiable and gentle 
 in speech and manners, free from art 
 and dissimulation, and beloved by all. 
 He was appointed a second time 
 governor of Achaia, but was finally 
 put to death by the ferocious Nero, 
 as ^vere also his brothers, Seneca, and 
 Mela the father of Lucan. — Deputy 
 of Achaia. After the conquest of 
 Greece, the Romans divided it into 
 two provinces — the northern called 
 Macedonia, and the southern Achaia, 
 which last included Attica and the 
 Peloponnesus. Achaia was origi- 
 nally given to the senate and the 
 people ; see note on chap. xiii. 7 ; 
 and was under a governor called 
 proconsul, or, as improperly rendered 
 in the text, " deputy ; " but it after- 
 wards belonged to the emperor, and 
 was governed by an officer called 
 proprator. Before the time of the 
 present history, however, it had re- 
 verted to the people, A. D. 44, and 
 was ruled by Gallio, A. D. 52 or 53, 
 as proconsid. It afterwards passed 
 through various fortunes of freedom 
 and sei-vitade : but Luke shows his 
 
 acquaintance with the political his- 
 tory of his times, in giving to Gallio 
 his proper title, as a Roman procon- 
 sul. — The Jews — judgment-seat. 
 The JeAvs, perhaps, assaulted Paul, 
 and. brought him to the tribunal of 
 the governor at this particular time, 
 partly because Gallio was a mild and 
 peaceful man, whom they thought 
 easily to bend to their purposes, and 
 partly because he was lately installed 
 in his office, as is implied by the first 
 clause of the verse, properly transla- 
 ted : " And upon Gallio becoming 
 proconsul, the Jews," &c. But they 
 were disappointed in their man. The 
 great success of Paul had doubtless 
 previously inflamed their envy, and. 
 prepared the way for this uproar. 
 
 13. To worship God contrary to the 
 law, i. e. tlie law of Moses. The 
 Romans tolerated the Jews in their 
 worship ; and the present charge was, 
 tliat this enjoyment of their peculiar 
 religious privileges was encroached 
 upon by the heresy of Paul inculca- 
 ting the worship of God contrary to 
 their usages, but not contrary, in real- 
 ity, to the spirit of the Mosaic dis- 
 pensation. 
 
 \A. A matter of wrong. Or, of in- 
 justice. — IVicked lewdness. Or, 
 mischief, or crime. When Paul was 
 about to enter upon his defence, Gal- 
 lio prevented him by stating that, if 
 tlie cause was one of crime, as theft, 
 or murder, or any civil offence, it 
 would fall beneath his jurisdiction, 
 and it would be reasonable that he 
 should bear with the Jews, or pa 
 tiently examine the cause. 
 
252 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 should bear with you ; but if it be a question of words and 15 
 names, and of your law, look ye to it : for I will be no judge 
 of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment-seat. 16 
 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the syna- 17 
 gogue, and beat liim before the judgment-seat. And Gallic cared 
 for none of those things. 
 
 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then 18 
 took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and 
 with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cen- 
 
 15, 16. A question of tvords — 
 names — laiv. But, on the contrary, 
 he assured them that if it was, as he 
 understood it to be, a question among 
 themselves in reference to their re- 
 ligious factions, he would have noth- 
 ing to do with it. As if he had said, 
 " I am not sent here as a judge of 
 your religious differences ; these are 
 to be rectified among yourselves." 
 And his decision was strictly accord- 
 ing to the extent of his jurisdiction, 
 and accorded well with the character 
 given him above by his contempo- 
 raries. — Drove them. Or, authorita- 
 tively dismissed them from the tri- 
 bunal. 
 
 17. The Greeks, i. e. the heathen 
 Gentiles, and the party which sided 
 with Paul, who, in their imperfect 
 confonnity to the Christian spirit, and 
 exasperated by the malignity of the 
 Jews towards the apostle, attacked 
 Sosthenes, as the principal head of 
 the difficulty, and vented upon him, 
 in blows, their indignation at his 
 hostility. — Sosthenes. It would seem 
 that he succeeded Crispus, after he 
 was converted to Christianity, as the 
 chief ruler of the synagogue, though 
 he afterwards became a prominent 
 disciple of Christ, 1 Cor. i. 1, not- 
 withstanding the abuse which he at 
 this time received, apparently from 
 the adherents of Paul. — Beat him. 
 By this word, in the original, is to be 
 understood, not that he was formally 
 scourged or beaten with rods, but 
 that tliey struck him with their fists, 
 
 as he passed through the excited 
 multitude from the tribunal of the 
 proconsul. — Gallio cared for none 
 of those things. This does not mean, 
 as is often popularly understood, that 
 Gallio was indifferent to religion, 
 Jewish or Christian, for that question 
 did not, as he understood it, come 
 before him to decide upon at all ; but 
 that he did not concern himself and 
 interpose his power to arrest the riot- 
 ers, but was "willing," in the lan- 
 guage of Doddridge, " by his con- 
 nivance, to leave so troublesome a 
 plaintiff as Sosthenes to feel some 
 of the consequence of that confusion 
 which his own bigotiy and ill-nature 
 had occasioned." 
 
 1 8. Tarned there yet a good while. 
 He had already been in Corinth a 
 year and six months, ver. 11, and, 
 notAvithstanding the late commotion, 
 he continued to remain yet longer. 
 — Sailed thence into Syria, i. e. to 
 Antioch, as the place whence he had 
 issued on this missionary tour. Chap 
 XV. 35, 40. — Priscilla and Aquila. 
 See ver. 2. — Hmnng shorn his heal 
 in Cenchrea. This was the port of 
 Corinth on the east, situated upon 
 the waters of the ^gean Sea, from 
 which those sailing to Syria wiuld 
 embark. It was customary for the 
 Jews to make vows, upon deliverance 
 from danger, recovery from sickness, 
 or unexpected blessings, that they 
 would abstain from spirituous drinks, 
 suffer the hair to grow during a cer- 
 tain specified period, longer or short- 
 
xvni.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLKS. 
 
 253 
 
 19 chrea ; for he had a vow. And he came to Ephesus, and left 
 them there : but he himself entered into the synagogue, and rea- 
 
 20 soned with the Jews. When they desired him to tarry longer 
 
 21 time with them, he consented not : but bade them farewell, say- 
 ing, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem : 
 but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed 
 
 22 from Ephesus. And when he had landed at Cesarea, and gone 
 
 er, at the expiration of which, offer- 
 ings were made, the head was shaved, 
 and the individual returned to his 
 ordinary mode of life. In the pres- 
 ent instance, it was probably the vow 
 of the Nazarite, so called. Num. 
 vi. 18. The important question here 
 is, whether it was Paul or Aquila 
 who made and performed this vow, 
 tliough the general opinion is in fa- 
 vor of the latter, particularly as the 
 order in which Priscilla and Aquila 
 are mentioned is inverted, see ver. 
 !:2, 2G, as if to indicate who it was 
 that shaved his head in Ceiichrea 
 because lie had a vow, though in 
 Rom. xvi. 3, and 2 Tim. iv. 19, they 
 are placed in the same sequence. 
 Other considerations, however, ap- 
 pear to weigh on the other side with 
 greater force ; as that Paul is the 
 principal subject of tho narrative, 
 and the mention of his companions 
 is introduced rather by way of pa- 
 renthesis; and that we afterwards 
 read of his performance of a vow, 
 chap. xxi. 23, 24 ; and that it was 
 agreeable to the temper of Paul to 
 conform to the Jewish usages, so far 
 as Avas innocent, and as did not in- 
 volve the Gentiles in the yoke of 
 Mosiic bondage, because he thus 
 secured a hold on many of his weak 
 brethren, which he Avould have lost 
 by making a violent disruption of all 
 his old ties. We may even suppose, 
 too, without any imputation on his 
 Christian piety, that his heart still 
 clung with lingering sitisfiction to 
 the forms in which he had been 
 brought up from his youth, and which 
 Vol. in. 22 
 
 were hallowed by the blessed asso- 
 ciations of ciiildhood. 
 
 19. Ephesus. Tliis celebrated city 
 was the capital of the region of Io- 
 nia, and Lydia, or Asia, in which it 
 was situated. It lay about 40 miles 
 south of Smyrna, and 5 from the sea, 
 and contained tlie splendid temple 
 of Diana, one of the seven wonders 
 of the world. This splendid edifice 
 Avas about 400 feet long, 200 high, and 
 supported by 127 marble columns, 60 
 feet higli, which had been the offer- 
 int^s of as many kings, each one con- 
 tributing a pillar. It was not finished 
 until 220 years after its commence- 
 ment. It was burnt by the torch of 
 an incendiary, who sought thus to 
 immortalize his name, on the night 
 of the birth of Alexander the Great ; 
 but it was rebuilt in more than its 
 former glory. Yet the ruins of this 
 city are now with difficulty identi- 
 fied. 
 
 21. 1 must by all means keep this 
 feast. See note on ver. 18. It 
 would seem that he was drawn to 
 Jerusalem by some unusual business 
 at that time, whether on account of 
 the performance of a vow is not said, 
 though he certainly did not deem it 
 obligatory on him to attend all the 
 great festivals at the holy city. — If 
 God will. Where this devout pro- 
 viso is not expressed, it ought at 
 least to be always understood. James 
 iv. 13-15. 
 
 22. Cesarea. See note on Acts 
 viii. 40. This was upon the sea- 
 board of Palestine, about 65 miles 
 ft'om Jerusalem, whither he Avent to 
 
254 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. And after 23 
 he had spent some time there, he departed and went over all the 
 country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the 
 disciples. 
 
 And a certain Jew, named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an 24 
 eloquent man, and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 
 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord : and being 25 
 fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things 
 of the Lord, knowing only the baptism of John. And he began 26 
 to speak boldly in the synagogue : Whom, when Aquila and 
 Priscilla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded 
 
 pay his respects to his brethren, and 
 report his travels and labors, bright- 
 ening the chain of Cliristian brother- 
 hood. — Aniioch. In Syria, his ulti- 
 mate destination. 
 
 23. Went over all the country, ^-c. 
 He not only planted, but watered 
 what he had planted. Like his Mas- 
 ter, he went about doing good. His 
 spirit rises with the vastness of iiis 
 work, and his zeal kindles to a high- 
 er, purer flame, at every encounter 
 of opposition. He grasps the most 
 distant cities in his plans of benevo- 
 lence, flies from country to country 
 to preach the gospel, and from youth 
 to age strains every energy and fac- 
 ulty of his powerful genius, and uses 
 every gift of the heaven-descended 
 Spirit, to push forward the Avork of 
 human salvation. Glorious being ! 
 upon what a grand scale was every 
 virtue of the gospel lived out, and 
 every truth of heaven enforced and 
 adorned ! 
 
 24,25. Apollos — Alexandria. This 
 city in Egypt was overflowing with 
 Jews, and it was not strange that 
 the reformation of John had pene- 
 trated thus far, and seized with a 
 strong hold upon the class of more 
 spiritual and aspiring minds, of which 
 Apollos was one. See note on Acts 
 vi. 9. — Eloque7}t man, ami miicMy in 
 the Scriptures, i. e. in the Hebrew 
 Bible. His gifts of or.'.tory were 
 
 even preferred, as would seem, by 
 some, to those of Paul, 1 Cor. iii. 4, 
 6, iv. 6, from the unhappy divisions 
 which afterwards sprung up in the 
 cliurch at Corinth. — In the way of 
 the Lord. He had caught from the 
 idea of John a glimpse of the Mes- 
 siah, but was as yet in the dark re- 
 specting his advent; in short, was 
 just in that state of preparation, when 
 he would hear with readiness the 
 further instruction which even hum- 
 ble, private disciples, like Aquila and 
 Priscilla, were able to impart to him. 
 The accession of such a laborer, so 
 able and so prepared, gifted Avith a 
 fervid zeal and a commanding elo- 
 quence, was truly providential, and 
 betokened the still living and favor- 
 ing guidance of more than human 
 wisdom over the fortunes of the in- 
 fant church. — The baptism of John. 
 That is, his preliminary dispensation 
 and reformation, generalized in the 
 prominent ceremony of his system. 
 
 26. Tn the sjjna^ogue. He also 
 resorted to the houses of Jewish wor- 
 ship, to advocate his vicAvs. — The 
 way of God more perfectly. They 
 would point out to him the advent of 
 him, of whom John the Baptist pro- 
 fessed himself to be but the lowly 
 forerunner, and could lead him up 
 to the cross of the Son of God, and 
 open thf precious scroll of his teach- 
 ings, sufferings, promises, and mira- 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 •255 
 
 27 unto him the way of God more perfectly. And when he was 
 disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the 
 disciples to receive him : who, when he was come, helped them 
 
 28 much which had believed through grace. For he mightily con- 
 vinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures, 
 that Jesus was Christ. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 The Labors arid Miracles of Paul, and the Persecution he encountered at Ephesus. 
 
 And it came to pass, that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, 
 having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus ; and 
 2 finding certain disciples, he said unto them. Have ye received 
 the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto him, We 
 have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. 
 
 cles. And they found a docile pupil 
 in the learned and eloquent Apollos, 
 though fresh from the schools of 
 Alexandria, and burning to propa- 
 gate his sentiments by travel and 
 preaching through different countries 
 and cities. A beautiful instance of 
 fidelity to truth, and aspiration after 
 its purest form, and of patient docility 
 to whoever could communicate the 
 priceless gift. 
 
 27, 28. Disposed to pass, ^'c. He 
 now wished more than ever to run 
 on the errands of benevolence, to 
 help a sinful and suffering world, for 
 he felt that he was charged with a 
 new element of power, and that he 
 went forth in a far mightier name. — 
 Helped them much. 1 Cor. iii. 4-6. — 
 Believed through grace, i. e. through 
 the favor of God, were privileged to 
 hear the preaching of the gospel, 
 and thus were established in its be- 
 lief, as a revelation of the mercy of 
 God to the sinner. — Was Christ. 
 « Was the Christ," or Messiah. The 
 earnest convictions of his own mind, 
 so lately opened to the tmth, lent fer- 
 vor and persuasiveness to his preach- 
 ing. His learning in the Hebrew 
 Scriptures now found a better use, 
 for he saw with a new eye the point- 
 
 ing of every prophetic finger to " the 
 glory of Israel" and "the light of 
 the Gentiles," in the person of Jesus 
 the Messiah. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 1. The upper coasts, i. e. tlie more 
 mountainous districts of Asia Minor, 
 lying inland from the sea, as Phry- 
 gia and Galatia, chap, xviii. 23, from 
 which Paul descended to the mari- 
 time region of Ephesus. — Came to 
 Ephesus. Thus fulfilling his prom- 
 ise of chap, xviii. 21. — Disciples. 
 They Avere then only the disciples 
 of Jolin, — though afterwards con- 
 verted to the Christian faith, — and 
 were naturally designated by Luke 
 by the title Avhich they then received, 
 though it was given subsequently to 
 the period mentioned. 
 
 2. Since ye believed. Or, became 
 the disciples of John, and expectants, 
 according to his doctrine, of a Mes- 
 siah soon to come. — Whether there 
 he any Holy Ghost. Spirit. In the 
 paraphrase of Wall : " We have not 
 so much as heard whether there be 
 any such powers of prophesying, 
 speaking with tongues, &c., granted 
 to those that believe." And Rosen- 
 rauller defines the Spirit, as "those 
 
256 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized ? And 3 
 they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily 4 
 baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, 
 that they should believe on him which should come after him, 
 that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were bap- 5 
 tized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid 6 
 his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they 
 spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were 7 
 about twelve. 
 
 miraculous and extraordinary gifts 
 which were reserved for the Chris- 
 tian church." This verse contains a 
 direct argument against the person- 
 ality of the Holy Spirit, as constitu- 
 ting the third person of the Godhead. 
 For, if there had been this distinct 
 being, would Jews, would disciples 
 of John the Baptist, acquainted as 
 they were with the true God, be ig- 
 norant of his very existence ? It is 
 incredible. A similar argument is 
 found in John vii. 39, when properly 
 translated, — "For the Holy Spirit 
 was not yet ; " i. e. the spiritual influ- 
 ence from above had not yet de- 
 scended ; but if, by the Holy Spirit, 
 is meant a person, we there have an 
 assertion that it was not yet — did 
 not exist. Lightfoot gives an old 
 saying of the Jews, that, " after the 
 death of Zechariah, Malachi, and 
 those last prophets, the Spirit of God 
 departed from Israel, and went up ; " 
 or, the gifts of miracle and inspira- 
 tion ceased until the advent of the 
 Messiah. 
 
 3, 4. Unto John's baptism. The 
 surprise of Paul ceased when he 
 learned that they were the disciples 
 of John the Baptist, and had received 
 only the preliminary baptism of re- 
 pentance and reformation, which he 
 administered. Chap, xviii. 'i5. — That 
 they should believe on him, ^c. His 
 reasoning was, that if they already 
 believed on John, they must go far- 
 ther, and believe on Jesus, the Mes- 
 siah, whom he predicted, and required 
 
 his disciples to follow. Mat. iii. 11, 
 12. — Christ Jesus. More clear and 
 emphatic in the Greek, " the Christ 
 Jesus ; " though Griesbach cancels 
 the words "the Christ." To iden- 
 tify Jesus of Nazareth as the ex- 
 pected Messiah of the Jews, was the 
 burden of the apostolic preaching. 
 
 5. }Fere baptized in the name, ^c. 
 They had been baptized by John the 
 Baptist, but were now re-baptized, by 
 command of the apostle, because 
 their previous baptism was not prop- 
 erly a Christian rite, and did not con- 
 stitute an initiation into the church 
 of the Messiah. No precedent, nor 
 warrant, however, is, here or else- 
 Avhere, given by the apostles to re- 
 baptize those who have already re- 
 ceived Christian baptism. For its 
 validity consists not in the mode, or 
 name, but in the spirit in which it is 
 performed, as an act of consecration, 
 and an emblem of sanctiflcation ; 
 and once performed, it is ever per- 
 formed, neither admitting of addition 
 nor subtraction. 
 
 6. Laid his hands upon thein^ as 
 a significant gesture. — They spake 
 ivilh tongues, and prophesied. We 
 here have the explanation given of 
 what is meant by the Holy Spirit in 
 this connexion, viz., spiritual gifts, 
 more than ordinary powers, the evi- 
 dences of the approving sanction of 
 God. Chap. x. 44 - 47. 1 Cor. xii. 
 xiv. "They spoke with foreign 
 tongues, and used their gift in tJie 
 exercise of inspired teaching and 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 257 
 
 8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the 
 space of three months, disputing and persuading the things con- 
 
 9 cerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were hardened, 
 and believed not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, 
 he departed from them, and separated the disciples, disputing 
 
 10 daily in the school of one Tyrannus. And this continued by the 
 space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard 
 
 11 the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God 
 
 12 wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul : so that from his 
 body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs, or aprons, and 
 the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of 
 
 preaching." The order in which 
 the gifts are mentioned has been 
 observed to be the same as that in 
 1 Cor. xiv. 5. 
 
 8. Spake boldly. See note on 
 chap. iv. 13. Disputing or dis- 
 cussing, arguing. — Persuading the. 
 things, ^c. His aim was to per- 
 suade his hearers of the truth of the 
 gospel, and win them to its faith and 
 obedience. — The kingdom of God. 
 Equivalent to the Christian religion, 
 for where it prevails, God truly 
 reigns as the king, and his will is 
 felt to be supreme. 
 
 9. Of that way. A phrase often 
 used to describe the new religion. 
 Chap. xvi. 17, xviii. 26. The apos- 
 tle, finding that his influence was 
 undermined, Avith tlie mass of the 
 people, by the malignity of his en- 
 emies, withdrew from the sphere of 
 their influence to a place of Gen- 
 tile resort. Chap, xviii. 6. — Daily. 
 While meeting with his friends in 
 the synagogue, he employed, proba- 
 bly, only the Sabbath for his public 
 addresses ; but, in his new situation, 
 his zeal prompts him to do what was 
 not, perhaps, allowable in the syna- 
 gogue — address the people daily on 
 his great inspiring theme. — In the 
 school of one Tyrannus, i. e. in the 
 hall, or room, used by this person, — 
 who was probably a Greek rheto- 
 rician or philosopher, — for the in- 
 
 22* 
 
 struction of his pupils. He seems 
 not unfriendly to the Christian cause, 
 and he may have been even an ad- 
 herent. 
 
 10. TTie space of two years. The 
 importance of Ephesus, as a place 
 of vast resort, prolonged his stay ; 
 though he might make excursions, 
 meanwhile, into the surrounding re- 
 gion, as is implied by the next clause. 
 — jJsia. Of which Ephesus was the 
 metropolis. Note on chap. ii. 9. — 
 Both Jews and Greeks. Notwith- 
 standing his withdrawal, in ver. 9, 
 the apostle still stretched out im- 
 ploring hands to " the lost sheep of 
 the house of Israel." 
 
 1 J . Special miracles, i. e. literally, 
 "not usual;" uncommon miracles, 
 such as are described in the next 
 verses. Among miracles, some are 
 more wonderful than others. 
 
 12. Handkerchiefs, or aprons. Ac- 
 cording to their derivation, the for- 
 mer signifying, in the original, what 
 was used in wiping off the perspira- 
 tion ; and the latter, a half girdle, or, 
 as is rightly rendered, " apron." — 
 The evil spirits went out of them. In 
 other Avords, cases of insanity, epi- 
 lepsy, and lunacy, were cured. It is 
 contended by some, that the posses- 
 sions must have been literally true ; 
 that evil and Avicked spirits did ac- 
 tually enter into men, and possess 
 
THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 them. 
 
 Then certain of the vaorabond Jews, exorcists, took 13 
 
 upon them to call over them which had evil spirits, the name of 
 the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul 
 preacheth. And there were seven sons of one Sceva a Jew, and 14 
 chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered 15 
 and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? 
 
 guished, as here, from other diseases. 
 They are, indeed, so distinguished 
 from others ; but for the same reason 
 that leprosy is distinguished from 
 other disorders, Mat. x. 8, viz., on 
 account of its greater severity and 
 incurableness. We are not to infer, 
 by any means, that the handkerchiefs 
 and aprons, carried from Paul, had 
 any other efficacy than as he willed 
 tlie cure of the sick who were not in 
 his presence, — some article being 
 carried as a token, to connect the 
 agent with the act, the miracle with 
 him who wrought it. Mat. ix. 21, 
 22 ; Acts V. 15. 
 
 13. Vagabond. As we should say, 
 strolling or itinerant Jews. — Exor- 
 cists. Literally, "those who bind 
 with an oath ; " or, by adjurations, 
 expel demons. This class of pre- 
 tenders was very numerous. They 
 professed, by using certain incanta- 
 tions, whose virtue had been dis- 
 covered by King Solomon, to be able 
 to expel diseases and evil spirits 
 from their wretched victims. This 
 quackery, like its successors of mod- 
 ern times, gained great credence, 
 and was sustained by multitudes of 
 patrons. — We adjure yon by Jesus. 
 Lightfoot informs us that similar ad- 
 jurations are to be found in the Tal- 
 muds. "One being sick, a certain 
 person came to him, and muttered 
 upon him in the name of Jesus of 
 Pandira, — a scornful and opprobrious 
 designation of the Saviour, — and he 
 was healed." " Ben Damah was bit- 
 ten by a serpent. James of Caphar- 
 sam came to heal him in the name 
 of Jesus, but Rabbi Ismael permitted 
 
 him not." Seeing the wonders of 
 Paul's powder, they idly supposed that, 
 by employing the same name, they 
 could do the like. They regarded 
 him but as a mere adventurer, like 
 themselves, whom fortune had fa- 
 vored by granting him a magic name 
 of great efficacy. Mat. xii. 27. — 
 fVhom Paul preacheth. The indica- 
 tion of a pitiful imitation of the apos- 
 tle's power. They mention the name 
 particularly, that there might be no 
 mistake ; but they find it to be more 
 powerful against themselves than 
 against the disease. 
 
 14. Sceva. Nothing further is 
 known of this individual. — Chief of 
 the priests, i. e. a chief-priest, one of 
 the most eminent in the sacerdotal 
 order ; the head, perhaps, of one of 
 the courses of priests. Luke i. 5. 
 
 15. The evil spirit, i. e. tlie man 
 who thought himself possessed by 
 an evil spirit — Jesus I know, and 
 Paid I know. For the apostle had 
 preached in Ephesus a long time, 
 and would be easily known, especial- 
 ly on account of the celebrity of his 
 miracles. Chap. xvi. 17 ; Mark i. 24, 
 34. It has been obsei-ved by the 
 commentators, that the question of 
 the demoniac is not that of igno- 
 rance, but partly of reproach toAvards 
 those who cannot make good their 
 professions ; and, partly, of contempt 
 toward those, who neither consider 
 the strength of their enemy, nor their 
 own ; but who, actuated by a certain 
 foolhardiness, dare to contend with 
 the stronger, in whose hand the mas- 
 tery is but matter of sports ♦ 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 tm 
 
 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, and 
 overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out 
 
 17 of that house naked and wounded. And this was known to all 
 the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus : and fear fell on 
 
 18 them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And 
 many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. 
 
 19 Many also of them which used curious arts, brought their books 
 
 16. Leaped. A word, used in 
 Greek, to describe wild animals 
 springing upon their prey. — JVaked, 
 i. e. with garments torn and nearly 
 rent off. Ripley, in his Notes, re- 
 marks, tliat " the violent conduct of 
 the demoniac, here mentioned, shows 
 that he was in a state of insanity." 
 In fact, the whole description of the 
 case shows that he was a maniac ; 
 his furious indignation at being, as 
 he thought, imposed upon by the ex- 
 orcists, and his preternatural strength, 
 with wliich he rushed upon tliem, 
 and inflicted desperate blows, and 
 tore off their garments, betoken, with- 
 out doubt, a frantic madman. In the 
 language of Farmer, " The demoniac 
 fancied himself to be a demon, or 
 possessed by one, and his indigna- 
 tion and rage (accelerating the mo- 
 tion of his blood and spirits) sup- 
 plied him with new strength, and he 
 assaulted and vanquished the exor- 
 cists, who were not prepared to make 
 a defence, and were disgraced and 
 dispirited by the public detection of 
 their imposture." 
 
 17. Fear fell on all, ^r. « The 
 disappointment and disgi-ace of these 
 magicians served to vindicate the 
 credit of St. Paul's miracles ; to cre- 
 ate a high reverence of Jesus, in 
 confirmation of whose divine author- 
 ity they were performed, and to de- 
 ter (.thers from profaning his sacred 
 name, by using it only as a charm. 
 The occurrence seems to have been 
 providentially designed to bring dis- 
 grace upon the Jewish exorcists, and 
 thereby to answer the purposes men- 
 tioned above." 
 
 18. Confessed, and shoived their 
 deeds. Or, practices. Those who were 
 converted to the Christian faith con- 
 fessed their sins in general, and also, 
 as it would seem, confessed the par- 
 ticular iniquity of dealing in these 
 magical arts, and imposing upon the 
 credulity and superstition of their 
 fellow-men. The late events had 
 stirred tlieir consciences, and struck 
 a deeper chord of moral accountable- 
 ness for their actions ; and, like true 
 men and true Christians, they frank- 
 ly made confession and acknowledg- 
 ment of their misdeeds. Prov. xxviii. 
 13 ; Rom. x. 10. It is doing much 
 to confess one's offences, and it is 
 a necessary step in repentance and 
 amendment. The mind of the wrong- 
 doer cannot he at peace while he 
 cloaks his iniquity, for he carries in 
 his bosom a secret too big to be hid- 
 den, and he feels relieved as soon as 
 he has unburdened his heavy heart 
 before the merciful Father. Thus 
 the offending child makes confession 
 to his parent, though it exposes him 
 to pujiishment, because he cannot 
 bear the weight of a hidden sin. 
 Thus, too, the murderer prefers, at 
 last, even death to the agonizing 
 concealment of his guilt. For strong 
 is our moral nature, even in its ob- 
 liquities ; and, as the bent bow is 
 ever striving to resume its natural 
 position, so does conscience contin- 
 ually press to gain its upright pos- 
 ture, and never quite loses its elas- 
 ticity, even after the most dreadful 
 perversions. 
 
 19. Curious arts. We here have 
 an account of a part of that men- 
 
230 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 together, and burned them before all men ; and they counted the 
 
 Btrous system of idolatry which 
 flourished in the midst of the most 
 refined and learned cities of the 
 heathen world. The Ephesians were 
 notorious for the practice of these 
 magical arts; and tlie books, or 
 scrolls, on which the cabalistic words, 
 charms, and incantations, were in- 
 scribed, obtained great celebrity un- 
 der the name of the Ephesian letters. 
 Tiie occult characters were worn 
 about their persons, and even stained 
 upon their bodies, as charms, or am- 
 ulets, to protect them against evil, to 
 prosper them in their journeys, and 
 defend them in war. This system 
 of magic prevailed under the aus- 
 pices of that mythology which was 
 to fall before the advancement of 
 the gospel. It was in the city 
 where Diana was worshipped with 
 such magnificence, that "the black 
 art" of the conjurer and soothsayer 
 wielded a prodigious influence ; and 
 the prices of the books alone, used 
 by these deceivers, were reckoned 
 by thousands in gold and silver. In 
 proclaiming the worship of the true 
 God, and salvation through Christ, 
 the apostle was, therefore, removing 
 the very corner-stone of that system 
 of abominations. — Burned them be- 
 fore all. They showed their faith 
 by their works ; and not only repent- 
 ed of their sins, and made confession 
 thereof, but they offered the only 
 reparation they could, by reducing 
 to ashes tlie implements of their un- 
 hallowed trade. By tliese books, we 
 are to understand the scrolls which 
 contained tlie potent words and in- 
 cantations of sorcery and astrology ; 
 and which are mentioned in many 
 ancient authors, as, Suidas, He- 
 Bychius, Clement of Alexandria, and 
 Plutarch. — Found it fjly thousand 
 pieces of silver. As it is uncertain 
 what the value of the " piece of sil- 
 ver," here used, was, it can now be 
 
 only matter of conjecture what the 
 total loss amounted to; but it has 
 been variously reckoned, — some un- 
 derstanding the denomination of 
 money to be the drachm, or denanus, 
 when the sum would be about seven 
 thousand dollars ; others, that it was 
 the Jewish shekel, when the Avhole 
 would SAvell to the amount of twenty- 
 eight thousand dollars, which, as 
 some compute the relative prices of 
 labor in our day, and also the Avorth 
 of the precious metals, would be 
 more than sixty thousand dollars in 
 our currency. No severer criterion 
 of the faith and self-sacrifice of the 
 Ephesian disciples could have been 
 given, than the destruction of so 
 much property for conscience and 
 Christ's sake. The love of money 
 is so powerful a motive of con- 
 duct, that what drives it out must 
 possess no common strength. A 
 selfish prudence might have sug- 
 gested also, with Judas, " To what 
 purpose is all this waste ? " These 
 books might have been sold for 
 rnuch, and given to the poor. (See 
 Pierpont's cogent sermon, entitled 
 the " Ephesian Letters.") But they 
 knew and suffered no compromise 
 with duty. They committed the 
 whole to the flames, because, if in- 
 struments of magic Avere pernicious 
 to them., they Avere pernicious to 
 others, to all, and their only proper 
 end Avas destruction. They would 
 not sell to another what Avas only 
 evil to themselves, and thus become 
 accessory to others' sins. They free- 
 ly devote their property to God ; and 
 surely no incense from smoking hec- 
 atombs, or spicy altars, ever ascended 
 to heaven, a sweeter offering, than 
 the flames which consumed the books 
 of fraud and sin, " the mammon of 
 unrighteousness." Here is a lesson, 
 for our day also, to study and prac- 
 tise. " The universal prevalence of 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 261 
 
 20 price of them, and found it fifty thousand pitcts of silver. So 
 mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed. 
 
 21 After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, 
 when he had passed through Macedonia, and Achaia, to go to 
 Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see 
 
 22 Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered 
 unto him, Timotheus and Erastus ; but he himself staid in Asia 
 
 23 for a season. And the same time there arose no small stir 
 
 24 about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silver- 
 smith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small 
 
 Christianity would make much, that 
 is now esteemed valuable property, 
 utterly worthless." 
 
 20. So mightily greio the ivord. 
 Nothing could better demonstrate 
 the deep and living hold which the 
 gospel had gained over the con- 
 sciences and hearts of its believers, 
 than these cheerful sacrifices in its 
 behalf. And, in later ages, nothing 
 has furnished better proof of the real 
 predominance of Christianity, than 
 the ready destruction of property de- 
 voted to bad uses, rather than permit 
 it to fall into the hands of others, and 
 continue to work indefinite ill. The 
 slave-trade, and slavery ; the sale of 
 noxious books, and bad goods ; the 
 traffic in spirituous liquors as a bev- 
 erage ; and other cases, which will 
 readily occur to the mind of the 
 reader, afford spheres for a similar 
 sacrifice, and a like reward. 
 
 21, 22. Purposed in the spirit, i. e. 
 in his own mind. — When he had 
 passed through Macedonia, Sfc. The 
 same wish, as remarked by Paley, is 
 expressed in Rom. i. 13, xv. 2-3, 24, 
 which was written long after this 
 time, and when he had accomplished 
 so much of his plan as related to 
 Macedonia and Achaia, and had only 
 the journey to Jerusalem left unfin- 
 ished, — though, in the epistle, there 
 is also the addition of Spain to his 
 tour. Thu^ both the coincidence 
 
 and the difference betoken veracity 
 and independence in the authors of 
 the respective books. — Rome. As 
 the existing metropolis of the world, 
 it was a most im.portant city for the 
 apostle to the Gentiles to visit. — 
 Sent into Macedonia two, — Timotheus 
 and Erastus. He, probably, also de- 
 signed they should go into Achaia 
 and Corinth, after visiting Macedo- 
 donia, for he purposed going there 
 himself, ver. 21 ; and, in 1 Cor. iv. 17- 
 19, he mentions having sent Timothy 
 to that church. Erastus was cham- 
 berlain, or treasurer, of Corinth, as 
 we learn from Rom. xvi. 23. See, 
 also, 2 Tim. iv. 20. — In Asia, i. e. 
 at its capital, Ephesus. 
 
 23, 24. About that way, i. e. con- 
 cerning the religion of Christ. — »S'i7- 
 ver shrines for Diana. These were, 
 probably, small portable models in 
 silver of the splendid temple of Di- 
 ana, described before, which were 
 manufactured by Demetrius and oth- 
 ers, and sold in great numbers to the 
 numerous worshippers of the goddess 
 from every part of the world. Ver. 27. 
 The word, in the original, is " tem- 
 ples," — silver temples for Diana, i. e. 
 temples in miniature. It was custom- 
 ary for the heathen to carry about 
 with them sacred images, as charms, 
 and also to place in their houses 
 statues and shrines of their gods and 
 goddesses. Diana was one of tlie 
 
THE ACTS 
 
 [Cij. 
 
 gain unto the craftsmen ; whom he called together with the 25 
 workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know »hat by 
 this craft we have our wealth : moreover, ye see and hear, that 26 
 not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul 
 hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying, That they 
 be no gods which are made with hands. So that not only this 27 
 our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple 
 of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnifi- 
 cence should be destroyed, whom all Asia, and the world wor- 
 
 twelve superior divinities, of which 
 the Roman poet Ennius gave a list, 
 in tlie following couplet : — 
 
 " Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, 
 Mars, 
 MercuriuR, Jovia, Neptunus, Vulcanus, A- 
 pollo." 
 
 She was adored as Luna, or the 
 Moon, in heaven ; Diana, on the 
 earth; and Hecate, or Proserpine, 
 in Hades. She was the goddess of 
 hunting, of travelling, of chastity, of 
 childbirth, of enchantment, &.c. ; and 
 was worshipped in different coun- 
 tries under different names, and dif- 
 ferent qualities were ascribed to her. 
 But, at Ephesus, she was represented 
 with a great number of breasts, and 
 regarded as Nature, the mother of 
 mankind. Thus, one of the inscrip- 
 tions on an image of Diana was, 
 " Nature, full of varied creatures, 
 and mother of all things." 
 
 25. Whom he called together, S{c. 
 He called a general meeting, not 
 only of his own workmen, but of all 
 belonging to the same trade, who 
 had a common interest at stake, in 
 the perpetuity of heathen worship, 
 as the source of their business and 
 livelihood. — Craji, i. e. trade, or 
 calling. 
 
 26. This Paul hath persuaded, S^c. 
 A trustworthy testimony, from an en- 
 emy, to the industry and zeal of the 
 apostle to the Gentiles, and the suc- 
 cess with which he had urged for- 
 ward the Christian cause, far and 
 wide, in that region. Ver. 10. In- 
 
 deed, the power and extensive in- 
 fluence of his preaching m.ay be 
 measured by the tremendous recoil 
 of persecution against him, and the 
 tempest of excitement into which 
 the -svhole city was thrown. — That 
 they be no gods, SjC. Comp. chap, 
 xiv. 15, xvii. 29. 
 
 27. Our craft is in danger to he 
 set at nought. This was the first, 
 and doubtless the chief, reason why 
 he dreaded the success of Paul, and 
 wished to excite a popular tumult 
 against him. He was alarmed lest 
 his lucrative business would decline, 
 and the demand for silver shrines 
 cease, on account of the prevalence 
 of just ideas of God, and a true and 
 spiritual worship. Demetrius is the 
 representative of a large class, in ev- 
 ery age, who are afraid, if religion, 
 and temperance, and freedom, and 
 purity, and righteousness, in all re- 
 spects, prevail, that their unright- 
 eous gains will diminish; and who, 
 therefore, uphold existing abuses and 
 wrongs with the energy of tliat pas- 
 sion which an apostle, with scarce 
 a figure of speech, called " the root 
 of all evil." Chap. xvi. 16.— The 
 temple of the great goddess Diana 
 should he despised. This was the 
 second objection of the silversmith 
 to Paul and the gospel ; and we 
 may suppose, also, the inferior one 
 of the two. After he had looked 
 well to his owm interest, he could 
 then afford to be jealous for the 
 honor of Diana, and the magnificent 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 263 
 
 28 shippeth. 
 
 And when they heard these sayings^ they were full 
 
 of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great ^5 Diana of the Ephesians. 
 
 29 And the whole city was filled with confusion : and having caught 
 Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in 
 
 30 travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. And when 
 Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suf- 
 
 31 fered him not. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were 
 his friends, sent unto him desiring him that he would not adven- 
 
 worship of her temple. This pre- 
 tended interest for religion would, 
 of course, call forth a strong response 
 from the multitude, who were, at 
 least, sincere in their superstition, 
 and who felt their religious impulses 
 aroused to take sides against Paul, 
 if he was chargeable Avith trespass- 
 ingr upon the ancient faith. — Ml 
 Asia, and the world. Diana was not 
 merely a local or national deity, but 
 Greeks and Romans, from every 
 quarter, contributed to the splendor 
 of her temple and worship. 
 
 28. They became deeply excited 
 by this mingled appeal to their cu- 
 pidity and their superstition, — two 
 of the strongest passions of human 
 nature, when in a rude and uncul- 
 tivated state. The only proper mode, 
 which suggested itself to them, to 
 express their devotion and their an- 
 ger unitedly, was to vociferate the 
 name of their goddess. Xenophon 
 coiToborates the epithet here be- 
 stowed upon their divinity, when he 
 says, "T adjure you by your own 
 goddess, the great Diana of the 
 Ephesians." 
 
 '29. Gaius. This individual was 
 a convert and host of Paul, and was 
 baptiz -d by him. Rom. xvi. 23; 1 
 Cor. i. 14. — Aristarchus. See Col. 
 iv. 10. The object of the populace 
 in seizing these men was probably to 
 try them in a public assembly, and 
 put them to death. — The theatre. 
 Thi-; wj,s not only the amphitheatre 
 f)r drirnitic specticlas and games, 
 but was Vilso tlie gathering-place of 
 
 the people to hold assemblies, . hear 
 harangues, and judge cases. These 
 edifices were of immense size, and 
 would hold many thousands. They 
 were without roofs, and the seats 
 gradually sloped up from the centre, 
 on every side, so that those on the 
 back were raised very high. 
 
 30. Paul would have entered in. 
 To make his defence, and rescue his 
 beloved companions. But such was 
 the rage of the people, that his friends 
 interposed to prevent his thus hazard- 
 ing his life. 
 
 31. The chief of Asia. Persons 
 were appointed, under the Roman 
 government in the East, by annual 
 election, to preside over the public 
 worship of the gods, and to furnish, 
 at their own expense, — for the rich 
 only were chosen, — games and the- 
 atrical entertainments for the people. 
 This office in the provinces resem- 
 bled that of fediles at Rome. They 
 were called after the country where 
 they lived, as, Syriarchs from Syria ; 
 Cariarchs from Caria; Lyciarchs from 
 Lycia ; and those in the present 
 verse were styled Asiarchs, or the 
 rulers of Asia. Their number con- 
 sisted of ten, chosen by the different 
 cities of the province, and the ap- 
 pointments were confirmed by the Ro- 
 man governor, or proconsul. There 
 was one at the head of the commis- 
 sion, who resided at Ephesus, and 
 who advised with his colleagues. 
 Such is the account generally given 
 of these officers by critics and histo- 
 rians. They were, in the present 
 
i>64 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 ture himself into the theatre. Some therefore cried one thing, 32 
 and some another : for the assembly was confused, and the more 
 part knew not wherefore they were come together. And they 33 
 drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him for- 
 ward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would 
 have made his defence unto the people. But when they knew 34 
 that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two 
 
 hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians, And 35 
 
 when the town-clerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men 
 of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the 
 city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, 
 
 case, friendly to the apostle, but not, 
 as it would appear, converts to his 
 doctrine. They join with the disci- 
 ples in restraining him from the the- 
 atre, at which, it has been supposed, 
 they were then solemnizing games. 
 2 Cor. i. 3 - 10, is thought to express 
 his thankfulness at being delivered 
 from the imminent danger, which 
 occurred at tliis time, from the Ephe- 
 sian populace. 1 Cor. xv. 32. 
 
 32. This verse contains a graphic 
 description of a mob, — some shout- 
 ing one tiling, and some another, 
 confusion presiding, and most not 
 even knowing why they were as- 
 sembled, but having been borne 
 away by a popular sympathy. 
 
 33. Brew Alexander out. Or, 
 caused him to advance out of the 
 crowd. This individual is perhaps 
 referred to in 1 Tim. i. 20, and 2 Tim. 
 iv. 14, as hostile to Paul and the 
 cause of truth. It is observable tliat 
 he was of a similar trade as Deme- 
 trius, — being a worker in the metals, 
 — and probably, tlierefore, regarded 
 as peculiarly adapted to quiet the tu- 
 mult among that class of people. — 
 Beckoned ivith the Jutnd. In order to 
 silence the uproar, and gain a hear- 
 ing. — Made his defence. Better, 
 " apologized unto the people." This 
 object, as he was a Jew, apparently 
 was to show the distinction between 
 the Jews and the Christians, and t ) 
 
 attach the odium of the people wholly 
 to tlie latter, and exonerate his breth- 
 ren from any partnership with Paul. 
 For, since the Christian cause 
 emerged from the bosom of Juda- 
 ism, the Ephesians, and Gentiles 
 generally, making no very nice 
 distinctions, confounded both in one. 
 Chap. xvi. 20. 
 
 34. Knew that he tvas a Jew. As 
 Jev.'s and Christians were all one to 
 them, and they supposed Alexander 
 to be an apologist for Paul, they pre- 
 vented his being heard by their deaf- 
 ening vociferations. — T/je space of 
 two how's. Either because he re- 
 peatedly attempted to speak, or be- 
 cause it was a heathen custom to 
 honor their divinities by long-con- 
 tinued cries. 1 Kings xviii. 26-28. 
 These "vain repetitions" have 
 been, in every age, an accompani- 
 ment of heatlien rites. 
 
 35. The toivn-clerk. Modern 
 readers are liable to get a wrong 
 impression from this term, and to 
 invest it with present associations. 
 According to the functions Avhich 
 this officer is represented as dischar- 
 ging, he might be variously consid- 
 ered as a recorder, chancellor, or sec- 
 retary of state ; but no single term 
 in our language can perfectly repre- 
 sent the office. He was evidently a 
 mao-istrate of high dignity and au- 
 thority. — A loorshipper. Tlxe word, 
 
XIX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 265 
 
 .36 and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? Seeing then 
 that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, 
 
 37 and to do nothing rashly. For ye have brought hither these men, 
 which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of 
 
 38 your goddess. Wherefore, if Demetrius, and the craftsmen 
 which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is 
 open, and there are deputies : let them implead one another. 
 
 39 But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be 
 
 in the original, is an honorary title, 
 applied to cities which were devoted 
 to the worship of particular deities ; 
 thus, Ephesus was the worshipper, or 
 devotee, of Diana, as if the whole 
 city was but one in that respect. 
 The word is found in inscriptions, 
 and upon ancient coins, both of 
 Ephesus and other places. — The 
 image ivhich fell down from Jupiter. 
 The original image of Diana was a 
 small statue of the goddess, made of 
 elm or ebony, with many breasts, and 
 carved by a sculptor called Canitias, 
 and fable represented it as having 
 fallen from heaven. The same le- 
 gend was reported respecting the 
 Palladium^ or image of Minerva, at 
 Troy ; the Ancilia^ or shields, of Mars, 
 at Rome ; the black stone, in the 
 Caabah at Mecca, and also one in 
 the Temple of the Sun at Baalbec. 
 In some instances, these objects 
 may have literally fallen from heaven 
 in the form of meteoric stones, which 
 have been known to descend from 
 the skies, in all ages, in various parts 
 of the world. 
 
 36, 37. These things cannot be 
 spoken against, i. e. the facts he had 
 stated could not be gainsaid ; and 
 they were not to be so faithless as 
 to suppose that a handful of Jews 
 could overthrow the magnificent wor- 
 ship of their goddess. — To be quiet, 
 ^c. They Avere to proceed with the 
 assured confidence of strength, and 
 to break out in no idle tumults, as if 
 weak and distrustful of the goodness 
 of their cause. As a further argu- 
 voL. III. 23 
 
 ment to calm their passions, he re- 
 minds them that there was nothing 
 better than suspicion lying against 
 the characters of these men. — Rob- 
 bers of churches. For it could not be 
 proved that they were sacrilegious 
 persons, or had committed desecra- 
 tion upon the temple and holy things. 
 
 — JVbr yet blasphemers, ^c. Nor had 
 the apostle and his associates heaped 
 opprobrium and abuse upon the Ephe- 
 sian divinity or her holy ceremonies. 
 Though it was the aim of the gospel 
 to uproot idolatry, with all its abomi- 
 nations, yet it uttered no blasphemies 
 or maledictions, but reproved, with 
 truth and pity, the deluded victims of 
 superstition and sin. Probably here, 
 as at Athens, Paul had avoided giv- 
 ing unnecessary offence, or casting 
 abuse upon Avhat many held sacred. 
 
 38. Have a matter. Or, accusation. 
 
 — The law is open. Or, rather, ac- 
 cording to the Greek, "There are 
 court days," on which causes might 
 be tried. — There are deputies, i. e. 
 proconsuls, or judges, under whose 
 jurisdiction trials might be held. — 
 Let them implead one another, i. e. let 
 them argue the case one against the 
 other, and justice should be done. 
 
 39. If ye inquire any thing, 8^c. 
 But if it Avere a different matter, not 
 coming under the jurisdiction of 
 courts, then let there be a popular 
 assemialy convened in a lawful man- 
 ner, and properly constituted and 
 organized for the despatch of such 
 business. Such assemblies were 
 held in the district to Avhich Ephesus 
 
266 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 determined in a lawful assei^bly. For we are in danger to be 40 
 called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause 
 whereby we may give an account of this concourse. And when 41 
 he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Paul passes Virough Greece, Macedonia, and Troas, and delivers his Farewell 
 Discourse to the Elders of Ephesm at MUettis. 
 
 And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the 
 disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Mace- 
 donia. And when he had gone over those parts, and had given 2 
 
 belonged, which are mentioned in 
 ancient history. — In a lawful as- 
 sembly. Rather, as the Greek, "In 
 the regular assembly," — for there 
 was one statedly held. 
 
 40. Jn danger to be called in ques- 
 tion, S{C. By their disorderly and 
 riotous conduct, they had incurred 
 the hazard of being arraigned as dis- 
 turbers of the public peace, — a most 
 heinous crime in the eyes of Rome ; 
 for it was her settled policy to main- 
 tain the most despotic and quiet sway 
 over her dependent provinces; and 
 she watched with jealous care the 
 least outbreak among the people, 
 
 Test they might discover their own 
 strength, and throw off tlie yoke of 
 bondage. There was a Roman law, 
 • — "Let him that raises a mob be 
 punished with .death." 
 
 41. He dismissed the assembly. 
 The Greek signifies an assembly, 
 whether good or bad; but it is the 
 same term which is often translated 
 elsewhere, " church." The remarks 
 of the magistrate were judicious, and 
 their success complete. The tem- 
 pest lulled, and there was a calm. 
 
 The obstacles against which the 
 gospel had to contend, upon its fiYst 
 introduction into the Gentile world, 
 were neither few nor small. There 
 was the rooted prejudice of ages 
 agai-nst the Jews, with whom the 
 Christian cause was confounded. 
 
 There were the pageantry and an- 
 tiquity of idol- worship, — glittering 
 temples, beautiful statues and paint- 
 ings, magnificent and imposing cer- 
 emonies, and an interested priest-, 
 hood. There were the bloody games, 
 and licentious indulgences, which 
 at once enervated and brutalized. 
 There were the arts of superstition, 
 and the wonders of magic, to deceive 
 the simple and beguile the ignorant. 
 There were philosophers that scorned, 
 and rulers th^t hated, the apostles of 
 the Lord. There were the populace 
 to commit violence, and the powerful 
 to commit wrong, against the men 
 whom both parties abhorred as dis- 
 turbers of tlie peace. But the gos- 
 pel, despite all, gently, mightily, 
 irresistibly, held on its course ; and 
 we live to see it, after so many cen- 
 turies, no longer the scorn of the 
 learned, or the victim of power, but 
 riding upon the high places of the 
 earth, and still going on, " conquer- 
 ing and to conquer ; " carrying light 
 and life to new nations, and spread- 
 ing more widely, over the cold, dark 
 eartli, its warm, heavenly sunshine. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. ' 
 ], 2. Macedonia. 1 Tim. i. 3. 
 Paul pursues the course which he 
 had before marked out. Chap. xix. 
 2L But he wa.s probably hurried 
 away earlier from Ephesus by the 
 
XX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 267 
 
 3 them much exhortation, he came into Greece, and there abode 
 three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was 
 about to sail into Syria, he purpo:«ed to return through Mace- 
 
 4 donia. And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea; 
 and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius 
 of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophi- 
 
 g mus. These going before, tarried for us at Troas. And we 
 sailed away from Philippi, after the days of unleavened bread, 
 and came unto them to Troas in five days ; where we abode 
 
 7 seven days. And upon the first day of the week, when the 
 
 disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto 
 them, (ready to depart on the morrow,) and continued his speech 
 
 uproar made by Demetrius and his 
 partisans. He had spent, as is sup- 
 posed, nearly three years in that city, 
 chap. xix. 8, 10, and made many dis- 
 ciples. — Over those parts, i. e. the 
 region thereabouts, in which he had 
 before planted churches. 2 Cor. ii. 
 12, 13, vii. 5, 6. While in Mace- 
 donia, he is conjectured to have "writ- 
 ten the second epistle to the Corin- 
 thians, 2 Cor. viii. 1, 6, 16-19, 22, 
 ix. 2-4, and despatched it by the 
 hand of Titus. — Greece. The otlier 
 Roman province of tliat region, equiv- 
 alent to Achaia. Chap, xviii. 12, 27, 
 xix. 21. 
 
 3. Abode three months. At Corinth, 
 whence he is supposed to have sent 
 his letter to the Romans. Rom. xv. 
 25, 26, xvi. 23 ; 1 Cor. i. 14 ; 2 Tim. 
 iv. 20. — Jews laid ivait. Actuated 
 more by religious animosity than the 
 hope of plundering Paul of the con- 
 tributions to the poor, — a motive 
 suggested by some. 2 Cor. viii. 1, 
 2, ix. 2. — To return, &fc. Instead 
 of taking a direct course to Syria 
 from Corinth, by sea, he returns by 
 a circuitous route on land, through 
 Macedonia, to escape the plots of the 
 Jews. 
 
 4, 5. Accompanied. Griesbach has 
 punctuated the sentence so that this 
 verb agrees only witli Sopater, thus, 
 — "And Sopater of Berea, son of 
 
 Pyrrhus, accompanied him into Asia," 
 adding, agreeably to the best author- 
 ities, the name of Sopater's father, 
 Pyrrhus. — Sopater. Or, perhaps, So- 
 sipater, Rom. xvi. 21, a relative of 
 Paul. — Aristarchus. See chap. xix. 
 29, xxvii. 2 ; Col. iv. 10, 11 ; Phil. 
 24. — Gaius. Chap. xix. 29 ; 1 Cor. 
 i. U.— Tychicus. Eph. vi. 21, 22; 
 Col. iv. 7, 8 ; Tit. iii. 12. — Trophi- 
 mus. Chap. xxi. 29 ; 2 Tim. iv. 20. 
 — These going before, ^c. They did 
 not accompany Paul into Asia, but, 
 going before, they stopped at Troas 
 till he, with Sopater, ver. 4, and 
 Luke, ver. 5, arrived ; and then they 
 accompanied him to Asia, or the 
 province of which Ephesus was the 
 capital. — Us. This incidental men- 
 tion of Luke, the writer, as the com- 
 panion of Paul, who had been 
 dropped, at chap, xvi. 17, carries a 
 certain air of genuineness. — Troas. 
 Chap. xvi. 8, and note. 
 
 6. After the days, fyc. Probably 
 the occasion of their tarrying was to 
 strengthen the church; and to wait, 
 perhaps, until after the feast, during 
 which the Jews were not 'allowed the 
 use of leavened bread. — Infve days. 
 Occupied with the voyage across the 
 JGgean Sea. Chap. xvi. 11, 12. 
 
 7. The first day of the week. This 
 day appears to have been used by 
 the apostles, instead of the Jews* 
 
atis 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 until midnight. And there were many liglits in the upper cham- 8 
 ber, where tliey were gathered together. And there sat in a 'J 
 window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into 
 a deep sleep : and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with 
 sleep : and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead. 
 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing //.////, said, 10 
 Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him. When he there- n 
 
 Sabbath, — being the day of the rcs- 
 unoction of Jesus, — for the pur- 
 poses of worsliip and coinnmnion. 
 1 Cor. xvi. 2 ; Rev. i. 10. — 7V> break 
 bread. To celebrate tbo Lord's siip- 
 por, which seems, by tiio piirascology 
 liore used, to have been done weekly. 
 — Until midnis;ht. When it was in- 
 terrupted by the fall of the young 
 man ; but was resumed, and contin- 
 ued until daybreak, ver. 11. The 
 zeal and affection of both preacher 
 and hearers were manifested by the 
 length of the services. The dis- 
 coiu-se, however, was not, in all like- 
 lihood, continuous, but took rather 
 the tbrm of a conversation, in which 
 <|iiestions were asked and answered. 
 
 8. There were mamf lights. Jowett, 
 a modern missionary in this region, 
 remarks, that " the very great plenty 
 of oil in this neighborhood would 
 enable them to afford many lights." 
 And again: "On entering my host's 
 door, we find the groimd-lloor entire- 
 ly used as a store ; it is tilled with 
 largo barrels of oil, — the produce 
 of the rich country for many miles 
 romid." He further observes, in re- 
 lation to " the upp(!r chamber," tliat 
 "th(! rooms on the second floor are very 
 ordinary, and occu|)ied by the family 
 for their daily use ; but on the next 
 story all their expense is lavished ; 
 and in such an a))artment Paul was 
 invited to ))reach his parting dis- 
 course, — a secluded, spacious, and 
 commodious room." 
 
 9. In a loindow. This word is 
 from unndore, wind -door, a door for 
 air and liirlit. Such was its use in 
 
 the East, being a mere lattice-work, 
 destitute of glass, which was not then 
 used, and on a level with tiio floor, 
 but generally projecting over the 
 street. This would be open on ac- 
 count of the heat and large company. 
 — The third lojt Or, story. — Taken 
 up dead. If the words are to be 
 taken in their simple sense, his life 
 was gone. The heat of many lamps, 
 the numerous company, and the late- 
 ness of the hour, would naturally 
 create drowsiness, even under the 
 preacliing of Paul. The natural 
 laws of the human constitution will 
 take effect, though the intentions and 
 wishes of the mind are contrary to 
 them. While much complaint is 
 made of hearers sleeping through 
 the most solenui services, it should 
 not be forgotten that sometliing ought 
 to be pardoned to poor human na- 
 ture, treated, as it too oflen is in 
 public assemblies, with bad air, ex- 
 cessive heat or cold, and uncomfort- 
 able arrangements for light and 
 soimd. 
 
 10. Fell on him. 1 Kings, xvii. 
 21 ; 2 Kings, iv. 'M. This was an act 
 of tenderness, rather tlian a remedial 
 ai)|)lication. — His life is in him. 
 Mat ix. 24; John xi. 11. Not that 
 he was not dead, but his life was 
 soon comi)letely restored. It is the 
 opinion, however, of some sensible ex- 
 positors, that no miracle was wrought, 
 his fall only throwing the young man 
 into a swoon, or state of insensi- 
 bility. 
 
 11,12. Broken bread, and eaten. 
 The eucharist, which would fitly con- 
 
\X.| ol' 'INI': Al'OSTLKS. 969 
 
 fore wa« coino up nj^iiin, luul h«tl hroltcii broiul, and cMitni, uiul 
 VI UxWioA n loiijr while, cvni till broiik of day, ho ho <loparUMl. And 
 
 (hoy hrou)rht the yoiiii^ man alive, and wore not a littlo coni- 
 i;» iortiMl. And w(* wont hcloro to whip, and nailed nnto Af<HOM, 
 
 tlH^ro intending to tak<^ in I'anI : for mo had he appointed, niind- 
 II inj^ hiinMelfto go afoot. And when he unit witli n« at Am.soh, Wft 
 !.'> took him in, and came to Milylene. And we HailcMi thence, and 
 
 cam<^ the n(^xt (lai/ oxer a>j;ainMt ('Iuom; and the next daif we 
 
 arriv(ul at Snnios, and tarried at 'rro^ryljinin ; and the next flat; 
 Hi we canu^ to MiletJis. Kor I'nnI luul d<'terniiiuMl to nail l»y I'lphe- 
 
 flus, bccnu«e he would not spend the tinu^ in Ania : for h<^ haMe<l, 
 
 if it were possibles for him, to In* at JeruMakMU the day of Pen- 
 
 tecoHt. 
 
 chidi' thJH ranii'Hl iitid iiU'ct rutmile iho pontesi; Pittacud, ono of the 
 
 uilcrvicw. Ver. 7. — .lllvc. Or, an Hi'voii HajirM of (Jn*r»'e ; niid uinny 
 
 |{|()()iMli(<ltI ('Diit.iMiilH, '^iilivi^ and otluT ('(did>rMt<fd pernoiiH. Hut it in 
 
 well." 'l^lu\V had hreu thrown into now iiu iuMJ^niiiicniit, iilucr, uudrr 
 
 jrrtMit coiistcnrdiou l»y th«' full iiud the Turkn, (•iiiird (V/.v/ro. 
 
 dcilli of MulytliuH, Mud wrrr piopor- 15. Chiun. Auollicr JHliuid in the 
 
 tionnlly Ihiiuklnl iiiid ritiird iil. hiH .I'iij^cnn, iilxiiil 50 nnlcH Hiiutli of Li>H- 
 
 coniplclc iind iniriu-idouM rcHlonilion. Iioh, lyinjjf tiL''iiinHt, tlio touiiin coiinI, 
 
 The ^oncriil iiir of IIiIh litllo niirni- luid roinnrknlilo lor itn fiTtility iind 
 
 tivo JM'tolo'nM an ryc-wjtnrHM. Iicnuly. It, in now culled .SV/o. Iiilhe 
 
 IM. /r<7»/ lir/'on., i. e. in advance (JriM'k revolution, TIk^ Tiukn cruelly 
 
 of Paul. — W.v.vo.v. 'IMiJH waH n. Huiidl luaHsacreil ahout (i(),()()() oul of ll(),(K)0 
 
 Hi'aport, in the 'I'roiul, or, aH Home say, ol' the inhalutiuilH, in <'old Idood ; 
 
 \i\ INIynia, upon tli(^ /l'';^ean, aboid. '^0 Hold Home .'{(),()()() into nlavery ; ami 
 
 mileH Houth of the town of TroaH. drove the nMuainder into exile, pov- 
 
 Ver. r». — To (nkv in /*itid. Or, "to <M-1y, aiul dejHpair. 'IMiey reduced a 
 
 take him in ai;nin;*' MHtliey had Haded uaradine to a heap of Hiuokini^^ nncl 
 
 liclore with htm from INuli|ipi lo h lood - nl ii i urd |•uin:^. .SVn/io.'*. TliiM 
 
 TroMH. V(M". (I. - 'l\> ^ut n/ool. This JHlaud in ahoid, 50 milen Houlh-eaHt 
 
 in om^ verb in (i reek, and "liere means ol' CIuoh. It wan lli<< liirlh-plnce of 
 
 nimply, to t.rav(d hy land, 'i'lu* mo- Pyliiajj^oraH. -- 7V(>^»////i^m. 'i'lie 
 
 tiV(! waH to i;o upon a nliortiT roiiti*, niinio of a town and promontory upon 
 
 and viHit tiu! inhaliitanlH hy th(< the continiMil, opjioHite SamoH, at a 
 
 way, iLH we may coiyecturti without, few imlcH diHt,an<*e. JMilrlun. AIho 
 
 violence. called Mijetum. A Heajwirt upon the 
 
 II. Miliihiw. 'Y\\\h city wan the conHt of loiuii, ami ilH ancient capi- 
 
 ca|»iial of lii'shoH, an iHland lyiny; at. tal. 'riiiiles, one of the Seven VVisn 
 
 M nhort diHtiiiKM! from Wui cohhI of Men of (Jreece, wan a MileHian; and 
 
 Nfyniii, ami ahout .'10 or 10 mileH here wan a famoiiH temple of Apollo. 
 
 Houlli of Ahhoh. It wan iliHlin|.niiHlied It was -10 mileH from l'l|)lieHUH, The 
 
 for the Hplendor of ilH piihlic I'dilicoH, TiU'kM call it Mvlns. 
 
 and tln^ culture of poetry and pliiloH- 1(5, 17. To snil hy I'ljihtsm. Thin 
 
 uphy, -for it ^ave hirlli lo Sap|>lio, in olh.'U road wron{»'. //// Ih emphatic. 
 
27& 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders 17 
 of the church. And when they were come to him, he said unto 18 
 them, Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after 
 what manner I have been with you at all seasons, serving the 19 
 Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and tempta- 
 tions, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews : and 20 
 how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have 
 showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to 
 house, testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, re- 21 
 pentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 He did not intend to take Ephesus 
 on his route, but to sail 67/, past 
 it, and take a nearer course. — Into 
 Asia, \. e. the province so called, in 
 which Ephesus was situated. — The 
 day of Pentecost. This great festival 
 would enable him to address his 
 countrymen to better advantage, and 
 relieve tlie poor to whom he was car- 
 rying a contribution, and to advance 
 the Christian cause. — Called the el- 
 ders, ^c. See note on chap. xi. 30. 
 Elders and bishops, or overseers, 
 were synonymous terms at that time, 
 as is manifest from a comparison of 
 ver. 17 with ver. 28, and of Phil. i. 1 ; 
 1 Tim. iii. 2, with ver. 8 ; Titus i. 7 ; 
 and were used to describe those who 
 were appointed as superintendents or 
 presidents over the early churches, 
 without their duties being very tech- 
 nically determined. There is no ev- 
 idence that any other officers of the 
 church were present at that time, 
 except those of Ephesus. 
 
 18. Asia. The district of Asia 
 Minor, so called. — After what mari- 
 ner I have been with you, ^c. Or, 
 how I have behaved among you. 
 The fearless confidence with which 
 he called attention to his conduct 
 gave assurance of a true man ; while 
 Qie earnestness of his appeal identi- 
 fied Paul. His motive was not vain- 
 glory, but to do good, by repelling 
 Qie charges of his enemies. 1 Thes. 
 i. 5. 
 
 19. With all humility. Or, lowli- 
 ness of mind. Though endowed with 
 miraculous powers, and called to a 
 great work and authority, he yet did 
 not lord it over their faith, or abuse 
 his station by arrogance and pride 
 
 — Many. Is omitted by Griesbach 
 
 — Temptations. Better, trials. — By 
 the lying in tvait. By the machina- 
 tions. — The Jeu'S. Most of his trou- 
 bles arose from his countrymen. The 
 wide and unshackled privileges of 
 tlie gospel ill suited those who were 
 ready to cry out that they were the 
 children of Abraham, and who could 
 see nothing good in a Gentile until 
 he had pronounced their shibboleth. 
 
 20, 21. Kept back nothing. His 
 aim Avas not to preach what they 
 liked, but what they needed, — the 
 true model of a preacher of right- 
 eousness. — F)om house to house. He 
 was not content merely to deliver 
 discourses in the public assembly, 
 and dispense with other instrumen- 
 talities, but zealously pursued his 
 great work in private, from house to 
 house, and literally carried home the 
 truth of heaven to the hearths and 
 hearts of the Ephesians. — Both to 
 the Jews, and also to the Greeks. The 
 same doctrine essentially was needed 
 by one as by the other. Their sins 
 might assume different fonns, but the 
 interior purification and spiritualiza- 
 tion of the character were to be ef- 
 fected by the same celestial agency, 
 
XX.] 
 
 OF TilE AI^O^TLES. 
 
 271 
 
 22 And now beliold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not 
 
 23 knowing the things that shall befall ine there : save that the 
 Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and af- 
 
 24 flictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither 
 count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course 
 with joy, and the ministry which I 'have received of the Lord 
 
 whether in the case of the formalist 
 and bigot, or the sensualist and idol- 
 ater. — Repentance toward God. 
 Some critics view this as the pecu- 
 liar duty of the Gentiles, to ttrn 
 from their idolatry to the faith and 
 worship of one God ; but repentance 
 Avould seem to cover all that ground, 
 and more, and to be imperative on 
 the erring Jew as Avell as on tlie 
 heathen ; for all had sinned, and 
 come short of the glory of God. — 
 Faith toward our Lord, ^'C. So of 
 faitli ; it was the part of a consistent 
 Jew to believe in the Messiah, whom 
 his lawgiver and prophets had pre- 
 dicted for a thousand years, — to Avel- 
 come the nearer and tenderer reve- 
 lation of God in his Son; yet the 
 Gentile also was required not only 
 to turn from the polluted shrines of 
 idolatry to the worship of the Most 
 High, but to draw nigh to the Sa- 
 viour of the Avorld. The majestic 
 simplicity of the apostle's preaching, 
 and the total emphasis which he 
 threw upon the chief doctrines and 
 duties of the gospel, ought not to 
 pass unobser\^ed. 
 
 22, 23. Bound in the spirit^ i. e. — 
 according to the opinion of the 
 best critics, — "impelled in mind," 
 prompted by his OAvn, not the Holy 
 Spirit. Chap, xviii. 5. — JVot know- 
 ing the things, &;c. What a touching 
 expression of his ignorance is here 
 made by the apostle, who none the 
 less heroically pursued the path of 
 duty because unknown dangers be- 
 set it, and because he had to conflict 
 with actual trials, and, what is even 
 harder, with the apprehension of 
 
 trials to come. — The Holy Ghost 
 witnesseth in every city. Chap. ix. 16. 
 As he passed from city to city, he 
 was continually admonished, by di- 
 vine warnings, that he would be 
 persecuted and imprisoned, upon his 
 arrival at Jerusalem, where he 
 would encounter an even more for- 
 midable opposition from his country- 
 men than he had experienced in the 
 Gentile cities. As an illustration of 
 this clause, see chap. xxi. 4, 11. The 
 faith which sustained him and his 
 associates is vividly portrayed in 2 
 Cor. iv. 8-11. It is observed, by 
 Paley, that there is an incidental 
 coincidence with this passage, sig- 
 nificant of reality and truth, in Rom. 
 XV. .30, 31. 
 
 24. JVone of these things move mc. 
 Or, literally, "I make account of 
 notliing," or, make no account of 
 these things. — Finish my co urse. Or, 
 race, — in reference to the ancient 
 games. Chap. xiii. 25 ; 2 Tim. iv. 7. 
 — The gospel of the grace of God. 
 The gospel, gracious to the Gentiles 
 as to the Jews, and showing the im- 
 partial favor of God. Doddridge 
 well remarks upon this verse, that 
 " It adds great beauty to this, and all 
 the other passages of Scripture in 
 which the apostles express their con- 
 tempt of the world, that they were 
 not uttered by persons, like Seneca 
 and Antoninus, in the full affluence 
 of its enjoyment, but by men under 
 the pressure of the greatest calami- 
 ties, who were every day exposing 
 their lives for the sake of God, and 
 in the expectation of a happy im- 
 mortality." 
 
272 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God, And now be- 25 
 hold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching 
 the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. Wherefore I 26 
 take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all 
 men^ for I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel 27 
 of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the 28 
 
 25. / know. This expresses not 
 absolute certainty, but assured per- 
 suasion. — Shall see my face no more. 
 He was bound on a dangerous jour- 
 ney, and it was probable that he 
 would never see them again. Wheth- 
 er he afterwards visited Epbesus, or 
 not, is matter of doubtful inference ; 
 though critics have conjectured that 
 he revisited this region. See Phil. 
 i. 25-27; ii. 24; Philemon, 22. 
 
 26. / take you to record. A sol- 
 emn appeal to their testimony. — 
 Pure from the blood of all men. Or, 
 better, " of all ; " or, of you all, — as 
 men is not in the original, and i/ou 
 may be understood. With fidelity 
 he had discharged his responsible 
 office, and if they perished in their 
 sins, he had cleared himself of all 
 accountableness for their fall. Ezek. 
 xxxiii. 4-6. 
 
 27. Have not shunned to declare, 
 i>fc. This indicated how he had ful- 
 filled his high duty, viz. : by a full 
 and fearless proclamation of the 
 truth, and the whole truth, of the 
 gospel, — even that unpalatable doc- 
 trine, that Gentiles, without submit- 
 ting to the yoke of Moses, were 
 entitled to all the privileores and 
 
 promises of the Christian faith. 
 
 28. Take heed therefore unto your- 
 selves. This was their first duty, 
 without the performance of which 
 they would in vain attempt to benefit 
 til ' flock. The cultivation of per- 
 sonal goodness is the essential pre- 
 liminary condition to a useful minis- 
 try. — Overseers. The original is 
 " bishops," as translated in Phil. i. 1 ; 
 I Tim. iii. 2 ; Titus i. 7 ; 1 Pet. ii. 25 ; 
 
 — and, to preserve uniformity of 
 phraseology, it should have been so 
 rendered here. The identity of 
 these officers with presbyters or elders, 
 at that early period, is shoAvn by a 
 comparison of this verse with ver. 17. 
 It is a sad wresting of the rectitude 
 and simplicity of the divine word, to 
 attempt, by strained inferences, to 
 fasten upon the church of the apos- 
 tolic age all the orders of modern 
 Episcopacy and Papacy. The dif- 
 ferent offices sprang up spontane- 
 ously, as they Avere wanted ; chap, 
 vi. 1 - 6 ; and names taken from Ju- 
 daism, taken from existing society, 
 were used to describe them, not tech- 
 nically and rigidly, but freely, popu- 
 larly, and variously. " To attempt 
 to make out from these primitive in- 
 stitutions any nice system which shnll 
 be adapted to modern wants, and 
 conform to modern ideas, is to mis- 
 take altogether the nature of all 
 primitive institutions, which are es- 
 sentially provisional, extemporane- 
 ous, infonnal, and changeable." — 
 The church of God. Or, as it should 
 be read, "the church of the Lord," 
 refeiTing to Christ ; for, by his suf- 
 ferings and denth, his life and doc- 
 trines, he had redeemed a church of 
 believers from the sin and idolntry 
 of the world. That the true reading 
 in the original Greek is Lord, and 
 not God, is substantiated, with but 
 few exceptions, by those who would 
 be most interested in employing this 
 as a proof-text for the support of 
 tlieir faith, viz., Trinitarian commen- 
 tators ; but they have shown how 
 much more they are interested for 
 
XX. 
 
 OF THE APOS'l'LES. 
 
 273: 
 
 flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to 
 feed the church of God, wliich he hath purchased with his own 
 
 29 blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous 
 
 30 wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your 
 own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw 
 
 the trutli tlian for a party. Thus 
 Kuinoel says, " The true reading, 
 beyond all doubt, is the church of 
 the Lord; and this has been adopted 
 by Grotius,Wetstein, Le Clerc, Grics- 
 bach, and all the most skilful critics 
 of the present age." Michael is re- 
 marks, that " the reading, God, has 
 hitherto been found in but few man- 
 uscripts ; and among those, none is 
 of high, or even of considerable, an- 
 tiquity. I confess that, on impartial 
 attention to the evidence, I dare not 
 adopt it as the true and genuine 
 reading." Smith : " I must acknowl- 
 edge, that to me the preponderance 
 of evidence appears in favor of the 
 last reading, the church of the Loi-d." 
 Olshausen : " According to the criti- 
 cal authorities, it is not possible to 
 maintain the genuineness of that (tlie 
 common) reading." Rosenmuller: 
 « The true reading seems to be, 0/* 
 the Lord. In the Nestorian contro- 
 versy, many affirmed, that noAvhere 
 in the sacred Scriptures occurs the 
 expression, hlood of God;" (which 
 would be, indeed, a most violent and 
 unwarrantable metaphor.) David- 
 son: " On the whole, I am inclined 
 to adopt the Lord, as the probable 
 reading. It is best supported by ex- 
 ternal evidrnce ; and the internal is, 
 at least, equally strong with that for 
 God:' Marsh: "Polemical divinity 
 must be totally separated from sacred 
 criticism; for a reading is not ren- 
 dered spurious by its opposition to 
 an established creed, nor genuine 
 by their agreement The only busi- 
 ness of a critic is impartially to weigh 
 the evidence which may be brought 
 for, or against, a reading, and to 
 determine on that side on which tiie 
 
 scale preponderates. Now, that 
 Wetstein h:is acted agreeably to this 
 principle in preferring Lord to God, 
 no man, who transgresses not tlie 
 bounds of trutli, can deny." Barnes : 
 " 'i'he most ancient manuscripts and 
 the best, read the church of the Lord, 
 and this probably was the genuine 
 text." The Abbots: "In all the 
 most ancient copies of the New- 
 Testament, and those most to be re- 
 lied upon for correctness, it reads, 
 'the church of the Lord, which,'" 
 &c. Moms, Nares, Pearce, New- 
 come, Hill, Plolden, Wardlaw, Mid- 
 dleton, Limborch, Wall, Pyle, Wil- 
 liams, might be cited, to show that 
 they regarded the received text as 
 either doubtful or spurious ; while 
 Bloomfield, and several others, either 
 contend for tlie genuineness of the 
 text, or for a similar reading. But 
 Trinitarian criticism, to say nothing 
 of other sects, greatly preponderates 
 in favor of the reading, the church of 
 the Lord. — Purchased with his oivn 
 blood. The costliness of the sacri- 
 fices which Christ made for the es- 
 tablishment of his religion, — even to 
 death, the death of the cross, — is ad- 
 duced as an aro'ument for fidelity in 
 the officers of tlie church. The doc- 
 trine of a vicarious atonement finds 
 no support in passages like the pres- 
 ent, for it is popular language. Em- 
 phasis is laid upon the blood, the death, 
 the cross, of Christ, because he thus 
 showed his love ; and because his 
 death, and the subsequent events, 
 proved him to be a spiritual Messiah, 
 and not the temporal one expected 
 by tlie Jews. 
 
 2J>, 30. The apostle here assigns 
 a twofold reason why they should 
 
274 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 away disciples after them. Therefore watch, and remember, 31 
 that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one 
 night and day with tears. And now, brethren, I commend you 32 
 to God, and to the word of his grace, wliich is able to build you 
 up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are 
 sanctified. I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel, 33 
 Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto 34 
 
 take heed botli to themselves and to 
 the flock, because dangers would 
 press upon tliem from M'itliout, and 
 corruptions spring up witliin. There 
 would be persecutors that Avould as- 
 sault the church with the ferocity of 
 wild beasts, and false teachers that 
 would seduce the disciples from tlie 
 simplicity of the gospel, — some 
 seeking to mix Christianity with Ju- 
 daism, and others to blend it with 
 Gentile philosophy. — JVolves. Mat. 
 vii. 15, X. 16. — Speakins^ perverse 
 things, ^"c. The object of the schis- 
 matics who thus broke in upon the 
 purity and tranquillity of the church, 
 would be to gain adherents, and 
 make a party of theu own ; and, 
 to effect this, they would not hes- 
 itate to pervert tlie truth. The 
 irruption into the Christian body, in 
 general, oi* such a class of persons, 
 is hinted at in various passages of 
 the New Testament. 1 Cor. i. 11 - 
 13 ; Phil. iii. 2 ; 1 Tim. i. 19, 20, iv. 
 1 - 3 ; 2 Tim. i. 13 ; 1 John ii. 18, 19 ; 
 3 John, 9 ; Rev. ii. 6, 15. 
 
 31. Therefore watch. The legiti- 
 mate conclusion from the announce- 
 ment before made, ver. 29, 30, of 
 impending dangers. — Three years. 
 A statement of time in round num- 
 bers. Comp. chap. xix. 8, 10, 22. — 
 With tears. Stem as was his nature 
 when a persecutor of tlie church, and 
 daring as was his course after he be- 
 came a Christian, Paul was yet a man 
 of the tenderest sensibility, — as his 
 Epistles testify, in passages over- 
 flowing with feeling, and filled Avith 
 the kindest messages to liis friends. 
 
 More sAveetly do his words strike 
 upon our hearts, because they were 
 baptized witii tears, — tears of grief, 
 and tears, perhaps, of joy, — tears of 
 anguish, and tears of gratitude. We 
 read him no longer as Paul the apos- 
 tle, but as Paul the aft'ectionate 
 friend, the loving brother, with whom 
 ice might have sympathized, and 
 dropped tear for tear. 
 
 32. To God, and to the word of 
 his gi-ace. Or, his gracious Avord or 
 doctrine, the gospel. The use of 
 God, in connexion with something 
 else distinct from God, Avill help ex- 
 plain, in some degree, the phraseol- 
 ogy of Mat. xxviii. 19. — To give 
 you an inheritance, S^'c. 1'he privi- 
 leges of the Christian body here, and 
 tlie inheritance hereafter. — Sancti- 
 fied. Holy, pure ; those AA-^ho are 
 prepared to possess and enjoy such 
 an inheritance. 2 Cor. xiii. 13. 
 
 33, 34. Coveted no man^s silver, 
 $)'€. He disclaims avarice noAv, as he 
 disclaimed pride and self-interest be- 
 fore. Ver. 19, 24. He Avould quick- 
 en their benevolence and fidelity, by 
 reminding them, not in vain-glory, 
 but self-vindication, of the tears he 
 had shed, and the toils he had under- 
 gone, for their sakes. He had not 
 sought their's, but them ; not the 
 fleece, but the flock. They had been 
 bought Avith a great price, and ought 
 not lightly to throAv tJiemselves aAvay. 
 — Apparel. A great item of oriental 
 Avealth. — These hands. As if hold- 
 ing them up to vieAA^, hardened Avith 
 labor. He had not only supported 
 hunself, but helped others to the 
 
XX.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 275 
 
 35 my necessities, and to thein that were with me. I have showed 
 you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the 
 weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he 
 
 36 said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. And when 
 
 he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. 
 
 bread of earth as well as tlie bread 
 of heaven. Chap, xviii. 3 ; 1 Sam. 
 xii. 3-5; 1 Cor. iv. 12; 1 Tlies. ii. 
 9; 2Thes. iii. 8-10. 
 
 35. Showed you all tliinQ;s. Given 
 you full instructions. — To support 
 the iveak. Who are understood by 
 some to be the spiritually weak, who 
 might easily take offence, and fall 
 from their Christian profession, if 
 not tenderly borne Avith, and every 
 occasion of sin removed. But the 
 obvious sense is the best, viz., the 
 poor, sick, feeble. — The words of 
 ilie Lord. Much of his teaching 
 passed away unrecorded. John xxi. 
 25. But we have here an interest- 
 ing fragment recovered from oblivion, 
 which, like the broken piece of some 
 splendid work of ancient art, a torso 
 of sculpture, betokens, without fail, 
 " the gi-eat Master," and harmonizes 
 in spirit with his recorded history 
 and discourses. — // is more blessed 
 io ^ive than to receive. Though this 
 maxim reverses the standard of the 
 world, yet it is verified in the expe- 
 rience of every moral being. It is, 
 as heart and life testify, more blessed 
 to give than to receive ; to gratify a 
 ■disinterested than a selfish feeling; 
 to open one's heart to a large and 
 generous benevolence, than to con- 
 tract it into a narrow circle of mere 
 personal interest, — a prison-house 
 of self This declaration irabodies, 
 therefore, a great moral law of our 
 beino", true in all ages, nations, souls, 
 and illustrated in tlie happiness of 
 myriads of one class, as in the 
 wretchedness of myriads of the op- 
 posite class. Though it may sound 
 like a paradox, yet God has so con- 
 structed the world, and so constituted 
 
 man, that, by suffering, he enjoys ; 
 by oiving, he is blessed ; by sacrifi- 
 cing, he gains ; and, by dying, he 
 truly lives. So taught, and so lived, 
 and died, earth's only Blessed One. 
 While, as has been beautifully said 
 by Olshausen, " In an absolute sense, 
 the saying is fully verified in tlie re- 
 lation of the Creator to the creature ; 
 for God is the Blessed, because he 
 alone gives all things to all beings." 
 
 " The reader, who possesses a 
 heart of true Christian sensibility, 
 will not fail to be affected by the 
 manner in which the most sublime, 
 and also the most delicate and tender, 
 traits of the Christian character, are 
 blended in the expression of this sol- 
 emn f ireweil. We see in it a strong 
 assertion of conscious rectitude, made 
 in a spirit of humility and lowliness 
 of mind ; a d^^termined and undaunt- 
 ed courage, tinged with the depres- 
 sion and sadness awakened by dark 
 forebodino;s of future danger; and 
 feelings of peaceful and quiet happi- 
 ness, beaming through, and overcom- 
 ing mournful recollections of the 
 past, and the sadness of a final sep- 
 aration. Thus the tender sensibdi- 
 ties, and tlie calm but indomitable 
 courage and energy of the great 
 apostle's character, are here seen in 
 a combination which Christianity 
 alone is aWe to produce." 
 
 30. Prayed with them. Like the 
 farewell address of the Saviour to 
 his disciples, — of which we are re- 
 minded, both by its contrasts and its 
 resemblances, — the spirit mounts 
 up, at the conclusion, to Him who is 
 pleased to have his children love one 
 another, and who can sustain them 
 in tlie hour of mortal trial and 
 
276 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 37 
 sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake, that they 38 
 should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto 
 the ship. 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 Paid sails from MiUhis to Cesarea, and proceeds to Jerusalem. The Uproar 
 among the People, and his Arrest by the Chief Captain. 
 
 A.ND it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, 
 and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, 
 and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Pa- 
 
 anguish with a help the world cannot 
 give or take away. 
 
 37, 38. That they should see his 
 face no more. This was the last 
 drop in the full cup of their grief, 
 which made it run over. It was the 
 last time. They would see him no 
 more. That struck a tender chord 
 in each heart, and "tears unbidden 
 flow." We cannot but observe how 
 holy is this tie of spiritual interest, 
 this clasping of soul with soul, and 
 heartfelt recognition of human broth- 
 erhood. But a few years before, and 
 what was Paul to the elders of Ephe- 
 sus — or the elders of Ephesus to 
 Paul,^ They kneAv not, cared not, 
 for one another. But they iuibibe 
 the spirit of Jesus; they catch a 
 glimpse of the hallowed ties that 
 unite man to man, and man to God ; 
 and, lo, they are neAv creatures ; they 
 are born, spiritually born, into a new 
 universe. They look upon each 
 other with different eyes, and feel 
 that their connexion is no coarse or 
 common one ; but that it has been 
 made in heaven, that it is knit by the 
 fingers of God, and will last ever- 
 more. HoAv changed their interest 
 in one another, and in the mass of 
 men! What a different spectacle 
 does the world present to their sanc- 
 tified vision ! It is no longer a mere 
 stage for the warrior to play his 
 bloody part, — an amphitheatre with 
 
 wild beasts, — an arena for the self- 
 ish strivings of men ; but, in very 
 deed, the world of God, — lighted 
 up by him, pervaded by his presence, 
 alive with his wisdom and active 
 love, and swarming with beings near 
 and dear to the mi ghty Parent. Thus, 
 they taste a new delight, and enjoy a 
 newly-created sense. They are now 
 men, brethren, and feel for one an- 
 other. They may be sundered by 
 the events of this life, and see one 
 another no more ; but they now 
 know — sublime assurance ! — that 
 man's true life is beyond this little 
 span of being, and they have " a 
 hope built in heaven." 
 
 CHAPTER XXL 
 1. JVere gotten from them. Or, 
 had torn ourselves away, implying 
 the strong cords of affection Avhich 
 bound them together. — Coos. This 
 was one of the Sporades, a group of 
 islands in the ^Egean Sea, small, but 
 fertile, and distinguished for its 
 wines, silks, and cottons. Its pres- 
 ent name is Stan Co, or Stanchio. 
 Paul was now on his voyage to Pal- 
 estine, caiTying contributions from 
 Macedonia and Greece to the desti- 
 tute Christians of Judea. — Rhodes. 
 Another island to the south-east of 
 Coos, celebrated for its Temple of 
 the' Sun and immense Colossus, and 
 also belonging to the Sporades ; it 
 
XXL] Ol^^ THE APOSTLES. 277 
 
 2tara: and finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went 
 
 3 aboard, and set forth. Now when we had discovered Cyprus, 
 we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and landed at 
 
 4 Tyre : for there the ship was to unlade her burden. And find- 
 ing disciples, we tarried there seven days : who said to Paul 
 
 6 through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. And 
 when we had accomplished those days, we departed, and went 
 our way ; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and 
 children, till ice were out of the city : and we kneeled down on 
 
 6 the shore, and prayed. And when we had taken our leave one 
 
 7 of another, we took ship ; and they returned home again. And 
 when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptole- 
 mais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 
 
 took its name from the abundance of 
 roses growing in the island. The 
 Colossus was one of tlie seven won- 
 ders of the world. It was a stupen- 
 dous image of Apollo, made of brass, 
 with its feet upon the two moles at 
 the entrance of the harbor, and with 
 space between its legs for ships to 
 pass through under full sail. It was 
 one hundred and five feet high, and 
 well proportioned in every part. It 
 was ascended by a winding stair- 
 case, and the top commanded an ex- 
 tensive prospect. Chares, tiie artist, 
 employed twelve years in its con- 
 struction. B. C. 300. After stand- 
 ing erect for fifty or sixty years, it 
 was thrown down by an earthquake, 
 and, in the time of Paul, and many 
 centuries after, it remained in ruins ; 
 but, in A. D. 672, it was sold by the 
 Saracens to a Jew of Edessa, who 
 loaded nine hundred camels with the 
 brass, which was estimated to weigh 
 720,000 pounds. — Patara. This Avas 
 a seaport of Lysia, containing a 
 remarkable oracle of Apollo. 
 
 2. Finding a ship. They appar- 
 ently depended upon transient ves- 
 sels. — Phenicia. A country north 
 of Palestine. 
 
 3. Cyprus. Chap. iv. 36. — Sjjria. 
 Which included Phoenicia and also 
 
 VOL. III. 24 
 
 the whole of Palestine. — Tyre. The 
 great city of Phoenicia, famous for its 
 commerce, wealth, and luxury. 
 
 4. Tarried there seven days. Be- 
 cause they found disciples. Chap xi. 
 19. — Through the spirit. Moved, as 
 it would "appear, by their Christian 
 feelings ; though, if it had been an ex- 
 press revelation to them from God of 
 his trials, yet the apostle would be at 
 liberty to go, or stay, as would best 
 advance the cause of truth. Jesus 
 foresaw his death, but still advanced 
 to meet it. — That he should not go, 
 ^•c. On account of the danger of 
 persecution by the Jews. Ver. 11, 
 12 ; chap. xx. 22, 23. 
 
 5, 6. The affectionate respect 
 every where paid to Paul, clearly 
 showed hoAv highly his labors and 
 sacrifices had been appreciated by 
 the disciples. The graphic descrip- 
 tion of the parting scene indicated 
 the presence of the writer, as is ex- 
 pressed by the use of the first person 
 plural. — With wives and children. 
 These belonged to tlie Tyrians, not 
 to Paul and his company. 
 
 7. Ptolemais. — A city of Pales- 
 tine, on the Mediterranean, about 
 thirty miles south of Tyre, and near 
 Mount Carmel. Its ancient name 
 was Accho, Judg. i. 31, but it re- 
 
278 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed, and 8 
 came unto Cesarea; and we entered into the house of Philip the 
 evangelist, which was one of the seven; and abode with him. 
 And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did 9 
 
 prophesy. And as we tarried there many days, there came 10 
 
 down from Judea a certain prophet, named Agabus. And when 11 
 he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own 
 hands and feet, and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall 
 the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle, and 
 shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles. And when we 12 
 heard these things, both we, and they of that place, besought 
 him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, What 13 
 mean ye to weep, and to break my heart 1 for I am ready not to 
 be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the 
 Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, 14 
 
 ceived the name of Ptolemais from 
 Ptolemy, the first king of Egypt, and, 
 in the time of the crusades, it was 
 called Acre, or St. Jean d'Acre, from 
 a magnificent church dedicated to 
 St. John. It has been tlie perpetual 
 theatre of war, constituting as it does 
 the key of Syria; and, even with- 
 in a few years, it was drenched in 
 blood in the war between Egypt and 
 Turkey ; and, in 1840, in a contest 
 between the allied English and Aus- 
 trian fleets and the troops of Mu- 
 hammed Aly, a magazine exploded 
 and killed the gamson, and laid the 
 town in ruins. Robinson now calls 
 it 'Mka. 
 
 8, 9. Cesarea. Chap. viii. 40. — 
 Philip^ the Evangelist. See chap. vi. 
 5, and chap. viii. 26-40. The term 
 Evangelist signified a preacher who 
 had the care of no single church, but 
 preached the gospel from place to 
 place. — One of the seven, i. e. dea- 
 cons, as generally called. Chap. vi. 
 3-5. — JVhich did prophesy. Or, 
 discharge the office of Christian 
 teachers, either witli or without the 
 special guidance of the Spirit. Chap. 
 ii. ]7. 
 
 10. Agabus. See chap. xi. 28. 
 
 11. Took PauVs girdle, &fc. An 
 emblematic action, of which there 
 are several specimens in the New 
 Testament as well as the Old. John 
 xiii. 12-14, XX. 22. — Thus saith 
 the Holy Ghost, i. e. a revelation Avas 
 shown him by God of what would 
 befall the apostles. Still it was left 
 optional with him to encounter these 
 dangers or not. 
 
 12, 13. Besought him not to go up. 
 Mat. xvi. 22. If there had been a 
 positive command to go, obedience 
 would be necessary ; but he was left 
 free. — To iveep and break my heart. 
 He had a solemn duty which he de- 
 termined to do, and therefore depre- 
 cated the intercessions of his friends, 
 Avhich only distracted his mind, and 
 harrowed up his feelings, when he 
 needed the full strengtli of his reso- 
 lution, and encouragement rather 
 than dissuasion. — 1 am ready, S^c 
 This noble courage he elsewhere ex 
 pressed, and always exhibited, until 
 at last he fell a martyr to the cause 
 of Christ. 2 Cor. xii. 15. — The 
 name, i. e. the gospel, the religion of 
 Jesus. 
 
 14. The will of the Lord be done. 
 They ceased from further expostula- 
 
XXL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 279 
 
 15 saying, The will of the Lord be done. And after those days 
 
 16 we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. There 
 went with us also certain of the disciples of Cesarea, and brought 
 with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we 
 should lodge. 
 
 17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received 
 
 18 us gladly. And the day following Paul went in with us unto 
 
 19 James : and all the elders were present. And when he had 
 saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had 
 
 20 wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. And when they 
 heard it^ they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, 
 brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; 
 
 tion, and acquiesced in his determi- 
 nation, only praying that the will of 
 God might be done, — that, whatever 
 course was.taken, the divine pleasure 
 might be furthered. In trial, doubt, 
 and fear, what a blessed support, to 
 fall back upon the arm of the Father, 
 and feel it underneath us. 
 
 15. We took up our carriages. All 
 one participle in Greek, rendered by 
 many, "taking up our baggage, or 
 making ourselves ready ; " for tliere 
 is no reference whatever to "car- 
 riages," in the modern sense of that 
 word ; but it was used in the time of 
 our translators to signify what was 
 carried. 1 Sam. xvii. 22 ; Is. x. 28. 
 The better version, however, in ac- 
 cordance with the sense of the origi- 
 nal, is that of Palfrey, Robinson, 
 and others, " divesting ourselves of 
 our baggage," perhaps leaving part 
 of it behind, as a needless incum- 
 brance. 
 
 16. Brought vnth them one Mnason, 
 Sfc. The latter part of this verse 
 would be better expressed thus: 
 " Bringing us to Mnason, of Cyprus, 
 an old disciple, with whom we should 
 lodge." Mnason was not their fel- 
 low-traveller, but they were conduct- 
 ed to his house to lodge. Hospitality 
 Avas an urgent duty of that trying 
 period. — »^n old disciple. Not, per- 
 
 in age, but in time of profes- 
 sion — being, as some suppose, a con- 
 vert of Christ during his ministry. 
 
 17. Come to Jerusalem. For the 
 previous journeys of Paul to Jerusa- 
 lem, after his conversion, see chap, 
 ix. 26, xi. 30, xv. 4, xviii. 21, 22. — 
 Received us gladly. Their success- 
 ful labors, the contributions they 
 brought from distant churches to re- 
 lieve the poor at Jerusalem, and their 
 safe arrival, all produced a glow of 
 warm and friendly gladness. 
 
 18, 19. James. The stationary 
 and principal officer of the church at 
 Jerusalem. The other apostles were 
 doubtless absent. — The elders. The 
 wise and eminent of the church, who 
 assisted in its affairs and instruction. 
 Chap. xi. 30. It appears to have been 
 a public meeting of the leading men 
 of the body. — Particidarly. Or, 
 " each one singly ; " he specified one 
 place after another, and his success 
 in each. He gave this account, in 
 some measure, as a justification 
 against his enemies, and proof that 
 he enjoyed the approbation of God. 
 
 20. Glorified the Lord. They 
 were not envious at his success, but 
 praised the Most High for the favor 
 with which his servant had been at- 
 tended. — How many thousands. Lit- 
 erally, " myriads, tens of thousands." 
 
280 THE AC'J'S [Chap. 
 
 and they are all zealous of the law : and they are informed of 21 
 thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gen- 
 tiles to forsake Moses, saying, That they ought not to circum- 
 cise their children, neither to walk after the customs. What is 22 
 it therefore 1 the multitude must needs come together : for they 
 will hear that thou art come. Do therefore this that we say to 23 
 thee : We have four men which have a vow on them ; them take, 24 
 and purify thyself with them, and be at charges with them, that 
 they may shave their heads: and all may know that those things 
 whereof they were informed concerning thee, are nothing ; but 
 
 Chap. ii. 41, iv. 4. During the pe- 
 riod of nearly twenty-five years, since 
 the conversion of Paul, the converts 
 had very much increased in the holy 
 city. — All zealous of the law. They 
 were Jewish Christians, and beheved 
 in the perpetuity of the Mosaic law, 
 and were zealous of its observance, 
 the more so as they felt that it was 
 in danger of being superseded. In 
 fact, the Jewish ritual was naturally 
 observed, even by the Christian con- 
 verts, until the fall of tlie city and 
 temple rendered its longer fulfilment, 
 in. a great measure, impracticable. 
 Whitby quotes various authors to 
 show how intense was the zeal of the 
 Jews in general for their law, and 
 that they would rather die than for- 
 feit their character as its faithful ob- 
 servers. 
 
 21, 22. The long imprisonment of 
 Paul at Jerusalem and elsewhere, 
 and his being sent to Rome, were of 
 so much consequence in his history, 
 that Luke gives a minute account of 
 the events which caused his first ar- 
 rest. — To forsake Moses. In Greek, 
 " apostasy from Moses." — The cus- 
 toms, i. e. of sacrifices, festivals, and 
 observances of tlie Mosaic ritual. 
 The falsity of these rumors was very 
 plain, when it was remembered that 
 Paul had circumcised Timothy, ob- 
 served a Jewish vow, and had now 
 come to Jerusalem to attend one of 
 the great national feasts. Chap. xvi. 
 
 3, xviii. 18, XX. 16. Besides, what 
 he had taught respecting the non-ob- 
 servance of the law, had been to the 
 Gentiles, not to the Jews, agreeably 
 to the apostolic decrees of chap. xv. 
 28, 29. He yielded something to his 
 countrymen for their zea^ for old in- 
 stitutions, since he had himself felt 
 it, and would therefore do nothing to 
 break the bonds of Christian charity, 
 or cause the weakest brother to of- 
 fend or fall. Rom. xiv. ; 1 Cor. ix. 
 20. But these malicious reports had, 
 as is usual, rather gained than lost, 
 in tlieir circulation from tongue to 
 tongue, and the apostle found him- 
 self charged with the gravest offences 
 against the devout feelings of his na- 
 tion. — What is it, &fc. What must 
 be done ? — The multitude viust needs 
 come together. There would be a tu- 
 multuous meeting of the people at 
 large as soon as it was known that 
 Paul was in Jerusalem. 
 
 23, 24. Do, therefore, this. For 
 the sake of conciliation, and to show 
 practically tliat he did not despise 
 the law. However laudable was the 
 motive, the expedient did not suc- 
 ceed, but proved the occasion of the 
 subsequent tumult. Their words were 
 clearly those of advice, not of com-- 
 mand. — We have four men. It seems, 
 the men were disciples of their com- 
 munity. — Have a voiv upon them. 
 Vows were fi-equent among the Jews, 
 especially what was called the vow 
 
XXL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 281 
 
 25 that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. As 
 touching the Gentiles which believe, we have written and con- 
 cluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep 
 themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from 
 
 26 things strangled, and from fornication. Then Paul took the 
 
 men, and the next day purifying himself with them, entered into 
 the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purifi- 
 cation, until that an offering should be offered for every one of 
 them. 
 
 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews, which 
 were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the 
 
 of the Nazarite, Num. vi., which was 
 probably the one here meant. Jose- 
 phus, speaking of a vow made by 
 Bernice, says, " It is customary for 
 those wlio have been afflicted with 
 some distemper, or have labored 
 under any other difficulties, to make 
 a vow, thirty days before they offer 
 sacrifices, to abstain from wine, and 
 shave the hair of their head." The 
 time, however, varied according to 
 the will of the subject. — Purify thy- 
 self, ^c, i. e. observe the precept of 
 abstinence from wine, and other 
 things ; keep thyself pure, according 
 to the vow. — Be at charges ivith them. 
 There were some heavy expenses in- 
 curred by the Nazarite, for sacrifices 
 of various kinds ; and, in accordance 
 with the usual practice of rendering 
 pecuniary aid on such occasions, 
 which was deemed an act of g-reat 
 piety, they propose to Paul to give 
 his assistance in the present instance, 
 and thus vindicate his name from as- 
 persions. — That they may shave, ^'c. 
 As shaving the hair was the final act 
 of the vow, this phrase came to stand 
 for its completion. Thus Josephus 
 says, that, when Herod Agrippa came 
 to Jerusalem to assume the kingdom, 
 "he offered up sacrifices of thanks- 
 giving, and omitted nothing that was 
 prescribed by the law. For which 
 reason, he also ordered a good num- 
 ber of Nazarites to be shaved," or 
 24* 
 
 aided them to make the necessary 
 offerings, and complete their vow. — 
 Walkest orderly, &fc. This would be 
 a practical demonstration of the apos- 
 tle's respect for Jewish usages which 
 could not be gainsaid. 
 
 25. They here make the reasona- 
 ble exception in favor of the Gentile 
 converts, and refer to the letter mis- 
 sive which had been sent out with 
 that purport. Chap. xv. 20, 29. 
 
 26. Paul took the men, S^c. He 
 hearkened to their advice, for the sake 
 of conciliation and the correction of 
 false and slanderous reports. In thus 
 doing, he compromised no principle, 
 but yielded to a usage he knew was 
 not essential, for the good of others 
 and of the church. It was a case of 
 what might be called Christian ex- 
 pediency. Paul took on him the vow 
 for seven days, ver. 27, kept himself 
 pure from all things unclean, enter- 
 ed into the temple, and signified his 
 purpose to the priests, and informed 
 them when the vow would be com- 
 pleted, and it would be proper to 
 make tiie needful offerings for each 
 person. The sacrifices are detailed 
 in Num. vi. 13-17. 
 
 27. Seven days. Chap.xxiv. 1, 11. 
 — TVie Jews tvhich were of Asia. Not 
 of Asia Minor, but of that portion of 
 it called Proconsular Asia, of which 
 Ephesus was the capital, and the in- 
 habitants of which would be likely to 
 
i382 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 people, and laid hands on him, crying out, Men of Israel, help. 28 
 This is the man that teacheth all men every where against the 
 people, and the law, and this place : and further, brought Greeks 
 also into the temple; and hath polluted this holy place. (For 29 
 they had seen before with him in the city, Trophimus, an Ephe- 
 sian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the tem- 
 ple.) And all the city was moved, and the people ran together: 30 
 and they took Paul and drew him out of the temple. And forth- 
 with the doors were shut. And as they went about to kill him, 31 
 tidings came unto the chief captain of the band, that all Jerusa- 
 
 recognize one from their own city. 
 Ver. 29. 
 
 28. Men of Israel^ help. A short 
 watchword to rouse the populace. — 
 Against the people, Sfc. It is easy to 
 see how the disinterested labors of 
 the apostle, for the salvation of the 
 Gentiles, had been tortured into these 
 black charges ; though he had not 
 spoken against the people, unless it 
 were for their bigotry and exclusive- 
 ness ; nor against the law, except 
 that it was not binding upon Gentile 
 disciples, nor in itself of eternal ob- 
 ligation upon the Jews ; nor against 
 that place, except to teach that pure 
 worship was acceptable to God, 
 wherever offered, and that, for her 
 sins, the holy city already tottered to 
 her fall. — Brought Gentiles also in- 
 to the temple. This was a most crim- 
 inal offence, punishable with death. 
 There was a court of the Gentiles, 
 so called, within the precincts of the 
 temple, into which they were allowed 
 free admittance; but, beyond that, 
 into the holy place, or court of the 
 Israelites, they were not suffered to 
 penetrate, and inscriptions were writ- 
 ten upon the pillars, in the current 
 languages, forbidding any but a Jew 
 to cross the fatal threshold, as being 
 unclean, and tending to desecrate 
 the sanctuary of the Most High. — 
 This holy place. This was an in- 
 terior court, in which some of the 
 sacred things of the temple, as the 
 
 altar of incense, golden table and can- 
 dlesticks, were deposited and used. 
 The Gentiles were not allowed to 
 enter this, nor the chel or inclosure 
 before it. Philo says that it was cer- 
 tain death for any one, who was not 
 a Jew, to set his foot within the in- 
 ner courts of the temple. 
 
 29. Trophimus. Chap. xx. 4. — 
 Supposed. This word is emphatic. 
 They supposed that to be done which 
 was not done in reality ; and, on the 
 strength of mere conjecture, con- 
 vulsed the whole city, and beset the 
 innocent apostle, to put him to death. 
 Griesbach, as well as the received 
 text, makes this verse parenthetical, 
 as it is simply thrown in by way of 
 explanation of ver. 28. 
 
 30. The people ran. Descriptive 
 of a mob, its haste, and headlong 
 zeal. — Drew him out. Paul had en- 
 tered in for the fulfilment of a reli- 
 gious duty, and the people then drew 
 him out of the temple tliat they might 
 not further desecrate it by the blood 
 of the offender, which they were 
 about to shed. — The doors ivere shut. 
 To keep out of the sacred places the 
 violence of the people, and the pol- 
 lution of blood, as well as to exclude 
 Paul and his associates. 
 
 31. Ahoiit to kill him. Not legal- 
 ly, or morally, but in the rage of un- 
 governable feelings. A Gentile, pen- 
 etrating the sacred edifice beyond the 
 allotted point, was liable to be sum- 
 
XXL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 283 
 
 32 lem was in an uproar ; who immediately took soldiers and centu- 
 rions, and ran down unto them. And when they saw the chief 
 
 33 captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. Then the 
 chief captain came near and took him, and commanded liim to 
 be bound with two chains : and demanded who he was, and what 
 
 34 he had done. And some cried one thing, some another, among 
 the multitude : and when he could not know the certainty for 
 the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. 
 
 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was that he was borne 
 
 36 of the soldiers, for the violence of the people. For the multi- 
 
 37 tude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him. And 
 as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief 
 captain. May I speak unto thee 1 Who said, Canst thou speak 
 
 38 Greek 1 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days 
 
 marily put to death ; and the people 
 proceeded to inflict the same pun- 
 ishment on Paul, for having been in- 
 strumental, as they said, of conduct- 
 ing in a Gentile. — Chief captain of 
 Vie band. A Roman officer, or trib- 
 une, usually in command of one thou- 
 sand men, according to his title, 
 Miliarch. He was in charge of the 
 garrison in the citadel of Antonia, 
 near the temple. It appears, fi-om 
 chap, xxiii. 2(3, that his name was 
 Claudius Lysias. Had he not inter- 
 posed, Paul, probably, would have 
 perished in the mob. Chap, xxiii. 27. 
 .32. TJie.y left beating. They were 
 arrested in their murderous purposes 
 by tlie strong ann of Roman pow- 
 er. The Jews were so turbulent, 
 especially upon the great festival oc- 
 casion, that a large military force was 
 always kept in readiness, near at 
 hand, to repress popular tumults. 
 
 33. Bound ivith two chains. Ver. 
 11, chap. xii. 6. To give the fierce 
 populace assurance that the prisoner 
 would be kept in safety, and to se- 
 cure him for further trial. He ap- 
 pears, also, to have bound Paul, un- 
 der the impression that he was a fa- 
 mous insurgent of tlie times. Ver. 38. 
 
 34. A vivid portrait of a mob. See 
 
 chaj). xix. 32, and note. — The castle. 
 Of Antonia, situated nortli of the tem- 
 ple, originally erected by the Macca- 
 bees, and called Baris, but rebuilt by 
 Herod the Great, with much splen- 
 dor and many conveniences, for the 
 soldiers stationed in it, and named 
 after Mark Antony. Its strength as 
 a fortress was great, and it was so 
 situated as to command the temple. 
 
 35. Stairs. From the outer court 
 of the temple, to ascend to the castle. 
 — He was borne of the soldiers. To 
 escape the fury of the populace, the 
 soldiers took Paul up and carried 
 Inm. 
 
 3(3, 37. Away with him, i. e. to put 
 him to death, either by a riotous as- 
 sault, or a regular execution. Mat. 
 xxvii. 22, 23 ; John xix. 15. — Canst 
 thou speak Greek ? Paul addressed 
 him in that language, which sur- 
 prised him, as he supposed him to be 
 an Egyptian. Ver. 38. The officer 
 himself was probably a Greek, from 
 his name, Lysias, and from his hav- 
 ing purchased Roman citizenship. 
 Ciiap. xxii. 28. 
 
 38. That Egyptian, fyc. Josephus 
 relates a similar history, that serves 
 very strongly to corroborate this 
 statement He mentions this Egyp- 
 
284 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 madest an uproaf, and leddest out into the wilderness four thou- 
 sand men that were murderers ? But Paul said, I am a man 39 
 which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen of no 
 mean city : and I beseech thee suifer me to speak unto the 
 people. And when he had given him license, Paul stood on the 40 
 stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when 
 there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the 
 Hebrew tongue, saying, 
 
 tian — a Jew, from Egypt — as is 
 supposed, twice : once in his Jewish 
 Wars, and once in his Antiquities, 
 though he differs respecting the num- 
 ber of his followers in the two nar- 
 ratives — in one stating them to be 
 thirty thousand, and that a great 
 number of those with him were either 
 slain or taken prisoners ; and in the 
 other, that there were four hundred 
 slain, and two hundred taken prison- 
 ers, which would be but a small part 
 of thirty thousand, the leader him- 
 self escaping. But Lardner, copy- 
 ing from Ward, reconciles Josephus 
 with Luke and with himself, by sup- 
 posing that the " four thousand " of 
 this verse were from Jerusalem, and 
 were joined in the wilderness by oth- 
 ers, making in all thirty tliousand, ac- 
 cording to the Jewish historian ; and 
 that the most of these dispersed 
 upon the approach of danger, and 
 that the party which fled in company 
 with their leader, or, as Josephus 
 says, " were with the Egyptian," had 
 four hundred killed and two hundred 
 seized as prisoners. Having recon- 
 ciled these variances, Lardner re- 
 marks that the accounts agree in the 
 use of the term, the. Egyptian, or that 
 Egyptian ; in the time, as during the 
 government of Felix over Judea ; in 
 3ie fact that the rebel led his troops 
 out into the wilderness, " persuading 
 a good number of the meaner sort of 
 people to follow him," under promise 
 that the walls of Jerusalem would 
 fall at his command, and entrance be 
 given him into the city; and that, 
 
 when attacked by the troops of Fe- 
 lix, the Egyptian escaped, as is im- 
 plied in the question of the chief cap- 
 tain, " Art thou that," &c. — Mur- 
 derers. Sicarii, in the Greek, so 
 called from their wearing short pon- 
 iards or daggers, [sica,) with which 
 they were accustomed to assassinate 
 any that fell under their odium. This 
 class of persons multiplied exceed- 
 ingly in Judea during the civil tu- 
 mults and wars of that period, until 
 they constituted a species of organ- 
 ized banditti — the guerilla bands of 
 Palestine. 
 
 39. A Jew of Tarsus. Chap. ix. 
 11, 30, xi. 25. — No mean city. Tar- 
 sus was the capital of Cilicia, and 
 famous for its schools of philosophy, 
 and the high refinement and wealth 
 of its people. Xenophon, in his An- 
 abasis, calls Tarsus "a great and 
 flourishing city ; " and Josephus says 
 that " it was the metropolis and most 
 renowned city among them," the Ci- 
 licians. 
 
 40. Beckoned ivith the hand. To 
 still the noise of the people, and 
 give him an opportunity to address 
 them. The division of chapters, by 
 which the twenty first closes with a 
 comma, breaks the sense, according 
 to the usual habit of reading. Ken- 
 rick notices the self-command of the 
 apostle, in addressing the people so 
 soon after the tumult and injuries he 
 had received, and his earnestness to 
 seize every opportunity to preach the 
 gospel and do good. 
 
 The lofty heroism of Paul, in pur- 
 
XXIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 285 
 
 CHAPTER XXH. 
 
 Paul addresses the Jews from the Steps of the Castle, and a Tumult arising, he 
 is placed for Safety in the Castle. 
 
 iVlEN, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence tvhich I make 
 
 2 now unto you. (And when they heard that he spake in the 
 Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence : and he 
 
 3 saith,) I am verily a man ivhich am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a 
 city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gama- 
 liel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of 
 the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day. 
 
 suing the dangerous path of duty, 
 ver. 4, 11 - 13, and his gentleness in 
 yielding to the wishes of his breth- 
 ren, Avhen it could be done without 
 the sacrifice of any principle, ver. 26 ; 
 the warm-hearted sympathy of the 
 Christian flock for one another, ver. 
 5, G, 12, 13, 17, 20 ; the sensitiveness 
 of the Jews to any thing that seemed 
 to impair their religious observances, 
 ver. 20, 21, 28 ; the readiness with 
 which they would break a high mor- 
 al law in vindication of a ceremonial 
 one, ver. 28, 31 ; and the danger and 
 evil of making inferences and suppo- 
 sitions without facts to support them, 
 ver. 29, are a few of the topics which 
 are suggested to our meditation in 
 this chapter. 
 
 CHAPTER XXH. 
 
 1. Men, brethren, and fathers. 
 Dropping the idiom, " brethren and 
 fathers," he addresses but two class- 
 es, his equals, or those of the same 
 age, and his seniors, or superiors. — 
 My defence. Literally, " apolotry," 
 used in the sense of plea or refuta- 
 tion of charges. — JVoiv. A word of 
 conciliation, expressive of a tinge of 
 deprecation, as " I pray you." It 
 does not refer to the time of his de- 
 fence, as rendered by our translators, 
 so much as to his wish tliat they 
 would hear him candidly ; like our 
 own idiom, "hear me now." 
 
 2. Hebrew tona-ue. The common 
 
 language was not pure Hebrew, at 
 this period, but a corrupted form 
 called Syro-Chaldaic, or Aramean. 
 Paul's use of it was adapted to soothe 
 the passions of his hearers, and gain 
 a more favorable ear. He thus ful- 
 filled the rhetorical and the Christian 
 precept, first to conciliate the good- 
 will of his audience. 
 
 3. / am verily, ^c. The same id- 
 iom of " man," as in ver. 1. The 
 plain sense is, " I am verily a Jew," 
 and it would thus be more forcibly 
 rendered. In their fury against Paul, 
 some might even forget, or not know, 
 that he was a genuine Hebrew. — 
 Tarsus. Chap. xxi. 39. — M the feet 
 of Gamaliel. Some detect here a 
 reference to the elevated seats of tlie 
 Jewish teachers, and the lowly posi- 
 tion of the scholars ; but it is better 
 understood as a figure descriptive of 
 pupilage. Acts iv. 35, 37, v. 2. He 
 reminds them that he was not only a 
 Jew, but one who was educated, in 
 the midst of Rabbinical light, by the 
 greatest teacher of his age. For an 
 account of Gamaliel, see chap. v. 34, 
 note. — The perfect inanner, 8{c. He 
 was taught, in the strictest manner, 
 tlie doctrines and the usages of the 
 Pharisees, and the law of Moses. 
 Such a one was not lightly to be ac- 
 cused of speaking against the law, 
 cliap. xxi. 28. — Zealous toward 
 God. He had not only education, 
 but zeal ; his acquirements were en- 
 
286 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 And I persecuted this way unto the death, binding and deliver- 4 
 ing into prisons both men and women. As also the high-priest 5 
 doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders; from 
 whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to 
 Damascus, to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusa- 
 lem, for to be punished. And it came to pass, that, as I made 6 
 my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, 
 suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 
 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice saying unto me, 7 
 Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And I answered. Who 8 
 art thou. Lord? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, 
 whom thou persecutest. And they that were with me saw in- 9 
 deed the light, and were afraid ; but they heard not the voice 
 of him that spake to me. And I said. What shall I do, Lord ? 10 
 And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus, and 
 there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for 
 thee to do. And when I could not see for the glory of that light, 11 
 being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into 
 Damascus. And one Ananias, a devout man according to the 12 
 law, having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there, 
 came unto me, and stood, and said unto me, Brother Saul, 13 
 receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 
 And he said, The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that 14 
 thou shouldest know his will, and see that Just One, and 
 shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. For thou shalt be his 13 
 witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. And 16 
 
 kindled by a burning enthusiasm, like about twenty years before this time, 
 
 what then glowed in tlieir hearts, the same high-priest and elders could 
 
 Gal. i. 14 ; Rom. x. 2. not, perhaps, bear Avitness personally, 
 
 4. This loay. This sect, the as having been in office at that time , 
 Christians. Chap. vii. 58, viii. 1, 3, but the facts were matter of history, 
 ix. 1,2. He exemplified his zeal by not to be disputed. 
 
 his bloodthirsty persecution of the 9. Heard not the voice, i. e. did not 
 
 disciples of Jesus. hear an articulate voice or words ; 
 
 5 - 16. Parallel to chap. ix. 2 - 18. but they did hear a noise, chap. ix. 
 
 5. Doth bear me imtness. A form 7, and note. If, however, an actual 
 of speech expressive, not of a fact, discrepancy he admitted, the truth 
 but of a possibility. The high-priest of the history is not thereby shaken 
 could bear him witness. — All the es- in the least. Slight variation of tes- 
 iate of the elders. Or, all the pres- timony is considered as rather con- 
 bytery, or eldership, or sanhedrim, firming, than weakening, the general 
 As the conversion of Paul took place trust-worthiness of a narrative. 
 
XXII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 287 
 
 now why tarriest thou ? arise, and be baptized, and wash away 
 
 17 thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord. And it came to 
 
 pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I 
 
 18 prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ; and saw him saying 
 unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem ; 
 
 19 for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. And I 
 said. Lord, they know that I imprisoned, and beat in every syna- 
 
 16. WTiy tarriest thou ? He urged 
 the immediate performance of what 
 was felt to be a duty. The present 
 moment is the only one we can call 
 our own. It may be emphatically 
 said to every mortal, " Do what thou 
 doest quickly." We cannot com- 
 mand the future any more than the 
 past ; " Behold, now is the accepted 
 time." — Wash away thy sins. As 
 baptism was an emblem of purifica- 
 tion, and indicated repentance and 
 self-consecration, it was a sign that 
 one's sins were remitted, as well as 
 abandoned, and were, so to say, 
 Avashed away. The soul was cleansed. 
 Heb. X. 22, — Calling on the name 
 of the Lord. Griesbach reads, ac- 
 cording to the best authorities, "call- 
 ing on his name." Grotius observes 
 that " some commentators refer the 
 pronoun his to Jesus ; but I am of 
 opinion that it more properly relates 
 to God the Father, for demonstra- 
 tives and relatives often pertain to 
 the remote antecedent." But, if refer- 
 ence be made to Jesus, it by no means 
 gives a command or sanction to the 
 act of addressing our prayers to him 
 as God, for it would be contrary to 
 his own uniform example and pre- 
 cepts. Those who saw him in a vi- 
 sion, present to them, as did Stephen, 
 chap. vii. 56, 59, might properly in- 
 voke him ; but even that did not de- 
 monstrate his deity, for men put forth 
 prayers, petitions to men, to kings, to 
 rulers, and, in some large churches 
 of Christendom, to saints, angels, and 
 the Virgin Mary, without any impli- 
 cation like the one just stated. The 
 
 meaning of the phrase in question 
 probably is, "to be called by the 
 name of tlie Lord, or to call upon, 
 one's self, that name." Paul was ex- 
 horted to receive baptism and the 
 Christian name, become the avowed 
 follower of the Messiah, and assume 
 that odious and despised designation. 
 Chap. XV. 17 ; Rom. x. 12 - 14 ; 1 Cor. 
 i. 2 ; 2 Tim. ii. 22; Heb. xi. 16; Jas. 
 ii. 7. 
 
 17. Come again to Jerusalem. 
 Chap. ix. 26. After an interval of 
 about three years, since his conver- 
 sion, passed in Arabia, Gal. i. 17, 18, 
 he revisited the holy city. — Prayed 
 in the temple. Showing that he con- 
 tinued to pay respect to the temple 
 after he embraced the gospel, and 
 thus indirectly silencing their charge. 
 Chap. xxi. 28. — Trance. Ecstasy, 
 vision. There was first the preter- 
 natural, or ecstatic, state of mind, — 
 and then a vision, or symbolical rev- 
 elation, was disclosed to the mind, in 
 that state. See Farmer on Christ's 
 Temptation, p. 70, n. 
 
 18. Saw him, i. e. Jesus, mentally, 
 spiritually. — They ivill not receive thy 
 testimony concerning me. Paul was 
 admonished that it would be in vain 
 for him to bear his testimony to Je- 
 sus before the hardened Jews, for 
 they would reject both the message 
 and the messenger; but that a far 
 more promising field of labor was 
 opened in the Gentile world. 
 
 19. 20. Paul reasons the matter. 
 There were peculiar considerations 
 why the Jews should hear his testi- 
 mony rather than that of any other 
 
288 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Ghap. 
 
 gogue them that believed on thee: and when the blood of thy 20 
 martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by, and consenting 
 unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 
 And he said unto me, Depart : for I will send thee far hence 21 
 unto the Gentiles. 
 
 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted 22 
 up their voices, and said. Away with such a fellow from the 
 earth : for it is not fit that he should live. And as they cried 23 
 out, and cast off tlieir clothes, and threw dust into the air, the 24 
 chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and 
 bade that he should be examined by scourging; that he might 
 
 one ; for they knew how ferocious 
 and energetic he had been in per- 
 secuting the disciples, even from the 
 first martyrdom ; and he inferred that 
 his testimony on the other side would 
 carry a double weight. But he was 
 assured that his hopes Avere in vain. 
 — In every synagogue. So it had 
 been predicted by Jesus. See note 
 on Mat. X. 17. — Martyr. Witness. 
 
 21. Far hence unto the Gentiles. 
 He had been selected, from the first, 
 as the apostle to the Gentiles. Chap, 
 ix. 15, 16. He was peculiarly fitted, 
 both by nature and by education, for 
 this sublime errand of carrying " the 
 good news of great joy," from place 
 to place, throughout the heathen 
 world. The command, or intention, 
 is simply repeated, as needing no ar- 
 gument, coming from such a source 
 as prechided error. 
 
 22, 23. Gave him audience. Lis- 
 tened to him. — Unto this ivord. Un- 
 to the word " Gentiles ; " that in- 
 stantly kindled, like a spark upon 
 tinder, their previous rage, which had 
 been suppressed for a few moments 
 by the apostle's speech. Col. i. 24 ; 
 Eph. iv. 1, 3, show tliat he was, as 
 here stated, called particularly to 
 suffer for the sake of the Gentiles, 
 for that " mystery," or secret — tlieir 
 introduction into tlie kingdom of 
 heaven. Without waiting to hear 
 the rest of his justification, they pre- 
 
 sumed, from that Avord, that all the 
 charges against him Avere true, and 
 gave Avay to the most violent pas- 
 sions. We have a signal illustration 
 here of the intense pride and bigotry 
 of many of the Jews. Nothing was 
 too bad to say, or do, to defend, as 
 they supposed, their religion. Mur- 
 der, falsehood, revenge, became law- 
 ful instruments to promote that ob- 
 ject The end, in their eyes, justi- 
 fied the means. Has not history, in 
 Cliiistian lands, presented us with 
 too many counterparts of this old 
 Jewish theologicum odium, theologi- 
 cal hate ? — Cned out — cast off their 
 clothes — threiv dust. All impassioned 
 signs of popular fury, made in fur- 
 therance of the uproar. They man- 
 ifested the disposition, if they had the 
 power, to put Paul to an instant death. 
 2 Sam. xvi. 13. It is related, by trav- 
 ellers in Arabia and Persia, that sim- 
 ilar methods of demanding justice, or 
 some gratification of their passions, 
 from tlieir chiefs or princes, exist 
 among the people, to this day ; that 
 tliey collect in great numbers, utter 
 the most horrid cries, tear their gar- 
 ments, and cast dust into the air, un- 
 til their request is granted. 
 
 24. The castle. Of Antonia, upon 
 the steps of Avhich they had been 
 standing during Paul's address. — 
 Examined by scourging. A techni- 
 cal phrase of judicature, meaning tx> 
 
XXIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 25 know wherefore they cried so against him. And as they bound 
 him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by, Is 
 it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncon- 
 
 26 demned ? When the centurion heard that, he went and told 
 the chief captain, saying. Take heed what thou doest ; for this 
 
 27 man is a Roman. Then the chief captain came, and said unto 
 
 28 him, Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, Yea. And the 
 chief captain answered. With a great sum obtained I this free- 
 
 29 dom. And Paul said. But I was yrcc-born. Then straightway 
 
 be tortured to exact a confession. 
 This abomination of endeavoring to 
 make a prisoner criminate himself by 
 the extremity of dreadful agonies, 
 the most unjust and insane of all 
 modes to test innocence and detect 
 guilt, has, in some form, polluted the 
 pages of modern statute-books in al- 
 most every nation of Europe. The 
 old ferocious barbarism of heathen 
 ages still lingers too much around 
 the prisons and gallows of Christen- 
 dom. The gospel is but just begin- 
 ning to reach the prisoner, and send 
 its mild sunbeam into his cold, dark 
 cell, and darker, colder heart. — That 
 he might know, S,'c. Ignorant of the 
 language of Paul, and of the cause 
 of the tremendous excitement of the 
 populace, and supposing that he was 
 guilty of some enormity, the only ex- 
 pedient Avhich suggested itself to his 
 mind was the usual coarse and bru- 
 tal means to extort a confession. 
 
 25. ./?5 ihejj bound him loiih thongs. 
 Prepn.ratory to scourging, the soldiers 
 usually bound the poor victim to an 
 upright pillar, so as to confine the 
 body, and expose the back more di- 
 rectly to the blows. — To scourge a 
 man that is a Roman, and uncon- 
 demned. The apostle puts the in- 
 quiry, not for information, for he well 
 knew the law, but as a caution to 
 those who were about to incur a dan- 
 gerous responsibility. It was con- 
 trary to the Roman statutes to bind 
 or scourge a Roman citizen, unless 
 condemned for some crime ; in which 
 VOL. in, 85 
 
 case he ceased to be a Roman citi- 
 zen, and was degraded from his priv- 
 ileges and immunities. 
 
 26, 27. The simplicity and minute- 
 ness of ancient narrative, and the 
 form of dialogue common to an early 
 and unsophisticated age, are illustra- 
 ted in these verses. 
 
 28. With a great sum, fyc. The 
 right of Roman citizenship was at 
 first granted only to such foreigners 
 as had conferred distinguished ser- 
 vices on the country, or as a mark 
 of honor upon great and good indi- 
 viduals. But, in process of time, it 
 could be purchased for money ; and, 
 under the corrupt emperors, it was 
 prostituted so low, to fill tlieir treas- 
 uries, that it lost its value, and never 
 again recovered its primitive distinc- 
 tion. The tribune, in the present in- 
 stance, had purchased the privilege 
 with a large sum of money. — But 1 
 ivas free-born. This is generally 
 supposed to have been on account 
 of Tarsus being made a free city by 
 Augustus, and its^ inhabitants thus 
 being admitted to the right of citi- 
 zenship. Pliny, in his Natural His- 
 tory, says, that " Tarsus Avas a free 
 city ; " Appian, that " the people of 
 Tarsus were free, and discharged* 
 from paying tribute ; " and other ex- 
 pressions are quoted, from Dion Cas- 
 sius and Philo, bearing upon the same 
 point. 
 
 29. Examined, i, e. with scoui^- 
 ing. — Because he had bound him, i. e. 
 to be scoursred, not because of the 
 
290 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [('hap. 
 
 they departed from him which should have examined him: and 
 the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a 
 Roman, and because he had bound him. 
 
 On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty 30 
 wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his 
 bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to 
 appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them. 
 
 chains, chap. xxi. 33. The officer 
 shrank with dread from the outrag-e 
 he was about to commit, and the sol- 
 diers recoiled from the act in process, 
 and, we are told, " straightway depart- 
 ed from him." This "is perfectly in 
 accordance with the testimony of 
 profane history and oratory, and be- 
 speaks a writer true to the spirit of 
 the times. Thus Cicero, against 
 Verres, says : " Whoever he might 
 be whom you were hurrying to the 
 cross, Avere he even unknown to you, 
 if he but said that he was a Roman 
 citizen, he would necessarily obtain 
 from you, the prsetor, by the simplest 
 mention of Rome, if not an escape, 
 yet at least a delay of his punish- 
 ment." And, again : " It is a heinous 
 sin to bind a Roman citizen ; it is 
 wickedness to beat him ; it is next to 
 parricide to kill him ; and what shall 
 I say, to crucify him ? " 
 
 30. Loosed him from his bands. 
 The chains by which he Avas bound 
 to two soldiers, chap. xxi. 33, not the 
 bonds of ver. 25, from which, of 
 course, he would be immediritely re- 
 leased. It does not appear that there 
 was any violation of the right of citi- 
 zenship in his being bound with chains 
 to the soldiers that guarded him. When 
 brought before the Jewish council he 
 ,was unchained, but afterAvards was 
 confined in the same way. Chap, 
 xxiv. 27, xxvi. 29. — Ml their coun- 
 cil. The Sanhedrim. — Brought Paid 
 down. i. e. from the castle of Anto- 
 
 nia into an apartment of the temple 
 where the Sanhedrim held their 
 meetings. The division of chapters 
 here, again, is unfortunate, for ver. 
 30 more properly belongs to chapter 
 xxiii. 
 
 We have arrived at another im- 
 portant stage in the life of Paul. 
 Contrary to the earnest intreaties 
 and tears of his fri nds, but actua- 
 ted by a sense of duty, he had come 
 to Jerusalem, in the face of multi- 
 tudes of enemies, and fallen, as it 
 Avas predicted he Avould fall, into 
 their snares. Henceforth he is not 
 free, for several years ; he is Paul 
 the prisoner, Paul the aged. But, 
 though prison and bonds Avt re his 
 portion, yet man could throw no 
 chains around his spirit, nor cool his 
 love, nor damp his Cl)ristian zeal. 
 His mind seemed to gloAv Avith in- 
 tenser activity, Avhen he could no 
 longer journey and preach as before. 
 Witness his speeches before the peo- 
 ple, the Sanhedrim, Felix, and Agrip- 
 pa. Witness his epistles to the Ephe- 
 sians, Philippians, and Colossians, to 
 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. Sub- 
 jected to the slow martyrdom of de- 
 ferred hope, of arbitrary poAver, and 
 of imperial caprice, cut off from Avhat 
 he most desired, the boundless field 
 and freedom of a missionary life, 
 he did not pine or complain; but 
 " learned, in whatsoever state he 
 Avas, tliercAvitli to be content," and 
 " rejoiced in the Lord greatly." 
 
XXIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 291 
 
 CHAPTER XXHI. 
 
 Pmd before the Sanhedrim, lohence he is carried for Safety into the Castle of 
 Antonia, and afterwards despatched to Cesarca. 
 
 And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and 
 
 brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until 
 
 2 this day. And the high-priest Ananias commanded them that 
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 1. Earnestly beholding (lie council. 
 As with the look of assured inno- 
 cence, or to recognize those whom 
 he had formerly known. — Men and 
 brethren. Brethren. — In all good 
 conscience before God. A declara- 
 tion of sincerity and conscientious- 
 ness, not of perfectness. The apos- 
 tle, in other passages, professed his 
 obedience to conscience, even in his 
 persecution of the church; but he 
 was guilty, nevertheless, in not ta- 
 king pains to enlighten his mind, as 
 well as to follow the impulses of the 
 inward monitor. Chap. xxiv. 16, 
 xxvi. 9. Thus he speaks, in 1 Tim. i. 
 13, of having acted ignorantly, i. e. 
 without the guidance of the intellect, 
 though he affirms that he acted at all 
 times conscientiously. Conscience 
 is a sentiment^ not an intellectual pow- 
 er. It is the capacity of feeling what 
 is right and wrong, of connecting 
 pleasure with one and pain with the 
 other, and thus prompting to one, and 
 dissuading from the other. It j udges 
 of duty according to the facts pre- 
 sented to it by the mental powers, 
 and, in proportion to the correctness 
 with which the case is thus stated, 
 makes its decision correct. Hence 
 the moral sense requires the aid of 
 the intellect, in order to pronounce 
 its decree according to truth and the 
 will of God. Conscience is a safe 
 guide only when conscientiously fol- 
 lowed, not with passion, prejudice, or 
 caprice. Even if it be felt, as in the 
 case of Paul, to be but the echo of a 
 higher tribunal — "conscience be- 
 fore God " — yet it possesses only a 
 
 more terrific and destructive energy, 
 when the mind fails to shed the light 
 of intelligence, and the heart the 
 kindly warmth of humane affec- 
 tions. Witness the conscientious, 
 but not therefore right or just, perse- 
 cutor of every age ; whether in the 
 case of a Paul making havoc of the 
 flock, or a Dominic founding the In- 
 quisition, or a Calvin instigating the 
 death of Servetus, or the Puritans 
 imprisoning and banishing Baptists 
 and Quakers. 
 
 2. The high-priest Ananias. He 
 is believed to be the son of Nebi- 
 daeus, and had been sent to Rome 
 a prisoner, to answer for his conduct 
 in office, in company with the pre- 
 fect of the temple, but was acquitted, 
 and returned to Jerusalem. At this 
 time he was holding the priesthood, 
 either by usurpation, in the disorders 
 of the times, or provisionally and 
 temporarily. There is, however, 
 a degree of uncertainty as to the 
 identity of Ananias, and the history 
 of his life. — To smite him on the 
 month. 1 Kings xxii. 24 ; John xviii. 
 22. This barbarous indignity was 
 in accordance with both ancient and 
 modern Oriental usages, which par- 
 take very much of a despotic spirit. 
 The blow was given, as is conjec- 
 tured, for one or all of several rea- 
 sons — such as the freedom of Paul's 
 address and the firmness of his air 
 before the Sanhedrim, his protesta- 
 tions of innocence, and his having 
 before thrown himself upon the pro- 
 tection of the chief captain as a Ro- 
 man citizen. 
 
293 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 stood by him, to smite him on the mouth. Then said Paul unto 3 
 him, God shall smite thee, thou whited wall : for sittest thou to 
 judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten con- 
 trary to the law 1 And they that stood by, said, Revilest thou 4 
 God's high-priest 1 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that 3 
 he was the high-priest; for it is written, Thou shalt not speak 
 evil of the ruler of thy people. But when Paul perceived 6 
 
 3. God shall smite thee, thou lohited 
 wall. The figure, in the concluding 
 part, resembles that in Mat xxiii. 27 ; 
 Luke xi. 44. The apostle spoke, as 
 it would seem, less from a prophetic 
 than an indignant impulse. He bold- 
 ly, and it may be passionately, de- 
 nounced the act of the high-priest, 
 and threatened him with that visita- 
 tion of heaven which, it required no 
 supernatural aid to predict, would 
 overtake him for his bad life and tyr- 
 anny. Jesus rebuked a similar in- 
 dignity in a serener spirit, becoming 
 the Son of God. John xviii. 23. If 
 Paul infringed upon the sacred limits 
 of love and forbearance, he instantly 
 recovered himself, and made the only 
 requisite apology. See note on chap, 
 viii. 20. If Ananias be the one who 
 held the office of high-priest under 
 Quadratus, and who was acquitted 
 at Rome of charges against him, he 
 is represented as miserably perishin^^ 
 under tlie hands of assassins, sicarii, 
 a few years after this time. — Smitten 
 contrary to the law. The prisoner 
 pressed home the gross inconsistency 
 of a judge being himself the most 
 forward to do unjustly. Various pas- 
 sages in the Hebrew Scriptures en- 
 joined rectitude and mercy in judg- 
 ment Lev. xix. 15, 35 ; Deut xxv. 
 1 ; John vii. 51. 
 
 5. / ivist not. I knew not Paul 
 has been supposed by some to speak 
 ironically, that he did not know that so 
 unjust a man was in the highest and 
 holiest office ; he did not recognize 
 any thing of the high-priest in Ana- 
 nias. But others undei-stand him as 
 
 declaring a fact, that he did not, in 
 the changes of the times, and his 
 absence from Jerusalem, know that 
 he was high-priest, though it would 
 have seemed that his position in the 
 council, and the lead he took in its 
 proceedings, would have sufficiently 
 indicated that to one who had atten- 
 tively scrutinized the Sanhedrim, as 
 Paul had done. Ver. 1. Hence the 
 more probable interpretation is, that 
 he did not know, reflect, consider, 
 that he Avas tlie highest officer in the 
 nation, and in his haste " spoke un- 
 advisedly with his lips." The gross 
 insult and cruelty he suffered be- 
 trayed him into an undue momentary 
 warmth. The latter clause of the 
 verse harmonizes with this view of 
 the subject — It is ivritten. Ex. xxii. 
 28. The candor of the narrative is 
 observable here, as throughout the 
 New Testament ; for events are re- j 
 lated without reference to their bear- i 
 ing upon the reputation of the apos- 
 tles or disciples. The truth is told 
 without fear. There is no trimming 
 to suit opinions or conventional ideas, 
 or to anticipate inferences which 
 might be drawn. The rule is, tlie 
 truth is always safe ; principles, not i 
 men. But in the end, this fearless 1 
 style gains more than it loses ; be- 
 cause, if a few are touched Avith a 
 shade of skepticism at beholding the 
 faults of Peter, Paul, and others, yet 
 multitudes discern in this transparent 
 frankness the signature of a pure and 
 honest purpose, which fears God too 
 much to fear man. 
 
 0. tVIien Paul perceived, 8fc. See- 
 
XXIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 293 
 
 that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he 
 cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, 
 the son of a Pharisee : of the hope and resurrection of the dead 
 
 7 I am called in question. And when he had so said, there arose 
 a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees : and the 
 
 8 multitude was divided. For the Sadducees say that there is no 
 resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit : but the Pharisees confess 
 
 9 both. And there arose a great cry : and the scribes that were 
 of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil 
 in this man : but if a vspirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let 
 
 iug that his case was prejudged, and 
 that it was in vain to look to the San- 
 liedrim even for a fair trial, Paul 
 used a stroke of policy to divide his 
 judges among themselves, and bring 
 to ligiit the spirit which rankled in 
 their own hearts. This showed an 
 intimate knowledge of the character 
 of his nation, though some have 
 doubted its perf. ct propriety, and 
 thought that it had more of the wis- 
 dom of the strpeM than the innocence 
 of the dove. — I am a Pfvirisee, ^t. 
 He was a Pharisee before his con- 
 version, and, since that change, he 
 was in the main with them in rela- 
 tion to the dividing question between 
 them and the Sadducees ; and de- 
 fended the resurrection by new and 
 peculiarly strong proofs of the rising 
 of Jesus from the dead. He did not 
 m an, or say, and they would not un- 
 derstand him, that he was a thorough 
 Pharisee in all points, for then he 
 never would have been there, ar- 
 raigned as a prisoner at the bar of 
 the Sanhedrim ; but that there Avas 
 one great common ground on which 
 he took the side of the Pharisees 
 against the Sadducees, and for which 
 he was especially axcused, viz., that 
 of the resurrection of the dead. 
 Chap. iv. 1-3, v. 17. — Of the hope 
 and resurrection. Or, "of the hope 
 of the resurrection," laying aside the 
 idiomatic form. 
 
 7. The apple of discord, which he 
 25* 
 
 had thrown into the assembly, pro- 
 duced its intended effect, and in- 
 stantly arrayed the two sects in hos- 
 tile attitude. 
 
 8. JVo resurrection, S^c. Mat. xxii. 
 23. The leading points of difference 
 between the Pharisees and Saddu- 
 cees are here briefly given. See 
 note on Mat. iii. 7. — BotJi, i. e. the 
 belief in the resurrection, and in the 
 existence of immaterial beings, as 
 angels and spirits. 
 
 9. ^^ great cri/. The spirit of the 
 times is vividly conveyed to us by the 
 uproar of the highest civil and eccle- 
 siastical tribunal of the Jewish na- 
 tion, assembled to pass judgment on 
 one of the most important cases that 
 could fall under their jurisdiction. — 
 ^"Irose and strove. Confusion spread 
 among the parties, and, rising from 
 tiieir seats, they fiercely contended 
 and quarrelled in words and gestures 
 Avith one another. — We find no evil 
 in this man. They saw him in quite a 
 new and more favorable light after his 
 declaration, and suddenly found that 
 he was a perfectly innocent and in- 
 jured man. It is sufliciently appar- 
 ent how little they had against him 
 before, except prejudices. — If a spir- 
 it or an angel hath spoken, &fc. Re- 
 ferring, doubtless, to his account of 
 his conversion. Chap. xxii. 6-11, 
 18. They now intimated their cre- 
 dence of what they had before re- 
 ceived with execrations, because they 
 
^m 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 us not fight against God. And when there arose a great dissen- 10 
 sion, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled 
 in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to 
 take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the 
 castle. 
 
 And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be U 
 of good cheer, Paul ; for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusa- 
 lem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. And when it 12 
 
 was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound them- 
 selves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor 
 drink till they had killed Paul. And they were more than forty 13 
 which had made this conspiracy. And they came to the chief 14 
 priests and elders, and said. We have bound ourselves under a 
 great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. 
 
 perceived it might be turned to their 
 own account, as believers in spiritual 
 beings. — Let us not fghi against 
 GocL All one word in Greek, which 
 is cancelled from the text by Gries- 
 bach and others, as destitute of au- 
 thority ; and the sentence is left in 
 that uniEinished state in which it nat- 
 urally would be amidst such a scene 
 of tumult Chap. v. 39. 
 
 10. Lest Paul should have been 
 pulled in pieces. The violence of 
 the parties was such, that the officer 
 feared Paul would actually fall the 
 victim of personal injuries, and he 
 therefore rescued him 
 %vith a military force. 
 
 11. The Lord. Jesus. — 1^/50 at 
 Rome. As he had proclaimed tlie 
 gospel in the metropolis of the Jew- 
 ish, so he was to do the same in the 
 metropolis of the Gentile, world. 
 Surrounded as the apostle was with 
 dangers on every side, it was a wor- 
 thy occasion for the interposition and 
 friendly counsel of the great Head 
 of the church. If the Christian cause 
 was of sufficient moment to receive 
 unusual aid at its introduction, it 
 also merited the same through that 
 earlier period when it was beat upon 
 by all the storms of persecution, and 
 
 all the powers of earth seemed to be 
 combined for its utter extinction. The 
 whispers of encouragement and warn- 
 ing from a higher world were needed 
 to nerve the heart of the suffisring, 
 endangered apostle. 
 
 1*2, 13. Bound themselves under a 
 curse, i. e. they made a vow, and in- 
 voked the malediction of Heaven, if 
 they did not fulfil it It has been 
 conjectured, by Michaelis and others, 
 that this band of desperate men be- 
 longed to the class called sica7-ii, see 
 chap. xxi. 38, who were also zealots 
 for tlie law, and ready to engage in 
 the grossest wickedness, to gratify 
 personal or religious animosities. — 
 JVeither eat nor diink. 1 Sam. xiv. 
 24. A common form of voav, accord- 
 ing to Jewish scholars ; it might sig- 
 nify that they would abstain from 
 their ordinary food until they had 
 effected their purpose, rather than 
 that they would literally take no 
 nourishment whatever. But, if strict- 
 ly bound to observe their oath to the 
 letter, they could yet obtain an easy 
 absolution from the rabbins, or by 
 some other expedient Josephus 
 relates that ten men made a sim- 
 ilar vow to take the life of Herod 
 the Great, because he had de- 
 
XXIIL] OF THE APOSTLES. 295 
 
 15 Now therefore ye with the council signify to the chief captain, 
 that he bring him down unto you to-morrow, as though ye would 
 inquire something more perfectly concerning him : and we, or 
 
 16 ever he come near, are ready to kill him. And when Paul's 
 
 sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into 
 
 17 the castle, and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centu- 
 rions unto him, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief 
 
 18 captain ; for he hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took 
 him, and brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the 
 prisoner called me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young 
 
 11) man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. Then the 
 chief captain took him by the harjd, and went with him aside 
 privately, and asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me 1 
 
 20 And he said. The .Tews have agreed to desire thee, that thou 
 wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though 
 
 21 they would inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. 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 : 
 
 22 and now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee. So 
 the chief captain then let the young man depart, and charged 
 him, Sec thou tell no man that thou hast showed these things to 
 
 23 me. And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make 
 
 ready two hundred soldiers to go to Cesarea, and horsemen 
 threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour 
 
 parted from the customs of their lins, and constituting a species of 
 
 nation. body-guard. — At the third hour of 
 
 ] 5. Council. Sanhedrim. — Or the nischf. Or, nine o'clock in the 
 
 ever he come near, i. e., in modern evening. The same reason which 
 
 phrase, " before he comes near." The dictated an escort of four hundred 
 
 plan was to waylay Paul between the and seventy men, to guard Paul out 
 
 c-istle and the council -chamber, and of Jerusalem and some distance on 
 
 assassinate him. the way to Cesarea, also selected the 
 
 2% 23. Tell no man. The success night-time to march ; though, in the 
 
 of the chief captain's measures de- tropical regions, night-travelling is 
 
 pended upon secresy, and he did not common on account of the oppressive 
 
 wish to bring upon himself the odium heat of the sun by day. The formi- 
 
 of the Jews for rescuing Paul from dable and desperate character of the 
 
 their machinations. — Soldiers. In- apostle's enemies demanded strong 
 
 fantry. — Spearmen. The original is and well-laid measures to defeat their 
 
 doubtful, but probably means light plan, 
 troops, armed with spears or jave- 
 
296 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 of the night ; and provide them beasts, that they may set Paul 21 
 on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. And he wrote 25 
 a letter after this manner : Claudius Lysias, unto the most ex- 26 
 celient governor Felix, sendeth greeting. This man was taken 27 
 of the Jews, and should have been killed of them : then came I 
 with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was 
 a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore 28 
 they accused him, I brought him forth into their council : whom 29 
 I perceived to be accused of questions of their law, but to have 
 nothing laid to his charge worthy of death, or of bonds. And 30 
 when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I 
 sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers 
 also, to say before thee what thfi/ had against him. Farewell. 
 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and 31 
 
 24. Beasts, that they may set Paid 
 on, i. e. relays, or animals for riding, 
 to succeed one anotlier at different 
 stages in the journey of between six- 
 ty and seventy miles, — Felix, the 
 governor. Or, procurator, whose res- 
 idence was at Cesarea. Antonius 
 Felix was a freedman of Claudius 
 Cesar, tlie Roman emperor, and broth- 
 er of Pallas, the favorite of Nero. 
 According to the testimony of Taci- 
 tus, he governed his people with a 
 servile mind, and indulged in every 
 species of cruelty and lust ; and he 
 says that he expected to escape with 
 impunity in the commission of his 
 wicked deeds, on account of his great 
 power. He had, at this time, been 
 procurator about five years, and re- 
 mained in office two years longer, 
 chap. xxiv. 27, when he was succeed- 
 ed by Porcius Festus. 
 
 26. Claudius Lysias. The name 
 of the chief captain. — The most ex- 
 cellent. A mere title, as we use (x- 
 cellency. — Greeting. Or, Avislieth 
 good health and prosperity. 
 
 27. Shoidd have been. Better, 
 " would have been." — JVith an ar- 
 my. Rather, " with a band," or de- 
 tachment of troops. — Rescued him. 
 This he had done twice in reality, 
 
 chap. xxi. 32, xxiii. 10, though he 
 probably refers only to the former 
 case. — Having understood that he 
 was a Roman. He wished to give 
 the impression that he had done the 
 act out of regard to Roman honor, 
 though, in fact, he did not know that 
 the apostle was a free citizen until 
 after the rescue. Had he told the 
 simple truth, it would have been 
 more to his praise, because to rescue 
 a man from danger and injustice was 
 more honorable than to rescue a Ro- 
 man merely because he belonged to 
 that nation. 
 
 29, 30. Qiicstions of their law. 
 Lysias riaturally resolved all discus- 
 sions, among the Jews, respecting 
 religion, into disputes in relation to 
 their law. This letter appears to be 
 an exact transcript of the original, 
 Avhich Luke miglit have procured 
 from Paul ; for the latter, in his long 
 residence in Cesarea, chap. xxiv. 27, 
 could easily obtain a copy.. The chief 
 ciptain presents himself, throughout 
 the narrative of this and the last 
 chapter, as a wise, finn, and, for a 
 heathen, well-principled man. 
 
 31. u,'lntipatris. A city built by 
 Herod, and called, in honor of his fa- 
 ther, Antipater. It lay upon the route 
 
XXIV.] OF THE APOSTLES. 297 
 
 32 brouglit Mm by night to Antiputris. On the morrow they left 
 
 33 the horsemen to go witli him, and returned to the castle : who, 
 when they came to Cesarea, and delivered the epistle to the 
 
 34 governor, presented Paul also before him. And when the gov- 
 ernor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. 
 
 35 And when he understood that he was of Cilicia; I will hear 
 thee, said he, when thine accusers are also come. And he 
 commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment-hall. 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 Paul's Defence before Felix, and Discourse before Felix and DrusUla 
 
 And after five days, Ananias the high-priest descended with 
 the elders, and with a certain orator named Tertullus, who in- 
 2 formed the governor against Paul. And when he was called 
 forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, Seeing that by 
 thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds are 
 
 from Jerusalem to Cesarea, about 
 twenty miles from the latter, in a 
 large fertile plain. Its location was 
 identified by Robinson, in his late 
 researches in Palestine and Arabia. 
 The distance was great, for one 
 night's travel ; but the Roman sol- 
 diers were distinguished for their 
 hardihood, the march was a forced 
 one, and the " night " might be used 
 to include a considerable part of the 
 following day. 
 
 32. They left the horsemen. As 
 Paul was out of danger from his 
 enemies' waylaying him, the four 
 hundred foot-soldiers returned to Je- 
 rusalem, and the seventy horsemen 
 formed his escort the remainder of 
 the way to Cesarea. 
 
 35. Herod's judgment-hall. Or, 
 pretorium. This was a palace, built 
 by Herod the Great, for the royal 
 residence, and occupied by the suc- 
 cessive procurators. Paul was con- 
 fined in the same edifice. 
 
 " In the first part of this chapter, 
 we behold the high-priest, in the sa- 
 cred office of a judge, animated with 
 religious zeal, grossly violating the 
 
 duties of his station. In the latter 
 part, we find the common people, 
 from the same cause, deviating still 
 further from the rules of justice and 
 propriety. And could it be religion 
 which thus divested men of humani- 
 ty, and inspired them with the fury 
 of the beasts which roam the desert.^ 
 In framing this wicked project, true 
 religion had no share. Their zeal 
 was not the offspring of benevolence, 
 but issued from the gloomy region 
 of hatred and malice." 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 
 1. After five days. From the time 
 of his arrest. Chap. xxi. 33. — De- 
 scended. From Jerusalem to Cesa- 
 rea; the usual language, in going 
 from the holy city in any direction 
 Chap. XV. 1. — Orator nained Tertul- 
 lus, i. e. an advocate or pleader in 
 the courts, and probably, as his name 
 indicates, a Roman, and one, tliere- 
 fore, peculiarly fitted to argue before 
 a Roman judge. The preparations 
 Avere such as showed the importance 
 attached to the trial. 
 
 2,3. Called forth. From custody. 
 
298 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 done unto this nation by thy providence, we accept it always, 3 
 and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. Not- 4. 
 withstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee, 
 that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. For 5 
 we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedi- 
 tion among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader 
 of the sect of the Nazarenes : who also hath gone about to pro- 6 
 fane the temple: whom we took, and would have judged accord- 
 ing to our law : but the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and 7 
 with great violence took him away out of our hands, commanding 8 
 his accusers to come unto thee : by examining of whom, thyself 
 
 — We enjoy great quietness. Or, 
 public tranquillity. — Fery worthy 
 deeds are done, i^c. To gain a favor- 
 able ear, he flatters the procurator 
 with the good deeds he had done, 
 and the unusual peace under his gov- 
 ernment It was true, Felix had re- 
 pressed many disorders in Judea, by 
 settling difficulties between the peo- 
 ple of Cesarea and Syria, clearing 
 the country of robbers, and destroy- 
 ing two seditious leaders, Eleazer 
 and the Egyptian. Chap. xxi. 38. 
 But both his public and private char- 
 acter was stained with vice and 
 crime. He was avaricious, licen- 
 tious, and cruel, and ill deserved the 
 praises of Tertullus. He was hated 
 by the people over whom he ruled ; 
 and, when he returned to Rome, he 
 was pursued by the complaints of 
 his subjects. — Thy providence. Or, 
 foresight, prudence. — We accept it 
 always. We cheerfully acknowl- 
 edge and applaud the blessings we 
 enjoy under your administration, at 
 all times and places. — Most noble. 
 The title of office. Luke i. 3. 
 
 5. A pestilent fellow. Literally, 
 and more forcibly, " a pestilence," a 
 pest The commentators quote from 
 Martial, the Roman satirist, in illus- 
 tration of the text, " Thou art not 
 vicious, O Zoilus, but vice," its es- 
 sence and substance. — A mover of 
 sedition, &fc. All the disturbances 
 
 produced by tlie enemies of Paul 
 were of course laid to his charge. 
 No crime was more heinous, in the 
 eyes of Rome, than sedition ; for the 
 vast compass of their power made 
 them jealous of every attempt, even 
 in the remotest province or city, to 
 throw off the yoke of subjection. — 
 A ringleader of the sect of the JVaza- 
 renes. The Christians were so called 
 out of opprobrium, by their enemies, 
 because their Master was from the 
 despised town of Nazareth; and 
 the same title is given them to this 
 day by Jews and Muhammedans. 
 The labors and abilities of Paul are 
 appreciated by his enemies, as pla- 
 cing him in the first rank of his sect 
 
 6. Gone ahoid to profane the tem- 
 ple. Or, attempted, or plotted, to do 
 this sacrilege. Chap xxi. 28. The 
 sum of the accusations was, that the 
 prisoner was a pest, full of sedition 
 and blasphemy, and the chief leader 
 of the hateful sect of the Nazarenes. 
 The ingenious and perverse con- 
 struction thus put upon the life and 
 public services of Paul, by Tertullus, 
 argued one who knew well how to 
 make " the worse appear the better 
 reason." — Would have judged, S^c. 
 The barefaced falsehood of this dec- 
 laration is evident from chap. xxi. 31, 
 xxiii, 10, 15. 
 
 7, 8. IViih great violence. Or, 
 " with a great force," referring to the 
 
XXIV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 299 
 
 mayest take knowledge of all these things whereof we accuse 
 9 him. And the Jews also assented, saying, That these things 
 
 10 were so. Then Paul, after that the governor had beckoned 
 
 unto him to speak, answered. Forasmuch as I know that thou 
 hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more 
 
 11 cheerfully answer for myself: because that thou mayest under- 
 stand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to 
 
 12 Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the 
 temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, 
 
 13 neither in the synagogues, nor in the city : neither can they 
 
 14 prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I con- 
 fess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so 
 
 military seizure of Paul, which Ter- 
 tuUus would represent as an arbitra- 
 ry and tyrannical act We have, 
 probably, only the heads of th's 
 speech, a summaiy of the argument, 
 but it was artfully adapted to its pur- 
 pose. The orator conciliated the fa- 
 vor of Felix by praising his adminis- 
 tration, charged the prisoner Avith the 
 gravest political and religious of- 
 fences — sedition, heresy, ver. 5, and 
 profanation of the temple, ver. 6 — 
 professed that the Jews were about 
 to punish him according to their law, 
 but were prevented by the unwar- 
 rantable interference of Lysias, and 
 concluded by putting in the testimo- 
 ny of witnesses present from Jerusa- 
 lem, who corroborated all his state- 
 ments. 
 
 10. Thou hast been of many years 
 a judge unto this nrttvm, i. e. a ruler, 
 whose office comprehended not only 
 the judicial, but the civil and milita- 
 ry, functions. Felix had been pro- 
 curator of Judea about five years, 
 during which time he bad necessa- 
 rily become conversant with Jewish 
 affairs. The apostle opened his de- 
 fence with a conciliatory remark, 
 based not, like the adulation of his 
 opponent, upon specious pretences, 
 but upon an important and favorable 
 circumstance — that he was permit- 
 ted to argue before one so well qual- 
 
 ified, by long experience in his of- 
 fice, to make a right decision. 
 
 11. It has been observed, that Paul 
 proceeded to clear himself of the three 
 leading accusations fastened upon 
 him by his adversary, viz., sedition, 
 ver. 11-13, heresy, ver. 14-16, and 
 profanation of the temple, ver. 17- 
 21. — Because that thou mayest under- 
 stand. More simply and literally, 
 " thou mayest know," or, " it being in 
 thy power to know," or learn by ev- 
 idence. The present rendering con- 
 nects ver. 11 too strongly to ver. 10. 
 — Tivelve days. About seven days, 
 clinp. xxi. 27, were occupied with the 
 vow, and five with his arrest, confine- 
 ment, and journey to Cesarea. Ver. 
 1. The siiort time he had been in 
 Jerusalem precluded any opportunity 
 to excite the people to sedition, at 
 least in the holy city, whatever he 
 might do elsewhere. — To worship. 
 His object was not sedition or sac- 
 rilege. 
 
 12, 13. He utterly disclaimed any 
 act or attempt that could be construed 
 as a crime against the public peace, 
 whether in the city, temple, syna- 
 gogues, or anywhere among tjie peo- 
 ple, and boldly affirmed the impossi- 
 bility of the charge being sustained 
 by evidence. 
 
 14. Heresy. This is the same word 
 in Greek as mat translated sect in ver. 
 
^ 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are 
 written in the law and in the prophets: and have hope toward 15 
 God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a 
 resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And 16 
 herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void 
 
 5, and simply means "division or 
 schism ; " but without any reference 
 to the present popular notion of her- 
 esy, as being an error of doctrine. 
 The Pharisees were called a sect of 
 the Jews. Chap. xxvi. 5. Paul 
 thought the gospel true ; his enemies 
 did not ; but, in either case, he be- 
 longed to a sect, a division from the 
 rest of the Jews, a new party, Avhich 
 was all tliat was intended to be con- 
 veyed in the text The odium of 
 belonging to a new sect or party in 
 religion gradually associated it in the 
 minds of men as involving error in 
 belief; and hence the origin of tlie 
 modern term, heresy, from the origi- 
 nal Greek, used here and in ver. 5. 
 Thus, all new sects of Christians have 
 been heretics, seceders, schismatics, 
 and holding, in the judgment of op- 
 ponents, an erroneous faitli. Thus, 
 Luther and Calvin M'ere rank here- 
 tics, in the eyes of Rome ; the Puri- 
 tans and Methodists, in the eyes of 
 the English church ; and tlie Unita- 
 rians, in the judgment of the Trinita- 
 rians and Calvinists. Thus, ever}'- 
 new offshoot is a sect, a heresy, from 
 the old stock. Thus does God, not- 
 withstanding human opprobrium and 
 pei-secution, from age to age refine 
 and re-refine his church, that at last 
 it may be without spot or blemish. — 
 So worship I the o^od of my fathers. 
 Or, " so serve I," &c. The Jews en- 
 joyed religious toleration under the 
 Roman government Paul claimed 
 protection under the same broad 
 shield as the rest of his nation. He 
 said, it was true he belonged to a de- 
 spised party, but he, nevertheless, 
 worshipped the God of his fathers, 
 the same God as the rest of the Jews, 
 
 and believed as firmly as they did in \ 
 the law and the prophets. He tliere- \ 
 fore claimed the same toleration as 
 his opponents under the imperial 
 sway of Rome. Religious divisions 
 among themselves were not to be al- 
 lowed as a reason for losing that 
 great common privilege. — Bdieving 
 all things, ^-c. Paul grounded his 
 belief in a Messiah partly upon the 
 argument from the Hebrew Scrip- 
 tures. An intelligent belief in the 
 gospel must necessarily include a 
 conviction of the divine origin and 
 authority of that earlier dispensation, 
 of which it is the fruit and fulfil- 
 ment. 
 
 1.5. He describes also another 
 common ground between himself and 
 a large portion of tlie Jewish people, 
 viz., the belief in tlie resurrection 
 from the dead. Chap, xxiii. 6 ; Dan. 
 xii. 2. This was an additional rea- 
 son why he should still enjoy the 
 same privileges as the rest of his 
 countrymen. 
 
 16. / exercise myself. It is the 
 leading aim arid endeavor of my life. 
 — ./I conscience void of offence toward 
 God and toward men. This decla- 
 ration was a part of his argument, 
 not an expression of vanity, or a mere 
 declaration of personal experience. 
 So far from being a seditious citizen, 
 or an impious blasphemer, he made | 
 
 it the single, paramount end of his 
 life, and his constant effort, to main- 
 tain an unspotted conscience in all 
 his relations and duties both towards 
 God and towards men. The phrase, 
 void of offence, means, literally, " not 
 stumbling," not falling into sin, pure. 
 This earnest expression of rectitude, 
 uttered with all the sincerity of truth, 
 
XXIV.] OF THE APOSTLES. 301 
 
 17 of offence toward God, and toward men. Now, after many 
 
 18 years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings. Where- 
 upon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, 
 
 19 neither with multitude, nor with tumult : who ought to have been 
 
 20 here before thee, and object, if they had aught against me. Or 
 else let these same here say, if they have found any evil-doing in 
 
 21 me, while I stood before the council, except it be for this one 
 voice, that I cried, standing among them. Touching the resur- 
 rection of the dead I am called in question by you this day. 
 
 22 And when Felix heard these things, having more perfect knowl- 
 edge of tliat way, he deferred them, and said. When Lysias the 
 chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your 
 
 while it was in itself a beautiful fea- 
 ture of the apostle's defence, was 
 calculated to weigh not a little in 
 his favor before his judge, who after- 
 wards showed that he was not insen- 
 sible to moral considerations. Ver. 
 25. The great poet would almost 
 ssem to have had this passage in his 
 mind, when he wrote, 
 
 " What stronger breastplate tlian a heart un- 
 
 t. idled? 
 Thrice is he armed, that hath his quarrel just ; 
 And he but naked, though loiked up in steel, 
 Whose conscic nee with injustice is corrupted." 
 
 17, 18. Paul proceeded to explain 
 the circumstances of his arrest, and 
 tlirow off the malicious charge of 
 profaning the temple. — J]Jltr Diany 
 years. It was more than twenty 
 years since the conversion of Paul ; 
 and though he had paid an occasion- 
 al visit to Jerusalem, he had not re- 
 sided there for any length of time 
 during that period. — / came to bring 
 alms, ^*c Chap. xxi. 26. The apos- 
 tle was the bearer of contributions 
 from the Christian churches in Ma- 
 cedonia and Achaia "to the poor 
 saints " in the holy city. 2 Cor. viii. 
 1 - 5, ix. 1 - 5. Instead of coming to 
 Jerusalem for purposes of rebellion 
 and impiety, he brought, as an act at 
 once of kindness to his nation and 
 of piety to God, relief to the poor 
 and suffering, as was before done in 
 VOL. III. 26 
 
 a famine. Chap. xi. 28-30. — Jews 
 from Asia, i. e. the region about 
 Ephesus. Chap. xxi. 27-29. — 
 Found me purified, &fc. They found 
 me performing the vow of purifica- 
 tion in peace and order. 
 
 19-21. The Asian Jews, the 
 original agents in exciting these dif- 
 ficulties, were not present, as they 
 should have been, to testify to the 
 transactions in the temple. In their 
 absence, the accused fearlessly calls 
 upon the witnesses before him to tes- 
 tify to any offence he had committed 
 before the Sanliedrim, unless it were 
 to allege the resurrection to be the 
 matter for which he was brought to 
 trial. This may be supposed to be 
 uttered in irony, as fitted to over- 
 whelm his enemies with mortifica- 
 tion and shame for the uproar into 
 which their council was tin-own by 
 the simple announcement of that sub- 
 ject, and the danger of personal vio- 
 lence to the prisoner. Chap, xxiii. 
 6, 10. 
 
 22. Having more perfect knowledge 
 of that way. This clause is not quite 
 clear. It may be understood that 
 Felix, by the investigation and speech 
 of Paul, had obtained a more accu- 
 rate knowledge of the Christian doc- 
 trine and sect ; or he put off the cause 
 that he migid obtain a better knowl- 
 edge of it ; or the sentence is mig-r 
 
30Q 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 matter. And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to 23 
 let him have liberty, and that he should forbid none of his ac- 
 quaintance to minister, or come unto him. 
 
 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, 24 
 which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning 
 the faith in Christ. A.nd as he reasoned of righteousness, tem- 25 
 perance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, 
 Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I 
 
 placed, as some critics suppose, and 
 the whole would more properly read, 
 " He deferred them, and said, When 
 I shall have a more correct under- 
 standing of this way, or faith, and 
 Lysias shall come down, 1 will give 
 the parties a hearing." — The chief 
 captain shall come, ^c. As he had 
 been a principal agent in some of 
 the transactions, it was important his 
 testimony should be put into the case 
 before an ultimate decision. 
 
 23. The lenity with which the 
 prisoner was treated, and the privi- 
 leges allowed him, showed plainly 
 that he was not regarded by the 
 procurator as a very heinous offend- 
 er. But he detained him, from other 
 considerations, as appears from ver. 
 2(), 27. 
 
 24. Drusilla. She was the daugh- 
 ter of Herod Agrippa, whose death 
 is recorded in chap. xii. 19 - 2^3, and 
 therefore the granddaughter of Her- 
 od the Great The following narra- 
 tive of Josephus shows the criminal- 
 ity of her connexion with Felix. 
 Agrippa, the son of Herod Agrippa, 
 '• gave his sister, Drusilla, in marriage 
 to Aziz, king of the Emesenes, when 
 he had consented to be circumcised. 
 For Epiphanes, the son of king Anti- 
 ochus, had broken the contract with 
 iier, by refusing to. embrace the Jew- 
 ish customs, although he had prom- 
 ised her father he would. But this 
 marriage of Drusilla with Aziz whs 
 dissolved, in a short time, after this 
 manner. When Felix was procurator 
 gf Judea, having had a sight of her, 
 
 he became passionately enamored of 
 her ; and indeed she was the most 
 beautiful of her sex. He therefore 
 sent to her Simon, a Jew of Cyprus, 
 who was one of his friends, and pre- 
 tended to magic, by whom he per- 
 suaded her to leave her husband, and 
 marry him, promising to make her 
 perfectly happy, if she did not dis- 
 dain him. It was far from being a 
 sufficient reason; but, to avoid the 
 envy of her sister, Bernice, who was 
 continually doing her ill offices be- 
 cause of her beauty, she was in- 
 duced to transgress the laws of her 
 country, and marry Felix." — The 
 faith in Christ. The Christian faith, 
 or religion. Drusilla, being a Jew- 
 ess, might have felt an interest in 
 learning Paul's doctrine respecting 
 the Messiah. 
 
 25. Reasoned. Or, discoursed. — 
 Righteousness. Justice, rectitude, a 
 virtue of which Felix had shown him- 
 self sadly deficient. It is observa- 
 ble that Paul did not go into a spec- 
 ulative, or even argumentative, dis- 
 course upon the gospel, but seized 
 with a skilful hand upon the great 
 practical points, such as would not 
 only convey to his distinguished au- 
 ditors a knowledge of the plan and 
 spirit of Christianity, but would bear 
 w4th pungent force, though witli 
 Christian courtesy, upon their hearts 
 and consciences. Nor did the cir- 
 cumstance that he was dependent, as 
 a prisoner, upon Felix, for pardon and 
 life, make him waver a moment in 
 discharging his duty as a preacher of 
 
OF THE APOSTLKS. 
 
 303 
 
 XXIV.j 
 
 26 will call for thee. He hoped also that money should have been 
 given hiin of Paul, that he might loose him : wherefore he sent 
 
 27 for him the oftener, and communed with him. But after two 
 
 years Porcius Festus came into Felix' room: and Felix, willing 
 to show the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. 
 
 righteousness, and rebuker of wick- 
 edness, though in high places. His 
 lofty moral courage, and the fidelity 
 with which he dealt with the charac- 
 ters of his hearers, showed how far 
 he was elevated above every selfish 
 consideration in his office. — Tem- 
 perance. Or, continence, chastity ; 
 or, in general, the government of 
 the animal passions and appetites. — 
 Judgment to come. The doctrine of 
 a future righteous retribution, in 
 which every man would receive ac- 
 cording to the deeds done in the 
 body, whether good or bad. These 
 topics were all such as were adapt- 
 ed to produce compunctions of con- 
 science in the guilty pair, for they had 
 been grossly unjust and sensual, and 
 had acted with but little reference to 
 moral obligation, and the decisions 
 of the Infinite Judge. — Felix trem- 
 bled. The words of the fearless 
 preacher were not without their ef- 
 fect Conscience, though seared, felt 
 the reproof, and Felix, clothed as he 
 was in pomp and royalty, trembled 
 on his throne. — Go thy way for this 
 time : lohen I have a convenient sen- 
 son,, &fc. But, though he heard the 
 call of duty and repentance, he yield- 
 ed to the habit of procrastination, and 
 dismissed the apostle to his lonely 
 cell. The fatal words passed his 
 lips, and no " convenient season " 
 ever returned again to bring the sin- 
 ner back from his wanderings. He 
 heard Paul again and again, ver. 26, 
 but that peculiar emotion, that unu- 
 sual tenderness, was no more felt. 
 The opportunity had passed forever. 
 So solemn, so eagerly to be sought, 
 and so faithfully to be used, is the 
 season of an awakened conscience. 
 
 Yet, how many bid it depart for this 
 tiine, and promise themselves a con- 
 venient season, which never comes ! 
 " Behold, now is the day of sajva- 
 tion." 
 
 26. Hoped also tJiat money, S^'c. 
 The times were full of fraud and cor- 
 ruption, and Felix was venal and av- 
 aricious. He showed how much more 
 powerful is the confirmed habit of 
 one's life than tlie appeal of trutii, 
 though urged with all the eloquence 
 of an apostle, and responded to by 
 one's own moral nature. He is the 
 same Felix as before, or even more 
 hardened, and adds new acts of tyr- 
 anny. Perhaps he thought Paul 
 would devote the funds, raised in 
 distant churches for the relief of the 
 poor in Judea, to tlie purchase of his 
 own freedom ; but he did not know 
 the man. He might suppose, also, 
 that the prisoner's friends, who had 
 been so liberal on other occasions, 
 would at this time show a like gen- 
 erosity. He did not understand that 
 they would shrink from bribery as a 
 crime. — Sent for him the oftener, S^c. 
 The subject of these interviews has 
 no record ; but Felix might intimate 
 the base proposal of opening his 
 prison with a golden key. Two 
 years the captive pined in the ty- 
 rant's hands, and heard and resisted 
 the whispers of the tempter, if such 
 an opportunity to obtain his freedom 
 coidd be any temptation to the incor- 
 ruptible apostle. Olshausen suggests 
 that God granted him this quiet pe- 
 riod for spiritual recruiting and in- 
 vigoration Avithin his own nature, as 
 he did other seasons for action and 
 usefulness. 
 
 27. Porcius Festus. He was the 
 
304 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Char 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 Paul defends himself against the Jews before Festus, and is afterwards brought 
 before Agrippa and Bernice. 
 
 INOW when Festus was come into the province, after three 
 days he ascended from Cesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high- 2 
 priest and the chief of the Jews informed him against Paul, and 
 besought him, and desired favor against him, that he would send 3 
 for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But t 
 Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cesarea, and that 
 he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, 5 
 
 twelfth procurator of Judea, A. D. 
 58 - 62, and died in that country. — 
 Came into Felix^ room. Was his 
 successor in office. — Felix, ivilling 
 to show the Jev)S a pleasure. To grat- 
 ify them, to ingratiate himself with 
 them. This, likewise, was in precise 
 accordance with his character, as 
 depicted by Tacitus, Suetonius, and 
 Josephus. But, like most crimes, 
 it failed of its purpose. The Jews 
 preferred complaints, at the imperial 
 court, of the maladministration of 
 Felix, and he was sent as a prisoner 
 to Rome, and only escaped punish- 
 ment by the intercessions of his broth- 
 er, Pallas, with Nero. This favorite 
 of tlie emperor, though partially in 
 disgrace himself, was able to screen 
 his brother from his just deserts. 
 Among his numerous otlier acts of 
 wickedness, during his term of office, 
 Felix procured the assassination of 
 Jonathan, the high-priest, throug-h 
 the aid of the sicarii, because he 
 reproved him too faithfully for the 
 abuses of his administration. The 
 final history of this bad ruler is not 
 recorded; but it is said, though 
 doubtfully, that Drusilla, with her 
 son by Felix, perished in a tremen- 
 dous eruption of Mount Vesuvius. 
 
 The simplicity of the Christian 
 religion, as presented in all the ad- 
 dresses of Paul, and even when he 
 was called especially to discourse 
 "concerning the faith in Christ," 
 
 ver. 24, the sin of resisting good 
 impressions, the danger of delay, ver. 
 25, and the contrast between the 
 character of the apostle and that of 
 his powerful, but corrupt, hearers, 
 furnish topics for interesting reflec- 
 tions. 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 1. The province, i. e. of Judea. — 
 He ascended. The usual term for 
 going to the capital of a nation ; and 
 more proper in this connexion, as 
 Cesarea %vas on the seaboard, and 
 Jerusalem inland. 
 
 2, 3. Informed. Or, " brought an 
 accusation." Their malice had slum- 
 bered two years, but not died ; and, 
 upon the accession of a new procu- 
 rator to the government, the Jews 
 hoped they might secure a decision 
 in their favor. — Laying ivait in the 
 way, ^T. This was the revival of 
 the nefarious plan of chap, xxiii. 15, 
 which seemed now to be under the 
 direct patronage of the first men in 
 Jerusalem. 
 
 4. That Paul shoidd he kept, S,-c. 
 Better, with Bloomfield, "that Paul 
 was in confinement at Cesarea ; " for, 
 as he was imprisoned there, it was 
 proper his trial should be in that 
 place. 
 
 5. JVIiich among you are able. 
 Either the persons of weight and 
 standing, or those Avho could conve- 
 niently attend tlie trial. — If there be 
 
XXV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 305 
 
 said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and 
 
 6 accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And 
 
 when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he Ment 
 down unto Cesarea ; and the next day sitting on the judgment- 
 
 7 seat, commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come", 
 the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, 
 and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they 
 
 8 could not prove ; while he answered for himself, Neither against 
 the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against 
 
 9 Cesar have I offended any thing at all. But Festus, willing to 
 do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said. Wilt thou go 
 up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before mel 
 
 10 Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's judgment-seat, where I ought 
 to be judged : to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very 
 
 11 well knowest. For if I be an offender, or have committed any 
 thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die : but if there be none 
 of these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me 
 
 any wickedness in him. Literally, 
 according to the best reading, " if 
 there be any thing in this man." 
 
 6. More than ten days. Griesbach 
 reads, "not more than eight or ten 
 days," which better corresponds with 
 ver. 4, that he should depart shortly 
 to Cesarea. 
 
 7, 8. Many and grievous com- 
 plaints^ fyc. A repetition, probably, 
 of the charge before Felix, chap, 
 xxiv. 5, 6. — The law of the Jews, — 
 the temple, — Cesar. These were the 
 principal heads of accusation before, 
 viz., that he was guilty of sedition, 
 of profaning the temple, and of being 
 the ringleader of the Nazarenes. 
 
 9. Willing; to do the Jews a pleas- 
 ure. Like Pontius Pilate, who con- 
 demned Jesus to be crucified to grat- 
 ify the Jews ; and like Felix, who 
 left Paul bound two years for the 
 same object, Festus was willing to 
 purchase popularity at the price of 
 injustice. — JVilt thou go up to Jeru- 
 salem'? He could only have asked 
 this question at tlie instigation of the 
 Jews, who thus hoped for an oppor- 
 26* 
 
 tunity to make way with Paul, 
 while upon the journey. 
 
 10, 11. / stand at Cesar"* s judg- 
 ment-seat, i. e. the tribunal of Festus 
 was, in authority and name, the bar 
 of the Roman emperor, — who went 
 under the generic designation of 
 Cesar, from Julius Cesar, the first 
 of the dynasty. The apostle had 
 committed no crime cognizable by 
 the Jews, could hope for no justice 
 from them, and was unwilling to 
 hazard his life by returning into the 
 midst of his bitter enemies. — As 
 thou very ivell knowest. There is a 
 comparative degree in the original, 
 as if to say, " You know it better than 
 1 can tell you ; " or, " than you seem to 
 wish to know it." The examination 
 before Festus was sufficient to show 
 him the innocence of the accused. — 
 If I be an offender, fyc. The apostle 
 magnanimously declared that, if he 
 merited death, he was willing to 
 suffer the penalty of the law ; but, 
 being an innocent and injured man, 
 he would not consent to go to Jeru- 
 salem, which he seemed to consider 
 
30G 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 unto them. I appeal unto Cesar. Then Festus, when he had 12 
 conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto 
 Cesar ? unto Cesar shalt thou go. 
 
 And after certain days, king Agrippa and Bernice came unto 13 
 Cesarea, to salute Festus. And when they had been there many 14 
 days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying. There 
 is a certain man left in bonds by Felix : about whom, when I 15 
 was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews 
 informed me, desiring to have judgment against him. To whom 16 
 I answered, It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any 
 man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers 
 face to face, and have license to answer for himself concerning 
 
 as equivalent to being delivered up 
 to the Jews, — since they would 
 undoubtedly find means, by force or 
 fraud, to get him into tlieir hands. — 
 / appeal unto Ctsar. This was a 
 privilege which a Roman citizen 
 enjoyed, in case of any wrong or 
 injustice, real or supposed, to appeal 
 from the provincial judiciary to the 
 people of Rome for redress ; or, after 
 the empire succeeded to the republic, 
 to the emperor. The apostle de- 
 spaired of justice in Judea, and chose 
 to have even such a tyrant as Nero, 
 who then sat upon the throne, as 
 his judge, than be any longer at 
 the mercy of corrupt and ambitious 
 rulers. 
 
 12. When he had conferred with 
 the council. Lardner has conclu- 
 sively shown, that this council was a 
 Roman, and not a Jewish, one, and 
 consisted of the chief oflicers of the 
 province. Thus, Petronius is cited 
 as consulting with " his assessors 
 what was proper to be done;" and 
 Gallus, as conferring " with his cap- 
 tains." — Hasl thou appealed unfa 
 Cesar ? This is more properly point- 
 ed without an interrogation, as an 
 affirmation, — which is done by Lu- 
 ther, Tyndale, Markland, Wake- 
 field, Thomson, Sacy, and otliers, — 
 "Thou hast appealed unto Cesar; 
 and unto Cesar shalt thou o^o." 
 
 13. Ki7ig Jlgrippa. Called Agrip- 
 pa the Younger, — the son of Herod 
 Agrippa, who died at Cesarea, chap, 
 xii. 23 ; and the grandson of Herod 
 the Great. He was 17 years old 
 at his father's decease ; and, through 
 the favor of Claudius Cesar, was ap- 
 pointed king of Chalcis, and after- 
 wards promoted to a wider dominion, 
 which was still further increased 
 under Nero. At this period, there- 
 fore, he was enjoying the power and 
 title of a king ; and came to Cesarea 
 on a visit of congratulation to Festus 
 upon his accession to the government 
 of Judea. — Bernice. Or, as some- 
 times written, Berenice. A sister of 
 Agrippa, and also of Drusilla. Chap, 
 xxiv. 24. She was first married to 
 her uncle Herod, king of Chalcis; 
 and, after his death, to Polemon, 
 king of Pontus and part of Cilicia. 
 But she deserted him, and lived with 
 her brother Agrippa, as was sup- 
 posed, in a criminal manner ; and 
 afterwards became the mistress of 
 Titus. She was distinguished for 
 her beauty and sensuality. 
 
 14. Declared PauVs cause unto the 
 kino;. As Agrippa was well versed 
 in Jewish matters. — Left in bonds. 
 Literally, " a prisoner." Chap. xxiv. 
 27. 
 
 15. 16. We here learn the nature 
 of the Jews' application to Festus. 
 
XXV.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 307 
 
 17 the crime laid against him. Therefore, when they were come 
 hither, without any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment- 
 
 18 seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth; against 
 whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation 
 
 19 of such things as I supposed : but had certain questions against 
 him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, 
 
 20 whom Paul affirmed to be alive. And because I doubted of 
 such manner of questions, I asked Mm whether he would go to 
 
 21 Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. But when 
 Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of AugUstus, 
 I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Cesar. 
 
 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man my- 
 self. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 
 
 23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, 
 
 Ver. 2, 3. — It is not the manner of 
 the Romans, &,•€. The Romans were 
 superior to most nations of that pe- 
 riod in their jurisprudence ; and 
 many of their laws have descend*! 
 to modern times, and been incorpo- 
 rated into existing systems. The 
 statement of the text is substantiated 
 by other authors : — thus Appian 
 says, " It is not their custom to con- 
 demn men before they are heard." 
 Philo says of the Roman prefects, 
 " They yielded themselves to be the 
 common judges, hearing equally the 
 accusers and defendants, condemning 
 no man unheard, prejudging no man, 
 but judging Avithout favor or enmity, 
 according to the nature of the case." 
 Tacitus also remarks, that " a de- 
 fendant is not to be prohibited from 
 adducing all things, by which his 
 innocence may be established." The 
 justice of such laws is happily ex- 
 emplified in our own judicature. 
 
 18, 19. JVbne accusation, S^'c. He 
 ascertained, what was unexpected to 
 him, that the prisoner Avas charged 
 Avith no flagrant violation of laAv, 
 but Avith certain offences rather of a 
 religious, than a civil or political, 
 nature. — Of their oion superstition. 
 Better, " of their OAvn religion ; " for 
 
 Festus Avas conversing with a Jew, 
 and he Avould, as a matter of common 
 courtesy, speak respectfully of the 
 laAv. It is the same word as that 
 used in an adjective form, in chap, 
 xvii. 22. See note thereupon. — Of 
 one Jesus, ^"c. In so contemptuous 
 a light, to the Roman ruler, appeared 
 at that time the glorious doctrine of 
 the resurrection, Avhich has since 
 gone abroad to give life and hope to 
 men, while he and his nation, in all 
 their boasted pomp and power, are 
 only knoAvn from their connexion 
 Avith that same "Jesus Avhich was 
 dead," and his apostle " Paul." Truly, 
 " God hath chosen the Aveak things 
 of the Avorld, to confound the things 
 Avhich are mighty." 
 
 20, 21. / doubted of such manner 
 of questions. The margin reads, " 1 
 was doubtful hoAv to inquire hereof." 
 
 — To he reserved. Or, kept. — The 
 hearing of .Augustus. Or, the trial, 
 or examination, before the emperor, 
 
 — Avho Avas so called after Augustus, 
 the successor of Julius Cesar. 
 
 23. JVith gi-eat pomp. With the 
 pageantry and splendor of royalty. — 
 Chief captains. " Chiliarchs," or trib- 
 unes, commanders of a thousand men. 
 See note on chap. xxi. 31. 
 
308 THE ACTS [Chap 
 
 with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, 
 with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' 
 commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King 24 
 Agrippa, and all men which are here present with us, ye see this 
 man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have dealt with 
 me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not 
 to live any longer. But when I found that he had committed 25 
 nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to 
 Augustus, I have determined to send him. Of whom I have no 26 
 certain thing to write unto my lord. Wherefore I have brought 
 him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, 
 that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. 
 For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not 27 
 withal to signify the crimes laid against him. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 Paul's Defence before Agrippa. 
 
 XHEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak 
 for thyself Then Paul stretched lorih the hand, and answered 
 for himself: I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall 2 
 answer for myself this day before thee, touching all the things 
 whereof I am accused of the Jews : especially, because I know 3 
 
 25. Hnih appealed. Grammatical in upon the scene in which Paul ap- 
 uniformity in the tenses requires peared before Festus, Agrippa, and 
 " had appealed." Bernice, and made his defence. 
 
 26. jYo certain thing. Festus There appear to have been two 
 thus condemned himself out of his reasons why Paul appealed to Rome, 
 own mouth; for if there were no 1. That he might escape from the 
 charges against the accused, suf- plots of his countrymen, and enjoy a 
 ficiently clear even to furnish matter fairer trial. 2. That he might visit 
 for a statement to the emperor, hoAv the metropolis of the world, and there 
 much less was there any thing Avor- preach the gospel. 
 
 thy of his detention. — My lord, i. e. 
 
 Cesnr. — I might have somewhat to CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 write. The object was to gfain, by 1. Stretched forth the hand. A 
 
 an examination before Agrippa, — gesture of earnestness elsewhere 
 
 who was conversant with Jewish spoken of in ancient writings, 
 
 questions, — such a knowledge of 2, 3. Before thee. To conciliate 
 
 the real merits of the case as would the attention and candor of Agrippa, 
 
 be proper to lay before the imperial the apostle employs no compliments 
 
 court. The division of the chapter or flatteries, as such, but states a fact 
 
 at this place is likewise unfortunate, at once honorable to the king, and 
 
 as in previous instances, and breaks auspicious to his own cause. — To 
 
XXVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 30^ 
 
 thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among 
 the Jews : wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently. 
 
 4 My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among 
 
 5 mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew 
 me from the beginning, (if they would testify,) that after the 
 
 6 most straitest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee. And now 
 I stand, and am judged for the hope of the promise made of 
 
 7 God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, 
 instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which 
 
 8 hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why 
 should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should 
 
 9 raise the dead ? 1 verily thought with myself, that I ought 
 
 to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. 
 
 be expert, ^c. Chap. xxiv. 10. It 
 was true that Agrippa was brought 
 up by his father, Herod, as a Jew, 
 educated in tlie law and the usages 
 of their religion and nation, and 
 afterwards thrown into such public 
 affairs as would mature his mind in 
 all such matters. He is supposed to 
 have been 33 years old at this time, 
 and his sister Bernice one year 
 younger. 
 
 5. The most straitest. Grammati- 
 cal accuracy requires " the straitest." 
 — / lived a Pharisee. Phil. iii. 4-6. 
 The sect of Pharisees was exceed- 
 ingly scrupulous in the observance, 
 not only of the Mosaic ritual, but of 
 all traditional customs, though often 
 destitute of practical goodness. Mat 
 V. 20, xxiii. 23. 
 
 6, 7. The hope of the promise made 
 of God unto our fathers, i. e. the 
 liope founded on the promise. Some 
 understand this to mean the hope of 
 the resurrection from the dead ; but 
 it is more natural to refer it to the 
 Jewish hope of a Messiah. God had 
 promised to the patriarchs, that in 
 their seed all the nations of the earth 
 should be thus blessed. — Twelve 
 tribes, i. e. the Jewish nation under 
 their ancient title. — Instantly serv- 
 ing God day and night. By which 
 
 is meant their constant and earnest 
 service. — Hope to come. Or, "to 
 attain." Even to this day, tliat sub- 
 lime old hope is struggling deeply 
 in all Jewish hearts throughout the 
 world. The disappointment of two 
 thousand years has not quenched it. 
 It is one of the most remarkable sen- 
 timents that has ever actuated large 
 masses of mankind ; and it appears 
 to owe its original strength, judging 
 simply from its duration, to a higher 
 than mortal source. — For which 
 hope's sake. Paul was suffering in 
 behalf of the fulfilment of this expec- 
 tation, in endeavoring to convince 
 the Jews that their Messiah had 
 already come. 
 
 8. Why should it be thought, ^c. 
 The resurrection was the crowning 
 proof of the Messiahship ; and the 
 apostle remonstrated with his hearers 
 for thinking it incredible that that 
 proof could be given, or had been 
 given. It was limiting the power 
 of God, and making human expe- 
 rience the test of the ways of 
 Omnipotence. 
 
 9. That I ought, &fc. To give 
 smoothness and courtesy to his ar- 
 gument and appeal to his hearers, 
 he stated his own backwardness to 
 believe, and showed that he finally 
 
310 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 Which thing I also did in Jerusalem : and many of the saints 10 
 did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief 
 priests; and when they vi^ere put to death, I gave my voice 
 against them. And I punished them oft in every synagogue, 11 
 and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad 
 
 against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 
 
 Whereupon, as I went to Damascus, with authority and com- 12 
 mission from the chief priests, at mid-day, O king, I saw in the 13 
 way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining ^ 
 round about me, and them which journeyed with me. And 14 
 when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking 
 unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why 
 persecutest thou me ? It is hard for thee to kick against the 
 pricks. And I said, Who art thou, Lord ? And he said, I am 15 
 Jesus whom thou persecutest. But rise, and stand upon thy 16 
 feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make 
 thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou 
 hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto 
 thee ; delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, 17 
 
 adopted the Christian faith on no 
 slight or insufficient grounds. On 
 the subject of his conscientiousness, 
 in his unbelief and persecution of 
 the church, see note on chap, xxiii. 1. 
 Sincerity is not the test of trutli, 
 though it is of honesty. 
 
 ] 0. Saints, i. e. Christians. — 
 When they were put to death, %•€. 
 Stephen, and probably others, suf- 
 fered martyrdom in that early per- 
 secution, of which Paul appeared 
 as the presiding genius and actor. 
 Chap. vii. 58, viii. 1-3, ix. 1. 
 
 11. Compelled them to blaspheme. 
 Or, urged, or constrained, them to 
 blaspheme or revile their Lord. An 
 illustration of tliis passage may be 
 found in Pliny's letter to the emperor 
 Trajan, respecting the Christians, in 
 which he says that some of those 
 who were arraigned, " reviled Christ," 
 "uttered invectives against him." 
 The Jewish persecutors seem to have 
 extorted from their victims the same 
 
 evidences of their rejection of the 
 Messiah. — Exceedingly mad. He 
 frankly confessed that he was hur- 
 ried away by his ungovernable pas- 
 sions, and was beside himself with 
 anger. — Strange cities. Only one is 
 specified, — Damascus, — but perhaps 
 there were others, not recorded. 
 
 12-16. See chap. ix. 2-6, and 
 notes. This is the third account of 
 Paul's conversion; and some inter- 
 esting particulars are added, — as, 
 that the voice was in the Hebrew 
 tongue ; and also a more full de- 
 scription of the office to which he 
 was called, was given in ver. 16-18. 
 
 16. Witness. Paul was a witness 
 of what he had seen, and of what 
 had been revealed to him, as well as 
 the Twelve. Chap. i. 22. 
 
 17. Delivering. The preferable 
 rendering is, "selecting, or choos- 
 ing." — From the people. The Jevrs. 
 Chap. ix. 15, 
 
XXVI.] 
 
 OP THE APOSTLES. 
 
 311 
 
 13 unto whom now I send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn 
 them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto 
 God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance 
 among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. 
 
 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the 
 
 20 heavenly vision : but showed first unto them of Damascus, and 
 at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then 
 to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do 
 
 21 works meet for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught 
 
 22 me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore 
 obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both 
 to small and great, saying none other things than those which 
 
 23 the prophets and Moses did say should come ; that Christ should 
 suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the 
 dead, and should show light unto the people, and to the Gen- 
 
 18. Here is a concise description 
 of the object of the gospel, given in 
 the highly figurative and poetical 
 style of the East — The poiver of 
 Satan, i. e. the kingdom of evil, of 
 which Satan is represented as the 
 head or ruler. See Col. i. 12-14, 
 for an illustration, in different lan- 
 guage, of the same ideas contained 
 in this verse. All must confess that 
 the object of Christ's coming — which 
 was elevated heaven-high above all 
 others — was to save men from sin, 
 from darkness and error; to give 
 them hght, life, forgiveness, and a 
 bright and beautiful inlieritance 
 among the blest ; in one word, to 
 make them better and wiser, and to 
 lead them up to happiness, heaven, 
 God ; and that the great instrument 
 was faith in him, as is stated at the 
 end of the verse. Why need it ever 
 be asked, "What is Christianity?" 
 when the answer is written in sp 
 many places, in the New Testament, 
 in such luminous words. 
 
 20. The order was to speak first 
 to the Jews, then to the Gentiles ; 
 and the sequence of duty, — first, to 
 repent of the past, seek help from 
 God, and then lead a renewed life. 
 
 — Do works meet for repentance, i. e. 
 live in accordance with their change 
 of motives and feelings from bad to 
 good, and act in a manner becoming 
 their new profession. 
 
 21. For these causes, ^'C. The 
 hostility of the Jews was provoked 
 by his success as an apostle, and his 
 preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, 
 and opening to them the privileges 
 and promises of ttie Messiah's king- 
 dom. — Went about, i. e. sought, or 
 tried. 
 
 22, 23. To small and great, i. e. 
 all classes, the lowly and lofty. He 
 argued with great confidence before 
 Agrippa as a Jcav, from the Jewish 
 Scriptures, that the Messiah was to 
 be a sufferer ; that he was to rise 
 from the dead ; and that he was to 
 be the moral guide, not only of the 
 children of Israel, but also of the 
 Gentiles. Luke xxiv. 26, 27, 44 - 46. 
 
 — That Christ should suffer. It was 
 always a great stumbling-block to 
 the Jews, that Jesus should suffer 
 upon the cross. Their ideal of the 
 Messiah was a triumphant hero. In 
 affirming, therefore, as Paul did, that 
 it was the prediction of their own 
 Scriptures that he should suffer, die, 
 
312 
 
 tiles 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 — And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with 2i 
 a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth 
 make thee mad. But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; 25 
 but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. For the king 26 
 knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely. For 
 I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him ; 
 
 and rise again, he argued directly to 
 their state of mind, and gave proof 
 that Jesus was the Christ. — Tlie 
 Jirst that shovld lise. He was the 
 first to rise, and not die again. 
 
 24. Festus conceived the wonder- 
 ful story, ver. 12 - 15, or the earnest 
 zeal of Paul, to evince derangement 
 of mind ; or, perhaps, he intimated 
 it not as an established fact, but 
 warned him of a dangerous tenden- 
 cy. — Much learning. He laid, with 
 seeming forbearance and courtesy, 
 his aberrations to the charge of his 
 studious habits and devotion to theol- 
 ogy. It was an ancient opinion, that 
 great absorption in study produced 
 mental alienation. Posterity has long 
 since decided which was most truly 
 the madman, — Paul, yielding to 
 the will of God, and preachinfj the 
 gospel at the hazard and loss of his 
 life, — or the Roman governor, ele- 
 vated in power and station, but en- 
 slaved to the capricious pleasure of 
 the people, courting the favor of the 
 great and powerful, and wronging 
 a helpless prisoner for the sake of 
 popularity. Chap. xxv. 9. It is an 
 easy reply to make to the earnest 
 preacher of the gospel, and to tlie 
 zealous reformer of corrupt institu- 
 tions and sinful practices, that they 
 are fanatics, enthusiasts, madmen. 
 But, in the sight of God, they are 
 truly the most sane and sensible 
 men, who elevate moral and religious 
 interests to the highest place in hu- 
 man regard; who cling to truth as 
 a reality, the most important reality 
 in nature ; and who would rather 
 
 die, if occasion called for it, than 
 yield the controversy against igno- 
 rance, sin, and wretchedness. 
 
 25. Most nolle. When reviled, 
 he reviled not again; but used the 
 same respectful address as before. — 
 The words of truth and soberness. 
 So far from being insane, he boldly 
 affirmed that he uttered the very 
 words of truth and sanity. He was 
 at the antipodes of madness. His 
 doctrines were the essence of wis- 
 dom, the soul of truth. 
 
 26. For the kiiig knoweth. With 
 admirable skill he parried the slight- 
 ing charge of the cold-hearted Ro- 
 man, who would naturally look on 
 these subjects with an unsympathiz- 
 ing mind, by appealing directly to 
 the Jewish king, whose education 
 had better prepared him to appre- 
 ciate Paul's reasoning. He chal- 
 lenged the experience and observa- 
 tion of one who had enjoyed the 
 opportunity of an enlarged acquaint- 
 ance with Jewish affairs, to bear 
 witness to its truth. — This thing 
 was not done in a corner. The con- 
 version of Paul was a matter of public 
 notoriety. He had been distinguished 
 as a persecutor, and his change of 
 faith Avould be well known to those 
 with whom he had been associated, 
 and to the people at large. Chris- 
 tianity was, in all respects, open to 
 the inspection of the world: its 
 whole course; the life and history 
 of its Founder and disciples ; its 
 doctrines, institutions, and privileges, 
 — were not hidden, but proclaimed 
 upon the house-tops. John xviii. 20. 
 
XXVI.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 313 
 
 27 for this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, be- 
 
 28 lievest thou the prophets ? I know that thou believest. Then 
 Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a 
 
 29 Christian. And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, 
 but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and alto- 
 gether such as I am, except these bonds. 
 
 30 And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the 
 
 31 governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them : and when 
 they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, saying. 
 
 27. Believest thou the prophets'^ 
 He knew that Agrippa had been 
 educated as a Jew ; and he confi- 
 dently put the question to him re- 
 specting the prophets, — whose works 
 furnished a leading argument for the 
 Messiahship of Jesus. But, with a 
 stroke of nature and truth, he in- 
 stantly added, "I know tliat thou 
 believest;" thus precluding a neg- 
 ative answer, — if one was ready to 
 be given, — and favorably impress- 
 ing, and forestalling the good opinion 
 of Agrippa, by the frankness and 
 confidence of his appeal to his Jew- 
 ish feelings. History contains few 
 more masterly and effective efforts 
 of eloquence, than this address of 
 Paul before Agrippa ; and even Lon- 
 ginus, a heathen, enrols, in his Trea- 
 tise on Sublimity, the name of the 
 apostle in the catalogue of celebrated 
 Grecian orators. 
 
 28. Mmost. Literally, "in a lit- 
 tle," or in a short time, or soon. A 
 question has been raised, whether 
 Agrippa was serious or not in this 
 declaration. He was probably as 
 much so as such a man could be on 
 such a subject He was a worldly, 
 haughty, and sensual man, — though 
 better than many of his name and 
 family, — and what he said was 
 rather meant as a compliment to 
 Paul for his zeal and eloquence, than 
 as a literal announcement of his own 
 sober convictions. He spoke not in 
 irony, but in politeness. 
 
 VOL. III. 27 
 
 29. Such as lam, except these bomb. 
 Never was a happier turn given to 
 the current of remark. With refined 
 courtesy, and at the same moment 
 with a pure and expansive Christian 
 love, the apostle lifted up his fettered 
 hands, and expressed the beautiful 
 wish of the text. True religion is 
 not envious, or exclusive ; it only 
 asks that all may taste of the purest 
 joys known to itself. How sublime 
 this burst of an earnest and strong- 
 souled nature, forgetting all distinc- 
 tions between the parties — robes 
 and chains — liberty and bondage — 
 wealth and poverty — the royal 
 throne and the criminal's bar — and 
 leaping with one bound to the grand 
 conclusion ! Every enmity, and 
 wrong, and fear, is swallowed up 
 in that deep love; and the only 
 prayer is, that all might taste of the 
 same celestial blessedness ; but then 
 one dark shade crossed his mind 
 of his own woes, and he simply and 
 kindly said, "except these bonds." 
 Such was the worthy and the exqui- 
 site close of this masterpiece of Chris- 
 tian eloquence and appeal, which 
 bears so many intrinsic proofs that it 
 was the product of the same mind as 
 the glowing, affectionate epistles. 
 Rom. x. 1. 
 
 30, 3L The Icing rose up, Sfc. The 
 power of the appeal was perhaps too 
 tenderly felt by Agrippa, for him to 
 allow himself to remain any longer 
 exposed to its subduing influence; 
 
314 THE ACTS [Chap 
 
 This man doeth nothing worthy of death, or of bonds. Then 32 
 
 said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at 
 liberty, if he had not appealed unto Cesar. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVn. 
 
 ITie Voyage and Shipwreck qf Paid. 
 
 And when it was determined, that we should sail into Italy, 
 they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named 
 Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band. And entering into a 2 
 ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts 
 of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being 
 
 and he first rose to dismiss the as- 
 sembly. — This man doeth, ^r. The 
 result of their private consultation 
 was, that Paul was exempt from any 
 criminal charge. He had convinced 
 them of his innocence. 
 
 32. Agrippa was so assured of tlie 
 injustice of the accusation brought 
 against the prisoner, that he hesi- 
 tated not to say, Jew though he was, 
 that Paul might have been set at lib- 
 erty had he not appealed to the Ro- 
 man emperor ; for, in tliat way, the 
 jurisdiction of Festus over him had 
 ceased, as well for an acquittal and 
 release as for a condemnation. There 
 could be no retraction. Paul had ap- 
 pealed only in an extremity, by con- 
 straint, chap, xxviii. 19, when there 
 was a prospect he might be remand- 
 ed to Jerusalem, and subjected to tlie 
 plots of his old, implacable enemies. 
 
 The address of Paul, its argu- 
 ments, its spirit, its sincerity, its 
 courage, its truth, its calm zeal, fur- 
 nish circumstantial evidence of no 
 slight strength for the trutii of that 
 religion in whose behalf lie spoke 
 and suifered. We ask, Avith confi- 
 dence, knowing there can be but 
 one answer. Could imposture, could 
 enthusiasm, could any thing, short 
 of a true faith and a holy religion, 
 have produced such a speech as this 
 of the apostle before Agrippa ? Then 
 may a fountain send forth, at the 
 
 same place, sweet water and bitter ; 
 and the fig-tree bear olive-berries, 
 and a vine, figs. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVn. 
 
 1. That we should sail. The use 
 of the first person plural indicates 
 the presence of the writer with Paul 
 in his voyage and shipwreck. The 
 apostle had appealed to the emperor, 
 and must therefore be carried to 
 Rome, in Italy, where he resided. — 
 Certain other prisoneis. It is shown, 
 by the commentators, that it was cus- 
 tomary to send prisoners from the 
 provinces to Rome, for trial. — ^u- 
 giistus^ band. Or, cohort, one per- 
 taining to the emperor. Suetonius 
 and Lipsius are cited to corroborate 
 tliis fact. Some of the Roman le- 
 gions bore the same honorary title. 
 A legion included several cohorts. 
 
 2. Adramyttium. A port in Asia 
 Minor, lying upon tlie vEgean Sea, 
 and belonging to Mysia, or ^olia. 
 There is still a town in that region, 
 called Jldramyt. — Launched. Or, 
 set sail. — To sail hy the coasts of 
 Asia, i. e. Asia Minor. It was a 
 coasting vessel, trafficking from port 
 to port. — Ai-istarchus. See chap. xix. 
 29, XX. 4. He was afterwards, though 
 not, probably, at this time, a fellow- 
 prisoner with Paul. Col. iv. 10. Af- 
 ter an imprisonment of more than 
 two year.--, chap. xxiv. 27, the apostle 
 
XXVIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 315 
 
 3 with us. And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius 
 courteously entreated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his 
 
 4 friends to refresh himself And when we had launched from 
 thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the winds were con- 
 
 6 trary. And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and 
 
 6 Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. And there 
 
 the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing into Italy ; and 
 
 7 he put us therein. And when we had sailed slowly many days, 
 and scarce were come over against Cnidus, the wind not suffer- 
 
 left Judea, in bonds, and did not 
 again return. He was accompanied 
 by at least two friends, Luke and 
 Aristarchus, and doubtless more, 
 who would sustain and encourage 
 one another. 
 
 3. Sidon. See chap. xii. 20. — 
 Entreated. For " treated." — His 
 friends. The gospel had been 
 preached in Phoenicia long before. 
 Chap. xi. 19. The kindness shown 
 to Paul was no doubt attributable to 
 the favorable opinion of Festus and 
 Agrippa, respecting his innocence. 
 
 4. We sailed under Cyprus. Chap, 
 iv. 36. This phrase is doubtful, but 
 means, as is most likely, that they 
 sailed along the soutliern coast of 
 the island, and thus sheltered them- 
 selves from the unfavorable winds. 
 It is the opinion of others that they 
 sailed on the north side of Cyprus. 
 The ancient navigators, ignorant of 
 the mariner's compass, and many 
 other means and resources now en- 
 joyed, were accustomed to creep as 
 much as possible along the shores, in 
 sight of land ; whereas, with all the 
 wonderful improvements of modern 
 times, the open sea is considered the 
 least exposed to danger. 
 
 5. The sea of Cilicia and Pam- 
 phylia, i. e. the part of the Mediter- 
 ranean which washed those provinces 
 of Asia Minor on the north, and Cy- 
 prus on the south and south-east — 
 Myra. This was the capital of Ly- 
 cia, situated upon the sea-coast. — 
 
 Lycia was a maritime district of 
 Asia Minor, bounded on the north by 
 Pamphylia, and on the east, west, and 
 south, by tlie sea. 
 
 G. A ship of Alexandria. The im- 
 mense population of Rome were sup- 
 plied with grain, in a great measure, 
 from Egypt. The fertility of the 
 Nile rendered that country liie gran- 
 ary of the empire. This vessel was 
 engaged in the transportation of 
 bread-stuffs, as we learn from ver. 
 38, and had touched (as was usual 
 for vessels coasting from point to 
 point, in order to learn their destina- 
 tion and to trade) at tlie harbor of 
 Myra, which was a mart of conse- 
 quence in those days. This ship 
 must have been one of some size, for 
 that period, as, besides the cargo, it 
 contained two hundred and seventy- 
 six persons. Ver. 37. 
 
 7. Cnidus. This was a city, sit- 
 uated on a rocky and mountainous 
 peninsula of the same name in the 
 province of Caria, between the island 
 of Rhodes and Coos, or Cos. It 
 was distinguished for the worship of 
 Venus, and contained the celebrated 
 statue of that goddess by Praxiteles. 
 — Crete. Now called Candia ; an 
 island fronting the ^^ean Sea, one 
 hundred and seventy miles long, and 
 about thirty or forty broad, distin- 
 guished for its salubrity, fertility, and 
 beauty. — Salmone. A promontory, 
 at the east end of the island, wliich 
 they doubled, and sailed under Crete, 
 
316 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 ing us, we sailed under Crete, over against Salmone : and 8 
 hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called. The Fair 
 Havens; nigh whereunto was the city of Lasea. Now, when 9 
 much time was spent, and when sailing was now danger- 
 ous, because the fast was now already past, Paul admonished 
 thenij and said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will 10 
 be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, 
 but also of our lives. Nevertheless, the centurion believed the ii 
 master and the owner of the ship more than those things which 
 were spoken by Paul. And because the haven was not commo- 12 
 dious to winter in, the more part advised to depart thence also, 
 if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to win- 
 ter ; which is a haven of Crete, and lieth toward the south-west 
 and north-west. And when the south wind blew softly, suppos- 13 
 ing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing thence, they 
 
 or south of it, to escape the contrary 
 winds. 
 
 8. Hardly passing it With diffi- 
 culty they doubled the eastern cape 
 or promontory, Salmone, and next 
 came to a roadstead, or species of 
 harbor, as it would appear, where 
 they remained a short time. — La- 
 sea. No record of this place is found 
 in ancient authors. The nearest ap- 
 proach to it is Lasos. It would ap- 
 pear to be an inland town, of which 
 the Fair Havens was the port. 
 
 9, 10. Much time was spent They 
 had not advanced so rapidly in their 
 voyage, on account of detention by 
 winds, as they wished, and naviga- 
 tion had become hazardous. — The 
 fast was noio already past. This 
 was the Jewish fast of expiation, 
 which occurred about the last of 
 September, near the time of the se- 
 vere equinoctial storms. Lev. xvi. 
 29, 31, xxiii. 27 ; Num. xxix. 7. All 
 the connexion the fast had with the 
 subject was, that it identified the 
 season of the year. Sailors, in those 
 parts, are said still to dread what are 
 called "the Michaelmas flows " — se- 
 vere gales at that period of the year. 
 
 — With hurt. Or, injury. Their 
 lives were spared, but tlie ship and 
 cargo were lost. 
 
 1 1. 7%e master. Who had charge 
 of the navigation of the vessel. — 
 The owner. Or, supercargo, who 
 had the care of the lading or freight 
 The centurion naturally paid more 
 deference to the opinion of these men 
 than to that of Paul, though he was 
 experienced in voyages, and had 
 been subjected to great perils and 
 hardships. 2 Cor. xi. 25. 26. 
 
 12. The haven. Mentioned in ver. 
 8. — Phenice. Or, more properly, 
 Phenix, a port on the south side of 
 Crete, about fifty or sixty miles from 
 the Fair Havens, and now called 
 Sphacia. — Ldeth toward the south- 
 west and north-west, i. e. the harbor 
 had two horns, or openings, into the 
 main sea, one towards the south- 
 west, or Lybia, as the Greek word in- 
 dicates, tlie other towards the north- 
 west. 
 
 13. Their puipose, i. e. to reach 
 Phenix to winter. — Sailed close by 
 Crete. Several translators, Luther, 
 Tyndale, and Sacy, render " loosed 
 unto, or from, Assos," (making, with- 
 
XXVIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 317 
 
 14 sailed close by Crete. But not long after there arose against it 
 
 15 a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon. And when the ship 
 was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her 
 
 IG drive. And running under a certain island which is called 
 
 17 Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat : which when 
 
 they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship; and 
 
 fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, strake sail, and 
 
 out warrant, one of the words in the 
 original the name of a place,) " and 
 sailed by Crete ; " but the better idea 
 is, that, after loosing from the Fair 
 Havens, they coasted along the island 
 of Crete close in shore, agreeably to 
 the custom of ancient navigators. 
 
 14. Against it. Either, against 
 the island, or the ship, it is not agreed 
 which. — A tempr.stuous ivind, called 
 Euroclydon. This was a wind, which 
 veered to different points of the com- 
 pass, from north-east to south-east ; 
 and is probably the one known at the 
 present day under the name of Le- 
 vanter — the country at the eastern 
 extremity of the Mediterranean Sea 
 being called the Levant. The word 
 tempestuous is literally typhonic, like 
 a whirlwind, not blowing steadily 
 from the same quarter. See ver. 27. 
 The English word Ti/phon, and the 
 Italian Tuffone, are still in use, sig- 
 nifying a hurricane. The proper 
 name, Euroclydon^ is derived from 
 two words, meaning east wind and 
 loavp^ and may be rendered " the 
 wave-stirring east wind." 
 
 15. The ship was caught. By the 
 violence of the wind, and became 
 unmanageable. — Could not bear up 
 into the wind. Literally, " could not 
 look the wind in the eye, or face," or 
 meet it directly. It has been ob- 
 served, that " the position of greatest 
 safety for a ship, in a storm of mod- 
 erate violence, is for it to lie nearly 
 head to the gale, presenting, so to 
 speak, its shoulder to the winds and 
 waves. By a peculiar action of the 
 wind upon a sail placed in a partic- 
 
 27* 
 
 ular position, tlie ship is retained in 
 this posture by the very force of the 
 storm which it is resisting. When, 
 however, the fury of the tempest 
 passes beyond a certain point, this 
 position of comparative safety must 
 be abandoned. The mariner then 
 allows the ship to be carried round 
 by the wind, and she flies before the 
 tempest, entirely at its mercy. The 
 language here used seems exactly 
 adapted to describe these effects." — 
 We let her drive. Or, in the original, 
 " giving over, we were driven," i. e. 
 yielding up the ship to the wind, we 
 drifted along, or were driven. 
 
 16. Running under, i. e. sailing as 
 nearly as possible to the island, to 
 be sheltered in some measure from 
 the wind. — Clauda. Otherwise 
 termed Gaudos ; a small island, ly- 
 ing south-west of Crete, and now 
 called, according to Shaw, Gozzo. — 
 Had much loork to come by the boat. 
 The boat was probably alongside the 
 ship, or towed astern ; and, when 
 they wished to secure it on board the 
 vessel, they found great difficulty in 
 doing it, such was the violence of 
 the wind and sea. 
 
 17. Taken up, i. e. into the ship, 
 to prevent its being staved. — They 
 used helps, U7idergirding the ship. 
 Understood, by Bloomfield, to mean, 
 that " they had recourse to props and 
 stays, undergirding the ship with 
 them ; " binding the inner frame- 
 work of the ship with pieces of strong 
 planking. But it is preferable to re- 
 gard the latter clause as explanatory 
 of the former. What helps were 
 
318 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chap. 
 
 so were driven. And we being exceedingly tossed with a tern- 18 
 pest, the next day they lightened the ship; and the third day 19 
 we cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. And 20 
 when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small 
 tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then 
 
 taken away. But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth in 21 
 
 the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto 
 me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this 
 
 used is described in their undergird- 
 ing the vessel. This process con- 
 sisted in passing cables or chains 
 around the whole body of the ship, 
 and drawing them tightly together, 
 thus preventing the timbers from sep- 
 arating, or bilging, in the concussion 
 of tlie sea. This was more neces- 
 sary, in ancient times, when the art 
 of ship-building was less perfect ; 
 but modem instances have occurred. 
 Thus Walters, in his account of Lord 
 Anson's voyage round the world, 
 speaking of a Spanish man-of-war in 
 a storm, says, "They were obliged 
 to throw overboard all their upper- 
 deck guns, and to take six turns of 
 the cable round the ship, to prevent 
 her opening." — Fearing leM they 
 should fall into the quicksands. Or, 
 in Greek, " the syrtis." Some sup- 
 pose that any shoals or sand-banks 
 are here meant, while others contend 
 that there is special reference to the 
 St/His Major, or greater quicksand, 
 lying on the northern coast of Afri- 
 ca, west of Cyrene, a place of great 
 danger, and towards which a north- 
 easter would directly drive them, 
 from the Island of Clauda. The dis- 
 tance, however, was very great. The 
 Syrtis Minor, or less quicksand, was 
 farther west, on the coast of Africa, 
 near Carthage. These were Avide, 
 shallow gulfs, filled M'ith movable 
 sands^ impossible to be ascertained 
 with anv accuracy, because constant- 
 ly in fluctuation by the winds and 
 waves, and fatal to the vessel strand- 
 ed upon them, so that Josophus says, 
 
 they were " dreadful even to those 
 who heard them spoken of" — Stroke 
 sail. Or, better, " lowered the mast," 
 to give the wind less power over the 
 vessel, for the sails had probably 
 been furled before. Ver. 15. An- 
 cient ships had usually but one mast, 
 which played at the base in a socket, 
 and could be raised or let down at 
 pleasure. 
 
 18, 19. They lightened the ship. 
 By casting overboard the freight, or 
 lading, or a part of it. — Cast out 
 loith our oivn hands the tackling, ^*c. 
 It would seem that the passengers 
 and prisoners assisted in throwing 
 into the sea the rigging, or apparatus 
 of the vessel, as cables, anchors, sails, 
 &,c., and tlie term " tackling " may 
 also include the baggage of tliose on 
 board. 
 
 20. JVeither sun nor stars. As 
 mariners, at tliat period, had no com- 
 pass, " navigation's soul," they could 
 only tell their direction by the heav- 
 enly bodies ; and when, as in the 
 present instance, the sky was over- 
 clouded for many days, they lost all 
 idea of their whereabouts, and drift- 
 ed hither and tliither, in this dis- 
 tressed and hopeless condition, at 
 the entire mercy of the elements. 
 
 21. JJJler long abstinence. Being 
 occupied with the care of the vessel, 
 and disinclined to eat, on account of 
 their fear. It is improbable that they 
 totally abstained, during tliis long 
 period. — Gained this harm and loss. 
 This has been explained, " to incur 
 all this harm and loss ; " or, by 
 
XXVIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 319 
 
 22 harm and loss. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer ; 
 for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of 
 
 23 the ship. For there stood by me this night the angel of God, 
 
 24 whose I am, and whom I serve, saying, Fear not, Paul ; thou 
 must be brought before Cesar : and lo, God hath given thee all 
 
 25 them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer : for 
 
 26 I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Howbeit, 
 
 27 we must be cast upon a certain island. But when the four- 
 teenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, 
 about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some 
 
 28 country ; and sounded, and found it twenty fathoms : and when 
 they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it 
 
 29 fifteen fathoms. Then fearing lest they should have fallen upon 
 rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the 
 
 30 day. And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, 
 when they had let down the boat into the sea, under color as 
 
 Bloomfield, that they should not have 
 loosed from Crete, for in that case 
 they would have been gainers by, or 
 as much as, all this harm and loss, 
 i. e. they would have been gainers 
 by having what they had now lost. 
 
 24. Out of regard to Paul, the rest 
 were preserved. This law is else- 
 where illustrated in the Scriptures. 
 Gen. xviii. ; Jon. i. Every righteous 
 man is a bulwark to his city and 
 country ; while every wicked man is 
 so much loss and dangler to the com- 
 munity in which he lives. The prov- 
 idence of SLX thousand years has il- 
 lustrated this doctrine, and left its 
 examples in every clime and age. 
 
 27. The fourteenth night, i. e. since 
 the storm began. Ver. 14. — In 
 Mria, i. e. the Adriatic Sea, which 
 then included, according to Strabo, 
 Ptolemy, and other geographers, not 
 only what is called the Adriatic Gulf, 
 or the Gulf of Venice, but that por- 
 tion of the Mediterranean lying be- 
 tween Greece, Africa, Sicily, and 
 Italy, and sometimes called the Io- 
 nian Sea. This is evident, from the 
 situation of Melita, or Malta, chip. 
 
 xxviii. 1, which lies south of Sicily. 
 — The shipmen. The sailors. — Drew 
 near to some country. There are va- 
 rious signs addressed to eye, and 
 ear, and smell, by which experienced 
 mariners, even in the night, could 
 discover their approach to land. 
 
 28. Sounded. Or, " heaving the 
 lead ; " throwing into the sea a line 
 with lead upon the end of it, by 
 wiiich to ascertain the depth of the 
 water. — Twenty fathoms. Or, one 
 hundred and twenty feet, a fathom 
 being six feet This denomination 
 is taken from the space measured by 
 the arms, when extended to tlieir full 
 length laterally. 
 
 29. Fearing. Because tPie dimin- 
 ished depth showed a rapid approach 
 to land. — Cast four anchors out of 
 the stem. The modern custom is to 
 cast anchors from the bows, or fore- 
 part of the vessel, not from the stern, 
 or hind-part ; though it is said that 
 Egyptian sailors still observe the an- 
 cient usage of the text 
 
 30. The shijpmen. Sailors ; those 
 who managed the vessel. — Under 
 color. Or, pretence. They were 
 
320 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [CiiAr. 
 
 though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul 31 
 said to the centurion, and to the soldiers, Except these abide in 
 the ship, ye cannot be saved. Then the soldiers cut off the 32 
 ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. And while the day was 33 
 coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, This 
 day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried, and continued 
 fasting, having taken nothing. Wherefore I pray you to take 34 
 some meat ; for this is for your health : for there shall not a 
 hair fall from the head of any of you. And when he had thus 35 
 spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks to God in presence of 
 them all ; and when he had broken it, he began to eat. Then 36 
 were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. And 37 
 we were in all in the ship two hundred three-score and sixteen 
 
 about to make use of their control of 
 trie ship, and management of its appa- 
 ratus, to escape from the doomed ves- 
 sel, and, by this cowardly act, save 
 their own lives, while they left the 
 rest to perish without aid. — Fort- 
 ship. Or, forecastle. — Kxcept these 
 abide, Sfc. Though the promise of 
 safety had gone forth, yet its fulfil- 
 ment depended on the contingency 
 of human means and efforts. An 
 important lesson is here taught of 
 the necessity of man's cooperation 
 in bringing to pass the divine will 
 respecting his Avelfare. 
 
 32. The soldiers interfered, and, 
 by cutting the boat adrift, they took 
 away the means of escape from the 
 sailors. 
 
 33-36. Having taken nothing. 
 Or, comparatively, nothing ; for they 
 could not have survived fourteen 
 days, if they had literally eaten noth- 
 ing. — Meat, i. e. food, whether vege- 
 table or animal. — For your health. 
 Or, for yo!ir safety; because they 
 would be much less able to bear the 
 hardships and dangers of shipwreck, 
 unless they Avere refreshed with food. 
 — JVot a hair fall from the head, S,'c. 
 No injury should befall one of them. 
 1 Kings i. 52; Mat. x. 30; Luke 
 xxi. 18. — Gave thanks to God. His 
 
 spiritual mind could discern matter 
 for gratitude, even in that dark and 
 dreadful hour; though he was a pris- 
 oner, poor, endangered, apparently 
 just ready to be swallowed up in 
 the deep, or, if saved, saved to en- 
 dure the tender mercies of men more 
 cruel than the elements, yet, from the 
 deck of that tempest-tost vessel, there 
 mingled with the howling winds and 
 waves a voice of thankfulness and 
 praise. Such was the faith of Paul ; 
 such is the faith of the gospel. — ,Ml 
 of good cheer. So inspiring was the 
 courage of the apostle, tliat it reani- 
 mated their spirits, and summoned 
 into action their powers, and pre- 
 pared them to take those measures 
 witli vigor and hope by which their 
 safety could be secured. Hoav many 
 companies of men have perished help- 
 lessly on land and on sea, because 
 there was no God-trusting, heaven- 
 strong soul, that could inspire self- 
 possession, courage, and hope ! 
 
 37. TiDo hundred three-score and 
 sixteen sords. If two hundred and 
 seventy-six seem to be a large num- 
 ber for a merchant vessel, we may 
 call to mind that the ships engaged 
 in the grain trade, from Egypt to It- 
 aly, were of very large dimensions, 
 and that Josephus, in his Life, relates 
 
XXVILl 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 321 
 
 38 souls. And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the 
 
 39 ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. And when it was 
 day, they knew not the land : but they discovered a certain 
 creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were 
 
 40 possible, to thrust in the ship. And when they had taken up the 
 anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the 
 rudder-bands, and hoised up the mainsail to the wind, and ni.ide 
 
 41 toward shore. And falling into a place where two seas met, 
 they ran the ship aground ; and the forepart stuck fast, and 
 remained unmovable, but the hinder part was broken with the 
 
 42 violence of the waves. And the soldiers' counsel was to kill 
 
 the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 
 
 his being shipwrecked in the Adriatic 
 Sea, with six hundred men on board. 
 
 38. Cast out the wheat. Or, grain, 
 which probably constituted a great 
 portion of the freight of the vessel. 
 
 39. They hitw not the laruL They 
 did not recognize where tiiey were. 
 They had been driven so long hither 
 and thither, in the tempest, that they 
 had lost all notion of where they 
 were. — A ceHain creek with a shore. 
 They saw a bay, or inlet, making up 
 from the sea into the land, and con- 
 cluded to run the vessel ashore. 
 The people of Malta still call a bay 
 on the north-east coast of tlieir island 
 the " Port of St Paul," and profess to 
 identify the spot where the ship was 
 stranded. 
 
 40. Taken up the anchors. Or, as 
 the margin reads, " cut the anchors, 
 they left them in the sea." These 
 were the anchors which they had 
 cast in. Ver. 29. — Committed them- 
 selves unto the sea. Or, better, " they 
 let go the anchors into the sea," 
 wishing to lighten the vessel as 
 much as possible before it struck, 
 ver. 38, and having no further use 
 for them. — Loosed the rudder-bands. 
 Or, the bands or cords of the rud- 
 ders, for ancient ships often had 
 more than one helm. While at an- 
 chor, these were fastened ; but, wish- 
 
 ing to steer the ship to tlie land, they 
 then loosed them, so that they miglit 
 command the direction of the vessel. 
 — Hoised up the mainsail, ^*c. It is 
 doubtful what sail is meant in the 
 original, though it is probable that 
 it was not the mainsail ; but the pur- 
 pose is sufficiently evident, which 
 was, to drive the vessel ashore with 
 as much impetus and as far as possi- 
 ble. Many of the nautical terms 
 used in this chapter are difficult to 
 be understood, on account of the 
 difference between ancient and mod- 
 ern ship-building and navigation, 
 though the particularity, and, so to 
 speak, technicality, with which the 
 various parts of the vessel, and the 
 operations of the sailors, are detailed, 
 show an attentive and trustworthy 
 eye-witness. 
 
 41. Into a place where two seas met. 
 They ran upon a sand-bank, which 
 projected out into the sea, and aroun 1 
 which there would necessarily be 
 conflicting eddies. — The forepart. 
 The bows, or forecastle. The head 
 of tJie vessel was plunged into the 
 sand, and held fast, while tlie stern 
 was exposed to the violence of the 
 waves, and broken to pieces. 
 
 42. To kill tlie prisoners, &fc. The 
 strictness of the Roman discipline 
 was such, that soldiers were held re- 
 
3*^ 
 
 THE ACTS 
 
 [Chaf 
 
 But the centurion, willing to save Paul, kept them from their 41 
 purpose, and commanded that they which could swim, should 
 cast themselves first into the sea, and get to land : and the rest, 44 
 some on boards, and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so 
 it came to pass, that they escaped all safe to land. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 
 The Voyage of Paul from Melita ; his Arrival at Rome; Discourse before the 
 Jews, and Imprisonment of Two Years. 
 
 And when they ^ere escaped, then they knew that the island 
 
 sponsible for the escape of those un- 
 der their keeping, and were visited 
 with an equal punishment as that to 
 which the prisoners themselves were 
 exposed. See chap. xii. ] 9, and note. 
 The military guard, in this case, 
 therefore, were driven to the cruel 
 alternative they proposed by the 
 despotic severity under which they 
 served — a proposal the more horri- 
 ble, after the mutual preservation 
 which all had enjoyed from the im- 
 mment peril of their lives. But the 
 prisoners escaped the savage ele- 
 ments only to be exposed to tlie 
 plots of more savage men. 
 
 43. Willing to save Paul. Strong- 
 er, " wishing," desiring, to save tlie 
 apostle. He had become much in- 
 terested in him during the voyage, 
 and respected him higiily, for he saw 
 that he was far more than an ordi- 
 nary man. — Which could sivini. By 
 sending those ashore first, there Avere 
 means left for tlie rest to escape, by 
 floating to land on parts of the shat- 
 tered vessel, and its apparatus and 
 lading. Ps. cvii. 23-31. 
 
 44. They escaped all safe. Thus 
 was the prediction of ver. 24, 34, ful- 
 filled, and the word of the apostle 
 confirmed. It is apparent, here, and 
 throughout the chapter, tliat the in- 
 cidents are minutely related, because 
 they all have moral bearings illustrat- 
 ing the superior wisdom of the man 
 of God, ver. 30, his protection by 
 
 heaven, ver. 24, his self-possession 
 and courage in the most appalling 
 dangers, ver. 22, 25, his devout thank- 
 fulness, ver. 35, the respect he in- 
 spired in the stem Roman centurion, 
 and the exact fulfilment of the proph- 
 ecy which he had made respecting 
 their escape, ver. 43, 44. In the midst 
 of that crowded ship, the blackness 
 of the tempest, and tlie horrors of 
 shipwreck, there is ever one figure 
 which arrests and confines our at- 
 tention — the serene and holy coun- 
 tenance of the heaven-trusting PauL 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIII. 
 1. Melita. Or, Malta, as now 
 called. Chap, xxvii. 26. Several 
 writers have attempted to identify this 
 island with Melita, or, in its modern 
 name, Maleda, or Mai ad a, an isle in 
 the Adriatic Gulf, or Gulf of Ven- 
 ice, near the ancient Illyricum. But 
 that would have been far out of the 
 track of a voyage from Cesarea to 
 Rome, and an Alexandrian ship 
 (ver. 11) would not have been likely 
 to winter at a port so far removed 
 from the usual route. Besides, their 
 subsequently touching at Syracuse 
 and Rhegium shoAvs clearly that they 
 came from ]\Ialta, south of Sicily. 
 The island is about sixty miles in 
 circumference, and about the same 
 number of miles distant from Sicily. 
 It consists of a vast rock, covered 
 with a shallow but very fertile soil. 
 
XXVIII.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 323 
 
 2 was called Melita. And the barbarous people showed us no 
 little kindness : for they kindled a fire, and received us every 
 one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 
 
 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them 
 on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on 
 
 4 his hand. And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast 
 hang on his hand, they said among themselves. No doubt this 
 man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet 
 
 5 vengeance suffereth not to live. And he shook off the beast into 
 
 6 the fire, and felt no harm. Howbeit, they looked when he should 
 have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly : but after they had 
 
 and containing as dense a population 
 as any country in Europe, in propor- 
 tion to its size. The order of Knights 
 of St John of Jerusalem, or the 
 Hospitallers, was establislied here 
 after being driven from Rhodes by 
 the Turks. The island is now under 
 the jurisdiction of Great Britain. 
 
 2. Barbarous. This epithet is 
 applied, not as descriptive of their 
 character, but as distinguishing them 
 from Greeks and Romans, who were 
 accustomed to call all otlier nations, 
 or those who did not use their lan- 
 guage, barbarians. The kindness 
 showed to the shipwrecked stran- 
 gers proved how little entitled these 
 people were to be thus styled, at 
 least in a moral point of view. 
 Malta was originally settled by a 
 colony from Carthage which spoke 
 the Phoenician language. — The pres- 
 ent rain, ^c. The storm still con- 
 tinued, and was attended by cold, as 
 is usual, even in warm climates, in 
 the winter or rainy season. 
 
 8. A bundle of sticks. We wit- 
 ness tlie apostle disdaining no labor, 
 and shrinking from no hardship, but 
 contributing his utmost to aid and 
 cheer others. — A viper. This small 
 but venomous reptile Avas concealed 
 among the fuel, benumbed by the 
 cold ; but, as soon as it felt the 
 warmth of the fire, it regained its 
 activity, and struck at the hand of 
 
 Paul. — Out of the heat. Or, as ren- 
 dered by Tyndale, "Be cause off the 
 heet" Because of the heat; — the 
 reptile was driven out of his lurking- 
 place by the fire. — Fastened on his 
 hand. Doubtless, bit him. 
 
 4. Beast. A literal translation 
 would be "little beast," though it 
 would be preferable to render it 
 " animal." — Yet vengeance suffereth 
 not to live. Or, Dike, or JVemesiSf 
 the heathen goddess of vindictive 
 justice, who was believed to avenge 
 the cause of the injured, and punish 
 the guilty — the idea of a retributive 
 Providence, darkly shadowed forth 
 in tiie pagan mythology. The rude 
 and superstitious people of Malta 
 were quick to interpret every event 
 as some special sign, and to leap to 
 the conclusion that Paul must be a 
 very great criminal, because he had 
 been bitten by a serpent, and, though 
 he had escaped the devouring sea, 
 justice was in full pursuit, and 
 had, at last, overtaken him. This 
 habit of mind is restricted to no one 
 class or period. There is much of 
 the disposition rebuked by our Lord 
 in Luke xiii. 1-5, still among men, 
 and they are too prone to look for 
 special judorments, especially upon 
 their enemies. 
 
 5, 0. Felt no harm. The most 
 direct and natural inference from 
 tlie narrative is, that the apostle was 
 
324 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed 
 
 their minds, and said that he was a god. In the same quar- 7 
 
 ters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name 
 was Publius ; who received us, and lodged us three days cour- 
 teously. And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay 8 
 sick of a fever, and of a bloody-flux : to whom Paul entered in, 
 and prayed, and laid his hands on him, and healed him. So 9 
 when this was done, others also which had diseases in the island, 
 came, and were healed : who also honored us with many honors ; 10 
 and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were 
 necessary. 
 
 bitten by the reptile, and was mirac- 
 ulously cured, though there is no 
 positive declaration to that effect, 
 and interpreters are divided. Mark 
 xvi. 18. — Swollen, or fallen doivn 
 dead suddenly. The common symp- 
 toms were a violent inflammation and 
 swelling, and sometimes the patient 
 dropped down dead without warning. 
 — Said that he was a god. Chap, 
 xiv. 11-19. This was but the same 
 superstition under a new form; run- 
 ning first to one extreme, then to 
 the otlier ; now shuddering at the 
 apostle as a murderer, and now re- 
 vering him as a divinity. Milman 
 justly remarks, that, " in the barba- 
 rous Melita, as in the barbarous 
 Lystra, the belief in gods under 
 the human form had not yet given 
 place to the incredulous spirit of 
 th- afre." 
 
 7. In the same quarters, &,'c. Or, 
 region. There resided the cliief 
 man, or Roman governor, Publius. — 
 Chit-f. It has been observed that the 
 original word, thus translated, has 
 been found in an ancient monu- 
 mental inscription upon this island, 
 applied in the same way as in the 
 text, furnishing a curious and unde- 
 signed coincidence. The Roman 
 officers, Claudius Lysias, Felix, Fes- 
 tus, Julius, Publius, and the captain 
 of the pretorian guard, (ver. 16,) 
 were, in general, courteous and 
 
 kind, though they did not always 
 render justice to their illustrious 
 prisoner. The stern military disci- 
 pline under which they had been 
 trained would make tliem observant 
 of common proprieties, and rigid in 
 ordinary rules, however prone they 
 might be to rapine and violence 
 when they plunged into war. 
 
 8. A bloody-Jiux. In the Greek, 
 "dysentery." — Healed him. Though 
 Luke, a physician, was there, the 
 disorder required a more potent in- 
 fluence than his to be expelled from 
 the patient; and, Avith the usual 
 devout signs and imploring of the 
 blessing of Heaven, that greater 
 power descended at the instance of 
 Paul. 
 
 9, 10. So ivhen this was done, fyc. 
 This was the signal to new applica- 
 tions and to new cures. Though the 
 inhabitants had erroneously supposed 
 the apostle to be a god in human 
 disguise, yet they found, by joyful 
 experience, that he was tlie bearer 
 of a more than mortal skill, and vin- 
 dicated his alliance with higher 
 powers in the most benevolent deeds. 
 — With many honors. Or, honorary 
 gifts. The kindness which the peo- 
 ple manifested at first was not alien- 
 ated during their long stay, but 
 showered upon them, at their de- 
 parture, new and abundant gifts. 
 
XXVIIL] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 325 
 
 11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, 
 which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pol- 
 
 12 lux. And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 
 
 13 And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium : 
 and after one day the south wind blew, and we came the next 
 
 14 day to Puteoli : where we found brethren, and were desired to 
 tarry with them seven days : and so we went toward Rome. 
 
 11. Three mordhs, i. e. after the 
 winter was over. — Jl ship of Alexan- 
 dria. Probably one engaged in the 
 like Egyptian grain trade as the lost 
 vessel. — Whose sign was Castor and 
 Pollux. Or, in the original, " Dios- 
 curi," the youths of Jupiter. They 
 were fabled, in the ancient mytholo- 
 gy, to be the twin sons of that god 
 by Leda, and were the patrons of 
 sailors. After they were translated 
 to heaven, they formed the constella- 
 tion of Gemini, or Twins, one of tlie 
 twelve signs of the Zodiac. It ap- 
 pears to have been customary, among 
 the ancients, to have images painted 
 or carved at the prow and stern of 
 their vessels. That at the fore-part 
 gave its name to the ship, and that 
 at the hind-part was the tutelary 
 divinity under whose protection it 
 sailed, though both were sometimes 
 the same. The " sign " here spoken 
 of was a species of figure-head, rep- 
 resenting tlie twin deities as the 
 guardians of the vessel. 
 
 12. Syracuse. The capital of Si- 
 cily, situated on the eastern coast of 
 the island; the birthplace of the 
 famous mathematician and philoso- 
 pher, Archimedes, and celebrated for 
 its wealth, splendor, and arts. Its 
 modern name is Siracusa, and it has 
 a population of about twenty thou- 
 sand. 
 
 13. Fetched a compass. Or, " coast- 
 ed round," being obliged to double 
 some headland on their course to 
 Italy ; or, to gain the port of Rhegium 
 by tacking, on account of unfavora- 
 ble win(£; which last seems the 
 
 VOL. III. 28 
 
 more probable from the fact that, 
 after they arrived at Rhegium, a fa- 
 vorable wind sprang up from the 
 south — implying that they had not 
 been favored with good winds before. 
 — Rhegium. The name of a town 
 and promontory, situated on the Ital- 
 ian coast, in Calabria, across the 
 straits from Sicily. Its present name 
 is Rheggio. The place was nearly 
 ruined by a great earthquake in the 
 last century. — Puteoli. Now called 
 Puzzuoli. A town on what is now 
 the Bay of Naples, south of Rome. 
 It was celebrated in ancient times, 
 in conjunction with Raise and Mi- 
 senum, in the same vicinity, as a 
 great watering-place, to which the 
 luxurious Romans resorted, to find 
 health and pleasure in its mineral 
 waters and hot baths. Putepli was 
 so called from putei, wells. The 
 voyage from Syracuse to this port 
 took them through the straits be- 
 tween Italy and Sicily, on the Italian 
 side of which were the noted rocks 
 called Scylla, and on the Sicilian, 
 the whirlpool called Charyhdis. 
 
 14. Found brethren. The gospel 
 had been preached in Italy, probably 
 by some of the disciples from Jeru- 
 salem, scattered abroad in times of 
 persecution. — We went toward Rome. 
 By land, as they had disembarked at 
 Puteoli, the usual place of landing. 
 The imperial city was, at this period, 
 in all its glory, and contained a pop- 
 ulation of several millions of inhab- 
 itants. Its power was irresistible 
 throughout the then known world. 
 It was, indeed, a world in itself; 
 
326 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to 15 
 meet us as far as Appii-Forum, and The Three Taverns ; whom 
 when Paul saw, he thanked God, and took courage. 
 
 filled with people from every corner 
 of the eartli ; its stupendous amphi- 
 theatres resounding with the hum 
 of tens of thousands of spectators ; 
 its glorious temples filled with altars 
 that smoked with perpetual incense ; 
 and its forums and cabinets deciding 
 questions which affected the weal or 
 woe of the most distant province: 
 or rather, at this period, the palace 
 of a single man, the capricious, san- 
 guinary Nero, sent out mandates 
 that were felt, for good or ill, in 
 Asia, Africa, Europe, and the isles 
 of the sea. But, although Rome 
 was in all her outward pomp and 
 glory, and dazzled the admiration of 
 mankind with her palaces, temples, 
 columns, theatres, aqueducts, arches, 
 baths, — with the prowess of her 
 armies, the vastness of her domin- 
 ions, and the splendor of her arts, 
 literature, and oratory, — yet a worm 
 was gnawing at the root ; her decline 
 had begun, and her days were num- 
 bered. Luxury, corruption, tyranny 
 of the grossest kind, were fast doing 
 their work. At the period when a 
 new moral world was just starting 
 into being, in the religion of Jesus 
 of Nazareth, and its most powerful 
 champion arrived in this city a 
 chained prisoner, the mighty Rome, 
 overgrown and rotten, — the great 
 pagan power, the Babylon of un- 
 told abominations, — was sinking 
 into ruin. In the Roman emperor 
 and the Christian apostle, Nero and 
 Paul, now confronted with each 
 other in the same city, we may 
 view an embodiment of the two 
 great systems which they respec- 
 tively represented, and read tiieir 
 characters, and predict their desti- 
 nies, from a comparison of the two 
 individuals — the one sensual, cruel, 
 
 and benighted, a raging beast of 
 prey, with no law but his own ca- 
 price, and no aim but present indul- 
 gence; the other clear-minded and 
 spiritually-toned, with a sublime 
 foresight, a faith reaching into the 
 ages, reaching into eternity, a heart 
 beating with the noblest emotions to 
 God and man, a life consecrated to 
 the Lord Jesus, a nature trembling 
 and thrilling with grand conceptions, 
 and clasping to itself the whole 
 world of men as brethren, Jew and 
 Gentile, bond and free, Roman and 
 barbarian. Such an empire must 
 die; such a religion must live. 
 
 15. Jlppii-Forum. Or, tlie forum 
 or market-place of Appius. This 
 was a town between fifty and sixty 
 miles from the capital, on the south, 
 and lying upon the far-famed Appian 
 way, or road, near the border of the 
 Pontine marshes. The place is now 
 called Casarilla di St. Maria. — The 
 Three Taverns. This was probably 
 the name of a town about twenty 
 miles nearer Rome, so called from 
 its being a place of refreshment and 
 entertainment. The original words, 
 " Tres Tabernae," should have been 
 retained, as the proper name of the 
 town, — He thanked God, 8fc. The 
 sight of the brethren, and the respect 
 and afieetion they paid him, though 
 loaded with charges and with chains, 
 by coming so far to offer their 
 greetings and aid, — the recollection 
 of his past trials, of the late ship- 
 wreck, and his deliverance from 
 many dingers, — all brought freshly 
 to mind his obligations of gratitude 
 to God, and awoke a new courage 
 and faith. Paul, though an apostle, 
 was a man, and affected like other 
 men. He had written his Epistle to 
 the Roman Christians some years 
 
XXVIIl.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 3527 
 
 IG And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the 
 prisoners to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suffered to 
 
 17 dwell by himself, with a soldier that kept him. And it came 
 
 to pass, that after three days, Paul called the chief of the Jews 
 together. And when .they were come together, he said unto 
 them, Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing 
 against the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered 
 
 18 prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans : who 
 when they had examined me, would have let me go, because 
 
 19 there was no cause of death in me. But when the Jews spake 
 against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Cesar ; not that I 
 
 20 had aught to accuse my nation of For this cause therefore 
 have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: be- 
 
 before, and it refreshed his spirit to 
 see them face to face. Rom. i. 9 - 15. 
 See the affectionate mention of many 
 he knew contained in Rom. xvi. 
 
 16. To the captain of the guard. 
 The prefect of the pretorian guard, 
 whose name, as we learn from Taci- 
 tus, was Biurhus Afranius. It was 
 the prescribed duty of this officer to 
 .take charge of persons accused and 
 bound for trial, — By himself, i. e. 
 apart from the common prisoners. 
 Luther and others road, " where he 
 pleased." — fVith a soldier, ^r. Paul 
 was allowed all the freedom com- 
 patible with his being a prisoner, 
 but Avas confined to a soldier by a 
 chain passing from the right ann of 
 one to the left arm of the other. 
 Ver. 20. 
 
 17. Called the chief of the Jews, ^r. 
 He wished to gain the attention of 
 the Jews, not merely to a vindication 
 -of himself, as a private individual, 
 against the accusations of his ene- 
 mies, but also to bring to their seri- 
 ous consideration tlie whole subject 
 of the Christian faith. — Men and 
 brethren. Brethren. — JVothing against 
 the people, or customs of oar fathers, 
 8fc. Such were the charges lodged 
 against his character. Chap. xxi. 
 28, xxiv. 5, 6. 
 
 See 
 
 18. Would have let me 
 chap. xxiv. 26, 27, xxv. '4d, xxvi. 
 
 e go. 
 • 25, 
 
 31, 32. — J^o cause of death. He 
 Avas found to have committed no 
 crime punishable with death. 
 
 19, 20. The Jews spake against 
 it. They interposed, to prevent his 
 being set at liberty. Chap. xxiv. 27. 
 And, in order to escape their machi- 
 nations, he was forced to appeal to 
 the bar of the emperor. — JVot that 
 I had aught to accuse my nation of. 
 He did not mean that he had not, 
 in reality, great cause of complaint 
 against his countrymen, but that it 
 was not the object of his appeal to 
 bring any accusation against them 
 before the emperor, for that what he 
 aimed at was to vindicate his inno- 
 cence, and obtain safety, and liberty 
 to preach the gospel. He forgave 
 them their injurious conduct, and 
 only sought his own liberation. — 
 For the hope of Israel, i. e. for the 
 grand hope of their nation, the hope 
 of a Messiah, which he maintained 
 had been fulfilled in Jesus of Naza- 
 reth, but which they denied. Chap, 
 xxvi. 6, 7. Some interpreters also 
 include, under tliis general term, the 
 hope of the resurrection and of a 
 future life, as stated in another place 
 by Paul himself Chap, xxiii. 6. — 
 
328 THE ACTS [Chap. 
 
 cause that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. 
 And they said unto him, We neither received letters out of 21 
 Judea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came 
 showed or spake any harm of thee. But we desire to hear of 22 
 thee, what thou thinkest : for as concerning this sect, we know 
 
 that every where it is spoken against. And when they had 23 
 
 appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging ; 
 to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, per- 
 suading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, 
 and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. And some 24 
 believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 
 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, 25 
 after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy 
 Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, saying. Go unto 26 
 this people, and say. Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not un- 
 derstand ; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive. For the 27 
 heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of 
 hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest they should see 
 with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with 
 their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 
 
 Bound mith this chain. The one likely, for the most part, composed 
 
 with which he was connected to the of Gentiles. 
 
 soldier that kept him. Ver. 16. 23. His lodging. He was not 
 21, 22. We neither received let- permitted to leave his house. Ver. 
 tei's, Sfc. The intercourse between 16. — Concerning Jesus. Having 
 Rome and Judea was, at different gained their attention at the previous 
 periods, interrupted by the disorders interview, he collected them together 
 of the times ; and, furthermore, the again, to proclaim the doctrine of 
 Jews, no doubt, dropped the prose- the Messiah, and to argue with them, 
 cution, and declined pressing it any from their own lawgiver and prophets, 
 further, or appearing at the imperial that he had actually come, and ful- 
 court. — That every where it is spoken filled tlie long-deferred hope. His 
 against. The intelligence of such zeal was such that he spent a whole 
 a party or sect (see on heresy, note, day in reasoning with them, to con- 
 chap, xxiv. 14) had reached them, vince them of the truth, 
 but it came loaded with universal re- 24, 25. The result of his preach- 
 proach. Justin Martyr says that the ing was the same as every where 
 Jews at Jerusalem sent messengers else : some fell into the ranks of 
 to prejudice their brethren, in every unbelief, and others yielded to the 
 part of the world, against the disci- highest convictions of duty. — Esaias. 
 pies of Christ The auditors of Paul Is. vi. 9, 10. This passage was also 
 knew little, apparently, of the Chris- quoted by our Lord, and applied to 
 tian church in their very midst, per- the prejudiced and hardened Jews, 
 haps on account of its being, as is See Mat xiii. 14, 15; John xii. 39, 
 
xxvm.] 
 
 OF THE APOSTLES. 
 
 329 
 
 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is 
 
 29 sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. And when 
 he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great 
 reasoning among themselves. 
 
 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, 
 
 31 and received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom 
 
 40. Indignant at their blindness and 
 obstinacy, the apostle took up the 
 burning strain of the ancient prophet, 
 as applicable to their condition. 
 
 28. The salvation of God, i. e. 
 through the instrumentality of the 
 gospel. — Sent unto the Gentiles, &fc. 
 If rejected by the Jews, it would be 
 welcomed by the Gentiles, as it had 
 been already. He would thus ap- 
 peal to their shame ; that the glo- 
 rious hope and desire of their nation 
 should be received by the despised 
 sinners and outcasts of the earth, as 
 they regarded them, sooner than by 
 the chosen people themselves. 
 
 29. This verse is excluded, as spu- 
 rious, by Griesbach and other critics, 
 not being found in the best ancient 
 authorities. 
 
 30. 31. Two whole years in his oivn 
 hired house. This expression implies 
 that, at the expiration of this period, 
 he was set at liberty, according to 
 the opinion of antiquity. It would 
 appear, from the text, that he re- 
 mained two years in the custody of 
 the soldier, because his case was not 
 decided by the emperor. Still he 
 was not restrained from the exercise 
 of his apostolic functions, but em- 
 ployed the time in publicly preach- 
 ing, and privately teaching, with all 
 the confidence and zeal with which 
 his labors were always character- 
 ized. Phil. i. 7, 12, 13. He proba- 
 bly wrote, during this time, several 
 of his epistles, as they contain refer- 
 ences to his being a prisoner. See 
 the Epistles to the Ephesians, Phi- 
 lippians, Colossians, Philemon, and 
 the 2d to Timothy. It was also dur- 
 
 28* 
 
 ing the same period that Luke, ac- 
 cording to the belief of antiquity, 
 wrote the book of the Acts of the 
 Apostles, at Rome, whither he had 
 come as a companion with the apos- 
 tle. 
 
 The book which we have now con- 
 cluded harmonizes, in its spirit and 
 object, with the Gospels. The char- 
 acter of our blessed Lord, and the 
 purpose of his religion, are exhibited 
 in the same holy and beautiful light 
 as in Matthew, Mark, and John; 
 while, moreover, new evidences arise 
 of the divine origin and authority of 
 the Christian faith, in the descent of 
 the Holy Spirit on the day of Pente- 
 cost, the conversion of Paul, the mir- 
 acles and teachings of the inspired 
 apostles and disciples, and the hero- 
 ism with which they braved suffer- 
 ings, chains, and martyrdom, for the 
 sake of their crucified Master. This 
 book is, therefore, invaluable, as be- 
 ing the earliest record of his church 
 after our Saviour had ascended, and 
 showing how it proceeded from stage 
 to stage ; with what trials and dan- 
 gers it was beset; with what divine 
 power and human fidelity upheld ; 
 and to what noble ends, and immor- 
 tal triumphs, it advanced, of man's 
 salvation, and God's glory. 
 
 The curtam here drops upon an 
 unfinished history. We know but 
 little more of the life of Paul, except 
 what we glean from the uncertain 
 lore of tradition ; as, that he was re- 
 leased, returned to visit the churches 
 in Greece, and was finally beheaded 
 at Rome, in the last year of the reign 
 
330 
 
 ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. [Chap. XXVIIL 
 
 of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus 
 Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. 
 
 of Nero, when Peter also was cru- 
 cified. But the incompleteness of 
 the narrative, and the general frag- 
 mentary character of the Acts, con- 
 sisting as they do of a species of 
 memoranda, journals, travels, sketch- 
 es, in no degree obstruct their aim 
 and benefit; for the impression is 
 evidently, and perhaps intentionally, 
 conveyed, that these facts and details 
 are of comparatively little value, ex- 
 cept as they mirror forth the form and 
 soul of heavenly principles and god- 
 like affections, the love of God and 
 man, the faith and truth as they are 
 in Jesus, the worth of the soul for 
 which so much is done and suflfered, 
 the peril and ruin of sin, the mercy 
 of God to the penitent sinner, the 
 glory of immortality, the solemnity 
 of retribution. The scenes, the fig- 
 
 ures, the events, which have engaged 
 our attention, were transient, imper- 
 fect, and mortal ; the language in 
 which they are embodied is an 
 incomplete medium of conmiunica- 
 tion, and we have, perhaps, often 
 failed of ascertaining its precise 
 sense ; but, behind all, we see the 
 shining of the same great light, and 
 all hearts — Peter's, Stephen's, and 
 Paul's — responding to its truth and 
 love. Jesus is the light of the Acts 
 of the Apostles, as of the Gospels, 
 though he here shines with a reflect- 
 ed, not a direct, ray. May he shine in 
 and around us, and in his light may 
 we see light ! Ignorant, sinful, and 
 dying creatures, we must be beside 
 ourselves not to feel the need of that 
 divine guidance, and that immortal 
 hope and salvation! 
 
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 der. 3 vols. 12mo. Each volume comprising about 
 pp. 300. New Edition with additions. 
 
 * We conceive that Mr. Noyes has made the Christian public much 
 his debtor by the portion now before us of a version of that diflicult 
 and strongly interesting part of Scripture, the Hebrew prophecies. 
 Three things are especially to be spoken of to his praise ; his learning, 
 his cautious and sound judgment, and his beautiful taste. * * =* 
 
 ' We conclude with expressing our firm persuasion, that the great 
 importance of these works will not tail to be permanently and in- 
 creasingly estimated. It is not to the credit of our <?ountrymen, if 
 their author is not already reaping some benefit from them, additional 
 to his own consciousness, and their acknowledgment, of his having 
 devoted high powers to a high object.' — Christian Examiner. 
 
 ' This new edition is of increased value on account of the additions 
 and corrections which it contains. The w^hole series of volumes, 
 from the pen of this accomplished Hebrew scholar, may now be ob- 
 tained in a uniform shape, and is of great value, and of high impor- 
 tance to all students of the Bible. Common readers will be surprised 
 to observe how many passages, which are unintelligible to them in 
 the com.mon version, are here made plain and significant by a slight 
 change of expression, of the meaning of a single word, or the turn of 
 a sentence. We should advise all who wish to procure a set of these 
 translations to make haste to obtain one ; it is a purchase which they 
 will never regret.' — Christian Register. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMFANY S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Noyes's Psalms. A New Translation of the Book of 
 Ptialms, with an Introduction. By Geroge R. Noyes. 
 12mo. In press. 
 
 Noyes's Jioh. An Amended Version of the Book of 
 Job, with an Introduction and Notes, chiefly Explana- 
 tory. By George R. Noyes. Second Edition, revised 
 and corrected. 12mo. 
 
 ' No translation has appeared in England, since that of Isaiah by 
 Lowth, which can sustain a confiparison with that of the Book of Job, 
 by Mr. Noyes. With some slight exceptions, this latter is very much 
 what we could wish it to be.' — Spirit of the Pilgriins. 
 
 ' We have not seen any translation of the Book of Job with which 
 the public ought to be satisfied, unless it be that which is the subject 
 of the present review. Mr. Noyes's version is, in our opinion, by far 
 the best translation of Job we have seen in the English language. 
 Almost every page bears testimony to his acuteness and patient in- 
 dustry, to his habitual caution and accuracy, to his fine powers of 
 discrimination, and to his excellent skill and good taste. He has con- 
 centrated upon the sacred page the most approved lights of ancient 
 and modern learning ; yet he has done it, not, as has been the case 
 with many, to add new brightness to the original, but to illustrate 
 what had been made obscure, and to present to view, in its true pro- 
 portions, what had become distorted through the fault of imperfect 
 versions. 
 
 ' The notes at the end of the volume have been examined by us 
 with care, and we cannot withhold the tribute of our high commen- 
 dation, not only for the evidence they give of extensive research, and 
 great discrimination, but for their invariable pertinency, and the per- 
 fectly unostentatious manner in which they are composed. Indeed, 
 we know not where we could find collected, in so narrow compass, 
 with so much judgment, and with so little parade, the results of the 
 inquiries of so many distinguished biblical scholars.' — Christian Ex- 
 aminer. 
 
 Friendly Letters to a Universalist, on Divine 
 Rewards and Punishments. By Bernard Whitman. 
 ]6mo. pp. 368. 
 
 ' Though this work was hastily written, the materials for it were 
 collected with good care and fidelity. It is a thorough work. It 
 covers the whole ground of Universalist argument; and gives a faith- 
 ful expose of the opposing testimony of reason and Scripture. The 
 work can hardly exasperate those against whose creed it is aimed ; 
 for a spirit of courtesy and kindness pervades it. Nor can one, who 
 already believes in a righteous retribution, fail to have his faith 
 strengthened by so able a defence of that doctrine.' — Ametican Motvthly 
 Review. 
 
4 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Palfrey's Academical Lectures. Academical Lec- 
 tures on the Jewish Scriptures and Antiquities. By 
 John Gorham Palfrey, D. D, LL. D. Vol. I The 
 Last Four Books of the Pentateuch. Vol. II. Genesis 
 and Prophets. 8vo. 
 
 ' The first vohime of this vakiable, learned, and. elaborate work has 
 just publicly appeared in a truly beautiful form. It is not a book to 
 be lightly read or lightly spoken of 
 
 ' We can only say that, from the time of its announcement as being 
 in preparation, general expectation has been highly raised in regard 
 to it, and that, as far as we have examined the present volume, or 
 heard the opinions of those who are more competent to pass judg- 
 ment upon its merits, we are happy to believe that it constitutes a 
 noble addition to the many high claims of its distingviished author to 
 public esteem and honor, as a scholar, a divine, and a devoted sup- 
 porter of American Literature.' — N. A. Review. 
 
 Palfrey's Lowell Lectures. LoAvell Lectures on 
 the Evidences of Christianity. By John Gorham Pal- 
 frey. With a discourse on the Life and Character of 
 Jolni Lowell, Jr. By Edward Everett. 2 vols. 8vo. 
 
 Palfrey's Sermons. Sermons on Duties belonging to 
 some of the Conditions and Relations of Private Life. 
 By John G. Palfrey, D. T>., Professor of Biblical Litera- 
 ture in the University of Cambridge. 12mo. 
 
 ' These discourses of Professor Palfrey are entitled to an honorable 
 place with those of Barrow, Tillotson, Seeker, and Cappe. And they 
 have the superior advantage of presenting within the limits of a single 
 volume — of no ordinary typographical beauty — a natural and syste- 
 matic arrangement of most of the private social duties. For our- 
 selves, we have perused them with satisfaction and thankfulness to» 
 the author.' — Christian Examiner. 
 
 Worcester's Last Thoughts, on Important Subjects. 
 In three parts. I. Man's Liability to Sin. II. Supple- 
 mentary Illustrations. III. Man's Capacity to Obey. 
 By Noah Worcester, D. D. 16mo. pp. 328. 
 
 ' It is the rare merit of the writer's mind, that, although always 
 moving onward in his investigations, he moves so cautiously, and with 
 such reverence for the truth, and such distrust of himself, that his 
 ' Last Thoughts ' on every subject are invariably his best.' 
 
 FoUen's Works. The Works of Charles FoUen ; Avith 
 a Memoir of his Life. 5 vols. 12mo. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS, 
 
 Greenwood's Chapel Liturgy- A Liturgy for the 
 use of the Church at ling's Chapel in Boston; col- 
 lected principally from the Book of Common Prayer. 
 Fifth Edition ; with Family Prayers and Sei'vices, and 
 other additions. By F. W. P. Greenwood, 12mo. 
 
 Greenwood's Lives of the Apostles. Lives of the 
 twelves Apostles, to which is prefixed a Life of John 
 the Baptist. By F. W. P. Greenwood. Second Edition. 
 16mo. With plates. 
 
 Greenwood's Sermons. Sermons to Children. By 
 F. W. P. Greenwood, D. D., Mnister of ling's Chapel, 
 Boston. 1 vol. 16mo. 
 
 ' A work of this sort doubtless requires some peculiar gifts of the 
 heart, as well as of intellect ; and we wish, that when it is under- 
 taken from the pulpit, it might be with any good measure of the 
 felicity and skill with which Dr. Greenwood has in these beautiful 
 sermons accomplished it. We have read them with great pleasure, 
 and what is more to the puipose, — since for such they were written, 
 — we have found little children who have read them with pleasure 
 too. In the judicious selection of the topics, in the crystal clearness 
 of the style, in the simplicity and beauty of the thoughts, and the 
 tone of seriousness and unfeigned love pervading the whole, they 
 furnish a model for such addresses to the pulpit. We can commend 
 the volume to parents, that they may obtain it for their children, and 
 to children, that they may read it for themselves, — engaging at the 
 same time that they shall not iind it ' hard reading.' ' — Monthly 
 Miscellany. 
 
 ' We are delighted to meet with a volume for children in some other 
 form than a story. We believe these Sermons will be read with as 
 much interest as any of the little novels with which the press teems, 
 and with more profit.' — Chnstian Examiner, 
 
 Sermons on Consolation. By F. W. P. Greenwood, 
 D. D., Minister of King's Chapel, Boston. Second 
 Edition. 1 vol. 16mo. 
 
 The Last Days of the Savior, or Histoiy of the 
 Lord's Passion. From the German of Olshausen. 
 Ti*anslated by Be v. S. Osgood. 12mo. 
 
 Sketch of the Reformation. By Bev. T. B. Fox. 
 
 ' This volume contains a short but clear narrative of the lives and 
 labors of Luther, Tetzel, Melancthon, Zwingle, and others. 
 1# 
 
JAMES MUNROE A^TD COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Channing's Works- The Works of William E. Chan- 
 ning, D. D. First complete American edition, with an 
 Litroduction. 6 vols. 12mo. Five Dollap^s. 
 
 K^ This edition of the works was puhhshed under the author's 
 own supervision. 
 
 Channing's Self-Culture. Self- Culture. By W. E. 
 Channing. With a Biogra])liical Sketch of the author. 
 16mo. cloth, gilt. Price 37 1-2 cents. 
 
 ' It should be the pocket companion of every young man in the 
 country, and to be found on every lady's centre table.' — Cultivator. 
 
 ' It is indeed a gem of English composition, of sound, vigorous 
 thought and pure wisdom.' — Mobile Register. 
 
 ' Few tracts have exerted a more wide and salutary influence than 
 Br. Channing's lecture on Self- Culture. It is a powerful statement 
 of encouraging truths set forth in that clear, harmonious and impress- 
 ive style for which its lamented author was distinguished. We are 
 happy to see it republished in so neat a manner, now tliat death has 
 consecrated the eloquent lessons it conveys. The humblest votary of 
 improvement will derive consolation and guidance from its pages.' — 
 Boston Miscellany. 
 
 Practical Ethics. Human Life, or Practical Ethics. 
 From the German of De Wette. Tianslated by Samuel 
 Osgood. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 
 ' These lectures have long enjoyed a high reputation in Germany, 
 and other parts of Europe, and we hail with unfeigned pleasure their 
 publication in this country. They are eminently original, profound 
 and suggestive.' — New World. 
 
 ' Those interested in the study of ethics, will find in the present 
 volumes, a beautiful richness of illustration, and an extended con- 
 sideration of the practical duties of life ; and although many readers 
 will doubtless dissent from some of the author's principles, as from 
 his application of them, the book merits a reading, as exhibiting the 
 views of a philosophical and independent mind, and, at the same time, 
 those which prevail to a great extent on the continent of Europe.' — ■ 
 American Eclectic. 
 
 Buckminster's Works. The Works of Joseph Ste- 
 vens Buckminster ; with Memoirs of his Life. Li two 
 vols. 12mo. 
 
 ' One of the first religious books we remember to have read was 
 the first volume of Buckminster's Sermons ; and the beautifully 
 written life and two or three of the discourses fixed themselves in the 
 mind, as nothing is fixed there save in our early years. 
 
 ' His sermons, as sermons, are certainly surpassed by none in the 
 language.' — Monthly JMzscellany. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 De Wette on the Old Testament. A Critical and 
 Historical Introduction to the Canonical Scriptures of 
 the Old Testament. From the German of De Wetta 
 Translated and enlarged by Theodore Parker. 2 vols. 
 6vo. 
 
 Parker's Miscellaneous Writings. The Critical 
 and Miscellaneous Writings of Theodore Parker, Min- 
 ister of the Second Church in Roxbury. 
 
 Contents. A Lesson for the Day; German Litei-ature ; The Life 
 of St. Bernard of Clairvaux : Truth against the World ; Thoughts on 
 Labor ; A Discourse of the Transient and Permanent in Christianity ; 
 The Pharisees ; On the Education of the Laboring Class ; How to 
 move the World ; Primitive Christianity ; Strauss's Life of Jesus ; 
 Thoughts on Theology. — 
 
 ' We are gKd to see these miscellanies republished, and think all 
 who read them will enjoy their spirit even when th^ disagree with 
 their doctrines. The tone of earnest conviction, the glow of feeling, 
 the occasional beauty of expression in these pages, is very refreshing.' 
 — Merchants' Magazine. 
 
 ' The essays are written in a style which combines the plainness of 
 CoBBETT with just the slightest sprinkling of modern literary Euphu- 
 ism ; a combination less unattractive than might at the first blush be 
 inferred from such a coalition.' — Knickerbocker. 
 
 iParker's Discourses. A Discourse on Matters per- 
 taining to Religion. By Theodore Parker, IMinister of 
 the Second Church in Roxbury. 
 
 Farr's Counsels and Consolations : Containing 
 Meditations and Pveflections on sixty-two passages of 
 Scripture, with particular reference to those in trouble 
 and affliction ; to which are added four sermons, suited 
 to persons in distressing and mournful circumstances. 
 By Jonathan Farr. Second Edition. Enlarged by 
 several Prayers, and an Address to those who have 
 been afflicted. 1 vol. 18mo, 
 
 • This volume is eminently a work of compassion, it is medicine, 
 food, and air for the afflicted lonely ones. That medicine is com- 
 pounded of ingredients gathered in the garden of the Lord ; that food 
 IS the bread which came down from heaven : that air is the zephyry 
 odor, which comes from the paradise of God. Let the mentally 
 debilitated take, eat, breathe, and revive.' — London Christian Pioneer. 
 
8 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 An Oifering of S3nnpathy to the Afflicted: Es- 
 pecially to Parents bereaved of their Children. Being 
 a collection from Manuscripts never before published 
 With an Appendix of Extracts, By Francis Parkman. 
 Third Edition. 18mo. 
 
 ' Though small, it is rich in comfort and instruction. Prepared by 
 the editor in a season of peculiar personal affliction, it contains many 
 of his own thoughts, with the judicious selections which he made 
 from books from which he drew consolation, besides the original 
 articles which at his request were furnished by his brethren in the 
 ministry. In the present edition not only is the Appendix — of Ex- 
 tracts — enlarged, but an original article is given not found in the 
 former editions.' — Monthly Miscellany. 
 
 ' We are not surprised that Dr. Parkman's excellent little volume 
 has reached a third edition. It has carried comfort to many a heart. 
 We wish it well on its errand of peace.' — C/instian Examiner. 
 
 ' A volume deserving a cordial welcome to every htjuse and heart. 
 The variety of J;hought and expression, and yet the perfect harmony 
 of tone of feeling which marks this spiritual wreath for a christian 
 cemetery, will make it live and bloom as long as sorrow is known.' — 
 HmiCs Magazine. 
 
 The Holy Land and its Inhabitants. By S. G. 
 
 Bulfiuch. Being a description of this interesting coun- 
 tiy, and also a History of it, Ancient and Modern, its 
 Antiquities, &c. &c. 
 
 Lives of Eminent Unitarians; with a Notice of 
 Dissenting Academies, containing Lives of Robertson, 
 Palmer, Priestley, Price, and others. By the Pvev. W* 
 Turner, Jun., M. A. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Henry Ware, Jr. Views of Christian Truth, Piety, 
 and Morality, selected from the Writings of Dr. Priest- 
 ley. With a Memoir of his Life. By Henry Ware, 
 Jr. 12mo. pp. 288. 
 
 ' Mr. Ware has here erected a noble and enduring monument of the 
 pure and truly Christian character of one of the most gifted and single- 
 hearted of Christian confessors. The Memoir, compiled for the most 
 part from Dr. Priestley's own letters, and other writings, and drawn 
 up with care, is interesting throughout, and full of instruction. The 
 same may also be said of the selection of sermons, and other pieces 
 which make up the body of the work : for they are almost exclusively 
 practical, and present ' views of Christian truth, piety, and morality, 
 remarkable for their good sense, strictness, and discrimination."— 
 Christian Examiner. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 9 
 
 Ware on Christian Character. On the Formation 
 of Christian Character, addressed to thosQ who are 
 seckinc^ to lead a Rehgious Life. By Hemy Ware, 
 Jr., D. D. Twelfth Edition. 18mo. 
 
 Henry Ware, Jr.'s Hints on Extemporaneous 
 Preaching", with rules for its government. Third 
 Edition. 
 
 * It is the object of this little work to draw the attention of those 
 who are preparing for the Christian ministry, or who have just 
 entered it, to a mode of preaching, which the writer thinks has been 
 too much discountenanced and despised : but which under proper 
 restrictions, he is persuaded may add greatly to the opportunities of 
 ministerial usefulness.' — The Preface. 
 
 Ware's Life of the Savior- The Life of the Savior. 
 By Henry Ware, Jr., Professor of Pulpit Eloquence 
 and the Pastoral Care in Hai-^^ard University, pp. 284. 
 Fourth Edition. 18mo. 
 
 * K we can suppose any person to be a stranger to the Gospel his- 
 torians, in a Christian land, we*think Professor Ware's narrative with 
 its illustrations would be to such a person a work of unequalled in- 
 terest in biography, provided he possessed a common share of moral 
 sensibility. To one somewhat acquainted with those histories, perused, 
 as they usually are, under great disadvantages in our common ver- 
 sion, in small, detached portions, and without any helps, this ' Life of 
 the Savior ' affords assistance, in various ways, at once in a more 
 popular and a more intelligible form than can elsewhere be found, so 
 far as we know. This volume is intended particularly for the young; 
 but it is a valuable aid to every reader of the Gospels ; an aid to the 
 understanding of them, and an aid to reflections upon their truths. It 
 unites, in some good measure, the advantages of a paraphrase and a 
 commentary, without the feebleness of the former, or the dryness of 
 the latter.' — American Monthly Review. 
 
 Henry Ware, Jr's. Scenes and Characters, Illus- 
 trating Christian Truth. In a series of Tales, each 
 number complete in itself To be had separately. 
 Edited by the Rev. H. Ware, Jr. 
 
 * If we may judge of this series of little works from the two numbers 
 which have appeared, we should say that it bids fair to be eminently 
 useful, and to realize whatever we might expect from the high 
 character of the writers engaged. They should be read. Whoever 
 contributes at all to circulate them does good to the public' — Boston 
 Daily Advertiser. 
 
10 JAMES MUNUOE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 1. TRIAL AND SELF-DISCIPimE. By Miss Savage, Author of ' James 
 Talbot.' 
 
 'If the remaining numbers shall be executed with the same sldll, 
 and the same deep religious feelings which pervade the first, these 
 little volumes will be an important addition to the works which make 
 religion attractive and lovely.' — Christian Register. 
 
 2. TIIE SKEPTIC. By Mrs. Follen, Author of ' The Well-spent Hour.' 
 
 ' This is an admirable little book, which no one will dip into without 
 reading through, and no one will read through without being improved 
 and delighted. The argumentative portions are clear and forcible, and 
 are naturally and skillfully interwoven with the web of the story. 
 The characters are conceived and sustained wonderfully well, and 
 never were the Christian graces more beautifully and consistently 
 displayed than in the life and conversation of Alice Grey. We owe a 
 debt of gratitude to the writer who gives us so natural and true a pic- 
 ture of the influence of Christianity upon our daily and hourly duties, 
 and of the mighty power which it bestows upon the character and 
 affections.' — Boston Observer. 
 
 %, mm. By Miss Sedg^viek, Author of ' Redwood," &c. 
 
 ' The influence of an enlightened mind and pure heart is shed, like 
 sunshine, over all that Miss Sedgwick writes.'. — Mrs. Child. 
 
 ' One of the sweetest homely pictures of domestic life among the 
 middle classes of New England, which it is possible to imagine, and 
 one full of the instruction which makes a way to the heart.' — TaiVs 
 Magazine. 
 
 4. GLEAMS OF TRUTH. By the Rev. Joseph Tuckerman, D. D. 
 
 ' This little work diflfers from its predecessors in being not a ficti- 
 tious and connected narrative, but a collection of detached facts, 
 anecdotes, and conversations, which actually occurred within the 
 writer's own experience. This difference, while it adds to its value, 
 
 will not make it less interesting, but the contrary Truth 
 
 is strange, and stranger than fiction, and the most creative imagina- 
 tion could not have conceived more striking and consistent illustra- 
 tions of Christian character than are here presented to us to admire 
 
 and imitate Nothing can be more elevating, inspiring, and 
 
 encouraging, than the instances which he has here given us.' — Boston 
 Observer. 
 
 §. THE BACKSLIDER. By the Author of the ' Hugenots,' &c. 
 
 ' The Blackslider is intended to illustrate the influence of Chris- 
 tianity on minds diflferently constituted, particularly on the two prin- 
 cipal characters of the story. In Anna Hope, we see its effects on a 
 mind naturally well balanced. In Walter we see the good seed scat- 
 tered on the thin soil ; and it is the aim of the writer to show where 
 the lack of root is.' ' Such fictions as the one before us, by their 
 faithful and graphic representations of human nature, affect us fo;r 
 the time like reality.' — Christian Kxaminer. 
 
JAMES MUN.ROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 11 
 
 6. ALFRED ; or, the Effects of True Repentance. And the BETTER 
 PART. By the Author of ' Sophia Morton.' 
 
 Mrs, Farrar's Life of John Howard, the Philan* 
 thropist, with a Preface by Uev. Henry Ware, Jr. 
 
 This volume gives an interesting narrative of the Life and also of 
 the various undertaidngs of this eminent philanthropist; it is vv^ritten 
 with all the vigor of the other vi^orks of its author. 
 
 Memoir of Rev, Joseph Tuckerman, (Minister to 
 the Poor.) By Rev. W. E. Channing. 18mo. 
 
 Jouffroy's Ethics. Introduction to Ethics : including 
 a Critical Survey of Moral Systems. Translated from 
 the French of Jouflroy. By William H. Channing. 
 
 This work consists of a critical review of yarious ethical systems ; 
 aiming to give a fair view of the merits and demerits of each, with 
 especial regard to the particular points wherein lay the faultiness of 
 each. To every student of moral philosophy, and of the history of 
 the human mind, such a sketch must be of very great interest and 
 value. 
 
 Bumap's Lectures to Young Men; on the culti- 
 vation of the Mind, the formation of Character, and 
 the Conduct of Life. Second Edition. By George W. 
 Burnap. 1 vol. 12mo. 
 
 • Remarkable for the intelligent spirit which they display, and the 
 sound moral instructions conveyed.' — Phila. Ledger. 
 
 Lectures on the Sphere and Duties of Woman, 
 
 and other subjects. By George W. Burnap. 1 vol. 
 12mo. 
 
 * The duties of Women, and especially of American females, are 
 ably defined, and correctly animadverted on. We take pleasure in 
 recommending it as a work that all parents should place in the hands 
 of their daughters, and the husband in that of his wife.' — N. Y. Lady's 
 Companion. 
 
 ' We commend the book to the attention of every female, whether 
 young or old, and whatever station she may fill. They will find a 
 true friend in the author, and cannot fail to draw improvement from 
 his admonitions.' — Boston Courier. 
 
 Lectures on the History of Christianity, By 
 
 George W. Burnap. 1 vol. 12mo. 
 
12 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 Memoir of James Jackson, Jr. M. D. written by 
 his Father, with extracts from his Letters, and remi- 
 niscences of him by a Fellow Student. 18mo. 
 
 Memoir of Nathaniel Bowditch, (the Mathemati- 
 cian.) 18mo. 
 
 Dewey's Sermons. Discburses on various subjects. 
 By Rev. Oi-ville Dewey. 3 vols. 12mo. 
 
 W. H. Fumess. Jesus and his Biographers ; or the 
 remarks on the Four Gospels, revised with copious 
 additions. By W. H. Furness. 1 vol. 8vo. 
 
 Ripley's Specimens of Foreign Standard Literature. 
 Edited by George Bipley. 14 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Volumes 12 and 13, containing De WETTE'S HUMAN 
 LIFE. See page 6. 
 
 Volume 14. SONGS AND BALLADS. With notes. 
 Translated by Charles T. Brooks. 
 
 The Unitarian. Conducted by Bernard Whitman. 
 8vo. pp. 590. 
 
 Meditations for the Sick. By Jonathan Cole. 1 8mo. 
 
 Tracts of the American Unitarian Association. 
 
 In 15 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Christian Disciple. 6 volumes, 8vo. 
 Christian Examiner, complete to 1844. 35 vols. 
 
 The pages of this work have been enriched by contributions from 
 the pens of Worcester, Channing, Norton, Greenwood, Ware, and 
 others. 
 
 Henry Ware, D. D. An Inquiiy into the Foundation, 
 Evidences, and Truths of Pveligion. By Henry Ware, 
 T>. Do late Hollis Professor of Divinity in Hai-vard 
 Collefj-e. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 13 
 
 Theodore; or the Skeptic's Conversion. Translated 
 from the German of De Wette. By James F. Clarke. 
 2 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Sparks's Essays and Tracts. A Collection of Es- 
 says and Tracts in Theology. From various Authors, 
 with Biographical and Critical Notices. By Jared 
 Sparks. 6 vols. 12mo. 
 
 Unitarian Miscellany, and Christian Monitor. Edited 
 by Kev. Jared Sparks, and Kev. F. W. P. Greenwood. 
 6 vols. 12mo. 
 
 The Young Maiden. By Rev. A. B. Muzzey. Fourth 
 Edition. 
 
 *It will be perused with advantage by the class for whom it is 
 especially designed, and will secure the favorable judgment of their 
 most judicious friends.' — London Inquirer. 
 
 The Young Man's Friend. By A. B. Muzzey. 18mo. 
 Second Edition. 
 
 Week Day Religion. By Rev. Bernard Whitman. 
 18mo. 
 
 Gieseler's Text Book of Ecclesiastical History. By J. 
 C. I. Gieseler, Doctor of Philosophy and Theology, 
 and Professor of Theology in Gottingen. Translated 
 from the Third German Edition by Francis Cunning- 
 ham. 3 vols. 8vo. 
 
 Observations on the Bible, for the use of Young Per- 
 sons. 12mo. 
 
 Locke on the Epistles. A Paraphrase and Notes 
 on the Epistles of St. Paul to the Galatians, First and 
 Second Corinthians, Romans, and Ephesians. To 
 Avhich is prefixed an Essay for the Understanding of 
 St. Paul's Epistles, by consulting St. Paul himself By 
 John Locke. Svo. pp. 456. 
 
 The Dial. Published quarterly, 16 numbers now out. 
 Edited by R. W. Emerson. 
 K^ A few complete sets only remaining on hand. 
 2 
 
14 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 JUST PUBI-ISKED. 
 
 LECTURES 
 
 ON 
 
 CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. 
 
 By Andrew P. Peabody, Pastor of the South Church, 
 Portsmouth. 1 vol. 12mo. 
 
 ENDEAVORS 
 
 AFTER THE 
 
 CHRISTIAN LIFE. 
 
 A Vohuiie of Discourses by James Martmeau. 12mo. 
 
 Contexts. The Spirit of Life in Jesus Christ; The Besetting 
 God ; Great Principles and Small Duties ; Eden and Gethsemane ; 
 Sorrow no Sin ; Christian Peace ; Religion on False Pretences ; 
 JNIammon Worship ; The Kingdom of God within us, Part I ; The 
 Kingdom of God within us, Part II ; The Contentment of Sorrow ; 
 Immortality ; The Communion of Saints ; Christ's Treatment of 
 Guilt; The Strength of the Lonely; Hand and Heart ; Silence and 
 Meditation ; Winter Worship ; The Great Year of Providence ; Christ 
 and the Little Child ; The Christianity of Old Age ; Nothing Human 
 ever Dies. — 
 
 ' These discourses form part of an extensive plan ; and may be con- 
 sidered not so much a separate work, as an introduction to a complete 
 treatise on the Christian character and life. Their object is to awaken 
 the Christian spirit, rather than to describe the perfect Christian life ; 
 and while they inculcate specific duties and warn against specific 
 sins, their leading design is to excite and strengthen the devout spirit 
 that will lead us always to perform all duties. 
 
 ' We recommend the volume to our readers as the production of an 
 enlightened Christian mind, full of earnestness and power and love of 
 souls. It was composed because the author had something to say on 
 the highest subjects of human thought, because his heart overflows 
 wath sympathy for the ills of man, and because he has felt for himself 
 the blessedness of laboring for their removal. He is an enthusiast ; 
 but an intelligent one, who does not expect to remove social evils by 
 the application of any fine-spun political system, but by awakening 
 in each individual heart some mighty emotion, that shall lead to the 
 reformation of that individual life. 
 
 ' The discourses on the Kingdom of God within us, on Great Prin- 
 ciples and Small Duties, on Immortality and the Great Year of Provi- 
 dence, are particularly interesting and instructive.' — Monthly Miscellany. 
 
 LETTERS ON EPISCOPACY. By Jared Sparks. 
 Second Edition, with large additions. 1 vol. 12mo. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 15 
 
 NEW HYMN BOOK. 
 
 The Social Hymn Book, consisting of Psalms and 
 Hymns, for Social Worship and Private Devotion. 
 With 28 pages music. 
 
 ' It is designed to supply the want which is believed to be increasing, 
 of a small and cheap Hymn Book for vestry meetings, and for parishes 
 that are unable to procure more expensive collections.' — The Preface. 
 
 ' The collection contains 3C0 Hymns, 14 Doxologies, 21 Sacred 
 tunes. There are somewhat more than 130 of the Hymns which are 
 not found in Dr. Greenwood's, of these a portion are found in some of 
 the other collections : a part of them are truly exquisite and beautiful, 
 and ought to appear in every collection. 
 
 ' The hymns which ]\Ir. Robbins has introduced, in general do 
 credit to his taste and reading. Some of those from Bishop Mant's 
 Collection of Ancient Hymns seem harsh to most readers on a first 
 perusal, but familiarity renders them highly attractive and stores the 
 heart with rich and beautiful sentiments.' — Christian Register. 
 
 ' In looking over this work, we are happy to recognize a number 
 of our favorite hymns, the omission of which in other collections 
 we have always regretted. The Book breathes the spirit of the con- 
 ference room, and is at the same time well adapted, as it is in part 
 intended, ' for parishes that are unable to procure more expensive col- 
 lections.' ' — Salem Observer. 
 
 ' This is an admirable selection of devotional hymns, and will, 
 doubtless, become a favorite one for the purposes for which it w^as 
 designed. The collection was made by Rev. Chandler Robbins, of 
 this city, whose name, alone, is a sufficient guaranty for its excel- 
 lence. We hail this little work, as one among the signs we daily see, 
 of interest in the work of enlivening the whole Church, and bringing 
 us all into an active, visible cooperation. 
 
 ' We ought to say in addition, that at the close of the book are 
 placed some twenty, or more, of the most beautiful and popular tunes 
 used at social religious meetings.' — Christian World. 
 
 ' We welcome, with the rest, the graceful little volume before us, as 
 supplying a want, which has been sensibly felt in a department of our 
 social worship, and as well adapted to private and domestic devotion. 
 The excellence of its typographical execution invites attention, which 
 will be amply rewarded by its skillfully selected and arranged con- 
 tents. 
 
 'For infant and feeble parishes, ' unable to procure more expen- 
 sive collections ; ' for the meetings of the vestry and all other social 
 services among Christians ; for the private and domestic altar we 
 cordially recommend the Selection before us. It unites the indispen- 
 sable grace of a Christian spirit, by which it is pervaded, with poetic 
 beauty : and so entire is its freedom from doubtful or sectarian phrase- 
 ology, that it may easily become the manual, and a favorite one too, of 
 Christians of various denominations.' — Monthly Misrellany. 
 
 [X^ Already used in several parishes. Copies furnished to clergy 
 and others, for examination. 
 
16 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 MANUALS j 
 
 FOR 
 
 SABBATH SCHOOLS. 
 
 Livermore's Commentary. 2 vols. See page 1. 
 
 A Catechism of Natural Theology. By I. Nichols, 
 D. D., Pastor of the Fkst Church in Portland. Third 
 Edition, with additions and improvements. 12mo. 
 Plates. 
 
 ' Dr. Nichols has prefixed to his work the appropriate motto, ' Every 
 house is huilded by some man ; but he that built all things is God ; ' 
 and the work is a very happy illustration of its motto. It is devoted 
 principally to an examination of the human frame, and it is shown 
 that the conformation of its various parts, and their adaptation to the 
 purposes which they are known to serve, could not have happened 
 without the design of an intelligent Creator. It is better adapted to 
 the comprehension of youth and common readers, than the more 
 elaborate and extended treatises of Paley and others j and next to the 
 Holy Scriptures, is one of the most interesting and useful fields of 
 contemplation which could be spread out before them. If any person 
 can peruse this little book without feeling a kindred emotion, and 
 forming a similar puipose, the fact would be an affecting proof of the 
 alienation of the heart from its Maker. When it is remembered that 
 Atheism is among the spreading errors of our land, we see an addi- 
 tional reason for directing our youth to such intellectual pursuits, as 
 will furnish the best defences against this arch heresy ; and such we 
 regard the contents of the work under review. We are glad that a 
 new edition of the work has been demanded, and that it makes its 
 appearance in a style of execution so worthy of its matter.' — ChHs^ 
 tian Mirror, Portland, Me. 
 
 Hints to Sunday School Teachers, in a series of 
 Familiar Lectures. By Kev. T. B. Fox. l&rao. price 
 25 cents. 
 
 Allen's Questions. Parts 1, 2, and 3. 18mo. 
 
 Walker's Service Book. i8mo. 
 
 Fox's Sunday School Prayer Book. l8mo. 
 
 Child's Duties and Devotions. iSmo. 
 
 The Ministry of Christ, with Questions. By Key, 
 T. B. Fox. ISmo, 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 17 
 
 Peabody's Sunday School Hymn Book. l8nio. 
 
 Channing's, Worcester Association, Rhode Island, and 
 Carpenter's Catechisms. 
 
 Life of the Savior. By Rev. H. Ware, Jr. 18mo. 
 See page 9. 
 
 Scripture Truths in Questions and Answers, for the 
 use of Sunday Schools and Families. 18mo. pp. 75. 
 
 ' The writer of this little manual has not attempted to do better 
 where others have done well. Nor is this simply another Sunday 
 School book — though that would be no objection. It is in facta 
 new Sunday School book. It enters a province which has heretofore 
 been kept shut, at least in the schools of Liberal Christians ; viz. the 
 province of doctrine. * * * With these views we welcome this book. 
 Every question that is apt to arise, concerning God, Christ, Faith, 
 Ordinances, Prayer, Repentance, &c. &c., is answered by a passage of 
 Scripture ; and there are very few passages that do not contain fair 
 answers and sufficient exposition for the young. The controverted 
 and most difficult texts are more fully explained, yet with great sim- 
 plicity, in notes, and also an Appendix. In the hands of well in- 
 structed and judicious teachers, no one, we think, would doubt the 
 utility of such a manual. In families, to be used by parents, it is 
 excellent. Indeed for general use we feel free to commend it. The 
 plan and execution as a whole we like, and hope a fair trial will be 
 given it.''— Monthly Miscellany. 
 
 ' We are ignorant of the name of the Author of this little book, but 
 we think he has done good service to the cause of religious instruc- 
 tion. We are not in favor of the multiplication of manuals for the 
 use of Sunday Schools, but the arrangement and plan of this work, 
 are such as to make it a valuable assistant to any parent and Sunday 
 School Teacher.' — Christian Register. 
 
 The Sunday School Guide. By A B. Muzzey. 
 
 ISmo. 
 
 J. M. & Co. being engaged in the publication of 
 Juvenile Works, can offer to individuals and others, 
 selecting for Sabbath, School, and District Libraries, 
 superior advantages. And they keep constantly on 
 hand the largest assortment of Juveniles to be found, 
 embracing all the works by IMaiy Howitt, Mrs. Ellis, 
 Aunt Kitty, Charlotte Ehzabeth, the Abbotts, and others; 
 all of which will be sold at a LARGE DISCOUNT, 
 from the trade prices. 
 
 Q^ 3000 volumes now on hand, 
 2# 
 
 / 
 
18 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS, 
 
 MANUALS 
 
 DAILY DEVOTION.. 
 
 Hours for Heaven : a small but choice Selection of 
 Prayers, from Eminent Divines of the Church of Eng- 
 land. Intended as a Devotional Companion for Young 
 Persons. _32mo. gilt edges. 
 
 ' This is a little manual of devotion, consisting of prayers and 
 meditations for each day in the week, with additions of prayers for 
 particular occasions. 
 
 ' To the prayers are added many miscellaneous pieces in prose and 
 verse, suited for aids to devotion ; and, lastly, several weighty religious 
 aphorisms. 
 
 ' There are here and there forms of invocation, and single expres- 
 sions, from which we dissent; but the spirit, and, with few exceptions, 
 the language, is such that we do not fear to recommend the book to 
 serious Christians of all denominations.' — Christian Register. 
 
 ' A choice selection of prayers from eminent Divines which is 
 designed as a devotional companion. It is an elegant little volume, 
 nicely printed and bound, and its contents will be very acceptable to 
 any that may read them occasionally, as designed.' — Hoitghman. 
 
 Farr's Prayers. Forms of Morning and Evening 
 Prayer, composed for the use of Famihes. By Jona- 
 than Farr. 16mo. pp. 174. 
 
 • The ' Forms of Morning and Evening Prayer' are among the best 
 that have come under our notice, — at once calm and fervent, scriptu- 
 ral and rational ; for which reason we doubt not that they will find 
 general favor among those who are accustomed to avail themselves of 
 such helps to private or domestic devotion. The volume is veiy 
 neatly printed and done up, and contains prayers for every day in a 
 fortnight, and eight morning and evening prayers for any day in the 
 week, and a great variety of occasional prayers for families, and for 
 individuals.' — Christian Exaininer. 
 
 Sewell's Daily Devotions, for a Family, with occa- 
 sional Prayers. Second Edition. 12mo. 
 
 Greenwood's Chapel Liturgy ; collected principally 
 from the Book of Common Prayer. Fifth Edition; 
 with Family Prayers and Sei-vices, and other Addi- 
 tions. ByF. W. P. Greenwood. 12mo. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 19 
 
 Brooks's Prayers. A Family Prayer Book, and Pri- 
 vate Manual ; to which are added, Forms for Pveligious 
 Societies and Schools, with a Collection of Hymns. 
 By Charles Brooks, Minister of the Third Church in 
 Hingham, Massachusetts. 12mo. 
 
 , ' Both, as to its substance and form, it is a work of an excellent 
 design, and well calculated to answer its design ; and considering how 
 much it is wanted among us, and how much good it may do, we are 
 happy in having this opportunity to recommend it most cordially.' — 
 Christian Disciple. 
 
 Bowring's Matins and Vespers ; with Hymns and 
 Occasional Devotional Pieces. By John Bowring, 
 London. 18mo. Price 50 cents. 
 
 ' There is in them a frequent display, or rather the presence without 
 the display, of a tenderness and pathos, an elegant simplicity and 
 devotional feeling, which win upon the heart, and sometimes touch it 
 as with strains from unearthly worlds. There is no drafna, no tale, 
 no controversy in these poems j they are truly ' Matins and Vespers.' 
 They charm by their modesty and sensibility, and by a deep venera- 
 tion of, and an ardent expression of gratitude toward, our Almighty 
 Creator, Preserver, and Benefactor. Many of the pictures in them of 
 the love and compassion of God toward his creatures are truly beau- 
 tiful and affecting.' — Christian Observer, London. 
 
 Furness's Domestic Worship. By W. H. Furness, 
 Pastor of the First Congregational Unitarian Church 
 in Philadelphia. Second Edition. 12mo. 
 
 * The prayers are divided into sections and are not specially appro- 
 priated to the several days of the week; that opportunity may be 
 given for selection, omission, and variety.' — The Preface. 
 
 The Social Hymn Book ; consisting of Psalms and 
 Hymns for Social Worship and Private Devotion- 
 Compiled by Rev. Chandler Pvobbins. 18mo. 
 
 Devotional Exercises. Compiled by J. T. Bucking- 
 ham. 18mo. Third Edition. 
 
 ' We like this little volume extremely. The plan is happy and it is 
 executed with exceedingly good judgment and taste.' — N. A. Review. 
 
 ' This unpretending little volume is compiled from the Book of 
 Proverbs, the Book of Psalms, and the Gospels. The compiler has 
 executed his task with excellent judgment, and we most heartily 
 recommend it.' — Salem Observer. 
 
20 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 HAWAIIAN OR SANDWICH ISLANDS, 
 
 Embracing their Antiquities, Legends, Discovery by 
 Europeans in the Sixteenth Century, Rediscovery by 
 Cook, with their Civil, Rehgious, and Pohtical History, 
 from the earhest period to the present time. By 
 James Jackson Jarves, Member of the Am. Oriental 
 Society. With Maps and Plates. 8vo. 
 
 ' The book is carefully prepared and furnishes a highly attractive 
 narrative. The ground over which the author has passed has been 
 almost entirely untrod before him, and the history will be quite new, 
 we believe, to almost all readers. It is a history full of its passages 
 of romance, — for these islands have not been exempted from the 
 stirring exoitements of larger communities.' — Boston Daily Advertiser. 
 
 ' The work bears the marks of great attention and patient research ; 
 the narrative is easy, flowing, and spirited, in a style adapted to the 
 subject.' — Philadelphia Christian Observer. 
 
 * ' Mr. J. has produced an excellent and permanently valuable book.* 
 — Boston Recorder. 
 
 ' It supplies a deficiency in our literature, and is finished in such a 
 manner that it will not have to be done again. This work will be a 
 favorite ; it affords information not easily found elsewhere, and if 
 attainable at all. only to be collected by great labor, and from a variety 
 of sources.' — Baptist Memorial and Monthly Chronicle. 
 
 N. HAWTHORNE'S TWICE TOLD TALES. 2 
 
 vols. 12mo. Cloth. 
 
 * A whole volume of collected Miscellanies of great merit is before 
 us. We mean Mr. Hawthorne's ' Twice Told Tales,' which will one 
 day or other be naturalized into our Library of Romance, if truth, 
 fancy, pathos, and originality, have any longer powder to diffuse a 
 reputation. He has caught the true fantastic spirit, which somewhere 
 or other exists in every society, be it ever so utilitarian and practical, 
 linking the seen to the unseen, the matter of fact to the imaginative. 
 As a recounter of mere legends, ]Vtr. Hawthorne claims high praise. 
 We cannot too heartily commend this book as the best addition that 
 has been made to what rnay be called the Fairy Library, which has 
 been made for many years.' — London Foreign and Colonial Quarterly 
 Review. 
 
 'To this little work we would say, ' Live ever, sweet, sweet book.' 
 It comes from the hand of a man of genius. Every thing about it has 
 the freshness of morning and of May. A calm, thoughtful face seems 
 to be looking at you from every page.' — N. A. Review. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 21 
 
 SCENES AND SCENERY 
 
 IN THE 
 
 SANDWICH ISLANDS, 
 
 And a trip through Central America: being olDsei-va- 
 tions from my Note-book during the years 1837-1842. 
 By James J. Jarves, Author of the History of the 
 Sandwich Islands, &c., embellished with Map and 4 
 plates. 
 
 *Mr. Jarves has enjoyed peculiar advantages for acquiring an accu- 
 rate knowledge of the past and present condition of this people, their 
 manners and customs, and the natural features and resources of the 
 islands ; and of the§e he has fully availed himself He seems to have 
 written without fear or prejudice, desirous of doing ample justice to 
 missionary effort, and exposing the more than savage outrage of for- 
 eign residents and visiters, some of them high in official station, with 
 fearlessness. 
 
 ' From the two works of Mr. J., a more accurate idea of the islands 
 may be obtained, than from any other source. There is much liveli- 
 ness in his narrative ; and an occasional imperfection in the structure 
 of a sentence, or the inexact use of a word, shows that he did not 
 write in fetters. In his ' Sketches,' particularly, he has managed so 
 to intermingle the offensive and the ludicrous, the beautiful and the 
 economical, as to portray well the peculiar transition state of this 
 people. Whoever wov;ld find an account of the Sandwich Islands, 
 both amusing and instructive, will not. fail to read Mr. J.'s books.' — 
 Christian Review. 
 
 ' The book before us, written by Mr. James Jackson Jarves, is illus- 
 trative of the recent progress of religion, science, and refinement in 
 that most interesting group — the Sandwich Islands. 
 
 ' We rarely read a book of this class from beginning to end : to the 
 volume before us, howev^er, we have paid this compliment. It con- 
 tains many provincialisms, and, strange to say, a few grammatical 
 errors ; yet we like the spirit in which it is written, and the vividness 
 with which the author paints novel scenes in the North Pacific' — 
 New World. 
 
 SONGS AND BALLADS. 
 
 Translated from Uhland, Korner, Bln-ger, and other 
 German Lyric Poets, with notes. By diaries T. 
 Brooks. 
 
 • In this volume we have presented to us a string of beautiful pearls. 
 
 * The typographical execution of the work is good, and the pub- 
 lishers merit commendation. We think the volume well worthy a 
 place among the selected poetry of the day.' — Jmerican Etiedic. 
 
22 JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY'S PUBLICATIONS. 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS. 
 
 CARLYLE'S MISCELLANIES. 4 vols. 
 
 SARTOR RESARTUS. Fourth American Edition. 
 HEROES OF HISTORY. 1 vol. 
 FRENCH REVOLUTION. 2 vols. 
 WILHELM MEISTER. 3 vols. 
 PAST AND PRESENT. 1 vol. 
 CHARTISM. 1 vol. 
 
 GERMAN ROMANCE: Specimens of its chief 
 authors ; with Biographical and Critical Notices. By Thomas 
 Carlyle. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 ESSAYS BY R. W. EMERSON. 1 vol. 
 
 Contents. History; Self Reliance; Compensation; Spiritual 
 Laws ; Love ; Friendship ; Prudence ; Heroism ; The Over Soul j 
 Circles ; Intellect ; Art. 
 NATURE. By R. W. Emerson. 
 
 LIFE OF CRABBE THE POET. By his Son. 12mo. 
 THE HAMLETS, A TALE. By Miss Martineau. 2d Ed. ISmo. 
 PIERPONT'S POEMS, now first collected. 16mo. 
 POLITE LITERATURE IN GERMANY. Translated by Geo. 
 
 W. Haven. IGmo. 
 COLERIDGE'S CONFESSIONS OF AN INQUIRING SPIRIT. 
 AIDS TO REFLECTION. By S. T. Coleridge. 8vo. 
 TUCKER'S LIGHT OF NATURE PURSUED, with a Memoir. 
 4 vols. 8vo. 
 
 GUIZOT'S ESSAY ON THE INFLUENCE AND CHARAC- 
 
 TER OF WASHINGTON. 16mo. 
 GREENWOOD'S SERMONS, with a Memoir. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 
 STEWART'S ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN MIND. Svo. 4th 
 Edition. 
 
 CHANNING'S "WORKS, Edited by the Author. 6 vols. 12mo. 
 
 SUNDAY LIBRARY FOR YOUNG PERSONS. 4 vols. 18mo. 
 
 HOLMES'S ANNALS OF AMERICA. 2 vols. Svo. 
 
 HISTORY OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. By B. Peirce. Svo. 
 
 MARY HOWITT'S, STRIVE AND THRIVE. 
 
 " " HQPE ON! HOPE EVER. 
 
 SOWING AND REAPING. 
 
 WHO SHALL BE GREATEST? 
 " " TALES IN PROSE. 
 
 TALES IN VERSE. 
 
 TALES IN NATURAL HISTORY. 
 
JAMES MUNROE AND COMPANY S CATALOGUE. 
 
 23 
 
 STANDARD WORKS 
 
 Bancroft's U. S. 3 vols. 
 
 Sparks's Life of Washinglon. 1 vol. 
 
 " American Biography. 10 vols. 
 Franklin's Works. 10 vols. 
 Prescotl's Ferdinand and Isabella. 3 v. 
 
 *' Mexico. 3 vols. 
 
 Burke's Works. 9 vols. 
 Stephens's Central America. 2 vols. 
 
 " Yucatan. 2 vols. 
 
 " Arabia Petra3. 2 vols. 
 
 " Greece, &c. 2 vols. 
 
 Story's Writinnrs. 1 vol. 
 Shakspeare. Various Editions. 
 Milton's Poetical Works. 2 vols. 
 
 " Prose Works. 2 vols. 
 Cowper's Poems. 2 vols. 
 Longfellow's Poems. 3 vols. 
 Encyclopedia Americana. 13 vols. 
 Miss Bremer's Works. 1 vol. 
 Edgeworth's " 10 vols. 
 
 Hannah More's " 2 vols. 
 
 Sherwood's " 8 vols. 
 
 Butler's Works. 2 vols. 
 Spenser's " 5 vols. 
 
 Channing's " 6 vols. 
 
 Henry Ware's "Works. 
 Charlotte Elizabeth's Works. 
 
 Greenwood's Works. 
 Pollen's " 5 vols. 
 
 Heman's " .5 vols. 
 
 Whiitier, Tennyson, Leigh Hunt, Scott, 
 
 Barry Cornwall, and Lowell's Poems. 
 Burns's Works. 1 vol. 
 Aiken's British Poets. 8vo. 
 Bunyau's Pilgrim's Progress. 
 Lamb's Complete Works. 8vo. 
 Herbert's Poems and Remains. 2 vols. 
 Latrobe's Scripture Illustrations. 4to, 
 D'Aubigne's Reformation. 3 vols. 
 Neander's Church History. 
 Bible in Spain. 
 
 Milman's History of Christianity. 
 Buckminster's Works. 2 vols. 12mo. 
 Life of .Jean Paul Richter. 2 vols. 
 Peabody's Doctrinal Discourses. 12mo. 
 Allison's History of Europe. 4 vols. 
 
 8vo. 
 Carlyle's Works. 14 vols. 12mo. 
 Poets and Poetry of America. 
 Buckminster's Works. 2 vols. 
 Walter Scott's Novels, Poems, and Life, 
 
 uniform. 39 vols. 
 Paley's Works. 6 vols. 
 Young's Old English Prose Writers. 9 v. 
 
 MRS. SIGOURNEY'S 
 PLEASANT MBIORIES OF PLEASANT LANDS. M Ed. with additions. 
 
 16nio. Illustrated with two beautiful Engravings. Cloth. 
 
 ' It has all the charms which characterize the works of William 
 Howitt, besides its poetical illustrations of some of the most romantic 
 spots known over the wide earth.' — Christian Register. 
 
 ' It contains a variety of articles, suggested by a recent visit to Great 
 Britain, in poetry and prose, but all of a superior order, and all calcu- 
 lated to enchain the attention of the reader, — and while the beautiful 
 description of scenes abroad tends to enlighten, the elegant language 
 and the elevated sentiments must purify the heart.' 
 
 NEAT MINIATURE YOLUMEsTlN CLOTH, GILT EDGES. 
 
 Channing's Self- Culture; Hours for Heaven; Pure Gold; Sentiment 
 of Flowers : Hemans, Wordsworth, Campbell, and Bowrings Poetical 
 Works; Casket of Four Jewels ; Bible and the Closet; Marriage Ring; 
 Daily Manna ; Elizabeth, or the Exiles of Siberia ; Vicar of Wakefield ; 
 Goldsmith's Essays; Gems from American Poets: Hannah More's 
 Private Devotion ; Token of the Heart ; Paul and Virginia ; Flower 
 Vase; Gems from Female Poets; Scott's Poetical Works, 3 vols. 5 
 Coleridge's Poetical Works ; Barton's Poems ; Remember Me ; Queen 
 of Flowers. 
 
JAMES MUNUOE AND COMPANY, 
 
 Publishers, Booksellers, and Stationers, 
 
 134 WASHINGTON STREET, 
 BOSTON, 
 
 &EEP CONSTANTLY ON HAND A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF 
 
 MISCELLANEOUS BOOKS, SUITABLE FOR CITY, 
 
 TOWN, AND VILLAGE LIBRARIES. 
 
 [XT^PBRSONAL ATTENTION PAID TO ALL ORDERS ExNTRUSTED TO THEIR CARE. 
 
 SCHOOL BOOKS, ALL THE VARIETIES IN USE IN THE 
 UNITED STATES. 
 
 Books imported to order, in large or small quantities, 
 by every steamer ; and answers to orders received in 
 thirty to sixty days. Orders from incorporated institu- 
 tions, executed free of duty. 
 
 Particular attention paid to the furnishing of Juvenile 
 Libraries, either Sabbath or Day School, and as low as 
 can be procured any where in the city. 
 
 Merchants, School Committees, and Teachers, supplied 
 with Books and Stationeiy at a large discount from Trade 
 Prices. 
 
 J. M. & Co. are also publishers of 
 
 THE 
 
 AMERICAN ALMANAC, 
 
 AND 
 
 REPOSITORY OF USEFUL KNOWLEDGE. 
 
 Edited b}'- Francis BoAven. 14 volumes now ready. Back 
 volumes supplied. 
 
 George Coolidge, Printer, 57 Washington Street, Boston. 
 
Date Due 
 
 TTT? 
 
 '4ii 
 
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