500

i.

Having blessed them, ascends to heaven in their sight.

SECT. ministry of angels, who joyfully attended their returning Lord, received him out of their sight, and they saw him no more.

Acts

1. 10.

10 And while they

as he

went up, behold, two men stood by them in

white apparel;

heaven, shall so come,

This marvellous event was so astonishing to looked stedfastly tothe apostles, that they continued with their eyes wards heaven, fixed the way that he was gone: And while they were stedfastly looking up to heaven, after him, as he went on in his triumphant ascent, behold, two angels, in the form of men, in white and shining raiment, came and stood near them; 11 Who also spake to them, and said, Ye men of 11 Which also said, Galilee, why do ye stand thus gazing up to hea- Ye men of Galilee, ven, with so much surprize and amazement ? why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This This Jesus, who is now taken up from you into same Jesus, which is heaven, is gone to that world from whence he taken up from you into came, and in which he is to make his final in like manner as ye abode: Nevertheless there will be a time, have seen him go into when he shall visit your earth once more, and heaven. so come in a visible form, riding on a cloud as his triumphant chariot, and attended by angelic guards, in the same manner as you have now beheld him going into heaven: Depart therefore in peace, and pursue the interest of his kingdom, with a firm assurance that his cause shall prosper amidst all opposition, and that while you are engaged in the service of this ascended triumphant Lord, you can never be losers by your fidelity and your zeal.

12

12 Then returned

Then were the hearts of the apostles filled they unto Jerusalem, with joy by what they had seen and heard; and from the mount called having worshipped their ascended Lord, (Luke Olivet, which is from xxiv. 52.) they returned to Jerusalem, from Jerusalem a sabbaththe mount called Olivet, which is but a sabbath day's journey. day's journey, or about a mile distant from Jerusalem. And there they employed themselves in a daily course of public and private devotion; rejoicing in what they had seen, and firmly believing some extraordinary event was at hand, whereby they should be more fully qualified for the great work assigned them; which, whatever the hazard of it might be, they were firmly determined to undertake and prosecute.

h A sabbath-day's journey from Jerusa lem.] For the extent of a sabbath-day's journey, see Luke xxiv. 52. note c. The easiest manner of reconciling this text with Luke xxiv. 50. and John xi. 18. may be seen in the note on the former of those passages, sect. cciii. note a. And it is with pleasure that I see it confirmed and illustrated by the learned Mr. Biscoe,

IMPROVE

in his Sermons at Boyle's Lecture, p. 391 -394. An elaborate and valuable work; by referring to which I shall have an opportunity of saving myself and the reader a great deal of trouble in these notes; for which therefore I gladly take this opportunity of making my acknowledgment to the worthy author.

Reflections on the apostles' return from mount Olivet to Jerusalem. 501

IMPROVEMENT.

SECT.

i.

Ver.

If we have ever seriously considered the contents of this excellent history on which we are now entering, we must surely see abundant reason to adore that gracious Providence which hath transmitted it to us, to confirm our faith, and animate our hope 1 in the gospel. The account of our Lord's ascension, with which it 2,9 begins, relates to a fact of so great importance, that we may well bear the repetition of what we have read concerning it in the former history.

We see the apostles still dreaming of a temporal kingdom to be 6 restored to Israel: So hard is it for the best of men to be entirely crucified to the world, even by the cross of Christ! (Gal. vi. 24.) Our Lord does not set himself at large, to combat that error ;7 nor is it necessary that we should be eagerly solicitous on the like occasions, where mistakes do not affect men's characters, or their eternal state. Prudently does he direct them to wave the indulgence of their curiosity. Let us learn to moderate ours, and refer times and seasons to him who hath reserved them in his own power. Let a sense of the perfect wisdom and goodness of the Divine Being silence and compose us, amidst all the darkness which veils our prospects of futurity.

With the apostles let us look up after an ascending Saviour, and 10 send our wishes and our souls to heaven; where he now is, and where he must remain, till that important day in which he shall descend to the final judgment. Behold, he then cometh in the 11 clouds, and every eye shall see him: (Rev. i. 7.) May we view him to our joy, and not to our terror! and lift up our heads with a serenity and chearfulness, becoming those who see the approach of their complete redemption! (Luke xxi. 28.) In the mean time, may his cause and service be ever dear to us! and while he is attending to our concerns in the world above, may we with grateful and joyful alacrity, pursue that which he graciously condescends to own as his interest here upon earth.

SECT. II.

The apostles being returned to Jerusalem, and assembled with the rest of the disciples, Matthias is chosen to succeed Judas in the apostolic office. Acts I. 13. to the end.

ACTS I. 13.

AND when they

ACTS I. 13.

SECT. ii.

were come in, they NOW the apostles being returned from the went mount of Olives to Jerusalem, immediately after the ascension of Christ, as was ob- Acts

3 R 2

served I. 13

502 The apostles and other disciples meet in an upper chamber. SECT. served in the conclusion of the former section; went up into an upper ii. when they were entered [into the city] they pre- both Peter, and James, room, where abode Acts sently retired for devotion, and went up into an and John, and Andrew, 1,13. upper room, where they usually held their Philip, and Thomas, assemblies. And as this was the place where the Bartholomew and Matapostles commonly abode, all the eleven were of Alpheus, and Sithere, both Peter, and James, and John and mon Zelotes, and Ju

thew, James the son

Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and das
James.

Matthew, James, [the son] of Alpheus, and Simon
the Zealot, and Judas, or Jude, [the brother] of
James'. But Judas the traitor was now dead,
as was observed towards the close of the pre-
ceding history (sect. cxciii.) and the vacancy
occasioned by his death gave rise to that
important business to which they quickly pro-

ceeded.

the brother of

14 These all con

one ac

with his brethren.

14 These all unanimously persevered in prayer and
supplication, with great intenseness and ardor of tinued with
cord in prayer and
soul, together with the pious women, who were supplication, with the
formerly mentioned as attending the cross of women, and Mary the
their Lord and particularly Mary, so celebrated mother of Jesus, and
as the mother of Jesus: and also with his bre-
thren and near kinsmen after the flesh, of whom
there were some other besides the apostles
whose prejudices, though once strong, were
now happily worn off. (Compare John vii. 5.)
And in these days, while they were waiting
for the promise of the spirit Peter rising up in
the midst of a full assembly of the disciples, spake
as follows: Now the number of persons c that number of the names
were met together in that place, was about an together were about
hundred and twenty; the greater part of the five
hundred to whom Christ had appeared, (1 Cor.
xv. 6.) continuing in Galilee, during this in-
terval between the feast of the passover and that
of pentecost. And he said,

15

16

Oye men that hear me this day, [and] whom
I regard as my brethren, in the bonds of reli-

gion,

15 And in those days Peter stood up in ples, and said, (the

the midst of the disci

an hundred and twen ty.)

16 Men and brethren,

b The brother of James.] The expres sion in the original is ambiguous, and may signify either son or brother: But Jude himself expressly determines it, that he was his brother, in ver. 1. of his epistle.

Into an upper room. n.] I can see no Acts xx. 8.) See Bos. Exercit. p. 64, & sufficient reason for saying, as many have seq. done, that this was in the temple. (Compare note d, On Luke xxiv. 53.) Epiphanius says, it was on mount Sion, and that a Christian Church was afterwards erected on the spot of ground on which it stood. (See Hammond in loc.) Perhaps they might the rather choose it, as giving some advantage for looking to the temple But it is plain from many other passages, that upper rooms were often large, and fit for containing a considerable number of persons. (Compare Mark xiv. 15. and

c Number of persons.] It is literally the number of names; but it is well known that cropala often signifies persons; (See Rev. iii. 4. xi. 13. and Raphel. ex Polybi p. 297.) And it best suits the English language, to render it so.

Peter observes, the scripture was fulfilled in Judas.

must needs have been

das, which was guide

503

ji.

Acts

thren, this scripture gion, as well as of friendship! it was necessary SECT, fulfilled, which the in the righteous judgment of God, that this Holy Ghost by the awful passage of scripture should be fulfilled which mouth of David spake the Holy Spirit spake, long before the event, by 1.16. before concerning Ju- the mouth of David, and which God intended to them that took Jesus. with a particular regard to Judas; who was so wicked a wretch, that, in contempt of all the most solemn and endearing obligations to distinguishing duty and fidelity to his Divine Master, he became the guide of those that seized on the blessed Jesus, and marked him out to them by a traitorous kiss. (Mat. xxvi. 47, 48.) And indeed he well deserved to be made a mo- 17 nument of vengeance to succeeding ages, considering the near relation in which he stood to Christ, and to us; for he was once numbered with us his apostles, and for a while had obtained part of this ministry, with which our Lord was pleased to honour us, as the principal officers in his kingdom. The calamitous end of this 18 unhappy man is therefore fresh in your memories; and it is known to all of you, that instead of enriching himself by his crimes, and securing those worldly advantages he so eagerly pursued, he only purchased (that is, was the occasion of purchasing) a field with that money, which

17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.

18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and

This scripture should be fulfilled, &c.] Two prophecies are afterwards quoted for this purpose, (ver. 20.) from Psal. Ixix. 25. and cix. 8. and it has been matter of much debate, whether they do in their original sense refer to Judas, or to the enemies of David. Mr. Jeffery (in his Review, p. 179, & seq.) maintains the former, and Dr. Sykes (on the truth of Christianity, p. 271, 272.) the latter. It is certain, the sixty-ninth psalm is not to be confined to Judas; for St. Paul (Rom. xi. 9, 10) has quoted the 22d and 23d verses of it, as applicable to the unbelieving Jews in general. There are so many passages in both the psalms in question, more applicable to David than to Christ, that I was very inclinable to render the words before us, The Scripture which the Holy Ghost spake before by the mouth of David, must necessarily have been fulfilled concerning Judas, &c. and to have explained them as if the apostle had said, "That vengeance, which David foretold as to be executed on his enemies, must much more fall on Judas, whose perfidious and Cruel attack on Christ himself rendered him so much more criminal." But it is certain, the order of the Greek words will not so naturally admit this; nor do I

was

remember to have seen the phrase

angwa TV, the particle 17, or ε, with the dative case, being much more proper in that connection. (Comp. Mat. xiii. 14. and Luke xxii. 57.) I therefore conclude, that, while David prophesied of the calamities which should befal his persecutors, it was revealed to him by the Holy Spirit, that the enemies aud murderers of the Messiah should inherit those curses in all their terror, and be yet more miserable than the persons on whom they were more immediately to fall. This fact (in itself exceeding probable) I take to be asserted in these words, as what was revealed by the same spirit to the apostle Peter. And I hope, the reader will excuse the length of a note, which may serve as a key to many other passages of the New Testament.

e Purchased a field.] It is worth observing, that an action is sometimes said in Scripture to be done by a person, who was the occasion of doing it. (Compare Gen. xlii. 38. Exod. xxiii. 8. 1 Kings xiv. 16. Isa. vi. 10. Jer. xxxviii. 23. Rom. xiv. 15. 1 Cor. vii. 10, and 1 Tim. iv. 16.) But some would render exala, he possessed the field, supposing Judas was buried there. (See Bren, and Heins, in loc.) Dr. Light

foot

504

ii.

Acts

He takes notice of the traitor's miserable end;

midst, and all his

SECT. was the reward of his iniquity: For his con- and falling headlong, science would not suffer him to keep it; but he he burst asunder in the threw it down, as you know, in the temple, and bowels gushed out. 1. 18. then going away he hanged himself. (Mat. xxvii. 5.) But that which should have supported the weight of his body breaking, he could not fully execute his horrid design; and falling down on his face, he burst asunder in the middle, and all his bowels were in a miserable manner poured out upon the ground; so that he expired in the utmost agonies both of body and mind, to the horror of all that beheld him.

19

20

(And by the way, this was a fact so public and notorious, that it was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who could not but take notice of such an extraordinary circumstance; so that that field which was so purchased is to this day called in their language, which is the Syriac dialect, Aceldama, that is, The field of blood, as being bought with money which was, in more senses than one, the price of blood; having been the cursed hire for which Judas sold the blood of his master, and in effect his own.)

19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called, in their proper tongue, Aceldama, field of blood.

that is to say, The

20 For it is written

Let his habitation be

another take.

Now, said Peter to the disciples, I observed to you, that the scripture speaks something of in the book of Psalms, this remarkable event; for it is written in the desolate, and let no book of Psalms, (Psal. Ixix. 25.) "Let his habi- man dwell therein : tation be desolate, and let no man inhabit it ;" and, His bishopric let and again, (Psal. cix. 8.) "Let another take (that is, another shall take and discharge) his office." The former of these clauses is already awfully verified, as he is become such a spectacle

foot thinks, he was strangled in the air by
the Devil, and thrown down headlong in
this field; and so might be said to possess it,
and occasioned its being called the Field of
blood. (Hor. Heb. on Mat. xxvii. 5, and
in loc.)

f Fulling down on his face, he burst
asunder, &c.] Thus Maft.ew's account is
reconciled with Luke's above. (See note
on Mat. xxvii. 5.) I find the learned
Casaubon has taken the same method;
nor can I see any reason to recede from
this interpretation, on the most attentive
review of the various solutions proposed
by Mr. Biscoe; (Boyle's Lect. p. 637-
644.) But, were I to change it, I should
prefer to any other that of Limborch;
that some Jew, who would have con-
cealed the suicide, cut Judas down, and
threw him into some pit or valley, where
he was afterwards found lying on his face,
with his bowels gushed oul.-That guns

you should be rendered, not falling headlong, but falling down on his face, see proved by Raphelius, (ex Polyb. p. 103, & seq.) and Elsner, (Observ. Vol. I. p. 358, 359)

g It was known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem.] Aringhius (in his Rom. Subterran. p. 436.) mentions a funeral inscription dug up in the Via Nomentana, by which it appears, that the fate of Judas became a proverbial form of cursing.The reader will perceive, that with many of the best critics I take this verse to be a parenthesis, to be considered, not as the words of Peter, but of the historian; which effectually answers the objection from the fact having happened but a few days before the speech was delivered. This also accounts for his calling the Syriac, which was spoken by the Jews at that time, their language, for 7 p is the Syriac dialect.

One