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1. Among many highly interesting subjects which have come under review in the preceding chapter, we must have particularly noticed, 1. the care the church of Christ took to have young converts confirmed in the truths they had received, and built up on their most holy faith, ver. 22. It was indispensably necessary that a foundation should be laid; and it was not less so, that a proper superstructure should be raised. For this work, it was requisite that different gifts and talents should be employed, and Barnabas and Saul must be sent to confirm in the faith, those whom the disciples, who had been scattered by the persecution raised about Stephen, had converted to Christ, ver. 19-22. It is a great thing to have souls converted to the Lord; it is greater to have them built up on their most holy faith: and few persons, even among the ministers of Christ, have talents for both. Even when PAUL planted, it required APOLLOS to water. A frequent interchange of godly ministers in the church of Christ, is of the utmost consequence to its stability and increase.

2. It appears that CHRISTIANS, was the first general appellative of the followers of our blessed Lord; and there is presumptive evidence, as we have seen, that this appellative came by divine appointment: how very few of those who profess this religion, are satisfied with this title! That very church that arrogates all to itself, has totally abandoned this title, and its members call themselves Roman Catholics, which is absurd; because the adjective and substantive include opposite ideas: catholic, signifies universal; and Roman, signifies of, or belong

subjects in the preceding chapter.

ing to Rome. If it be merely Roman, it cannot be catholic; if it be catholic, it cannot be confined to Rome: but it is not catholic nor universal, in any sense of the word; for it contains but a small part of the people who profess Christianity. The term Protestant has more common sense in it; but not much more piety. Almost all sects and parties proceed in the same line; but Christian is a title seldom heard of; and the spirit and practice of Christianity but rarely occur. When all return to the spirit of the gospel, they will probably resume the appellative of Christians.

3. An early fruit of Christianity, was mercy to the poor; and especially to the poor followers of Christ. He has left the poor ever with us, as his representatives, to exercise our bowels of commiseration; and thus teach us to feel and practise mercy. To every man professing Christianity, the religion of Jesus Christ says most authoritatively, With every man who is pinched by poverty, share what the providence of God has not made absolutely necessary for thy own support. What God has given us more than we need, is entrusted to us for the benefit of those that are in poverty and affliction. He who can, and does not help the poor is a disgrace to Christianity: and he who does not lend his hand. for the support of the cause of God, is a worthless member of the church of Christ. He who shews no mercy, shall have judgment without mercy. And he who spends in pampering the flesh what should be given to the poor, shall have a fearful account to give in the day of the Lord.

CHAPTER XII.

Peter

Herod persecutes the Christians, 1. Kills James, 2. And casts Peter into prison, 3, 4. The church makes incessant prayer for his deliverance, 5. An angel of God opens the prison doors and leads him out, 6—10. rejoices, and comes to the house of Mary, where many were praying, and declares how he was delivered, 11—17. The soldiers who kept the prison are examined by Herod, and he commands them to be put to death, 18, 19. Herod is enraged against the people of Tyre, but is appeased by their submission, 20. He makes an oration to the people, receives idolatrous praises, and an angel of the Lord smites him, and he dies a miserable death, 21–23. The word of God increases, 24. Barnabas and Saul, having fulfilled their ministry, return from Jerusalem accompanied by John Mark, 25.

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Herod having killed James, seizes

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CHAP. XII.

A. M.cir.4048. Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. Then were the days of eir. CCV.4. unleavened bread.

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Peter and throws him into prison.

him in prison, and delivered him to
four quaternions of soldiers to keep
him; intending after Easter to bring

4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him forth to the people.

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possessed by his grandfather Herod the Great.

See Luke iii. 1. see also an account of the Herod family, in the note on Matt. ii. 1.

the fourteenth day of the first vernal full moon; but the Easter of the Christians, never till the next sabbath after said full moon and to avoid all conformity with the Jews in this To vex certain of the church.] That is to destroy its chief matter, if the 14th day of the first vernal full moon happen ornaments and supports.

Verse 2. He killed James the brother of John with the sword.] This was James the greater, son of Zebedee, and must be distinguished from James the less, son of Alpheus. This latter was put to death by Ananias the high-priest, during the reign of Nero. This James with his brother John were those who requested to sit on the right and left hand of our Lord. See Matt. xx. 23. and our Lord's prediction was now fulfilled in one of them, who by his martyrdom drank of our Lord's cup, and was baptized with his baptism. By the death of James, the number of the apostles was reduced to eleven; and we do not find that ever it was filled up. The apostles never had any successors: God has continued their doctrine, but not their order.

By killing with the sword, we are to understand, beheading. Among the Jews there were four kinds of deaths: 1. Stoning, 2. burning, 3. killing with the sword, or beheading, and 4. strangling. The 3d was a Roman as well as a Jewish mode of punishment. Killing with the sword was the punish- || ment which, according to the Talmud, was inflicted on those who drew away the people to any strange worship, Sanhedr. fol. iii. James was probably accused of this, and hence the punishment mentioned in the text.

Verse 3. He proceeded to take Peter also] He supposed that these two were pillars on which the infant cause rested; and that if these were removed, the building must necessarily come down.

The days of unleavened bread.] About the latter end of March or beginning of April; but whether in the third or fourth year of the emperor Claudius, or earlier or later, cannot be determined.

Verse 4. Four quaternions of soldiers] That is sixteen, or four companies of four men each, who had the care of the prison; each company taking in turn, one of the four watches of the night.

Intending after Easter to bring him forth] Mera To 775×7, after the pass-over. Perhaps there never was a more unhappy, not to say absurd translation, than that in our text. But before I come to explain the word, it is necessary to observe, that our term called Easter, is not exactly the same with the Jewish passover. This festival is always held on

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on a sabbath, then the festival of Easter is deferred till the sabbath following. The first vernal moon is that whose 14th day, is either on the day of the vernal equinox, or the next 14th day after it. The vernal equinox, according to a decree of the council of Nice, is fixed to the 21st day of March: and therefore the first vernal moon is that, whose 14th day falls upon the 21st of March; or the first 14th day after. Hence it appears that the next sabbath after the 14th day of the vernal moon, which is called the Paschal term, is always Easter day. And therefore, the earliest Paschal term, being the 21st of March; the 22d of March is the earliest Easter possible: and the 18th of April being the latest Paschal term, the seventh day after, that is the 25th of April, is the latest Easter possible.

The term Easter, inserted here by our translators they borrowed from the ancient Anglo-Saxon service books; or from the Version of the Gospels, which always translates the arxa of the Greek by this term, e. g. Matt. xxvi. 2. Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover. pite ge after tpam dazum beod Eartpo. lite ge that aefter twam Dagum beoth Eaftro. Ibid. v. 19. And they made ready the passover. and hig gezearpodon hým Easter-þenunza. And hig gegearwodon hym Eafter-thenunga, (i. e. the paschal supper). Prefixed to Matt. xxviii. 1. are these words, Dyr sceal on Easter æren. This part to be read on Easter even. And before ver. 8 these words, Dyr rceat on frizedaz on þæɲe odne Eartɲe-pucan. Mark xiv. 12. And the first day of unleavened bread when they killed the passover. And Jam popman dæge azimorum, da hi Eajrpon offɲodon. And tham forman daege azimorum, tha hi Eaftron offrodon. Other examples occur in this Version. Wiclif used the word paske, i. e. passover; but Tindal, Coverdale, Becke, and Cardmarden following the old Saxon mode of translation, insert Easter: the Geneva Bible, very properly renders it the passover. The Saxon, Easter, Eartɲe, Eartɲo, Eartɲa and Eartɲon, are different modes of spelling the name of the goddess Easter, whose festival was celebrated by our Pagan forefathers on the month of April; hence that month, in the Saxon calendar, is called Eaytep-mona, Easter mouth. Every view we can take of this subject, shews the gross impropriety of retaining a name every way exceptionable, and palpably absurd.

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Verse 5. Prayer was made without ceasing] The Greek word ExTevs signifies both fervour and earnestness, as well as perseverance. These prayers of the church produced that miraculous interference mentioned below; and without which, Peter could not have thus escaped from the hands of this ruthless king.

Verse 6. Sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains] Two soldiers guarded his person; his right hand being bound to the left hand of one; and his left hand bound to the right hand of the other. This was the Roman method of guarding their prisoners; and appears to be what is intimated in the text.

Verse 7. Smote Peter on the side] He struck him in such a way, as was just sufficient to awake him from his sleep.

His chains fell off from his hands.] The chains mentioned above, by which he was bound to the two soldiers.

Verse 8. Gird thyself] It seems Peter had put off the principal part of his clothes that he might sleep with more comfort. His resuming all that he had thrown off, was a proof that every thing had been done leisurely. There was no evidence of any hurry; nor of any design to elude justice, or even to avoid meeting his accusers in any legal way. It appears that the two soldiers were overwhelmed by a deep sleep, which fell upon them from God.

sively, is possibly, what is meant by the expression in the text. The prison in which he was confined might have been that which was at the outer wall.

Iron gate] This was in the innermost wall of the three; and was strongly plated over with iron, for the greater security. In the East, the gates are often thus secured to the present day. Pitts says so of the gates of Algiers; and Pocock, of some near Antioch. Perhaps this is all that is meant by the iron gate. One of the quaternions of soldiers was placed at each gate.

Which opened of his own accord] Influenced by the unseen power of the angel.

The angel departed from him.] Having brought him into a place in which he no longer needed his assistance. What is proper to God, he always does : what is proper to man, he requires him to perform.

Verse 11. When Peter was come to himself] Every thing he saw astonished him; he could scarcely credit his eyes; he was in a sort of ecstacy; and it was only when the angel left him, that he was fully convinced that all was real.

Now I know that the Lord hath sent his angel] The poor German divine is worthy of pity, who endeavoured to persuade himself and his countrymen, that all this talk about the angel was mere illusion: that Peter was delivered in a way which he could not comprehend, and therefore was led to attribute to a particular providence of God, what probably was done by the præfect of the prison, who favoured him! But it is the study of this writer to banish from the word of Verse 10. The first and second ward] It is supposed God all supernatural influence; and to reduce even the mirathat ancient Jerusalem was surrounded by three walls: if so, cles of Christ to simple operations of nature, or to the workthen passing through the gates of these three walls succes-ings of imagination and the prejudices of a weak and credulous

Verse 9. He-wist not] He knew not; from the AngloSaxon, pirtan, to know. He supposed himself to be in a dream.

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people. Such men should at once cast off the mask which so thinly covers their infidelity; and honestly avow themselves to be what they are, the enemies of revelation in general; and of the Christian religion in particular. Peter could say, Now I know of a certainty that the Lord hath sent his angel, and delivered me, &c. No such thing, says Mr. E. Peter was deceived; it was not the Lord, it was the præfect or some other person. Now we know that Peter spake by the Holy Ghost: but we have no such testimony of Mr. E. nor of any of his associates.

And all the expectation of the Jews.] It seems they had built much on the prospect of having him sacrificed, as they already had James.

Verse 12. And when he had considered] When he had weighed every thing, and was fully satisfied of the divine interposition; he went to the house of Mary the mother of John Mark, the author of the Gospel, where it appears many were gathered together making prayer and supplication, and probably for Peter's release.

Verse 13. As Peter knocked] The door was probably shut for fear of the Jews: and as most of the houses in the East have an area before the door, it might have been at this outer gate, that Peter stood knocking.

in the likeness of different Rabbins. As ayleλos signifies in general, a messenger, whether divine or human; some have thought that the angel or messenger here, means a servant or person which the disciples supposed was sent from Peter to announce something of importance to the brethren: it was also an opinion among the Jews, even in the time of the apostles, as appears from Philo, that the departed souls of good men officiated as ministering angels: and it is possible that the disciples at Mary's house, might suppose that Peter had been murdered in the prison; and that his spirit was now come to announce this event, or give some particular warning to the church.

That

Verse 17. Declared-how the Lord had brought him out of the prison] He still persisted in the belief, that his deli. verance was purely supernatural. It seems that some modern critics could have informed him of his mistake. See ver. 11. Shew these things unto James, and to the brethren] is, in one word, shew them to the church, at the head of which, James undoubtedly was; as we may clearly understand by the part he took in the famous council held at Jerusalem, relative to certain differences between the believing Jews and Gentiles. See chap. xv. 13-21. There is still no supremacy for Peter. He who was bishop or overseer of the church at Jerusalem, was certainly at the head of the whole church of God at this time; but James was then bishop or inspecter of the church at Jerusalem, and consequently, was

A damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda.] She came to inquire who was there. Rhoda signifies a rose ; and it appears to have been customary with the Jews, as Grotius and others remark, to give the names of flowers and trees to their daugh-the only visible head then upon earth. ters: thus Susannah signifies a lily, Hadassah, a myrtle, Tamar, a palm tree, &c. &c.

Verse 15. It is his angel.] It was a common opinion among the Jews that every man has a guardian angel: and in the popish church, it is an article of faith. The Jews also believed that angels often assumed the likeness of particular persons. They have many stories of the appearance of Elijah

He departed-into another place.] Some popish writers say that he went to Rome, and founded a Christian church there. Those who can believe any thing, may believe this. Where he went we know not; but it is probable that he withdrew for the present into a place of privacy, till the heat of the inquiry was over, relative to his escape from the prison: for he saw that Herod was intent on his death.

The people of Tyre and

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18 Now as soon as it was day, there one accord to him; and,
was no small stir among the soldiers, made Blastus the king's chamber-
what was become of Peter.
lain their friend, desired peace; be-
cause their country was nourished by the king's
country.

19 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 Cæsarea, and there abode.

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21 And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne, and made an oration unto them.

22 And the people gave a shout, saying, It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

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Verse 19. Commanded that they should be put to death.] || tetrarchy of his brother Philip, four years before this) went Ile believed, or pretended to believe, that the escape of Peter down to Cæsarea and there exhibited shows and games in howas owing to the negligence of the keepers: jailers, watch-nour of Claudius, and made vows for his health. On the semen, &c. ordinarily suffered the same kind of punishment which should have been inflicted on the prisoner, whose escape they were supposed to have favoured.

cond day of these shows, he put on a garment made wholly of silver, and of a contexture most truly wonderful; and came into the theatre early in the morning; at which time He went down from Judea to Cæsarea] How soon he the silver of his garment being illuminated by the first rewent down, and how long he staid there, we know not. flexion of the sun's rays, shone out after a surprising manVerse 20. Highly displeased with them of Tyre] Onner; and was so resplendent as to spread a horror over those what account Herod was thus displeased, is not related by who looked intently upon him: and presently his flatterers any historian, as far as I have been able to ascertain. Jo- cried out, one from one place, and another from another, sephus who speaks of this journey of Herod to Cæsarea, says" He is a god:" and they added, "Be thou merciful to us, nothing of it; and it is useless for us to conjecture. for although we have hitherto reverenced thee only as a Having made Blastus—their friend] Blastus was pro-man, yet shall we henceforth own thee as superior to morbably an eunuch, and had considerable influence over his mas- tal nature." Nor did the king rebuke them, nor reject ter Herod ; and to reach the master, it is likely they bribed the || their impious flattery. But looking up he saw an owl on a chamberlain. certain rope over his head, and immediately conceived that Desired peace] The Tyrians and Sidonians being equally this bird was to him a messenger of ill-tidings; and he fell subjects of the Roman government, with the inhabitants of into the deepest sorrow; a severe pain also arose in his bowGalilee, Herod could not go to war with them; but being ir-els, and he died after five days' severe illness." This is the ritated against them, he might prevent their supplies: they therefore endeavoured to be on peaceable, i. e. friendly terms

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Their country was nourished by the king's country.] That is, they had all their supplies from Galilee; for Tyre and Sidon being places of trade and commerce, with little territory; were obliged to have all their provisions from the countries under Herod's jurisdiction. This had been the case even from the days of Solomon, as we learn from 1 Kings v. 11. where it is said, that, Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat, for food to his household; and twenty measures of pure oil: thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by || year. See also Ezek. xxvii. 17.

Verse 21. Upon a set day, &c.] A day on which games, &c. were exhibited in honour of the Roman emperor. What this refers to, we learn from Josephus. "Herod having reigned three years over ALL Judea, (he had reigned over the

sum of the account given by Josephus, Ant. lib. xix. cap. viii. sect. 2. [See Whiston's Edition.] Notwithstanding the embellishments of the Jewish historian, it agrees in the main surprisingly, with the account given here by St. Luke. Josephus, it is true, suppresses some circumstances which would have been dishonourable to this impious king; and according to his manner, puts a speech in Herod's mouth, when he found himself struck with death, expressive of much humility and contrition. But this speech is of no authority. When Josesephus takes up and pursues the thread of mere historical narration, he may be safely trusted: but whenever he begins to embellish, or put speeches in the mouths of his actors, he is no longer to be credited. He even here, transforms an angel of the Lord, into an owl; and introduces it most improbably into his narration: as if an owl, a bird of all others that can least bear the light, should come and perch on the pavillion of the king, when the sun was shining with the most resplendent rays!

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