gether were about an hundred and twenty.)
x Betwixt our Saviours Aſcenſion and Pentecolt, » As generally ſpake for, and amongſt the Apoſtles; but now eſpecially, to ex- preſs his zeal and faithfulneſs to our Saviour, whom he had ſo lately denied; he being alſo deſigned the Miniſter of the Circumciſion, which place he began now to execute. z Or perſons abont an hundred and tweaty ; probably, Chriſt had converted many men, but theſe might be either men of name or quality ; or meant of fuch az, wer. 21. had accompanied with Chriſt and his Apoſtles, and were delign'd for the Miniſtry.
1:6 Men ard brethren a, this Scripture 6 muſt needs
have been fulfilled, which the holy Ghoſt by the mouth of David ſpake before concerning Judas*, which was c guide to
them that took Jeſus.
a An ordinary compellation z Speaker and Auditors were He- brews of the Hebrews. b wiz. Pſal. 41. 9 muſt needs be falfilled : yet God's foreknowled ge and prediftion, excuſed not Judas his fin : © Not onely leading them in the way when they took our Saviour, bur being direQor of their Counſels againſt him. This the Apoſtle premiſes to abate the offznce that the horrible fall of 7adas might have occaſioned.
t7 For* he was numbred d with us, and had obtained e
part of this miniſtery .
a Being one of rhe twelve Apoſtles. » Zaag, not as if Judas was made an Apoſtle by lot, as Marth:zs afrerwards ; bur by the Providence of God, by which every lot and caſual matter is go- verned : and to ſhew that the dignity did not befall him, or any of the other Apoſtles, becauſe of their deſcent, (from Aaron ) or from nature, or from any deſert whatſoever, but meerlv from Gods good will and pleaſure, f Then the Apoſtles Office is Miniſterial, and they werenot Lords over Gods beritage.
18 Now this man purchaſed a field g with the reward of Iniquity ; and falling headlong, þ he burſt aſunder in the midſt, and all his bowels guſhed out.
Purchaſed a field; g which 7J:dzs might have a3reed for at that 4 and . yer the ..chief Pci{ts hanght ( as Mar. 27. 7. ) bya
range providence, leading of them to that purchaſe ; howſoever eventualiy he bought it, as throwing back to them their money which payed for. it. Þþ 127. 27.5, Fr is ſaid he hanged himſelf, which unplyinz onely his death by ſuffocation ; whether he dyed our othorror of tis fat, or laving violent hands on himſelf in ſuch cicumfiances as may agree With this relation, it is not material to determine
19 And it was known uttoall the dwellers at Jeruſalem: faformuch as thet field is called in their proper tongue 7, Aceldama, rhar is to fav, The field of blood &.
: i The Syriack Language then im viz afrer rhe Babylomſh Captivity, * As borgat wita the price of Cariſt's blood, and ſprinkled with his
the feaſt of weeks, Exod. 34: 22. becaule it was tO be obſerved ſeven weeks after the feaſt of unleavened bread, Deut. 16. 9. It was the feaſt. of the firſt fruits of wheat Harveſt, Ex0s, 34 22- and on this day (to anſwer the Type) the ſpirit was poured out IN ſuch a plentifal manner, as the firſt fruirs of Chriſt's Aſcending into Heaven ; beſides, the Law was given on this 1, 11. and *twas expedient that the Goſpel ( Chriſt: L-w, jhou'd be publiſhed on the tame day : and it being on the fictt day of ths week, it did recommend and honour the Lords day, as
Chap
20 For it is written in the book of Pſalms 1, Ie ; habitation be deſolate, and let no man dwell therej, -., His *[| biſhoprick m let another take. ZI ' IViz, Pſal. 69. 25. What there is in general ſpoken by n,. ., C1: concerning his enemies, 1s here applyed, particularly tg 5 Og who betrayed our Saviour ; whoſe Type David was, 2; Deg _—_ Fudzs, His'm Charge or Office, or Prefe&ure ; as of a " Sis over his flock. - olerd
21 Wherefore of theſe men which have Cempaniey
"$
» Livy
with us 2 all the time that the Lord Jeſus went in and or ,
among us. | | » There were to be twelve Apoſtles in the Chriſtian Chyyct anſwer unto the twelve Patriarchs, and'twelve Tribes in th. —_ Church ; accompanted with us in ordinary converſation, "4 Fir charge of his Miniitry, and gatheriag of Diſciples among yy wy 22 Beginning trom the baptiſm of John p, unto 114 ſameday that * he was taken up from us, muſt one he. «, dained to be a q witneſs with us of his reſurrection, L p When Chrift was Baptized by him, and by that Confcc;x;, began the Miniſtery, and publiſhing of the Goſpel, ( which hiftory of his Immacnlare Conception d1d preface to.) 4 Aj] hs things being confummared in that, ir being the moſt difhcult tg, believed; and therefore God was; plealed to atteſt it by ſo mzny «. witneſſes. | bo | lhe 23 And they appointed two, Joſeph r called Bari; who was ſurnamed Juſtus s, and Matthias 7, _ r Or, Joſes, the ſame name called Barſabas in their Common rongue ; and ( 5 probably for his integrity) amongſt the Rong who then ruled over them. - Some think the' ſame with yy.
thanacl, 24 And they prayed, and ſaid, Thou Lord®, which,
thou haſt choſen. © DR & 4
# The other Apoſtles being choſen by Chriſt immediately, it was neceſſary that he who was to a& in the fame. Office, {hould be $1 choſen afrer the fame manner. Knoweft che hearts, which is Go; Prerogative onely , all others may be, and often are miſtaken by our, ward appearances.
25 That he may take parr of this Miniſtery x and Apoſtleſhip, from which Judas by tranſgreſſion fe!}, that
he might go to his own place y.
* %Ayeov, Every ones Station in the World, is orderd by the Providence of God, and their part or portion 1s aſſigned rothem ; and fo the Apolitleſhip was unto the Apoltes. » Hell or Ncftulinn, not 'intended by Judas, but righteouſly by God appointed for him, whileſt he was im the World, (eſpecially after his betraying of our Saviour) he was an Uſurper init; and as bad as the World ws, it was too good for him. That theſe words ſhould be vndaftood of Matthias s ſucceeding into the Apoſtleſhip of Judas as into hisown place, is the Jeſs probable, becauſe as yer he was not choſen in-