a Acknowledging himſelf to have deſcended from the Part, archs as well as they ; and beſpeaks, .as much as he could, their favour and atrention. 6 Not that he thought himſelf to hu; been without ſin or fault; for he acknow!edges and buxiils hi Captivity to the Law of ſin, Rem. 7. 23, 24. but that he iw35 nor conſcious to himielt of any notoricus impiety (a; Sactileee which they acculed him of:) Nay, he had not ſuffered willrs!, any fin to be, much leſs to 1eign in him. And as forhis rerſecy: ting of the Chriſtians, he did it not to flatter any with it, or up. on any ſiniſter deſign whatloever, bur thinking to {erve God by it, 1 7:9, 1. 13, c In the ſenſe of God's tees of im. whom Sr. Paul acknowledges to be the ſearcher and knower of the heart and conlicience.
2 Ardthez high prieſt Ananias commanded them thzt « ood by him, to e ſmite him on the mouth
a The Ofhcers probably. e Thus MAicaiah was ſmote by Zedckiah the talle Prophet, 1 Kings 22, 24. and Jeremiah by Pe ſhur, Jer. 2c. 2, And our bleſſed Lord eſcaped not this ſuttenng and indignity, Jokn 18, 22. Now this was the rirher infi.&«d on Pal, becauſe of his proteſting of his Innocency ; which dil refle& upon the Counci), as being injurious : But it was indeed no more than what was neceſlary in his own juſt defence, and to! the glory of the Goſpel.
3 Then faid Paul unto him, God ſhall {mite rhe: / thou whired wail: for fitteſt thou to judge me afrer th: law, and * commandeſt me to be ſmitten g contraty to the Jaw. i,
J
7 An excellent ſimilitude”to repreſent wick:d men, eſpecially Hypocrites by, who counterfeit zeal for God's glory and worliiy, whilſt they intend only their own profit or grandeur, Thus ou! Saviour compared the Scribes and Phariſces unto whited Scpi- chres, Matrh. 23. 27. Whited Sepulcits and Walls, thous!
k 4
4 T1)
they ſeem fair and comely, have within nothing but rote: and uſeleſs rubbiſh, Now theſe words are nor to be 100-2 upon as a Curſe or Imprecation vpon the High Prieſt ; un does not conſiſt with the temper of the Goſpel ; but they 3 rather to be taken as a Prophecy or Predi&ion, St. Paul Taving on occaſion had the gift of Prophecy amongſt the other g1*ts 0:
4
And
Pp!
Prieſt either died, or was put out of his place ſoon after. thus Paul's Tmprecation upon -4lexander the Coppe'-ſmitl, ;
tioned, 2 Tim 4.14. is to be underſtood: as alſo fever?! 050! Curſes (ſeemingly-wiſked) by holy men, eſpecially inthe £/47%; as Pſal. 1c9. 6, 7, &c. and many other places; whicn are ® n0 means for our imitation ; neither were they ſpoken 10 muc asthe Wiſhes or Prayers of fuch as uttered them, as they Vent their Prophecies and PrediQtions; which we know Came T0 Pr as that now mentioned was fulfilled in the per{on of Juaas. 3 was contrary to all Law, Divine and Humane, that any Tou® be puniſhed before that he was heard ; and eſpec1a1'y 10 own Judicial Law, which in matters of this nature me yet governed by under the Romaxs, Now the Jows Were 1 nn
7
,
VN «v1 be Sod þ | = , <4 -af | I. 4 2
bi hear andenqure diligently, whether the matter any was accuſed ich (\, of, were true, before they m1gnt give ſentence, or inlet any ic: puniſhment upon taem, D2#*, 17. 4, .: E Tas THe | ' ; en To . ; + And they tht Road by, ſaid, þ Revileſt thou , n » "| = Sf, 0 = - [ Cad's High- 2rielt 7
þ Theſe partial Paraſites take no notice of the real injury done
0 Pr! by the High-Prieft, and readily catch at the ſeeming oma Spoke by Paul agaimit him.
£ | hen faid Paul, T wiſt not, brethren, that ; he Wh EF was the bigh prie!t : For it 15 written, Thou & ſhalt SE - ſnak evil of the ruler of thy people.
or ; ; Par! does not here Tronically fay this, becauſe the High ” | io} had, contrary to h!s Place and Office cauſed him to be ſitten ; bur either, 1. Becauſe he knew now no High Prieſt
farch, but oniy Chriſt in Heaven to be our High-Prieſt ; ) ther | -$4-4.8. 1. Or, :aly, Rather, becauſe the High Prieſts being in his | 4 often changed (iniomuch as in one year ſometimes they have ſos. | þ:d thice,) and they being in a confufton at this time, and not Place mecting or fitring in their due place and order, Paul might very
well be 1&norant WO that was, who in ſuch a multitude had commanded thar they ſhould ſmite him. & The Scriptures here | by St. Par, 1s Exod, 22. 28.
Poe CitLul
6 out When Paul perceived that the one part were
ES | Gdduces, and tie other Phariſees, he cried out in the *1 4 } + .
i 06 k.., council, Men and brethren, * ] am 1 a Phariſee, the l, FLY a 4 5 6 q 5 _P Se » -F y on . ariſe 3. - fon of a Fhariſce, * of the hops and » reſurre&tion ticmii e : ws na - . = I of the dead I am called in queſtion.
Bury b., / In his former Profeſſion, Opinion, and Converſation; and
force of row alſo in the points thar were controverted betwixt them :
vaptary Ard St. Paul, with his Dove-like Innocency, does in this but 'ers wnc! mike uſe of the Serpentine fubrilty, ro preſerve himſelf, and to "— e2/2 credirunts the Truths of the Goltpel. »» The Son of Pha- Her rc in the Plural ; either for ſeveral Deſcents his Anceſtors -had been of that Set ;z or thar both his Father and his Mother were ; of ir, # Or for the hope of the ReſurreCtion , an Hendiaays :, [, fad, though he did not agree with the Phariſees in all their Opinions, n all i retin this he did : and the Reſurre&ion was the common Subject F | | preached upon : and the Goſpel does give us the beſt proof \ and evidence of it; infomuch that Pau! was taxed for preaching be Pativ y | ſur and the RefurreCQtion, Chap. 17, 18, And unleſs there be a 21d, their keturrection, his preaching was vain, and his faith vain, 1 Coy, F to have #44; i | : _ ” - And when he had] {o ſaid, There aroſe a diſſenti- Pts: o1 between the Phariſees and the Sadduces : and the o willing multiinde was divided. "IT : Not only of the common people , or ſtanders by, but of ICT: the Senarors and Judges ; God by this means dividing and infatu- " oy b/ cting of them, that they could not bring about Paul's intended Rs CULTUCELON, KOO EL