: 8 * For the Sadduces ſay that there is p no reſurre- Mon. neither 9 angel nor r ſpirit ; but the Phariſces Nis / both. FO: 2 Againſt this our Saviour argued, Matth. 22. 23, &c. q It 4b by Bs tems trange, that they ſhould deny that there were Angels, *enas they owned the Pentat#uch,"or Five Books of Moſes, in hich mention 1s made frequently of Angels : But it ſeems that they underſtood thoſe places Allegorically ; either for good Infints or Apparitions cauſed' by God to manifeſt his mind by tem unto men, wreſting thoſe places to their own deſtruQion, 1 They denied the Exiſtence of the Soul of Man, as different tom the Crafis and Temperament of his Body ; and therefore bclieved that the Soul perithed with the Body. Nay, they were © far from believing there was any Spirit, that they held, blaſ: phemouſly, that God himſelf was Corporeal. { The three things b here mentioned, which the Sadduces denied, may be well ſpoken " 0: as but two, viz. the Reſurre&ion and the Exiſtence of Spirits, , eſpecially, W hen Men fin with much Obſtinacy againſt ſupernatural light, nd worlh, God juſtly withdraws from them even natural light ; and they Thus ou! re puniſhed (as the Egyprians were) with ſuch darkneſs as may ited Sc pul- © telt, Exod, 10. 21.
bs, '9 And there aroſe a great cry : And the * ſcribes
) be looked va! were of the Phariſees part aroſe, and trove, fſay-
eſt; whico ng*, We find no evil in this man : but * if a « ſpirit | o angel hath ſpoken co him, let us not fight » againſt } V0,
$s {entering xr infi.Ctcd which did
Need vas ndee A _ 1" ce, and 19!
nite the? afrer the Contraty
ut they 4c Paul having Jrher g1tts 0:
| this 3319? * Scribe is a Name denoting an Office or Place ; and the after. 09 S:rive; were men skilled in the Law. u Some take the latter to ſmith, gs c Exegetical of the former ; and that by a Spirit 1s only meant ſevera) ont an 4ngel, by ſuch Meſſengers God many times ſending his Meſfla- n the Pjams; S<StO the children of Men : Yet others by the Spirit underſtand
hich are Y? ken {o muc! as they wel -aMe T0 pid"
lophetical Revelation, and the Spirit of Prophecy, which was Aapected to be ſhed abroad in large meaſures about that time ; as *PPcars, 7ohn 7. 39. w See Chap. 5. 39.
> Juan, ) 1 _ #6 And when there aroſe a x great diſlenſion, the r any ſhow Muck caprain fearing leſt Paul ſhould have been pulled cially ro" i > Pixces of them, commanded the ſoldiers y to go a". »*1, and take him by force from among them, and
Ciirit fe ew PD ti —_ , . l vIng him into the caſtle.
The A (6 f i S's
Chp XAT.
* Fends about pretended Religion are uſual'y among all men
very ſharp, becauſe their Opinions beins the iHucs of Their ow!
Brains, are more beloved than their children, the fruit of their
bodies. 7 From the Fort or Caſtle, unro which there w
Aſcent or Stair, to go up and down by. ir And * the night following, . the Lord & fond * Chidg,
by him, and faid, - Be of good cheer, Pant ; tor +
thou haſt teſtified of me 111 Feraulaiem fo nut:
bear witneſs alſo at Rome. ;
l$S all
þ # \TY dlaiJsk
z In a Revelation appearing inwardly to hismind ; which i; the rather thought to have been ſo, becauſ it is here [aid ro haws been in the Night; bur whether by Vilion, or Revelation, it 15 all one as to this purpoſe, and neither were infrequent unto Pau?
2 Cor. 12. rt. &@ So true it 1s what our Saviour hid promiſed and foretold, John 16. ult. In the world ye fba!l have trioulation, but in me ye ſhall have peace.
12 And when it was day *, certain of the Jews *V 21, banded together, and bound themſelves ! under þ a |! Or, #3 curſe, ſaying, that they would neither eat nor drink © 22% of
wy - bf Exnxecy till they had killed Paul.
6 If they did not kill Paul before they did eat or drink an; more, they wiſhed that they might become a Cherem or Anathema ; as 7ericho, and the Inhabitants thereof were, being devoted to utter ruin and deſtrution. Or if they did not execute this their wicked deſign, they would yield themſelves to be Anarhematized, or Excommunicated, as thoſe that had broken their Pac or
Agreement. [ig ff i £6 13 And they were c more than torty which had made wrap
this conſpiracy. _ | Mabe! 10M c They made themſelves ſure (they thought) of killing Paul : | 5} | : b
There were above Forty ro One. The Churches Enemies are mW.
unanimous and reſolute. As David formerly, ſo might now Paul ſay, bg that are mad againſt me, are ſworn againſt me, Pal. 102, 8,
14 And they came to the citief 4 prieſts and elders, and faid, We have bound our ſelves under a great curſe, that we will eat nothing until we have ſlain Paul.
"I
d Whoſe Place and Office it was to have diſſwaded ſuch an abominable Murther : For the priezfts lips ſhould preſerve knowledge, Malachi 2, 7. And they could not but have been guilty of the 14 5k od Blood of St. Paul, had it been ſhed, who by encouraging the lg] Deſign, became acceflary unto it, But they had drank Blood very largely before now ; wiz. the Blood of St. Stephen, and the Blood of our Saviour, and 'tis no wonder that they thirſt for more : Such wild Beaſts (rather than Men) when they have once taſted of Blood, are never ſatisfied with it. But at what a low ebb was Religion, when the Chief Prieſts themſelves combine with Affaſſinates ?
15 Now therefore ye e with the council fignifie to the chief captain, that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though f ys would enquire ſomething more perfectly concerning him : and we, or g ever he come near, are ready to kill him.
e The Chicf Prieſts are to join with the Council in this deſire to the Chief Captain : for they had no Authority to command him, f The Plot againſt Paz/'s Lite was laid very deep, and not eaſily to be diſcovered ; it being uſual to fend for Priſoners ro re-examine them, eſpecially when Religion and the publick Peace is concerned ; as they pretended that here they were. 2 The ſpace berween the Caſtle and the place where the Council met, being conſiderable, it gave the greater advantage to the Conſpirators.
16 And when Paul's h ſiſters ſon heard of their laying in wait, he went and entred into the caliilz, and told Paul.