different times for "forty days," and at each time speaking to them "of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." He particularly commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but "wait for the promise of the Father,"the baptism of the Holy Ghost,-till they |should receive it. In one of his last interviews with them (within about ten days of the day of Pentecost) the eleven seem to have agreed to ask him, "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” and assume thy throne among them as the Messiah?

As this was a question rather of curiosity than of any practical utility, it receives a gentle reproof instead of a direct answer. "It is not for you to know the times, or the seasons, which the Father hath put (or reserved) in his own power." In this question of the disciples, as Calvin remarks, "There are as many errors as words. They dream of an earthly kingdom-they assign the time, this time-they shut out the Gentiles, restraining the kingdom to Israel. Again, they would fain know what was not revealed; whereas, true wisdom is to stop in learning where Christ, our Master, pauses in teaching. Hence we see the absurdity of aiming to be wise above what is written;' or to deal in mysteries, which are either not revealed at all, or but doubtfully and obcurely." (See Calvin in loc.)

Our Lord Jesus, though he refused to gratify the curiosity of his apostles, gave them to understand that, in a very short time, they should be properly instructed in their duty; and, by the effusion of the Holy Spirit, be fully qualified to become witnesses for him, not only "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria," but also among the Gentiles, even unto the uttermost parts of the earth.

We now come to another most interesting scene, that of the Saviour's ascension into heaven. After the conversation above

referred to, and the commission given to the apostles, as related by St. Matthew, ch. xxviii. 18-20, which evidently took place at or near Jerusalem, St. Luke informs us he led them out as far as the boundaries of Bethany, which was by the foot of Olivet, or the Mount of Olives (Luke xxiv. 50), and there "he blessed them ;" and probably from that side of the Mount nearest to the village, which was the eastern side, he gradually ascended in a cloud sent down to receive him, while his disciples stood below, lost in wonder and admiration. Dr. R. Richardson, a pious physician, who has lately visited the holy land, and particularly this mountain, offers the following excellent remarks on this event:

"What a dreadful separation-Christ and his disciples! No parting on earth was ever like unto this. Those who eujoyed his visible presence, and heard the heavenly instruction that flowed from his lips, could best describe their bereavement; but they were stunned and speechless; and who shall attempt to take up the theme? It is like the interruption of the divine intercourse in Paradise, the greatest privation that ever was sustained by man.-Yet how unlike! The sepa

ration in Paradise left wrath and tribulation, and the curse of a broken law; .... but the separation on the Mount of Olives left peace and blessing, and the promises of consolation-a restoration of the intercourse with God, since Christ had healed up the breach by which they were divided. The eyes of the apostles gaze up into heaven; the eye of the body is speedily obscured in a heavenly pursuit; but for the spirit of the Christian, in this line of vision there is no vanishing point; it shoots along the tract with its ascending Saviour, enters in his presence the mansions of the blessed, and appears, for the first time since the fall, in the presence of a reconciled God. This was an ecstasy not soon to be reco

Ver. 12. A sabbath day's journey-Commonly reckoned about a mile.

Ver. 13. An upper room.-This was either a room in the temple, or more likely, as we think) in the

house of some friend. Upper rooms were generally large, and adapted for social meetings; and often used, according to Lightfoot, for religious purposes, See Note on chap. ii, 40.

Peter proposes to]

accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of the names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

16 Men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of

[choose another Apostle.

David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.

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 falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.

19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper

vered from; the spirit enjoyed it, but the flesh was unconscious. The apostles stood gazing up into heaven, till two of its messengers in white apparel recalled their spirits to the scene of their terrestrial operations : ، Ye inen of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." He shall not come as the avenging God, that planted the flaming sword to keep the way of the tree of life in Paradise; but as a reconciled and a blessing God, for he was taken up into heaven in the act of bestowing his blessing, and in like manner we are assured he is to return. Such heavenly strains did not fall ineffectual; the apostles worshipped their God and Saviour, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy."(Dr. Richardson's Travels in the Mediterranean, vol. ii. pp. 367, 368)

Abp. Tillotson beautifully considers the cloud in which Jesus ascended as a designed contrast to the fiery chariot of Elijah; as an emblem of that mildness which distinguished the character and ministry of the one, in opposition to the boldness and rudeness of the other. But we suspect it was chiefly intended to convey an idea of that divine majesty which Jesus chose to exhibit to his disciples, when about to part with them, and to preserve that idea lively upon their minds."

but

The connexion of this event with the second coming of Jesus, is also a circumstance which exhibits its majesty; a connexion not wholly formed by the present juncture, nor by the authority of the hea venly messengers; but by the purpose of God, and by the repeated affirmations of Jesus: "The Father judgeth no man; hath committed all judgment to the Son.The Son of man shall come in all his glory, and his holy angels with him." The two events are described to be similar in several circumstances, and they reflect a lustre upon each other. Indeed, nothing could give a more grand idea of the ascension to the admiring spectators, than the following address of the angel: "Ye men of Ga lilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so manner as ye see hin go." ter's Observations, vol. ii. 383.)

come in like

(Dr. D. Hunpages 387 and

،، Surely as he shall come, so lre went, " says Bp. Hall: and we know that, when he ascended up on high, he was attended by thousands of angels, as at Sinai," though only two of them might appear to his disciples. (See Ps. Ixix. 17.) As it was at Sinai, so was it at Olivet, and so shall it be at the last day. Behold, he cometh with clouds-and with ten thousands of his holy ones. (Rev. i. 7 ; Jude 14.)

Ver. 15. The number of the names-i. e. of the persons. So Rev. iii. 4; and xi. 13. Gr.

Ver. 16. Men and Brethren.-This phrase, Dr. Campbell remarks, is used thirteen times in this book, and always without the copulative, which he thinks should always be omitted in the translation, together with the word men, which he thinks merely idiomatic. He would translate only brethren," or brethren and fathers," as the words may be. See Note on chap. iii. 14.

Ver. 18. This man purchased a field.-It is true that he was not the purchaser, but it was purchased

with his money, and at his expense. So persons in scripture are often charged with the evils which their conduct had occasioned; as for instance, Zedekiah with the burning of Jerusalem, Jer. xxxviii. 23.

-Falling headlong.-The Greek (prenes) strictly means, to fall forward, or on the face. Raphelius, Elsner, Parkhurst.

Ver. 19. And it was known, &c.-Both Doddridge and Townsend consider this as a parenthesis, and the language of the Evangelist. From an ancient inscription, it seems that the fate of Judas became a proverbial forun of cursing. See Doddr.

Matthias chosen by lot]

tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.

20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.

21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

[to succeed Judas.

23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,

25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.

26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. (B)

(B) Ver. 12-26. Matthias chosen into the Apostleship. After reading of our Lord's leaving his disciples and ascending up to heaven, we are naturally prepared to hear of their lamentation and regret : but no such thing occurred-" they returned to Jerusalem with great joy." (Luke xxiv. 52.) How shall we account for this? During the period of his crucifixion, and until they were satisfied of his resurrection, they seem to have sunk into sullen grief and disappointment"We trusted (said they) that it had heen he that should have redeemed Israel.". How, then, shall we account for this reverse of feeling? Oh, now they found it was him; that he had redeemed them by his death, and, as he had promised, that he had not only risen from the dead, but was gone to take possession of his kingdom;

and that not for himself only; but that he was gone "to prepare a place for them, that where he is they might be also."

When arrived at Jerusalem, in an upper room probably of some friend, they all assembled for devotional purposes, together with the holy women, and especially Mary, the mother of Jesus, amounting to 120 persons of both sexes. On one of these occasions Peter stood up and addressed the meeting, relative to the apostacy of Judas, and the necessity of appointing some other person to succeed him in the apostleship. On the character of Judas we have already offered some remarks in our Expositions of Matt. xxvii., Luke xxii., and John xiii. (See pp. 120, 240, 325.) We shall endeavour to avoid repetition, but three things now demand our notice the miserable fate of Judas

Ver. 20. His bishoprick.-(Gr. Episcopè.) Our translators who use Bishopric in the text, put "office," or " charge," in the margin, which Ainsworth gives as the sense of the Hebrew here quoted. A bishop, according to its derivation, he says, is the common name of all overseers. Its ecclesiastical sense cannot be here intended, because inapplicable, as above observed. Hammond shows it was applied to any persons in authority, civil as well as ecclesiastical, and here means " apostolic power."

Ver. 23. Joseph, called Barsabas-Supposed to be the Joses (for it is the same name) mentioned Matt. xxvii 56; the brother of at least two apostles. Doddr.

Ver. 24. Thou, Lord.-Mr. Burgh (a learned layman) gives several reasons for believing that this prayer was addressed personally to the Lord Jesus; but that the case should be doubtful, from the same language being indiscriminately addressed to both the Father and the Son, is with as a most decisive argument for the divinity of the latter.

Ver. 25. That he might go to his own place." If we are right," says Mr. Preb. Townsend," in interpreting the language of the New Testament in the

same sense as it was understood by those to whom it was addressed, and no canon of criticism seems more certain, we must adopt the common rendering of this passage. It was a common sentiment among the Jews, that he that betrayeth an Israelite hath no part in the world to come.' And Lightfoot quotes a similar expression from Baal Turim, in Numb. xxiv. 25: Balaam went to his own place, i. e. into hell."" After various other quotations, Mr. T. adds, "After such evidence, we may agree with Dr. Doddridge, that the interpretation of Hammond, Le Clerc, and Ecumenius, is very unnatural, when they explain it of a successor going into the place of Judas." New Test. Arr. vol. ii. p. 14, N. 6.

Ver. 26. The lot fell.-According to Grotius, the method was, to put their lots into two urns, one of which contained the names of Joseph and Matthias, and the other a blank, and the word" apostle." In drawing these out of the urns, the blank came up with the name of Joseph, and that on which was written apostle," with Matthias.-Orient. Cus. No. 485. On the lawfulness of Lots, see Pike's Cases of Conscience, No. 3; and Dr. Romeyn's Sermon to Young People, p. 42, &c. New York, 1810.

the Scriptures which predicted it-and the means by which his place was here supplied:

1. We advert to the death of Judas; but when and where did this take place? It was not till Jesus had been condemned by the Jews, and delivered over to Pilate, when it was very natural to suppose his death certain (as he had himself predicted), that Judas repented, and returned the money he had received; but if we may be allowed such a conjecture, he probably did not actually hang himself till the awful

hour when the sun was turned into darkness"-a darkness which made even the heart of a Roman centurion tremble. -This awful phenomenon, which must have thrown the whole city into confusion and alarm, might probably appear, both to him and others, as the approach of the day of judgment, and he might seek to hide himself in death from the presence of his judge. Whether the cord itself, or the projection to which it was fastened, now gave way, we presume not to determine; if his fall were from the walls of the city or the battlements of the temple, as we have supposed (p. 120), the dreadful effect here mentioned might very naturally

occur.

2. The Scriptures here quoted have been already considered in our Exposition of Psalms Ixix. and cix. We only here add, that we consider David's imprecations of judgment on his enemies (some of whom, indeed, resembled Judas) as predictive of the judgments which befel Judas, and those priests and Pharisees who acted with him; and not them only, but likewise all those who involved themselves in the same guilt, by their awful imprecations-"His blood be upon us and upon our children!" Whether Judas was married and had a family we know not; but, if he had, it was consistent with the old dispensation, that they should be involved in the same calamities with himself, so far as respects the present life; we hope, however, that

he might die unmarried, and drink the cup of punishment alone.

3. We are to notice the means taken to fill up the vacancy which the apostacy and death of Judas made among the apostles. When it is said, "Let another take his bishoprick," the margin reads, consistent with the Psalm from which the words are quoted, "office" instead of bishoprick (Comp. with Ps. cix. 8), for Judas was not a bishop, but an apostle; and the former term can only be applied to him in its general signification, as an "overseer." But by what means was this choice to be determined? It should seem that the eleven, or perhaps the body of believers present, pointed out two persons who had accompanied our Lord and his apostles during the whole of his ministry, and who had doubtless also seen him since his resurrection, as proper persons to fill the vacancy; and then, after solemn prayer to God for his interference, they appealed to the lot, as an ancient and solemn mode of deciding in such cases. By lot, the expiatory goat was chosen, and the other dismissed (Levit. xvi. 8, 10). By lot, the land of Canaan was divided, and the Levites had their cities assigned, and their turns of service regulated, &c. The lot was considered by the Jews as an appeal to God, equally solemn with an oath; and was regarded as no less sacred by the Greeks, as appears by various parts of Homer. The primitive church, therefore, forbade games of chauce or hazard, as calculated to lessen our reverence for divine Providence; God himself claiming it as his prerogative to decide the lot: "The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord." (Prov. xvi. 33.) But it is not on this account only that we think idle games of all sorts ought to be discountenanced among Christians; it is a waste of time, when we know not that we have an inch of time left; for who can say that he has yet an hour to live? And as to relaxation from business

CHAP. II. Ver. 1. Fully come.-The day began on the evening preceding; but on the morning following it was fully come.- In one place. This place has been much disputed, many supposing that they obtained an apartment of the temple; but we conceive that they neither dare to ask such a favour,

nor would they by any means be so indulged, as they Jay at this time under the charge of baving stolen the body of their Master. See Matt. xxviii. 11-15.

Ver. 3. Cloven tongues-i. e. (says Doddr.) "bright flames in a pyramidical form, which were so parted as to terminate in several points, and thereby to

The gift] cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave thein

utterance.

5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.

6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.

7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galileans?

8 And how hear we every man

[of tongues.

in our own tongue, wherein we were born?

9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopota→ mia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,

10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,

11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God,

12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?

13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. (C)

or study, reading and the liberal arts afford far better relaxation, without either debasing the mind or wasting time-for they improve both.

CHAP. II.

(C) Ver. 1-13. The gift of tongues on the day of Pentecost.-"The next thing to he observed (says Pres. Edwards, of New England) is the enduing the apostles and others with the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost; such as the gift of tongues, the gift of healing, of prophecy, &c. The Spirit of God was poured out in great abundance in this respect: so that not only ministers [of the Gospel] but a great number of [private] Christians through the world, were endued with them, both old and young; not only officers and more honourable persons, but

the meaner sort of persons, servants and handmaids, agreeable to Joel's prophecy, of which the apostle Peter takes notice, that it is accomplished in this dispensation. .... This was a great means of the success of the Gospel in that age, and of establishing the Christian Church in all parts of the world; and [that] not only in that age, but in all ages to the end of the world for Christianity being by this means established through so great a part of the known world by miracles, it was after that more easily continued by tradition and then by means of these extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost, the apostles, and others, were enabled to write the New Testament, to be an infallible

rule of faith and manners to the Church to the end of the world. Furthermore, these miracles stand recorded in those

afford a proper emb'en of the marvellous effect-a miraculous diversity of languages."

Ver. 4. With other tongues-i. e. with foreign tongues, to which they had not been accustomed.

Ver. 5. Dwelling at Jerusalem-i. e. during the feast. Of every nation under heaven.-This is evidently spoken hyperbolically, and is exactly parallel to Dent. ii. 25. The western hemisphere, it may be recollected, was not then discovered; but there were individuals present from all the countries here named, and probably many more.

Ver.6. When this was noised abroad.-Greek, "When the voice was made;" i. e. when it was reported. Were confounded-Marg. " troubled in mind."-Every man heard them speak in his own language. From this expression, some have supposed that the miracle consisted in these different persons hearing in their own language what was

spoken only in the Syro-Chaldaic, or vulgar Hebrew of that age. But this, beside multiplying the miracle more than twentyfold, would be the gift of ears, and not of tongues.

Ver. 9. In Judea-Where the popular dialect is thought to have been very different from that of Galilee as much so, perhaps, as the dialect of Yorkshire from that of London.

Ver. 10. Of Rome, Jews and proselytes." It appears from Josephus, &c. that great numbers of Jews dwelt at Rome about this time, and made many proselytes."-Doddr.

Ver. 13. New wine. --Hammond and Doddridge, "sweet wine." Plutarch says, the ancients had methods of preserving their wines long sweet, and that they were very intoxicating. Doddr. Calmet. These men alluded probably to the wine provided for the feast.