Acts 7:1
Then said the high priest, Are these things so? Ver. 1. _Are these things so?_] A Fire hearing Stephen should have, but his death was beforehand resolved on.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said the high priest, Are these things so? Ver. 1. _Are these things so?_] A Fire hearing Stephen should have, but his death was beforehand resolved on.... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, Ver. 2. _The God of glory_] Before whom seraphims (those heavenly salamanders) clap their two wings, as a double scarf, on their faces, as not... [ Continue Reading ]
And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. Ver. 3. _Get thee out, &c._] Both Abraham's great temptations began thus. _See Trapp on "_ Gen 12:1 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 12:2 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 12:3 _"_ &c.... [ Continue Reading ]
Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not _so much as_ to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a... [ Continue Reading ]
And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat _them_ evil four hundred years. Ver. 6. _Four hundred years_] Beginning at the birth of Isaac.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place. Ver. 7. _And serve me in this place_] _Servati sumus ut serviamus, Luke 1:74_. The redeemed (among the Romans) was to be at the service of the redeemer all his d... [ Continue Reading ]
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so _Abraham_ begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day; and Isaac _begat_ Jacob; and Jacob _begat_ the twelve patriarchs. Ver. _8-18_] _See Trapp on "_ Gen 17:11 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 37:28 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ Gen 41:37 _"_ _See Trapp on ... [ Continue Reading ]
And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him, 10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. 11 Now there came a dearth over all the l... [ Continue Reading ]
In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: Ver. 20. _Exceeding fair_] Passing pretty, a proper child, as the apostle hath it, Hebrews 11:23. Justin maketh mention of his beautiful personage; and by this, as by an instrument, God moved... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. Ver. 21. _See Trapp on "_ Exo 2:5 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. Ver. 22. _And Moses was learned_] See my Common Place of Arts. Lactantius saith of Tertullian, that he was _in omni genere doctrinae peritus, _ skilful in all kinds of learning. Jerome saith of him, that... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. Ver. 23. See Hebrews 11:24. _See Trapp on "_ Heb 11:24 _"_ It came into his heart] _sc._ By an impulse of the Holy Spirit; for till then it seems he had slighted them; but now he began to be... [ Continue Reading ]
And seeing one _of them_ suffer wrong, he defended _him_, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: Ver. 24. _And avenged him_] Wherein haply he was too hasty to do justice before his time; which might cost him and cause him forty years' exile in Midian.... [ Continue Reading ]
For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. Ver. 25. _But they understood not_] For by this time they through long and hard oppression (which makes even a wise man mad, Ecc 7:7) had well nigh forgotten the promise of deliv... [ Continue Reading ]
And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? Ver. 26. _Sirs, ye are brethren_] In this Egypt of the world, all unkind strifes should easily be composed, did we but remember that we a... [ Continue Reading ]
But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Ver. 27. _He that did the wrong_] None so ready to except and exclaim, as the wrong doer; the patient replies not.... [ Continue Reading ]
Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Ver. 28. _Wilt thou kill me, &c._] If this Hebrew had been well pleased, Moses had not heard of his slaughter; now in choler all will out. If this man's tongue had not thus cast him in the teeth with blood, he had been surprised by Pharaoh,... [ Continue Reading ]
Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. Ver. 29. _Then fled Moses_] And by being banished, was the better fitted to be king in Jeshurun.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sina an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush. Ver. 30. See Exodus 3:2 .... [ Continue Reading ]
When Moses saw _it_, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold _it_, the voice of the Lord came unto him, Ver. 31. _He wondered at the sight_] How many come to the ordinances to see and to be seen! they may hear that, with Moses here, that may do them good for ever.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Saying_, I _am_ the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. Ver. 32. See Exodus 3:6 .... [ Continue Reading ]
Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground. Ver. 33. _Put off thy shoes_] Thy fleshly affections, and be wholly at my disposal, in the business whereabout I shall send thee.... [ Continue Reading ]
I have seen, I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. Ver. 34. _I have seen, I have seen_] To my grief and regret. God is said to suffer in the sufferings of his people. T... [ Continue Reading ]
This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send _to be_ a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush. Ver. 35. _By the hands_] That is, by the authority and conduct. Hands are not here taken for service, but ruledo... [ Continue Reading ]
He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years. Ver. 36. _And in the wilderness_] Where their garments were no whit the worse for wearing. Why then should we question the incorruptibility of our bodies at t... [ Continue Reading ]
This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. Ver. 37. _Like unto me_] _See Trapp on "_ Act 3:22 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and _with_ our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: Ver. 38. _Lively oracles_] That is, life giving oracles. The law is said to be the "strength of sin,"1 Corinthians 15:56... [ Continue Reading ]
To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust _him_ from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, Ver. 39. _Thrust him from them_] The present government is always grievous, Αει το παρον Βαρυ as Thucydides observeth. _Alleva iugum, Allevo iugum, _ lighten the yoke, lighten the yoke,... [ Continue Reading ]
Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for _as for_ this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. Ver. 40. _Make us gods_] That is, an image, or representation of God. This was not to keep their promise, Exodus 19:8 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. Ver. 41. _And offered sacrifice to the idol_] That is, to the devil, Psalms 106:37, who is ειδωλοχαρης, as Synesius calls him. Howbeit the idolaters pretended herein to worship Jeh... [ Continue Reading ]
Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices _by the space of_ forty years in the wilderness? Ver. 42. _Of the prophets_] The twelve small prophets were in one v... [ Continue Reading ]
Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. Ver. 43. _Of your god Remphan_] Amos 5:26, called Chiun. These are but various names of the same idol; the Hebrews calling it by one name, the... [ Continue Reading ]
Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen. Ver. 44. _Our fathers had the tabernacle_] He had made answer to their first accusation touching blasphemous words against the law... [ Continue Reading ]
Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David; Ver. 45. _Brought in_] This argued and aggravated their _levitatem plus quam desultoriam, _ monstrous giddiness in running aft... [ Continue Reading ]
Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. Ver. 46. _Who found favour_] This he made more account of than of his crown and sceptre, Psalms 4:6. Like as when he gave Ziba the lands of Mephibosheth, Ziba begged a further and better boon; "I humbly beseech thee... [ Continue Reading ]
But Solomon built him an house. Ver. 47. _But Solomon built him a house_] A stately house indeed, one of the seven wonders of the world (how basely soever Florus writeth of it, out of his deep and desperate hatred of that nation and their religion): far beyond that Ephesian temple of Diana, built a... [ Continue Reading ]
Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet, Ver. 48. _Howbeit, the Most High dwelleth not_] This he subjoineth, because the Jews bore themselves so bold upon the temple, and made such ado about it, as if God were tied to it (as the Chinese chain their gods,... [ Continue Reading ]
Heaven _is_ my throne, and earth _is_ my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what _is_ the place of my rest? Ver. 49. _Heaven is my throne, and earth my footstool_] And accordingly there are _Bona throni_ good of the throne and _bona scabelli, _ good of the footstools, as the... [ Continue Reading ]
Hath not my hand made all these things? Ver. 50. _Hath not mine hand made all these things?_] Therefore I need not your handiwork, though I am pleased to accept of it; which you are to look upon as a wonderful condescension. "God humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and in earth... [ Continue Reading ]
Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers _did_, so _do_ ye. Ver. 51. _Ye stiffnecked, &c._] Henry Lawrence, martyr, being required to put his hand in subscribing to his answers, he wrote these words under the bill of their examination,... [ Continue Reading ]
Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Ver. 52. _Of whom ye have been now the betrayers, &c._] This was to deal plainly and freely with them; this was _... [ Continue Reading ]
Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept _it_. Ver. 53. _And have not kept it_] The Jews were so far from being a law to themselves, αυτονομοι (as the Thracians are said to be), that (more like the Athenians) whereas they had excellent laws, but naughty natures, _Mo... [ Continue Reading ]
When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with _their_ teeth. Ver. 54. _They were cut to the heart_] But that I believe that God and all his saints will take revengement everlasting on thee, I would surely, with these nails of mine, be thy death, said friar B... [ Continue Reading ]
But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, Ver. 55. _And Jesus standing_] As ready to revenge the injuries done to his proto-martyr. _Christus stat ut Vindex, sedet ut Iudex._ Christ stands as a defe... [ Continue Reading ]
And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Ver. 56. _Behold, I see, &c._] Christ as man could see as far into heaven as Stephen now did, who could not therefore but stand stoutly to it. Creatures of an inferior nature will be courageous in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, Ver. 57. _Ran upon him_] Being acted and agitated by the devil, who had now wholly possessed them; so that they were even satanized, and transformed into so many breathing devils.... [ Continue Reading ]
And cast _him_ out of the city, and stoned _him_ : and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. Ver. 58. _And stoned him_] As a blasphemer. Our proto-martyr in Queen Mary's days was Mr Rogers; as in Germany Henry and John, two Augustine monks, were the first... [ Continue Reading ]
And they stoned Stephen, calling upon _God_, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Ver. 59. _And they stoned Stephen_] Bembus wrote a dainty poem concerning Stephen, and therein hath this verse, much admired by Melancthon. " _Ibat ovans animis, et spe sua damna levabat._ " He saw heaven thro... [ Continue Reading ]