in view the reputation of zeal and liberality; and the reservation of a private store.

"Love not the world," says St. John," nor the things that are in the world." Of the things which are in the world, those two which are commonly most esteemed, most dearly purchased, and most hardly parted with, are property, and good repute : the favour of the party with which men live. These two things were a snare to Ananias and Sapphira. The love of God and heaven was not strong enough to prevail over the love of the world. Satan took advantage of their state of heart; he saw it open and prepared to receive him ; so he entered in, and hurried them to their destruction.

3. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satar filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?

4. While it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.

5. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all those that heard these things.

6. And the young men arose, wound him up,3 and carried him out, and buried him.

2 See Matt. xii. 44.

3 In linen clothes for his burial. When Lazarus was raised, he came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes." Burials, in the East, take place immediately after death.

4

The Holy Ghost was with the apostles, at this time, not in that ordinary measure in which he is with all the people of God; but in that extraordinary degree which gave them the power of " discerning spirits," and of knowing what is in the heart. Therefore, to suppose that the apostles could be deceived by falsehood, was to suppose that the Holy Ghost could be deceived: to attempt an imposture upon the apostles, was to deny the existence or the power of the Holy Ghost: to lie, not unto men, but unto God. And God saw fit by a sudden judgment to show the heinousness of such hypocrisy in his sight: to show that "there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known."5 Had this truth been present to the mind of these two persons, or had they been so influenced by faith as to act upon it, they would not have committed their sin. What shall it profit us, they would have argued within themselves, if for a while in the esteem of man we are held to be thus generous? That feeling which now lies below, hidden in the heart, and covered by an outward appearance of zeal, will be revealed and brought to light hereafter before the whole assembled world.

4 1 Cor. xii. 10. Without this power, the apostles could not have set the infant church in order. They might have been de ceived as to the character and qualifications of those whom they most trusted; and such mistakes at that moment would be fatal. 5 Luke xii. 2.

So little, and therefore so justly, would the praise or blame of man be valued, if we could always keep in view the day when "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ."6

7. And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

8. And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.

9. Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord?" behold, the feet of them that have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.

10. Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

11. And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

Thus this unhappy transaction, awful in itself, was over-ruled for good. It confirmed the power of the apostles; showed "that God was with them of a truth," and gave authority to all they did in

6 Rom. ii. 16.

7 To tempt or prove the Spirit: as if to see, whether He would detect the fraud. Thus the Israelites are said to have tempted God in the wilderness by doubting his power.

Peter did not require her answer, for his own information; but he elicited it, to prove the guilt of Sapphira in the face of those assembled.

establishing the church. Great fear, we are told, came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these words. And fear, rightly directed, is both proper and salutary to such a creature as man. The fear of God, and the dread of sin, as displeasing to God, is the greatest blessing to the soul. This awful example will produce and cherish it. Great fear might well come upon all the disciples, when they saw before their eyes the consequence of sin. The consequence we are ready to acknowledge. The difficulty is, to feel a due conviction of the truth. We confess, that "the wages of sin is death." But "because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.” 8 Here the sentence was executed speedily: here that judgment was witnessed, which it is part of our probation to believe; to receive on faith. And the whole event may well incline us to pray with David, "Keep back thy servant, O Lord, from presumptuous sins: let them not have dominion over me; then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent from the great transgression."9

8 Eccles. viii, 11.

9 Psalm xix. 13.

LECTURE XIII.

THE APOSTLES ARE IMPRISONED AND MIRACULOUSLY SET AT LIBERTY.

A. D. 33.

ACTS v. 12-32.

12. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.1

13. And of the rest2 durst no man join himself to them but the people magnified them..

14. And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)

15. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

16. There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.

17. Then the high priest rose up, and all they that

As before, chapter iii. 11. There they had their principal station; there they might be regularly found, both by their own party, and by those who desired to resort to them.

2 Of the wavering and undecided, like those who had just now fallen under their hypocrisy.