Reflections on the case of Ananias and Sapphira. 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, the least the shadow of X. 553 dangerous it would be to oppose or suppress SECT. the inward convictions of their minds, in a matter of so great importance. Acts And they were farther animated to boldness V. 15, in their profession, by the many gracious miraand laid them on beds cles which succeeded to this work of terror; and conches, that at insomuch that all along the most public streets Peter passing by might they brought out the sick, and laid them at their overshadow some of doors on beds and couches, when they were not able to walk; that at least the shadow of Peter as he was coming by, might overshadow some or other of them: And this extraordinary faith was rewarded by the healing of many in that cir them. 16 There came also a multitude out of the cumstance. And as the fame of these wonderful works 16 cities round about unto spread abroad, multitudes also [out] of the cities Jerusalem, bringing round about, came together to Jerusalem,bringing sick folks, and them the sick and those that were troubled with unclean which were vexed with unclean spirits: spirits; who, by the divine power of Jesus and they were healed working in his bumble disciples, were all heal every one. ed; as persons in the like circumstances had IMPROVEMENT. LET Us behold, with humble reverence, this awful instance of Ver. the divine severity, so well calculated to impress the minds of 5, lь these new converts, and to prevent any of those frauds, which the charity of those who were most zealous in their profession might have occasioned in some others. Let us learn, how hateful false- 4 hood is to the God of truth, and make it our care to avoid it; and not only shun a direct lye, but the taking undue advantage from any ambiguities of expression, and, in a word, all recourse to the arts of equivocation. God only knows, how soon such treacherous 5, 10 lips may be sealed up in eternal silence. How does Satan delude the heart which he fills! And how pe- 3 culiarly fatal is the delusion, when he leads men to sins, which especially affront the Holy Spirit of God: That Spirit rested on the 9 apostles, and taught them to discover the hidden things of darkness; so that they who tempted it, fell in the attempt, and became a sign. May integrity and uprightness ever preserve us! (Psal. xxv. 21.) And, while we avoid all the kinds and arts of dissimulation, let us peculiarly detest those, which would offer a double insult to the 554 The high-priest and the Sadducees imprison the apostles. SECT. the God of heaven, by taking their dress from the religion, which X. his own Son has planted. Ver. The church is never happier, than when the sons of falsehood are 13 deterred from intruding into it. If its members are less numerous, it is a sufficient balance, that it is more pure. We see what sin15, 16 gular miracles were done by the apostles; miracles equal, and in some respects, as it seems by these instances, superior to those which Christ performed in the days of his ministration here below. When will the happy time come, in which men shall express as great a concern for their souls, as they here did for their bodies? When shall the streets and assemblies be filled with those who, from a sense of their spiritual maladies, shall apply to the ministers of Christ for healing? Let it always be remembered, that whatever they do for this happy purpose, it is indeed their master that does it by them; and that all their most assiduous applications, separate from his blessing, can effect no more than the shadow of Peter could have done, if the power of Christ had not wrought on those over whom it passed. SECT. xi. Acts SECT. XI. The apostles continuing to preach to the people, are apprehended and imprisoned, and, after a miraculous deliverance, are brought before the Sanhedrim the next day, and scourged; Gamaliel's advice prevailing, to prevent any farther extremities. Acts v. 17, to the end. ACTS V. 17. IT was observed in the preceding section, what extraordinary miracles were done by the apostles in the name of Jesus, whom still, notV. 17. withstanding all the menaces of their rulers, they continued faithfully to preach, and to assure the people of his resurrection from the dead, and of eternal life to be obtained through him. But this, as it might reasonably be expected, drew another storm upon them: For the high-priest arising, as it were with awakened and renewed fury, and all they that were with him, which was the sect of the Sadducees, who a The sect of the Sadducees.] There is no sufficient reason from this text to conclude with Grotius, that the high-priests and his kindred were Sadducees, though it is probable they might be so, as Josephus affirms that some of the high-priests were of this sect, and particularly Ananus, one of the sons of that Annas, who was father-in-law to Caiaphas. (See Mr. Biscoc, were at Boyle's Lect. chap. v. § 4, p. 110, 111.) The Sadducees however would be most ready to exert themselves in persecuting the apostles, as they were most exasperated by their doctrine, which was directly opposite to the notions they maintained. See the paraphrase on Acts iv. 2, sect. 8, p. 537. Into An angel lets them out, to go and preach in the temple. 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 555 were especially devoted to his interest, and most SECT. But that God might evidently shew, how im- 19 words of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they en flee, not fear; but go, as soon as the gates are And the apostles hearing [this] divine com- 21 b Into the common prison.] That this was as the paraphrase expresses it, the place where the vilest malefactors were lodged, cannot be doubted. But it is not certain, VOL. VII. But the apostles were actually thrust among 4 A 556 SECT. xi. Acts The council are surprised not to find them in prison. the high But in the mean time, the high-priest being -But priest came, and they come, and they that were with him, into the room that were with him, where the council was usually beld, they called and called the council V. 21. together all the members of the Sanhedrim, even together, and all the (as we have hinted several times before, that the senate of the children name signifies,) the whole senate of the children of the prison to have them Israel, being solicitous that there might be as brought. A of Israel, and sent to 22 But when the came, and found them not in the full a house as possible on so important an occasion: And when they were convened, they sent proper officers to the common prison to take charge of the apostles, and to have them brought into their presence, that the court might proceed to their examination and punishment. 22 But when the officers came thither, to their great surprise they found them not in the prison; and officers yet could not discover what way they had took prison, they returned to make their escape, considering the circum- and told, stances that appeared on inquiry. Returning therefore to the council, they made their report, 23 saying. We found indeed the prison shut with all possible safety, and the keepers standing with son truly found we out as centinels before the doors; but having and the keepers standopened [them,] and gone into the place in winching without before the the prisoners had been put, and where we did doors: but when we had opened, we found not doubt but we should find them, to our great no man within. astonishment we found no one within of those whom we sought. 24 23 Saying, The pri shut with all safety, 24 Now when the captain of the temple, things, whereunto this would Now when the high priest, and the captain of the temple, and the other chief-priests who high-priest, and the were gathered together, heard these words, they and the chief-priests doubted concerning them, and knew not what to heard these think of it how this could be; that is, whether they doubted of them they had procured their liberty by corrupting grow. the keepers, or whether there might not be something miraculous in the deliverance of persons whom such extraordinary circumstances 25 had attended. But one, who knew their disappointment and the uneasiness it gave them, came into the court, and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put yesterday in prison, are now standing in the temple, however they came thither, and are teaching the people assembled there with as much freedom and confidence as ever; which indeed does not look like a clandestine escape, which could only have been made with a view of flight and concealment. 26 25 Then came ene and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison, are standing in the temple, and teaching the peo ple. Then the captain of the temple went with the 26 Then went the officers by the direction of the Sanhedrim, and captain with the offihaving found the apostles in the temple, brought cers, and brought them without violence: (for them away, but not by violence, for they feared the they They are taken again, and brought before the Sanhedrim. 27 And when they had brought them, they council: And the highpriestasked them, set them before the XI. 557 they feared the people, the people, lest if they had offered any violence SECT. lest they should have in their presence, it might have so provoked been stoned.) them that they should be stoned: For the people Acts were so fully persuaded of a divine power en- V. 26. gaged with the apostles, that they held their persons sacred, and would not have borne any open attack upon them: The apostles, on the other hand, were ready cheerfully to obey the summons, that they might repeat their testimony to their divine Master. And accordingly 27 the captain and those that attended him, when they had brought them to the place where the council was sitting, made a report of what they had done, and set them before the Sanhedrim. And as soon as they appeared, the high priest, singling out Peter and John, who had so lately 28 Saying, Did not been examined before them, asked them, Say-23 we strictly command ing, Did we not strictly charge you two in partiyou, that you shold cular but a very little while ago, and so in effect name? And behold ye Ive all the rest of your company, that you should not, have filled Jerusalem on pain of our highest displeasure and the utwith your doctrine, most rigour of the law, teach any more in this name of Jesus of Nazareth? And behold, instead of regarding our admonition, or shewing any sense of the great lenity with which the court then treated you, you have been more busy and more daring than before in your seditious practices, so that you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine; and it all centres in this, that you would bring the odium of this man's blood upon us, and would incense the populace against us, as if he were an innocent person whom we had murdered: So that it is no thanks to you, if we are not stoned, or torn in pieces by them, for that act of necessary justice, for such it was, which we were obliged to do upon him. not teach in this and intend to bring this man's blood upon us. 29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We But Peter and [the rest of] the apostles, who 29 were now all before them, answered and said () ought to obey God ra- ye senate of Israel, ye cannot but in your own consciences know, as we plainly declared before this assembly when we received the charge now referred to, (chap. iv. 19) that it is absolutely ther than men. They feared the people, lest they should be stoned.] This may seem a surprising change in the people, considering the eagerness with which they demanded that Christ should be crucified. But it is exceeding probable, that, seeing the mighty power which wrought in the apostles, they might entertain some hope of obtaining fit temporal deliverance by their means, (com- 44 2 d To |