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offering, and as such should have been made with an honest and upright heart.

Under these circumstances, the punishment inflicted on those wicked persons was amply merited. And it was both a just and gracious visitation of God; most just in itself, and gracious to his church, to mark a deed of such a nature with signal displeasure; that every disciple of Christ may tremble at approaching him with hypocrisy, and carefully regulate the heart and affections, which are the vital parts of his holy religion. When "Ananias fell down and gave up the ghost, great fear came on all." So sudden and awful an end, the visible effect of his crimes, could not fail to operate as a powerful motive with them, to avoid all kind of insincerity and falsehood in their profession of faith. And the second punishment, inflicted on Sapphira about three hours after, must have contributed to make the impression more deep and lasting. So that however fearful this judgment was to the sufferers themselves, we cannot doubt of its having the most salutary consequences not only to the primitive Christians of that day, but likewise to all of after ages. For who can read the account before us, without strong emotions of terror? Who with such an example before his eyes can venture on secret projects of injustice, or impurity, or unholiness; anxious only to escape the notice of men,

without considering that great Intelligence, to whom all hearts are open? Neither is the case essentially altered, because God does not, in the ordinary course of his providence, visit each act with immediate punishment for though he may not think fit to kill the body, yet he is able to kill both soul and body in hell. Let this event, therefore, my beloved brethren, be an everlasting warning to us, how we dare to do any thing hidden, which we fear to be known; such acts will assuredly be brought in judgment, if not in this world, yet in the next, before the face of men and angels, by him, “ who seeth in secret, and shall reward openly."

The history goes on to relate, that many signs and wonders were wrought by the Apostles, adding these words," of the rest durst no man join himself to them." Whatever be the cause of this whether the usual dread of the Jewish rulers, or (what seems more likely from the occasion) their awe and fear of the Apostles themselves since the late display of their power in the death of Ananias and Sapphira, the meaning must be, that none of those yet unconverted, nor even such believers as were not actually incorporated into the society of Christians, dared at that moment to attach themselves closely and entirely to the Apostles with perfect confidence and ease. The words cannot signify a total want of faith in the people, from what immediately follows; but the people mag

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nified them and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." There is, therefore, an evident distinction made between those who commonly embraced the Chris`tian faith, and those who stuck close to the Apostles; of which last only mention was intended in the passage we are now considering. And it is very probable, that the terror, occasioned by the fatal miracles above mentioned, had no very long duration for we do not hear of any future impediment of that kind in the propagation of the Gospel.

We read in the 17th and 18th verses, that the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him (which is of the (sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation; and laid hands on the Apostles, and put them in the common prison." When we consider the principles and tenets of the Sadducees, we cannot in the least wonder at their taking great offence with the preaching of the Apostles, especially for their setting forth with boldness and zeal the resurrection of our Lord, and a future life; for they held neither resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit. At this time the grand council of the Jewish nation, called the Sanhedrim, frequently consisted, in a great part, of this loose sect, which prevailed very much among the wealthy and powerful and even the high priest himself (as we may conclude from the passage before us, and are also

informed by Josephus) sometimes openly professed the same pernicious doctrines. It was very natural, then, that such men should be particularly indignant on the present occasion: because the new religion struck at all their favourite dogmas, and at their licentious course of life. Those Sadducees were the fashionable deists of that day, who wished to get rid of every thing in religion likely to disturb their present enjoyments, and would admit of no article of faith leading to the view of a future state, unless it might be actually exposed to their senses. For whatever pretensions they, like their modern imitators, made to reasoning above the vulgar, their principal guide was sense, gross carnal sense, to whose government they were too well accustomed and inclined, to wish for any other more refined and spiritual. You see the specimen they here give of their candour in argument. Those men of deep knowledge and free enquiry shew themselves excellent inquisitors indeed; they bind and imprison whom they cannot confute!

But, thanks to Almighty God, he did then and ever will protect his church, against all the powers of darkness; so that, according to our blessed Saviour's gracious promise, "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." For we are told, "the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life;"

that is, of this life eternal lately revealed through Jesus Christ, whose ministers ye are. The words plainly relate to this important subject; and the very form of expression shews the minds both of the speaker and hearers to be intent on that alone; "this life," says the Angel, as if nothing else deserved the name, or could engage their thoughts; and knowing how impossible it was for the Apostles to misconceive him, as if he had intended any thing but that eternal life, of which our Lord's rising from the dead was the first fruits and example. Thus the language appears not only to be sufficiently clear, but to possess peculiar energy and force.

The Apostles, in obedience to the celestial commission, being found preaching in the temple, after their miraculous deliverance from prison, occasion fresh trouble and anxiety to the high-priest and his followers; who accordingly sent for them to [give an account of themselves, why they still continued to preach Christ in contempt of their high authority. The charge and defence now made are so like those upon a similar occasion, mentioned in the foregoing lecture, that it will not be necessary to take any farther notice of them here. One particular, however, in the history of the proceeding, deserves attention. In the 26th verse it is thus written: "Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence; for they feared the people, lest they should have

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