But what was the plan they had recourse to? Not to believe or to accept the truth thus proclaimed to them, and act up to it, but they said, "It is quite plain that a miracle has been done.' Then why not accept the truth it proclaimed? For what is a miracle? It is omnipotent power holding up a great truth; it is the hand of God stretched from the sky holding up the bright light of a precious truth.

Well, if these men saw God's omnipotence holding out this truth, it was their privilege to accept of it; but such is the human heart, that they came to the horrible conclusion, "that it spread no further among the people;" said these ecclesiastical authorities, “Let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus." But Peter and John were not to be put down: men that are in earnest are not to be silenced; men that have a deep conviction, are not to be made quiet when that conviction is connected with the wellbeing and prosperity of the people. And therefore they appealed to them in the language of common sense, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge, ye." What a noble sentiment! And then they added, "And as to your threats, as to your penalties, we cannot but speak the things that we have seen and heard; and therefore we are not to be put down." Now that was a true, a just, and a noble sentiment. And whoever seeks to put down truth by force ought to be met by such replies as this. Then "being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. And

when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord,”—the whole company of believers,and repeated the second Psalm, "Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?" And then he shows that the whole of that second Psalm was written with reference to Christ; that he was meant by the Psalmist when he wrote it: and they conclude by praying that God would stretch forth his hand to heal, and give signs and wonders to be done; and the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word with all boldness.

Such was early preaching; such was the reception of apostolic truth. Thanks be to God that we have been taught the more excellent way; and have learned that there is none other name given under heaven among men whereby we can be saved, but the name in which the impotent man was made whole.

CHAPTER IV. 31-33.

A MODEL CHURCH-THE PRAYING SPIRIT-THE MINISTERS-THEIR DIFFERENT CHARACTERS-LIFE IS SERVICE TO GOD-MIXTURE OF GREAT AND LOWLY IN CONGREGATIONS-VIOLENCE-SPEAKINGCONTROVERSY-PERSONAL PREACHING CHILDLIKE SIMPLICITY IN PREACHING-TEXTUAL PREACHING-PLACES OF PREACHING-UNITY

-LIBERALITY.

"AND when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all." Acts iv. 31-33.

This is a portrait of a church that may be called the model church of Christendom. Instead of looking to Rome as the great type of the Christian church, or looking backward to the Nicene church, or the church of the patristic ages, we ought to be satisfied with no model short of that which is here set before us-the model of the apostolic church, when apostles were the ministers, the Holy Spirit the Inspirer, and the name Christ, in the midst of it, was all and in all. It is in order to show some of the distinguishing features of this church that I have selected these remarkable words as the subject of special meditation.

First, be it noticed, that prayer was a dominant feature in the early Christian church. At the election of a successor in office, not in character to Judas, they prayed. At the day of Pentecost, when the first shower, the first spring shower, of an effusion that is yet to come, descended on the apostles, they were engaged in prayer. When they were persecuted by Scribe, and Pharisee, and Sadducee, their recourse was to prayer. Their joys brought them to God, their sorrows brought them to God; whether they were persecuted or prospered, whether they were opposed or accepted, they went to God; in prayer, when they were persecuted and in trouble; in praise, when they were prospered and blessed. And they gave evidence of a fact that Christendom needs more deeply to feel, that ages of prayer have been ages of special and of lasting blessing. We do not, I am sure, believe in prayer as we ought; not in long prayers, not in eloquent prayers, but in earnest, simple, heartfelt petitions unto God. We ought to pray for everything. We have no right saying or asking, "How do I know that this will be good for me?" That is intruding into God's province; he will take care of that. What he asks of us is, whatever be the burden that is heaviest, whatever be the fear that is dominant, whatever be the trial, whatever be the circumstances in which you are placed, you ask God to keep you, to defend you, to give you, or to bless you; just what you think and feel would be good for you, what you think desirable for you, ask God to give you nothing short of it. And do not perplex your minds with this thought, "But how do I know that it will be good for me?" God reserves to himself the prerogative of giving what is good for you, and with

holding what is not: he requires you to exercise the privilege of asking in prayer whatever you feel you have need of.

Another striking feature, specially in the ministers, and indeed in the people also, of this primitive church, was, "They were filled with the Holy Ghost ;" meaning, in the second chapter, evidently supernatural power; and in this fourth chapter, supernatural grace.

We

do not want the miracles of Pentecost revived; but we want the grace of Pentecost restored. Gifts are worthless in themselves unto salvation. "In thy name we have wrought many miracles: and I will say unto them, I know you not." But graces are essentially connected with salvation. Balaam was a prophet, Judas was an apostle; both did miracles, but each has gone to his own place. Faith, as miraculous, is gone; knowledge, as inspiration, has ceased; but love, and joy, and peace, these three, remain for ever and for ever.

Let us notice particularly the ministers of the primitive church. I have alluded already to the remarkable feature that Peter and John both exhibited boldness, though one only was the speaker. Both gave evidence they had been with Jesus, though one only spoke. And we cannot but notice (and I think this is one of the proofs of reality) how, throughout the whole New Testament, the peculiar idiosyncracy or character of each apostle is distinctly kept up to the last. It is just as easy to distinguish Paul from Peter, and Peter from John, and John from James, as it is for you to distinguish any two of your children, or any two of your friends, the one from the other. But what does this prove?-that grace does not macadamise human nature; it does not change the peculiar temperament of the man;