When the court saw with what courage and freedom of speech the aposties behaved themselves, and considering that their education had not thus elevated them above the capacity of other men, being neither skilled in the lear ning of the Jews, nor as men of distinction among them, instructed in their laws, they were amazed at it; but considering they were some of those that attended on Jesus in his life-time, and observing the man on whom they had wrought the miraculous cure, stand with them and ready to attest it; though they were as maliciously affected towards them, as envy could make them, yet having nothing to object against the fact, either as it respected the man that was cured, or the apostles that performed the cure, they thought fit in this difficulty to consult by themselves what expedient to make use of; and therefore com manding the apostles to withdraw, they entered upon this debate, demanding of one another how they should proceed in this case. "As to the men we have nothing to accuse them of: For, that they have performed a great miracle is apparent to all men, and we cannot deny it; and the man that was healed is a living witness: since therefore they are guilty of no breach of our laws, to prevent their further seducing the people, who are too apt to be led away by them, we will call them in, and forbid them upon severe penalties to preach Christ and his gos pel any more." Thus they decreed; and accordingly sending for them, commanded them not to speak privately, or teach publicly, any thing concerning the faith of Christ. But the christian heroes, whose commission was from a higher power than any on earth, slighting this interdict, and all their threats, declared, that they were commanded by God to do their duty, and that in all reason God must be obeyed before any temporal magistrate; in which they appealed to the Sanhedrim, plainly telling them, that they should not desist from doing their duty, but openly testify those important truths of Christ, so peculiarly made known to them, that they might proclaim them to others, and which none could more fairly attest than themselves, who had been eye and ear-witnesses of them. The court not knowing what else to say to them, being unable to deny their arguments, they added more

threatenings, if possible, to terrify them; and so dismissed them, having nothing to lay to their charge, but the curing the lame man in the name of Jesus; and for this all the people looked on them with reverence and esteem, and counted it an act of God's immediate and infinite mercy; for which they, that were the instruments of it, ought to be blessed, not punished by them, and therefore they durst not punish or censure them for it.

The two apostles being dismissed, returned with joy to their companions, who with infinite satisfaction heard the report of all that had passed, and unanimously glorified God, who by his holy prophet David* had foretold what was now come to pass, that the Jews should oppose Christ, say false things of him, deny and crucify him first, and, when God had raised him from the dead, oppose the preaching of him; that the princes and governors, Herod and Pontius Pilate, should combine against him, and the rulers should in council consult against him, the Messiah that God had sent; for it is a certain truth, that Herod and Pontius Pilate gathered themselves together with the Gentiles and people of Israel against his holy Son Jesus, whom he had anointed to do whatsoever his power and wisdom determined to be done. And now, O Lord, behold their threatenings, and enable us thy servants powerfully to preach thy gospel, and to work miraculous cures on all those, on whom we shall invoke the name of thy holy Son Jesus."

Upon this prayer of the faithful congregation, there came the like wind, as before mentioned, and shook the

David. See Psal. ii. 1.

+ Done. Our author adopts the transposition of the original words, as proposed by Limborch; but Dr. Doddridge well observes, that this transposition is arbitrary; he prefers the following sense of the words in his paraphrase. "But it is our unspeakable comfort, to think, that by their utmost rage they cannot break in upon thy schemes, or prevent the efficacy of thy purposes; for they have only been able to do what thine hand had pointed out before, and what thy unerring counsel, to which all future events are obvious, had before determined, that, for wise reasons thou wouldest permit to be done."

VOL. II.

See Doddridge on Acts iv. 28.

3 N

place where they were assembled; and special gifts of God's Spirit fell upon those that were there present; and this was such a confirmation to them all, that without scruple or fear, they published the gospel of Christ; in a happy concord and union agreeing in the same christian designs, no one of the company laying any particular claim to those necessaries which they had, but by a common right enjoyed them, without difference or distinction. And the apostles continued their ministerial office with vigilance and care, confirming with many miracles their preaching of Christ's resurrection.

Now that there might be no want of competent provi sion, those believers, who had estates or goods, brought in plentiful contributions, selling their possessions of lands or houses, gave the price of them to the apostles, who received it of them for the public use, and distributed to every one as necessity required. Among these kind and faithful contributors none was more sincere and ready than Joses the Cypriot, surnamed by the apostles Barnabas; (a true son of consolation) who having a piece of land of his own, (not any part of the Levites' portion, though himself was a Levite) made sale of it, and brought the full price of it, and put it wholly in the power of the apostles, to dispose of, and distribute it as they thought

most convenient.

But the great enemy of mankind, seeing the mighty improvement and increase of the church of Christ, and that from a slender semination of the gospel, there was likely to be a vast harvest, scattered the tares of craft and hypocrisy in this blessed field. Among the rest that resorted to these assemblies of the faithful, and contributed to their mutual support, an unhappy pair, Ananias and Sapphira, with joint consent devoted all they had to the use of the church, and to that purpose sold their estate : but they had combined together to keep some part of the money for themselves. Ananias coming first into the presence of the apostles, with great assurance and apparent cheerfulness, produced the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. But Peter, who by divine inspiration knew the cheat, in a holy indignation and abhorrence of so vile an act of sacrilege, thus reprehended him. "How,

O Ananias, hath Satan persuaded thee thus to attempt to deceive the Holy Ghost, in purloining part of that which thou hadst consecrated to God's service and the use of his church? Before it was sold, was it not wholly thine? and when it was sold, didst thou not receive the full price for which it was sold? Was it not then in thy power fully to perform thy vow? Upon what motive then hast thou done this? This falsity in concealing the full price is not only an injury to the church, but to God, who knew thy private vow, that it was consecrating the whole, and not this part only which thou hast brought to us." These piercing words of Peter so affected Ananias with despair and the horror of his guilt, that he fell down dead immediately on the spot, to the great astonishment and terror of all those who were present.

His body being removed in order to be interred, about three hours after this judgment fell on Ananias, his wife Sapphira came into the assembly with the same assurance, not in the least suspecting what had happened to her sacrilegious husband. Peter examining her, whether the sum which they brought was the full sum for which the field was sold? She answered, It was. Whereupon Peter, with the same spirit of holy indignation, thus pronounces sentence against her. "How durst you both combine to provoke God, to try whether he will punish this your impious fraud, or not? That thou mayest see how highly God resents your sacrilegious intentions, behold the men are coming in, which have buried thy husband, and they shall forthwith carry thee out also, and lay thee in the same grave." She no sooner hears her doom pronounced, but it is executed; for she immediately fell down dead at his feet; and the same officers that buried her husband, carry her out from the assembly, and lay her by him. This judgment upon these sacrilegious wretches, not only affected the believers with fear and reverence, but all others to whom it was related.*

• Related. This miracle served to vindicate the honour of the blessed Spirit, so notoriously affronted by this attempt to impose on the persons who had received his miraculous gifts, and tended effectually to deter dishonest persons

Many other stupendous signs and wonders were wrought among the people in the most public manner, by the hands of the apostles, who continued in the strictest fellowship with the whole company of believers, and frequently met together in Solomon's Porch; and none of those who were not sincerely converted to christianity, presumed to join himself to them; but all the people entertained a high veneration for the apostles as persons owned of God in the most signal manner. And though the death of these unhappy offenders prevented hypocritical persons from joining them, yet the success of the gospel was promoted, for vast numbers of both sexes believed their testimony, and were united to the church. And they were further animated to boldness in their profession, by the numerous miracles of mercy, which succeeded this work of terror, insomuch that as they passed the public streets, the people brought out the sick and laid them at their doors on beds and couches, that, at least, the shadow of Peter as he was going by, might overshadow some or other of them, and this extraordinary faith was rewarded by the healing of many in such circumstances. Nor were these miraculous transactions confined to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the neighbouring cities shared in the benefit, the people from all the parts adjacent bringing their diseased and possessed patients to these heavenly physicians, who answered their expectations in affording present relief.

The fame of these wonderful performances of the apostles again reaching the ears of the Sanhedrim (most of them being of the sect of the Sadducees) they were highly incensed, and resolved at once to suppress these strange doings. In order to which they apprehended the apostles, and imprisoned them in the common gaol. But the malice of their enemies could not long detain them in any place of confinement; for in the night a heavenly messenger brought them a discharge, telling them, it was the

from joining the christians for the sake of filthy lucre; it afforded also a strong confirmation of the truth of that religion which the apostles were now establishing, just as the death of Nadab and Abihu, confirmed the Mosaic institution. (Levit. x. 1.)