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stance, where he is said to have filled the heart of Ananias with the design of deceiving the Holy Spirit. Not that they supposed that he had any real agency, by which he could instigate to this or other crimes; but it was the common language of the Jews, borrowed, perhaps, from some of their Eastern neighbours; for what is said to be the work of Satan, in one verse, is said to be conceived in his own heart in the next.

5. And Ananias, hearing these words, gave up the ghost, " expired," and great fear came upon all them that heard these things.

His death was not the effect of sudden surprise or violent remorse, in consequence of having his guilt thus detected and exposed; but was produced by divine power, as a punishment for his crime, and a warning to others of what they might expect, if they should be guilty of a like offence. Such an event was well calculated to strike all who heard of it with an awe of the divine power. But that part of this verse which speaks of the impression produced, seems to be out of its place, and to be inserted here by mistake from the eleventh verse, where it very properly closes the account of the whole transaction.

6. And the young men arose, i. e. the young disciples, wound him up, and

carried him out and buried him.

It is usual with the inhabitants of Eastern countries, in order to prevent the infection which might be produced in a hot climate, to bury the dead within twentyfour hours after death; but this man was not kept the usual time; for he had every appearance of death, and there was less hope of a recovery in this than in other cases of sudden death.

7. And it was about the space of

7.

three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in,

8. And Peter said unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? i. e. for so much and no more. And she said, Yea, for so much.

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

10. Then fell she down straitway, And the at his feet, and expired. 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.

To tempt the Spirit of God, or, which is the same thing, God himself, is to make an improper trial of his power or knowledge, from presumption or distrust*, which is no small offence in his creatures. Of this offence both Ananias and Sapphira were guilty, when they imagined that they could impose upon men who had given such unquestionable proofs of being aided by the power and knowledge of the Supreme Being.

Farmer on Christ's Temptation, p. 118.

12. Moreover, they were all, with one accord, in Solomon's porch.

13. And after this no one desired to meddle with them*; but the people greatly magnified them.

14. And believers in the Lord were continually added: multitudes both of men and women. And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people;

15. So that in every street they brought forth the sick, and laid them on couches and beds, that the shadow of Peter, as he passed by, might fall upon 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.

It is evident to every one that reads this passage with attention, that there is a considerable degree of confusion in the history, owing, probably, to a very ancient corruption of the original text by the trans

So this passage is found in an ancient version, and it connects very well with what follows; being more intelligible than what we have in our translation, "And of the rest durst no man join himself to them." See Wakefield.

+ Wakefield.

position of sentences, through the carelessness of transcribers. I have read them in the order in which they appear to me best connected, and in which I conceive that they must have been written originally by Luke. In taking this liberty, I have done no more than what respect to the author seemed to require.

The persons here said to be vexed with unclean spirits are the same which we find so often mentioned in the evangelists as possessed with demons, who were either insane persons or epileptics.

Solomon's porch or portico, so called because built by him, and ieft standing when the rest of the temple was taken down, was on the eastern side of that building. Here the disciples assembled for public worship and instruction, when shut out of the temple; no one daring to prohibit them.

REFLECTIONS.

1. This story affords a striking picture of the odious nature and dreadful consequences of the vice of lying. It is a high offence both against God and man. In respect to the latter, indeed, it possesses different degrees of malignity, according to the object which men propose to themselves by uttering wilful falsehood: whether it be merely to conceal guilt, to acquire honour or riches, or for the more criminal purpose of depriving others of their property, of injuring their reputation, or taking away their lives. In the most favourable instances, it is a mean, selfish and pernicious vice, destroying the mutual confidence so necessary to the well being of society, and introducing universal distrust and confusion. In some cases it becomes the foulest crime to be found in the calendar of human vices, and deserves to be ranked with theft, robbery, murder, because employed to effect these enormities.

In every case it is an offence against God, as well as man, because those who are guilty of it show that they suppose that he is ignorant of their behaviour, or indifferent about their moral character; that he knows not their guilt, or is unable or unwilling to punish it; a presumption highly derogatory from the essential attributes of his nature, and the purity of his moral administration; a presumption which partakes of the malignity of perjury, and which the righteous governor of the world cannot fail highly to resent.

Let those who indulge themselves in this odious practice assuredly know than an omniscient Being is perfectly acquainted with all their secret falsehoods, however artfully disguised; and that, although he may not, from motives of wisdom and forbearance, inflict immediate death upon the offender as in the present instance; yet he beholds his conduct with displeasure, and will one day visit it with severe punishment. All liars shall have their portion in the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.

To men of every age this narrative furnishes useful instruction; but more particularly to those who are in the early part of life. The temptations to falsehood are many and powerful; but, when ever tempted, let the young recollect this story, and they cannot fail to find in it strong motives for maintaining a sacred regard to truth in all circumstances.

2. We are here furnished with fresh presumptive evidence of the truth of the gospel history. Those who were so forward to punish falsehood and deceit, must surely be men without guile. How could Peter have the effrontery to reprove Ananias for uttering a lie, if he himself had been at the same time publishing a more flagrant lie, in reporting the resurrection of his master, and in asserting his own claim to a divine commission? How could God, the impartial judge of all the earth, punish the less offender with so much severity, and let the greater go free? Or how could men, with such dreadful examples before their eyes,

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