ance and reformation, for that CHRIST was the Prophet like Moses, to whom they were bound to hearken in all things that he should speak unto them, under the penalty of excision from his people, ver. 22—24.

5. He reminded them of their high privileges as sons of the Prophets, and heirs of the covenant made with the Patriarchs, Abraham, &c. their ancestors; and that GOD raised up a SAVIOUR to them, in the first instance, his Son JESUS, and sent him to bless them that believed in him, by turning away every one from his iniquities, ver. 25, 26.

This most impressive and conciliatory discourse, encreased the Church to five thousand souls, by the additional converts it made*, Acts iv. 4.

TRIAL BEFORE THE SANHEDRIM.

For this they were seized and imprisoned by the Priests and captain of the temple, and the party of the Sadducees, and brought next day before the Sanhedrim, to account by what power, or by what name they had acted.

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly said unto them," Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, if we are questioned this day respecting the relief of the impotent man, by what means he hath been healed, be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of JESUS OF NAZARETH, whom ye crucified, but whom GOD raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you sound, Acts iv. 7-10.

"This is THE STONE that was despised by you builders, which is become the head of the corner," (fulfilling prophecy, Psalm cxviii. 22, Isai. xxviii. 16, applied by CHRIST formerly to Himself and to you, Matt. xxi. 42, Rom. ix. 33, 1 Pet. ii. 4-7,) ver. 11.

"Neither is there salvation in any other; for there is no other name under the heaven given among men, whereby we must needs be saved," ver. 12.

The frankness of this speech astonished the council, especially when they understood that they were unlettered and private persons, and were informed that they had been with JESUS, and after consulting in private, and admitting that such a notable

Jam enim numerus credentium accreverat usque ad quinque virorum millia.-Erasmus.

miracle could not be denied, they ordered the Apostles not to utter a word, nor teach in the name of JESUS. But Peter and John answered, and said unto them, " Whether it is right in the sight of GOD to hearken unto you, rather than unto God *, judge ye, for we cannot but speak what we saw and heard," ver. 13-20.

SECOND EFFUSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.

After the Apostles were dismissed, with only further threats, the council, being deterred from proceeding to severities by their popularity, they returned to their own company, and related what had passed. Who all, with one consent, burst forth into an expression of praise and thanksgiving to GOD, for fulfilling his prophecy, by the inspired David, in the second Psalm †, respecting the unavailing persecutions of CHRIST, by Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Romans and Jews; and praying for further spiritual aid themselves, to encounter persecution likewise, and speak GOD's word with all frankness, and to strengthen them with further miraculous powers. Much availed the energetic supplication of this pious company: the room was shaken, as before, on the day of Pentecost, and the effects of the Divine grace immediately appeared: 1. They were all filled with the HOLY SPIRIT, and spake the word of GOD with frankness; 2. They were possessed with the spirit of unanimity and disinterestedness; 3. With great power of miracles, they witnessed the resurrection and ascension of CHRIST, and 4. They continued to gain great favour with all the people, (ii. 47,) ver. 32, 33.

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CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CHURCH.

For

These were continued with greater spirit than before. as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things sold, and laid them at the Apostles' feet and distribution was made to every one, according as he had need," ver. 34, 35. This sale of the lands and houses is a remarkable circumstance: it was probably dictated by "THE SPIRIT, shewing them things to come," the future state of that country, that there was no permanent settlement of

Socrates, on his trial, told his judges, iσоμaι т Oεw, paλλov ŋ vμuv, “I will obey GOD rather than you," according to Plato's account.

+ See the foregoing explanation of the second Psalm, by means of the Apostle's commentary thereon, Vol. II. p. 337.

the Church to be expected there, on account of the impending wars and desolations of Judea. The money was fitter for present subsistence. This was the ingenious remark of Melchiades. See Hooker, p. 377.

Among the pious contributors to the maintenance of the infant Church at this time, during the years A.D. 32 and 33, honourable mention is made of a Levite of Cyprus, who was surnamed Barnabas, ("son of exhortation *,") ver. 36, 37, and afterward chosen, (for his zeal and his learning, we may presume,) by the HOLY SPIRIT, as a supernumerary Apostle to the Gentiles, along with Saul, Acts xiii. 2. He was probably, therefore, one of the seventy disciples, or he must have seen CHRIST after his resurrection, in order to be qualified to act as an Apostle, (1 Cor. ix. 1.) Lord Barrington suspects that he was Barsabas, who had been rejected for Matthias, as an Apostle, in the room of Judas, Acts i. 23, but, perhaps, without sufficient foundation.

Thus, even in the infant Church, before its full growth and establishment in the Roman empire, by Constantine the Great, was OUR LORD's prophecy partly realized in answer to Peter's enquiry, “ Lo, we have left all, and followed thee, what shall we have therefore ?”. Verily I say unto you, There is none who hath left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for MY SAKE and the GOSPEL'S, but shall receive a hundred fold now, at this season, houses, and brothers, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come, eternal life,” Matt. xix. 27, Mark x. 28-30. Thus beautifully prefiguring the enlargement of their family connexions, as members of the Christian Church, and the charitable contributions to its support, even in its militant state of persecution, by " the free-will offerings of his people, in the day of his power," as foretold, Psalm cx. 3.

ANANIAS AND SAPPHIRA.

This man and his wife had dedicated their property to the Church, and sold it accordingly, but he purloined part of the price, and gave in the remainder to the Apostles, as if it were the whole. He was guilty, therefore, of a double crime; 1. breach

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* Пapakλnoic, "exhortation," Rom. xii. 8, is distinguished from apaμvoia, "consolation," 1 Cor. xiv. 3. Barnabas was called "son of exhortation," as a Prophet," or inspired preacher of the Church of Antioch, Acts xiii. 1.

of his vow; and 2. a deliberate lie, in asserting that he had paid all. To deter hypocrites and liars, therefore, from joining the infant Church from mercenary motives, in order to be maintained out of the common stock, THE HOLY SPIRIT, as the protector of the Church, took cognizance of this complicated crime, by means of that faculty of discerning spirits, with which he endued Peter, and punished himself, both the offenders with death, on the spot. And great fear, as was natural, came upon all the Church, and upon as many, out of the Church, as heard this. And of the rest, durst no one join himself to them fraudulently. But the people magnified them; and the stupendous miracles of healing the sick and the possessed, even by the shadow of Peter passing over them in the streets, contributed greatly to multiply the Church, Acts v. 1—16.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE SANHEDRIM.

Provoked at the rapid progress of the Apostles, the high priest, and all his party of the sect of the Sadducees, laid hands upon them, and put them into the public prison. But the Apostles were miraculously liberated, during the night, by an angel of THE LORD, who brought them forth and said, Go ye, stand, and speak in the temple all the words of this life, or doctrines of the Gospel. Accordingly they went into the temple about day break, and taught the people, ver. 17—21.

The whole council having assembled to try them in the morning, were astonished to hear, first, that they had some how been liberated from prison; and next, that they were teaching in the temple. They sent, therefore, to bring them before the council, but without violence, for fear of being stoned by the people. When they came, the high priest, reprimanded them for teaching in this name, after they had been prohibited; and for bringing public odium upon the council, for this man's blood. But Peter, in the name of the Apostles, vindicated their conduct in his third speech, still more animated than the preceding, ver. 21-28, "We must needs obey the authority of GOD, rather than of men. THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS raised up JESUS, whom ye hanged upon a cross, and slew. But GOD exalted

• This faculty of discerning spirits, was sometimes granted to the Prophets in the OLD TESTAMENT: as to Elisha, in the case of Gehazi, 2 Kings v. 25-27; to Ahijah, in the case of Jeroboam's wife, 1 Kings xiv. 5, 6.

him at his right hand, as a PRIME LEADER and SAVIOUR, to give repentance and remission of sins to the Israel [of GOD.]

"And we are his [chosen] witnesses of these things; and so is the HOLY SPIRIT also, whom GOD gave [us] who obey his authority," (wapxovoi avтy,) ver. 29–32.

This intrepid answer, stating their credentials most concisely and comprehensively, vouching CHRIST's ascension by their own witness, and the infallible witness of the HOLY SPIRIT, with which they were endued; and his prophetic functions, as PRIME LEADER, Micah v. 2, (explained by the former Jewish council, Matt. ii. 6,) and SAVIOUR, Isa. vii. 14, lxii. 11, lxiii. 1, (explained Matt. i. 21,) cut to the heart as with a saw, (dieπpioνto) the council, and they consulted to slay them: but they were dissuaded by the sage advice of Gamaliel *, president of the council, and a Pharisee, highly esteemed by all the people, who recommended to do nothing rashly respecting them.

"And now I say unto you, refrain from these men, and let them alone, lest haply ye be found to fight against GOD; for if this council, or this work, be (ɛav y) of men, it will come to nought, like the foregoing factions of Theudas and Judas of Galilee, whose heads were slain, and their adherents dispersed ; but if it is (E EOTIV) of GOD, ye cannot overthrow it."

To him they agreed. So they only scourged the Apostles for disobeying their orders, and dismissed them, with fresh injunctions not to speak in the name of Jesus. But they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were accounted worthy to be disgraced for his name. And they ceased not, every day, in the temple, and at home, (Acts ii. 40,) teaching and preaching JESUS as THE CHRIST, ver. 38-42.

This decided countenance given by the respectable and dignified Gamaliel to the rising sect of Christians, partly we may suppose from conviction, if (according to Prideaux) he was the son of the pious old Simeon, who took CHRIST in his arms, when an infant, and hailed him, by inspiration, as the promised SAVIOUR, Luke ii. 25-32, and partly from opposition to the ruling sect of the Sadducees, produced a considerable revolution in the minds of the upper ranks. And to this we may, in

Gamaliel was held in such high estimation, that at his funeral, Onkelos, the author of the Targum, is said to have burned seventy pounds weight of perfumes. And the Jews have a saying, that from the time Rabban Gamaliel the old died, the honour of the law, and the purity of Pharisaism failed. See his pedigree, Vol. II. p. 593.