as heard these things, says St. Luke, when he relates how the other great apostle by this rod struck Ananias and Sapphira dead. came. For "hereby they learnt two things," saith Asterius: "both that our Saviour was God, and that the teacher of his laws had angels attending him, who were ready to execute his pleasure. He would have the lame man walk, and presently that grace He thought good to punish these sacrilegious persons, and the punishment in an instant was inflicted. These things were sufficient to astonish the most stony hearts; and to persuade them frmly ὡς οὐκ ἀπάτης ἦν τὰ ῥήματα, that they were not words of deceit which the apostle spake, but that God was certainly with him, and that the mystery which he preached was true and holyi.” : O the wonderful power of our Lord Christ, to whom all things in heaven and in earth and under the earth do bow and obey whose ministers had so large an authority, that angels were ready to wait upon their word! Great is his power, which by such weak instruments brought such mighty things to pass. "His apostles, say the Gentiles, were men of no account, mean fishermen and such like rustic people. True and we add moreover, that they were unlearned, illiterate, poor, vile, ignorant, and despicable. But this is no disparagement to them; it is their glory and peculiar praise that such men as these appeared more illustrious than the whole world. For these idiots, these rustics, these illiterate men were too hard for the wise, and overcame the mighty, and persuaded the rich and great to submit to their authority. Great therefore was the power of the cross; for these things were not done by any human strength. Consider a little. A fisherman, a tentmaker, a publican, an obscure illiterate man coming from Palestine, a far distant country, encounter with the philosophers at their own doors, with the rhetoricians, with the ablest speakers, and in a short time put them all down: though infinite dangers opposed them, and nature fought against them, and length of time and old customs mightily resisted them, and demons also armed themselves, and the devil mustered up his forces, and Lat. per Combefim, tom. i. col. 133.] h Acts v. II. i Encom. εἰς κορυφ. ̓Αποστόλ. [Auct. Nov. Biblioth. Patr. Græco moved all things: kings, rulers, people, nations, cities, barbarians, Grecians, philosophers, rhetoricians, sophisters, orators, laws, judgment-seats, all manner of punishments, a thousand sorts of deaths. But all these were no more able to stand before the breath of these poor fishermen than the small dust before the blast of powerful winds.” "How came it about that the weak thus overcame the strong? that twelve naked men not only encountered but vanquished those that were so well armed? If you should see twelve men unskilled in warlike affairs, and not only unarmed, but weak in body, attack an infinite host of well disciplined and well-appointed soldiers, and, receiving a thousand darts, should not be wounded, nor have any harm, but should take some of their opposers prisoners, and kill others, and disperse all; would any one think this was done by human means? And yet the trophies of the apostles are far more admirable. For it is not so strange for a naked man not to be wounded, as for an obscure, an illiterate person, a fisherman, to baffle so much wit and eloquence; and not to be hindered in their preaching neither by their own small number and poverty, nor by the dangers they met withal, nor by the prepossession of custom, nor by the austerity of things they commanded, nor by daily deaths, nor by the multitude of those that were in error, nor by the dignity of those that misled them k." "Who would not admire that mouth of St. Paul by which Christ was preached; and a light broke forth more amazing than lightning, and a voice more terrible, even to devils, than any clap of thunder? This voice brought them bound like slaves, this purged the world, this cured diseases, and threw out wickedness, and introduced the truth. What good was there which was not done by that mouth of his? It drove away devils, it unloosed sins, it stopped the mouth of tyrants, it silenced the tongues of philosophers, it brought the world near to God, it persuaded barbarians to Christian wisdom, it set all things in order on earth, and had a power also in heaven; binding whom it would, and loosing there, according to the power given him". . . " As a lion let loose among a com * St. Chrysost. Hom. iii. in 1 Corinth. [tom. x. pp. 20, 1.] pany of foxes, so did he fall upon the societies of demons and philosophers; and, like a thunderbolt, struck through all the armies of the devil; who was so afraid of him, that he trembled at his shadow, and ran away if he did but hear his voice. He delivered the incestuous Corinthian to him, being far distant from the place; and again he snatched him out of his hands, being perfectly acquainted with his devices. And in like manner he taught others, by the same severity, not to blaspheme. "But let us not content ourselves merely to admire him; let us not only be astonished at him: let us imitate and follow him. What though we cannot do such miracles as the apostles did? and there is no hunger and other miseries to be endured? (the times being peaceable and quiet, God be blessed,) yet there is their piety and the holiness of their life to be transcribed, which was no less admirable. And this is the noblest conflict; this is the syllogism which cannot be contradicted; this by our works. Should we discourse never so excellently, but live no better than others; we gain nothing: for unbelievers do not mind what we say, but what we do; saying, Do thou first of all follow thine own words, and then persuade others. For if thou tellest us of millions of good things in the other world, but art so intent upon the things of this, as if there were no other; we believe thy works rather than thy words. For when we see thee greedy to snatch other men's goods, bitterly bewailing thy friends deceased, and in many other things offending, how shall we believe thee that there is a resurrection? Thus unbelievers are hindered from being Christians." "And therefore having seen how glorious our Saviour is, being instructed in his religion, and made partakers of so great a gift, let us lead a life agreeable to our principles; that so we may enjoy those good things which Christ hath promised. For he therefore appeared, not only that his disciples might behold his glory in this world, as they say they didm, but also in the world to come: for, I will, saith he, that where I am, they may be, and see my glory. And if he appeared so illustriously here, what shall we say of his glory there? O happy, thrice happy they, more happy than can be expressed, m John i. 14. Which if we who shall be thought worthy of that glory! should be so unhappy as not to see, better had it been for us if we never had been born. To what purpose do we live and breathe? what are we if we miss of that light? if we may not be permitted then to see our Lord and Master? If those who enjoy not the light of the sun lead a life more bitter than death, how miserable will their condition be who are deprived of that light! This loss will be punishment sufficient: though this is not all they must expect. For, being banished from this light, they shall not only be cast into outer darkness; but there burn perpetually and miserably consume, and gnash their teeth, and suffer a thousand other miseries. "Let us awake therefore, let us look about us, let us use our utmost endeavours, that we may enjoy the happiness Christ designs for us; and be far remote from the river of fire, which runs with great noise before the dreadful tribunal. Into that if we fall there is no redemption. And therefore let us purify our life, let us make it bright and shining; so that we may have boldness of access to the blessed sight of our Lord, and obtain the promised good things, through the grace and loving-kindness of Christ Jesus: by whom and with whom to the Father and the Holy Ghost be glory world without end. Amen "." CHAP. XIII. The use we are to make of this Record. I. AND in the very entrance of so pious a design, to improve the great grace which heaven hath bestowed on us, it becomes us to stand amazed at the transcendent love of God our Saviour: who, not contenting himself to have thoughts and intentions of good towards such wretched sinners, hath been pleased to make us a gracious promise that he will bless us; and to acquaint us, by no less messenger than his own eternal Son appearing from heaven in our flesh, with the secret purposes of n Id. Homil. xii. in Johan, [tom. viii. pp. 70, 1.] his heart to give us the greatest blessedness. There is nothing so astonishing as this; whether we consider the incomparable excellency of the good he designs us, or the favour he hath done us in revealing it to us, or the glory of that person by whom he reveals it, or the certainty we have that this is a true report, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. O most joyful news! shall we poor mortals live for ever? and live there where Jesus is? May such as we presume to expect such glory, honour and immortality, as he hath brought to light by his gospel? O wonderful love! which might have concealed its kindness, and yet eternally obliged us. It had been enough, if we had got to heaven, without knowing beforehand we should be so happy. Why should such offenders enjoy the comfort of hoping for so great a happiness, while we are here in these earthly prisons? Might we not have been well contented to creep upon our hands and knees to so high a glory? Had we not been fairly used, if with our heads hanging down, and not daring so much as to lift up our eyes to that holy place, we had travelled through this world, and at last found ourselves, beyond all expectation, at rest with Jesus? But, O the love of God, which hath bid us hold up our heads, and look above, and behold our Lord in his glory, and hope well, yea be confident, that he hath seated us together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus! We are indebted to him beyond all thoughts, for promising us so freely, out of his exceeding great love, and giving us so evident a right to such glory and honour, as our own unworthiness and guilt forbad us to promise ourselves, or to have the least expectance of. And what is it that he hath so freely promised? To look into that high and holy place where he is! at some distance to behold his glory! to have an angel come sometimes to visit us, and bring us some message from him in some of the suburbs of heaven! And a great favour too, I assure you. A very singular kindness it ought to be esteemed, if we vile wretches may be permitted to be so happy as but to come near the gates of the celestial palace. Well would it be for us to come but within the sound of those melodious hymns which the heavenly host continually sing; or to live but in some of the most remote corners of that heavenly country; and there |