Acts v. o — 5. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land? Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? ichy hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
IN contemplating the dispensations of Providence, there are some which, on a superficial view, we should be ready to accuse of severity ; but, on a closer in- spection of them, we shall find them to be replete with mercy. At the first establishment of the Jewish religion, Nadab and Abihu were slain for offering incense with strange fire ; as Corah also and his company were for their rebellion against Moses. But such judgments, though terrible to the individuals concerned, had a direct tendency to benefit the nation at large ; inasmuch as they proclaimed to all, that " God was greatly to be feared," and " to be had in reverence bv all them that are round about him." Thus, at the first establishment of the Christian Church, Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for endeavouring to impose on the Apostles, and for pro- fessing to give the whole produce of their estate to the Church, whilst they held back a part of it for their own use. In our text, Peter shews him the enormity of his offence, and inflicts upon him the judgment which he richly merited. To make a suit- able improvement of this history, we shall notice, I. The representation here given of the Holy Ghost —
The falsehood uttered by Ananias and his wife seems to have been designed only to impose on the Apostles and the Church : but St. Peter speaks of it as " a tempting of the Spirit of the Lord3," and " a lying to the Holy Ghost," or, in other words,
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