martyrdom. Jew and Gentile have alike labored to exterminate the truth as it is in Jesus. Heathen Rome and Papal Rome in turn waged for centuries a bloody warfare against the saints of the Most High; but alike without success. Christ's martyrs have kissed the instrument of torture, and hugged the stake to which they were bound. Let that Gospel, brethren, which has been so oft and so nobly vindicated by the constancy and the deaths of its converts, be dear to our hearts. It hath come down to us embalmed with the fragrant memories, and watered with the blood of the confessors and martyrs of Jesus, through many ages. Let us cling to it with unwavering devotion, and never falter in its profession or its obedience. And since there is no other name than that of Jesus given under heaven amongst men, whereby we must be saved, see to it, beloved, that ye put your whole trust in that blessed To neglect, to disown, to reject it is to perish. Let that name be written on your foreheads, and graven in your hearts. "It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: If we deny him, he also will deny us."

name.

THE APPALLING JUDGMENT.

ACTS V. 5.

"And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down, and gave up the ghost and great fear came on all them that heard these things."

The miracles recorded in holy writ are, for the most part, miracles of mercy. Those wondrous powers, which the Almighty entrusted to his servants as the incontrovertible credentials of their mission, were exerted commonly for the relief of human misery. The benevolent character of a divine religion is strikingly apparent, in the nature of these supernatural vouchers of its truth. The object manifestly is not to startle and affright men into submission, but to win them to faith and obedience by the mercifulness of these marvellous works. Awe indeed, and reverence must be produced by such exhibition of unearthly power, but awe tempered with gratitude and love. Thus it was that our Lord Jesus Christ, in the performance of his astonishing miracles, "went about doing good;" and his disciples, in like manner, gave undeniable proof, in the signs and wonders which they showed, of the beneficence of the Gospel which they were sent to proclaim.

But to this usually gracious tenor of these marvellous attestations of Christianity there were exceptions; not frequent indeed, but of a peculiarly awful and impressive character. Sometimes under the new, as under the old dispensation, the God whose wonted revelations were so compassionate and merciful, showed himself as "a consuming fire." His justly provoked wrath, on these rare occasions, flamed forth like the sudden flash from the thunder-cloud, and careless, irreverent mortals were startled from their dreams of false security, and trembled before "that fearful and glorious name, the Lord Jehovah." Such a visitation it was which thrilled with deepest awe the infant Church at Jerusalem, and spread fear and alarm through multitudes of the city's inhabitants-the death of Ananias and Sapphira. This solemn event, occurring in the midst of the general attention and interest awakened by the rising of Christianity, in such life and vigor, from its author's sepulchre, produced, as might be supposed, impressions of deepest seriousness and reverence, and the strongest conviction of the truth, holiness. and divine origin of the new religion. As the agent, whom God selected to pronounce in his name sentence upon the offenders, was the Apostle whose life we are now considering, the event calls for our attentive study.

The condition of the Church at Jerusalem

after the dismissal of Peter and John by the Sanhedrim, their reluctant dismissal of those whom they could find no fair pretext for oppressing and punishing, is described to us in glowing language. The pen which never flatters hath traced a picture of the unanimity, fraternal kindness, charity and fervent devotion of these first disciples of the Lord Jesus, which must extort the admiration of every unprejudiced reader. "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great power gave the Apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the Apostles' feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.”

The circumstances of these first disciples of Christ were altogether peculiar and extraordinary. A multitude of the new converts were foreign Jews, and proselytes from distant countries, who had been attracted to Jerusalem by the great feasts of the Passover and Pentecost. These of course prolonged their stay in the city much beyond their original intention, unwilling to leave the teaching

and guidance of the Apostles, and the company of their brethren. But those of them whose resources were not large, would soon exhaust their means, and require aid from the charity of their brethren. The bigotry of the unbelieving Jews doubtless expelled many of the new disciples from their former places of abode, and the converted poor of Jerusalem, as well as the strangers, were cut off from those assistances which had been heretofore extended to them. Thus there sprung up a speedy and large demand upon the sympathies of those Christians, who were favored with the possession of property. Numbers of their homeless and indigent brethren appealed to their charity for support. Neither did they appeal in vain. The charity of the Church rose with the demand upon it. The more affluent disciples, enraptured with the discovery of those heavenly treasures which were now unfolded to them, counted their earthly possessions as dross, or only valued them so far as they might by the use of them glorify God, and benefit their brethren. Hence there prevailed a spirit of liberality that has never since been equalled. In the strength of their faith, and the fervor of their love, they counted it a most precious privilege to minister to their Lord in his impoverished and needy members. And not a few there were, who in their zealous liberality, contributed every thing that