Page:An Exposition of the Old and New Testament (1828) vol 6.djvu/53

Rh the principle of reigning infidelity in the heart of Ananias, which was at the bottom of it, and therefore proceeded against him so suddenly. Had it been a sin of infirmity, through the surprise of a temptation, Peter would have taken Ananias aside, and have bid him go home, and fetch the rest of the money, and repent of his folly in attempting to put this cheat upon them; but he knew that his heart was fully set in him to do this evil, and therefore allowed him not space to repent. He here shewed him,

1. The original of the sin. Satan filled his heart; he not only suggested it to him, and put it into his head, but hurried him on with resolution to do it. Whatever is contrary to the good Spirit, proceeds from the evil spirit; and those hearts are filled by Satan, in which worldliness reigns, and has the ascendant. Some think that Ananias was one of those that had received the Holy Ghost, and was filled with his gifts, but, having provoked the Spirit to withdraw from him, now Satan filled his heart; as ''when the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, an evil spirit from God troubled him. Satan is a lying spirit; he was so in the mouth of Ahab's prophets, and so he was in the mouth of Ananias, and by that made it appear that he filled his heart''.

2. The sin itself. He lied to the Holy Ghost; a sin of such a heinous nature, that he could not have been guilty of it if Satan had not filled his heart. The phrase which we render lying to the Holy Ghost, is ψεύσασθαί σε τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, which some read, to belie the Holy Ghost; which may be taken two ways: (1.) That he belied the Holy Ghost in himself; so Dr. Lightfoot takes it, and supposes that Ananias was not an ordinary believer, but a minister, and one that had received the gift of the Holy Ghost with the hundred and twenty; (for mention is made of him immediately after Barnabas;) yet he durst thus, by dissembling, belie and shame that gift. Or thus, They who had sold their estates, and laid the money at the apostles' feet, did it by the special impulse of the Holy Ghost, enabling them to do an act so very great and generous; and Ananias pretended that he was moved by the Holy Ghost to do what he did, as others were; whereas it appeared by his baseness, that he was not under the influence of the good Spirit at all; for had it been his work, it would have been perfect. (2.) That he belied the Holy Ghost in the apostles, to whom he brought the money; he misrepresented the Spirit they were actuated by, either by a suspicion that they would not faithfully distribute what they were intrusted with, (which was a base suggestion, if they were false to the trust reposed in them,) or by an assurance that they could not discover the fraud. He belied the Holy Ghost, when by what he did he would have it thought that those who are endued with the gifts of the Holy Ghost, might as easily be imposed upon as other men; like Gehaai, whom his master convicted of his error by that word, Went not my heart with thee? 2 Kings 5. 26. It is charged upon the house of Israel and Judah, when, like Ananias here, they dealt very treacherously, that they belied the Lord, saying, It is not he, Jer. 5. 11, 12. Thus Ananias thought the apostles were altogether such as himself, and this was belying the Holy Ghost in them, as if he were not in them a Discerner of spirits, whereas they had all the gifts of the Spirit in them, which to others were divided severally. See 1 Cor. 12. 8, 10. They that pretend to an inspiration of the Spirit, in imposing upon the church their own fancies, either in opinion or practice, that say, they are moved from above, when they are carried on by their pride, covetousness, or affectation of dominion, belie the Holy Ghost.

But we read it, to lie unto the Holy Ghost; which reading is countenanced by v. 4. Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. [1.] Ananias told a lie, a deliberate lie, and with a purpose to deceive; he told Peter that he had sold a possession, (house or lands,) and this was the purchase-money. Perhaps he expressed himself in words that were capable of a double meaning, used some equivocations about it, which he thought might palliate the matter a little, and save him from the guilt of a downright lie; or perhaps he said nothing; but it was all one, he did as the rest did, who brought the whole price, and would be thought to do so, and expected the praise they had, that did so, and the same privilege and access to the common stock as they had; and therefore it was an implicit protestation that he brought the whole price, as they did; and this was a lie, for he kept back part. Note, Many are brought to gross lying, by reigning pride, and affectation of the applause of men; particularly in works of charity to the poor. That therefore we may not be found boasting of a false gift given to us, or given by us, (Prov. 25, 14.) we must not boast even of a true gift; which is the meaning of our SavioursSaviour's - as in 1811 London edition [sic] caution in works of charity, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. Those that boast of good works they never did, or promise good works they never do, or make the good works they do, more or better than really they are, come under the guilt of Ananias's lie; which it concerns us all to dread the thought of. [2.] He told this lie to the Holy Ghost. It was not so much to the apostles, as to the Holy Ghost in them, that the money was brought, and that was said, which was said, v. 4. Thou hast not lied unto men, not to men only, not to men chiefly, though the apostles be but men; but thou hast lied unto God. From hence it is justly inferred, that the Holy Ghost is God; for he that lieth to the Holy Ghost, lieth to God. "They that lied to the apostles, acted and acting by the Spirit of God, are said to lie to God, because the apostles acted by the power and authority of God. From whence it follows, (as Dr. Whitby well observes,) that the power and authority of the Spirit must be the power and authority of God." And, as he further argues, "Ananias is said to lie to God, because he lied to that Spirit in the apostles, which enabled them to discern the secrets of men's hearts and actions, which being the property of God alone, he that lies to him, must therefore lie to God, because he lies to one who has the incommunicable property of God, and consequently the divine essence."

3. The aggravations of the sin; (v. 4.) ''While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Which may be understood two ways : (1.) "Thou wast under no temptation to keep back the price; before it was sold, it was thy own, and not mortgaged, nor encumbered, or any way engaged for debt; and when it was sold, it was in thy own power to dispose of the money at thy pleasure; so that thou mightest as well have brought the whole as a part. Thou hadst no debts to pay, perhaps no children to provide for; so that thou wast not under the influence of any particular inducement to keep back part of the price''. Thou wast a transgressor without a cause." Or, (2.) "Thou wast under no necessity of selling thy land at all, or bringing any of the money to the apostles' feet. Thou mightest have kept the money, if thou hadst pleased, and the land too, and never have pretended to this piece of perfection." This rule of charity the apostle gives, that people be not pressed, and that it be not urged as of necessity, because God loves a cheerful giver, (2 Cor. 9. 7.) and Philemon must do a good work, not as it were of necessity, but willingly, Phil. 14. As it is better not to vow than to vow and not to pay; so better had it been for him not to have sold his land at all than thus to keep back part of the price; not to have