Page:PracticalCommentaryOnHolyScripture.djvu/795

 constant prayer,  by  their  delight  in  hearing  the  word  of  God,  and  by devoutly  receiving  Holy  Communion. Their love  for  their  neighbour was active  and  self-sacrificing. The rich  willingly  gave  up  all  their fortune for  the  support  of  their  poorer  brethren  in  the  faith. Selfishness, which is  so  deeply  ingrained  in  the  human  heart,  was  driven  out  by Christian  love.

Hypocrisy. The  sin  of  Ananias  and  Saphira  consisted  in  hypocrisy, or an  assumption  of  piety  which  proceeded  from  pride  and  avarice. They wished  to  appear  generous  and  charitable  in  the  eyes  of  men, but were  too  avaricious  to  be  so  in  reality. Therefore they  kept  back a part of  the  price  of  their  field,  and  lied  to  the  head  of  the  Church. Their sin  was  all  the  greater,  because  no  one  compelled  them  either to sell  the  field  or  to  give  the  price  of  it  to  the  apostles;  and  since their lie  was  planned  and  premeditated,  it  contained  a certain  insolence towards those  in  authority  in  the  Church. Had their  sin  remained  unpunished, the  Pharisaical  hypocrisy  against  which  our  Lord  had  so  urgently warned  His  followers  would  have  crept  into  the  Church. Therefore Almighty God  punished  Ananias  and  his  wife  by  a sudden  death, in order  that  all  Christians  might  see  the  sinfulness  of  lies  and  deceit, and of  contempt  for  ecclesiastical  superiors.

The Holy  Ghost  is  the  Third  Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity.  St.  Peter said to  Ananias:  “Thou  hast  lied  to  the  Holy  Ghost.”  Therefore  the Holy Ghost  is  a Person,  for  you  can  lie  only  to  a person. Then St. Peter continued:  “Thou  hast  not  lied  to  men,  but  to  God.”  Therefore the  Holy  Ghost,  to  whom  Ananias  lied,  is  God.

The Necessity  of  Grace.  Holy  Scripture  (in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles) does not  say  that  many  Jews  were  converted  to  the  Christian  faith  by the  zealous  preaching  of  the  apostles,  or  by  the  holy  lives  of  the  Christians; but it  says  that  “the  Lord  increased  daily  together  such  as  should  be saved”. The preaching  of  the  apostles  and  the  holy  example  of  the Christians would  have  produced  no  result  whatever,  had  not  the  Lord enlightened the  understanding  of  the  unbelievers  and  drawn  their  hearts to Him  by  His  inward  grace.

The Holiness  of  the  Church.  The  lives  of  the  first  Christians  show the ennobling  and  blessed  influence  of  the  Christian  religion. Being penetrated by  the  leaven  of  Christianity  (see  chapter  XXVIII),  they loved God  above  all  things,  and  their  neighbour  as  themselves. They served God  with  zeal,  and  conscientiously  observed  all  the  commandments. Such things  as  injustice,  theft,  or  enmities  were  unknown  amongst them, and  they  all  loved  and  supported  one  another,  so  that  not  one of them  suffered  want. Even the  unbelievers  were  compelled  to  respect and honour  the  Christians  on  account  of  their  fear  of  God,  and  the holiness of  their  lives. To-day human  society  would  be  far  better  off, and there  would  be  less  crime,  less  misery,  less  want,  if  all  who  call