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 ample, more  fluently  than  Demosthenes,  or  more polished Latin  than  Cicero,  but  they  received  the faculty of  speaking  the  languages  as  they  are  ordinarily spoken,  and  as  though  they  were  their  own, and that,  too,  in  a  moment. " Blessed  is  the  man whom  Thou  teachest,  O  Lord,  for  verily  Thy  tongue is  as  the  pen  of  a  writer  writing  rapidly!  "  Whether there be  question  of  the  imparting  of  truth  or  the learning of  a  language,  there  is  a  wider  difference between our  method  and  God's  than  there  is  between the  work  of  a  pen  and  of  a  printing-press. Our process  is  slow  and  labored  and  our  results  defective, but  the  works  of  the  Lord  are  perfect.

Thirdly, they  received  the  power  of  miracles. By a word  of  his  mouth,  we  are  told,  St.  Peter  slew Ananias and  Saphira  for  their  duplicity,  and  not  only did he  raise  Tabitha  from  the  dead,  but  even  by  the touch of  his  shadow  he  cured  all  manner  of  diseases. So, too,  the  other  Apostles. Nevertheless, they  indulged in  no  arbitrary  exercise  of  this  power,  but only in  obedience  to  the  promptings  of  the  Spirit. St. Paul,  for  instance,  did  not  use  his  miraculous power for  the  healing  of  his  own  wounds,  and  in  writing to  Timothy,  he  counsels  him  to  have  recourse  to natural  remedies;  not  to  drink  water,  but  to  use  a little  wine  for  his  stomach's  sake  and  his  manifold infirmities.

Brethren, lastly,  and  most  of  all,  the  Holy  Ghost infused into  the  Apostles  such  intense  zeal  and  love for God  and  humanity  that,  when  their  time  came, not one  of  them  hesitated  to  give  the  ultimate  proof