gathers in the harvest; the wild olive is grafted on the true vine, Israel the common stem, and of both is formed that chosen people, the real Israel, or as it is called by the apostle, the Israel of God (Gal. vi. 16), the fulfilment of his promises, and the object of his tenderest affection. Thus, notwithstanding the repugnance of nature and the prejudices of reason, the crucified Saviour is adored, and what is still more surprising, he is imitated. His morality, purer and more sublime than aught that human wisdom had ever imagined, and so fully exemplified by his own life, is announced, received, and practised. It is understood by every mind, and the passions are all obedient to its sway, so that a band of ordinary men, brought together as it were by chance, is suddenly transformed into a company of saints. The most distinguished philosophers had failed to reform even a single town, while this prodigious reformation, effected through the agency of a few poor fishermen, spreads abroad from its cradle in Jerusalem even to the uttermost ends of the earth, as though it were one vast arena. Nay, so rapid is its progress, that many of those who knew Jesus Christ in person, his contemporaries and his disciples, lived to see with their own eyes the fulfil-. ment of that prophecy which they had heard from his own divine lips! If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself (St. John, xii. 32). He who sees not here the imprint of the finger of God is either mentally blind or wilfully incredulous. If there be any prodigy greater than that of the establishment of Christianity, it is assuredly the unbelief of those who hold out against the evidence of its proofs. A THE HISTORY OF THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. CHAPTER I. RETURN OF THE DISCIPLES FROM MOUNT OLIVET TO JERUSALEM. THEY RETIRE TO JESUS had at length vanished from the eyes of his disciples, who, "And when they had entered in, they went up into an upper room, where there remained Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alpheus, Simon Zelotes, and Jude the brother of James. All these (a) St. Luke, xxiv. 52. (c) St. Jude, 5. were persevering with one mind (1) in prayer with the women (2), and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brethren" (3). Meanwhile there was still a vacant place in the college of the apostles. The newly-chosen people was to have twelve patriarchs, like that of old. Peter, being the visible head of the church since the departure of Him who is her eternal and invisible chief, was charged with the care of filling up the vacancy. Whether his master had given him a special order so to do, or that he was admonished by inspiration, he lost no time in doing his duty. "In those days" (a), that is to say, from Ascension-day till the day of Pentecost, "Peter rising up in the midst of the brethren, said (Now the num ber of persons together was about a hundred and twenty): Men, brethren, the Scripture must be fulfilled which the Holy Ghost foretold, by the mouth of David, concerning Judas, who was the leader of them that apprehended Jesus. Who was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. And he indeed hath pos sessed (4) a field of the reward of iniquity; and, being hanged, burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it (a) Acts, i. 15. (1) They prayed unanimously and perseveringly. Prayer, unanimity in prayer, and perseverance in prayer, three things which, united together, do violence to heaven. These would, of themselves, have sufficed to draw down the Holy Ghost, even had he not been promised. See chap. iv. 31. (2) The holy women, who followed Jesus in his wanderings, who never forsook him during the time of his passion, whom he had made the witnesses of his resurrection, and probably of his ascension. Having him no longer, they still clung to those who were the most closely connected with him, viz., his mother, his brethren, and his disciples. (3) Who, at length, believed in him, convinced at last by the miracle of his resurrection. These, however, must not be confounded with those already named, James, son of Alpheus, Simon and Jude, brothers of James, who are called in the Gospel the brethren of the Lord. These last had believed even previous to their being called, for it is written that Jesus selected his apostles from amongst his disciples. Luke, vi. 13. (4) He hath possessed, say the greater number of translators, by which they understand that this field was bought with the traitor's own money. The Latin word properly signifies possess. The Greek word, which signifies both possess and acquire, is more generally taken in the former sense. It is, therefore, used in preference to the other, the rather as some commentators have perceived in it a sort of literal meaning. It is that Judas did indeed possess the field in the only way in which he could possess it, for they think that he was the first who was buried in it, as being one of those strangers for whose sepulture it was intended. became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so that the same field is called in their tongue, Haceldama; that is, the field of blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms: Let their habitation become desolate, and let there be none to dwell therein (1); and let another take his bishoprick (2). Wherefore, of these men who have been with us all the time that the Lord Jesus came in and went out among us-beginning from the baptism of John, until the day wherein he was taken up from us--one of these must be made a witness with us of his resurrection (3)." "And they appointed two (a); Joseph, called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And praying, they said: Thou, O Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show which of these two thou hast chosen to take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas hath, by transgression, fallen, that he might go to his own place." Which is to say, (b)" they gave them lots (4)." Two had been chosen by the judgment of men, but one of (b) Ibid., i. 26. (a) Acts, i. 23. (1) Such was the prediction, and it was literally fulfilled, but it assumes the character of a malediction. We find, in the Psalms, many examples of a like nature. Charitable persons are sometimes scandalized to see the Prophet-king invoke so much vengeance on the heads of his enemies and persecutors; they see not that the evil is not desired but only predicted, and that the prediction is merely put in that form to give it a poetical turn, as befits the Psalms-the most sublime of all poetical compositions. Instances of this kind are also frequent in the profane poets, when they announce misfortunes which are already past; which, however, were still to come at the time given in the poem. (See Virgil's Æneid, liv. iv. ver. 625.) (2) This prophecy applies only to Judas; that which precedes it, wherein it is said: "Let their habitation become desolate," refers to the Jewish nation, to whom Jesus had already said: "Behold, your house shall be left to you desolate" (Matt. xxiii. 38), but it has also a personal application to Judas, whose field was converted into a cemetery; a striking figure, this, of what befel Jerusalem, which became the tomb of its inhabitants. (3) The miracle of the resurrection does not comprise all religion; nevertheless it is the basis on which all religion rests. (4) We learn from Scripture that casting lots may be lawful under certain circumstances. But the fact is, that as the apostles acted in this matter on divine inspiration, they have no need of our apologies. In after days it was forbidden by the canon law to cast lots in choosing the ministers or pastors of the church. What is good at one time may be evil at another; nay, it may even become so hurtful, by reason of the abuses to which it gives rise, that it is better never to use it. them was preferred by the judgment of God. "The lot fell on Matthias (a), and he was numbered with the eleven apostles." By this election he was placed in a position to receive the Holy Ghost in a degree proportionate to so high a vocation. It was apparently for this reason that his election took place at that particular time. CHAPTER II. DESCENT OF THE HOLY GHOST.-THE GIFT OF TONGUES. THE PREACHING OF SAINT "THE Vessel of the Church," to avail myself of the elegant comparison of a holy doctor (1), “was built and fitted up; she had her pilot, her helm, and her sails, together with all the other things necessary for securing a prosperous voyage. Still there was one thing wanting, without which she might remain immovable for all eternity this was the inspiring breeze, which was to be as her soul, and to set all her parts in motion. The moment was at length "The days of the Pentecost (2) were accomplished, and they come. (a) Acts, i. 26. (1) Chrysost., Homily on the Holy Ghost. (2) A Greek word which signifies the fifty days, or the fiftieth day; these two meanings amounting to one and the same thing. It had been a Jewish festival long before the occurrence of this great event made it one of the festivals of the Christian Church. For the Jews, it was the anniversary of that day on which God gave the law to their Fathers on Mount Sinai. God subsequently ordained that on that day they should offer to him the first-fruits of their wheat crop, according to the rite prescribed in the twentythird chapter of Leviticus. It was only after this offering had been made that the people were permitted to lay a sickle to the harvest. This was a figure of that abundant harvest which was to be reaped by the apostles, the first-fruits of which were gathered in and offered up on that day by the chief of the apostles. With us Christians, one sole oblation has replaced all other offerings and sacrifices; and for us, Pentecost is the anniversary of the descent of the Holy Ghost, of the promulgation of the evangelical law, and the foundation of the Christian Church. All that was accomplished in one day, nay, within one hour; for, according to St. Luke, the descent of the Holy Ghost, the assemblage of the multitude, the discourse of St. Peter, and the conversion of three thousand |