VERS. II.
〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, &c.
Kept back part of the price, &c.
DIDST thou not remember O Ananias what things had been prophesied concerning the Spirit of the Messiah? 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 The Spirit of the King Messiah, viz. a spirit of Wisdom and understanding, &c. Isai. XI. 2. He shall make him quick of scent in the fear of the Lord. d 1.1 Rabba saith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 He smelleth and judgeth. Not after the sight of his eyes doth he judge.—Bar-Cozbi reigned two years and an half; and said to the Rabbins, I am the Messiah; they reply upon him, it is written of the Messiah, that he smelleth and judgeth: let us see if thou canst do so also, &c. The Gloss is, He smells out a man whether he be guilty or innocent.
By what apprehension of things Ananias was so deceived, as to think to have deceived the Holy Ghost, is not easie to conceive or guess. He might understand by the instance of Gehazi, how quick and ••agacious the Spirit of a Prophet is, in detecting all cheats and tricks; and did he not suppose the Apostles endowed with a spirit as capable as the Prophet's was? whatever it was that had blinded him to that madness, or hardened him to that daringness in sin, he abides as a dreadful monument throughout all ages of the indignati∣on of God upon all those that shall contemn and vilifie his Holy Spirit: whom if he did not blaspheme within his heart, how near was he to that sin! such mischiefs can Hypo∣crisie and Covetousness bring about!
It is not to be searched out of what degree or quality this Ananias was. There is some probability he was not of the meer vulgar sort, but of some higher rank, because the mention of him falls in with that of Barnabas; and there are more things that do in some measure perswade us. For what hinders why he should not be supposed to have been one of that number upon whom the Holy Ghost had been shed? What Judas was