The work of the Holy Spirit - pagina 597

THE COMMUNION OF GOODS communion ion of saints

of the

And inasmuch as this twofold nature

must be

outward and

of the

commun-

illustrated to the church of Jerusalem in its

perfect unity, therefore the

had

and a communion

of spiritual good,

visible glory.

557

communion

in the breaking of bread

accompanied by a communion equally intimate

to be

possession of temporal goods.

The

in the

division of property contained

the prophecy of this future communion, a glorious prophecy which

contains a threefold exhortatio?i for the Christian Church

of

all

ages.

what St. Paul calls " to possess as not possessing" ; to be loose from the world; the consistent carrying out of the idea that we are but stewards of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Proprietor of all men's personal property and real esIt is always the choice between Jehovah and Mammon. tate. Not Baal, nor Kamosh, nor Molech, but Mammon, is the idolatrous power in which Satan appears against the glory of Jehovah, Many men, otherwise not especially among mercantile nations. unspiritual, can scarcely separate from the altar of Mammon visible things have such strong attraction, and entrench themselves so T^XQ. first

exhortation is

—

firmly in the impressionable heart.

Compared to the treasures on earth, those of heaven seem to us something accidental and of uncertain value. To possess as not possessing

And

to our flesh such a bitter cross.

is

for this reason

the early church of Jerusalem appears in the beginning of the dis-

pensation of the

New

Covenant glorious

in

her communion of

goods, in order to illustrate against the dark background of the half-heartedness of Ananias and Sapphira the

Ghost

make

to

the children of

God

at

power

of the

Holy

Jerusalem at once loose from

Of course it did not last, for the spiriwere lacking to make it lasting but it shows the majestic act of the Holy Spirit, and the majestic preaching which proceeded from it " Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth," " but let your treasure be in heaven."

their earthly possessions.

tual forces of Paradise

;

:

And

the second exhortation

did not merely the poor

;

is,

that the poor be remembered.

sell their possessions,

and from

but they divided them

this divine manifestation of love

sprang the

flower of mercy, as indigenous to the Church of Christ. said that

it

was the

effect of excitement; but

They among

remember

It

fair

may

be

that, unless

the impressions on our sinful hearts are produced in a very powerful

manner, they

will soon be effaced;

and with

this in

view

it

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