Acts 5:4

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own, &c.?— That is, "Before it was sold, was it not thine? and being sold, was not the money paid thee, and in thine own power?—Thou hast therefore no excuse for what thou hast done;"—for there were two cases, which might have been pleaded by Ananias, in excusefor his bringing part of the price;—if either he had not been the whole and sole proprietor of what was sold, or had not received the whole purchase-money. As for the first, it is a self-evident truth, that a man can sell no more than what belongs to him; so that if Ananias had been owner only of a part, he could dispose only of a part. Secondly, though he were the whole and sole proprietor of the land, and so had a right to sell it; yet, had not the whole purchase-money been received, he might still have been excused for bringing buta part. But Ananias could plead neither of these excuses; for St. Peter urges, "While it remained unsold, did it not remain thine? or wert not thou owner and proprietor? And when it was sold, was not the money it was sold for in thy possession?" The first words, while it remained, &c. shew that Ananias was not obliged or forced to sell his possession, but might have retained it if he pleased; which plainlyshews, that contributing to the charitable fund, was not a matter of necessity, but purely voluntary. The whole verse may be thus paraphrased: "While you had the estate in your own possession, was it not a property which you might have kept, if you would? And after you thought fit to sell it, was not the money at your own disposal? You were under no necessity, either of selling it at all; or, afterwards, if you were minded to add any thing to the common stock for the use of the church, you were at full liberty to put in, either a part, or the whole of the price, just as you pleased: Why then have you thus freely consented to Satan's temptation, who could not have forced you to it? You have herein been guilty of a most abominable and aggravated lie, not to man only, but to the Holy Spirit himself, who, you know, eminently dwells and works in us, and who is truly and properly the heart-searching God, and will not be mocked; but will severely avenge the affront, in jealousy for his own glory, and to deter others from any such further insults upon him to the corrupting of the ch